From Behind The Mask

The Legend Begins (Prologue)

Long ago, the Goddess Hylia raised a civilization to the heavens to protect its inhabitants from the evils of the Demon King, Demise. A fierce battle raged on the surface below. During the battle, the Goddess sacrificed herself to imprison the Demon King. For a time, there was peace. The inhabitants of the skyward city thrived, taming a race of large bird and taking to the skies, traveling far and wide, holding festivals honoring the goddess. All was right until one day when a wicked sorcerer kidnapped the daughter of the chief Knight, in hopes of resurrecting his master, Demon King Demise. A young knight, a friend of the girl, clad in green and wielding the Sword of the Goddess set out to rescue her. Through his great journey, this Goddess Sword was forged into the Sword of Evil's Bane, The Master Sword. 

After tracking down the evil sorcerer, he defeated him in a decisive battle and found the daughter of the chief Knight, who discovered that she was the mortal reincarnation of the Goddess herself. Using the Sword of Evil's Bane, and wishing upon the three golden triangles of divine power, The Triforce, this Hero defeated Demise in battle and wished for his ultimate destruction.

With his dying breath, the Demon King placed a curse on the Goddess and her Hero.

"Extraordinary. You stand as a paragon of your kind human. You fight like no man or demon I have ever known. Though this is not the end. My hate... never perishes. It is born anew in a cycle with no end! Those like you... Those who share the blood of the Goddess and the spirit of the Hero... They are eternally bound to this curse. An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of Darkness for all time!"

And so he was defeated. The Triforce was secure in the Skyward city, protecting the inhabitants from danger. The Master Sword was placed in a pedestal in a great temple, awaiting the next hero worthy enough to wield it. 

Hundreds of years past and the skyward city came to rest on the surface below. This country quickly became a prosperous land. Once more, all was peaceful, until one day, some began seeking out the power of the Triforce for themselves. Fights broke out, and chaos ensued. Amidst this battle for the Triforce, a wise man, known as Light Sage Rauru, built a great Temple to house the Master Sword, and guard the gate the Sacred Realm. The Goddesses placed the Triforce into the Sacred Realm, protecting it from evil.

As the battles died down, the peoples of the land became unified, establishing the land as the Royal Kingdom of Hyrule. As the years pressed on, the land became prosperous. When monsters began to run rampant, a hero rose up to defeat them, wielding the Picori Blade. Generations later, when the Wind Mage, Vaati threatened the royal family, another hero, The Hero of the Minish, forged the broken Picori Blade into the Four Sword, defeating him on more than one occasion, bringing the peace back to Hyrule again and again.

Time passed, and the curse seemed to be but a mere threat. Though there had been a being claiming to be the Demon King, he was defeated easily by a reincarnation of the hero. The land continued to prosper, becoming bigger and much stronger than before. Many races inhabited the land, each hailing from the many corners of the unified country.

To the northeast, rose a towering volcanic mountain commonly traversed by the mighty Gorons, warriors for the kingdom. At the foot of the mountain stood a hidden village inhabited by the elusive Sheikah, the protectors of royalty. To the east, an aquatic paradise was ruled by the graceful Zora people and their King, an ally of the King of Hyrule. To the south, a beautiful lake named for the Goddess, as well as a mysterious forest rumored to be the home of a great guardian, forest children, and fairies. And in the north, the wealthy and bustling Hyrule Castle Town overlooked by the Temple of Time, and the palace of the royal family, Hyrule Castle.