The Plagues of Agahnim

[Ivo-goji 0]

In A Link to the Past, we are introduced to a noble race of beings who possess great majesty and skill, a elf-like people called the Hylia. They have a rich history, and rule over the beautiful country of Hyrule, a land riddled with magic, monsters, and secrets, but nothing that compares to the Hylians themselves. This is the picture the game paints for us of the Zelda fantasy world.

Fast forward to the 90's, Ocarina of Time is released, and the world has changed. A lot. There are now at least 5 major races running around in the land we thought we knew so well, each of them unlike anything previously seen the games. Rock eating giants, aristocratic fish-people, desert dwelling Amazon warriors, ageless Peter Pans raised by a talking tree- the list goes on. It’s as if we’re seeing a whole different country from the one we remember in SNES classic.

Yet we don’t have the luxury of assuming they’re different, unrelated versions of Hyrule. Ocarina of Time is a direct prequel to A Link to the Past. LttP’s backstory serves as a frame for Ocarina of Time’s plot. We’re told about Ganon’s origins in A Link to the Past. In Ocarina of Time, we actually see them happen. There is no way they can be unrelated. The two games must be apart of the same chronology.

Thus we are faced with a serious problem. In OoT, there is a whole mess of diverse peoples living alongside the Hylians; Gorons, Zoras, Gerudo, Kokiri, and still others. In LttP, it’s just the Hylians themselves. How do we reconcile this seemingly incompatible portrayal of Hyrule? Where did all of the people go?

There is one explanation for a majority of Hyrule’s populace to suddenly get up and leave. Huge disasters and political or economic pressures forcing them to evacuate to a different country. Shortly before LttP, we have a situation that fits this perfectly; terrible plagues and natural disasters sweeping the entire kingdom. We aren’t given much detail of these calamities, only that they were so terrible that the King of Hyrule offered a great reward to any who could bring them to an end. When one did appear, a mysterious priest of some sort named Agahnim, the people were so relieved that he was even made the advisor to the king.

Hmmmm......

Fishy. Strange priest or wizard just appears one day and all the plagues are over? I need not remind any of the actions Agahnim carried out as soon as he rose to power. It seems quite likely that all of the disasters and pestilence were the work of Agahnim himself. He desired power, and he could get that if the only dominate race in Hyrule were the Hylians, and he ruled over the Hylians.

So how did Agahnim get rid of Hyrule’s other inhabitants? What drove them all away?

Studying clues in A Link to the Past, a number of possibilities are evident. It seems that a different plague afflicted each of the tribes. It’s unlikely that one huge disaster could run off whole populations- at least without killing all the people we see still in Hyrule. It was multiple, perhaps small-scale events that hit every group differently. If Agahnim was indeed behind all of the plagues, then it is not so hard to imagine that they were targeted individually.

If it’s true that a different problem befell each race, it seems reasonable to examine them one at a time. I’ll start with the Gorons. I’ve been holding them under a microscope as of late, so it’s only fitting. Determining exactly what happened to them may also be easier than the others, as there are relatively fewer options for what could be devastating enough to displace the Goron society. They are a hardy people, and could out last natural disasters that would wipe out most other creatures. Earthquakes, landslides, storms, hurricanes, blizzards, and even volcanic eruptions aren’t that big a danger to the Gorons. They live in a volcano for heaven’s sake. That narrows it down to two major options: a pandemic of some disease unique or especially harmful to Gorons, or an extremely harsh famine. Gorons can get sick, and indeed seem to be unprepared when it happens. We could see an out-brake of a virus they weren’t familiar with driving a massive portion of the population out of the mountain, with the infected left for dead or in hiding in the vast cave system shown in A Link to the Past. If the virus could infect humans or Hylians, the King may have demanded that the Gorons leave the country, fearing that it would spread even when they were up in the mountains.

However, this doesn’t seem all that feasible, as the prospect of the Gorons leaving their beloved mountain home or the Hylians driving them away, even in the event of an epidemic, is a little hard to swallow. There is more evidence in the second option- famine. How, you ask, does a race who’s diet consists of rocks and metal experience starvation? Well, I’m not sure. However, in Ocarina of Time we clearly see the Gorons suffering due to the loss of a single mine, evidently because their preferred source of food is from that particular mine and nowhere else. Maybe that’s what we’re seeing in A Link to the Past. If you pay close attention, you may notice that Death Mountain lacks an important feature very obvious in other games: volcanic activity. One could argue that this is because Death Mountain had yet to be envisioned as a volcano. But look closer. Everywhere on the mountain’s rocky surface there are hardened lava flows, gems imbedded in the ground, and layers and mounds of strangely shaped earth clumped around haphazardly. This place was a volcano. Somehow it has become inactive. This is a problem for the Gorons. Without a fresh flow of lava, they’re deprived of vital resources, as magma is a chief source of food for the Gorons. Over time it would have presented more problems, such as not bringing forth new materials to use and consume. Also, if earthquakes indeed shook Hyrule, then it is possible that they could have caused the Gorons’ mines to collapse, cutting off their supply of ore and rocks. It would have been a true famine for them, worse than in Ocarina of Time. If we consider Agahnim to be the cause of Death Mountain’s inactivity, then it may have been more sudden then what the Gorons were prepared for, and may have come with unnatural effects that they couldn’t prepare for.

If starvation was the problem, then what could the Gorons do to solve it? If their volcano was indeed inactive, or at least dormant, then this was more than a mere famine to them. It was a sign that they could no longer inhabit the land that they had cherished for so long. While they could dig new mines, if the mountain ceased to flow with lava, then they could only live there a little longer. Eventually all the minerals in Death Mountain would be used up, and they would have no more food to eat, or goods to trade with. If they tried to stay, either they would starve, or they would slowly begin to die out as they expended their resources. The Gorons’ only option was to relocate to a new volcano, or to a place where they could sustain themselves without running out of food. Its unlikely that they knew about or had any access to Termina or the World of the Ocean King, so they probably moved to Goron Mountain in Holodrum, or possibly to Rolling Ridge in Labrynna. They may not have necessarily left Hyrule, but simply took up in a new mountain, though if they did it would be one as yet unseen in the series. If we acknowledge Mt. Crenel as separate from Death Mountain, its possible they went there, yet they seem to have abandoned it once before, so its hard to say. Where ever it is they moved to, I believe we can confirm the reason of their disappearance as Death Mountain becoming inactive.

With the Gorons out of the way, we move on to an equally fascinating race- the Zora. Their disappearance may be more challenging to explain. Seeing as they are an aquatic species, it is possible that they experienced a drought that forced them out of the country. However, this presents a few problems, such as how they could flee if the land was dried up (Zoras cannot go far without water; they could only leave if enough rivers were accessible to swim out of Hyrule). Also, LttP Hyrule doesn’t seem to have suffered any droughts, as a large floodgate has been constructed about this time, and the land is filled with springs and ponds. So there isn’t much evidence for drought.

I believe the answer is tied to a second mystery: the River Zoras. These fire-breathing monsters were the first water-dwelling creatures we had a glimpse of before the more developed humanoid Zoras came into being. Many have puzzled as to how once species came to replace the other, and some have considered that perhaps they were actually the same race with a different look. Oracle of Ages disproves this, as it shows the two together, identifying the friendly fish-people as Sea Zoras, and the more vicious creatures as River Zoras. There is clear animosity between them, as one Sea Zora even refers to the river dwellers as “savage

[Rika Code 29]

Cool theory but didn't Gorons like volcanic rocks better and you said "Everywhere on the mountain’s rocky surface there are hardened lava flows, gems imbedded in the ground, and layers and mounds of strangely shaped earth clumped around haphazardly." sounds like volcanic rocks to me plus, in OoT the volcano was active (or it was some random rocks falling out of the sky or somehow I got high on the game and hillucanated the whole thing)

[Ivo-goji 0]

Yes, they do eat volcanic rocks, but seem to only like a particular kind. As I said, the loss of a single mine in Ocarina of Time was devistating, so the loss of several mines (in the wake of earthquakes) would be even more damaging to the Gorons. A Link to the Past occurs long after Ocarina of Time, meaning Death Mountain could easily have gone inactive at some point. While this would have presented an immediat threat, over time it would starve them and leave them broke. Combine these two calamities together and the Gorons have a pretty good reason to leave the mountain. Besides, if Agahnim caused the disasters, they may have reversed after Link killed him (or when he wished upon the Triforce) meaning the volcanio could have resumed activity anytime.

It wasn't the immediat problem of Death Mountain's inactivity the scared the Gorons away, but the later consequences that caused them to leave.

[Rika Code 29]

Ok now I understand (sorta) just one more thing (and I might be remembering wrong) didn't they have another mine at the top of the mountain in OoT that was much less fesadle because it was so close to the inner volcano and they c aouldn't get to it because it was active.

And what if they left because Agahnim made the Volcano too active forcing them to leave.

[Ivo-goji 0]

All evidence I've seen points to the Gorons having no problem around extremely active volcainos. I doubt they could be driven off the mountain by increased activity, though it could indeed impair their mining. It seems unlikely however that even an eruption would be enough to make them flee but for a very short time. Consider the Subrosians: they live deep beneath Hyrule's crust, surrounded by constantly erupting volcainos everyday, and yet they thrive. Gorons are even tougher- they probably wouldn't live in a volcaino in the first place if they couldn't survive high levels of activity.

[Rika Code 29]

Yes but no matter how much you prepare for something it can still overpower you

[DocHobo 0]

Heh this was such a tl;dr

The Gorons begin to show higher intelligence than before in Twilight Princess, becoming industrialized before all the other races, and being very able businessmen. Considering this, I don't think plague would be the cause of their disappearance. In A Link to the Past, there are enemies in Death Mountain called "Deadrocks" that are similar in appearance to Gorons (Except they have a small pair of wings they don't use), and even turn into stone when you hit them. Perhaps the Gorons became the Deadrocks between TP and ALLT?

As for the Zoras, the Zoras have been shown to be perfectly able to survive outside of water, so I don't think your drought theory would be very feasible. I think the River Zoras driving the Sea Zoras out makes sense, and that's probably what happened.

I don't think the Zoras or the Gorons were much of a threat to Ganon/Agahnim, however, so I don't think Agahnim directly caused their demises at all.

[Ivo-goji 0]

The Gorons begin to show higher intelligence than before in Twilight Princess, becoming industrialized before all the other races, and being very able businessmen. Considering this, I don't think plague would be the cause of their disappearance. In A Link to the Past, there are enemies in Death Mountain called "Deadrocks" that are similar in appearance to Gorons (Except they have a small pair of wings they don't use), and even turn into stone when you hit them. Perhaps the Gorons became the Deadrocks between TP and ALLT?

As for the Zoras, the Zoras have been shown to be perfectly able to survive outside of water, so I don't think your drought theory would be very feasible. I think the River Zoras driving the Sea Zoras out makes sense, and that's probably what happened.

I don't think the Zoras or the Gorons were much of a threat to Ganon/Agahnim, however, so I don't think Agahnim directly caused their demises at all.

I've often wondered about those little creatures. I highly doubt that the Gorons turned into them though, unless Agahnim used his magic to change them into monsters. It seems more likely that they just got up and left. It is a possibility, however.

No, the Zoras cannot survive outside of water. In Twilight Princess they are clearly shown to dehydrate easily, and it is a rare event to see Zoras heathly unless close to water. Besides, I already said that a drought was nearly impossible, so it doesn't matter.

On the contrary, they were a great threat to both he and his masters rise to power. If either the Gorons or the Zoras were around during Agahnim's revult, they could come down on his army and take back the castle before Ganon was freed, ruining his whole plan. Also, if Hylians/Humans were the only race in Hyrule and Agahnim controlled the Army, he effectively controlled all of Hyrule itself, with little resistance. This would allow him to carry out the plot with little trouble from outside forces. He may also have had terrorizing the human population in mind- creating plagues that cause all the inhabitents of Hyrule to flee would place great pressure on the last one remaining, meaning that when he came and "lifted" the plagues Agahnim would look even more like a savior. His motivation was power, and having two of the most influencial races in Hyrule removed increased his power.

[Rika Code 29]

I do agree that Gorons evolving into monster seems unlikely because even when the Zoras evoled into Rito's they were still friendly

[Rika Code 29]

I do agree that Gorons evolving into monster seems unlikely because even when the Zoras evoled into Rito's they were still friendly

[DocHobo 0]

No, the Zoras cannot survive outside of water. In Twilight Princess they are clearly shown to dehydrate easily, and it is a rare event to see Zoras heathly unless close to water. Besides, I already said that a drought was nearly impossible, so it doesn't matter.

Where in Twilight Princess do we see these dehydrating Zoras?

On the contrary, they were a great threat to both he and his masters rise to power. If either the Gorons or the Zoras were around during Agahnim's revult, they could come down on his army and take back the castle before Ganon was freed, ruining his whole plan. Also, if Hylians/Humans were the only race in Hyrule and Agahnim controlled the Army, he effectively controlled all of Hyrule itself, with little resistance. This would allow him to carry out the plot with little trouble from outside forces. He may also have had terrorizing the human population in mind- creating plagues that cause all the inhabitents of Hyrule to flee would place great pressure on the last one remaining, meaning that when he came and "lifted" the plagues Agahnim would look even more like a savior. His motivation was power, and having two of the most influencial races in Hyrule removed increased his power.

To the contrary, the Gorons have proved to be of no use, in fact, in Twilight Princess they even went hostile because of the problems in the land.

Zoras have shown to also stay out of Hylian affairs, basically doing nothing to help with Ganon in both Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess.

These races don't seem to be in alliance with the Hylian royal family, they are RULED by the Hylian royal family.

All Agahnim had to do to get a high position in the castle was rescue the king and get rid of the plagues. Getting rid of the Gorons and the Zoras would have been completely useless to his goal.

[Rika Code 29]

Where in Twilight Princess do we see these dehydrating Zora

Um Prince Ralis

[DocHobo 0]

Um Prince Ralis

Hm, forgot about him.

[Rika Code 29]

Hm, forgot about him.

It's ok its good to be reminded of the basic every once in a while

[Knuckle 484]

I always guessed that the Hyrule in Lttp is different than the one in OoT since that one got flooded before WW, and a new Hyrule was colonized a few decades before ST. Since there weren't any zoras on the new continent, why would they just show up again all of a sudden in Lttp?

As for the Gorons, your theory explains their suddden dissapearance better than anything I can come up with.