Resource for the Era of Deception Verse

Most towns and cities are still intact; the populace does need somewhere to live.

But smaller villages and settlements are regularly attacked and destroyed by monsters. The Empire encourages this, giving them free reign to drive the citizens into closer quarters and concentrate the population for easier control.

One of the largest of these is Portal Town, at the base of the great wall leading to the Great Plateau. Because the Plateau is a Rebellion stronghold, the town is very heavily monitored, and guards patrol its streets with regularity.

Hateno Town is another larger population center, located in eastern Hyrule. It has grown a bit since Breath of the Wild, as you can see!

Out west, you have Tabantha Town, built over the ruins of the village.

Kakariko Village seems to have been abandoned, but the logical answer is that the Sheikah have moved into hiding, elsewhere.

Lurelin Town, down south, has swelled in size with the formation of the Empire; many prisoners are forced to work the fishing boats that haul in catches to feed the hungry Imperial Army. Because of the heavy garrison presence, the Rebellion moves carefully, here, working very covertly. Resistance is more subtle than overt, as it is on the Plateau.

Hebra is largely uninhabited, which makes it a good place for Rebellion activity.

Tarrey Town is another large population center, and oh boy, is it humming with Rebellion sympathizers. The populace is drawn as tight as a bowstring, and ready to snap at a moment's notice. Don't mess with the 'sons, son.

Hyrule Castle Town is a grim-ass place, heavy with Imperial presence and VERY subdued. It’s frequently raining, there, due to the gloomy influence of the nearby Citadel, and the locals that are NOT in league with Ganon and the Betrayer live under heavy surveillance and the constant threat of being disappeared, or executed on trumped-up charges for an imagined slight. Depends on how the Imperial officers are feeling that day.

Ganon approached the Castle from the back side, toppling it in on itself like an anthill. So the damage to Castle Town was not super severe. Plus, the rebuilt Castle was set back a bit from the town itself.

So most of the nobility actually managed to survive, even while the Castle and its attendants and employees were crushed to fuck. Ganon and the Betraying Hero reside in a new Citadel, built a distance away from pretty much everything.

While some jumped at the chance to join up with the Empire, retaining their relative comfort at the expense of their countrymen, and a few other houses rebelled openly, fleeing into the countryside and vanishing into the masked ranks of the Rebellion, most of the noble houses are simply staying quiet, waiting for the storm to pass and taking care of their vassals and neighbors as best as they can.

Of these, some are willing to support the rebels on the down-low, while others are pretty much too scared to move.

It goes on a house-by-house basis, and I don't want to clutter things up with the Houses I have specced out for my Time!Zelda blog.

The Rebellion sprung up in the wake of the Empire's formation, taking roughly three or four years to take coherent structure. Composed of freedom fighters from every race in Hyrule, this resistance movement has largely acted as a gadfly to the Empire, raiding supply lines, driving away monster attacks on remote villages, freeing prisoners from Imperial custody, and in some cases, participating in pitched battle with them, though more often than not, they're guerilla fighters.

Each member of the Rebellion wears a unique mask at all times, in order to prevent their faces from being recognized. Even their fellows do not see their true faces, and are thus unable to betray them if captured. Many of the high-ranking operatives are known only by nickname, for the same reason.

So, though they don't show their faces, they have individuality. Can distinguish themselves from one another. Imperial sympathizers and officers sometimes call them “mummers” or “masks” in a disparaging tone.

The rebels receive funding and supplies from certain sympathetic organizations and nations on a covert level. But officially, they're guilty of treason, and are all carrying a death sentence as their ultimate fate if captured.

Typically, the rebels themselves follow the old laws of the Confederacy, and seek to return the rightful heirs deposed by the Empire's reach to their thrones, Princess Zelda cheif among them... if she's actually still alive. There are quite a few who support another claimant, an ex-Duke who was a cousin of the King, but whether they'd be swayed by Zelda's reappearence remains yet to be seen.

Leading the Rebellion is the mysterious figure known as "Fulcrum." Shrouded in a dark cloak and hood, speaking in a raspy voice, Fulcrum is intensely ambiguous; perhaps only their four lieutenants, trusted executors of their will, know their true nature.

Maybe not even their four lieutenants, actually.

The second princess, Zelda's younger sister, is formally called Blair.

But much of the Court took to calling her "Briar" behind her back; the rumor that she was an illegitimate child, bearing none of the royal blood and its power, followed her her whole life. A thorny bramble among the roses of the royal house, the whispers declared.

Unwieldly. Uncouth. Outsider.

She did her best to shut them out, though she often butted heads with her mother over the fact that she did nothing to allay the rumors and act more like a princess aught.

Her father and sister, however, were close to her, and she loved them dearly. Her desire to learn the ways of the warrior stemmed from a want to contribute to the cause they were risking their necks for, and to protect them as best as she could.

Unfortunately, she was excluded from the overall plans, as a failsafe to preserve the royal bloodline (which earned no small amount of scorn from the rumor mongers,) and instructed to stay in the Castle while the conflict raged.

But of course, then Ganon actually prevailed and attacked the Castle, and this Breath of the Wild timeline kingdom is 0/2, this ain't a good season for them.

Her body was never recovered from the wreckage, per se, but tatters of her dress were. So she's presumed dead and buried beneath the rubble, like so many of the others killed in the assault. Perhaps someday, the excavation of the bodies can begin.

Queen Aella was the more active of the royal couple. A former career general in the Hylian Guard, her marriage to King Phaedrus came as a shock to pretty much everyone but the couple themselves, though eventually the court did warm up to her. Sort of.

Very strict and businesslike, Aella took over most of the more martial dealings of the country, organizing the construction of roads and regulation of shipping with forward efficiency. When Ganon's return became imminent, she was the one who began preparations for the training of her elder daughter, the Hero, and the Paladins. She often butted heads with her youngest daughter, Blair.

Queen Aella was last seen leading the remaining Guard in the defense of the Castle from Ganon's advance. It is presumed that she is dead, though her body was never recovered.

King Phaedrus, on the other hand, is confirmed dead. His body was publically displayed. Which is a shame, because he was a pretty nice guy.

While he was a pretty fierce warrior in his youth, by all accounts, something happened that turned him off of battle forever. He married one of his closest questing companions, and settled down, taking up more gentle pursuits such as gardening, music, and poetry. Though his wife frowned on it, he also trained his younger daughter in the use of various weapons, mostly just because she requested it, and he was sort of a pushover when it came to his girls.

Since he was an amiable and easygoing dude, he made a pretty good diplomat, willing to listen and build on other ideas, and to both compromise and hold firm, when the need called for it. He handled the Hyrulean issues that needed patience and emotion to succeed, rather than the efficiency of his wife’s touch.

Anyway! If you’re looking to join up, we’re missing a few key Paladins (Rito and Zora come to mind?) and otherwise, we’re going to need people on both sides of the conflict, so...

If either one appeals...

During the Battle of the Betrayer, Hyrule Castle came under attack by Ganon; the structure was essentially caved in on itself, walls and spires crashing inward into a toppled ruin. 

 Not even the catacombs were spared, though they did fare better; some of the falling spires pierced the tunnels. You’ve got a better chance of exploring the undercastle intact.

The place has been largely left alone over the twenty years of the Empire's existence, and has largely returned to nature, since it's not particularly corrupted. Water has pooled in some of the old rooms, birds nest there, vines and moss grows on the rock... 

 It's kind of a wreck, but a sprouting one. 

 One can still get in if one's good at bouldering and climbing. But most of the good loot has been picked off. While some bodies have been recovered from the wreckage, including that of Impa's father, many others are buried under the rubble, irretrievable. Those who failed to turn up in the wake of the disaster are considered KIA, including Princess Blair. 

The castle serves as their cairn, in this case. A monument has been erected in their memory elsewhere.

Ganon is bestial in this story, and one could argue about his sentience; while he had wits enough to convince the "Hero" to ally with him, he is largely driven by hatred and bloodlust. 

 He takes the classic four-legged Dark Beast form, wreathed in dark flame and oozing Malice. Though his size seems to change at will, it's most commonly fairly large; the Citadel from which he and his Legions rule the Empire is high-ceilinged and broad-based to accommodate him. He also has a wallow full of Malice goop, deep within the Citadel's heart. It's a place that recharges him, if need be. 

As he is still somewhat of a Calamity, Ganon draws sustenance from suffering and fear, something that the Empire provides him no shortage of. Though he allows Link to ride on his back, it's rather unclear who the master is in their relationship; Ganon's will is very strong, and his lust for the agony that fuels him can lean heavily on Link's rational mind, overwhelming it and driving his actions. 

At the same time, the "Hero" brings rational thought to the partnership, and can sometimes curb this raw bloodlust and cunning in favor of long-term strategy. 

“I hereby declare, an oath, that I, ’____’ of the Sheikah, Unreservedly and entirely renounce all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign power, state, or sovereignty that I will support and defend the Royal Family of Hyrule against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear truth, faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will bear arms on behalf of the Lands of Hyrule when it is required of me; This oath I will uphold until my last breath and that I take this obligation freely, without objection. Should I ever knowingly break this vow, I accept all penance required of me. This I swear in the name of the Goddess Hylia, Until I am released of my duties by Death.”

-Sheikah Vow of Loyalty

” As I walk into the Shadows of Chaos, I embrace the Light, I see the Smile of the Goddess, and lo there at her side, I see the line of my people back to the beginning, I am ready to take my place among them, for I fear no darkness, the light is with me. This my last breath, given unto her service, so that she might welcome me Home.“

-Sheikah Prayers for those who knowingly walk to their Death

“We cannot stem to flow of Time, 
It Flows ever on, 
Walk with your Ancestors now, and those who came before. Goddess welcome you back to her arms, 
Know that no true Death can overcome you. 
The Ancient Ones give you strength to leave this realm behind. Know that we will meet again, when the Wheel of time Turns once more. ”

-Sheikah Prayers for the Dying

Also known collectively as the Labyrinth of Deceit, it is hidden in the ever looming darkness of the Thyphlo Ruins, constructed in secret by the Sheikah using ancient technology the labyrinth itself mostly runs underground, protected by the perpetual darkness that surrounds the land. It was constructed originally as a safe haven for warriors to hide in times of hardship. The temple itself is is difficult for those without the abilities of the Sheikah to navigate though not impossible, as it was designed to confound and confuse trespassers.

Taking several traps from ancient temples there are false floors, invisible bridges and other things awaiting those who enter looking for the secrets that lie within. And deep inside after the betrayal slumbers the Sheikah Paladin, like the others waiting for someone to break their slumber, however, there are rumors from travelers who have strayed too close to the isolated forest that they have been able to hear the unearthly screams of something deep in that darkness echoing out of some place unseen.

Sheikah no longer travel to this place, afraid that if caught they could be used to navigate the darkness leading their enemies to the slumbering paladin, the only friendly being that seems to stray close to the dark woods is a large creature who watches over the entrance of the temple and who for years, has avoided the Forces of Darkness.

Sheikah children, regardless of gender, at the age of seven begin their training to become Sheikah Warriors. They are each given an instructor, usually a senior Sheikah Warrior, who will then instruct the child in their ways, teaching them sword, bow, staff and magic. The Mentor will also teach them survival and other pertinent information, such as coding messages and code breaking. Students are periodically tested for progress those that pass move on to the next stage of training, while those that fail, are given opportunity to try the test again or to repeat their training. The Final Test, the student is left in the Wilds with nothing but the clothing on their backs, similar to Link’s Trial on Eventide Isle, they are given a target, who they are to eliminate while evading their teacher for as long as possible, if they are caught, they fail, the longer you remain at large the better. Using all the knowledge and survival skills they have learned up to that point they are to complete this final test. Once they pass the test at the age of 18, they are presented their first official weapon, crafted by their teacher, and are considered at that point a full fledged Sheikah warrior. Some of these warriors stay in Kakariko Village, while others, seem to vanish to some place unknown. Where and why is a secret seemingly kept by the Sheikah themselves, but the rumor is there is a secret village, somewhere deep in the wilds.

The rules are few and simple;

The Verse is Open; please feel free to fit your character somewhere into the world, provided you’re not butting in on one of the Central Cast spots

We welcome other Links, Zeldas, and Ganons/Ganondorfs, but we ask that you find a way to fit your character into the world that doesn’t impinge upon the current Trio’s stories; don’t try to take the reins from them, or I WILL blacklist you.

The same goes for Paladins; please don’t declare yourself a Paladin unless the spot is open and I’ve approved you. They were given out on a first-come-first-serve basis, and I’m going to try and do that with the remaining ones as well.

Please remember that I reserve the right to post or not post submitted headcanons and worldbuilding materials. If something is overly distressing or goes against the ideas we’re playing with here, I’m going to reject it.

DO NOT START VAGUE, PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE CHAT/DASH WARS WITH EACH OTHER OVER GROUP CONTENT YOU LITTLE SHITS, I WILL KICK YOUR ASSES SO HARD. If you have a problem with another group member, either solve it face to face like mature humans, or ask me for help as a mediator. Vague-posting is NOT OK in the least, and I will not have this group setting off sneering conflicts.