Hyrule

Hyrule (ハイラル, Hairaru) is the name of the magical kingdom that serves as the setting for nearly every game in the Zelda series. It is usually depicted as a beautiful and prosperous land blessed with deep forests, tall mountains, vast lakes, a barren desert, and great cities. It is ruled by a monarchical government, the Royal Family of Hyrule, with its capital city at the bustling and prosperous Hyrule Castle Town.

The realm was created long ago by three Golden Goddesses who each breathed their essences into the land and gave life and order to the formerly-chaotic realm. They also left within the realm of Hyrule a portal leading to a plane from which the goddesses departed the world, a magical place called the Sacred Realm. It was within this Sacred Realm that the goddesses left an extremely powerful relic called the Triforce, which when mastered will grant the wishes of its holder.

This story of the Triforce would shape Hyrule's future in the centuries that followed its creation, becoming the basis of Hyrule's providence, especially after the birth of a man from the desert named Ganondorf. After the Triforce is stolen by Ganondorf (who wishes to conquer the land for himself ), a young hero named Link, often armed with the Master Sword, rises up to save Hyrule from destruction. The hero is usually assisted in this effort by Hyrule's young princess, Zelda, for whom the series is named. These three characters are the most well-known figures in Hyrulean history and have shaped it in countless ways.

Hyrule is shown in multiple different incarnations, though there are several shared elements between each version. It is also home to a multitude of different races, each inhabiting a different part of the country.

Early History
Hyrule was formed many ages ago through the works of the three Golden Goddesses: Din the Goddess of Power, Nayru the Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore the Goddess of Courage. Before time began, before spirits and life existed, these three goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule. Din, with her strong flaming arms, cultivated the land and created the red earth and was thus responsible for the creation of the very geography of Hyrule. Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world, bringing order to a formerly chaotic realm.; thus, she was responsible for the establishment of all the laws of science and wizardry that govern the physical world of Hyrule. Farore, with her rich soul, created all life forms that would uphold the law established by Nayru and thus was the mother of all life in the realm of Hyrule.

When the labors of the three great goddesses were completed, they departed the world for the heavens. It was in the Sacred Realm that the three goddesses left behind a symbol of their power, the all-powerful relic known as the Triforce, which when mastered in its entirety would grant the heart's desire of its holder, whatever that desire may be.

The Triforce could only be claimed as a whole by one pure of heart however, and this action would cause the Sacred Realm to become a beautiful paradise. But if that one's heart is not in balance, the Triforce would separate into its three separate pieces, leaving only the piece representing the force in which that one most believes in his or her hand and transforming the Sacred Realm into a world of evil. If that one who shattered the Triforce were to seek the true force to govern all, he or she would have to acquire the two lost pieces. The other two pieces would dwell within two special people chosen by destiny, who would bear the symbol of the Triforce on the backs of their hands.

It was at this time that the ancient Sages, knowing that evil ones could abuse the Triforce's magic, crafted a sword that was infused with magic that was resistant even to that of the Triforce itself. This weapon, the Blade of Evil's Bane more commonly known as the Master Sword, was capable of banishing evil itself and was reserved to be used only by a hero that would act as Hyrule's savior in times of Hyrule's greatest need.

The Hylian people were also aided in the development of their new land by the Oocca, a race said to be even closer to the gods than they were. They also assisted the ancient Sages in the construction of the ancient Temple of Time meant to protect the portal to the Sacred Realm and the Triforce stored within. Once the land of Hyrule had been established, the Oocca left for the City in the Sky, but still maintained contact with the Royal Family of Hyrule for a time.

Recent History
The land of Hyrule's more recent history has been a long tale that has woven through many ages and many periods of both light and darkness. Hyrule's beings lived at peace, for much of the early history of the realm. Stories of the Sacred Realm began to spread across the land, speaking of a "Golden Power" more commonly known as the Triforce that would grant the wishes of its holder. These stories of unlimited power eventually stirred such emotions in the hearts and minds of Hyrule's beings that soon there was nothing left in them but pure greed and lust for power. Eventually former friends became bitter enemies and even sparked wars over the Triforce. These stories also reached the ears of Ganondorf, the king of the Gerudo thieves that hail from the Gerudo Desert in the far western region of Hyrule.

Ganondorf originally hoped to attain the Triforce in order to lift his fellow Gerudo, out of their miserable existence in the barren Gerudo Desert. Soon however, these tales of limitless power twisted and warped Ganondorf's mind into being solely interested in using the Triforce for his own desires, even causing him to seek total domination over Hyrule. The Gerudo King soon concocted a plan to enter the Sacred Realm and lay claim to the Triforce, and through much cunning and deceit, he succeeded in entering the Sacred Realm with the unwitting assistance of a young boy from the forest named Link and Hyrule's young princess, Zelda. When he laid his tainted hands on the Triforce however, the legend came true, causing it to shatter and leave only the Triforce of Power in Ganondorf's hand, as that was the force he most believed in and desired most. The other two pieces were eventually joined within what would become Ganondorf's two archenemies: the Triforce of Wisdom was bestowed upon Princess Zelda, and the Triforce of Courage upon Link.

Since that time, the three have battled across much of Hyrule's history as Ganondorf has sought many times to reunite the Triforce pieces and claim the united relic to completely conquer Hyrule. Zelda and Link usually rising each time to stop him and act as a check on his vast magical powers. When Hyrule is not being threatened by Ganondorf, it has also faced threats from other foes such as the evil Gerudo witch Twinrova, her associates, the Wind Sorcerer Vaati, and the forces of twilight led by Zant. Each time, Hyrule has had a savior in the form of Link, who has reappeared throughout the ages of Hyrule's history as has Zelda when evil threatens Hyrule. The most recent chapters of Hyrule's history have had very lasting and yet diverging implications for each incarnation of the kingdom depicted, thought by many to be the result of a split in Hyrule's history caused around the time Ganondorf was first defeated by Link and Zelda and the hero was sent back to his own age, causing a split universe in which Hyrule exists in two different incarnations of itself.

One of those two incarnations of Hyrule show it to be drowned beneath a deluge known as the Great Flood and destroyed centuries later after Ganondorf is defeated once again, leaving Link and Zelda to seek out a new land that may be the next Hyrule in that particular branch of history. Another incarnation of Hyrule, depicts an invasion by the forces of twilight led by the Twili known as Zant, with a new incarnation of Link and Zelda rising up to defeat Zant and his dark master, who is revealed to be Ganondorf himself. Both incarnations of Hyrule have shown vastly different fates for the kingdom. In the Adult Timeline, Hyrule is destroyed and buried underneath the oceans while Link and Tetra search for a new land. Meanwhile, in the other timeline, Zelda resumes her place as Hyrule's ruler, with Ganondorf left dead after a great battle in Hyrule Field and Link riding away on a new adventure.

Governance
Hyrule's form of government has remained relatively consistent throughout its history, with an ancient monarchy, the Royal Family of Hyrule, ruling over the lower-caste citizens of the kingdom from Hyrule's capital city, Hyrule Castle Town. The Royal Family itself rules from the seat of government in the land of Hyrule, Hyrule Castle, the namesake of the capital. The government is typically headed by the King of Hyrule, and his heir in most depictions of Hyrule is his daughter or descendant, Princess Zelda. In some cases, Zelda herself has ruled over the land as matriarch of the Royal Family as well, such as during the Twili invasion of Hyrule. Hyrule is typically divided into various provinces and most of the various races pledge their allegiance to the central government headed by the Royal Family. Each race has its own local government and the individual tribal leaders, but all races pledge their overall allegiance to the Royal Family as kingdom of Hyrule citizens.

Hyrule has faced many coups throughout its history, but ultimately the Royal Family is usually restored to power through the efforts of Hyrule's hero, Link.

Currency
Hyrule's economy is typical of most feudalistic societies documented throughout history, with trade and different forms of unconventional payment not being unheard of throughout the country's history. As with any unified nation however, Hyrule also has an official currency that also suffices to obtain goods and services when the trading system is not chosen by its citizens. This currency is a small jewel-like object known as the Rupee, several color and size variations are used to denote values. Some, such as green, blue or yellow Rupees are worth less than rarer Rupees as red, purple, orange, silver or gold. Rupees are accepted in almost any establishment throughout the kingdom of Hyrule and are the single most common form of payment in the marketplace of Hyrule's capital city, Hyrule Castle Town.

Military
The Hyrulean Castle Guards make up the bulk of Hyrule's military forces. Despite their duty to protect the peace, the guards have a poor reputation and a tendency towards cowardice, they will shrink in fear whenever Wolf Link passes by them. The guards have been unsuccessful in defending Hyrule in more recent games, falling to the army led by Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time as well as being overpowered by the forces of twilight led by Zant. Due to their minor inefficiencies, they often are unable to pevent infiltration of even Hyrule Castle. However, they have not always been cowardly, they have valiantly defended Princess Zelda from Zant's forces even as the Throne Room of Hyrule Castle underwent the twilight invasion of Twilight Princess; and while trying to prevent Vaati from blasting open the Bound Chest in The Minish Cap.

However, these guards were also very wary of when evil took over their kingdom. When Vaati impersonated King Daltus, the guards who dissented were turned to stone. When the guards would not follow an evil ruler, they were brainwashed into doing so. In A Link to the Past, the dark wizard Agahnim took over the country through much cunning and deceit; one of the first things he did was take over Hyrule's military force using his powerful magic. The guards are shown to be freed of this spell when Link destroys Agahnim and returns the Royal Family to power. Although the guards are mostly concentrated in the Hyrulean capital city Hyrule Castle Town, they are seen spread out all across the kingdom as well.

The more recent interpretations of the guards are vastly different compared to the more noble Knights of Hyrule spoken of in A Link to the Past, who gave their lives almost to the utter last in order to protect the Seven Sages as they cast their seal on the Dark World. Whether the Knights of Hyrule have any connection to the present day guards that make up Hyrule's military is unclear, but if the Knights of Hyrule were indeed the forerunners of the present guards, it would mean a vast decline in their efficiency and courage since the times of the Imprisoning War. A similar set of knights also called the "Knights of Hyrule" acted as the guardians of the Royal Jewels in Four Swords Adventures, and only four existed. Each protecting one of the four jewels that would restore the Tower of Winds and yield access to the Realm of the Heavens. Whether these four knights have any connection to the Knights of Hyrule spoken of in the tales of the Imprisoning War is unclear, but both are reputed for their bravery.

Major Conflicts
Most of the wars in Hyrule's history were fought over possession of the Triforce or dominion over the Sacred Realm.


 * Hyrulean Civil War: This war was begun for unknown reasons, but it was said according to the Great Deku Tree to be a horrific and prolonged war that resulted in the unification of the country under the banner of the Royal Family.
 * Interloper War: This war began when the Dark Interlopers attempted to seize control of the Sacred Realm and claim the Triforce for themselves, but the intervention of the Light Spirits caused them to be sealed away in the Twilight Realm, outside of which they could only exist as shadows.
 * Imprisoning War: This conflict is spoken of in the backstory of A Link to the Past, where it is said to have begun when Ganondorf stole the Triforce from the Sacred Realm. The Knights of Hyrule were nearly wiped out during the ensuing conflict, but the Seven Sages were able to trap Ganon in the Sacred Realm-turned-Dark World.
 * War of the Bound Chest: The Hero of Men fought many evil creatures during ancient times using the Picori Blade. He sealed the evil monsters inside of the Bound Chest using the Picori Blade and the Light Force, until Vaati broke the blade and released the monsters back into the world some time later.
 * Great Flood: In the Adult Timeline following the end of Ocarina of Time, Hyrule was invaded once again by Ganondorf and was subsequently buried beneath a deluge of rainwater in the Great Flood when the Hero of Time failed to appear.
 * Zant's Invasion of Hyrule: In the Child Timeline following the end of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, Hyrule was invaded by an evil Twili named Zant, who seized control of the Twilight Realm and covered Hyrule in twilight on the order of his dark master, Ganondorf, who returned to haunt Hyrule once again.

Theology
Hyrule is known to be a polytheistic society, and the greatest of the deities worshiped by the Hyruleans are the three Golden Goddesses: Din the Goddess of Power, Nayru the Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore the Goddess of Courage. These three goddesses are the most highly-revered of all deities throughout the entire realm of Hyrule, as they were responsible for the creation of Hyrule and all who live in it. The people have also been known to worship the essences of these goddesses, which live within the almighty relic the goddesses created, the mythical Triforce. The goddesses have answered the prayers of the people at dark times of Hyrule's history, such as drowning Hyrule beneath the Great Flood to save its people from destruction at Ganon's hands and sending the Light Spirits to imprison the Dark Interlopers within the confines of the Twilight Realm to save Hyrule's people from their wicked reign.

The Golden Goddesses are not the only deities worshiped. The Zoras worship their patron deity, the great fish Lord Jabu-Jabu, going so far as to accord him a special place of honor in their society. They are also known to use the Water Temple to worship water spirits. The Kokiri pay homage to the great forest spirit known as the Great Deku Tree and hold him in the highest regard as both their father and protector. The Gerudo are known to worship the mysterious Goddess of the Sand, to whom they dedicated the construction of the Spirit Temple. There have also been other deities, such as the aforementioned Light Spirits, that are also worshiped by the people as the guardian deities of their respective provinces.

Several houses of worship and temples exist in Hyrulean society. Hyrule has been known to have temples dedicated to each of several different elements, each with a caretaker Sage that is guardian of the temple. The most well known of these Sages are the Seven Sages: Rauru in the Temple of Light at the heart of the Sacred Realm, Saria in the Forest Temple deep within the Lost Woods, Darunia in the Fire Temple on Death Mountain, Ruto in the Water Temple deep beneath Lake Hylia, Impa in the Shadow Temple residing in the graveyard in the shadow of Death Mountain, Nabooru in the Spirit Temple far across the desert in the Desert Colossus, and Princess Zelda in the Temple of Time. The Temple of Time's architecture also draws from Gothic cathedral architecture, and acts as the primary gateway to the Sacred Realm. The Earth Temple and the Wind Temple house the Sages whose prayers power the Master Sword and grant it the Power to Repel Evil.

Several towns in The Adventure of Link have churches, and a lone priest that resides at the Sanctuary in A Link to the Past helped smuggle Zelda out of Agahnim's clutches. Renado is the village shaman of Kakariko Village in Twilight Princess and the unofficial leader of the village. These figures, alongside the Sages, act as chief members of Hyrule's theological sphere.

Locations and Landmarks
Like many of the other lands depicted in the Zelda series such as Termina, Holodrum and Labrynna, Hyrule's geography varies greatly from region to region. In most depictions of Hyrule, the land is shown to be a collection of regions with varying geographies and climates usually linked by a great open expanse of land known as Hyrule Field. Hyrule Castle Town and by extension Hyrule Castle are usually located near the central part of the country and not far away from Hyrule Field. The other regions of Hyrule as stated before vary greatly in their composition and appearance. For example, the region most associated with the rock-loving Gorons is the sweltering and rocky Death Mountain, which has little to no vegetation and is for all intents and purposes a large volcano. On the other hand, there are parts of the country covered by deep forests that have a more hospitable climate and atmosphere, where plant-life and vegetation are much more common and provide a means to live for such forest-dwellers as the child-like Kokiri race. Hyrule is also usually shown to be home to a vast lake usually named Lake Hylia as well as a watery grotto named Zora's Domain, both being more hospitable and suitable to the aquatic Zora race. Hyrule is also known to have snowy regions as well, such as the Snowpeak Mountain Range, which is the preferred home region of the Yeti race. Finally, Hyrule is also usually shown to be home to a vast desert (usually to the west), more commonly known as the Gerudo Desert amongst other names, which is home to such desert-dwelling tribes as the Gerudo or the Zuna. Taken altogether, Hyrule is shown to be a melting pot of sorts in regards to its geography as it has been shown to possess nearly every kind of climate and terrain.

Races of Hyrule
Hyrule is home to several various races that are scattered all across the land, each inhabiting a different part of the country. The Hylians are the dominant race of the realm, with close ties to the goddesses as their chosen people. Meanwhile, the Zoras occupy the different bodies of water across Hyrule, namely its rivers, lakes and their home in the cavernous Zora’s Domain. On the fiery Death Mountain resides the race of rock-like beings known as the Gorons, a graceful tribe rich in pride. The forests of Hyrule are occupied by several races, the foremost of those being the child-like Kokiri race that is protected by the forest spirit, the Great Deku Tree. The plant-like race known as the Deku as well as the thumb-sized Minish race are both also known to inhabit Hyrule’s forests. The deserts of Hyrule are occupied largely by only two known races, the nearly all-female race of thieves known as the Gerudo and the green-skinned Zuna race. In the frozen tundra areas of the country such as Snowpeak resides the little-known race of Yetis. To the skies high above Hyrule reside such tribes as the mysterious Wind Tribe, a race of humanoid beings with strong connections to the winds, as well as the even more mystifying Oocca race that occupies the City in the Sky.

Hylians
The dominant race of Hyrule has since the creation of the world been the Hylians, who were said to be blessed by the gods with some of their magical powers. The Hylians are extremely abundant and are quite similar to humans on earth. Unlike most other races, they tend to live in large cities, such as Hyrule Castle Town or Kakariko Village. They are said to be born with magic-infused blood and use magic quite often (variating from their Terminan counterparts, who use magic less often and rely moreover on technology.) They are thought of to be closer to the gods than other races and also inhabit Holodrum, Labrynna, and Termina. This claim has been heavily debated however since the introduction of the Oocca tribe, who have been rumored to have been a race even closer to the goddesses than even the Hylians, a surprising assertion given the Oocca's seeming lack of physical or magical power. The Hylian race is ruled directly by the Royal Family of Hyrule beneath an ancient monarchy that has ruled the kingdom since the inception of the series. Most other races of the kingdom each have their own form of local government that ultimately answers to the Royal Family, and the Hylians live under the Royal Family themselves as their own. Perhaps the two most famous members of the Hylian race are Link and Princess Zelda, the two most recurring characters in the series that have reappeared throughout Hyrule's history whenever the kingdom is threatened.

Zoras
The Zoras are aquatic, amphibious creatures that inhabit the waters of the kingdom, and there are different forms of them that vastly differ from each other in both appearance and behavior. River Zoras occupy the rivers and seem to be more fish-like, aggressive, and can spit fireballs at passersby, whereas Sea Zoras seem to be more peaceful and appear as a hybrid between human and fish. The home dwelling of much of the Zora race, namely the Sea Zoras, is in the watery grotto of Zora’s Domain, the source of all of Hyrule’s water in most stories set in Hyrule. The Zoras are often ruled by a monarchy themselves, the Royal Family of the Zoras usually headed by King Zora, though they swear ultimate allegiance to the central Hyrulean government. They serve the Royal Family of Hyrule largely by guarding Hyrule’s water supply. Zoras also inhabit other lands such as Termina, Labrynna, Holodrum, and possibly more. Of all the Zoras featured throughout the series, perhaps the single most famous of their race is Ruto, the Princess of the Zoras at the time of Ocarina of Time, who went on to become the Sage of Water that guards the Water Temple and one of the Seven Sages that first banished Ganondorf into the corrupted Sacred Realm.

Kokiri
Of the various races inhabiting the forests of Hyrule, none are more prominent than the humanoid, child-like race of beings known as the Kokiri, who reside deep in the Kokiri Forest under the protection of the Great Deku Tree. Capable of living for untold stretches of time and never aging, these small beings are the dominant race of the forest and are the guardians of the Forest Temple deep in the Lost Woods. So great has been their prominence that they have even served as Sages. Likely the most famous of their number is Saria, a popular young girl that went on to become one of the Seven Sages, namely the Sage of Forest that guards the Forest Temple deep in the Lost Woods. Another of their own, Fado, was accorded the honor of being one of the Sages of the Master Sword, namely the Sage of Wind that guards the Wind Temple. They have only ever appeared in Hyrule, making them unique to the land, unlike other races. A plant-like race known as the Koroks featured in The Wind Waker are also thought to be an evolved or transformed version of the Kokiri, as the Koroks were said by the Great Deku Tree to have once been humanoid.

Sheikah
Possibly the single most mysterious race to be featured in the entire series, the Sheikah are a race of ninja-like shadow warriors that are said to be the guardians of the Royal Family of Hyrule. They are said to have been the builders and founders of Kakariko Village as well as the builders of the dark, eerie Shadow Temple residing behind the village. Not much concrete information is truly known about this race, but speculation abounds as to their race's history and the cause of its subsequent disappearance. The Sheikah boast red-colored eyes but are otherwise a humanoid race of beings quite similar to Hylians and humans in appearance. Their race boasts a symbol that consists of an eye with a single large teardrop; this symbol has appeared numerous times throughout the series, many times in stories that the Sheikah don't even appear, giving rise to speculation about their race. One of the most famous members of this tribe is Impa, caretaker and guardian of Princess Zelda and founder of Kakariko Village.

Gorons
The Gorons are a race of rock-consuming, golem-like creatures that inhabit the mountainous regions and rocky areas of Hyrule, largely Death Mountain. They boast superhuman strength and the ability to curl up into a ball and roll at high speeds. Using magic power, some can sprout spikes when they pick up enough speed while rolling in this manner and can destroy nearly anything in their paths. They are completely heat-resistant, able to wade through lava for extended periods of time. Most Gorons (if not all) cannot swim due to their immense weight however, making water their sole weakness. They have formed an alliance with the Royal Family of Hyrule, ultimately answering to the central government headed by the King of Hyrule. However, in the day-to-day governing of their tribe, they live under a council of elders typically headed by a patriarch, such as Darunia or Darbus. They inhabit, aside from Hyrule, Termina, Labrynna, Holodrum, and possibly many other places.

Gerudo
The Gerudo are a race of largely female thieves that hail from the desert far to the west of Hyrule. Not much is known of this race's origins, apart from the fact that long ago, their ancestors were responsible for the construction of the Spirit Temple (which they dedicated to their patron deity, the Goddess of the Sand) at the Desert Colossus and for mapping out the vast Haunted Wasteland (Gerudo Desert). They live in the Gerudo's Fortress, nestled in the cliffs of Gerudo Valley, where they guard the entrance to the desert. According to Gerudo lore, only one male Gerudo is born every century, and that single male is to become King of the Gerudo. The only instance of this shown in the series has been the penultimate villain of the series, Ganondorf, another of the most well-known members of the tribe, infamous for his schemes against Hyrule. Similarly, another set of members of this tribe that are infamous for their villainy are the Gerudo witches Kotake and Koume, collectively known as Twinrova (who, unlike other members of the tribe, exhibit an unnaturally long lifespan not seen in other members of tribe, save for Ganondorf, their surrogate son). It is hinted that the Gerudo take on relationships with Hylian men for reproductive purposes, but it is also speculated that they use the Spirit Temple to pray to their Goddess of the Sand for children, another possible explanation for their race's continued existence despite a historically low amount of male figures. The Gerudo bear a largely Arabic appearance, even carrying scimitar-like swords for protection.

Deku
Also inhabiting the forests of the kingdom as well as other lands such as Termina, Holodrum and Labrynna, are the plant-like race of beings known as the Deku. The Deku of Hyrule are by and large composed of the Deku Scrubs that spit nuts as passersby or try to sell wares to those whom they meet. Typically these Deku Scrubs will live near a Deku Flower in which they can disappear inside of and serves as their home. Though the Deku do not appear to have any allegiance to any form of government in Hyrule, their Terminan counterparts live beneath the Deku Royal Family and appear to have a much more advanced civilization in general. The term "Deku" appears to be a play off of the Great Deku Tree, from whom the term is thought to have originated.

Zuna
The Zuna are a race of desert-dwelling nomads featured so far only in Four Swords Adventures, where they share the Desert of Doubt alongside the Gerudo. They are a race of green-skinned humanoid beings that are said to be descended from the ancient tribe that built the Pyramid and sealed the Trident of Power there. Outside of that, not much is known of their race's origins or how they came to live in Hyrule at all. They live in a small village in the central part of the Desert of Doubt, living in small huts bearing flowers atop their roofs.

Minish
The Minish are a tiny race of thumb-sized beings that are largely responsible for Rupees and countless objects such as Magic Jars and Bombs being hidden in the weeds, grass, and beneath the pots throughout Hyrule. They are said to largely be concerned with bringing happiness to humans. These tiny beings seemingly did not originate from Hyrule however, as their homeland is said to be a place called the Minish Realm that is connected to Hyrule, but the passageway connecting the two worlds, the Minish Door, opens only temporarily once a century to allow the Minish to either travel from their own world to Hyrule or return to their homeland. Though they primarily live in the Minish Village deep in the Minish Woods of Hyrule, they are also known to have members of their tribe scattered around Hyrule as well, such as in Hyrule Town, Castor Wilds, and even up on Mount Crenel. They were responsible for the giving of the Picori Blade and the Light Force to the Hero of Men during the War of the Bound Chest in an attempt to do their part to help the human race win the war against evil. Some of the most famous members of this tribe include Vaati and Ezlo.

Wind Tribe
The Wind Tribe are a race of humanoid beings that have magical powers that are strongly connected to the winds (hence their name of the "Wind Tribe") and are the guardians of the Wind Element. They were responsible for the construction of the Fortress of Winds in the Wind Ruins just south of Castor Wilds as well as the Palace of Winds and the Tower of Winds above Hyrule. They were said to have been the favorite tribe of Gustaf, an ancient King of Hyrule with whom they had dealings. After living in the marshlands of the mucky Castor Wilds for a time, the Wind Tribe abandoned the Wind Ruins and the Fortress of Winds, leaving for the Cloud Tops and taking the Wind Element with them. They left in the ruins of the Fortress of Winds a guardian that protected another treasure of theirs, the Ocarina of Wind, in the event that a worthy person came in search of the Wind Element. In the Cloud Tops, they have made the Tower of Winds their home as well as the road to the Palace of Winds, which is hinted to have once rested in the Wind Ruins before being moved up into the clouds by the magic of the Wind Tribe. The tribe only appears in The Minish Cap, giving rise to speculation as to what happened to them in the aftermath of that story. Though what is suspected to be the Palace of Winds appears in Four Swords and the Palace of Winds and the Tower of Winds officially reappear in Four Swords Adventures, the Wind Tribe is not anywhere to be seen. This has given rise to speculation that Vaati, who is seen residing in the Palace of Winds later, may possibly have wiped them out and taken over their palace, turning it into his own.

Oocca
Possibly rivaling only the Sheikah in terms of mysteriousness is the strange Oocca race that inhabits the City in the Sky floating high above Hyrule. Only bits and pieces of the Oocca's history have yet been revealed, leaving their race's history open to much speculation. It is said that they were responsible for assisting the ancient Sages in constructing the Temple of Time ages ago shortly after the foundation of Hyrule itself. They are also said to have been the creators of the Dominion Rod (known to their tribe as the "Rod of the Heavens"), a magical rod that possesses the power to infuse life into certain statues found scattered across Hyrule. They are hinted to have had a close connection to both the Royal Family of Hyrule and the Sheikah, as they left the Ancient Sky Book in the hands of the Sheikah tribe upon their departure for the City in the Sky. The Oocca once maintained relations with the Royal Family even after they left for the skies, by means of the "Messenger to the Heavens" who would carry the "Rod of the Heavens" and journey between the surface and the city by means of the Sky Cannon. By the time of Twilight Princess, the Oocca have mysteriously lost touch with the surface-dwellers of Hyrule and nobody has seen one in living memory, causing many to believe them and their fantastic city merely a myth. Link eventually rediscovers the Dominion Rod and recovers the Ancient Sky Book from the last known Sheikah, Impaz, and uses the pair to locate and repair the Sky Cannon before using the cannon to launch himself up to the City in the Sky, where he becomes the first surface-dweller and Messenger to the Heavens to see the Oocca and their city in ages.