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Zelda Theory Reference Thread Edition 1
This is where Theories of people who are accepted into The Bombers are posted for everyones' convenience. By LexLionHart One of the most impressive locales in the whole of the Legend of Zelda series is the Temple of Time, first introduced in Ocarina of Time. The powerful choral music that serves as its theme makes for an epic atmosphere in an already epic setting. Its two main roles in the game—as a final destination during the child half and as a central headquarters and staging area during the adult half—are both delivered in a style never before seen in the Zelda series, for the Temple of Time is the first Zelda locale to have a true story behind it. While other locations are mentioned by name and given a gameplay function in the earlier releases, most notably the North Castle and Great Palace in The Adventure of Link, none of these places played more than a passing role in the development of the story itself. Important places in future installments followed this trend, such as the Tower of the Gods in The Wind Waker or the Arbiter’s Grounds in Twilight Princess, but none of them, I feel, captured the same magic. Princess Zelda reveals early on in Ocarina of Time that the Temple of Time was erected by the ancient ones in ages past to serve as a sanctuary for the gateway to the heavenly Sacred Realm, the resting place of the Triforce of legends. The main objective of the first half of the game is to track down the remaining two spiritual stones so that the player can use the titular Ocarina of Time to open the Door of Time, behind which lies that holy portal. This took a similar plot device in A Link to the Past in which the player is charged with finding the three pendants needed to prove his worth so that he can claim the legendary Master Sword and expanded it and immersed it in story detail. After opening the Door of Time, the player discovers that behind it lies the blade of evil’s bane, which serves as the final key to the Sacred Realm. Not knowing what will happen, but knowing that he must obtain the Triforce before the evil Ganondorf can, the player then draws forth the sword, revealing the true nature of the forces in place to protect the Sacred Realm—the player is sealed away in the Realm for seven years by the Master Sword’s power. Once he awakens from his seven-year slumber, the player realizes that the Pedestal of Time in which the Master Sword rested was designed to test the worthiness of those who might approach it—only the true Hero, the Hero of Time, can draw forth the sword from the stone. The Temple, then, is not only a sanctuary for the entrance to the sacred lands, it is also a proving grounds for the Hero of legends. But is that really all there is to the Temple of Time? Twilight Princess showed us that this is not the case. Its presentation of the Temple of Time revealed that there was even more to this ancient edifice than Ocarina of Time had let on. The Temple of Time (moved from the city of Hyrule to the more remote Faron Woods) serves yet another role, guarding yet another sacred power—the power of the Oocca, supposed ancestors of the Hylians. That power is the Dominion Rod, which the player can obtain by manipulating the Master Sword pedestal in order to access a secret segment of the Temple of Time. So, indeed, there is more to that sacred place than at first meets the eye. The Theory: What was the Temple of Time used for? Many of the locales in the Legend of Zelda series, specifically and especially in the 3D titles, are based on actual structures found in the real world. The Temple of Time is no exception—in fact, it is probably Ocarina of Time’s foremost example of real-life influences on Hyrulean architecture. It has the look and feel of a Gothic cathedral, with its decorative stained-glass windows, its magnificent exterior, and the sacred altar positioned at the far end of the sanctuary. Hyrulean religion and history is, to a large extent, derived from Judeo-Christian tradition—the Creation story in its original form borrows heavily from the Biblical story of creation, the three Goddesses and the virtues they represent (Power, Wisdom, and Courage) correspond to the Christian Trinity, the Father, the Holy Ghost, and the Son (respectively), and so on and so forth. One can reasonably presume that the similarities between the Temple of Time and cathedral architectures are an extension of these derivatives, and that the Temple of Time was designed like a church because it functions somewhat as a church. Obviously we can also presume such a function from the name of the place—the Temple of Time. A temple is, according to dictionary.com, “an edifice or place dedicated to the service or worship of a deity or deities.” Within Ocarina of Time, we are told that water spirits are worshipped in the Water Temple, and forest spirits in the Forest Temple; it would only be reasonable to again extend this pattern to each of the elements in turn. Each of these Temples has its own steward race and sage protector as well, and, in fact, it seems that most of them are only reachable by members of that particular people. But what of the Temple of Time?—time is not an element in the same manner that fire or water is, and unlike the other temples, this one is much more accessible. Looking next at the temples in The Wind Waker, we see that the sages pray that the gods continue to bless the Master Sword (and all of Hyrule with it) with the light to banish evil. Obviously the Temple of Time does not serve this role, since obviously it is not needed to carry out the restoration of the Master Sword. Therefore, given the Temple of Time’s already-established roles as the entrance to the Sacred Realm and the storehouse of the blade of evil’s bane, roles that the elemental temples do not play, I would say that the temple serves as a universal place of worship for the Hero of Time himself, and not a holy place where “spirits of time” are worshipped or where sages remain to pray for the gods’ intercession. The “time” factor exists primarily as a utility for the Hero of Time through his use of the Ocarina of Time and the Master Sword. This function is more befitting, since its other uses already reveal that the Temple is a place of supreme importance, and, among the pantheon of Hyrulean deities, the greatest are the three goddesses, with whom the Hero is interminably connected. The Hero’s ability to appear when Hyrule is in danger, his designation as the “savior” all seem to point to his existence as a divine Messianic figure—a man, fully mortal, who yet transcends human mortality. Were there many other such places dedicated to revering heroes of the past? I could only imagine that it would be so, but it grieves me that, being an action-adventure game first, and not an RPG, none of the games in the series feature more than one or two sites of reverence to the heroes of old—The Wind Waker featured perhaps the only other location to specifically do so through the Tower of the Gods. Looking at the Roman-based culture and the circulating tales of a legendary Hero as seen in Twilight Princess, one could guess that each city had its own temple dedicated to a patron hero. Kakariko has the spirit’s spring—Eldin is said to protect his province at the behest of the gods, and his name is derived from the goddess Din, suggesting a link between the two. Lake Hylia features a full-fledged shrine surrounding its spirit’s spring, and there seem to be regular pilgrimages there in times of need. The Goron mine, while obviously used to mine precious ores (or rocks for eating by the Gorons), doubles as a sacred place that guards the ancient Hero’s bow. However, this being the case, we still have not seen any direct examples of these places being used for any religious or ceremonial function. How might the ancient Hylians have celebrated worship? The Wind Waker suggests that they did so through music: “This is the Wind Waker! It is a baton of sorts that was used long ago when the people played music in prayer to the gods. In those days, simply using it allowed one to borrow the power of the gods”Did they consider the Hero to be a god? I cannot be sure. But I am sure that the power of the gods is, in most cases, intimately tied to the Hero and to his heroic destiny. The altar in the Temple of Time also responds to song, as its primary role in Ocarina of Time is to open the gates of time: “Ye who owns three Spiritual Stones And each of the other Hyrulean temples, in turn, has its own song, each of them intertwined with the motif of Time: “The flow of time is always cruel... The sages, songs, and even the temples themselves, specifically this Temple of Time, all seem to be centered around the Hero of Time and his ability to travel back and forth between past and future in his efforts to save Hyrule. That the Ocarina of Time, three “symbols of virtue” and the Master Sword are also needed to enter the Sacred Realm and obtain the Triforce also suggests that the Triforce was intended specifically to be wielded by one with the qualities of that chosen Hero. All of this points to the Hero as an object of worship, or at least of saintly reverence, and, as such, I believe that the Temple of Time is the foremost site dedicated to such praise. By Michael Davis (a.k.a. MDK) The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is a side-story in the Zelda series that has sparked off a wide array of different theories based on the interesting background and characters, deduced from the significantly small amount of information provided by the game’s story, in contrast to most of the games that develop the main story of the series. The primary antagonist for the most part of the game, the Skull Kid wearing Majora’s Mask, was a seemingly insignificant NPC from the game to which Majora’s Mask is a direct sequel, Ocarina of Time. The game delves into the story of the Skull Kid’s past and slightly develops his character. In this theory, I aim to develop his character further, largely using seemingly unrelated evidence from the game’s final events, to point of actually establishing the Skull Kid’s own identity. Read on… The Legend: The Skull Kid’s Past It is revealed in by several events in the game that the Skull Kid had a relationship with the Four Giants in the past, and a seemingly close one at that. This is most clearly revealed in the legend of the Four Giants, as told by Anju’s grandmother, displayed below: "The Four Giants" This tale's from long ago when all the people weren't separated into four worlds like they are now. In those times all the people lived together, and the four giants lived among them. On the day of the festival that celebrates the harvest, the giants spoke to the people... "We have chosen to guard the people while we sleep..." "100 steps north, 100 steps south, 100 steps east, 100 steps west." "If you have need, call us in a loud voice by declaring something such as, 'The mountain blizzard has trapped us.'” “Or 'The ocean is about to swallow us.' Your cries shall carry to us..." Now then...There was one who was shocked and saddened by all this. A little imp. The imp was a friend of the giants since before they had created the four worlds. "Why must you leave?" "Why do you not stay?" The childhood friend felt neglected, so he spread his anger across the four worlds. Repeatedly, he wronged all people. Overwhelmed with misfortune, the people sang the song of prayer to the giants who lived in each of the four compass directions. The giants heard their cry and responded with a roar. "Oh, imp. Oh, imp. We are the protectors of the people." "You have caused the people pain. Oh, imp, leave these four worlds! Otherwise, we shall tear you apart!" The imp was frightened and saddened. He had lost his old friends. The imp returned to the heavens, and harmony was restored to the four worlds. And the people rejoiced and they worshiped the giants of the four worlds like gods. And they lived happily...ever after... The “imp” is clearly depicted as a Skull Kid in the imagery that accompanies the story. The “heavens” referred to in the legend could possibly be the land of Hyrule. The events of the legend appear to have taken place long ago, as few recall any such story, making it seem that Skull Kids are unaffected by the ravages of time, so it seems likely that the imp and the Skull Kid are the same entity, given the history between the two and the Four Giants. This is supported by the appearance of a Skull Kid that plays Saria’s Song in Twilight Princess (set one or more hundred years after OOT’s child ending, after which MM also takes place), suggesting that it is yet again the same Skull Kid. Indeed, the Skull Kid is referred to as an imp in several instances during the game, and the Skull Kid also confirms that he and the Giants were friends in the aftermath of Majora’s defeat, as he talks to the Giants briefly before they depart, suggesting that he is indeed the imp of legend, and confirms that he is the same Skull Kid as the one to whom Link gives the Skull Mask in OOT ("Eh-hee-hee...You have the same smell as the fairy kid who taught me that song in the woods..."). As such, it isn’t too difficult to understand why the Skull Kid is so upset, having lost his friends. It is likely that he was shunned by the peoples of Termina due to his peculiar appearance, which would have made it difficult for him to make any new friends, which would logically lead to his wronging of the people. This time, however, he had the power of Majora at his disposal, which allowed him to stomp on those who shunned him with relative ease, even seemingly effortlessly sealing the Giants in what would likely have been the masks that they themselves wore during the Carnival of Time. The Moon: The Skull Kid’s Mindset The Moon that hangs over Clock Town is a mysterious body. Prior to the events of the game, it had been slowly drawing closer to the surface of Termina, and is three days from impact upon Link’s arrival. The Moon’s origins are difficult to discern, but regardless, I am certain of one thing: the scene at the Moon’s core is a manifestation of the Skull Kid’s mindset. Allow me to set the scene. There is an endless field that rises into a lone hill at the centre, atop which stands a single tree. There are five children, all of whom are identical to the Happy Mask Salesman, albeit much younger versions of him, and wearing masks. Four of them, who wear the masks of the four Temple Guardians, run around the tree the play, at a distance from the fifth child, who sits alone at the trunk, wearing Majora’s Mask. The tree on the hill is the sole object that breaks the field, much like Clock Town sits elevated in the centre of Termina field. Each child plays alone, separate from one another, similar to each of the Giants guarding one of the four compass directions. Each Giant was also sealed in one of the masks that the children are wearing. The child that wears Majora’s Mask sits alone, left out of play by the rest. The Skull Kid, who wears Majora’s Mask during the game, was left behind when the Giants left Clock Town for the four worlds. Also interesting are the questions that the children ask Link, the first and common to them all being: “Masks...You have...a lot. You, too...Will you be... a mask salesman?” This, coupled with their appearance, ties them unquestionably to the Happy Mask Salesman, who, interestingly, doesn’t have a double in Termina that we meet during the course of the game. More interesting, though, are the individual questions asked by each child as their desire for masks is appeased, which seem to be direct references to the Skull Kids anguish. The questions are as follows: "Your friends... What kind of...people are they? I wonder... Do those people... think of you...as a friend?" This question reflects on the Skull Kid’s insecurities in regard to the Giants. As he reveals at the end of the game when he talks to the Giants, he had long been worried that they no longer thought of him as a friends after all the trouble he had caused for the people. "You... What makes you...happy? I wonder... What makes you happy... Does it make...others happy, too?" This is a reflection of how the Skull Kid longs to be accepted by others, and how he might one day find someone with whom to share joy, as he had once done with the Giants. "The right thing...What is it? I wonder... If you do the right thing... Does it really make... everybody...happy?" This is most likely the Skull Kid reflecting on the actions he has taken, questioning them, and possibly expressing regret, given all the suffering he had caused. "Your true face... What kind of...face is it? I wonder... The face under the mask... Is that...your true face?" MOST IMPORTANT: I believe this is a reference to his own appearance. In OOT, there are four different Navi descriptions for the Skull Kid, each one dependant on certain circumstances:
One thing is certain from these descriptions: Skull Kids are born from children who lose their way in the Lost Woods, much in the same way that adults become Stalfos, from the account of a Kokiri girl. The face of a Skull Kid is a bland wooden surface with two black eyes and what appears to be a duck’s bill. The way in which Navi refers to them, it appears that it isn’t really a “face” at all, which would make sense, given that the child apparently loses its identity when it becomes this creature. The above quote seems to suggest that the Skull Kid is having an identity crisis: “the face under the mask”. I believe this refers to his bland wooden Skull Kid face, and that his original face is his true face, his true identity. Summing up these points, the conclusions I have drawn in regard to the Moon scene are as follows:
Now, logically, one has to take into consideration that, if all of these parallels are real and intentional, why do the children take the form of the Happy Mask Salesman? The Happy Mask Salesman: The Skull Kid’s Identity There are three characters in the game that are notably also from OOT, namely Link, the Skull Kid, and the Happy Mask Salesman. The vast majority of the other non-player characters throughout the game are merely counterparts of their doubles from OOT, as Termina is intended to be a parallel world to Hyrule (this is the reason offered by Nintendo for the recycling of OOT’s character models, but this is beside the point). If any character in Termina were to be Link’s counterpart, it would most likely be the so-called “Fierce Deity” (as translated by NOA, due to censorship – the character’s original Japanese name was “Onigami”, which translates directly as “demon god”), if only because the mask itself bears the likeness of Link’s adult self. The Skull Kid and the Happy Mask Salesman, however, are a different story. While it is safe to assume that the Happy Mask Salesman is a Hylian resident of Hyrule, the Skull Kid is somewhat of an enigma, given his extensive history in Termina’s distant past. Neither character has a Terminian counterpart. Coupling this with all of the above points, I propose that the Skull Kid and the Happy Mask Salesman are each other’s counterparts. It is very possible, if not probable, that the Skull Kid was originally a resident of Termina in his past life. Only three characters have notably crossed between Termina and the Lost Woods. At least, three live ones have. When Link crossed through the “rabbit-hole” if you will (this is, after all, a very obvious take on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) as a Deku Scrub, he came across a peculiar looking tree: Tatl: “But enough about that for now... Come over to this tree and check it out! It's strange, but the way you look right now sort of looks like this tree... It looks all dark and gloomy... almost like it could start crying any second now... How sad...” She specifically refers to Deku Link’s similar appearance to the tree. One other character, the Deku Butler, also says that Deku Link looks very similar to his estranged son. Playing the Elegy of Emptiness as Deku Link produces a cast-off shell that also looks remarkably similar to the tree. All of this points unquestionably at the extreme likelihood that the soul of the Deku Mask belonged to that tree, who no doubt had his soul ripped from his body when Skull Kid transformed Link (so sad…). The point I’m trying to get across is that this Deku child was trying to leave Termina. His presence in the passageway proves that the path between Hyrule and Termina is not completely unknown to the residents of Termina – indeed, at one point in the game, one of the Gorons refers to a “Dodongo’s Cavern”, and given the possible knowledge of the passageway, it is quite likely that it is the same one from OOT. But I forget myself – what I’m suggesting is that this child may have lost his way while playing one day and stumbled upon the passage. Since the passage leads directly to the Lost Woods, it isn’t too bold to assume that the child became lost and eventually became a Skull Kid. I propose that the child was the counterpart of the Happy Mask Salesman, and that the apparition of the children on the Moon is indeed the Skull Kid’s original form. I have done my best to gather evidence in favour of this. I apologise for being unable to provide artwork and images from the game to back up my findings – I have tried to be as descriptive in my writing as possible. I hope this proves to be an interesting read, and hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Here ends the article. By Sentient In this article, I will be looking at all the evidence against a pre-OoT placement of TMC. My aim in this is to gather various types of evidence, and prove that not only is TMC not before OoT, but after TWW aswell. I will be looking at everything, from geography, to quotes, to enemies and will hopefully I'll be able to prove that TMC is not before OoT. First, lets look at in game quotes. The most important thing to note is that every time the people are mentioned in TMC, they are referred to as humans, not Hylians: "Once, humans and Picori shared that shrine as a meeting place." ~ King of Hyrule, TMC "You humans call them the "Picori," but they refer to themselves as the Minish! Strange how, in the world of humans, only this forest has kept that name..." ~ Ezlo, TMC "I gather it's been quite some time since they last saw a human..." ~ Ezlo, TMC "Hm... I've never seen an outfit like that before. Are you a...human? Oh, my! It's been quite some time since any humans came here." ~ Festari, TMC "In the meantime, you should track down the missing elements. One of them should be in the mine the humans dug." ~ Melari, TMC "This must be what the humans who built this mine used to get around in here." ~ Ezlo, TMC "I knew it was madness to risk our lives in that rickety human contraption!" ~ Ezlo, TMC "It is the bridge between the Minish world and the human world." ~ Melari, TMC "I know you can do it. After all, you made short work of that human mine." ~ Melari, TMC "One day, Vaati took a hat I made for the humans -- my pride and joy." ~ Ezlo, TMC "You know the legends, of course. The gifts the Picori gave the humans..." ~ Ezlo, TMC "This is no good! No good at all! A human borrowed a book, and now none of us can get back to Elder Labrari!" ~ Town Minish, TMC Although it cannot be proven whether the people are Hylian or human in TMC, judging from the other games, it is best to assume that the people are humans in TMC, since saying they are Hylians is much more of an assumption and has no evidence supporting it. So we've established that the people of Hyrule in TMC were most probably human. So what about the state of Hyrule itself? Let's look at the account of the Fierce Wars that took place around a decade before OoT: "Some time ago, before the King of Hyrule unified this country, there was a fierce war in our world. One day, to escape from the fires of the war, a Hylian mother and her baby boy entered this forbidden forest. The mother was gravely injured... Her only choice was to entrust the child to the Deku Tree, the guardian spirit of the forest. The Deku Tree could sense that this was a child of destiny, whose fate would affect the entire world, so he took him into the forest. After the mother passed away, the baby was raised as a Kokiri. And now, finally, the day of destiny has come!" ~ Great Deku Tree Sprout, OoT Before the King of Hyrule unified this country. It doesn't say reunified, it just says unified, meaning that this was the first time that Hyrule had been united under one King. But in TMC, Hyrule is clearly united, and under the rule of a King aswell. How can this be so if TMC is before OoT? Now, onto the races of Hyrule. Which races are present in TMC and OoT? Well, let's take a look: The Minish Cap: - Humans (most likely) - Gorons - Minish - Wind Tribe Ocarina of Time: - Hylians - Gorons - Zoras - Kokiri - Gerudo As you can see, the only race that appears in both are the Gorons, but I'm going to leave them till last for a good reason. Now, we've already established that we do not know for certain whether the people are Hylian or not in TMC, so we'll move on to the other races. If TMC is before OoT, where are the Zoras in TMC, and where did they come from in OoT? Clearly both they and their Domain have been around for a while in OoT, since the Zoras are a well established race that have strong connections with the Royal Family, plus they have their own patron deity and a temple where they go to worship (Water Temple). Yet in TMC there isn't a trace of their existance. No Zora's Domain, no Jabu-Jabu, no Water Temple and no Zoras. How is this possible if TMC is before OoT? So what about the Kokiri and the Gerudo? Well, the Kokiri have obviously been around for a long time, since the Great Deku Tree created them, and we all know that the Great Deku Tree is extremely old: Quote:
And what about the Gerudo? They've been in Hyrule for quite awhile too, since they have their own fortress, their own ancient temple and their own hidden treasures. So where are they in TMC, and for that matter, where do they live? Well, from comparing the TMC map to other maps from around its time (i.e. FSA and ALttP), we know that the swamp is in the middle of Hyrule, with a desert to the west of it. Since the swamp in TMC is in the west (rather, the south-west), and the first peak of Death Mountain (which at the time was called Mount Crenel) is also in the west (when it should be in the middle of the map), then we can come to the logical conclusion that we are not seeing all of Hyrule in TMC, and that there is the land that we are accustomed to seeing in the west in FSA and ALttP to the west of the game area in TMC. This makes it possible for the Gerudo to be around at the time of TMC, infact I'm almost certain of it, since they are in FSA. However, this does not prove either way whether or not TMC is or isn't before OoT. Now. The Gorons. There is a reason I left them for last. In TMC, there are very few Gorons (eight, if I remember rightly), yet in OoT, the Gorons are a thriving race with their own city, mine and temple (Goron City, Dodongo's Cavern and the Fire Temple). So where are all these places in TMC? Non-existant, so we must assume that TMC is after OoT. And not only is it after OoT, there's evidence that it's after TWW aswell. In both TWW and TMC, there are very few Gorons left. The Gorons in TMC appear to be recovering from the extreme loss of their kind caused by a disastrous event, perhaps say, the Great Flood, so we can come to the logical conclusion that TMC is after TWW. Another important thing to note is enemies, and when the events of the TMC BS took place. Here is the stained glass windows from the TMC introduction:      They show Moblins in their TWW form, suggesting that TMC is near TWW in the timeline. But more importantly, the windows show land-walking Octoroks. This has great significance because land-walking Octoroks did not develop until sometime after the Flood and TWW, since TWW is the last game to feature water-dwelling Octoroks. If land-walking Octoroks were around at the time of the Hero of Men, then the Hero of Men story happens after TWW, ergo, TMC is after TWW. Another important thing to note is the lack of knowledge of the Triforce in TMC. Not only is it never mentioned once, it's never even mentioned by one of it's synonyms (power of the gods, golden power etc). The closest thing to a mention of the Triforce in TMC is a book entitled "Triumph Forks" in the library. This is a clear reference to TWW, and even in TWW, most people who had knowledge of such a thing called it the Triumph Forks. This suggests that TMC is after TWW. Also, a large portion of the enemies and items in TMC are the same as those from TWW, strongly hinting at a post TWW placement of TMC. In TMC, Hyrule is depicted as being on a vast sea, as seen in the background of the Palace of Winds:  This greatly supports the post-TWW placement of TMC, seeing as this strongly hints at TMC occuring sometime after the Flood. And finally, some evidece to support the theory of the Great Deku Tree raising old Hyrule from the depths using trees during the time between TWW and TMC. Take a look at the map of TMC:  Notice the large amount of trees all over Hyrule. There are a considerably larger amount than there were in OoT. Notice that the biggest group of trees (Minish Woods) is in the same place as the Forest Haven, and that the trees thin out from there on. This is supportive of the theory that the Great Deku Tree raised Hyrule, and supports a post-TWW placement of TMC. In summary, this is the evidence against a pre-OoT placement of TMC:
There is a lot going for a post-TWW placement of TMC, and from my experiences of debating with people that believe TMC to be before OoT, there isn't that much evidence for that placement, and what evidence their is is questionable and open for interpretation. Hopefully this article will give you some new thoughts about where to place TMC in your timeline. By MasterOfALttP Something which I've recently found myself saying to other people is that the map of Hyrule from Ocarina of Time is outdated and that it has been retconned. However, I feel that many people don't understand my reasoning behind the whole thing, or even why we should adopt such an idea. In this article, I will explain my logic and various reasons behind my preposition that we formally accept our previous layout of Old Hyrule, the map of Hyrule from Ocarina of Time, to have been retconned in favor of the map seen in Twilight Princess. Essentially, what I am saying is that we should ignore the map of Hyrule from Ocarina of Time and should instead use the map from Twilight Princess. My main reason behind this is that the maps are fundamentally the same. In the past, both recent and distant, I have seen theories which use connective lines to show relative location. By using lines to connect two locations, such as Death Mountain and the southwestern desert, which are two common regions seen in many Zelda games, you end up seeing that they are positioned relatively the same from game to game. If you use the easternmost peak of Death Mountain (if two peaks are present) as your first reference point and about the middle of the desert as your other reference point, and connect them with a line, you will see that it either cuts a straight through Hyrule Castle or ends up coming close to the southeastern corner of the immediate area. If you then compare this line to a line constructed in the same fashion on a different map, you will see that they are about the same length and often at similar angles. This is pretty much the case with the maps of Hyrule from Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess. Drawing a line from Death Mountain to the deserts on both maps shows that, relatively speaking, they are in the same location. Despite the fact that Death Mountain has a placement more to the east in Twilight Princess, it is still aligned horizontally with Hyrule Castle as in Ocarina of Time and a similar distance in some northeastern direction of the desert. Although the angle between Death Mountain and the deserts do not match up between the two maps, I have found a logical explanation to this predicament. The explanation I have as to why the angles between Death Mountain and the deserts do not match up is because in the map from Twilight Princess, we are not shown the actual peak of Death Mountain. From the field, you can see a massive, blister-like rock formation rising in the east, which is apparently oozing lava through cracks in the surface. This appears to be the actual Death Mountain, and judging by the looks, it is befitting of the name. Apparently, Death Mountain is not only the name of the mountain itself, but also the range of mountains in the surrounding area. In fact, this was the case in the original Legend of Zelda. We do not actually go up on the true Death Mountain, which is shown by the fact that you can see the massive sphere of rock and lava looming over the landscape from any part of the mountain accessed in the game. Knowing this, if we were to determine the approximate location of the actual Death Mountain on the map of Hyrule and draw a line from it to the Gerudo Desert, it would certainly match up more closely with the line on the map of Hyrule from Ocarina of Time than when the line was extending from the lower reaches of the Death Mountain range. Instead of a complete retcon of Hyrule, which you may have understood me as vouching for earlier, I propose more of a combination of the two maps. The reason is that any areas from Ocarina of Time can easily be placed on the map of Twilight Princess without much effort or conflict because of how similar they really are. Basically, you can think of taking two maps at the same scale from each game and cutting out certain areas from Ocarina of Time's map and placing them on the map from Twilight Princess in about the same areas they belong. In doing so, it isn't so much a retcon of all of Hyrule as it is simply redefining the central areas while leaving the outer territories intact. Let us look at my first example. If you stand atop the Gerudo Mesa in Twilight Princess and take a look around, you will see much more desert, completely inaccessible, extending all the way out to the horizon. It is very possible that we are being shown only a part of the desert southwest of Hyrule in Twilight Princess, this part being called the Gerudo Desert. What this means is that the desert and surrounding area from Ocarina of Time, known as the Haunted Wasteland and Gerudo Valley, are located somewhere else nearby. Remember the conversation in Twilight Princess that Link had with Auru about the desert, shortly before Fyer launched you from his cannon? Auru spoke of a path to the desert which had been lost long ago. Perhaps this path was the Gerudo Valley? Seeing as Bulblins have such an easy time destroying massive stalactites with bomb arrows during your trip up Zora's River in Twilight Princess, it seems evident that much of Hyrule lies on relatively soft rock. Taking into consideration this weakness, it is possible that the Gerudo Canyon collapsed in on itself or had become impassable in some other similar way. Another thing from Twilight Princess tells me that this is fairly likely to occur. Just south of Hyrule Castle in Twilight Princess, there is a gaping hole high above Zora's River. Evidently, after years of erosion, and perhaps some outside influence, this patch of ground suddenly gave way. Knowing of this other instance makes the theory that the Gerudo Canyon fell in on itself more plausible. The question now is, where was this ancient pass, the Gerudo Valley, located? Well, in my explorations, I have stumbled upon something rather interesting. In Ocarina of Time, there was a massive cliff facing the Gerudo Fortress from the south. In Twilight Princess, there is a large number of massive rock formations, and apparently a large stone cliff, located around and behind the Arbiter's Grounds and the accompanying Mirror Chamber. This rocky area is located in the northern part of the Gerudo Desert. What I am suggesting is that the area surrounding the Coloseum structure of the Arbiter's Grounds is located a relatively short distance south of the Gerudo Fortress. Now, you could argue against this by saying that you cannot see any such structure, nor any other rock formations, behind this cliff if you climb up to a high point of the Gerudo Fortress and look towards the south. My explanation? Quite simply, the developers had not thought of placing such a thing in the desert, and had no need of any such thing in the game, so they didn't waste time and memory space to make it and place it there. Over time, creators change their minds and decide to go in new directions and add new things to their work, so perhaps one such thing was a structure close to the Gerudo Fortress which closely resembles the Roman Coloseum of our world. Let us now ask ourselves why such a thing would be positioned there. Of all the places that a prison could have been built in the desert, it had to be located near the Gerudo Fortress. Well, let us look at things another way. We see that in Twilight Princess, the Arbiter's Grounds is an absolute mess. Buildings are in ruin, and are slowly being swallowed by the infinite sands of the desert. However, in Ocarina of Time, the Gerudo Fortress looks practically brand new. For all we know, they could've laid the last sun-baked mud brick a few days before Link stepped foot in the Gerudo Valley. I suggest that it was not the Arbiter's Grounds which was built near the Gerudo Fortress, but the Gerudo Fortress which was built near the derelict Arbiter's Grounds. My proof of this involves looking at some other architecture in Hyrule. Located upon a cliff just northeast of Lake Hylia in Twilight Princess, there lies an ancient stone structure reminiscent of the amphitheaters of the ancient Romans from our world. Seeing as both this amphitheater and the Mirror Chamber display traits typical of Roman architecture, we can conclude that they were constructed during a similar time period. The two, however, are in completely different conditions. The amphitheater is in ruin, and the Mirror Chamber is largely intact. Knowing Hyrule has had a violent history, it is possible that the amphitheater suffered from attacks, whereas the Mirror Chamber remained isolated in the Gerudo Desert. Now that we have answered the where and why, let us look to the how. How are the Gerudo Desert, Haunted Wasteland, and Gerudo Valley positioned in relation to one another? Let us look at the shapes of the two and how they relate to Lake Hylia, which has essentially the same shape along the western edge in both maps. If you look at the shape of the Haunted Wasteland and Gerudo Valley from Ocarina of Time, you see that they form a 'P' shape with a funny little tail, Gerudo Valley, coming off the bottom of the circular section, the Gerudo Fortress, with a large space between it and Lake Hylia. Looking at the Gerudo Desert from Twilight Princess, you see that it has a roughly triangular shape, with the bottom right corner taking the shape of the nearby Lake Hylia. Taking into consideration that the two maps may not be at the same scale, and in all probability aren't, then it's entirely possible for the Haunted Wasteland and the Gerudo Valley from Ocarina of Time to arc around the Gerudo Desert without any major complications. The ancient entrance to the desert which Auru spoke of would then be located somewhere around the rocky cliffs in the northwestern part of Hyrule Field seen in Twilight Princess. The next example I would like to look at is the matter of the southern forests. If you compare the two maps, you will see that they both have wooded areas towards the south. Twilight Princess has the Faron Woods along the southern border of Hyrule Field, and Ocarina of Time has the Kokiri Forest and Lost Woods extending northeast from the southeast corner of the field. What is significant here is that on both maps there is empty space in the location the forest from the other map would occupy. Again, with appropriate scaling and minimal rotation, the two forests could be brought together on the same map to form a more complete forest along the southern border of Hyrule. This somewhat goes along with the "comlete forest" comment. The Hyrule we are shown in Twilight Princess more closely fits the romantic descriptions we are given in many games; a land surrounded by tall mountains, encircled by lush forests, and filled with fertile fields. It seems rather obvious that the development team for Twilight Princess wanted to strengthen this description of Hyrule and show the land in the way it was meant to be seen for the past twenty years. Obvious, because the developers gave us two large mountains to explore and the many other mountains seen on the edges of places within our reach. Obvious, because of the extensive forests we find ourselves wandering through and seeing up above us on cliffs.. Obvious, because of the great amount of detail put into the places we can see but can never get to, no matter how much we want to. As of late, the developers have been putting great amounts of effort into returning the franchise to its golden era, a time during which you could have been considered cool for slaying a foul beast and rescuing the princess. Knowing the developers have been putting forth such effort, I feel that we must cease to cling to such old ideas and interpretations of things, such as geography. The way I see it, the developers decided on the split timeline because it gives them the freedom to reinvent the series without greatly affecting the work that had been done in the past. Twilight Princess was just the first step in this process of rebirth, so we should focus more on the present state of mind of the developers and not what they have said or done in the past. Being a timeline theorist isn't about looking at the things characters say or how the world is arranged anymore. We now have to take into consideration an additional factor, the human factor. The creators of the Zelda games care greatly for their creation, which can only be described as art, so they will change things in ways that they feel will benefit the franchise. To fully understand the way the timeline is to work, we must not only look at things from a perspective based solely upon logic, but must place ourselves in the shoes of people like Miyamoto and Aonuma. By understanding them, we can understand their work, and we can understand the timeline. by Uncle Meat In this article I will do my best to show why I think the Oracle games should be place last in the timeline, regardless of the timeline you believe in. The Oracle games are notorious for their lack of connection to the story-lines of other Zelda titles. Many don't even consider them to be a part of the official Zelda story-line. Whether or not they are meant to be considered canonical, it is always interesting to try to figure out their placement with the given evidence. The setting in the beginning of both of the games is as follows: The Complete Triforce is resting within Hyrule Castle. The Triforce tells Link to accept a quest in the faraway lands of Labrynna and Holodrum. Link is sent to these places to rescue two Oracles and restore peace to the lands. It later turns out that Ganondorf's surrogate mothers Koume and Kotake are planning to revive the monster Ganon by sacrificing princess Zelda. An important story-line element is the Triforce birthmark on Link's left hand which appears in only one other game under the circumstances where Link is not in the possession of a triforce piece. This game is no other than Adventure of Link the sequel to the original Legend of Zelda. This detail would already suggest that the Link in the Oracle games and the Link form original games are the same person. This is backed up by the fact that at the end of AoL Link has assembled the complete Triforce in Hyrule Castle and the pieces are floating in the air in the exact same formation in both games. A more debatable detail is the fact that the revived Ganon wields the Trident of Power, a weapon that's origins are explained in Four Swords Adventures. The same weapon has also appeared in A Link to the Past, the BS remake of Legend of Zelda and in the original artwork that was done for the 1986 release of the original Zelda. Many would place all of these games post FSA if they are to be placed in the same timeline. Obviously the complete concept of the Trident of Power wasn't developed until FSA's release. Flagship's development team isn't exactly known for it's preciseness when it comes to story-line consistency either. This is why some have chosen to ignore the whole issue with the Trident. But there shouldn't be any reason to assume that the games would lie to us. Also, this logic could be applied to so many reoccurring story-line elements that doing so would make all timeline theorizing impossible. In any case this point only goes to show that the Oracles should take place after the all Four Sword games or in a different timeline all together. While these are important clues they do not specifically exclude many possible placements. The one thing that I think sets the two games in their place can be found by looking at the development process and the developers' original intentions for the the duo. These details are often overlooked in the name of in-game content being more reliable than all other sources. I believe that in the case of the Oracles one must look at all available information as equally as possible due to the lack of in-game material. Flagship had originally planned to make a trilogy of Zelda games that was to be called The Triforce Trilogy. The original intention was to recreate the first two Zelda games and make a third game to complete the original story-line. The name of the Trilogy was later changed to The Mystical Seed trilogy. The idea was to have three games that the player could connect via passwords to access additional gameplay and a secret ending. The problem was that the linking between the three titles became too complex and eventually was scrapped as it was impossible to program. Flagship made the difficult decision to drop the third title and focus on the remaining two. It is unknown how far they were in development at the time. The cut was announced to the non-japanese gaming world late July 2000 which means that they were probably nearing completion since the games were released in February 2001. We can only assume that what was supposed to become a game of its own was used to make the two remaining games longer and add additional side-quests. The story-lines of the two games had to be rewritten since the idea of a remake trilogy wasn't the plan anymore. This is probably one of the reasons behind the lack of timeline connectivity in the games. Some traces of the original intentions are still present especially in Oracle of Seasons. Similar Dungeon design and matching bosses being the most obvious connections. OoS is chronologically the first Oracle game, this is shown in the story of the Pirates in the game. The plot of the missing game would have to have been in a world where Hyrule is at peace, the whole Triforce is kept safe in the Hyrule Castle and Ganon is dead. The setting matches perfectly with the plot of the Oracles. Since the plan to make a trilogy had failed, the people at Flagship probably used the only original story they had worked on and adapted it to both of the Oracle games forming a quadrilogy instead. By the end of Adventure of Link the plan to revive Ganon by sacrificing Link has failed and peace has returned to Hyrule. Link has claimed the missing Triforce of Courage and brought it to Hyrule Castle and awoken the legendary sleeping princess Zelda. The quadrilogy would make a lot of sense story-wise too, Ganon's supporters have a new plan to resurrect him outside of Hyrule where Link cannot interfere. But then the goddesses step in and send Link to put a stop to it. Now I'm going to tackle some of the points that are most commonly used against this theory. The first one is that Impa who appears in LoZ and AoL cannot be the same because she does not know Link in the beginning of the game. This argument ignores the fact that there are multiple Impas, in fact there is a whole family (see footnotes). The Impa in the Oracles is also very different looking. The second argument is that the Oracles fit seamlessly between Link's Awakening and Legend of Zelda and go along well with the myth of the sleeping princess Zelda which was described in the backstory of AoL. I consider this placement almost as likely as the post AoL one. The same pieces of evidence work for both choices just as well. It's solely because of the original intentions of the developers and the birthmark that I consider the latter more likely. The backstory also still fits in it's place even if there Oracles are placed elsewhere. The third point is that Zelda does not recognize Link in the linked Oracles game (for Zelda's words see footnotes). Now if we assume that the Triforce birthmark makes Oracles Link the same as AoL Link the Zelda could be either the sleeping princess or the one from the original Zelda. In either case it is possible that she has not seen Link in a long while and just wants a confirmation. There's also the possibility that these are a different generation of Link and Zelda. So in conclusion I would say that even though there aren't any points to disprove the post LA placement, the post AoL placement is way more likely because of the development history and some details. Footnotes: Proof that there is a whole line of Impas and not just one, a quote from the AoL manual: Quote:
Quote:
IGN: Zelda's Tri-Force Down To Two pocket.ign.com: Legend of Zelda: Mystical Seed of Power[/quote] by mmmmm_PIE By Rak CONTENTS *INTRODUCTION* *PRELIMINARY ASSUMPTIONS* *FIRST LOOK* *IW REFERENCES* *COMPARING GEOGRAPHY* *COMPARING GANONS* *COMPARING REALMS* *COMPARING KNIGHTS OF HYRULE* *COMPARING SAGES* *COMPARING THE TRIFORCE* *FINAL PROPOSAL* *INTRODUCTION* I’m sure you’ve all heard the theory of the Dark tribe being the Gerudos, right? Well everything that follows is essentially taking that idea, and running with it. Well, actually what follows is going to try to tie the IW, the dark tribe, the Gerudos, FSA, and TP all together in a pretty little bow. Whether that bow has the appearance of a freakish kowtow, speedily whipped together by the grimy fingers of a five-year old, or an elegant curvation luminescent in the darkest age for the timeline community yet, is at the deliberation of the readers. We have all recently bore witness to fluctuating creator intent. So now what’s to say about the Seal War? Can it still be considered OoT? Where else can it fall? Could the Dark Mirror in FSA be the same mirror in TP? The purpose of this theory is to tie these three games together, and now that it is confirmed that TP takes places hundreds of years after OoT, rather than “about a hundred,” there is room for some of these events to happen. You definitely won’t agree with all of it, but you might take bits here and there and incorporate it into your own theory. By no means am I claiming this theory is correct, or trying to jam it down anyone’s throats. But the result might be astonishing. : ) *PRELIMINARY ASSUMPTIONS* The first thing to assume is that the Imprisoning War is still in effect in the timeline. A common belief is that the creators are quietly trying to stifle and forget the IW, by leaving its account out of the revamped LttP, and thoroughly making it impossible for OoT to be the IW by confirming the split timeline. Along with the IW still being relevant, I’m still taking into account the LttP manual as well. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read and studied the translation guide, but all quotes posted will be the translated NoA version. Another assumption to make is that the FSA Ganondorf is a completely different/new Ganondorf appearing from the Gerudo Tribe. Different meaning it’s not the same Ganondorf as in OoT. If these games then take place around the same era, be warned there will be two Ganondorf’s existing at one point in time. I couldn’t seem to avoid this in the crafting of this theory without scrapping the whole thing, so it’s just going to have to be taken for granted for now. Also there are some geographical assumptions that you will discover later. Be warned, there is speculation in this theory, which I believe is necessary in order to make these games fit together in the best way possible. No it’s not a fan-fic, and I’m never going to describe how Ganon is resurrected from death or the like(well maybe once), but what I will be trying to do is organize the hard evidence in such an order that makes these games flow. So there might indeed be an odd interpretation of evidence that probably doesn’t reflect creator intent. But hey, they got themselves into this mess; I’m just going to try to get them out of it. *FIRST LOOK* This is what you should be considering: TMC ----->Oot-child ending ---> Imprisoning War---->FS ---> FSA---->Twilight Princess--->LttP A little more detailed list (just take it at face value for now; I know you’re going to think it ridiculous as of now, but this is just so you know where I’m going with all of this): -Child ending happens, door is closed. Link sets off for MM -Ganondorf and minions find Sacred Realm, IW happens -Sages seal Ganondorf and minions away in Dark World/Twilight Realm -FS happens in a separate land, unaffected by Hyrule, but probably not far away(the series somehow migrates to Hyrule), Vaati is sealed in Four Sword. -Years pass, FSA Ganondorf is born into the Gerudo tribe(100 years after OoTP Ganondorf was born) -FSA happens, FSA Ganondorf is sealed away in Four Sword Sanctuary. - Knights of Hyrule become Light Spirits and chase down all remaining followers of OoTP Ganondorf and seal them in the Mirror(including FSA Gerudos) -OoTP Ganondorf finds Zant, and starts to take over the Light World, TP happens -TP Ganondorf is killed in the Light World and is severed from his vessel(Zant) and roams around as a spirit for years, until finding Agahnim. -LttP happens *IW REFERENCES* There are many references to the IW in TP such as the blood-shed the people made in quest for the Sacred Realm(that many people try to pull off as a separate “fierce war”, that I believe holds too much connection to the IW as a prelude). Now has you remember in the IW, the Sacred Realm is accidentally revealed by a gang of thieves/dark arts users(not in Japanese, but for my point) and the leader of them battles his way through and nabs it for himself. As he does, he taints the Golden Land, creating a dark world. No hero is chosen for the Master Sword, so the Knights of Hyrule and wisemen are forced to seal Ganondorf away in his own tainted world themselves. ALttP Manual: "The people, seeking the Golden Power, began searching for the Sacred Realm... Longing soon became greed, and it was not uncommon for blood to be spilt for certain information." TP Backstory: "For ages, the people lived at ease, content in mind and body... But soon, word of the Sacred Realm spread through Hyrule, and a great battle ensued..." ALttP Manual: "That is, until one day, completely by chance, the entrance to the Sacred Realm was opened by a certain group of thieves... The man's name was Ganondorf, and his common name was Ganon of the race of evil thieves." TP Backstory: "He was the leader of a band of thieves who invaded Hyrule in the hopes of establishing dominion over the Sacred Realm. He was known as a demon thief, an evil-magic wielder renowned for his ruthlessness..." Also, there's an almost word-for-word parallel in Ganon's dialogue with Zant that matches the essence of the Triforce in LttP manual. Call it an Easter egg if you will... ALttP Manual: "If thou hast a desire, then I shall desire it as well." TP, Ganon: "If there is anything you desire, then I shall desire it too." TP: "That belonged to the tribe that protected the Hylian royal family long ago. They worked in secret, so they lived in a lonely, forgotten place. But I heard that tribe dwindled in the prolonged wars..." OoT: "They are the Sheikah...the shadows of the Hylians. They say they swore allegiance to the King of Hyrule and guarded the Royal Family. But with the long peace, no one has seen a Sheikah around here for a long time." This would mean the Sheikah dwindled during the IW, but according to OoT, they haven’t been around because of peace, not because of any “fierce war.” *COMPARING GEOGRAPHY* There is a nasty assumption regarding the geography in this theory. That is the 3D maps in OoT and TP are in essence the same as in LttP and FSA; they are only 2D renditions of a 3D world(or vice versa). So in order for the progression to be FSA>TP>LttP, one must take the geographical discrepancies with a grain of salt. Upon closer inspection, the main areas do actually line up with the help of the new TP retcon of Zoras Domain and Death Mountain. Besides game progression purposes, this might be why they flopped the two: to give them the appearance more resembling their 2D counterparts. Also, for FSA’s placement, it’s resemblance of an island in FSA has to be disregarded(ugly assumption, I know). Take a look at these maps. I’ve outlined the following areas: Lost Woods, Death Mountain, Zoras Domain, Lake Hylia, and Gerudo Desert(in that order). Also take into account that I’m assuming FSA’s frozen Hyrule is the real Lake Hylia, rather than the area that shares its name on the east side. That Lake Hylia seems to be infested with the Zoras anyway, while the ice temple in frozen Hyrule is reminiscent of the 5th dungeon in LttP, situated on Lake Hylia in the dark world. As you can see, the harsh inconsistency is OoT. So the flipping of Zoras Domain, and Death Mountain in TP does have some merit, as it is more consistent with the 2D counterparts. *COMPARING GANONS* Ganon's objective/intention/ultimate goal is described to be the same in TP as in LttP. TP, Ganon sitting on his thrown: "Both of you, faithless fools who would dare to take up arms against the king of light and shadow..." Zant: "My god had only one wish... To merge shadow and light...and make darkness!" Midna: "So Ganondorf was just using Zant to help him return to the world of light..." Ganondorf’s last words: “Do not think this ends here... The history of light and shadow will be written in blood!” Lttp, Zelda in crystal:"Ganon is inside of his tower, waiting to pass through the gate linking the two worlds. Once Ganon enters the Light World, it is unlikely that anyone can stop him." Agahnim: "After all, the legendary Hero cannot defeat us, the tribe of evil, when we are armed with the Power of Gold." Ganon: "I never imagined a boy like you could give me so much trouble. It's unbelievable that you defeated my alter ego, Agahnim the Dark Wizard, twice! But I will never give you the Triforce. I will destroy you and make my wish to conquer both Light and Dark Worlds come true without delay." So it would be safe to assume this is the same Ganon. We already know there is no Triforce split, so the Triforce in both TP and LttP would remain an ambiguous wish-granting “golden power.” But what about FSA Ganon? Well many believe he links to every older Ganon afterwards just because of the trident. I do not believe this to be the case. Ganondorf has a seemingly new etymology in FSA that strongly suggests he’s a different, and altogether, new Ganondorf. And I don’t see reason for him to ever escape the Four Sword Sanctuary. His intentions are a little more on the destructive side in FSA, and he seems to have something against Zelda(more so than before). I thirst for destruction! For the pure release of rage, the power of wrath! […]Enough! The princess of Hyrule and all her power amounts to nothing! Zelda! I, Ganon, now seal you away forever! […]Once I am finished here, I shall be rid of your Princess Zelda forever! One could argue that this FSA Ganondorf shares the same lust for power as the TP Ganon, but IMO, this is just the trait that any Ganon shares. FSA Ganondorf doesn’t seem to be the Gerudos’ leader or king, but instead a simple nomad growing up in their village. His entries are: RED MAIDEN Ganon... I've heard that name before. No wait... It was Ganondorf... But, no... That man was of the Gerudo tribe. I can't imagine these creatures worshipping some desert nomad. There's a Gerudo village in the desert. GERUDO Once every 100 years, a special child is born unto my people. That child is destined to be the mighty guardian of the Gerudo and the desert. But this child, its heart grew twisted with every passing year. The child became a man who hungered for power at any price. This Ganondorf is shunned by the Gerudo tribe, and isn’t ever considered to be their leader. Though he was supposed to be, he broke the laws and was already outcast by the Gerudo. This stands in stark contrast to the way the OoT Gerudos treated Ganondorf. All except Nabooru were loyal to his deeds. Now I’d like to compare the similarities between the OoT, LttP, and TP Ganondorf. All these entries seem to be referring to Ganondorf and his minions/Gerudos in one way or another. ALttP: "One day, quite by accident, a gate to the Golden Land of the Triforce was opened by a gang of thieves skilled in the black arts. This land was like no other. In the gathering twilight, the Triforce shone from its resting place high above the world. In a long running battle, the leader of the thieves fought his way past his followers in lust for the Golden Power. After vanquishing his own followers, the leader stood triumphant over the Triforce and grasped it with his blood-stained hands. He heard a whispered voice: "If thou hast a strong desire or dream, wish for it..." And in reply, the roaring laughter of the brigand leader echoed across time and space and even reached the far-off land of Hyrule. The name of this king of thieves is Ganondorf Dragmire, but he is known by his alias, Mandrag Gannon, which means Ganon of the Enchanted Thieves […]The lord of Hyrule sent for the Seven Wise Men and the Knights of Hyrule, and ordered them to seal the entrance to the Golden Land...Ganon's evil army swarmed from the tainted Golden Land into Hyrule and attacked the castle. The Wise Men and the Knights of Hyrule combined forces to wage war on this evil horde. The Knights took the full brunt of the fierce attack, and although they fought courageously, many a brave soul was lost that day. However, their lives were not lost in vain, for they bought precious time for the Seven Wise Men to magically seal Ganon in the Golden Land. All of Hyrule rejoiced at the victory that upheld peace and order over Ganon's evil and chaos. This war, which had claimed many lives, became known as the Imprisoning War in stories told in later centuries." Oot: "A wicked man of the desert cast this dreadful curse upon me... This evil man ceaselessly uses his vile, sorcerous powers in his search for the Sacred Realm that is connected to Hyrule... Can you see the man with the evil eyes? That is Ganondorf, the leader of the Gerudos. They hail from the desert far to the west." TP: "Among those living in the light, interlopers who excelled at magic appeared. Wielding powerful sorcery, they tried to establish dominion over the Sacred Realm. He was the leader of a band of thieves who invaded Hyrule in the hopes of establishing dominion over the Sacred Realm. He was known as a demon thief, an evil-magic wielder renowned for his ruthlessness... You want to know why none would call you king? It was your eyes, Zant. All saw it...a lust for power burning in your pupils... Did you think we'd forget our ancestors lost their king to such greed?" This last one is the debatable one, I know. Well, let’s try looking at this Ganondorf again though. Ganondorf was said to be "the leader of a band of thieves who invaded Hyrule in the hopes of establishing dominion over the Sacred Realm"(there's reason to believe that he AND the band of thieves invaded Hyrule), and Midna says this: "Did you think we'd forget our ancestors lost their king to such greed?" which suggests this: "One day, quite by accident, a gate to the Golden Land of the Triforce was opened by a gang of thieves skilled in the black arts...In a long running battle, the leader of the thieves fought his way past his followers in lust for the Golden Power." Another big problem with this OotChild -> IW -> TP -> LttP is that Ganondorf can't enter the Light World in LttP, and yet he does in TP. Ganon's purpose in LttP is to sever the sages seal and create a gate or portal to the world of light, from which he'll become unstoppable and the King of Light and Dark. Maiden: The one who rediscovered the Golden Land was an evil thief named Ganondorf. Luckily, he couldn't figure out how to return to the Light World... Zelda(in crystal): Ganon is inside of his tower, waiting to pass through the gate linking the two worlds. Once Ganon enters the Light World, it is unlikely that anyone can stop him. So it's a little sketchy that Ganondorf enters the light world in TP, without breaking the seals. I think, for Ganon to become unstoppable, he has to make his true presence known in both worlds. The proposition is that Ganon, having been sealed in the dark world in the Seal War, finds Zant, a dark world dweller, many years later. Infesting Zant as an alter ego, a dark world dweller, allows him to pass to the world of light as his true form. Link then destroys him in his true form, severing his connection with Zant(neck crack). This quote from Zant helps: "As long as my master, Ganon, survives, he will resurrect me without cease!" That doesn't mean much, and still contradicts LttP. But wait, LttP's situation is quite the opposite: If LttP is after TP, then Ganon was “killed” in the light world, and his spirit(if there is one remaining) would be in the world of light. (It must take a LONG time for a destroyed Ganon to regain power and infest a host). Because in LttP, Ganon's pawn is Agahnim, a light world dweller. But somehow Ganon's true self ends up in the Dark World, trying to break the seals and enter the Light World again. So it would seemingly be the opposite from TP’s scenario, because a light world dweller allows Ganon’s true self be known in the dark world. I guess you might say that Ganondorf's true presence should have been in the Twilight Realm, but yet, he takes a spirit form there anyway. *COMPARING REALMS* Most would agree that realm is synonymous with world, in the Legend of Zelda series. Generally, there is either one or two of these in each game; the second one usually being the overcast one. There is of course, the Sacred Realm aka the Golden Land, which is mentioned in a variety of games. But every instance that it is mentioned, it’s referring to a time before the place is breached and the Triforce seized. In LttP, the main thing to consider about the Golden Land is that it was transformed into a Dark World with Ganon’s wish in the IW, and then vanishes once Ganon is defeated. After the Sacred Realm is breached, and the Triforce touched, the Sacred Realm becomes a realm of evil, namely a dark world. This is consistent through LttP, OoT, and TP. So the Twilight Realm, Dark World, and tainted Golden Land would all be the same thing. They’re just called by different names by different types of people throughout the games. The dark world in the other games however(FSA and TP), do not have an origin, nor is the reason behind their creation described. If they all were to be the same realm, then this issue would be solved. Of course, the gameplay elements are slightly different for the three games, but this is obvious so as to avoid dull gameplay. In FSA and TP, the dark world is able to spread through the light world. FSA in particular seems to have certain provinces that are affected by the dark world while others aren’t. This explains frozen Hyrule, the Lost Woods, and other such problems. Despite their differing gameplay elements, the three realms all share the common function. This would then essentially solve any questions regarding these realms, as they are the same realm. This would make a total of two realms throughout the entire Zelda series: the light world, and the dark world/golden land. (You could include the vague Realm of the Heavens with this if you really wanted to). As for the Twilight Realm.. "Wait, Link. Before we go on, there's something I want you to hear. ...Do you remember what the spirit said about the Fused Shadows? What do you think happened to the magic wielders who tried to rule the Sacred Realm? They were banished. They were chased across the sacred lands of Hyrule and driven into another realm by the goddesses. It was another world entirely... The antithesis of Hyrule, where the sun shines bright. Its denizens became shadows that could not mingle with the light. Eventually, most came to call it the Twilight Realm, and from it, none could return to the world of light... They were forever doomed to live in the twilight, flitting in the half-light of dusk, mere shadows of Hyrule..." Once they were imprisoned there, they "came to call it" the Twilight Realm. The Twilight Realm is a name for the Dark World, dubbed by its own dwellers AFTER they were sealed away in it. It is the world of shadow, the dark world that they eventually resided in peacefully until Zant started acting up. The Twilight Realm IS NOT the Sacred Realm. The theory works because the interlopers were establishing dominion over it, Ganondorf touches the Triforce, ALTERING and tainting the Sacred Realm... so then with the Triforce gone, and the Sacred Realm transformed into a twisted dark world, the light spirits would have reason to seal the tribe away there. The sages are still guarding the same world as in OoT, but in TP they are rather guarding the seal to the Dark Realm, so that its denizens don't escape. The only other time we hear the word "twilight" in the Zelda series is in LttP: "One day, quite by accident, a gate to the Golden Land of the Triforce was opened by a gang of thieves skilled in the black arts. This land was like no other. In the gathering twilight, the Triforce shone from its resting place high above the world." Makes sense to me anyway... *COMPARING KNIGHTS OF HYRULE* There’s definitely a problem here. The Knights of Hyrule were almost completely eradicated in IW as we know. There had to be a few remaining because we know LttP Link is the last remaining descendant. However, there are really four left in FSA whose task is to guard the royal jewels. These ones are decidedly defeated by FSA Ganon and his trident. So then the four in FSA would have survived the IW until the new Ganon rises to power. This would essentially leave no more original Knights of Hyrule left for TP. But here's a possibility regarding the Light Spirits in TP: When reading the LttP manual, the Wisemen/Sages and the Knights of Hyrule seem to team up to seal away evil. But in TP, it seems to be the Sages and the Light Spirits that team up. This might be completely wrong but consider that the Light Spirits are the Knights of Hyrule. The LttP manual says: "The Wise Men and the Knights of Hyrule combined forces to wage war on this evil horde. The Knights took the full brunt of the fierce attack, and although they fought courageously, many a brave soul was lost that day. However, their lives were not lost in vain, for they bought precious time for the Seven Wise Men to magically seal Ganon in the Golden Land." These Light Spirits might be the spirits of the dead Knights of Hyrule. This is the only description we get from them in TP: "O brave youth... I am one of four light spirits that protect Hyrule at the behest of the gods. I am Ordona.... My brethren in Hyrule have already had their light stolen by these fell beasts." I like the word "brethren" here. Also, in FSA, there were four spirits of the Knights of Hyrule, like there were four Light Spirits. They were ruling in certain provinces of the overworld map, like the Light Spirits have their ordained provinces. I know there were more than four KoH but in FSA, we find out that there were four who were accredited more than the others. Also Rusl's first words could suggest something: "Tell me...Do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls? They say it's the only time when our world intersects with theirs... ...The only time we can feel the lingering regrets of spirits who have left our world." My speculation: Upon their death and probably after FSA, the four main KoH were blessed by the Gods for their accomplishments. The goddesses infused their spirits with light, allowed them to help the sages seal away any more mischief doers or "interlopers" that might threaten the light world. They then chase down any followers of Ganon (including the FSA Gerudos). They're assigned provinces and names that reflect the goddesses, and guard the light world from ever succumbing to Ganon's evil Dark World. *COMPARING SAGES* Also you're probably still thinking about the sages in TP. How can they be the seven wise men in LttP if there are six of them, and how are they related to the Oot sages. Recall what Rauru in OoT said in the chamber of sages. He accounted for the ancient sages who built the Temple of Time. Since the TP sages say that they've been there since ancient times, I'm inclined to believe the TP sages ARE the ancient sages that Rauru speaks of. He doesn't say what happened to those sages but a common speculation is this: While Link was imprisoned in the Sacred Realm for 7 years, Ganondorf destroyed those sages in his quest for Hyrule, and the other pieces of the Triforce. That's why after Link woke up in the Sacred Realm, he had to awaken other sages to take their place. Since this wouldn't happen in the child timeline, we see the Elemental Sages (Rauru, Saria, Darunia, etc) in stain glass in the WW's Master Sword chamber, and the Ancient Sages in TP. The sages in OoT had the sole purpose of guarding the Sacred Realm, and the sole purpose the TP sages is to guard the Mirror Chamber. But if the IW happens between OoT and TP then there would no longer be a Sacred Realm to protect, but rather the seal on the Dark World/Twilight Realm, or more respectively, the Twilight Mirror. Also recall that the seventh sage has always been a descendant of Zelda(LttP, FSA, etc.) This is why there are only six sages in TP, and it makes sense that the sages would be tutoring Zelda(as Auru says later on if you talk to him in the bar). The sages in FSA however are not referred to as sages. And despite their uncanny resemblance to the LttP maidens, they probably hold no connection to them whatsoever. They are not called descendants of the wisemen. Instead they are referred to as shrine maidens whose sole purpose is to guard the Four Sword Sanctuary. Their role is like LttP in that they are captured in crystals, but other than that, they aren’t related to the LttP maidens at all. So unlike the OoT/TP/LttP sages who are all successors to each other, the FSA maidens are separate group of guardians. *COMPARING THE TRIFORCE* The Triforce is a very fickle thing in TP. Not only is it never even mentioned, but the wielders are constantly dubbed "chosen by the gods." They receive their chosen power most probably because they are destined to and retain the properties of the powers, and are thus blessed with the powers. The word "Triforce" isn't even mentioned in TP. The only thing Ganondorf has in TP is an insignia of the Triforce that represents his chosen power. You can assume he has a respective piece of the Triforce, but there is no allusion to the Triforce split or the pieces of the Triforce. Therefore I can speculate that he doesn't have a piece of the Triforce in TP. He having a Triforce power at all is explained by the prior IW, but this still leaves how Link and Zelda acquire theirs… The Triforce is consistent in that it is an ambiguous force, unlike the definitive Pieces of the Triforce in the adult timeline. By defeating Ganon once in for all in LttP, his dark world forever vanishes and the Triforce is able to become its wish-granting self again. There is no Triforce conflict in FSA because it is never mentioned. Instead that Ganon has to acquire the Magic Trident to gain power. *FINAL PROPOSAL* TMC ----->Oot-child ending ---> Imprisoning War---->FS ---> FSA---->Twilight Princess--->LttP Link travels back to the past via Zelda, closing the Door of Time, but in the process, word is spread about the Sacred Realm, and dark times ensue. Blood is spilt for certain information and the people begin to greedily seek the Sacred Realm. This might be where the sages/goddesses move the Sacred Realm(ala the Temple of Time) to a hidden place(ala the Lost Woods) in the hopes of preventing its breach. In Lttp no one knew for sure where the Sacred Realm was located, but the people in Oot castle town seem to share the knowledge that it's in The Temple of Time. Lttp Manual Some said the Triforce lay under the desert, others said that it was in the cemetery in the shadow of Death Mountain, but no one ever found it. That yearning for the Triforce soon turned to lust for power. HYRULE CASTLE TOWN MARKET SHOPPERS: Legends say that the Temple of Time is the entrance to the Sacred Realm... LADY IN LAVENDER DRESS: Do you know about the Temple of Time that we have in the northeast part of town? Legends say that the Temple of Time is the entrance to the Sacred Realm... Did you know that? So if it was moved to the Lost Woods, shortly after child OoT, then it would be more consistent with LttP. Then Ganondorf and his followers,(including the Gerudos and any magic users, or minions he has at this point) find it somehow, accidentally, and Ganondorf fights past his followers in a greedy rage(which is referenced by Midna: remembering their ancestors lost their king to greed like Zant’s). Ganondorf rightfully touches the Triforce, wishing to conquer the world, which is essentially the same wish of merging light and shadow to create darkness, which Zant speaks of. This makes him Ganon, King of Evil, and changes the Sacred Realm into a Dark World. The sages find no hero to wield the Master Sword and instead the Knights of Hyrule combine forces with the sages and fight bravely, but perish and buy time for the sages to seal Ganondorf away in his own Dark World via the Twilight Mirror. The Twilight Mirror is either crafted for this purpose or sometime thereafter, and laid to rest in the Forest of Light(possibly the Temple of Time, where the Palace of Darkness is the dark-world version of the Temple of Light) Ganondorf’s outrageous act is seizing the Triforce and tainting the golden land, and thus he is “exposed, subdued, and brought to justice.” Most of the dark tribe and Ganon’s minions are captured and banished through the mirror into the dark world before Ganon is, and some of his followers or suspected followers are chased across the lands of Hyrule and banished to the dark world a long time afterward. This would mean Ganon being “exposed, subdued, and brought to justice” is referring to the events of the IW, and the interloper tribe’s banishment is referring to IW Ganon’s followers being banished. Since the account of the IW is rather vague, there’s no way to know for sure which happens first, the sealing of the tribe, or Ganon. (keep in mind that the interview said Ganondorf was executed several years after OoT, while TP takes place hundreds of years after OoT) Somewhere around this time, FS happens, which might be in an area near-by. But the FS back-story seems to happen on its own accord, without any relation to Hyrule or other events. So it could have happened before OoT, or after, but FS most probably happens after OoT, close to Hyrule. Vaati is sealed in the FS once again. Then, FSA somehow brings the series to Hyrule, which ties the FS series with the events of Hyrule. Many years pass, and the Gerudo tribe bares another male child. This one grows up with a twisted countenance and is shunned by the Gerudo after he breaks the laws and enters the pyramid for his lust for power. This Ganondorf, driven by his lust for power, steals the Dark Mirror and the Magic Trident, (order unknown) which grants him power. He unleashes the Dark World sealed within the Dark Mirror, which is able to spread across the land, tainting certain regions of Hyrule. This corrupts the mirror’s resting place, creating a Palace of Darkness, which might be what causes the Temple of Time to lie in ruins in TP(if not the IW).Ganondorf uses the Mirror to create Shadow Link, and uses the Magic Trident to defeat the last remaining Knights of Hyrule. FSA Link (who may or not be the FS Link), meets the shrine maidens and enters the sanctuary, and pulls the Four Sword, causing Vaati’s release. Link defeats Ganon, and with the power of the shrine maidens, Ganon is sealed inside the Four Sword. This brings an end to this Ganon, the Sword is no longer approachable or removable by future ignorant travelers. The Mirror is returned to its resting place, in the desert, which is probably the Desert Colossus or the Pyramid, of which becomes a prison to sentence future criminals. The four Knights of Hyrule are blessed for their accomplishments at the end of this game, and the goddesses infuse their spirits with light and assign provinces to them. They are then able to hunt down any remaining followers of Ganon, and imprison and seal away the FSA Gerudo tribe. Many years pass. TP Link then begins his quest after the IW Ganondorf gains power, infests Zant, and starts covering the light world in darkness(probably through the same means as in FSA: the mirror). This Ganondorf uses Zant to return to the world of light, where he is defeated. His spirit then silently roams around the Light World(much like it did in the Dark World before finding Zant), where after many years it finds Agahnim. Ganon figures out that he has to eliminate the descendants of the sages in order to link the two worlds and become completely unstoppable. LttP Link stops him and totally destroys him before he is able to do so. He makes contact with the Triforce and his wish of peace is forever upheld in the land of Hyrule. Supposedly… ‘Why is the Family line of Gohma, what it is now?’ by king of termina In this theory I try to explain the many expects of the various versions of Gohma, through Biology. I try to explain via evolution, environment, attack patterns, smaller versions or younger versions and the timeline itself as far as I am capable off. I won’t be doing the 2-D Gohma’s Fully as there is too little information or back-story about them to draw conclusions I will bring them into Gohma through Time part. To start off, lets begin with the start of the timeline: OoT Parasitic Armored Arachnid – Queen Gohma Creation The first Gohma I going talk about is the manifestation of a curse cast by Ganondorf. Habitat Dwelling inside the Great Deku Tree, this creature spun its web, laid several eggs and slowly leeched out the life force of the Great Deku Tree. Her lair is compromised of a chamber with vines along the ceiling, some mist along the ground and four large stone pillars. Furthermore there is very little light in Gohma’s lair making it very dark. Battle When you see Gohma, the only thing you can truly see is her eye. She comes crashing down, uses her tail as a third leg and pulls one by one her front legs up and makes an intimidating pose along with a scream. During this her eye turns from yellow/orange to bright red. Her first attack is to take on her intimidating pose and then lunge forward and thrust her pincers in front of her. If she missed, her eye shortly turns green before crawling up to her victim and attempt to strike again. If attacked while her eye is red she falls down and becomes dazed. While being dazed she is unable to defend herself and her eye turns green instead of red or yellow/orange. Her second ‘attack’ goes into action if Gohma has been hurt to her eye. She crawls up to the ceiling and holds on to the vines using her front legs. Her eye turns red and she starts laying her eggs. Shortly after the eggs drop down they hatch into Gohma Larvae and try to attack their mothers current victim at least if there is one. Gohma then drops down and resumes her attacks pattern all over again. Explanation As noticed Gohma’s eye plays a strange but important role. Its many colour changes can be translated in how Gohma feels like she has her green eye while being dazed and when her first attack missed. Its assumable she is under heavy or light confusion respectively. Her eye turns red while preparing for attack or laying her eggs, as she is focusing on her job and an increase in blood flow occurs thus the reason why her eye is red. As her eye is easily seen in the dark, her eye possesses some fluorescent material, so her Larvae and any others creatures can recognize her in the dark. An example of this, is the knowledge of a Deku scrub. The lone Deku scrub fought against Gohma, blinding her with his nuts, but eventually surrendered to Gohma’s strength and remained to serve her. That he knows how to defeat her is the remains of that battle. To the Gohma family the one large eye is a main characteristic to them. However they also share a characteristic for pincers or something alike. Gohma is in the possession of two pincer like palps. Although their length shows doubt for usage, their position at the head reveals they are used to help for eating the food(or victim). The strangest facts of Gohma are her legs and her tail. Normal arachnids have eight legs where Gohma has two(the pincer arms are not legs since she doesn’t walk with those). This makes Gohma unstable as she moves when standing on her tail. Luckily arachnids do possess fingers or something similar as she has three on each leg, designed to hold on to the vines on the roof or any other kind of scaling. And the last of Gohma herself, her tail. Spiders possess an abdomen where Gohma has her tail. Gohma’s tail has some strong muscles for different uses. First she can use her tail as a third leg, although she is unable to walk with it. Second, her tail functions as a way to lay her eggs. Her tail isn’t part of Gohma’s reproductive organs, as the danger exist of crushing her own eggs while intimidating the opponent. Third, although many webs have been spun, Gohma doesn’t seem to have any ability in creating web threads while that is normally located in a spiders abdomen, which may explain her lack of it as she possesses a tail instead of abdomen. Now on to its adult timeline cousin, TWW Gohma! Gohma Creation and habitat TWW Gohma is placed by Ganondorf at Dragonroost Island, under the summit of the mountain where Valoo, the sky spirit rests. By torturing Valoo’s tail, Valoo became violent and unpredictable, all together with endangering the Rito’s very way of life. Gohma resides in a large lava pool in the centre of the room. Around the room, which is made out of solid orange coloured stone, several wooden shelves with pots are present, each scattered around the wall of the room. At the top of the room hangs Valoo’s tail down through a hole in a thick layer of rock. Battle When the player enters Gohma’s lair, she emerges from the lava and throws a flamethrower around before slamming her claws in the ground and lowering to the player’s height, facing him/her eye to eye(s). Gohma attacks by using her right claw or left claw, if the player runs to one side or the other at least. If Gohma misses, her claw gets stuck in the ground for several seconds. Gohma also attacks by trapping the player between her claws and charging up to release a flamethrower. When Gohma is hit by the large rock where Valoo’s tail stuck through, her shell cracks. Gohma tries to hold on to the ledge, but sinks into the lava under the weight of the rock. Suddenly she jumps out and smashes the rock back into the ceiling. At the third time, she gets crushed by the rock, Gohma breaks her shell together with the rock. Her inner body is revealed, and Gohma continues her previous attacks with more speed. Until she is defeated. Explanation The first thing you notice when you compare this to OoT Gohma is that this is a centipede, not an arachnid. The phylum Arthopods covers the subphylum Chelicerata, in which OoT Gohma belongs and the subphylum Myriapoda, were TWW Gohma belongs too. In short, Ghoma switched between Arachnida and Myriapoda. Gohma is covered in a hard shell of about 10 segments. These segments are heat resistant to the point they can resist lava. The shell is not a direct part of Gohma’s armour but it is as disposable as the shell of a snail. Gohma’s double hooked tail and legs show no great swimming capability, but that doesn’t say Gohma can’t swim in the lava using them. Gohma has several markings on her shell, most likely formed together with the first layers of her shell by a different shell material or some added substance. Gohma’s first and primary legs are her main weapon. The large claws show some pincer like shape, although it seems it fused together to one piece. Gohma’s remaining 7 pair of legs are all composed out of 3 segments just like the big front legs. Under Gohma’s shell, is her inner body. Her body glows with an orange colour, from all the heat of the environment she lives in. Gohma has throughout the battle a pair of large jaws. When she is charging for her flamethrower she uses those jaws to hit or grab any enemy who tries to damage her eye. It is possible used for cutting food. Gohma’s flamethrower needs its charging time for the oxygen. Gohma inhales as much as possible and then produces a flame, possibly by the means of chemicals and the oxygen. Now let see this in an other timeline and an other light, the Twilight: Twilit Arachnid – Armogohma Creation Armogohma is created by the third of the four shards of the Twilight Mirror. Habitat Armogohma lives at the temple of time, ground floor. Her lair is a dark chamber, with four lights coming from four holes in the ceiling, similar to Jahalla’s chamber. The whole room is square and in every corner is a huge Dominion Statue. Even with the lights shining down, the room is very dark. Battle When the player enters the room he looks around and walks to one of the Dominion Statues. Suddenly the light that is in front of the Dominion Statue goes out and the player turns around. He/she sees no boss behind him, but when he/she looks up he/she sees Armogohma, who opens her big red eye to stare to the player and to reveal her title and name. Armogohma crawls around the ceiling clockwise, counter clockwise or diagonal. Until she covers one of the four lights with her body while being near the player. She opens her red eye, takes a moment to find the player and then fires a fast laser which will pursue the player until Armogohma stops firing it. If Armogohma is hit with an arrow in her eye while searching for the player, she falls down on the ground, bathing in the light she tries to cover. The player now can take the chance of hitting Armogohma’s under body with the Dominion Statue or letting Armogohma recover. Either way, Armogohma goes back up to the ceiling and lays a dozen of eggs, which hatch rapidly into Baby Gohma. The Baby Gohma begin to attack the player aggressively while Armogohma does her routine to fire her laser. After two more smashings with from the Dominion Statues, Armogohma convulses and dies, however her red eye and some spider eggs stay behind. The spider eggs hatch and the eye, after looking around, reveals to be a spider itself. The red eye Armogohma flees away from the player protected by the large group of Baby Gohma. After the player kills the red eye Armogohma, it deflates and explodes, reforming into the third shard of the Twilight Mirror. Explanation The first thing that many players noticed is the name change. Armogohma seems to be a subtraction of Gohma and armor or Armos. The addition in the name to this latest Gohma reveals a part of the creature herself. Gohma is a mix of a spider such as an tarantula and a Dominion Statue. The red eye and the area around it on the cephalothorax is the evidence for this claim. The area around the eye is completely hairless, while it is visible that there are some patterns around it, giving it a armor or stone like look. The patterns round her eye and those on her legs look like the typical Twilight patterns so the patterns originate from the Mirror Shard. The eye is in the middle of the spider, protected by eyelids. It is known that the red eye is a Armogohma on its own, so in conclusion, the red eye Armogohma functions on the grey Armogohma, as the light of the dominion rod functions on a Dominion Statue, thus controlling the arachnid from the inside. Speaking about eyes, this Gohma beats the cake. Anyone who fought Gohma in OoT or TWW will notice, this Armogohma has more than one eye! The grey Armogohma has 4 eyes, not including the big red eye. As it is pretty dark in the lair and grey Armogohma seems to have white eyes, it can be that those eyes are blind or partially sighted. Just like cave spiders, grey Armogohma uses her eyes barely, maybe just to the extent of recognising movement, darkness and light. Armogohma also has some long hair on her legs, used for sensing small vibrations, changes in air pressure, hearing and smelling to fill in the lack of eyesight. While grey Armogohma sports looks and characteristics of tarantula’s, who belong into the suborder of mygalomorphae, grey Armogohma seemingly belongs into the suborder of Araneomorphae. The reason for this are her chelicerae(fangs) who are pointed cross-wise, where tarantula’s have them pointed straight down. This may point grey Armogohma isn’t a tarantula-like arachnid, and thus the tarantula-like look is merely coincidence. Just like OoT Gohma, Armogohma also has pincer like palps. They also just aid in ingesting the food(or a victim). The red eye Armogohma is a lot smaller than her grey version, and is also protected by a swarm of Baby Gohma, as her main objective is self conservation. The red eye Armogohma has only two pair of red-white striped legs, again contrarily to the normal arachnids, just like OoT Gohma, but that goes along with her spawn. She has the large red eye of grey Armogohma as her abdomen, that is connected to the cephalothorax with a web-like flesh. Without being inside the grey Armogohma, the red eye loses its ability for firing the laser. The strange thing is that red eye Armogohma has two eyes, despite her spawn having only one. Without Armogohma, her spawn dies, as the red eye Armogohma is the Mirror Shard itself. The grey Armogohma I mention is the one you fight in phase 1, the (red) eye Armogohma is one you fight in phase 2. I made the difference between them because of how different they are even if they are one and the same. Now we have had the adults, lets look at their spawn. Gohma Larvae(OoT) Creation The baby Gohma’s are hatched from eggs laid by Queen Gohma. Habitat The Great Deku Tree, along with its mother, Queen Gohma Battle Well, as much as a battle goes, this arachnid tries to lunge at you. Explanation This arachnid has the same eye coloring ability as its mother, but these larvae also have a pluck of that color changing material on their heads. The same with Queen Gohma, it is used for recognition. Baby Gohma(TP) Creation The Baby Gohma’s are hatched from Armogohma’s eggs. Habitat Temple of Time, in several rooms and hallways and also the boss chamber. Battle Baby Gohma are always in one large group of ten, twenty or even more individuals. Considering where you can find them or in what situation they follow a certain strategy. In the Temple, they run from the player when he/she faces them but attack him/her from behind. In the boss lair, after hatching from the eggs Armogohma just laid, they attack the player aggressively, without running away. If the grey Armogohma dies, the remaining Baby Gohma start swarming around the red eye Armogohma as it flees away thus functioning as bodyguards. Explanation The Baby Gohma are always with many in a g |
