Races of Hyrule: Lynels

Go back to Races of Hyrule.
==History==
The origin of the savage Lynels is shrouded in mystery. Although the definitive answer may never be known, the modern consensus is that they were manufactured by unknown creators to be magical super-weapons, based solely on their relatively rote activity. If said creators actually did exist, there is no physical evidence for them, although some suspect that they were eradicated and their civilization thoroughly erased by the Lynels themselves.
Lynels have been known to exist by Hylians for thousands of years. Legend tells that Lynels were manipulated by Demonic forces into serving them against the Hylians during the War for the Surface. During much of recorded history, the Hylians and other races of Hyrule either strived to avoided the Lynels at all costs, or openly worshiped the Lynels in an attempt to appease them. It wasn't until the Hylians were united as a single kingdom that the first attempts to eradicate the Lynels were implemented. These were initially largely unsuccessful, but as the Lynel's fighting behavior and vulnerabilities became better known, standard procedures to eliminate them with a minimal loss of life were gradually developed and refined.
The Hylian army continues to make the extinction of the Lynels one of their top priorities. Due to their continued efforts, it is suspected that no more than 20 individual Lynels exist within the Kingdom of Hyrule or its immediate borders, all of whom mostly stay within the wilderness at the extreme edges of the Kingdom. It is predicted that the combined forces of the Hylian army and the armed forces of adjacent countries will completely eliminate the Lynel threat within 50 years.
==Survival Tips==
It is unlikely that you will survive a direct confrontation with a Lynel. Only the greatest of warriors have bested them in one-on-one combat, and you will most likely be completely overwhelmed and suffer a quick but painful death in such a scenario.
The best way to prevent such an outcome is to avoid coming into close contact with a Lynel. Among the Lynels' rote behaviors is to survey potential targets from afar and decide whether or not to take further actions. Due to being aware of their overwhelming prowess, a Lynel will rarely, if ever, conceal itself as it observes a target from afar. You should have no trouble seeing this on an open field during the day. At night or in tighter spaces, a Lynel can be more difficult to spot, but it may be given away by its glowing green eyes if it is sufficiently dark. If you feel that you are being watched in isolated or unfamiliar territory, do not immediately assume that you are being paranoid but instead scan your surroundings. Simple intuition has saved more than a few lives from a potential Lynel onslaught.
As soon as you spot a Lynel, immediately stop and do not proceed any closer. Continue to observe the Lynel, even if it is already aware of you, and slowly back away. Turning and running may prompt the Lynel to give chase or fire a volley of arrows at you. Your goal should be to get out of the Lynel's direct line of sight as soon as possible. Continuing to observe it for too long will result in the Lynel deciding that you are a threat and need to be dealt with. The ideal scenario is losing sight of the Lynel behind a large rock formation, although losing it over the top of a large hill or even among the trees of a dense forest may also work.
Once the Lynel has lost sight of you, it will steadily travel to your suspected location in an attempt to find you again. It is now that you must retreat as quickly and stealthily as possible, as the Lynel will immediately and aggressively pursue you if it finds you again. It may be tempting to run directly away from the Lynel to maximize the distance between you and it, but doing so will increase the likelihood that it spots you. A better strategy is to travel in a rough curve, but take special care not to circle back around to the Lynel's vicinity. Zig-zagging through a forest is also a way to increase your chances that the Lynel will not find your location, but doing so also increases your chances of making noise that the Lynel could hear. It is therefore advised that you only travel through a forest if you strongly believe that you are far, far away from the Lynel. Burying yourself in snow, mud, or even leaves may be effective if you suspect that the Lynel is closing in on your location.
If you can flee for at least an hour without the Lynel locating you, there is a strong chance that the Lynel has either given up its search or is nowhere in your general vicinity. Now, flee to the safety of the nearest settlement or army outpost. Riding a horse might not be a bad idea at this point, but do not, under any circumstances, light any flames until you reach civilization. Once you arrive at a settlement or outpost, immediately tell anyone in the Hylian Army of the presence and rough suspected location of the Lynel. From here, listen to and obey any evacuation and relocation orders that the Hylian Army may give you.
According to widespread rumor, if you are directly confronted by a Lynel you might be able save yourself by resorting to flattery or giving the Lynel any valuables on your person. In reality, this will only work for a limited time, as the Lynel will soon grow agitated with you. This tactic is known to have worked exactly once, and only because the flatterer in question was a separated member of a dedicated Lynel elimination unit that was already in the area looking for the Lynel.
==Standard Military Protocols==
A Lynel is among the gravest threats to the security of the Kingdom of Hyrule, and one of the most tenacious and lethal foes to confront. As soon as you are informed of a suspected Lynel sighting, relay this information to your immediate commander. Word will continue up the chain of command, up to the Regional General or possibly even the King himself if the Lynel is suspected to be in or near the Central Region.
From here, Rito scouts will be deployed to confirm the presence, location, and likely route of the Lynel. This information will be relayed to the Regional General, who will then issue any needed immediate orders and begin planning an assault against the Lynel with army strategists. Observation and (if needed) baiting of the Lynel with Rito scouts will continue. In general, any settlements within twenty-five kilometers of the Lynel or its suspected path will be given mandatory evacuation orders. During this time, immediately comply with all orders issued by your direct commander.
As soon as possible, an army unit trained specifically to deal with Lynels will contact the Regional General and implement the plan of action formulated by the Regional General and their strategists. This unit is comprised of some of the best soldiers, mages, and Rito archers in the Army, all accompanied by at least one Lesser Fairy. The Lynel will be baited into the preferred location by the Rito archers, the mages will cast any number of slowing, weakening, or dumbfounding spells, and the soldiers will approach the Lynel at multiple directions, only closing in once the Lynel has been sufficiently magically encumbered. From here, the soldiers will attempt to sever the Lynel's tendons, spine, or (preferably) both, taking care to avoid being struck with the Lynel's heavy and far-reaching weaponry. Once the Lynel is immobilized, it can be taken out in relative safety by the archers and mages, although this may take up to two hours. Once Lynels are killed, their bodies gradually sublimate into a thick and noxious smoke, so it will be easy to tell when the mission is accomplished. The region and areas adjacent to its borders will be surveyed for any further Lynel activity, and if nothing is found after a week, any evacuation orders may be rescinded.
If a Lynel is immediately endangering major population centers, a Super Bomb may be detonated upon order of the King only. Doing so will immediately obliterate those that activated it and any personnel or subjects within the blast radius, but may injure or outright kill the Lynel. The number of potential lives lost to the rampaging Lynel must be weighed against the number of lives that will be lost to the detonated Super Bomb.
Category:Subpages
Category:Species
Category:The Legend of Zelda (series)
Category:The Legend of Zelda Characters
Category:Characters
Category:The Legend of Zelda Enemies