The Great Steam Wars

The Great Steam Wars was the name given to a 50-year long strife conflicting with every nation into a world war. It was one of the most bloodiest battles in history. Ignited masterfully by Sartor's orchestration, it began with the war against Aethelnoth and his Dark Crusade; a war serving as a prelude to a larger one. Sartor's plan began to come to fruition with the assassination of Althalos Dragonheart, the leader of the Order of the Elements, at the time near the end of the first Void Crisis. The new leader put in charge was Rah Maelyss, who provoked the Newkan Republic into war. The Royal Army of Hyrule were forced to stop their way of terror. But the greedy hearts of demons and ghouls eventually dragged the new Dark Crusade and the Legion of Undead into the war as well. The world war had begun.

Prelude - Year 1 to 4
The evil sorcerer Sartor Avorée threatened the existance of all time, matter and lives within. He created a tremendously colossal hole void of negative matter he built up with chaos in the world. He called it the Nexus.

The only available band of heroes were gathered in the headquarters of the Order of Elemental Knights: the Tower of the Six located in Order Town; Holodrum. The team had assembled into two groups; one to gather their strength and besiege Sartor's headquarter and the other to seek out the Orb of Light, the the only artifact that could stop the Nexus' growth. The leader of this operation Althalos Dragonheart dispatched his army of knight into the fiend's fortress while remaining in base to coordinate the war effort with a form of battle meditation granted by the Triforce of Wisdom he currently possessed. The early efforts were at start successful but Sartor put his gracing ace from his sleeve and used his influence to coordinate the actions of the evil Twili Monique Tillicia. Bent on taking the last shards of the Mirror of Twilight, she led her Twili forces into the Order Town. Monique and her lackeys breached through the defenses with relative ease since all of Althalos' best troops were out fighting on the frontlines. She confronted Althalos and Aethelnoth inside the Tower of Six. Through a stroke of luck and some preperation the Twilight Princess poisoned Aethelnoth with a special irridating acid she had developed a long ago in order to one day overthrow him. Althalos was left alone, and despite his galant resistance, he got overwhelmed and succumbed to the invasion and was perished by the Twili's hands. With their influentic leader dead, the Order got into a disarray.

The main battle turned for the worse. The knights had lost morale and Sartor's demonspawns seemed to get even stronger. The heroes hurried up into the center of power and traveled into the depths where they came face-to-face with the Nexus. Sartor, and his minion Circe, battled them and put them on a long chain of illusions and nightmares. The heroes were about to get wiped out until they managed to defeat Circe. Reinforcements arrived in the form of Lily Thorn and Nathalie Avonej-Tursic. They had succeeded in aquiring the Orb of Light and the Master Sword. Lily, now the chosen hero, entered battle with the Chaos Lord and managed to repel any tricks at his disposal. However, the Nexus was now reaching critical level and the Orb couldn't work in great effect. It had to be placed deep inside its core in order to neutralize it. With no time remaining, Thoriphes Avonej volunteered for this. With a final farewell and salutation to Aethelnoth, he took the orb and leaped into the Nexus, sacrificing himself. The Orb of Light managed to stop the growth and Sartor got beaten.

The Chaos Lord had lost the war but vowed for revenge. He went into a meditative trance and co-ordinated the following events. He allowed his old partner Rah Maelyss, an evil agent who was already planted inside the Order and going by another alias, was allowed to rise in ranks. With the spot of Elemental Knight of Fire opened after Althalos' death, Rah was promoted to be a part of the ruling round table within the Order. He initiated a philosophical campaign concerning coal and steam engine. He showed proof of the harm the steam engine's waste did on the ecosystem. It harmed the crops, sickened the living stocks and could cause serious illness on fellow human beings. His discovery began drawing attention from the wisemen within the Order and tried to find natural and magical way to get rid of the pollution. Despite the efforts, it always seemd to be hindered. The main sorce of the pollution was coming from Crescent Island belonging to the Newkay Republic. Negotiations began between the two nations but it proved hard to arrange a satisfying agreement. The hostile Newkan council completely refused to turn down their advanced technology as they saw it as a degration of science. The Order couldn't let them be either. After lengthy debates that led to nowhere, Rah suggested the most radical solution: to declare war with them. The Newkay always joked around about claiming "total war" with everyone. With the Order's superior military, he proposed to put them to the test. This arrose some serious discussions within the tower. The Order were never to engage anyone unprovoked.

A few years passed. The relationship between the Knight Order and the Neykay Republic grew bitter and resentful to each other. The lizardmen called the knight hypocrites, using airship and boats powered by steam where the Knights called the Newkay murderer of the planet. In reality, none of them were true. The Order used magic-based energy for their machines while Newkay had recently noticed the pollution problem and began investing millions to clean it. But none of the two would listen to reason. It eventually went too far. The Knights began putting their whole faith and felt obliged to cleanse the world from the steam engine technology. When Newkay conquered the whole continent of Labrynna in the name of good, it proved to be the last straw. The council of the Order did then at last vote in majority to initiate war to defend the world from the lizardmen's crusade. Newkay approved of this declaration and would answer with violence. War had finally started, and Sartor's machination was at full steam.

The War begins - Year 5 to 14
The Timeline 

From Chapter 9 to 10  '''Year 0 -'''Sartor reveals himself and threatens the world. He destroys Hyrule Castle and Clock Town, among other towns. -Newkay starts their crusade discretely. -The destroyed towns are slowly being rebuilt while the Order fights the forces of evil.

Year 1 to 3 

-Sartor is defeated, although not permanently so. He flees and vows to return one day. -Newkans from Crescent Island conquers all Labrynna in the name of security and peace, but becomes a more apparent threat to the world due to their increasing numbers and technological advance. -The Chaos Lord Sartor dwells in a meditive trance and manipulates the current of the world. He secretly shrouds the Order leaders' vision and exposes a weakness for the Twili to get their chance. Finally, he plants the seed of chaos by transfering his last powers to his old comrade Rah Maelyss, and gives him the strenght to follow through the world into a new age of war. His final plan is to feed enough chaos into the world to revive his nexus. -Monique's Twili Army invades the Goddesess' Haven. Using a secret corroding poison, the Twilight Princess manages to kill Althalos Dragonheart and seriously wound Aethelnoth with it. She retrieve the last shards of the Mirror of Twilight and leaves the Realm of Light for good. A few remain stationed in the Dark Citadel at the Haunted Wastelands. -The Order comes into turmoil after the death of their influent leader. Reports of sudden assassinations of key figures keep railing in and their relation with the Newkan Republic becomes unstable. Through subtle pulls in the game of intrigue, the role of War Marshal is instigated and Rah Therenir Aellan succeeds in gaining the title. His magic and influence inspire others to follow him in his dedicated purge of all steam technology. This later drives the group to reach for a greater ambition. However, he is secretly Rah Maelyss who was planted by Sartor to start a new reign of chaos in order to fulfill the Chaos Lord's prophecy. -The remaining Twili are chased off and sent back to their realm. They come into a civil war that leads to the demise of Monique Tillicia. Her daughter, Miryan, takes over the role and the Twilight nation swears to remain neutral and outside any further conflicts from the Light Realm.

'''Year 4 to 24 - The Great War begins ''' -The Knight Order goes into martial law. Rah Maelyss takes command and chases off all weaker personnel in his town who refuses to acknowledge his wise rulership. Majority of the order remain loyal to the throne and the council's decision. In an act to diminish the Newkan influence, Rah orders the conquest of Termina in order to cut off their main coal trade-line. This leads to the controversial destruction of Clock Town. As their excuse, they openly stated their intention to cast down the "abomination” steam technology" and cleanse the world into a purer place. If Termina was actively assisting the polluting, they had only themselves to blame for this, according to Rah.  -President Mike Parpus of Newkay sees through Rah’s feeble ruse and knows he has become a madman for attacking an innocent town. He responds by declaring war with the Order of the Elements and promises them punishment for their crime. The senators of Newkay realize the threat and goes into agreement. They reform (and rename) themselves as the Newkan Republic. Mike Parpus becomes the first Supreme Chancellor who promises them peace and prosperity, and complete victory. His first actions are to advance his scouts to the inner lands between Holodrum and Labrynna. This will be known as the Southern Continent for the remaining of the conflict. -Hyrule's distrust of the Order grows dramatically. With their town destroyed, they retreat their people to Kakariko Village in order to regain their strength after their conflict with Sartor. -The main battles between the Order and Newkay are initiated on the Southern Continent. Magic and black powder clashes in the trenches. Neither side gains an edge. -T'cherak's Undead Legion starts to mass their army on Gerudo Desert and goes north to clash with the remnants of Hyrule, with goal of taking the ruins of Hyrule Castle town. -Helios Avorée, Aethelnoth's apprentice, takes the mantle of Archon. Ashamed by his master’s surrender in the previous war, Helios swears to accomplish what he could not: conquest of the world. Using his master’s teachings and stolen magical technology, he re-enslaves the demons (and fabricate new ones) and takes command of the new Dark Crusade. He wishes to take Hyrule for himself but meet early complications. He found his army pinched between the Order-conquered Termina and the undead-filled Gerudo Desert. Feeling confident, he sent his forces against both. He manages to force the undead into retreat to the dune seas of Gerudo Desert and he annihilates the Order from Terminian soil. He plots to proceed towards Hyrule. -T’cherak set his sights southward and sends his troops into Holodrum. He sets pressure on the Order’s northern frontlines and the towns there gets destroyed and overtaken. -The Order and the Newkan Republic loses valuable resources in the war efforts thanks to the Dark Crusade and the Undead Legion. The war turns into a four-way conflict. The Dark Crusade holds Termina to the Northwest. The Newkay Republic holds Labynna to the south-west. The Undead Legion fails to take Hyrule but holds a strong presence in the Gerudo Desert to the north-east. Finally, the Knight Order resides over Holodrum to the south-east. The few remaining forces of Hyrule are kept in check. They are too weak to confront anyone in larger mass combat but do occasionally enter skirmishes in order to undermine their neighbors. They keep the undead away from the Hylian southern border. They resist Dark Crusaders from entering to the west. A few secret (and risky) operations in the far lands were issued that revolved things such as to sabotaging Newkan factories or Order supplies. However, Hyrule remained underestimated and no-one ever feared them.

Year 25 to 45 - The Eternal War <span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> -Hyrule, who have trained a new generation of soldiers, rallies their forces and sets off to marsh for peace. Realizing they can't win on numbers and soldiers alone, they gather the most cunning and sharpest leaders available. Alexander Tigerheart, an ex-trooper from the old Knight Order, begins showing promises in the field, and slowly starts to rise in ranks through the Hylian Royal army. The bulk of the army goes more aggressive. They route the Undead from the Dark Citadel and chases them southward. -The Republic, the Order and the Dark Crusade keeps struggling against each other, draining their resources to their limits. -Newkay Republic, due to their hatred of everything, starts to spread out their forces a bit too thin. They flank their forces with the Dark Crusade and crush the Undead Legion at northern Holodrum. Another Newkan force remained fighting at the Southern Continent with the Order and gets ambushed by Dark Crusade forces. Their third and last major army holds their ground at their main Labrynnian territory and fights against small forces of all enemies. Surprisingly, many were from Hylian operatives. Newkay eventually retreats and regroups, to prepare for a major offensive. They crush all enemies on Dagger Rock territory and marches toward the mountain area of Labrynna. -The Undead Legion allies itself with the Order to gain extra manpower and ground. The Newkan Republic and the Dark Crusade refuses to join forces so keep fighting their enemies for their own selfish goals. -In a decisive battle, major results are imminent: -The Dark Crusade invades Town of Order and fights the Order on toe-to-toe at their homebase. Helios personally engages into the fray. He duels Rah and T'cherak alone, and seem to get overwhelmed. However, T'cherak, in an ironic sense, is betrayed by Rah and is destroyed, leaving him alone with Helios. Helios who is already weakened, and with Chancellor<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Mike Parpus unwilling to lend aid, is bested in combat by the Order's War Marshal. -With both leaders of the Dark Crusade and Undead Legion defeated, the remaining forces, which are highly dependent on their leaders’ command, are left in a losing state. The Newkan Army takes the chance and flanks the Dark Crusade, completely annihilate their army at the northern Labrynna border. The Hylian forces instigate a strong offensive at their main base in Termina. By the suggestion of Alex Tigerheart, they find the Dark Crystal and manage to destroy it. The remaining demons self-destructs themselves from maddening side effect and collapses. The Dark Crusade is defeated. -The Order takes the chance and chases off the remaining undead to the west, purging them with their holy magic. Without T’cherak to lead them, the walking dead stand no chance against this powerful foe. The Undead Legion is defeated. -Unfortunately, the Order tricked the Republic into wasting their energy on the Dark Crusade and ambushes them, forcing them back to Crescent Island. A final epic battle issues on the seas, with battle cruisers and airships exchanging blows. Crescent Island is devastated by magical bombardment and most of the army gets disorganized. Chancellor Mike's fate is unknown but it is believed he was either captured by the enemy or killed in a ruining building from the bombardment. The surviving Newkans were executed or imprisoned and sent to work in the factories to produce weapons for them. The rest fled into the unknown waters. -The Order of the Elements claims ownership of the world and believes them to be the supreme victors of this war. However, with the others out of the way, they finally notices Hyrule’s growing strength. -Hyrule joins the battle during the brink of Newkay's fall. They make swift strikes on the remaining Undead and Dark Crusaders at Hyrule grounds. The restoration project for rebuilding Hyrule Castle Town has started. The Hylian move quickly into Order capital cities and forces the enemy main army to retreat back in order to protect their land. Hyrule avoids all-out battles, and keep relying on hit-and-run skirmishes as well as ambushes. The favor of the war leans temporarily to Hyrule. -The Order, having no other obstacles, starts analyzing the Hylian tactics and spawns counter-measures. Hyrule goes into a trap and suffers a heavy loss at Holodrum’s shore. Their Supreme General is captured and killed in public.

<p style="line-height: normal;">'''<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Year 46 – Ceasefire '''<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">-The years of battling is finally starting to take its toll on the resources used for the war efforts and both the Order and Hyrule are forced to retreat and re-supply. -While both sides aren't actively engaging one another, minor skirmishes and sabotage missions are made against both sides. -Captain Alexander Tigerheart gets promoted to the new Supreme General and takes command of the Hylian Royal Army under Princess Zelda's name and blessing. -The members of the Order finally start realizing their War Marshal's evil agenda and start to question his motives. Inside-struggles start crumbling the Order's infrastructure.

<p style="line-height: normal;">'''<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Year 47 to 50 – The End of the War '''<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">-Commander Tigerheart leads his troops into war. Using unorthodox tactics, spiritual guidance, childish ingenuity, and daring tactics, he succeeds to outmaneuver his enemies and gain early ground. Hyrule approaches the Southern Continent, toward Order Capital. Many battles follow for the remaining years and Hyrule gets reinforced by the other races of the lands. The Gorons, the Zoras and the Gerudo finally join forces. Tigerheart teaches his troops new maneuvers and tricks, and help developing them. He plans a major distraction against the Order. -Commander Rah of the Order sets off to fight Hyrule himself. His presence and sharp strategic mind manages to push Hylian forces back temporarily. He falls for Tigerheart’s ruse. It is later reported that the Capital is being attacked from the rea. He is forced to retreat, leaving the bulk of his army to fight the Hylians on their own. -At the Order Capital, Commander Tigeheart and War Marshal Rah clashes blades and issues a battle of epic proportions. The fate of Hyrule rested on this. After the decisive battle, Alexander triumphs. The death of Rah demoralizes the forces within the capital. The Hylian army in the Southern Continent bests the Order and the organization falls shortly. -The Great Wars ends in Hyrule victory. With over 80 million casualties, counting both civilian and military personnel, this marks as history’s most bloody conflict ever. -With 50 years of steady war, Sartor's nexus has grown in power. It fails to be completely restored but lies in dormant for the remaining centuries. It would not come into account for many, many years…

<p style="line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Year 51 to 200 - The Restoration Years <span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> -Hyrule starts rebuilding its great nation. It claims the whole world as its own. -Labrynna and Holodrum were completely devastated by the wars. Their landscapes were littered with death, wastes and ruin. Their leader cannot hold on to their cities and loses ownership. They are transferred to Hyrule’s Royal Family. -Termina territory converts into Hyrule but Clock Town is rebuilt in memory of those lost in the war. The culture and tradition survives and are allowed to be re-established by the surviving descendants. -The Steam Technology comes into a decline. It gets strictly outlawed for its danger and the pollution problem it causes. The fabrics are dismantled and the steel used to rebuild cities. Steam and blackpowder is eventually left forgotten and becomes only a faint memory of its former glory. -The survivors of the losing factions, the Newkay Republic and the Order, retreat into the wastelands of the Southern Continent, and remain there hiding. They slowly turn into primitive nomadic tribes and turns primal or thieves. The Undead are gone and never heard from again and the Dark Crusade, being simply souls in armor, evaporated into nothingness. -Zelda is crowned Queen and rules the remaining years of her life into peace and prosperity. She holds high respects to the neighbors, and helps them back up in their feet. However, she strongly endorses the ban of steam and gun powder, as well as any private armies similar to the Order. The survivors of the Newkan Republic are liberated from their prison but sent into exile to distant lands for their crime against humanity. -Commander Tigerheart, who had in his dedication sacrificed his whole life for restoring peace, finally resigns from the military. Now in his 60s, he can finally rest. He marries a fine lady, raises children, and remains strong but quiet life long until his later hundreds along with his family. His teachings were taught to a few chosen during his lifetime and his name becomes a symbol of world peace. From time to time, he goes to visit the graves of those dear to him who lost their lives, such as his adoptive brother Aureal, as well as his apprentice Amy, among many other brothers and sisters in war. After his own death at the age of 101, a mausoleum was crafted where his remains rests in safety. A statue was carved and placed on the Great Plaza on Hyrule Castle Town as a memorial to his bravery. Alexander Tigerheart died with a smile on his face, forever remaining youthful ‘till the end. -With the world at peace, the Goddesses bless their world and the land of Hyrule started to slowly regain its former glory. The devastated battlefields are covered in blossoms and all traces of strife vanish. Lakes and seas are restored, and forests regrown. Many more towns are built around the world, as well as caverns being discovered. -The nations who aided Hyrule in the wars were given their own lands after the conflict ended. The Gorons and the Zoras got back their original homelands and the Gerudo people re-established themselves at their desert with a very strong trading treaty to keep them prospering. However, the various nations eventually broke loose from this alliance became independent. -The slow amount of negative energy kept gathering throughout the years and restores Sartor’s nexus toward a steady form. Sartor slowly wakes up from his 200 years sleep...