The Story, The Characters, The "DLC" — Info Masterpost
Since "Age of Imprisonment" (come on guys) was announced, I'm going to slowly share everything I had planned for this project up until the new game's release. This was all written at least a year and a half ago, so any resemblance to what becomes canon is PURELY COINCIDENTAL and not intended as a spoiler.
(WIP — To be edited over time)...
Preface
I still intend on sharing the story and level ideas. However, due to the new time constraints, cutscene storyboards will have to be done at a much lower quality and be polished later. Thanks for understanding!
Main Story
Going back in time...
The game occurs only one year after Age of Calamity, rather than many. Sometime after Zelda's eighteenth birthday, she and Terrako investigate the Lomei Labyrinths and find traces of a strange energy and prophecy. It causes Terrako to short-circuit, leaving Zelda concerned. Ultimately, she confides in King Rhoam, and he finally tells her of a legend his wife once told him of the castle's foundation. Zelda reunites with Link and the Champions assemble to prepare for whatever they may find... but then comes the Upheaval.
When Zelda falls back into the past, Terrako instead pulls Link along with its time travel abilities. Link is taken to the Past with Zelda, leaving the Champions and Rhoam behind to witness the Awakening of Ganondorf.
Meanwhile...
Link, Zelda, and Terrako awaken in the past - but not the same past as Zelda in the main timeline. Rather, they appear roughly 17 years later because of Terrako's meddling with time (again)... Terrako is damaged, and Link is severely ill from the infection of Gloom.
The castle raises, and the Champions and Rhoam witness the Upheaval. They rush to locate Link, Zelda, and Terrako, but the gloom infestation makes it too dangerous to enter. They are advised to reawaken their divine beasts, who have become dormant, sacred monuments to their people.
A Calamitous Merge
In the Past, King Rauru and Queen Sonia have taken to helping the three lost to time... but they warn of tensions between the eight tribes of Hyrule. What they speak of matches legends of old; of events leading up to the first Calamity.
They not only meet the old Sages as unlikely allies, but the Ancient Hero and Princess from the First Calamity as well; in the form of a young man from the lost tribe of Faron and a mysterious young Sheikah named Sheik. In the Past, the two, revealed to have transformed into the Ancient Zonai Hero and Princess Zelda I, fight the Great Calamity as the Demon King transforms into it as his final state.
Plotlines to Explore
The Past, because of Terrako's continued ripple in time, combines the Imprisoning War and the First Great Calamity and features them occurring in direct relation to one another.
When Rhoam arrives in the past, he cautions Rauru to heed Zelda and Sonia's words of warning. He understands what it's like to want to protect them— to believe he knows better about fate— but sometimes you must learn to trust those who determine the future.
Zelda constructs a Terrako model for Sheik, which ultimately becomes the one that Astor uses in AoC. It is destroyed by Ganondorf during the war. The Corrupted Guardian, the Harbinger, remains in the present even after Astor's defeat... and Zelda repairs it. :) With Sonia and Rauru's help, it is no longer corrupted and is occasionally able to reunite with Sheik.
Link is present to witness Zelda's transformation into the Light Dragon. Terrako transforms into a new model, resembling a dragon, to forever follow the Light Dragon and keep her company. Although the present can obtain a Master Sword now, the past still is in need of one to slay the Calamity there... And so the Ancient Hero must forge it himself.
Master Kohga witnesses the origin of the Yiga Clan for himself... and has to go up against the ORIGINAL Master! He starts questioning his allegiances...
"DLC"
Returning Friends
The new Sages from TotK had believed the events of AoC to be a dream and told no one... but now, they have returned, and they realize it was all real! Now, they can help once more!
The new Sages are in their timeskip designs rather than BotW.
Doppelgangers!
The second "DLC wave" would be playable Link and Zelda from the main Tears of the Kingdom timeline!
TOTK Zelda, or "Sage-Princess of the Wilds," would have a moveset that combines Purah's technology, Sonia's time power, and the Sealing Power. Although similar to her counterparts, it would play much differently (more info later).
TotK Link, or "The Hero of the Wilds, Revived," utilizes an attack pattern that is functionally the same as AoC Link's original one— as AoC Link now has an altered moveset to match new gimmicks with Zonai and Sheikah magic.
More Info
All of the above is in relation to Origins of Calamity and Wait for Me, two main timeline fics of mine that I will also try to finish before release. Let's see how that'll go. ^^"
Terrako likes to ride on the Master Cycle with Zelda. It has a little compartment where it stored anything it can use as fuel and will present it to her when it wants to go for a ride (like a dog or cat would). It even notes Zelda's concerns regarding the fuel (such as what is or isn't wasteful/damaging).
It really helps Zelda relax and adjust to a peaceful life after living towards the sealing of the Calamity.
How the trio deals with having been subjected to the harmful aspects of modern Sheikah culture:
Purah was the family disappointment long before she got into tech research just for not complying with her parents and grandmother’s expectations, and the constant comparisons to her sister only made her more determined not to become like them. She very strongly rejects anything that doesn’t strictly have to do with ancient tech, but deep down she wishes someone would see the lost child behind her tough act.
Robbie feels a deep sense of loss and disconnection from a culture that’s been long lost and that he barely knows anything about, but still feels he should be a part of, and being demonized and abused by his parents for his interest in his people’s history only made it worse. Hiding his pain and fractured sense of identity behind a happy, eccentric persona is the only way he knows how to cope for a long time.
And Impa is in denial about the damage it has done because acknowledging how messed up it is means she has to face the fact she was groomed to be a perfect obedient servant to the royal family, and that would shatter her entire life and worldview. Losing her sole purpose is the one thing she cannot handle even thinking about.
Daruk’s high-key sad about being too big to go sand seal surfing, so either Link or Urbosa leave and later come back dragging a MODULGA behind them, using heavy chains wrapped around it’s snout as makeshift reigns.
Now the deserts in fucking chaos as members of the Yiga are desperately scrambling to get away from this sand shark-surfing cowboy that’s chasing after them
During Age of Calamity, when she believes King Rhoam to be dead, Zelda realizes she does not resent her father despite believing she should have by every right. She wishes there is time to think about why, but she must focus on commanding the Hyrulean forces (and somewhat the Yiga, too, after they join her).
In the aftermath of Age of Calamity, the Sheikah technology this time does not disappear (because this alternate timeline was CREATED by such technology, gifted with Zelda's unknown time powers on accident when she constructed Terrako with her mother...). Zelda uses it to optimize her research of ancient cultures, which ultimately leads her to understand their mis-interpretstion of early Zonai Ruins. She begins to chase answers with the assistance of Purah, Robbie, and certain reformed members of the Yiga Clan, who have even begun their own village - although there is some trouble from members who aren't so happy with Kohga's decision to betray the Calamity...
All of this will be elaborated on in @age-of-imprisoning! ✨️
Early on in her training, when she was a bit too young to travel to the springs, Zelda would pray in Castle Town's sanctuary and occasionally the Temple of Time. The Temple of Time has fond memories for her, as her mother would take her to see it often when she was little.
Ancient Sheikah culture had no writing of its own. Because they were incredibly close as a group, they saw no need for it and relied entirely on orally passing their stories and knowledge to one another, and they ensured there was always someone around to teach someone else.
The Sheikah runes were used to communicate with the Royal Family of Hyrule and to give them instructions on how to use their ancient tech. The runes translate directly to Hylian letters, but are much more complicated to write, so instructions and labels are kept short.
The only time the ancient Sheikah attempted to write in their own language was the tapestry of the First Calamity, an event deemed too important to trust that it could be passed on the traditional way, seeing as the Sheikah had to give up on their close community after the king’s betrayal.
Spoken Ancient Sheikah hasn't changed too much. They immediately went into hiding after the royals turned on them, and their villages have been completely isolated from other races until today. In the event that they couldn’t stay away from others on their travels between the villages, they always opted to speak Hylian to avoid raising suspicion as they could never be sure who was on their side and who was an enemy.
Sheikah children to this day grow up learning both languages in case they cannot avoid interacting with Hylians. Their own language has never been officially banned, but is heavily discouraged outside of Sheikah villages, especially in Central Hyrule. Due to the ongoing control and oppression of Sheikah culture, those who serve the king refuse to speak their own language if there’s even a small chance the wrong person could overhear. It’s not worth the risk of drawing attention.
Due to their frequent interactions, the Yiga were heavily influenced by the Gerudo, and their language has changed so much that it’s often mistaken for a Gerudo dialect.
