Spoiler The case for Rauru's early reign; before Skyward Sword

[Ryuu Kage Desu]

I think it's convenient that three of the four races are completely absent from three of the founding eras.

If we look at the canon timeline:

SS:
Gorons, Zora (Parella), Gerudo (I argue Groose)
MC:
Gorons
FS:
None
OoT/MM:
Gorons, Sea Zora, Gerudo

WW/PH/ST:
Gorons, River Zora (Zora Warriors), Rito, Gerudo (Ganondorf and I argue Astrid)

TP:
Gorons, Sea Zora, Gerudo (Ganondorf and I argue Telma)
FSA:
Gorons, River Zora, Gerudo

ALttP/OoA/OoS/LA/ALBW/TFH/EoW:
Gorons, River Zora, Sea Zora, Gerudo
Z1/Z2:
River Zora

BotW/TotK:
Gorons, Sea Zora, Rito, Gerudo

Which is TotK past most likely to take place before or after, just based on number of races present? Not saying definitevely, just following trends.

The best I can propose my perspective on this is that each game is like a snapshot of a crazy party. You can't say for sure who is not at the party, versus who is just out of the frame, based on only the picture. The image only tells us who we can confirm was there.

The TP castle is completely fine in the end credits.

The castle isn't that damaged in BotW compared to OoT. It would be weird for some scattered clumps of mostly consolidated and traversable rubble to be more seal-breaking than the entire castle being turned into a lava lake.

I agree with the TP castle issue. The top was destroyed, but quickly replaced.

If we look at the lessor seals we pass before getting to Mummydorf, at the beginning of TotK, and how far down we need to go, later, to reach the same chamber; it's likely that the lava lake never made it to the first lessor seal. The lessor seals appear to be shattered in place, with debris scattered on both sides, so I don't think it was a physical breaking, from the outside in. I wouldn't be surprised if the act that broke the seal came through the purification spike, from the observatory... Where we fight Cyber-punk Ganondorf, in BotW.

Too much research:
America is named after Amerigo. Maybe the Gerudo butterfly was discovered by a man named Gerudo.
Brazil is named after a tree.
Mexico is named after the location of the moon. We don't know what Gerudo means, this point is v subjective.

Some interesting points. They do mostly muddy the water. Brazil is an interesting one, with the country being named after the tree, but the tree being named by the Portuguese. Ultimately, we still don't have any cases of things like insects being the first to have a name, then the people, or a land, being named after it, but plenty being the other way around. The closest we ( you get credit for finding it) have found is a case of the tree name coming first, as provided by a foreign people.

I made a bad argument: I'm honestly just mad that the OoT King didn't listen to his prophetic daughter.

Fair. Even King Rhoam expressed similar regret in his journal. It seems to run in the family; not listening to the daughter, who happens to embody the Goddess.

I am coming around to pre-SS as the only alternative theory to an AT placement. I held out hope for Moblinking's pre-MC theory, but I don't think it works if the new TotK Master Works timeline is saying that the "creation of the world" coincided with the creation of the secret stones.

I'm glad you are starting to come around. I missed the part about the secret stones. Fascinating.

The revelation that Sonya was designed to be the Ancestor of all Zeldas is also a welcome reveal. A coworker did ponder if that retcons the idea that Zelda has the blood of the Goddess. As I see it, no. Either Sonya already has the blood in her, or her child (or even grand child) with Rauru couples with the Goddess. Unless we have some immaculate conception / double DNA, gods tampering with a womb type stuff going on. Basically, there's plenty of room.

 

[Daku Rinku]

Your analysis @Ryuu Kage Desu as ever is thorough and fascinating!
In regards to The Gerudo Origins, I read the Goddess Din created The Gerudo and The Goron.

 

[Ryuu Kage Desu]

Thank You, @Daku Rinku . Where might you have read that? It would be interesting, considering the creation story.