Central Hyrule Map

[Emily]

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Central Hyrule

Central Hyrule is a province defined by its history. Before the Calamity, Hylians had settled in the region due to its mild climate and fertile grasslands. Their capital, Hyrule Castle and the city surrounding it, was the largest settlement in all of Hyrule. The Calamity hit Central Hyrule hardest, as Hyrule Castle was the emerging point for Calamity Ganon. Due to the abundance of Guardians, the province remained incredibly dangerous to travel through all throughout the Calamity.

In the era of the Upheaval, Central Hyrule has been mostly retaken by the Hylians. Lookout Landing was established as a research station directly south of the Castle Town ruins, a joint venture by all races. Utilising the city as a base of operations, various organisations have begun rebuilding Hyrule Castle Town, cleaning up the nearby area, and exploring the sky islands and depths revealed during the Upheaval.

Central Hyrule is split into two primary regions. Hyrule Field consists of the central plains and forests between the Hylia and Regencia rivers, including the Great Plateau. The Ridgelands, meanwhile, are a rocky, mountainous region to the west bordering Hebra and Gerudo Provinces. Central Hyrule's primary settlement is Lookout Landing, which sits outside the southern gate of the old Hyrule Castle and Castle Town ruins.

Click the spoiler tags below the map to see further descriptions of Lookout Landing and the Hyrule Castle Ruins.

Lookout Landing

Lookout Landing is a growing research community south of the Hyrule Castle Town ruins. Sheikah and Hylian researchers established the facility shortly after the Upheaval in order to monitor Hyrule Castle and to research newly-unearthed Zonai artefacts. Since its establishment, Lookout Landing has been the Zonai Survey Team's base of operations, though it has grown beyond that. Expeditions led by Rito are regularly launched to explore the sky islands above Hyrule, while Sheikah and Hylians lead expeditions to the depths.

An emergency evacuation tunnel from Hyrule Castle exits within the Emergency Shelter underneath Lookout Landing, an ancient necessity for the royal family. The Emergency Shelter is now used as a place for beds, food preparation, and more secretive research tasks. Though occasional expeditions to the castle utilise the old evacuation tunnel, much of the space beneath Hyrule Castle is still infested with monsters, and the tunnel entrance is usually sealed.

The Zonai Survey Team's primary research facility is a large building along the northern wall topped by a telescope. The telescope was established so that Her Majesty's Lead Scientist Purah could watch Hyrule Castle, but has since been modified to rotate and look in any direction. It, along with the rest of the equipment in the building, are integral to understanding the sky islands. Researchers Robbie and Josha assist with study of the depths.

Though services are provided to members of the Zonai Survey Team for free, Lookout Landing also contains a stable, shops, and other basic amenities for travellers at a low cost.

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Hyrule Castle and Castle Town Ruins

Before being destroyed during the Calamity, Hyrule Castle housed the Hylian royal family. Though King Rhoam, then-Princess Zelda, and the Champions spent years preparing for the Calamity, nobody expected that the demon king had been sealed directly under the castle. When the Calamity began, it emerged from the castle first, killing King Rhoam and annihilating a significant portion of Hyrule's military. The castle remained under Calamity Ganon's influence until its defeat a century later.

While mapping out the ruins beneath Hyrule Castle, Zelda and her bodyguard Link witnessed the events triggering the Upheaval. Hyrule Castle broke into two pieces, with the centre rising into the air on a pillar. The kitchens, dining hall, and most of the outer guard structures are still on the ground, while the throne room, Zelda's quarters and study, and library are suspended above.

Castle Town, once the largest city in Hyrule, was also destroyed during the Calamity, being one of the first places overrun by Guardians. After the defeat of Calamity Ganon, it has been cleared of monsters, and Hudson Construction has begun laying foundations for the rebuilding effort.

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