I continue to think I have self-control. I continue to be wrong.
This is more or less gonna be a place where I, @destinywillowleaf, gather my thoughts on the characters, story, and setting, because there's a lot to get through. There's also gonna be help and additions from @paradoxbeta, because this whole mess would be dead in the water without her help.
Triple Chain is an "extended" version of Linked Universe, with heroes pulled from all over Hyrule's history. Some might not quite seem like they fit the bill of hero - no Master Sword, no connection to the Triforce, not even a passing mention in most history books - but for one reason or another they've all still been gathered to fight.
Meanwhile, Dark Link traverses worlds to gather strong allies to stand against the ever-growing group, creating a shadow army of his own...
(Technically this doesn't have to be connected to LU but it's what kickstarted the idea to begin with.)
TAGGING
Characters - "tc [NAME]" instead of "lu [NAME]" because I'm a coward because I don't want to pretend like I'm the only one who's had these ideas
Art - doodles and designs
Story bits - events
Lore(meta and non-meta alike) - history
Asks(?) - footnotes
Submissions(yeah right) - addendums
Memes, Development notes, other silly things through Discord - memes and nonsense
THE CAST
CHAIN 2
~~Tri Force Heroes~~
Tri - The red hero, seeking adventure and the one who claimed the Master Sword
Tre - The green hero, pulled into adventure by coincidence and forced into leadership
Trois - The blue hero, coerced into adventure by others to write rather than fight
Cly - One of three Shadows from the Den of Trials, newly awakened to a sense of self
Apri - Tri's fairy companion (OC)
~~Cadence of Hyrule~~
Rhythm - The Hylian hero and set to be a consort of the Zora Prince
Skid - The Skull Kid from the future world and master of magic
Yves - The Deku Scrub determined to be a hero despite circumstances
Trill - The fairy friend of the bearers of Courage and Wisdom, still traveling with Rhythm and friends at their request
Horse - A retired racehorse with a strange vendetta against the Sheikah (OC)
CHAIN C
Shields - A hero that succeeded Hyrule and known for his words more than his actions (Cartoon)
Spoons - A hero from Hyrule's era who often takes the "true" hero's name (Cereal)
Koridai - The hero of Koridai (CDi)
Peter Pancho III - A forgotten hero between the Sky and the Minish (if you know you know)
Holpar - A hero born to the surface but still connected to the sky and distant past (MK8)
Rus - The twin to the Hero of Twilight (Crossbow)
Spirits - A royal engineer of new Hyrule (Spirit Tracks)
Landon - A living magic doll unfamiliar with the rules of the world (Nintendo Land)(OC)
Riptide - The seagull companion of Spirits with fragmented memories of another life
SHADOW LORDS
Newmoon - One of three Shadows from the Den of Trials
Midnight - One of three Shadows from the Den of Trials
Dow - Rhythm's shadow
Zel - Tempo's shadow
ADDITIONAL FRIENDS/ALLIES
Tempo - The Hylian princess from Cadence of Hyrule (likely will not have content)
Phantom - The Hylian princess from Spirit Tracks (might show up here and there because I have Ideas)
Reti - The Zora prince from Cadence of Hyrule
Sheila - A Zora warrior in the era of Cadence of Hyrule (OC)
Sprocket - Karts's Loftwing companion; brown feathers (OC)
Cent - A mysterious creature with a penchant for throwing rocks (paradoxbeta's OC)
[first image was made using http://snafflez.com/horsemaker/#.YtZGSYTMJPY]
Name: Horse
Nickname(s): Several. Most folks have their own name for her after learning the group settled on "Horse".
Age: ~3 years
Affiliation: Chain 2
Race: Horse
Horse was a racehorse once known as 8AM, but she lost a few too many races for her owner's liking (and general behavior wasn't the best) so she was sold off for a low price just to get her out of the owner's hands. She was supposedly nearing the end of her career anyway when Chain 2 picks her up. Her old owners are probably a bit miffed about losing out on profit, but at least the horse won't be costing them any more money. She's these kids' problem, now.
The closest she's got to a weapon are her hooves, but getting trampled is still painful. Her teeth are also not enjoyable to be on the receiving end of.
For some reason, she absolutely despises Sheikah. Namely, Trois. She's fine with the others, but he just strikes a nerve with her. She likes Tre the best but that's probably because he knows how to take care of a horse (what with his family having two of their own). Wild is also a strange case, what with his natural affinity towards horses not mixing well with her disdain for Sheikah (and seemingly their technology, as the champion swears he's not one of them). It does prove useful against the Yiga, though. Horse takes no prisoners.
Having been a racehorse, she's fast. Even when carrying around half of Chain 2 on her back, they're the lighter half and she's able to get up to speed. Sometimes it can be a bit hard to keep her from rushing ahead or catching up to her if something spooks her, but the group's doing their best. It just doesn't help that most folks have different names for her.
Time: 8AM (no one knows how he guessed it)
Twilight: epona 2 Cloud
Warriors: Emblem
Four: Iron
Wind: Storm
Sky: [unintelligible]
Legend: Charcoal
Hyrule: Stripe
Wild: Love-Me-Not
Epona: Friend (Horse calls Epona "Friend" in return)
Shields: Bofa (Deez Nuts)
Spoons: Chompy
Koridai: Onoitsmymotherinlaw
Peter: Yegua
Rus: not-epona Cloud
Holpar: Rival (after getting over his initial terror at seeing her)
Spirits: Default
Landon: Yoshi
[designer's notes: Horse was sort of a joke addition at first cause i said "chain 2 needs a horse" and. welp. first complete OC of the nonsense was made. i still don't really know how horses work.]
[With this profile done, Chain 2 has all been accounted for! But there's still a lot more folks to go. Starting tomorrow, there's also gonna out-of-context and joke stuff posted each Friday (or at least it's Fridays for me), just to mix things up a lil'.]
Name: Yves
Nickname(s): N/A
Age: 13-14 in Hylian years
Affiliation: Chain 2, Rhythm
Race: Deku Scrub
Yves wanted to be a hero, but it's hard to get started when you don't have arms or people that believe in you. With a bit of help though (and a lot of explosives), even Ganon learned to fear this little plant. Seriously.
He favors bombs and becoming a lightning-infused battering ram by combining the Lightning spell and the Pegasus Anklet (resized to fit him), since normal attacks are less effective.
Against all odds, Yves is as brave as they come and not very foolhardy. The bravery is sometimes a facade, but it's harder to tell at times with a face like his. He relies on his friends to help get things done, even if he hasn't been 100% truthful himself. He actually has very short leaf arms but they're useless 95% of the time when trying to do things.
[designer's notes: again, barely any difference from canon, which is why the official art's here for a color ref. could've sworn i had another colored Yves that wasn't with Spoons but I guess not :/ yves is scary and i think that's wonderful]
Skid is from the future of Rhythm's Hyrule, meeting the hero by chance thanks to time portal nonsense. His grandfather, the Great Deku Tree, entrusts Skid with protecting Hyrule and the Skull Mask on his deathbed, the latter of which would prove to be a near-fatal error.
His main forms of attack are through mask-summoned weaponry (favoring the Zora Rapier and the Darknut Broadsword), as well as magic through spells, the Deku Leaf, and the Magic Hammer. Being a creature of magic grants Skid a greater base reservoir of magic to pull from.
Despite circumstances, Skid is a positive lil guy. He looks up to Rhythm and enjoys being a team player more than striking it out alone, though part of that may be due to the bells giving him away. He's friendly and likes to reach out to people, and was one of the main reasons why the group (Cly) stopped getting pelted with rocks as often.
Sometimes, though, he doesn't seem like himself. The whispers only he can hear aren't always kind, and the masks influence him in more than just the weapons they provide. While Zora and Darknut are good for combat, it's safer to just wear the Deku Mask as the "default". Just in case.
[designer's notes: i can't really take credit for this one, Skid's mostly just the official art but with added things. i love this forest imp though!! the bells were inspired by sami-iz-weird over on tiktok because skull kids can and should jingle. he's got a bag full of masks and also a spellbook :)]
Rhythm is the unofficial leader of Chain 2, wielder of the Triforce of Courage, and the official leader of the group who put an end to Octavo's antics in Hyrule. He always seems to be moving to a beat only he can hear, and folks swear up and down that the hero's eyes glow.
Unlike many heroes, Rhythm's weapons of choice for close-range combat are a titanium spear and Hylian flail (both pictured right). The Great Bow allows him to attack from a greater distance.
Rhythm's a bit of a jokester, and not always the brightest bulb but he tries his best. The Fates kept bringing him back, but his tunic still shows where the damage was done to begin with. He's usually friendly, lighthearted, and less afraid to admit he needs help than others might be.
While originally swearing his loyalty to the Hylian crown, a chance meeting with the Zora Prince has led Rhythm to shift allegiances. He's still close friends with Princess Zelda, but when forced to choose between a friend and a boyfriend, the decision isn't hard to make.
[designer's notes: he's based on my playthrough of the game which is why he doesn't have Caladbolg cause i found it last. this man's got so much happening all the time in his design. the whole CoH!Link/Prince thing came from someone else but I honestly love it!!! not pictured here is a necklace Rhythm has from the Prince that allows him to breathe underwater.]
The trio didn't spend a lot of nights together before being sent through the portal. Their trek through the Badlands typically ended with the sun still in the sky, and there really wasn't a point in sticking together. Trois lived in town, and Tre could go spend time with his parents. Tri was allowed to rest in the soldier's quarters within the castle because of his involvement in the Witch-Hunting Brigade. Some nights the three of them would stick together, though. Something about team morale and getting to work together better.
Tre didn't like those nights.
Not because he didn't like his team. He didn't mind spending time with them, even if Tri's energy could be overbearing and Trois's lack of self-confidence in battle at times could be frustrating.
No, he didn't like them because he didn't like talking about himself.
Tri was always the first to fall asleep. It didn't take long after the sun sank below the horizon for the redhead to pass out each day. If he was still awake when they were chatting about mundane things, he'd toss in some words but was never up for too long before succumbing to sleep. But it was relieving, in a way. Tri was observant. Not subtle, but observant. He'd caught blue eyes lingering in places several times, whether it was on him, on Trois, or just into the forest or kingdom at large.
Trois was different. He didn't always pick up on things himself, but liked hearing stories and adventures since he didn't have many of his own to share - just anecdotes from life in Hytopia. Tre made the mistake of mentioning his parents were the ones running the traveling goods stall and Trois was on him asking about the things he'd seen. The people, the places, the food, the smells, the creatures, anything and everything he could get his hands on.
Tre didn't blame him, really. Trois had said he'd lived in Hytopia his entire life, and now here was someone with a lifetime's worth of travel to talk to. Of course he was going to be curious. Of course he wanted to write everything down. Of course he would take in every detail and commit as much to memory as possible.
Of course he'd end up being more observant when it was just the two of them talking in hushed voices, late at night, when Tre forgot to roll his sleeve back down to hide It.
He didn't even remember what they'd been talking about. Tri was curled up next to them in a provided bedroll and the two of them were sitting up on theirs and chatting. The torchlight was getting dimmer and Tre had gotten up to get a smaller one to light. No one else was around. He didn't know why he volunteered to do it.
He grabbed the replacement first and lit it off the dying torch. As he went to grab the dying one from the metal rings holding it on the wall, the metal brushed against It.
Tre's arm jerked back to his side as he dropped the new torch. Searing pain radiated from the small point of contact and even with the light right in front of him the world was going dark. His heart was in his throat. The sound of hissing and gnashing teeth echoed in his ears. His body was frozen in place and the flames of the old torch were threatening to lick his fingers.
"Tre?"
A hand rested on his shoulder and his body tensed. His head didn't turn and his eyes didn't shift.
"Are you okay?"
No.
The hand left his shoulder. His arm was moving but it wasn't because he told it to. Someone was moving it.
"Oh goddesses, that looks bad, no wonder you sounded hurt."
Tre willed his body to move, finally looking at Trois who was now standing next to him. Holding his arm. Looking at It.
"I'm gonna call--"
"Don't." Tre cut him off. His body was still stiff and he couldn't quite will his arm to move.
"Tre, you're hurt, we can't just--"
"It's old." His heart was still racing but it had started to leave his throat. The hissing was still lingering in his ears. "Just brushed it 's all."
Trois still wasn't letting go. His grip was soft. Gentle, even. But Tre knew just how strong the red-eyed Hylian was. Part of his brain wasn't willing to try and pull away from someone that could lift and toss him with ease.
The flame of the torch in the metal rings flickered out.
Tre let out a long sigh to try and relieve the tension in his body. Trois knew what it meant. He picked up the new torch - though being cast aside had nearly killed it - and replaced the old one with ease. He blew on it a little to get the flame rolling again, just enough to see each other's faces when they were back on the floor.
Not that he really planned on looking Trois in the eye anyway. His eyes were glued to the space in the floor between the two of them.
At least he didn't have to look at It like this either.
"...it was around a year ago," Tre started. "It was late, and we decided to stop for the night so Blackberry and Butterscotch could rest. We hadn't seen any monsters around and we thought we'd be safe. Still on watch just in case, but safe."
He tried not to flinch at the sounds only he could hear.
"It was only one of them. Hungry, driven mad, reckless, I don't know."
The thing had come out of nowhere. One moment it was quiet, the next--
"It attacked the horses first. Dad had to wake up Mom and grab things to fight back with, but I already had a dagger on me." He let out a light chuckle. "We were planning on selling it but I liked the darn thing too much."
Tre wasn't allowed to be on watch alone. He insisted that he'd be fine since he was already 14, but his parents didn't relent.
"I... charged in without thinking."
He'd leapt out with a battle cry and aimed to finish the beast in one blow. Go for the heart since flesh is weaker than bone.
"I don't even know what it was, really. Some weird lizard thing the size of a human."
The dagger was lodged in its chest but the thing was still fighting.
"I didn't care. It was trying to hurt the horses and I wasn't going to let it."
He was defenseless.
"But I wasn't enough. The thing had a blade of its own."
He didn't know how he'd missed seeing it before.
"We found out later it was stolen from a local smith. The thing was still red-hot."
The smith had come running up to them later asking if they'd seen a beast with a sword in the middle of being forged.
Not that Tre himself remembered it.
"It drove the blade into my arm."
All he remembered was the pain.
"The next thing I knew, we were in some blacksmith's house and my arm was covered in bandages." He gestured to the injury and risked a glance at Trois's face. It was hard to read in the low light, but some sort of fear or sadness was looking back at him. Tre looked back down.
He still wasn't sure how It was so far along his arm. Maybe he was stabbed a few times over, or the blade was pressed into his skin for some reason. It wasn't something he liked to think about.
"Apparently the smith came chasing after the thief and picked up the pace when he heard me screaming. Helped my parents drive the thing off and save my life."
"It's still alive?" Trois asked.
"Maybe. Smith said he'd hunt it down and get the sword and dagger back. We haven't gone back that way since though." Tre rolled down his sleeve to hide the scar. "Happy?"
"Why would I be--"
"You got your answer." He didn't like being short with Trois, but he wanted this conversation to be over at this point. "You got what you wanted."
The younger Hylian - it was weird to know Trois was younger than him - looked regretful. "I just didn't want you to be hiding something that could make tomorrow's trip harder. I'm sorry."
Green eyes met downcast red ones. "...'s fine." It wasn't, really.
"Hm?"
"It's fine," he repeated. "But next time don't hold someone until they give you answers, numbskull." Tre leaned over to bump Trois's shoulder with his fist for emphasis.
"It works, though."
"Yeah, yeah." Tre rolled his eyes but a smile was on his face. Not for long, though, as a request came to mind.
"And... could you keep it a secret from Tri, too?"
"Why?"
"It's just... personal. I'd rather tell him myself."
Trois nodded and hummed in agreement.
He didn't know when he would tell the shortest member of their group. Or if he'd even bring it up. The Fire Gloves and metal accents always made him wary of standing too close to Tri in a fight. But maybe one of these days he'd let the secret out a little more.
The smaller torch's light was starting to waver. Neither of them felt like getting up to grab another, so they murmured good nights and let sleep take them instead.
The trio didn't spend a lot of nights together before going through the portal. Trois would be at home, Tre would be with his parents, and Tri would stay in the knight's quarters. Some nights they would stick together, though. Just the three of them, building some kind of team morale and friendship out of strangers.
Tre missed those nights after going through the portal.
[soooo this is the digital version of like the second piece of art I ever did for this nonsense and the date on the file is January 5th 2022. there's A Reason why I didn't use this art in the profiles.]
Tri is 4'6" (137 cm)
Tre is 5'5" (165 cm)
Trois is 5'8" (173 cm)
Also, fun fact, everyone's got at least one outfit that they wore in a piece of official art for Tri Force Heroes! The other was picked out by me though ;) no I'm still not saying what Tre's other outfit is.
