02. Backstory

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APPEARANCE OF MAJORA

Ages ago, when the world was still young and after the Golden Goddesses departed, an eldritch being known only as Majora seemed to appear. This being spoke a language none recognized, and simply seemed to spread death and corruption wherever it went. Any land it plunged its tendrils into would have the life sucked out of it, turning it into a desolate land of ruin. Its power was unheard of, and thought to match even the power of one of the Golden Goddesses themselves. With such power unheard of, and the goddesses having long since departed, the people of the world fell into despair, realizing that there seemed to be no hope.

First arriving in ancient Hyrule from the ocean, entire armies formed in response, the lands united as one to combat Majora as it ravaged through the towns, cities, and the temples of the goddesses. No one was ever once able to understand a single word that came from it. Alien and unmatched, the coalition of the world fell before its might, as it seemed to simply break through any power that had been thrown at it. Sword and magic barely seemed to phaze it, and within a matter of weeks, the ancient continent of Hyrule fell, burning and broken, and Majora simply crossed the ocean to ravage Ylisse, then known as Jugdral. Twelve Crusaders rose, thought to be the saviors of the world, and were quickly shattered, and just like ancient Hyrule, the continent of Jugdral fell to Majora.

In the end, it seemed Majora had won and achieved whatever goal it had arrived to accomplish. However, when the world was in its death throes, seven beings would appear; these beings would become known as the Seven Gods; Hylia, Naga, Zayd, Ashera, Yune, Demise, and Grima. Why they only appeared in the planet's final hours, no one really knows. But from there, one last battle ensued, lasting two weeks before Majora finally fell to their power. However, despite the strength of these gods, Majora was still not slain, and yet lived. They also learned, to their horror, that Majora had one last card to play.

With a shrill cry from the eldritch being, the moon itself was pulled out of orbit, descending towards the planet. None of them had the power to stop it. It was at the time when a golden light shone and blinded all the participants. When the light subsided, the forms of the Golden Goddesses appeared, and without a word stunned Majora and threw the moon back into orbit before sealing the creature away. When question by the Seven Gods as to what Majora was, the Golden Goddesses answered as one; an evil abomination.

However, realizing the danger Majora presented, the Golden Goddesses, before leaving once again, did two things. The first, they left them three golden triangles, forged from their own power, called the Triforce. A relic that, whosoever could complete the Triforce would have their wish granted. The second, the gathered up several stragglers, and several artifacts, and used them to strengthen the shield before departing once again. This time, for good.

With the Golden Goddesses gone, the Seven Gods found themselves heroes, and the objects of reverence and worship. Over time, as the world rebuilt, Majora eventually went from an abomination to a legend, to a story, to a nursery rhyme, much less that a war that nearly resulted in total extinction even happened. Only a handful remains that knows the truth, and they have yet to pass on the truth of Majora, if they even desire to; lest they open the possibility of someone finding a way to break the seal, and unleash Majora once again.

Majora's appearance was the end of an era, and the beginning of another.

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WAR OF THE GODS
~No one knows what exactly it was that eventually started the War of the Gods. However, in the end, the planet would be shattered, monsters would be born, and lands that had found harmony would from then on be eternally bound by hatred, simply due to the religion that the inhabitants followed.~

- Excerpt from the first chapter of historical book Clash of the Seven Gods.

Milennia after Majora's banishment, chaos broke out once again. The Seven Gods, revered as heroes took part in a large, bloody war. What exactly started it is a mystery that no one's ever been able to piece together. However, the Seven Gods quickly thrust them and all their disciples in an unending, bloody war. The continents were embroiled in a massive war that quite frankly, none of the mortals of this land asked for, yet none of them objected. It would be during this war, that the various bloodlines would be born, and that they would continue to live to this day.

All seven of the gods were involved almost immediately. Hylia led a campaign into the deserts that the Gerudo now dwell in, leading a bloody campaign against the being known as Demise. However, it was ultimately for Hylia, she bit off far more than she could chew, as Demise had learned to create monsters and thus had a nearly unending supply of nearly mindless creatures who were ready to fight and die for their master. Without Zayd's help, Hylia would have certainly lost to the Demon King. Though she obtained victory, she was mortally wounded, and as an apology of sorts, cast part of the world into the sky, which ultimately became Skyloft, and cast herself into the cycle of reincarnation, blessing the Royal Family of Hyrule with her blood.

Naga however, quickly found herself on the defensive in what was then the land of Akaneia, having succeeded the mantle after Jugdral was destroyed by Majora. Grima, wasting no time for unknown reasons, immediately made his move, with his followers effectively pinning her down in the capital of Akaneia. Accompanied by beings called "Risen", thought to be made in an attempt to copy the creatures Demise had conjured, it wasn't long before Grima achieved victory. Naga was slain by the Fell Dragon, and Naga's spirit, in a last act of defiance, she formed a pact with what would become the Royal Family of Ylisse, granting them with her bloodline, before passing into the realm of the spirits.

Zayd, the Fierce Deity, initially accompanied Hylia, and allowed her to effectively even the field against the unending hordes that Demise had conjured up. He personally dueled the Demon King, and was able to obtain victory and seal the demon away, but like Hylia, was gravely wounded in the process. Unlike Hylia, however, no one really knows what happened to him, as he just seemed to vanish after the battle, despite being so wounded. No one really knows that he managed to make a pact with a mortal line as well.

Ashera, for her part, was determined to take Yune out of the equation, finding her to be a dark, chaotic goddess. Ashera's determination was so great, that she was willing to sacrifice herself just to make sure Yune could not rise again. Waging a successful campaign against Yune, she sealed the goddess into a bronze medallion, and in order to help keep the seal, put herself to sleep as well, threatening to "judge" the world, should the dark goddess ever be released from her medallion. Beforehand though, she granted a bloodline her blessing, unaware that Yune had done the same before she had been sealed away.

Though his name was not likely Demise, the Demon King seemed to have been prepared for an outbreak of war, and when it had finally come about, he quickly sent out legions of creatures he called "Blins." As time passed, more and more creatures were made by his hand. He fought a two front war with both Hylia and Zayd, and eventually found himself, and the forces he had made, overcome. Before being sealed away however, he managed to mortally wound Hylia, and gravely hurt Zayd, but swore that some day, his seal would be broken.

Grima began an offensive against Naga, and after seeing Demise's creatures in actions, attempted to do the same thing. However, his creatures were slow, mindless, and did not possess the danger that Demise's Blins held. However, Grima found a way to apply the spell to the dead, and quickly dubbed these beings as "Risen." With the help of his followers and the Risen, he eventually defeated Naga, slew her, and razed the capital of Akaneia. In the end, it could be said that Grima was the last god standing. With Hylia and Naga dead, Ashera sleeping, Demise and Yune sealed, and Zayd missing, Grima was indeed the last god that held any presence in the world.

However, Grima had underestimated mortals themselves. A coalition of the world, led by the disciples of the fallen gods, was formed. After losing many men thanks to the Risen, the coalition eventually prevailed, and Grima was struck down after a desperate battle and placed into a deep slumber by the blade known as Falchion, ironically forged from one of Naga's own fangs, and wielded by the one she made a pact with. In a way, Naga at least took Grima down with her. However, with the official end of the War of the Gods, the lands split once again, and the damage soon became evident.

Lasting for only a brief 21 years, the War of the Gods saw more than half of the population wiped out, countries destroyed, soldiers killed and maimed, the introduction of monsters, the beginning of division between countries, and the end of an era. People became disillusioned with the gods. The continent of Akaneia (which would collapse within the next century) soon found themselves following only Naga or Grima, with Ashera forgotten and Yune becoming known only as a dark god that would be awakened through war, her name lost to all save Goldoa and Skyloft. The continent of Hyrule has since outlawed worship of any of the Seven Gods, claiming that they were merely mortals who gained much power. They only now worship the three Golden Goddesses that left so long ago.

One thousand years have since passed, and it's really one of the better documented events in history, with each side offering their own (admittedly biased) view on the event. Somewhere in the midst of all that, lies the truth.

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THE SHEIKAH REBELLION
~Of course, it was foolhardy to expect everyone to accept the changing of an entire pantheon without any fuss. There were those that lived their entire lives following the Seven. To denounce them as mortals and return only to the Golden Three, upheaval was inevitable. The fact it came 73 years later was a miracle in itself.~

- Excerpt from an anonymous scholar's notes on the Sheikah Rebellion.

73 years after the Seven Gods left this world, life continued on and the world almost finished its great task of rebuilding. However, war would again break out. But this time, it would not involve the entire world, and would simply be a cataclysmic event for the land of Hyrule, more than anything. For its decisions earlier would come back to haunt them.

Not all who accepted the effective retcon of the Seven Gods did so quietly. For 73 years, feelings on the matter and tensions stewed under the surface. Here and there, there would be outcries and protests, and then it would be silenced. It was not until a Sheikah took a stand and began to preach the message that the Seven were not to be forgotten, and while they should not forsake the Golden Goddesses, to ignore the Seven was still a crime. As they gained support, the Monarch of Hyrule reacted.

The Sheikah was arrested and, refusing to recant, was publicly executed. This lone event set off a firestorm. The common people began to call for a disposal of the Monarch, and that the Sheikah should be instated as the rulers of Hyrule, on the grounds that according to Hyrulean beliefs, the Sheikah were in fact the ancestors of the Hylians. The Sheikah began to get swept up in the affair, and before anybody realized where passion could take the hearts of many, a rebellion had begun.

The initial 2 years had seen great success for the rebellion. The Kingdom of Hyrule had been caught wrongfooted, so the common folk, aided by the Sheikah, were able to strike great blows. The Sacred Forest and Lake Hylia soon fell under their control, and Hyrule lost a great source of water. Emboldened by the rebels' success, the Gerudo tribes from the desert entered the war; on the rebellion's side.

Things grew more and more grim for the Kingdom of Hyrule, and certainly, the Monarch felt the pressure. In an act of what could only be called desperation, they created the Order of the Paladins, an elite unit originally designed to stamp out rebels and heretics. They gave the Paladins absolute authority to act as they pleased for the good of the Kingdom of Hyrule, and with that authorization, the floodgates opened.

For the next year, the Paladins would unleash a wave of brutality. Ignoring the rules of war, they didn't fight direct battles. Rather, they targeted villages behind the lines, torched them killed the villagers regardless of whether or not they were combatants. The effect was immediate. When the rebels heard the news, many began deserting in fear of their family's safety. The Sheikah and the Gerudo, realizing that the rebellion was falling apart due to the fear of the common man, realized they had to strike for the heart if it was to have any chance of success.

Taking the remainder of their forces, the rebels, lead personally by the Sheikah and the Pharaoh of the Gerudo, marched upon the capital of Hyrule. However, the Paladins had heard wind of the incoming attack, and devised a strategy to entrap and annihilate the rebellion once and for all. Taking the Knights of Hyrule, the Paladins hid themselves in the homes of the capital, keeping only a novel force in the town streets to put on a show.

When the rebellion marched in, they encountered the decoy and easily fought their way to the town square, where the castle, and the Monarch, lay in sight. The Paladins then sprung their trap. The Paladins, accompanied by the finest soldiers in Hyrule, rushed out of the houses and quickly surrounded the rebellion. Taken completely off guard, the rebellion flew into a panic, which the forces of Hyrule capitalized on.

Creating an opening for the rebellion to flee, another trap was set, the opening itself acting as bait. Seeing the opening, the rebels decided not to risk the battle, and instead tried to flee, not realizing this was the plan all along. The majority of the rebellion was slaughtered, trying in vain to flee from the forces of Hyrule. Though some did manage to get away, namely the Sheikah instigators, the Pharaoh was however, killed in the ensuing chaos, rumored to have either been killed by Paladins, or trampled underneath fleeing rebels.

Taking advantage of their sudden momentum, the Kingdom of Hyrule pursued the rebels to Kakariko, where for a month, the stragglers held out before finally surrendering. With the remaining soldiers of Hyrule making their way towards the desert, it wasn't long before the Gerudo tribes sent a messenger to the Monarch to discuss their terms of surrender.

With an end to the rebellion, the Gerudo were exiled to the deserts, allowed passage only by a bridge; effectively a death sentence for the desert people. The Sheikah, not just the instigators, were not so lucky. An order was put out that offered a reward to any who would turn over hiding Sheikah, and it wasn't long before they rounded up what was believed at the time to be all of the Sheikah.

Taken out into the desert, the Sheikah people as a whole were taken to what would become Arbiter's Grounds. The Instigators, defiant until the end, would be cast into another dimension through an enchanted mirror, but not before being told by the victorious Monarch that in their defiance, they had damned their entire race as well. True to his word, every Sheikah member that had been rounded up was thrown into the mirror after them. The Sheikah Rebellion was officially over and, despite all odds, Hyrule had retained her throne.

In the aftermath, several things became apparent. The first was that the Gerudo had been sentenced to a long, painful death. The second was that the Paladins, having been given absolute authority, were not content as they were, a division that would eventually come to create a gap between the Monarch and the Paladin Order in the future. The third and perhaps most dangerous; triumph in the face of such odds gave the Hylians the belief that they were the chosen people of the goddesses, setting the trend of superiority and xenophobia in the generations to come. Though their feelings on the Sheikah would eventually lighten to near mythical status after centures of them being thought of as extinct. The Gerudo unfortunately, would not see such mercy in the coming centuries, and to this day, there is still tension.

However, in their new dimension, the Sheikah people would encounter an alien being.

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THE SCOURING
~The Scouring is really that one moment in history that seems to divide everyone. Everyone has an opinion on it. The dragons were evil, or they would've attacked anyway, or they did attack. And on the other side, there are those who hold the viewpoint that the Beorc were the aggressors, and we ended centuries of cohabitation out of greed.~

- Excerpt from a scholar's memoirs on the Scouring.

112 years after the War of the Gods and 39 years after the Sheikah Rebellion, the continent of Ylisse, then Akaneia, saw its own upheaval. After years of dragons and humans, or Manakete and Beorc, cohabiting in peace, everything came crashing down. No one can say for sure who struck first, but before it was over, the Beorc was to go to war with the dragons, a war that would become a war of extermination against what the Beorc considered to be "sub-humans."

When the war broke out, the initial battles went as one would likely have expected them to; the Manaketes, being old and powerful beings were easily crushing the Beorc left and right. It wasn't until the Beorc had come up with dragon slaying weaponry, that what had originally been an incredibly one-sided event could be truly called a war. With this new weaponry, the Manaketes found that not even their scales could protect them from harm.

Then came the rise of what would be called the Eight Generals. The Eight Generals were military leaders who led the forces of humanity against the Manaketes. Armed with eight extremely powerful weapons, each one geared towards slaying a Manakete, they won countless victory after victory, and before the Manaketes had known what was happening, they had been pushed all the way back to what would become their home; the small nation state of Goldoa.

The Laguz, seeing the Manaketes in such distress, agreed they could not simply stand by and watch. The kingdoms of Gallia and Hatari united as one in what would become the first Laguz Alliance, and began to strike back at the Beorc. Within months, humanity had been pushed out of Goldoa and back to their own lands, but the Beorc would not take this lying down. What had originally been a war against the Manaketes changed, and it instead became a war against both Manakete and Laguz, or as the Beorc saw it; a war against "sub-humans."

New weapons were divised and the Beorc pushed back against the Laguz Alliance. For the next three years, both sides would be locked in a bloody stalemate, as neither side would give, with thousands upon thousands of both Beorc and Laguz being sent to their death. However, unknown to both sides, the Manaketes of Goldoa began to notice something greatly disturbing; the medallion that held Yune glowed with a blue flame. It would shine brighter and brighter as the years went on. It was not long before the Manaketes realized that Yune, being a goddess of chaos, would soon awaken if this bloodshed did not stop. If Yune woke up, so would Ashera, and she would undoubtedly cast her judgment on the world as a result.

Taking the only action they felt they could, Goldoa rejoined the war; on the Beorc's side, betraying the Laguz Alliance that had fought so hard to protect them. With the Laguz Alliance fighting a two front war, the Alliance quickly collapsed, and Hatari and Gallia quickly retreated to their feral homes to recuperate their losses. With the war at a temporary and unofficial ceasefire, Goldoa immediately turned around and surrendered to the Beorc, claiming that they would leave and never bother the Beorc again.

The Laguz however, never surrendered, but as a sign of good will, Goldoa entrusted the medallion containing Yune to the Herons and began to perpetrate a falsehood about the medallion; that inside it sleep a dark god that, should war ever reach its full intensity, would awake and bring about the end of the world. With this, Goldoa prepared to isolate itself, the Manaketes readying themselves for a long exile from the world, but there came a ray of hope for them.

A religious figure claimed that they heard a message from Naga, the goddess said to take and remain in human form. The logic seemed obvious, take human form, and they could walk amongst the Beorc and their world as if they never left, never revealing who they were. The Manaketes, not quite ready to let go of the world, immediately followed this command and swore off politics, stating they would never again take part in the affairs of the world, not only as a way of putting war behind them, but a way to hopefully keep Yune from awakening. For the Beorc, the eight generals were held with great honor and deemed saviors of humanity, and are held as such to this day.

The Scouring had repercussins that have lasted to this day. In truth, neither Gallia nor Hatari ever surrendered nor called an official ceasefire and nearly 900 years later, are still technically at war with the Beorc, though there has been no real military aggression in years. The Manaketes have become incredibly rare outside of Goldoa and they have sworn to stay out of politics, something which Skyloft plans to hold them to. The birds, seeing Gallia weakened, all took their chance and split off to found the nation states of Phoenicis, Kilvas, and Serenes. The belief about the dark god in the medallion spread all across the world, and people eventually forgot that Yune ever existed. The weapons of the eight generals vanished shortly after their deaths, and have never been found since.

The most severe of all however, is that the Scouring created a burning hatred between the humanoid Laguz and the Beorc and other races of the world. A hatred that, almost 900 years later, both sides still strongly feel for each other.

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RISE AND FALL OF IKANA
~The world has a lot to thank Ikana for. It brought revolution, years of peace under one banner, our current form of currency; the rupee, and several other things. Despite this, four centuries after their conquest; the world effectively reset itself.~

- Opening paragraph from the book "Ikana, a History from Beginning to End."

246 years after the War of the Gods, things began to shift yet again. A small island country that until now, had been irrelevant, would make its debut into the pages of history. The King of that nation, called Ikana, organized a military campaign and slowly began to conquer the surrounding islands to make a small empire. At the time, no one really thought anything of it. It was just a few islands warring amongst themselves, and they were quickly forgotten until 21 years later, when Ikana started, and won, a war against the Zora, wresting control of the Sea from them after milennia of dominance.

It was a shock to the world. This little island nation known as Ikana, had finally put itself on the map. Another 12 years would pass as the two continents would make contact and trade with this ocean power, slowly learning about its people and vice versa. After that initial 12 years, Ikana finally made its move on the mainland, invading the continent of Akaneia. At first, it was assumed the invasion would fail. But Ikana's sheer aggression, combined with the immense division not only between Beorc and Laguz, but the various nations of the Laguz, made the continent of Akaneia an easy target, as they fell to Ikana surprisingly fast. It was the last time Akaneia would exist as a free nation.

With the fall of Akaneia, Ikana cemented itself as a superpower. Hyrule hesitate for a moment, before it went and allied with the rest of the kingdoms, forming the Hyrulean Alliance as a way of protecting their sovereignty. However, the Gerudo, still greatly sore over their loss during the Sheikah Rebellion, defected and allied themselves with the now Empire of Ikana in exchange for care. With a foot already in the door, Ikana was easily able to make its way into Hyrule, and the Gerudo seemed to be spared from their death sentence.

From there, it was only a few years before Ikana, improving the way of life for many peasants in Hyrule, managed to win popularity as the masses seemed to throw themselves before the Empire. Only several years later, 7 years of on and off fighting after it first set foot on Hyrule, that it conquered the capital of the Kingdom of Hyrule. 40 years after their conquest began, the Emperor of Ikana united the world under one banner, a feat that had never been, or since has been, accomplished. The Emperor declared that this ushered in a new reign, a Millennium Kingdom. As they had never bothered Skyloft, Skyloft left Ikana alone, standing by its oath not to get involved in politics.

For the next 401 years, Ikana reigned unopposed, and the quality of life did seem to improve. Law and public order went up, and the rupee, the currency of Ikana, was made global. Despite several countries suffering an economic crash when it was introduced, they were eventually able to recover and thrive. For some, it might have seemed like Ikana's conquest was one of the best things to ever happen to the various nations. However, no empire lasts forever, and Ikana, despite its best efforts was no exception.

It started when a new Emperor, long descended from the first that established the Empire began requesting maidens. At first, people thought he simply wanted more concubines, but felt that it was a bit odd. Then he started hunting down people with magical talent for unknown reasons. Many people felt they were being hunted or oppressed, but they had known only the Empire for so long, they dared not resist. It wasn't until the Emperor began demanding the royal treasures of Ikana's vassals, as well as organizing hunts for other artifacts, most notably the Triforce, and the five jewels that people began to feel vexation.

Then for reasons that to this day, no one is really aware of, the Garo, one of Ikana's first conquests, contacted the floating island of Skyloft. No one knows what was said, but the Garo offered something that gave Skyloft cause to take action. On a moonless night, like a thief in the night, Skyloft descended from the skies to help the Garo attack the capital. In only a couple nights, the capital of Ikana was entirely surrounded and to their knowledge, nothing could get in or out. The Garo, agreeing to keep Ikana from breaking out, dug a defense, and though some knights from Skyloft remained, many spread out to the vassals of Ikana.

Using the grievances of the vassal states, as well as instilling the idea of sovereignty within them, the vassal states found themselves galvanized. It started with the Laguz states, and the other countries, seeing the Laguz take the first step, openly revolted against the 4 century Empire that had controlled them. The fighting was fierce, but with the capital of Ikana surrounded, the Empire's troops couldn't get a hold of the Emperor and thus was effectively acting as its own separate entity; in one blow Ikana had effectively been decapitated.

However, despite the immense bloodbath, it didn't last very long. Rumors swirled that something awful had happened to the capital, but no one who went to check ever came back alive. Within time, the Empire just seemed to dissolve on its own, and Ikana passed into the pages of history as the only nation to ever conquer the world. However, it died with a whimper, rather than a dramatic bang like most everyone expected. Though it took 13 years for the Empire to fully dissolve, the actual fighting seemed to last for only 18 months, after which Skyloft returned to the skies from whence they came beforehand.

In the end, Ikana had a lasting impact on the world. To this day, the rupee is still the only currency, and the world is back to the way it was for the most part. Some things changed though. When the continent of Akaneia finally threw Ikana out, it was Akaneia no longer. What emerged from the wreckage would be the continent of Ylisse, with the Halidom of the same name acting as the power of the continent. However, Ikana is considered a black name, a very black name. There are very few people in the world who could know that name and not feel something vile towards it. Even Skyloft seems to regard itwith distaste. No one really knows what pushed Skyloft to break their oath and take action against Ikana save for those in Skyloft themselves, but most people believe that whatever it was, Ikana deserved it.

It would not be for another 287 years that anyone came so close.

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THE EXALT'S CONQUEST
~When the Exalt's men came and took my son from me, I knew he'd never make it home alive. He was just something to throw into the meatgrinder, and our Exalt never thought once about him. I know this because I lost my husband in the exact same way.~

- Anecdote from a grieving widow and mother.

987 years after the War of the Gods, and 287 years after the fall of Ikana, Ylisse saw a growth in wealth, power, and land. The Exalt, a person raised on the stories of great people like the eight generals and stories of the empire of Ikana, saw themselves as a conqueror of sorts. When they took the throne of the Halidom of Ylisse, it would only be six months before they tried to live out their fantasy. They would take the world as their own and create the next empire of Ikana, only it would not be the empire of Ikana, but the empire of Ylisse.

Conscripting every able bodied man available, the Exalt led a conquest against their own continent. The kingdoms of Plegia and Regna Ferox fell, uniting the Beorc of the continent under one banner before the Exalt turned towards the Laguz. Capitalizing on the Laguz's historical weakness of being divided, like with Ikana, the Laguz seemed to be easy prey. It was during this time that the Exalt would bring the hatred between Beorc and Laguz to an all time high. During their conquest of their home continent, they did not take to the Herons so well. No, rather than simply conquering them the Herons were driven nearly to extinction, and Serenes Forest, their home for hundreds of years, was burned, forcing the surviving Herons to flee to Phoenicis. The Laguz were livid, but it couldn't stop the Exalt.

Within only a year, the entire continent was under the control of the Exalt, and they were not yet satisfied. However, unlike Ikana, the Exalt would make a critical mistake. For the next two years, the Exalt waged a conquest against Hyrule as well, and might have very well succeeded, if not for their plan. Quickly, the Gerudo and the Kingdom of Hyrule fell. The Goron surrendered without a battle, and the Exalt was knocking on the Zora's front door. However, the Exalt had one other target they would not let slip. It was in this that the Exalt believed they would surpass Ikana as the greatest empire to ever exist.

Gathering the largest force of Pegasus Riders, Wyvern Riders, Griffon Riders, and Bird Laguz all together as one, it constituted the largest aerial force ever gathered in history. The goal of the Exalt soon became clear as the massive army blocked out the light of the sun, and flew straight towards the floating Island of SKyloft. It was another first in history as well. Up until then, Skyloft had never once been invaded.

The flying nation retaliated, and retaliated hard. Calling all its knights and all its available fighters, it led to the bloodiest aerial battle in history. Skyloft took a good hit, and lost many of its knights, greatly reducing their numbers. However, being outmatched 10 to 1, they managed to score a win. For Ylisse however, it was an unheard of catastrophe. Almost nothing survived, and Skyloft made sure to target the Exalt. They sent the Exalt's body back on a loftwing to Ylisse, to show what had happened.

Meanwhile, in Phoenicis, the remaining Herons, and the remaining Hawks as well, were wrought with worry. When Serenes was burned, the Heron Royal Family had brought the bronze medallion that held the dark god, and they noticed that it was surrounded with a bright blue flame. Any Heron that approached the medallion would faint once they got too close, and would need to be pulled away so that they could recover. The Herons feared the worst, and prepared for the release of the dark god. Something unexpected happened, however at the last second.

Ylisse surrendered.

When the Exalt's body was taken back to Ylisse, they almost immediately surrendered. It seemed they never really wanted to fight the war in the first place, and once they had an excuse to surrender, they did so quickly and without hesitation. Ylisse never even bothered to defend itself as the terms of surrender were laid out before her. Reparations were paid, conquered nations regained their sovereignty, and Ylisse disbanded its military, instead only keeping a token force to act as law enforcement. It was during this time that the Shepherds were established, as a group of elite peacekeepers. Since then, the Halidom's style has been strictly one of peace, having been effectively crippled.

The Exalt's conquest has since left many negative thoughts on Ylisse. Most see it as a warmongering state of hatred that will rise again once it feels it is able to. Skyloft has since returned to the sky. It has been 10 years since the Exalt began their conquest. With a new Exalt on the throne, the people seem content to vent on the new Exalt. Only time will really tell if Ylisse has changed.