A Dark Legend of Zelda Roleplay? (See inside for details)

[mr_pibbs]

I kind of want to roll with a dark Legend of Zelda idea I've been stuck with for a while.

The general gist of it is as follows:

-- After eons of repeating the 'Ganon loses, Link wins' cycle as set in motion by the goddesses, things finally took a new turn. Rather then banish Ganon's spirit, the Hero (Link) of that 'legend' killed the dark king and finally broke the balance between the Hero, the Goddess Hylia, and the Demon King.

As a result, Hyrule was ushered into a new and highly devastating war; a war against the Hero of Legend himself (who, after being corrupted by the Triforce of Power, murdered the current incarnation of the Goddess and took the Triforce of Wisdom). The conflict devastated Hyrule and destroyed nearly all life...

But, out of nowhere, a being emerged from the ashes and struck down the corrupted Hero. With the Triforce, the mysterious figure rebuilt the land of Hyrule, salvaging what was left of the world to create a new realm (we can choose to rename it or keep it as Hyrule).

But, you're probably wondering who this figure was. Who could be so powerful as to strike down a nearly immortal God; a former hero, still embued with the Goddesses praise?

Majora​

Having been reborn centuries after his death in Termina (since he's technically a god in his own right), Majora's current incarnation is actually a 'good guy' (believe it or not). He saved the denizens of Hyrule for no other reason then 'it was the right thing to do'. The Golden Goddesses had seemingly abandoned Hyrule during the war (or perhaps encouraged the corrupted Hero's apocalyptic actions?), so the people put their faith in Majora.

Believing that Hyrule would never be at peace if the 'Trinity of Legend' were to be reincarnated, Majora started a witch-hunt. Anyone with a bloodline that dated back to the Trinity (Hylian Royals, Gureudo men and women, and various Human farmers/Kokiri people) were slaughtered. If anyone was suspected of being an incarnate, they were killed (even if they were newly born).

Think of how Salem functioned during the Witch Trials. Now increase the number of 'witches' found in a day by a couple thousand. Now imagine this goes on for a couple hundred years...

That's the extent of how far Majora went to 'preserve his home'.

Now, nearly a millennia after the 'Witch Hunts' ended, our story begins.

The legends of old have long since been lost to the mists of time. Nobody can recall knowledge of the Hero, the Goddess Hylia, or even Demise. Seemingly, the land is at peace... But it's not a secret that everyone fears Majora above all. Even having destroyed the Triforce so no one, immortal or otherwise, could seek its terrible power.

But, unbeknownst to Majora (who now suspects nothing), the light of the Goddess Hylia has shined upon the land of darkness formally known as Hyrule. Majora's intentions to save the land might have been noble, but his psyche is a ticking time bomb. Sooner or later, the demon inside him will return and the world will finally see its end of days. Without the power of the Triforce there to stop him, the land will eventually crumble into nothingness. Nobody will be able to save it, not even the Golden Goddesses, should they return.

And so, the goddess places her faith upon a young group of would-be heroes, bestowing each of them with a gift from the ancient world which will allow them to combat the evil before it can arrive.

But, Majora's servants are everywhere. Should they spot signs of the Hero's return, they will stop at nothing until they have destroyed what little resistance the Goddess Hylia is willing to put up. --

So basically we'd be playing a new group of 'heroes' chosen by Hylia to save the world before Majora goes insane and pulls the whole 'drop the Moon' thing again.

Like my older Zelda RP here, each of our characters will recieve two items from the 'Ancient Hyrule': a Weapon (ex. the Master Sword, Fire/Ice Rod, Goddess Bow, Magic Boomerang/Gale Boomerang, etc.) and an Artifact (ex. Ocarina of Time, Book of Mudora, Deku/Goron/Zora Mask, Rod of Seasons/Harp of Ages, etc.)

Some artifacts/weapons come with a package deal (ex. the Master Sword comes with either the Hylian Shield or the Mirror Shield) and some items can be merged into one(ex. the various 'Rod' weapons can be combined into a singular magic wand. Fire, Ice, Sand, Wind, Water, just not control over the Seasons).

Since this is a whole new Hyrule with a new setting, I'm thinking the technology would be a bit more advanced. It's still a medieval-fantasy world, mind you, but maybe with some advanced tech thrown in there like Trains or even a bit it steam-punk stuff like Airships/tinker-made gadgets.

Anyways if you're interested just post below (I'm looking for about 4-5 people for this, just to keep it fairly small and organized since it's a big narrative). Also, if you want a specific item/artifact reservation, include that in your post.

Or, if you're interested and want to throw in your two-cents about the idea then go ahead! I'll do my best to answer any potential questions/address any comments you might have about this and use them to enhance the experience for us all ^^

To start, I'm going to reserve the Master Sword (I'll acquire it later on/in a deported state so it's fair) with the Hylian Shield as my 'Weapon', and my 'Artifact' will be the Ocarina of Time.

 

[The Jest]

Huh...First one here, that's a first for me. XD

I was going to just look away, but then I noticed you made Majora a "Benevolent Antagonist" and...Needless to say, my eyebrows perked up with interest. ^^

I do have a couple questions though.

1. Might be an obvious question, so let's get it out of the way first: Can we play also as Majora's Servants? By extension: Is there a character-per-player limit, and if so, how many?

2. The Master Sword was a rarity as I recall, if only because the other swords in the games may as well be considered as just normal everyday swords...Save for one that comes to mind: the Four Sword. May I reserve said Four Sword? If not, then the Magic Wand will do fine.

As for the Artifact of choice: ...I'd like to reserve the Harp of Ages, but I'd like to ask how exactly it works in an RP like this.

 

[Karakui]

Huh, I was just thinking it was about time for another Zelda RP :D I'm curious as to how the artifacts will be used though, since they're mainly puzzle-solving devices... Also, will they effect the entire party or just the user?

I think a Steampunk Hyrule could be pretty interesting, actually.

As for weapons, can I reserve a modified version of the Clawshot as a weapon [spoili]It'd be a pair of Clawshots like Skyward Sword's, which have been upgraded to fire much faster with higher maximum distances. The claws would also be reinforced to allow function as a melee weapon. [/spoili]

As for artifacts, can I reserve the Mirror of Twilight?

 

[mr_pibbs]

Huh...First one here, that's a first for me. XD

I was going to just look away, but then I noticed you made Majora a "Benevolent Antagonist" and...Needless to say, my eyebrows perked up with interest. ^^

I do have a couple questions though.

1. Might be an obvious question, so let's get it out of the way first: Can we play also as Majora's Servants? By extension: Is there a character-per-player limit, and if so, how many?

2. The Master Sword was a rarity as I recall, if only because the other swords in the games may as well be considered as just normal everyday swords...Save for one that comes to mind: the Four Sword. May I reserve said Four Sword? If not, then the Magic Wand will do fine.

As for the Artifact of choice: ...I'd like to reserve the Harp of Ages, but I'd like to ask how exactly it works in an RP like this.

1. By 'Majora's Servants', do you mean villains/antagonists to the main characters? Or do you mean characters who would otherwise be villains/antagonists who work for Majora, but join the hero group after discovering the truth behind their 'lord Majora'.

As for a character limit, I'm thinking 1-3 characters per person. But I might just make it 1-2.

2. The Four Sword would work for me, but are you thinking of using its 'multiply power'? As in, wielding it gives you multiple versions of yourself? I'm fine with that if you are, I'm just curious as to how you wanted to roll with it.

3. Well the thing is with the artifacts is that most of them have lost their power/lost a considerable amount of their power. For example; the Ocarina of Time would still be able to do magic via songs (Song of Storms, Song of Time, etc), but they'd be significantly weaker due to the loss of the Triforce/the blessing of the Golden Goddesses (instead of a full on 'storm', the SoS would only cause a light drizzle, and so on).

So, in relation to the Harp of Ages, it would probably be something akin to how the Temple of Time functioned in Twilight Princess (opens a portal to the past, but the period in which they travel back to is permanently locked in stasis. Maybe it only goes back 100-1000 years or something?)

Again, all of this is subject to discussion so we can contribute to the world-building process.

Huh, I was just thinking it was about time for another Zelda RP :D I'm curious as to how the artifacts will be used though, since they're mainly puzzle-solving devices... Also, will they effect the entire party or just the user?

I think a Steampunk Hyrule could be pretty interesting, actually.

As for weapons, can I reserve a modified version of the Clawshot as a weapon [spoili]It'd be a pair of Clawshots like Skyward Sword's, which have been upgraded to fire much faster with higher maximum distances. The claws would also be reinforced to allow function as a melee weapon. [/spoili]

As for artifacts, can I reserve the Mirror of Twilight?

That's fine with me, but the Clawshots might be more of a 'artifact' then a weapon. However, seeing as how Hyrule Warriors weaponized them, I can see a more technically advanced Hyrule creating weapons based off the old gadgets.

 

[mr_pibbs]

Huh, I was just thinking it was about time for another Zelda RP :D I'm curious as to how the artifacts will be used though, since they're mainly puzzle-solving devices... Also, will they effect the entire party or just the user?

I think a Steampunk Hyrule could be pretty interesting, actually.

As for weapons, can I reserve a modified version of the Clawshot as a weapon [spoili]It'd be a pair of Clawshots like Skyward Sword's, which have been upgraded to fire much faster with higher maximum distances. The claws would also be reinforced to allow function as a melee weapon. [/spoili]

As for artifacts, can I reserve the Mirror of Twilight?

As for the artifacts, they're basically your 'token item' that help define your position in the group. They help us get out of certain situations (helping understand ancient languages/using powers to assist us in our travels), but I'm still piecing together how specific items would work in sequence with one another. Mainly, I'm trying to avoid repeats/pointless items that wouldn't help us out.

But I'm curious to know how you'd plan to use the Mirror of Twilight? Did you have an idea, or were you just thinking of using a Twili character and wanted something related to their history? (Forgot to mention we can play any race in Hyrule, minus a few exceptions that are either extinct (the Kokiri from SS) or impossible to play (the Minish)).

 

[The Jest]

1. By 'Majora's Servants', do you mean villains/antagonists to the main characters? Or do you mean characters who would otherwise be villains/antagonists who work for Majora, but join the hero group after discovering the truth behind their 'lord Majora'.

As for a character limit, I'm thinking 1-3 characters per person. But I might just make it 1-2.

2. The Four Sword would work for me, but are you thinking of using its 'multiply power'? As in, wielding it gives you multiple versions of yourself? I'm fine with that if you are, I'm just curious as to how you wanted to roll with it.

3. Well the thing is with the artifacts is that most of them have lost their power/lost a considerable amount of their power. For example; the Ocarina of Time would still be able to do magic via songs (Song of Storms, Song of Time, etc), but they'd be significantly weaker due to the loss of the Triforce/the blessing of the Golden Goddesses (instead of a full on 'storm', the SoS would only cause a light drizzle, and so on).

So, in relation to the Harp of Ages, it would probably be something akin to how the Temple of Time functioned in Twilight Princess (opens a portal to the past, but the period in which they travel back to is permanently locked in stasis. Maybe it only goes back 100-1000 years or something?)

Again, all of this is subject to discussion so we can contribute to the world-building process.

1. Well, technically I was referring to the Latter. (And while them having a change of heart is an interesting thought that I might consider, I was more thinking a permanent servant.) However the former is just as interesting a role to me. I'd appreciate 1-3, but I'm alright with 1-2. ^_^ 2 characters are all I really need. (Not counting the "4 sword characters" that deviate from my hero, of course.)

2. For the most part, yes, I do intend on using the whole "Split-apart/multiply power" ability of the 4 sword. I even have the perfect character to use in both cases.

3. Can you possibly define what you mean by "Locked in Stasis?" Does time in the past simply loop groundhog day...or hell, Majora's Mask, style, or is it simply a state of frozen time, like first entering Wind Waker's monochrome Hyrule Castle?

 

[mr_pibbs]

1. Well, technically I was referring to the Latter. (And while them having a change of heart is an interesting thought that I might consider, I was more thinking a permanent servant.) However the former is just as interesting a role to me. I'd appreciate 1-3, but I'm alright with 1-2. ^_^ 2 characters are all I really need. (Not counting the "4 sword characters" that deviate from my hero, of course.)

2. For the most part, yes, I do intend on using the whole "Split-apart/multiply power" ability of the 4 sword. I even have the perfect character to use in both cases.

3. Can you possibly define what you mean by "Locked in Stasis?" Does time in the past simply loop groundhog day...or hell, Majora's Mask, style, or is it simply a state of frozen time, like first entering Wind Waker's monochrome Hyrule Castle?

1. I'm not sure wether or not I want player-controlled villains, that is unless they joined the group of heroes (either by choice or against their will via kidnapping or perhaps through making a deal or winning a bet/contest).

2. Alright sounds good. Just make sure that YC doesn't get too OP because there's 4 of him/her.

3. More like how the Temple of Time functioned in Twilight Princess, actually. You'd arrive at a point in time that is seemingly frozen from the outside world, but everything you do in that specific space affects how the future turns out (you build a wall in the past, but when you go to the future you see it has been worn down and vandalized).

 

[The Jest]

1. I'm not sure wether or not I want player-controlled villains, that is unless they joined the group of heroes (either by choice or against their will via kidnapping or perhaps through making a deal or winning a bet/contest).

2. Alright sounds good. Just make sure that YC doesn't get too OP because there's 4 of him/her.

3. More like how the Temple of Time functioned in Twilight Princess, actually. You'd arrive at a point in time that is seemingly frozen from the outside world, but everything you do in that specific space affects how the future turns out (you build a wall in the past, but when you go to the future you see it has been worn down and vandalized).

1. Fair enough, we wouldn't want anything to take the villainous spotlight away from the demonic demi-god. ...Still, Argh! Now I actually WANT to have both a villain in the Hero Group and a Servant of Majora! DX ...Maybe I'll make it my main hero in this.

2. I've dealt with playing "multiples of the same person before", so I know my ways to make sure it doesn't get OP. ...I think you'll like how I do it, might make things interesting ^w^

3. So, to see if I understand this correctly: Time in the past IS technically frozen, or at least partially so, but things you do in the past will effect the future?

 

[mr_pibbs]

1. Fair enough, we wouldn't want anything to take the villainous spotlight away from the demonic demi-god. ...Still, Argh! Now I actually WANT to have both a villain in the Hero Group and a Servant of Majora! DX ...Maybe I'll make it my main hero in this.

2. I've dealt with playing "multiples of the same person before", so I know my ways to make sure it doesn't get OP. ...I think you'll like how I do it, might make things interesting ^w^

3. So, to see if I understand this correctly: Time in the past IS technically frozen, or at least partially so, but things you do in the past will effect the future?

1. I'm not against it and if you want you can PM me the idea you had for the villain, I'm just saying that things might get complicated if I have BIG villains running around dictating their own thing (deters from the main story, you know?)

2. Sounds good!

3. Yeah, basically it's a way to allow us to meddle with time, but doesn't allow us to mess with Majora's rise to power by instantly going back and stopping him in the past before he destroyed the Triforce.

We don't create alternate timelines; we just add bits and pieces to the existing one.

 

[Renose]

This seems rather interesting.

Do the Bombos, Ether, and Quake Medallions count as Items or Artifacts?

As I have an idea with those. A sort of mage type hero. Especially if Naryu's Love, Din's Fire, and Farore's Wind could also be used somehow.

Either that, or Pegasus Boots and Wind Waker. That could be cool (A Hero of the Winds kind of thing), especially if we considered the upgraded versions of the Pegasus Boots that allowed you to run over the air (I think they were in Four Swords)

 

[mr_pibbs]

I'd say the Medallions and the 'Goddess Gifts' (as I used to call them) could classify as both weapons and artifacts, but I'd say the Medallions would be more artifactual (given the fact they're proper items), whereas Dins Fire/Nayru's Love/Farore's Wind would be more 'weaponized' side they're more ethereal and could potentially be cast with a spell book/elemental gem.

I'm also fine with the other items you picked. The Pegasus Boots could be combined with the Hover Boots so you'd get that 'flying ability' since they became somewhat similar, but the Wind Waker could also be fun to try out. ^^

 

[Renose]

Hmmm, I think a Mage character could be interesting. Throwing fireballs, creating explosions, teleporting, etc. Could have both puzzle and combat implications. Of course, this idea better works if I could wield both sets as my 'two' items thing.

To limit it or give some sense of Character Progression, my character could even not be able to use all six of them at the start, to balance it a little bit since all of those Spells are quite powerful.

 

[mr_pibbs]

Perhaps a Mabel-esque character? You know, the witch from Oracle of Ages/Oracle of Seasons? You'd bump into her at random, she'd try to steal your stuff, then make some comment about her grandmother? She's also in Link Between Worlds as a Sage.

What I'm getting at it something of a 'Mage in training', right? That way we can make sure his/her abilities are somewhat limited at first, then as he/she gets the items and begins to win back their power, he/she grows more powerful.

That's kind of what I was playing at with the Master Sword and all that being more of a traditional weapon at the beginning of the RP (minus its reputation), as the Light of the Triforce has been drained completely from it until we start beating Majora's minions.

 

[Renose]

Yea that could work. They would only start off with one Medallion and one of the Goddess Spells, and even then their usage of them would be weaker/limited. For Din's Fire it would just be a smaller fireball or for Bombos it would be just a single explosion equivalent to a blast from a Bomb.

Or if Ether was their first Medallion, it would be just a small bit of ice instead of the all encompassing ice effect.

I think starting with Din's Fire and the Ether Medallion would be interesting. A sort of Fire/Ice Magic type of thing to start off. And as they get the other Spells and indeed, as you mentioned, grow more powerful they will be able to use the Spells they have more efficiently whilst acquiring new ones.

Eventually Farore's Wind could even be used for more than just teleporting to a dungeon entrance (kind of imagine a short distance thing like in Super Smash Bros)

 

[mr_pibbs]

Yeah, exactly!

Alright, just so I have a point of reference, who's playing what? By that I mean, their characters gender, race and potentially their role on the team/what kind of a hero they're supposed to be.

For instance, I'll be playing a Male Hylian, who acts as the Leader of the group. With the Master Sword and Ocarina of Time in hand, my character takes the stand as 'The Hero of Legends Long Passed' (or, the Hero of Time. Pick your choice :3)

 

[Renose]

I guess a Sage (or Sage in Training) would be my character. Possibly had an ancient descendant who was a Sage at one point, so could carry the blood of the sages within them or something.

My character would be a Hylian.

 

[Karakui]

As for the artifacts, they're basically your 'token item' that help define your position in the group. They help us get out of certain situations (helping understand ancient languages/using powers to assist us in our travels), but I'm still piecing together how specific items would work in sequence with one another. Mainly, I'm trying to avoid repeats/pointless items that wouldn't help us out.

But I'm curious to know how you'd plan to use the Mirror of Twilight? Did you have an idea, or were you just thinking of using a Twili character and wanted something related to their history? (Forgot to mention we can play any race in Hyrule, minus a few exceptions that are either extinct (the Kokiri from SS) or impossible to play (the Minish)).

Well, I always used the Clawshots as a weapon in Skyward Sword. Really nifty little devices when you're running low on ammo or you need to do a bit of crowd control. Plus, with this modified form I intend to use here, they'll be fast enough to actually inflict damage when they hit something. I also have some nice combos planned, utilising the Mirror.

As for how the Mirror would be used, well, that's your job as GM to create challenges it can be useful in :P The Mirror is essentially a doorway to a parallel universe, so there are plenty of ways in which it could be useful. I'm planning on it having the features of the one Midna uses in Warriors - capable of appearing and disappearing as necessary, and floating (because it would be a massive inconvenience lugging around a stone tablet otherwise :D). It could be used to bypass certain barricades, for example, or to move things between areas. Also, since Twili are magicians, it might play a part in the spells used, as a gateway to maintain the Twili's existence in the normal world.

I hadn't originally been planning to play a Twili actually, but it sounds fun, so here's a rough backstory to iron out any continuity errors:

<Character> is a descendant of the Twili royal bloodline. In order to repay an ancient debt to the Light World (Link helping Midna in TP), this character reconstructs the Mirror of Twilight and uses it in an attempt to help defeat Majora. They also take the last of the magic of the Fused Shadow (which has decayed over time, so there's really not much left).

So basically, the character is "Female Twili Royalty with Magical Powers". Their combat role would be Crowd Control Support (moving and disarming enemies with Clawshot; binding and burning with own magic). Their story role would be the typical "mysterious creature that only appears in ancient myths but inexplicably decides to aid the heroic quest anyway" except this time there's an explanation as to why.

 

[mr_pibbs]

Well, I always used the Clawshots as a weapon in Skyward Sword. Really nifty little devices when you're running low on ammo or you need to do a bit of crowd control. Plus, with this modified form I intend to use here, they'll be fast enough to actually inflict damage when they hit something. I also have some nice combos planned, utilising the Mirror.

As for how the Mirror would be used, well, that's your job as GM to create challenges it can be useful in :P The Mirror is essentially a doorway to a parallel universe, so there are plenty of ways in which it could be useful. I'm planning on it having the features of the one Midna uses in Warriors - capable of appearing and disappearing as necessary, and floating (because it would be a massive inconvenience lugging around a stone tablet otherwise :D). It could be used to bypass certain barricades, for example, or to move things between areas. Also, since Twili are magicians, it might play a part in the spells used, as a gateway to maintain the Twili's existence in the normal world.

I hadn't originally been planning to play a Twili actually, but it sounds fun, so here's a rough backstory to iron out any continuity errors:

<Character> is a descendant of the Twili royal bloodline. In order to repay an ancient debt to the Light World (Link helping Midna in TP), this character reconstructs the Mirror of Twilight and uses it in an attempt to help defeat Majora. They also take the last of the magic of the Fused Shadow (which has decayed over time, so there's really not much left).

So basically, the character is "Female Twili Royalty with Magical Powers". Their combat role would be Crowd Control Support (moving and disarming enemies with Clawshot; binding and burning with own magic). Their story role would be the typical "mysterious creature that only appears in ancient myths but inexplicably decides to aid the heroic quest anyway" except this time there's an explanation as to why.

Alright that sounds good to me! I was just verifying how exactly you'd use the specific items, but I'm glad to know you had a plan ^^

Using the Mirror of Twilight as it was used in Hyrule Warriors seems fine to me on the surface, if I have any comments/complaints about it I'll let you know later on.

 

[Karakui]

I'm only using the levitation function from Warriors. The magical skills its used in will be entirely my own, not Midna's.

 

[mr_pibbs]

I'm only using the levitation function from Warriors. The magical skills its used in will be entirely my own, not Midna's.

Alright sounds good. Might I ask what type of magical skills they might be?