Everything I know and more: BOTW

Link's Slumber

Within the hundred years that Link was put in the Shrine of Resurrection and the time he woke up, a lot changed. As Zelda was going into the castle, the four Champions were fighting for their lives inside of their respective Divine Beasts, having lost control of them to Ganon. Ganon had created four malice-demon things called Blights, and they were specifically crafted to outmatch their respective Champions.

Daruk made it to his divine beast only to be overwhelmed by Fireblight, who could only be defeated by technology that Daruk had no access to. Although Daruk provoked the Blight enough that it turned to its second phase, Daruk's Protection was not enough to protect Daruk from the final blow of Fireblight Ganon.

Mipha made it to her Divine Beast quickly, and entered Vah Ruta as fast as she could. Once she was inside, she saw an abomination before her- Waterblight- and fought valiantly with all the might she had, using her Grace to control the water around her. Alas, her healing power failed her, and she fell amidst the waters she had used to shield herself.

Urbosa entered Vah Naboris although it's normally blue lights had turned to glow a dark red. She proceeded with caution, but was soon locked in combat with Thunderblight Ganon. Thunderblight had had all the time it took for Urbosa to get there to build up its power, and it used its whole force against Urbosa. Its speed and attacks were impossible to counter for someone without access to Sheikah runes, and Urbosa fell valiantly, her Fury not being strong enough to keep her alive.

Revali made it to Divine Beast Vah Medoh quickly and efficiently with his wings, but he was confronted with an abomination known only as Windblight as soon as he entered the Beast. He had all the tools necessary to defeat this monstrosity, however he had used up most of his stamina getting there. Being launched into battle upon landing, Revali was unable to use the Gale he was so popular for, and fell because he had used all the power available to him.

Although the Champions fought the Blights and got very close to winning, the Divine Beasts were in Ganon's control. As soon as the Champions were defeated, the Divine Beasts took off from their perches where they were primed to fight Ganon, and they then began to cause a ruckus elsewhere. Vah Medoh leapt off of its home on top of Rito Village, and began to circle around, frightening the locals. Vah Ruta began producing an endless rainfall from its trunk, showering all of Zora's Domain in water. Vah Rudania started climbing around the inside of Death Mountain, causing landslides and tunnel collapse in the Goron Mines. Vah Naboris began to stomp around, making a huge dust cloud and an electrical storm.

These were all issues that would remain unresolved for 100 years, but such is how the story goes.

The Champions and the Divine Beasts aren't the only things that changed in the hundred years Link was asleep, however. For example, as Zelda was keeping Ganon in his place, the Guardians rampaged around all of Hyrule, only having avoided the places with the lowest population: Hateno, Duelling Peaks, and Faron.

The Akkala Region was particularly bad for Guardians, being one of the main targets due to an abundance of settlement. Akkala was perhaps the most destroyed and the least resistant region, so it fell relatively quickly.

The other place that was attacked perhaps equally to Akkala was Central Hyrule, where the castle was.

Because of the congregation of Guardians in every place, the local Hylians were forced to retreat to the skirts of the land. There, they built a fort, and they waited to fight the Guardians. As the Guardians approached, they let loose a flurry of arrows, knocking out the majority of the machines. However, the men paid a toll as well. Their troops had taken to up-close combat- and it wasn't going well. They had cut off the legs of most of the guardians, and the few that they hadn't they shot in the eye, but even the legless Guardians overpowered them with their laser beams and the Stand at Fort Hateno was a failure.

Those Guardians that had their legs cut off but were not fully deactivated remained there for 100 years more, the malice inside of them keeping them going. The same went for the other Guardians whose parts had been demolished by fighting civilians. They were just lying in wait for yet another passerby.

With all these mechanical monsters causing havoc, there must be nothing else that could be going wrong, right? Yeah, there was something much worse than Guardians around the bend. Monsters like Bokoblins, Lynels, and Lizalfos had always existed, but most of them had been hunted for their horns and weapons. Now, they were all coming back. Once every so often, all monsters that had malice in them would be totally revived and returned to flesh, no matter how many times or how utterly anyone destroyed them. There was also the problem of nighttime Stal, which are monsters that pry their bones from the earth, held together only by malice, to brutally murder anyone who dares walk at night.

Malice spread through the land, and soon it was in every imaginable place. Anywhere there was danger, malice appeared, sludgy and sticky and prickly, like a melted geode. Malice was a way for Ganon to control his newfound disciples, and he used it freely.

And that is the story up to the events of Breath of the Wild. Now, let's get into the thick of it.