Dwemer Legends Vol. 2 (Translated)

The Fall of Hyrule and the Folly of Grandeur
Written down by Doforn Risobgerunz.
Translated by Jayata
Popular stories of the Kingdom of Hyrule present it as perfect and infallible, and that when it fell, dark magic and wheels of fate were to blame. Other legends tell of ancient deities who abandoned Hyrule, and blame a hero who was supposed to save the Kingdom from disaster.
All of this, of course, is false. A kingdom so large and prosperous could not have been so easily destroyed and so quickly. The Dwemer coexisted with Hyrule at the end, so we know the truth.
Hyrule was an ancient civilization with a history spanning thousands of years. It is said that the Kingdom was the first to exist on Tamriel and that it began in the sky. This displays the ego and the hubris of the Hylian people. Hyrule was proud of its diveristy, that Gerudo, Hylians, Gorons, Zora, Kokiri, Yeti, etc. all lived peacefully in the realm, but these tribes were deeply segregated and lived miles apart. While friendly to each other, they did not comingle or cohabitate. 
The exception, of course, were the Gerudo. The traditions of the Gerudo stated that women stayed with the tribe in the valley, and men went to war or traveled as merchants. Thus, there was a very high concentration of Gerudo women, and a low concentration of Gerudo men, as they were often killed or found more comfortable lives in the lush landscapes of Hyrule, outside of the wasteland of their desert home. Gerudo women, therefore, took to Hylians for their male companions, and what man would want to live in a desert? Legends say that Gerudo are all female, and a man is born every century. This man was crowned king and ruled the Gerudo. This is a misunderstanding of the true tradition, which is that Gerudo queens ruled the tribe, but at the beginning of every century a man was crowned king. He ruled alongside the queen -- he did not usurp her. One king was rumored, however, to have banished, killed or otherwise disposed of his queen, and these rumor painted him as an evil man. He was simply an unpopular ruler, and when his queen died of natural causes, or disappeared, he was blamed for her death or for conspiracy.
This king was also blamed when violent events began to erupt in Hyrule. The Gerudo were an easy target, as they looked very different from Hylians and other races, and tended to be aloof and militaristic. This appearance of their women was also regarded as ugly, given their sharp features and often muscular bodies. Propaganda was spread to pain the Gerudo as devious or evil, and their ruler to be a dark sorcerer, seeking to take the throne of Hyrule for himself. Violence continued, and the Gerudo were blamed. Nobles blamed the Gerudo, and the poor blamed the Nobles for inaction, all while violence continued, and nothing was done. Laws were enacted to keep Gerudo out of Hyrule, but violence continued. Cemeteries were filled with children, and the citizens of Hyrule argued atop their graves. Nobles and royals continued to live comfortably, but the poor became poorer and fewer in number.
Valuable professions went unfilled as the poor died to disease and brutality. The monarchy crumbled as a building crumbles without a foundation, and as their kingdom fell, they blamed everyone but themselves. The Kingdom's provinces and tribes became fragmented and self-contained. The Zoras, Gorons, Yeti, and even the Gerudo lived on without Hyrule, and the Kokiri remained blissfully unaware that there was ever a conflict at all.
Another phenomenon mentioned in the legends of Hyrule are the "dark days," when the sun never rose, and the sky remained black forever. The days became colder and Hyrule fell into an unseasonable, eternal winter. These legends also mention the eruption of a volcano in the Kingdom and a monster emerging from said volcano. The darkness and the cold were born of the volcanic eruption: the ash blocked the sunlight, cooling Hyrule.
Hyrule's history is weaved tightly with the Legend of Zelda, a wise, fair ruler, powerful sorceress, and descendant of a Goddess. She was said to be a brilliant tactician and compassionate queen. in fact, several women named Zelda exist in Hylian legends, as the name was passed down in each generation, and the oldest daughter of each king was always named Zelda to honor the legend.
The Queen of Hyrule during the so-called Last Great War of Hyrule was regarded highly, and was said to have directly fought evil in place of an absent Hero. However, there is no evidence this woman ever existed.
The Dwemer took in refugees from Hyrule's many civil wars, and we preserved myriad relics of Hyrule. The magic was potent and worthy of study. The citizens we took in were often unaware that their heirlooms resonated with magical energy. We were grateful for the opportunity and used much of Hylian ingenuity to strengthen our understanding of this world and its history, however convoluted and misinterpreted it may be.
Translators Note:
I am surprised by this book in two regards.
First, the author seems to be fair to Hyrule's history, rather than ignoring it or judging it as Dwemer often do.
Second, the author makes no mention of the Black Beast and implies that Zelda may not have existed. I know she existed; she was a fearless leader and a formidable sorceress. There was surely evidence of her as well as the Black Beast and it pains me that the Legend of Zelda has faded so.
== Background and Inspiration ==
== Notes ==
This book is located at the end of Sand God Passage, along with the first Dwemer Legend Vol. 2, the untranslated version.
== See Also ==
Empty Goddess
Last Great War of Hyrule
Reach Secret Grotto
Sand God Passage