Gerudo Wars (comic)

The Gerudo Wars, also erroneously known as the Gerudo Wars manga was a unfinished webcomic by Chasen Lindsey which ran from approximately 2009 to early 2011. It was a prequel to The Legend of Zelda: The Fallen Sage, focusing on many of its characters and setting before their original introduction, as well as setting up plot points for The Legend of Zelda: Time's Menagerie, which was in developement at the time.

As of around 2021, the comic is considered definitely lost, as neither internet nor physical backups exist.

Story
Unlike later versions of the story, the Gerudo Wars followed five act structure, with an intro, three simultanious arcs (Kokiri, Hylian and Twili) and a finale. Of these, only the intro and the Twili arc were finished before the series would be rebooted into Hyrule: Total War.

Intro Arc
Queen Zelda III, ruler of the Kingdom of Hyrule travels with her jester and confidant, young Akazoo Vapith. The two discuss events preceding the country's current crisis; an impending war with their neighbours, the Gerudo. Impressed by his intelligence and loyalty, Zelda promises him the hand of her daughter in marriage should he remain in good standing. The two arrive in Hyrule's capital, Castle Town.

Kokiri Arc
In the Kokiri Forest, the Kokiri, a race of eternal children live mostly peaceful lives, answering to the Great Deku Tree. However, their chieftain, Mido, freuquently abuses his position to bully and control those under him. One day, the Kokiri are attacked by a dragon known as Onox, sent out by the First Sage Evaleen to test Kokiri defenses. Two Kokiri, Link and Mirora confront Onox and drive him off, though sustaining heavy injuries as a result. Shortly thereafter, it is discovered chief Mido killed a girl he felt affection towards named Saria. Saria is resurrected by being awakened as a Sage, while Mido is exiled, and Mirora is appointed chief in his absence.

Being driven to the edge of the woods, Mido encounters Evaleen and her sister Sulkaris, the latter of which seeks to consume the flesh of the Forest Sage to regain her power. He helps them lead their armies of man-eating spiders called the Gohma into the Kokiri groves. The Kokiri respond by allying with the Huskus, a mantoid race from deep within the forest. After being incorrectly led by Mido to consume Mirora, Sulkaris is left with an inferior body, and is quickly dispatched by Palagard, who entraps her spirit within his sanctuary.

Mido, having become nothing short of a demon to the Kokiri flees the forest and is led by Evaleen into the Gerudo Desert to become a member of the Rebellion, a circle of powerful wizards, warlords and monsters seeking to overthrow the Kingdom of Hyrule. Mido is skeptical of the Rebellion, correctly seeing them as a dysfunctional rabble with no loyalty, but nonetheless accepts their training, seeking revenge on the Kokiri. Koume and Kotake, high ranking members of the Rebellion subject Mido to mental torment in order to extract pure evil. Their experiment leads to the creation of a demon who takes on the appearance of Link. Mido is then further sent on missions with Ganondorf against rebel Gerudo.

Elsewhere, seeking help for their people, Link and Saria venture out of the Kokiri Forest. In the Kingdom of Hyrule, they discover four mystics, each with their own philosophy: Nostrum, Carock, Kafei and Felonius. Felonius gives Saria herbs to ease her onsetting illness. Late in the night, Link has a premonition of a Hero's Shade, and returns to his tent only to find Saria heavily pregnant from Felonius' herbs. Kafei kills Link due to incorrectly believing he is a forest demon who impregnated Saria. Saria gives birth to a baby boy, whom Nostrum names after Link and takes to be raised by the Wizzrobe. Saria is distraught at the death of her friend, and attempts to kill Kafei before forgiving him. Sometime later, Carock erases Saria's memories of the events.

Twili Arc
In the Realm of Twilight, a young prince named Zant and his fiancée Midna enjoy a pleasurable court life, free from any true responsibilities. Shortly after the death of Zant's father and his ascension to the throne, a woman named Veran comes to Zant, promising him land in the world of light should he ally with her. Zant is skeptical, and initially refuses, but is drawn to the power displayed by her and her general, Onox.

Meanwhile, in the world of light, the Zora and Goron peoples are in a state of mutual war as the Zora princess Ruto previously sided with Agahnim, while the Goron King Darunia sides with Queen Zelda. The Zora use the war as an excuse to expand into Goron territory, seeking their land's material wealth. Led by King Farkos, Zora armies invade the Goron homeland, Death Mountain, but are eventually driven away by the Gorons, leaving the King dead.

In the Zora's Domain, currently administered by princess Ruto, people are still largely unaware of the King's death. Ruto is dismayed that her ex-fiance, Zaleen, has decided to marry a mutual friend of theirs, Telara. She finds company in Zaleen's monstrous Octozora half-brother, Neighleth. As the Domain is distracted, Veran and Onox, now with Zant's armies invade the Domain. Encouraged by Neighleth's advice to seek her dreams, Ruto successfully rushes in to protect Zaleen and kill Onox, and the two make it out alive. However, Ruto chooses to leave Telara behind with Neighleth to make it appear she is dead, all in order to regain Zaleen's love. The Domain is left in ruins and most survivors flee to the Kingdom of Lanayru.

Back in the Realm of Twilight, Zant is gaslit by his butler and led to believe Veran and Midna are conspiring against him. He has Midna turned into a pitiful imp before throwing her out the window, before proceeding to torture and mutilate Veran until she is unrecognizable. Due to her Fairy physiology, she survives, but horribly deformed, and Zant mocks her by urinating on her body. Empowered and in full control of his realm, Zant decides to abandon the invasion and returns to rebuild his kingdom.

Hylian Arc
Hyrule Castle is the sight of a court meeting. Present are the herald of Zelda Agahnim and his servant, Impa representing interests of the Sheikah, Darunia representing interests of the Gorons, princess Ruto representing interests of the Zora, Saria representing interests of the Kokiri and Onan representing interest of the Darknuts. Agahnim claims that Queen Zelda is dead, and that as her herald, he is taking charge of the Kingdom until her daughter is of age. The court members are displeased by this revelation, but concede that they follow Agahnim. Zelda and Akazoo arrive at that very moment, exposing Agahnim's lie and revealing him as a follower of the dark god Majora, working to help the Gerudo invade Hyrule.

Negotiations break down at this moment. Ruto and Onan choose to support Agahnim and the Gerudo, while the rest stay loyal to Zelda and the Kingdom of Hyrule. Agahnim's servant is revealed to be a disguised Rauru, high priest of the Hylian religion, but one of Impa's bodyguards is also revealed to be a powerful sorcerer named Vaati. The courtroom is thrown into chaos as multiple sides engage each other. Impa wounds Vaati, but her blade does nothing as Vaati simply heals and taunts her, frightening her. Zelda's attack with a fire rod is also fails to bring him down, but slows him down heavily. With negotiations over, everyone flees the castle.

Introduced

 * Link
 * Kasuto
 * Mirora
 * The Leaf King
 * Vaati
 * Ganondorf
 * Twinrova
 * Blind
 * Onan
 * Zelda III
 * Zelda IV
 * Neighleth
 * Zant
 * Midna
 * The Butler
 * Baroque
 * Middee
 * Link, Slayer of Ganon
 * Kafei Dotour
 * Onox
 * Veran
 * Carock
 * Nostrum
 * Azrily
 * Bochi
 * Silvia
 * Impa
 * Rauru
 * Agahnim
 * Nabooru
 * Ruto
 * Farkos
 * Malon

Returning

 * Link II
 * Saria
 * Mido
 * Welin Kazakk
 * Akazoo Vapith
 * Palagard
 * Sulkaris
 * Evaleen
 * Matriarch
 * Felonius Dotour
 * Zaleen

Trivia

 * Although never truly finished, parts of the story and its conclusion were adapted into the Gerudo Wars arc of Hyrule Total War.
 * Moreover, a version of the Gerudo Wars is implied to have happened long ago in Hyrule Conquest.