Hyrule Apocrypha
Sep. 14th, 2022 08:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rynlingHyrule Apocrypha
• https://zeldaficzine.carrd.co/
• https://twitter.com/zeldaficzine
• https://zeldaficzine.tumblr.com/
Hyrule Apocrypha is a fic-centric zine focusing on these lost tales of Hyrule. From forgotten mythology to unexplored history, this zine intends to expand on canon lore and fill in the blanks with interpretations of how certain events may have come to pass. Writers and artists will collaborate in the storytelling process, culminating in an anthology that looks, reads, and feels like a real history book in the Zelda universe.
I was thinking about sitting out this zine in order to focus on original work, but the New Zelda Content™ released yesterday got me all fired up. Also, the zine's social media seems very organized and professional, and the mods are good people. Contributor applications haven't opened yet, but here are my pitches...
Zelda’s Diary of Legends
(primarily Breath of the Wild, but other games as well)
Following the defeat of Ganon, Zelda travels with Link across Hyrule while keeping a diary of her observations on the ruins and monuments in various regions. Before the Calamity, she believed that she would find her kingdom’s salvation in science, but she has since come to understand the power of legends. Zelda has therefore tasked herself with understanding the stories of the past and uncovering the secrets of Hyrule’s history. Although the way, she is surprised with the biggest mystery of all – how Link has changed, and who he has become now that destiny no longer requires to be a hero.
This story will include five substantial entries from Zelda’s diary, and perhaps a few smaller ones. The story will begin in the Zonai Ruins and end in the Forgotten Temple. I’d also like to talk about the Great Bridge of Hylia and Crenel Hills (the area filled with giant tree stumps just east of the castle), and perhaps the Seven Heroines. Zelda will be as serious as ever, while Link will be a giant goofball. There will be animal puns. Everyone will get to pet dogs, and by “dogs” I mean both Hylian Retrievers and all sorts of creatures that are no longer hostile, such as keese and chuchus. This story could be considered Zelink if you squint, but mostly it's a celebration of friendship that's meant to parallel the structure of Zelda's diary in Breath of the Wild.
The lore discussed in this story will draw on the meaning of place names and observations about the environment that many players may have missed, such as the giant vertical crater in the Hebra Mountains that aligns with the Forgotten Temple canyon. Essentially, it will be the culmination of me watching Breath of the Wild lore videos for five years and running.
.
A Legend of Shadows
(primarily Ocarina of Time, but also Skyward Sword)
Tradition dictates that the Prince of the Gerudo must retrieve the mythical Mirror Shield from the Temple of Spirits and undertake a journey to the ancient sanctuaries of the cursed kingdom of Hyrule. In the past, princes were properly trained and prepared, as well as accompanied by companions and teachers who would assist them during their travels. Calamity has beset the Gerudo, however, and so the young prince Ganon is forced to undertake the trials alone and far before he is ready. He struggles to carry the burden placed on him and begins to despair. Lost within the shadows of a once-great temple deep in the forest, Ganon hears the voice of an elder god speaking to him from beyond the veil of time. The eldritch being offers to endow Ganon with a flame strong enough to push back the darkness surrounding him, but the power it promises comes at a cost.
This story is about Ganon as a boy being tempted by Demise into performing his first act of necromancy in the Forest Temple. I want this to be horrible, but I also want it to make perfect sense to the reader given the circumstances. I think it would be interesting to see young Ganon going on a journey that parallels Link’s quest, but Ganon fails as a hero because he has to do everything alone and with no clues or aid from helpful NPCs. I also think it would be cool to show what Hyrule looks like from the perspective of someone who comes from outside the kingdom. Like, “Yeah they have great milk and cool horses, but they also have zombies and assassins and some sort of reality-altering doomsday device worshipped by the royal family.” In repeat plays of Breath of the Wild, I kept running up against the borders of the map, and I’d like to use this story to explore the idea that maybe Hyrule is isolated from its neighbors for a good reason.
The lore discussed will be speculation on Ganondorf's backstory, but it will also serve as a culmination of the canon-compliant observations about the dystopian nature of Hyrule that I've been collecting during the past six or seven years.
.
Other Worlds Than These
(primarily The Wind Waker, but also Twilight Princess and other games as well)
Tetra has been imprisoned in an enchanted tower beneath the Great Sea, but she is not content to wait for a hero to save her. As she evades the notice of the shadow who haunts the ruins of the drowned kingdom, she explores what remains of Hyrule. She finds that there are fractures in the land trapped beneath the waves, and they grow wider with each passing day. As she peers into the gaps between worlds, Tetra sees what Hyrule could have been, and what it might still become. The most fearsome of these visions is a dark realm shrouded in twilight and beset by demons. What can one girl do to save herself and prevent the bright and shining sea that she loves from meeting with a terrible fate?
This story will be about Tetra navigating a sprawling Gothic labyrinth of ruins and catching glimpses of the worlds of other games. At first the scenes she sees will be cute and wholesome, such as Link having a picnic with the Minish or Zelda playing her harp while surrounded by Kikwis, but Tetra will gradually uncover visions of the parallel universe of Twilight Princess. I think it would be cool if Midna sees Tetra watching her and manages to communicate. I also think it would be fun to write Ganondorf as genuinely creepy and horrifying. At the climax of the story, he will pop the bubble in which Tetra is watching the Hyrule of Twilight Princess, and he’ll say something along the lines of “I’ll ensure that this never happens.” Tetra will echo his words, but with the meaning that she’s steeling her resolve to defeat him as soon as she has the chance, even if it means never restoring Hyrule. Mostly though, I’m excited about writing a few brief interactions between Tetra and Midna. At the end of the story, Tetra will make a promise to herself to build a new Hyrule in which history is not forgotten.
The lore discussed in this story is speculation on what the Great Sea is and how its magic works, but I'm also interested in the idea that Twilight Princess and The Wind Waker occur at the exact same time, albeit in parallel timelines. The time bubbles that Tetra encounters will also allow me to discuss the mythical Sealing War from the perspective of A Link to the Past and the original 1986 game The Legend of Zelda, both of which occur far in the future in another parallel timeline.
• https://zeldaficzine.carrd.co/
• https://twitter.com/zeldaficzine
• https://zeldaficzine.tumblr.com/
Hyrule Apocrypha is a fic-centric zine focusing on these lost tales of Hyrule. From forgotten mythology to unexplored history, this zine intends to expand on canon lore and fill in the blanks with interpretations of how certain events may have come to pass. Writers and artists will collaborate in the storytelling process, culminating in an anthology that looks, reads, and feels like a real history book in the Zelda universe.
I was thinking about sitting out this zine in order to focus on original work, but the New Zelda Content™ released yesterday got me all fired up. Also, the zine's social media seems very organized and professional, and the mods are good people. Contributor applications haven't opened yet, but here are my pitches...
Zelda’s Diary of Legends
(primarily Breath of the Wild, but other games as well)
Following the defeat of Ganon, Zelda travels with Link across Hyrule while keeping a diary of her observations on the ruins and monuments in various regions. Before the Calamity, she believed that she would find her kingdom’s salvation in science, but she has since come to understand the power of legends. Zelda has therefore tasked herself with understanding the stories of the past and uncovering the secrets of Hyrule’s history. Although the way, she is surprised with the biggest mystery of all – how Link has changed, and who he has become now that destiny no longer requires to be a hero.
This story will include five substantial entries from Zelda’s diary, and perhaps a few smaller ones. The story will begin in the Zonai Ruins and end in the Forgotten Temple. I’d also like to talk about the Great Bridge of Hylia and Crenel Hills (the area filled with giant tree stumps just east of the castle), and perhaps the Seven Heroines. Zelda will be as serious as ever, while Link will be a giant goofball. There will be animal puns. Everyone will get to pet dogs, and by “dogs” I mean both Hylian Retrievers and all sorts of creatures that are no longer hostile, such as keese and chuchus. This story could be considered Zelink if you squint, but mostly it's a celebration of friendship that's meant to parallel the structure of Zelda's diary in Breath of the Wild.
The lore discussed in this story will draw on the meaning of place names and observations about the environment that many players may have missed, such as the giant vertical crater in the Hebra Mountains that aligns with the Forgotten Temple canyon. Essentially, it will be the culmination of me watching Breath of the Wild lore videos for five years and running.
.
A Legend of Shadows
(primarily Ocarina of Time, but also Skyward Sword)
Tradition dictates that the Prince of the Gerudo must retrieve the mythical Mirror Shield from the Temple of Spirits and undertake a journey to the ancient sanctuaries of the cursed kingdom of Hyrule. In the past, princes were properly trained and prepared, as well as accompanied by companions and teachers who would assist them during their travels. Calamity has beset the Gerudo, however, and so the young prince Ganon is forced to undertake the trials alone and far before he is ready. He struggles to carry the burden placed on him and begins to despair. Lost within the shadows of a once-great temple deep in the forest, Ganon hears the voice of an elder god speaking to him from beyond the veil of time. The eldritch being offers to endow Ganon with a flame strong enough to push back the darkness surrounding him, but the power it promises comes at a cost.
This story is about Ganon as a boy being tempted by Demise into performing his first act of necromancy in the Forest Temple. I want this to be horrible, but I also want it to make perfect sense to the reader given the circumstances. I think it would be interesting to see young Ganon going on a journey that parallels Link’s quest, but Ganon fails as a hero because he has to do everything alone and with no clues or aid from helpful NPCs. I also think it would be cool to show what Hyrule looks like from the perspective of someone who comes from outside the kingdom. Like, “Yeah they have great milk and cool horses, but they also have zombies and assassins and some sort of reality-altering doomsday device worshipped by the royal family.” In repeat plays of Breath of the Wild, I kept running up against the borders of the map, and I’d like to use this story to explore the idea that maybe Hyrule is isolated from its neighbors for a good reason.
The lore discussed will be speculation on Ganondorf's backstory, but it will also serve as a culmination of the canon-compliant observations about the dystopian nature of Hyrule that I've been collecting during the past six or seven years.
.
Other Worlds Than These
(primarily The Wind Waker, but also Twilight Princess and other games as well)
Tetra has been imprisoned in an enchanted tower beneath the Great Sea, but she is not content to wait for a hero to save her. As she evades the notice of the shadow who haunts the ruins of the drowned kingdom, she explores what remains of Hyrule. She finds that there are fractures in the land trapped beneath the waves, and they grow wider with each passing day. As she peers into the gaps between worlds, Tetra sees what Hyrule could have been, and what it might still become. The most fearsome of these visions is a dark realm shrouded in twilight and beset by demons. What can one girl do to save herself and prevent the bright and shining sea that she loves from meeting with a terrible fate?
This story will be about Tetra navigating a sprawling Gothic labyrinth of ruins and catching glimpses of the worlds of other games. At first the scenes she sees will be cute and wholesome, such as Link having a picnic with the Minish or Zelda playing her harp while surrounded by Kikwis, but Tetra will gradually uncover visions of the parallel universe of Twilight Princess. I think it would be cool if Midna sees Tetra watching her and manages to communicate. I also think it would be fun to write Ganondorf as genuinely creepy and horrifying. At the climax of the story, he will pop the bubble in which Tetra is watching the Hyrule of Twilight Princess, and he’ll say something along the lines of “I’ll ensure that this never happens.” Tetra will echo his words, but with the meaning that she’s steeling her resolve to defeat him as soon as she has the chance, even if it means never restoring Hyrule. Mostly though, I’m excited about writing a few brief interactions between Tetra and Midna. At the end of the story, Tetra will make a promise to herself to build a new Hyrule in which history is not forgotten.
The lore discussed in this story is speculation on what the Great Sea is and how its magic works, but I'm also interested in the idea that Twilight Princess and The Wind Waker occur at the exact same time, albeit in parallel timelines. The time bubbles that Tetra encounters will also allow me to discuss the mythical Sealing War from the perspective of A Link to the Past and the original 1986 game The Legend of Zelda, both of which occur far in the future in another parallel timeline.
