I get the feeling my typo may have influenced things.
Next update should be tomorrow, and then another update hopefully on Wednesday to close out this “arc”. After that, we’ll be done with the story stuff and will have a ton of options as to what to do next, so get ready for that!
Welcome to the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab.
We’ve got a lot to go through here, so let’s get to it.
Music: Hateno Ancient Tech Lab
Supposedly there’s an old woman and old man here, but I don’t see the woman. That must be the girl the villagers were talking about, though.
Yes.
The director is in the back. A terribly busy person, that one. Please try to keep it brief.
Fair enough. Let’s talk to the director.
I imagine you’ve never seen so many books in one place. Pretty incredible, isn’t it? We’ve gathered all of Hyrule’s known literature on ancient civilizations here. As for the actual number of books, well…
Is that… That thing on your waist? Is that a Sheikah… There’s no mistaking it. That’s a real Sheikah Slate, isn’t it?! I’ve never actually seen one in person! If you could just show me the runes on it, I’d be most appreciative.
So that’s it for runes… But… Hmm… Strange… It doesn’t seem like you have the basic runes… I don’t understand why they’re missing. There must be some reason…
My name is Symin. You are…
Good guess!
Lady Impa caught me up to speed. You see…we were told, “A young man holding a Sheikah Slate will appear. And you must do all you can to help him. He will be the hope that awakens from the Slumber of Restoration. His name will be Link.” Oh, dear! I forgot to tell you something very important!
Wait…director? But aren’t you…
Oh, that’s right… I haven’t introduced our director.
As the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab director, Ms. Purah is the world’s foremost authority on ancient Hyrule culture.
https://my.mixtape.moe/ywpdwf.mp4
So the little girl is the actual director…?
On that note, Link… You see, the director may look like a young girl, but… Well…maybe it’s not my place to be telling you these things. You should talk to Ms. Purah herself.
Before we do, there’s a book that caught my eye.
I’ll go more into this later this update, since…well, you’ll see.
The director of this laboratory is NOT Symin. It’s ME!
Anywaaay. Linky! Do you remember any dreams from your time in the Slumber of Restoration? You don’t look like you’ve changed a bit in the last 100 years, but SOMETHING must have happened in all that time! Well, no matter! I’m just happy you’re still in one piece.
Nope, don’t recall a thing.
Really?! Well! I’m so shocked I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to recover from this! Even though, 100 years ago, I took you to the Shrine of Resurrection after Calamity Ganon fatally wounded you… Even though I was the one who put you safely into the Slumber of Restoration…
Trust me, I think I’d remember if a little girl saved my life. Sorry.
Oh, sooooorry… I have a bad habit of taking notes rather abruptly like that. It’s a charming quirk, isn’t it?
If you were the one to save me a hundred years ago…how are you a child!?
The truth is, I look this way because of a failed experiment. Well, I say “failed,” but…in some ways, it was a success. I documented the full affair in my diary upstairs.
Anyway. Enough about that! Back to the topic at hand! Here you are, after 100 years! Here to defeat Calamity Ganon, who is growing in strength with every passing moment! And to rescue our beloved Princess Zelda! That is, if you’ve got the courage to try. And to help the one true hero, I, the one and only Purah, will restore the basic functions missing from the Sheikah Slate!
Sounds good to me!
All right, then. First I need you to run an errand for me.
What’s with that look on your face?
Well…
Let me explain what this errand entails. You know the unlit furnace on the wall just outside this laboratory? Could you please bring the blue flame from the ancient furnace in town? Oh, and also use it to light our furnace?
OK then. I’m counting on you for that blue flame!
As usual, things can’t be that simple.
Luckily, there’s a torch nearby.
Here is the ancient flame. It’s not a far walk, but one misstep might make you put away your torch, or worse, it might rain.
Luckily there are a bunch of these lanterns along the path you can set alight, and you can simply recover your flame from the last lit lantern if needed.
You can just walk along the main road, but there’s a small shortcut around the pasture that also has lanterns. The trick is to hope it doesn’t rain, really.
Otherwise it’s a trivial trek.
https://my.mixtape.moe/bxqszk.mp4
…Oops.
Music: Hateno Ancient Tech Lab
Linky, thank you so much! Now then, take a look over there! The Guidance Stone must be starting to react! There’s nothing mysterious about it - this is pure science!
Well then… Let’s go ahead and restore those Sheikah Slate runes for you!
…Snap?
Hokay then, Sheikah Slate repair…underway! Guidance Stone lock removed! Now…let’s do this thing!
Starting repair.
So, the final rune is…probably not you were expecting. We’ve unlocked the ability to take pictures using our Sheikah Slate.
https://my.mixtape.moe/tjjiuc.mp4
We’ve also unlocked something called the Hyrule Compendium. And apparently there’s pictures already in the slate.
Hmmm, lessee here… Which one is it… Camera, Hyrule Compendium, album… Yep, looks good! So I know this is sudden, but hear me out.
Time to use the camera!
First, select the rune, of course.
The D-Pad can zoom in, while X lets you take selfies. I’m sure we’ll take plenty of those later.
If you’re taking a picture for a quest, the object or person will have the usual quest marker to indicate as such.
After this, we get the choice of saving the picture in our album. The album can only hold a meager 48 pictures, so we’ll be deleting a lot of stuff as we go, sadly.
Look and see!
Oooh, I can’t wait to see it! Lemme see, lemme see!
Huh? Oh, I guess that’s my cue! Sorry, I kind of lost it there. It wasn’t on purpose. Hmmm…
I knew Princess Zelda had made frequent use of the Camera feature, but this… Hey, Linky! It dawns on me that you were Princess Zelda’s appointed knight, which means…
Oh…right. The “lost memory” thing could prove troublesome. But don’t lose hope! It just means these pictures could be the missing piece to help restore your lost memories! If my hunch is correct, I suggest you check in with Impa. She knows more about Princess Zelda than even I do!
So we might have a lead onto recovering Link’s lost memories, should we be interested in doing so of course. I’ll check in with Impa next update to set that stuff up. For now…
Oh, yeah! There’s just one more thing I need from you! You don’t have to worry about this until after you see Impa, but I want you to bring me back some ancient materials!
As if my joy weren’t enough, if you bring us ancient materials, we’ll give you something good as a reward.
As I said, we’ll do this next time. For now, I’m more interested in what these ancient materials will get me. And also who this Robbie in Akkala Ancient Tech Lab is…
But Robbie will have to wait for now.
So what’s this “something good” thing?
Aha! I’m glad you asked!
You’ll need three ancient screws to power up your Sheikah Sensor. You’ll need three ancient shafts to power up your Remote Bombs. You’ll need three ancient cores to power up Stasis. If we’re on the same page, stop staring at me! Hurry up and bring me some ancient materials!
Yes, we can upgrade some of our runes. Unfortunately, we don’t currently have the items to upgrade the Bombs and Stasis, but since screws are a dime a dozen, we’re already able to upgrade the Sheikah Sensor.
So how does it change?
If you power up the Sheikah Sensor, you’ll be able to detect the objects you take pictures of with your Camera.
So instead of searching for shrines, we can use the Sheikah Sensor to search, well, many things. Food, weapons, enemies, even treasure chests!
Of course!
Snap!
Hey-ho! Got it! Hokay then, Sheikah Sensor upgrade…underway!
This is a handy and kinda underrated feature to have, but right now it’s useless to us. We’ll have to remedy that soon.
Yes, quite. So if you don’t mind, how about showing Symin that spiffy Sheikah Sensor + later?
Now is later. Plus he might teach us how to actually use this thing.
With that, you can sense things that you’ve captured with your Camera. Explaining won’t do it justice - why not learn by trying? Let’s give it a shot, so to speak. Let’s see here.
This is simple enough.
Here is said Sunshroom.
If you take pictures of certain objects, they’ll be added to the Hyrule Compendium. It starts off completely blank, so guess who has to fill it in?
Here you go!
Let me confirm…
Next, open your Hyrule Compendium and tune the sensor to your picture of the sunshroom.
The detailed instructions are written down in the book on the desk there. You should read them.
You can find sunshrooms growing in Retsam Forest, I believe… The Sheikah Sensor + should make it a snap!
I don’t think you have to actually find three, just as long as you have three to give him.
So, the Hyrule Compendium. There are five sections: Creatures, Monsters, Materials, Equipment, and Treasure. Creatures involve animals, from wild mammals and birds like ducks, foxes, and horses, to the fish, bugs, and even fairies that you can use in cooking. Monsters are…well, monsters, pretty self-explanatory. Materials are the food, fungi, and plants you can find in the wild. Equipment is all the weapons, bows, and shields you can find and use. Finally, Treasure is sparse, only four entries, and represents treasure chests and the three ore types that you’ll find in the wild.
If you’ve taken a picture of something in the Compendium, it’ll be added automatically. You can then check its page to see its description, areas where that item or creature can be found, and for items how much health it’ll recover when consumed and what effects it’ll bestow when cooked.
If you press A in that page, then you’ll set the Sensor to track that item.
https://my.mixtape.moe/aqtwev.mp4
The sensor is pretty much “hot-or-cold”. It beeps if you’re running towards the item, and the signal will show more bars as well. It’s not perfect, especially since it has difficulties handling extreme height variations (which, in this game, can be pretty common), but it’s great if you’re searching for specific items for quests or armor upgrades, or if you want to chase down treasure chests or rare ore deposits.
Anyway, this must be the forest Symin was referring to.
Unsurprisingly, with the Sheikah Sensor on our side, collection Sunshrooms is a trivial task.
No reason not to.
Thank you. Here you go.
Yeah, definitely not a bad trade.
So? Was the Sheikah Sensor + to your liking? Oh, yes… I just remembered there was something else I wanted to talk to you about. Stop by when you have time to talk.
We’ve got time now. Let’s talk now.
I’ve found a way to help you search for new objects using the Sheikah Sensor +!
As I was conducting my research, I found that there were still some pictures of the past left on the Guidance Stone!
So how difficult is this going to be?
Hard? No, no, not at all… The Sheikah Sensor has been powered up to the Sheikah Sensor +. It can now access a picture registered in your Hyrule Compendium, allowing you to search for the subject of the picture. I trust you now see the benefit of adding pictures to your Hyrule Compendium. It makes it much easier to search for items you need, reducing one more burden you face in your travels.
No I’ve got it.
Now then, go ahead and place your Sheikah Slate on the Guidance Stone.
I kind of want to see what’ll happen, so just this once I’ll let it pass.
OK.
Thank you. Let’s go ahead and turn on the Guidance Stone.
If you find taking pictures of all 385 things too annoying, you can simply pay rupees to add random entries to the Compendium.
It seems the Hyrule Compendium recovered a picture from the past! It appears the picture from the Guidance Stone was transferred to your Hyrule Compendium. You can’t restore transferred pictures, so be careful of overwriting it.
You can replace the pictures given by the Guidance Stone with your own (and you can always overwrite your old Compendium photos if they’re hard to make the item out or you aren’t happy with the quality or whatever), though you can’t get the “official” photos back this way. No biggie, honestly.
Yes… What she said.
So…385 slots to fill. And honestly you have to beat the game to get everything since one of the requirements is a picture of the final boss.
Enough about pictures. Next time, we’ll catch something important I missed in Hateno, scale the region’s tower, and then travel back to Kakariko to finish this branch of our journey to goof off forever defeat Calamity Ganon.
The good thing about paying to get missing pictures is they’re nice enough to limit it to entries you don’t have. So if you’re swimming in rupees and you’re missing one picture of whatever dumb bird you can just buy it.
Yeah, it’s definitely handy if you miss something, especially specific bosses you only fight once.
Update should be up later today. Until then, have a preview.
Despite now having the ability to take pictures, I only take one picture this update. I am sorry.
For now, let’s do one thing I forgot to check out back when we first reached Hateno.
First, Hudson.
What are you doing?
I’m on lookout. By the way…
What?
Are you gonna buy that house?
Yeah.
You’re pretty studly, aren’t you?
Uh…come again?
You’d be a great hire for our company… What’s your name?
I’m Link.
Oh… Well, too bad. Can’t hire you.
Why?
'Cause your name doesn’t end in “son.”
Son?
The boss, Bolson, has a strict hiring rule: need a name ending in “son”. No exceptions.
That’s too bad.
“Builds team unity,” he says. Anyway… You got some stuff to do, right? Should get going, then.
We’ll want it to hit day first. We can do this at night but I’d rather find the NPC that’ll lead us there first.
Another traveler.
It’s a sad story, when you think about it. These Guardians now hunt down the people they were made to protect. Hey, question for you!
This guy sells ancient items, but neither of the things we need to upgrade our runes.
We want to talk to this kid.
Yeah?
Sure!
'Kay! Follow me!
We follow this path to the right of the model town…
…to…uh…
It looks kinda like the statue at the chief’s house… What do you think it is?
Well, there’s a sidequest involved, so let’s find out.
A talking statue!?
Apparently.
Now, that is a surprise. What were you praying for? Long life? Wealth, like so many of your kind? Whichever it was, you came to the right place.
Alas, my life-for-money bargains didn’t sit well with the Goddess Hylia. She trapped me in this stone statue long, long ago. The villagers here call me the Horned Statue and don’t even bother to wipe away the bird droppings. One would think years upon years of such treatment would have made me mend my ways…
I have only been biding my time for the moment someone who can hear me appears. Someone such as you. But I’ve said enough. Now then, shall we strike a bargain?
https://my.mixtape.moe/nnsznf.mp4
So, uh… we may have just lost a heart to this statue.
My touch is as subtle as ever… Note how I took that essence from you without leaving a mark.
Welp, guess we’ve got to bargain with a devil statue now.
It’s a long story…
OK. See you!
Never stop being weird, Zelda games. Now, the statue.
Please?
Fa ha ha… Did you think I’d deceived you? Perish the thought. I hope that ours will be a long and profitable relationship. So which will it be? As I may have mentioned once or twice, I’m a dealer in life and power. I can provide a valuable service to you.
For now, let’s get our heart back.
A wise choice. Now, remain still.
https://my.mixtape.moe/vlzvvz.mp4
Well, looks like things are back to normal now.
Money and life are all as one to me.
If you want to buy an essence back, the price rises to 120 rupees.
I’m eager to help tamper with your essence anytime you want to return and pray here.
So basically this statue lets you swap Spirit Orb upgrades at a net cost of 20 rupees. So if for whatever reason I ever need to move all my stamina upgrades to hearts, then we’ve got this guy.
We’re done with Hateno for the time being, or possibly forever. For now, let’s hit that tower since it’s nearby.
I run past a Bokoblin camp on the way.
Thanks for the updraft!
This tower’s covered in thorny vines. We can’t really climb around those since they’re all over the tower.
If all else fails, use fire. Fire arrows make this challenge trivial.
Another region discovered!
A shame we can’t get a good view in this weather.
Let’s finish our current quest line by returning to Kakariko.
First, our Stamina Vessel.
We’ll revisit this guy shortly. For now, let’s check in with Impa.
I heard Purah was giving you the runaround, but you seem just fine.
Now then… Let me see.
It could be that if you visit the locations within those pictures, you will be able to restore some of your lost memories. Come back here once you have tried going to at least one of those locations.
So if we can find one of these locations, we’ll get something from Impa. But where to start…
For now, this guy has a quest that may be more relevant than you think.
Thing is, there’s a strict rule about only the Sheikah being allowed to wear it. Anyhoo, guess what!
However…it’s really hard to get there. Honestly, I’m not sure I can do it.
We can help with that.
Oh! I knew it! I just KNEW there was someone like me nearby who appreciates true beauty. Sadly, I can’t pin down the exact location of the Great Fairy Fountain. I haven’t put it all together yet, but there’s a suspicious place I have my eye on…
Sure, let’s go.
Great answer! Just what I expected from a fellow beauty connoisseur like you. All right then. Follow me!
So we’ve already found the Great Fairy Fountain a few updates ago, but might as well humor the guy, right?
We go up past the shrine right before the forest with said fountain.
The Great Fairy Fountain should be… along the path that leads past the shrine. pant That’s what I’ve been told, anyway. Yeesh, I’m completely out of breath! That always happens right about here. pant I think I’d better rest for a bit. You go on ahead.
Yeah, this one’s very simple if you’ve already unlocked it.
The Soldier gear has some high defenses when upgraded, but also some rather steep upgrade requirements compared to our other gear. Backburner for now.
Yeah, we’ve found it, no biggie.
Ahhh! You…you found it?! Really?! Are you serious right now?! And if you are, then where’s the picture? You remembered to bring the picture, right?
This…is the Great Fairy Fountain?
Well, I’m impressed you found it. I want to give you something to show my appreciation, but I don’t think I have anything on me…
Once you do this quest (which is an actual Main Quest, by the way), Pikango will start popping up in stables and a couple other civilized areas. Each time you do so, he will give a hint on how to find one of the landscape pictures Princess Zelda took on the Sheikah Slate. So if trying to figure out where we’re going based on location isn’t enough, Pikango will also give clues as to where to look.
However, since finding this stuff just by looking for landmarks is part of the fun, I will spoiler all associated dialogue for those who don’t want to be ruined.
A large gate with a snowy mountain beyond it… Oh, I know that place! There is a big mountain east of this village… It’s called Mount Lanayru. At the base of Mount Lanayru, on the west side of Naydra Snowfield, lies that gate. I’m almost certain!
So that’s it for this update! Well, except we’ve got a lot of stuff to go over now before we decide what to do next.
From this point on, I’ll be adding everything to one of the OP posts and will link said post each time we do a major vote or decide where to go now. I’ll go ahead and post it below this time for convenience.
Here’s our map. Sorry for the jank image editing. The four dots are where the four Divine Beasts are. Based on what we’ve learned, it’s safe to conclude the southwest one is Gerudo, the northwest is Rito, southeast is Zora, and northeast is Goron.
Next, a list of what armor we have, since playing dress-up is very important.
Head
Climber’s Bandanna
Hylian Hood
Rubber Helm
Soldier’s helm
Stealth Mask
Body
Hylian Tunic
Nintendo Switch Shirt
Old Shirt
Soldier’s Armor
Stealth Chest Guard
Warm Doublet
Legs
Hylian Trousers
Soldier’s Greaves
Stealth Tights
Well-Worn Trousers
Finally, our twelve pictures, as well as any clues we’ve uncovered so far (in spoilers, of course).
So what should we do? At this point, we can tackle any of the Divine Beasts, start searching for pictures to kickstart our memory, catch up on shrines, or explore using our usual random methods. Or maybe all of the above? We’ve got a lot of leads and nothing left to stop us, so now it’s all up to you!
Also choose what we should wear and what we want to dye our clothes, if possible. Reminder of the possible colors we have:
Blue, Red, Yellow, White, Black, Purple, Green, Light Blue, Navy, Orange, Peach, Crimson, Light Yellow, Brown, and Gray.
After we’ve got enough suggestions, I’ll put up a vote for where to go and what to wear, and we’ll go from there. And of course, if you have other suggestions, throw them in!
Next time, Hyrule is ours to explore!
We need to start on those Divine Beasts. Head straight to the one that’s the furthest away.
That would be the Gerudo one, so I threw it in as that.
Got roughly 24 hours to vote before I do the next play session!
So I think my plan is to do Picture #11 first since it won’t take very long at all, then go back to Kakariko and stab a Cucco and die, then travel in that direction while taking time to document and photograph the local wildlife. And maybe if I get stuck for some reason I’ll shoot one of the local wildlife and see where it runs.
This one is simpler.
A bit late on this, but Purah is the best character in the game. Should have read her diary.
Hell, I’ll go ahead and do that in the next update.
Edit: Oops! I accidentally misread that as Paya’s Diary and read that instead. I’ll read Purah’s in a future update!
Why do we keep going east
Anyway, though the main attraction has already been explored, I still do find some new things. I’ll probably do the “chase an animal” thing after I get the next updates (two or three it looks like) up. Hopefully the next random exploration covers somewhere that isn’t in the southeastern area of the map!
Our first vote is to go full Stealth Suit, but dyed purple. First part is easy enough, but for the second part, we have to visit Hateno Village.
And here’s how it’ll look.
Since I never really messed with dying my first game, I forgot/didn’t know that you had to have ingredients of the same color to dye your clothes. Fortunately, Octo Balloons and Fireflies both count, and both are incredibly plentiful.
Had to cut the audio for the following because of some very weird technical glitches that occurred only for this part, which is kind of a shame, but the animation still stands on its own, so…
https://my.mixtape.moe/yqkkbt.mp4
And there we go!
You look great! Do you find this palette-able? If you’d like to do a redye, just let me know!
Back to Kakariko.
I got a request to check out Purah’s Diary, but I got the names mixed up so I checked out Paya’s Diary instead. I’ll check Purah’s in a couple updates! But for now…
[quote]Grandmother says that she conspired with Princess Zelda and Auntie Purah 100 years ago. They decided to put a lone swordsman into a long sleep in order to prepare for an event that was foretold. Since then, Grandmother has been waiting for him to reappear after all these years. I, too, pray that he comes soon. For the sake of Hyrule…and for Grandmother’s sake as well.
After sleeping for ages, Master Link has finally awoken. It seems his memory is completely gone… But that hardly mattered to Grandmother. I believe this is the first time I’ve ever seen her quite so happy. Master Link himself looks so gallant… He is the very picture of the hero I always imagined. His blond sideburns flow like a golden waterfall over his dignified, pointy ears. And the way his hair is so perfectly parted to the side, wow! I don’t know why, but my heart won’t stop beating a mile a minute…[/quote]
No surprises there.
What are you doing?
I was just polishing the guardian deities. These deities are like signposts that guide us through our lives. Master Link, I want you to know that the path you are walking down is one we should all follow. I…I’m afraid doing stuff like this is the only thing I can do to help you…
So we’ve got a lot of fun stuff to do! But first, we’re going to get a hint on that picture we got a clue for last time.
[quote]
A large gate with a snowy mountain beyond it… Oh, I know that place! There is a big mountain east of this village… It’s called Mount Lanayru. At the base of Mount Lanayru, on the west side of Naydra Snowfield, lies that gate. I’m almost certain![/quote]
We’ve already visited Mount Lanayru, so we know where it’s at. But there’s another clue that I picked up on (and not just because I’ve done all the memories in my last playthrough). I know all of you remember every single screenshot of every single update I make, so you’ll already know what I’m talking about.
Past the forest of the Great Fairy Fountain was this gate, one very similar to the one in the Sheikah Slate. This is probably not the same gate, but I’m willing to bet similar gates will be along that road.
And since we’re taking an actual road, Ganonhoof is temporarily back in commission!
It was here I remembered that part of my duties is to perform a wildlife expedition, and since we’re literally riding some prime Hylian wildlife…
This is the majestic Giant Horse. Its massive size makes it a threat to any that cross its path.
OH COME ON
Luckily, Ganonhoof takes no crap from skeletons and starts walloping the boney butts outta them.
My strategy for this battle is to lure the Stalkoblins to Ganonhoof to be stomped to death because it’s funnier that way.
The Stalkoblin is a freaking night nuisance that I wish would go away while I do important things, like photograph horses.
Oh yeah dragons will fly over certain regions at certain times. Naydra is special since we had to eliminate the malice first, but the others are available from the start.
This photo is terrible but it’s the best I can do for now.
I try to chase it, but it’s just too steep. What a shame.
At least this photo turns out better!
Hey, remember when we met a traveler that turned out to be a Yiga Clan member at this very spot? Surely this person whose name is merely “Traveler” won’t be a Yiga spy again…right?
When my eyes finally adjusted, I found myself looking at a shimmering object floating overhead. I couldn’t look away. The next thing I knew, I was bathed in light. When I came to, I woke up in bed covered in sweat.
It’s just a dream, everyone has those.
At first I thought it was just a bad dream. But the bed I woke up in…wasn’t my bed.
And when I touched the device… I was overwhelmed with a feeling of…familiarity. When I came to, I was here…
That’s…awfully specific…
OH MY GOD A YIGA SPY
I try to get fancy with the selfie function.
It goes poorly.
Not as poorly as it goes for the Yiga Clansman, of course.
This isn’t the Vicious Sickle it dropped. This is my Vicious Sickle that I threw away since it’s slightly used. I thought it warranted the warning.
So this time, instead of climbing a mountain to find an area where we have to ride a deer to trigger an underground shrine a bird man is singing about, we have to ride down a road on our giant horse to remember things.
This path has Bokoblins.
The plan of the day is Magnesis.
https://my.mixtape.moe/lxaqxa.mp4
The plan didn’t work so Plan B is Perfect Guard it.
Remember when Blue Bokoblins were a scary threat that could one-shot us?
This area is pretty cool. Definitely an area that probably looked a lot better 100 years ago, but you can still see some story in these ruins.
No thanks.
https://my.mixtape.moe/sxlnjw.mp4
So I decide to fight this guy, then he “kills” me until a fairy saves my butt. They only restore five hearts but are still a very nice panic button.
At least I repay the favor.
Another gate.
If you see a shining yellow spot, that means you’ve found the location of a memory!
Just stand there, recall, and…
https://my.mixtape.moe/mosfuw.mp4
There’s always a cutscene where Link goes between the current and past location, until he remembers the memory of that location.
So, the memories. These are some of my favorite parts of the game. You have to find these locations almost solely on the positions of known landmarks and possibly the clues of Pikango, and your reward is cutscenes of a hundred years ago, which fill in the backstory of just what happened before Calamity Ganon struck. Of course, since you can find them in any order, you very likely will be viewing these out-of-order, but luckily there’s a Memory Viewer in the quest menu that will let you view these in sequential order. Of course, there are slots for eighteen memories there even though we only have photos for twelve…
All memories are voice-acted and thus will also have accompanied videos, though I’ll do screenshots as always.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRj3wFR5Xxg
Music: Link’s Memories - The Return of Calamity Ganon
Since the pictures are ones Princess Zelda took, Zelda figures prominently in all of the landscape memories.
At the base of the gate are a Goron, Rito, Zora, and Gerudo. As you may have guessed, these are the four other Champions responsible for piloting the Divine Beasts.
How’d everything go up there on the mountain?
Pretty poorly, judging from Zelda’s reaction. Of course, we don’t really know what’s going on yet, but keep in mind this is likely the first memory most players (including myself) will see since the Kakariko Quest will lead you here.
I never noticed this until this screenshot, but the four champions have the designs of their Divine Beasts on their blue cloths. You can easily see it in the fabric of Urbosa, the Gerudo Champion. Link’s symbol is…a bit more iconic.
No power at all?
Then let’s move on. You’ve done all you could.
After all, it’s not like your last shot was up there on Mt. Lanayru. Anything could finally spark the power to seal Ganon away. We just have to keep looking for that…thing.
It’s easy to miss your first time, but here Mipha, the Zora Champion, is looking directly at Link. That’s kind of important for several reasons you likely won’t know for quite a long time.
Thank you.
Zelda’s kinda a bit too depressed right now to take any heed of what’s going on around her, though.
I thought you… Well, I’m not sure how to put this into words…
You know, what usually goes through my mind…
NOPE IT’S TIME FOR CALAMITY
This is the cue for Revali, the Rito Champion, to fly up in the air to investigate.
And guess who decided to make an appearance!
It’s here.
This is it, then…
Are you sure?
Positive.
It’s awake…
We’re gonna need everything we got to take that thing down!
Daruk, the Goron Champion, is now taking command to get things moving since the moment of reckoning has finally hit them.
Link will need to meet Ganon head on when we attack! This needs to be a unified assault!
Unless you watch the video or read this sentence, you won’t catch Revali’s very quick disapproval of Link.
You can count on us for support.
We need to get you someplace safe.
I am not a child anymore! I may not be much use on the battlefield…
And that’s the memory.
Congratulations! Only eleven more (plus six more besides that) to discover!
However, we get a special reward when we find our first memory. We’ll discover that shortly.
However…I’m going to turn the Shrine Sensor on so we can start finding shrines in the areas we cross. And also since I know where most of these shrines are but otherwise don’t have a good reason to direct us there.
Hey, there’s a shrine nearby! What a completely surprising turn of events that I obviously had absolutely no knowledge of beforehand!
The Black Bokoblin is a durable and fearsome foe I would be more scared of if he weren’t wielding a 4-power weapon that would only do a quarter-heart damage at most to me.
But I wasn’t aware of that beforehand so I knock away his weapon with my Thunderblade.
So hey, guess what happens when you electrocute a frozen enemy?
It electrocutes everything (besides Link) in a large radius! Unfortunately, that also includes Ganonhoof (though don’t worry, what doesn’t kill you make you stronger). As a bonus, any other frozen enemies nearby won’t be unfrozen with this attack, though the foe you attack will be. You can cheese a lot of group encounters using this delightful method.
I freeze this guy and end up killing it with a Korok Leaf. My plan was to blow it into the water, but I guess I was too close!
In case you’re wondering about the Octo Balloons, it seems like you can’t attach them to frozen enemies. What a missed opportunity!
The lowly Bokoblin, the weakest and most pathetic in the enemy world!
They don’t deserve more words wasted on them.
The Lizalfos, a delightfully weird creature, one I’d enjoy more if they weren’t so common in the places you’d least want to encounter them in.
Seriously, buying an expensive capture card just to make this Let’s Play was probably worth it alone to get colorful and goofy pictures like this.
Our Sheikah Sensor is blaring like crazy in this direction, which has a path going behind the waterfall. Hmmmmmm.
Simply gliding to the other side from our current location was iffy since it was hard to tell whether I had the stamina to climb up, so why not climb up from where we are and glide down?
The treasure behind the waterfall.
The other treasure behind the waterfall.
Three boxes, huh?
This one under the water has an Opal.
I take a picture of it, and now I can play “Follow the Treasure Chests” whenever I want!
The second chest is on this platform that rises and lowers. These two are very simple to find.
The last one is on this platform. What to do…
If you see thin ropes, arrows are your friend. But alternatively, I suspect using Cryosis to get close enough would also work.
This one actually has something besides a cheap gem. Of course, I have to make room for it, so…
Goodbye, sweet club.
Three chests to weigh down the switch.
This unlocks this giant metal block.
You see, the platform rises to the level of the bottom shelf. When it lowers, we can jump onto the metal block, which will let us reach the height of the top shelf.
And on that top shelf is the monk. Another short one, though middle-of-the-road as far as shrines go, maybe leaning a bit on the easy side.
After a quick warp to Kakariko, let’s get our reward.
Here. I will hand this over to you now, before I forget.
This is what Link was wearing in the memory cutscene. This armor has the highest defense in the game, and has the bonus of showing enemy health when worn. This perk also has a bonus of showing where hidden enemies may be since it’ll show their health, very important for Guardians. A very great get, indeed.
This clothing was specially made for you when you became a Champion. Please handle it with care.
We’re still going to rock all Stealth gear, but I figured you might want to see how Link looks in this.
Next time, we get murdered by chickens.
Let’s go do things!
There must have been a time when lots of people used that gate… The world sure is fickle, isn’t it?
So today, our plan is to get murdered by chickens.
Sure, why not.
https://my.mixtape.moe/auoied.mp4
In classic Zelda tradition, attack a Cucco enough and it summons a swarm of its brethren to kick your butt.
Our defense is too high, so it’s time to strip down so we can die more easily.
Oh yeah I’ve got like three fairies. Oh well, no point in letting the other fairies go to waste. Let’s cook them!
And hey, that opens up another side quest!
It’s super nourishing and fortifying! Well, that’s what they say, anyhow. It must be true!
Koko is all out of swift carrots!
We’ll take care of it.
Thank you! So much! OK, Koko just needs one swift carrot! Just one and Koko can get cookin’! Koko will be waiting for you here!
For this incredibly difficult side quest, we have to obtain a swift carrot. Now, there are lots of ways to approach this, the first of which -
Oh we already bought some nevermind.
Koko is supposed to be like a mother for Cottla… Koko is a bad big sister…
Here you go!
Is that…a swift carrot?! Thank you so much! So very much! Now Koko can make dinner for Cottla… Yeah! Time to get cookin’!
Here, please have some! Koko’s treat!
Koko wants to try cooking different things so Koko can be a great chef, just like Mother!
All’s well that ends well! Koko’s mother must be proud.
Oh right we were gonna cook our fairies.
There we go.
NOW WE CAN DIE
https://my.mixtape.moe/mijgrb.mp4
Link ended up facing to the left of Pikango. So that would lead us…
P-please cover yourself up this instant!
Oh, right. Anyway, that would lead us…
…Welp! I kinda already showed off the big surprise at Mount Lanayru, but I’m sure there’s still things to be found.
We’re skipping the roads this time. The high ridges up here are rather scenic and are surprisingly vast.
The Blue-Winged Heron feeds by clipping its beak through the ground to easily consume underground critters.
Actually this is probably a better picture.
Then I kill it because I’m hungry.
A nice view of the volcano, so why not show it?
Here’s a Pink Heron flying away from me.
And this here is a common Moun-
Oh.
https://my.mixtape.moe/utnkxa.mp4
Oh yeah animals phase away if you chase them long enough.
The moon rises from behind the mountains. Eerie, beautiful stuff.
Alright! Time to try again.
And this here is a com-
OH COME ON
Screw it here’s your freaking Mountain Goat are you happy.
The Sunset Firefly is nice to mash up into an elixir and chug so you can walk more quietly. It also looks pretty pretty.
Oh, now this is a good find. This won’t do, though.
Marginally better.
And oh hey, I need that to show off to the kid in Hateno. How convenient!
…How inconvenient.
At least I got my picture, though.
When you actually have gear and clothes to work with, Hinoxes are incredibly easy. Just plink away at their eyes with arrows and then slaughter their feet with your best weapons.
Just always keep moving.
Even when they start shielding their eye, it just means it’s time to get creative!
Simple stuff.
And always some delightful loot.
Keese are annoying little jerks who won’t have the courtesy to leave you alone just because you’re a lone tasty source of whatever the hell they eat.
Let’s assume they eat bombs. It’s all for the best.
Oh hey, it’s where we left Ganonhoof!
Let’s ride!
…Let’s move on.
Let’s go as far as we can!
Welp bye.
Remember how Mount Lanayru was really cold? It’s Flamebrand / Warm Doublet time again.
I opt to hang around the southern edge of the mountains since there’s not really much of a point to go through Mount Lanayru again.
The Chuchu are dumb goofs who just want to hug you, preferably by ramming full-speed into you.
I give them some bombs to cuddle instead.
Yep.
Remember that quest about finding a spot where these three trees align? Now might be a good time to look into that.
The Grassland Fox is a shameful coward that runs away from anything and everything.
I also decided to change its picture for whatever reason. It’s not like I gave a crap how a picture looked in my last playthrough. The downsides of high presentation qualities of Let’s Plays, I guess.
More scenic mountain manuevering.
Eventually we’re passing by Hateno Village.
We get sucked back into the snowy areas with our current path, but we also find a tree. Time for a detour!
And our shrine sensor has started acting up!
This one’s a bit tricky. It’s not too far from the last tree, but it’s a lot further down vertically, so we have to descend a bit.
Eventually I make it to a flat area with things.
The Cold-Footed Wolf is like the regular wolf, in that it pretends to be threatening but doesn’t really do anything unless you literally stand still in front of it.
The Ice-Breath Lizalfos can be a pain to deal with, but can also be incredibly easy in the right circumstances.
https://my.mixtape.moe/mhgxnc.mp4
Mainly because fire attacks will instantly kill ice enemies.
I keep forgetting to photograph weapons. One day. Maybe.
It’s more useful for upgrading specific armors.
Anyway, we end up in an area with a bombable wall with a shrine behind it.
And that’s the treasure of the cedars! Pretty straightforward quest.
Since this is another “finding the shrine IS the shrine test” thing, we’re already done.
Our reward is very much worth it, though. We’ve now got the second item of the Climbing Set.
And another Spirit Orb, of course.
We’re about right at the edge of where we can go. Might as well make it as far as we can!
This is Crynosis’s time to shine!
After I bomb some fish.
The Armored Porgy has a strong outer shell that boosts defense and protects it from attacks. Except for bombs.
The Mighty Porgy is a fierce fish that boosts attack and can stand up against any foe. Except for bombs.
Water Octoroks are righteous pains in the butt due to their incredible pin-point precision and the relative difficulty of killing them with bombs, sometimes forcing you to waste arrows on them instead.
And so we’ve hit the invisible wall. Even in these far reaches you’ll still find fish and Octoroks about, even though you have absolutely no reason to go out this far other than see out far you can go.
Also this Cryosis block tilted up at a slight angle, which is weird. Makes Link look like he’s floating in the air.
Anyway, though we got a shrine and some nice pictures, we didn’t really do too much this run. So next time we’ll fall back to Plan B: Shoot at an animal and follow where it runs.
So I ended up doing the “Shoot wildlife thing” and ended up with a destination that’s actually new!
The “issue” is I detoured so much that we have a second opportunity ahead of us. But that decision can wait until after the next update or two.
So other than some boots and some choice photos, not much excitement there. Before we go to Plan B, let’s get a few things done back in Hateno.
Isn’t that the traveler’s sword?
Might as well get this quest started by showing the traveler’s sword.
Thanks! Here’s a token of my thanks!
Don’t be so modest! I got it from my grandpa, so think of it as a thank-you from him!
What should I… Hrm… Ummm… GOT IT!
Grandpa said you can’t find those around here. If you get ahold of one, let me see it!
As we learned from our encounter with Wizzrobes, a Fire Wizzrobe will be holding the Fire Rod, so it may be awhile before we come across one.
One thing to note is some clothes can’t be dyed. I believe the only ones we currently have like that though are the Champion’s Tunic and the Switch T-Shirt.
Eh?
Remember that shrine we found last update? About how there’s no real treasure there?
A shrine?
Well…thanks for looking into it. I guess I’m kinda relieved. But I was really hoping there’d be some treasure…
Didn’t really need to catch her up but it’d be kinda rude not to, you know?
I got a request to read Purah’s journal, so…
This one is quite lengthy, but I still found it a good read. Even includes some backstory!
Whew! That was a fun one to type up.
Pictures of various guardians and Divine Beasts.
So our new plan is to shoot a wild animal and follow where it runs. The fairest way to do this is try to be as much above it as possible, even though it doesn’t really work out that way. But whatever.
I opt to go to the Dueling Peaks Tower since it’s pretty central and has wild life to shoot at.
Of course, I have a bit of fun on the way.
And the Boko Bow is actually useful since it probably won’t one-shot as many things as my other bows would.
Also a bit of treasure diving (Amber inside).
Eventually I find a mountain goat, and…
https://my.mixtape.moe/knvdwb.mp4
Hey, a direction that isn’t east! Let’s go!
…OK, let’s reload and then go.
The Restless Cricket is a pain to catch unless you’re very stealthy and they’re very hoppy. Fortunately I am, and they are.
Octoroks can be pain in the butts in forests and plain regions, too! Go figure.
They’ll also run away from you if you swipe at the grass on their heads.
Plenty of shrines in the area, so let’s head over to one.
There it is!
First, an obvious detour.
The Hyrule Bass, the most unremarkable of fish. Seriously, restoring hearts is just boring.
The current is moving fast against us, so we’ll need to Cryosis our way to the island.
This should be simple enough. Just gotta walk to-
Things can’t always be that easy.
Though navigating the flower maze is still pretty trivial, even with a few Chuchus to try and mess you up.
And that’s that!
Very simple one. Rafts move down the river, so it’s kind of a timing puzzle.
Alternatively, use Cryosis to stop the rafts.
Next is three rafts that are relatively staggered. Run and jump across, swim to the last raft and climb up, or work some Cryosis magic as before. Plenty of ways to solve this one.
Just don’t drop the chest on a raft, since they can’t really handle the weight that well (it’s an Opal).
Last one has a chest and some bomb barrels floating around in a circular current.
I guess the object is to shoot the barrel at the right time to blow up the wall. But again, Cryosis trivializes this to the point where you don’t even need the barrels. Hell, the entire drifting mechanic can easily be ignored since you can simply use Cryosis to navigate the entire shrine.
Probably not the most well-thought-out shrine.
But it’s done.
Alright, on to our next-
Oh come on.
https://my.mixtape.moe/ycxfbr.mp4
…OH CRAP. A shooting star!
When you see one, run to it as fast as you can.
Free fairy!
Bah…I really want to follow the star, but they need my help!
Oh yeah don’t attack electric enemies with melee weapons, probably a bad idea.
Goodbye, free fairy.
Also goodbye, Bokoblin.
Not bad as far as rewards go.
I suppose no place in Hyrule is safe anymore. Not even the settlements. All the more reason for me to redouble my training in order to help my beloved Sorelia!
If we talk to him again…
We’ve traveled for months in search of a flower called the silent princess. Legend has it that if you swear your love before its freshly plucked blossom, you and your partner will live a charmed life. Alas, all our searching so far has been for naught.
I knew the risks of roaming the countryside with monsters about when I insisted on accompanying Tye. But I firmly believe that my husband and I can withstand any kind of hardship, so long as we are together.
I have quite a few Silent Princesses, maybe you guys should just take one of mine before you get blasted by a Guardian or something.
No time for that now, though!
Blupee!
Closing in!
Got it! The Star Fragment is very hard to get, and a ridiculous number of armors require them for upgrades, especially the Amiibo outfits (oh yeah certain Link Amiibos have a chance to give you outfits based on previous 3D Zelda games, we probably won’t see them though since I don’t want to buy a ton of them to show off outfits I’ll never wear anyway).
Next I see a hill and scale it to get my bearings, and photograph a Rare Ore Deposit along the way. Using the Sheikah Sensor on those will be huge in case I ever need to grind money.
I also see another shrine, so…
This one is covered in thorny vines. We should’ve burned all this first before reaching the shrine.
Oh well!
So this is a rather weird one.
https://my.mixtape.moe/vmandg.mp4
Pushing the stone wheel forces the laser to rotate.
Once the laser hits the switch, water fills the room, letting us reach the other side.
There’s a barrel here, but it’s wooden, so it floats when the water is high.
Otherwise, it’ll open the switch to the monk. Shrine complete, right?
Not if we want that chest. So we’ll have to get into this room (which requires the water level to be down), then raise the water remotely so we can use Cryosis to reach the chest.
Oh, and at the side of the room where we start is this chest with an opal.
So the solution I found is to lay a bomb next to the switch. You can reach it by raising the water level and using Cryosis.
I don’t even bother with the laser. I shoot the switch with a bow to lower the water level. You can skip using the laser completely, though it may require a long-range bow to reach the switch from your starting location. You also have to be quick doing this, since the water will start lowering and shatter the Cryosis block you’re on. And you can’t really see the switch from the flooring of the monk side of the shrine.
Then we bomb it and there we go! What’s the reward for all this madness?
A Giant Boomerang! I’ll take it.
And we’re also up to four Spirit Orbs, which means time to vote on our next upgrade!
And after all that, this is where we ended up. Quite a bit off-course from our original path, which honestly is fine with me since our path was going to take us through Hyrule Castle and, uh, that’s still probably out of our league for now.
Anyway, burning all those thorns creates a convenient updraft to take us to…hey is that smoke?
Oh, what have we here?
I apologize for calling on you so suddenly!
As you are a real Hylian, I had no choice but to call upon you!
Ah, the Zora. They’re one of the most prevalent races in the series, starting off as a water enemy in the first few games before Ocarina of Time made them a full-fledged race. In Wind Waker they eventually evolved into the Rito, which makes having both races in Breath of the Wild all the more confusing. Just don’t think too hard about it.
Eh, Zelda’s been fighting Calamity Ganon for a hundred years now, what’s a few more days? Let’s hear it!
Thank you so very much!
I need you to go upstream of Zora River, which runs along the north side of that tower…to Inogo Bridge.
I can see it in your eyes. You’re asking yourself, “Why me?” A reasonable question for a stranger accosted by a passing Zora in such a manner. But I must assure you, this venture will be very profitable for you as well!
And as this is a royal request from the prince himself, it’s safe to assume a generous reward is in the cards…
Well…this is an interesting development. Should we visit Prince Sidon, or should we continue on our path to the north?
In the meantime, let’s check the area out.
Alright.
So this is a Bokoblin camp.
I opt for slaughter and photography, in no particular order.
So stealthy, they don’t suspect a thing…
https://my.mixtape.moe/rescih.mp4
I love this game.
Then I use the fire to alight an arrow to burn more Bokoblins.
My fiery plan backfires on me when I get set on fire.
https://my.mixtape.moe/plwxny.mp4
Meanwhile, this is probably my favorite kill yet.
All that for another Halberd. That’s fine.
So… I don’t want to choose what to do yet since, well, that’s you guys’ job. I end up deciding to scale this tower for the time being so we can get better bearings on where we are, and after that we can make our next decision.
This area’s got a few Lizalfos walking around, but nothing too bad. Interesting design, at any rate.
Plenty of pretty shells, too.
I rush past some enemies (and I ignore the shrine for now since the tower is my main goal, plus it’d be easier to reach said shrine from the tower considering how important height can be).
Enemies on precarious platforms, huh?
https://my.mixtape.moe/urrtvi.mp4
Moblins and Bokoblins aren’t great swimmers, apparently.
Plenty of loot. The Bokoblins had Fire and Ice arrows.
The chest is…less exciting.
Well, the contents of the chest is not that exciting. The chest itself, however…
https://my.mixtape.moe/usrefc.mp4
Yeah.
Long story short, I get my butt kicked again.
It’s OK though because I return the favor. There’s only five arrows in the wooden chest, by the way.
Sorry, the hole is just a boring old hole. Nothing special.
Though it did lead to me finding a stash of Bokoblin food.
Further up is this enemy encampment.
It includes a couple of black Bokoblins, so it’s good to be cautious.
Further on up…
This time we meet the Ice Wizzrobe. It’s similar to the Lightning one, except, you know.
That and fire instantly kills it.
I’m kinda full on items so I pass for now, but freezing stuff is handy.
Eventually I reach Lanayru Tower. Thankfully the tower itself is an uneventful climb with no gimmicks beyond reaching here in the first place.
Though for once, we’re not alone.
ahem Excuse me! Yes, you! I am Gruve of the Zora!
I climbed up here. But how did you get here?
Hm… How very astute of you! An excellent query indeed! I, by order of Prince Sidon of Zora’s Domain, am searching for a Hylian. Or I was…but then I fell asleep. I awoke to a loud noise and awful quaking, and now here I am. I’d like to get down and be on my way, but I’m simply too high up! I need to figure something out. Prince Sidon is down at the bridge below, but for some reason I cannot seem to catch his attention! But you! You are a Hylian, yes?! Well then! My luck is improving!
Hmm… Prince Sidon doesn’t seem to notice my struggle… Perhaps I should swallow my fear and jump to the river below. Then I could return to him! He must be worried sick.
I’ll likely meet the gods of the ever after before I ever see Prince Sidon again… Mr. Hylian, I must apologize…
Well, then. Before we make our decision, we’ve got one thing to do.
There we go.
So we’ve got ourselves a choice here. We can either continue traveling north, which by my estimates would take us to the left of the volcano to who-knows-where, or we could meet with Prince Sidon and see where that thread leads.
Cast your vote on what we should do! And while we’re at it also vote for our next Spirit Orb upgrade.
Gonna let the Spirit Orb poll run for a bit longer since it’s kinda close and I doubt I’ll cash them in during my next playthrough.
Think I’m ready to call this one, though. Prince Sidon it is!
Lots of scenic views from this tower!
But this shrine is close by and right near where we need to be. Plus, another Zora!
Sure am!
Perfect! It must be my lucky day! Oh… ahem I apologize for calling out to you so suddenly. I am Torfeau of the Zora. I have been searching for a Hylian like you for a very long time! My home, Zora’s Domain, is in terrible danger. That is why Prince Sidon sent me in search of a strong Hylian warrior.
Would you please talk to the prince and perhaps save us all? We would be ever so grateful!
We will…after things!
Like messing up this squirrel photo.
And taking a picture of this really nice radish.
This shrine’s another Minor Test Battle.
The Thunderblade makes it a joke.
Photos of our drops.
I have two Thunderblades and this one’s took some hits so away it goes! It actually shoots out lightning when thrown, which is pretty sweet.
The reward’s a pretty nice bow, stronger than our current arsenal. Works for me!
And that’s that for that!
Alright. Now let’s talk to this Prince Sidon we’ve heard so much about.
Young one! Up top! Above you!
So this is Prince Sidon.
So…you may have heard about this guy. Seems to be really popular for whatever reason. I mean, I kinda see the appeal, but he doesn’t really do it for me.
He’s still a cool dude, though.
Oh, pardon me…
https://my.mixtape.moe/keiivh.mp4
And what is your name? Go on, please tell me!
Your name is Link?! What a fantastic name!
Well, in any case, it is a strong name! To be honest, I’ve been watching you. I’ve seen the way you work. I can tell by how you carry yourself that you are no ordinary person.
I mean, there’s no point in modest here, we’re pretty good.
I am a Zora prince, after all. I have an eye for talent that is unparalleled!
I have been searching for someone like you for a long while. A man like you, Link, who carries himself with power!
Please, promise you will help us! We need your strength, warrior!
So it looks like Prince Sidon is our lead to the Divine Beast Vah Ruta. Of course we’ll go!
Thank you, Link! You are indeed the man I thought you were! Now Zora’s Domain will be saved for certain! No time to waste! Hurry up and head over!
As a Hylian, I know you are unable to swim up the river. As such, the path to the domain may be a bit treacherous. You likely have a tough fight in store - there are monsters up ahead that attack with electricity.
Oh! That’s right! I have something that I would like to give to you! This is just a small trinket to show that I have faith in you.
It is a drink that will increase your resistance to electricity! I am not sure why, but its effects do not seem to work for Zora. Perhaps because it was made specifically for Hylians. It should work wonders for you, though!
https://my.mixtape.moe/ytsuab.mp4
So that was Prince Sidon. Really friendly and passionate guy. OK, maybe I do see why he’s such a heartthrob.
This part can be pretty challenging. The path is long and loaded with enemies, including lots of electric attacks. And since it’s always raining here, the electric attacks are extra-potent, hitting a large radius upon impact. And you can’t easily avoid the road by climbing either since the rain makes climbing difficult unless you have a ton of stamina to expend. Though you could cheese it simply by approaching Zora’s Domain from the north, since its northern border is surrounded by lots of tall mountains. You’ll even get special dialogue from “sequence breaking” like that.
For this run, though, we’ll be doing things the way you’re “supposed” to.
The first branch of the path is nothing special. Water Octoroks and Lizalfos, nothing too exciting.
Mainly an excuse to get some pictures in.
I just took this screenshot because I liked the way it looked.
An encampment with some basic weapons to photograph.
Next is a small stream with a couple Octoroks.
All this stuff randomly floated here. Alright, then.
When we start ascending again…
Since I pressured you into coming, I was not sure you would really come through. I am pleased things are going well. Ever since this strange occurrence, there have been a lot of monsters around here. Be careful as you proceed!
Sidon popping in along the path to give us encouragement may be a recurring thing for this section.
So we ascend.
There’s a few areas short enough to scale. We can do this to bypass this tunnel.
Plus free stuff up here.
At the end of the tunnel…
Lizalfos archers. Nothing new here, except…
Yeah. They all use Shock Arrows. And there’s quite a few, like five or six.
This section stuck out for me the first time I played it. I found the Zora, which led me to Sidon and this quest, and here I am, night in-game, facing off against a volley of Shock Arrows. I ran for my dear life pretty much from here to Zora’s Domain.
I won’t be doing that here. Slaughter is more interesting that cowardice.
It certainly is not easy, though. Even with the potion, these arrows can two-shot me, three if I’m lucky.
Many of the Lizalfos on this path drop five-arrow packs, sometimes even two of them. By the end I’ve got enough to be set for awhile.
Of course, I struggle with the “surviving” part of things. Shock Arrows have a large radius of impact in this rain, and sometimes you’ll get disarmed as well.
There is a chest with a free bow inside, at least.
Fun fact: Put a metal crate in front of an enemy shooting shock arrows at you. Guess what happens when they hit the crate six inches in front of them instead!
Unfortunately I get a bit too fancy and fail to dodge an arrow.
I…kinda die a few times here. And more than a few times later on.
Eventually I clear them all out and clean things up.
Moving on!
I shall be along soon myself. I won’t be much longer! In the meantime, I’ll be cheering you on from here in the river, so hang in there!
That’s our prince!
I stumble upon some Electric Keese sleeping in a cavern.
https://my.mixtape.moe/vmkacz.mp4
I’m saddened one survived (though not for long, of course).
Up ahead I see three Lizalfos dancing around a fire (with some seared steak roasting over it). This game actually detects overhangs properly as far as shelter from rain goes. You can climb under them and light fires just fine.
Anyway I climb up over them and slo-mo them with arrows until they’re pincushions.
Making progress!
You’re almost halfway to Zora’s Domain!
It’s nice to be believed in.
Further on is another Lizalfos. No biggie.
However, there’s also a lit cooking pot here.
I’ve kinda burned through most of my food and elixirs, so now’s a good time to restock. A couple speed elixirs, offense/defense foods, heat/cold resistance, and general health recovery. Never hurts to be prepared!
At certain points, rocks will fall down, Death Mountain-style.
https://my.mixtape.moe/ueslbv.mp4
Including this one, though I’m able to squeeze by.
Looks like another enemy encampment.
A lone Lizalfos here, simple enough.
Nice opportunity to photograph some weapons.
There’s a Blue Lizalfos in this batch, plus a couple more in the background with Shock Arrows.
I was not aware about the Shock Arrows.
We can also try to sneak through above.
https://my.mixtape.moe/oiymxr.mp4
This kinda deters me from trying any further, though.
Let’s actually use an Elixir!
Now to get the perfect pic-
Oh.
There we go!
And that takes care of the archers, too!
If you approach the mountain top from the bottom path and around, you’ll spot this pond full of frogs. I can’t wait to mash them and drink them!
There’s only two Lizalfos here and no exploding barrels around me, so it’s not so bad.
Free money and a decent array of gear.
This is a big bridge, alright.
And to our left, I gotta assume is Zora’s Domain.
Look below! Down here!
You will be in Zora’s Domain before you know it! In fact, I’m going to head that way too! I shall meet you there!
Beware, warrior! A monster approaches from behind you!
Sidon’s even got our back!
Too bad I try to get fancy and fail.
Much better.
I backtrack because I forgot to check something out.
Not that, though that is nice.
There’s a few of these scattered around the area.
A lot of nice background details. I’ll read what I find.
Right, onward!
The path goes on to the left, but the doe went down a rather interesting right path…
That’s…quite the big reservoir. And at the end of this path…
The events of the Great Calamity still linger on.
Further up is this jerk.
I knock him off the cliff, though he can float so he comes back shortly.
Gives me time to mess around a bit first, though.
That sounds pretty awesome. I doubt we’ll ever be strong enough to lift up a Guardian, unless we find a giant metal plate for it to walk over first.
Right, this guy. He doesn’t live long.
Anyway, if we scale further up…
It’s been awhile!
Well, that’s odd.
We’re almost finished, though!
All that’s left are a couple of boring old Moblins.
There’s the big bridge where we got ambushed by a Blue Moblin earlier. If it weren’t raining, we probably could’ve skipped that whole part just now by sidling to the left.
We’re pretty much there. However, to the right is another inscription.
I saw the words “Zora Helm”, that’s good enough for me!
There’s actually a couple four-letter lakes nearby, but Toto Lake in particular shows what could be ruins, so I’m willing to bet we may find that Zora Helm there. But that’s low priority for now.
Same with the inscription down to the left. I doubt it’ll be that easy to come back up to Zora’s Domain right now, and hell if I backtrack all the way through that madness again.
And so here we are. It was a long journey, but we finally made it!
Next time, Zora’s Domain.
Next update probably won’t be until Sunday. My plate is pretty full between ARMS and the Four Job Fiesta.
Just caught up! You should have shown what happens with Magda if you keep stepping on the flowers… It’s quite something.
Also I love the Zoras in this game. Once you go further in their questline I want to point out a naming scheme for certain characters that’s not particularly obvious but is really good.
How is it possible for fish to be this attractive?
Welcome to Zora’s Domain! The music will probably be familiar to OoT fans.
The place itself looks pretty big, though it’s manageable to navigate. There’s large circular staircases and walkways, but the majority of the residents will be in the middle area. We’ll chat most of them up next update since we’ve got some plot to go through.
Welcome! Behold the pride of my people, Zora’s Domain! Now I shall introduce you to the king. Hurry, this way!
Now we need to meet the king.
But we can chat up some of the local Zoras on our way. Not that big a hassle.
Is it truly you? The Hylian Champion?! It’s me! Rivan!
Zora in BotW live long lives, and apparently Link spent a lot of time in this area, so many of the Zora here actually recognize and know Link from a hundred years ago.
It’s just a shame then that Link doesn’t remember them.
Well, it has been 100 years since then. And now I’m over 130 years old… I must say, you’ve aged well for a Hylian. Unbelievably well!
Oh, right… Sorry. The leader of the pack, Bazz… The heroine, Gaddison… And my father, Trello… They have all aged quite a bit, I’m afraid. But they are all doing well.
Oops! Sorry for keeping you too long. You have business in the throne room, right? Please proceed there at your earliest convenience.
Before we do, I’m quite curious about this familiar-looking statue.
Indeed we are!
Oh, where are my manners? I am Laflat. I am the chief secretary for the royal family.
Considering we have a memory involving her from the past, we are indeed interested.
If you do not mind…please allow me to explain.
She was as kind as she was beautiful… They say her ability to heal wounded soldiers was beyond compare. These soldiers she healed…they are old and decrepit now. But they remember. For this reason, the elders of the domain all love Lady Mipha dearly.
Say, that sounds like a wonderful idea!
Hey old geezer! Tell me what you know!
You must not know a lot, huh?
Lady Mipha! Watch this!
Uh… Need any help there?
You… You’re Link! Finally, I can avenge Lady Mipha!
Huh? I’m a bit confused here.
You were unable to protect Lady Mipha from Calamity Ganon!
The elders in Zora’s Domain were very fond of Mipha, and they blame her losing her life in the Great Calamity a lot on Link.
We can’t change the past, but we can make things right right now.
Hmph! There is no way we would ask for your help now, after all this time and after all that has happened!
I will drown Ruta in shock arrows myself! And in doing so, Lady Mipha’s regrets shall be alleviated. If you understand anything of courage, then get out of my way at once!
OK, have fun shocking yourself on that arrow, old man.
Zora’s Domain is currently searching for a Hylian like you.
We’ve achieved our objective. Now let’s hear out the king’s plea and see what we can do to help the Zoras out.
Prince Sidon and another Zora stand to the side of what must be the king…
You did well to come all the way here!
Now that I have gotten a good look at you, it is all too clear who you are…
Do not tell me you have forgotten me…
So that’s where I have heard your name before! What a fateful coincidence that we should cross paths!
I cannot believe it. The Hylian Champion, Link, has appeared before us… We have met numerous times, I’ll have you know. Ah… So many memories! My mind is overflowing with nostalgia, my friend.
It’s kind of a long story…
Sadly, no.
I cannot believe it… Have you truly forgotten my dear Mipha as well?
Young hero… Please look upon the beauty of Zora’s Domain.
Well, perhaps your memory will return in time. I dearly hope so.
Oh? Yes, of course. But first, it is worth noting how remarkable it is that Sidon brought a Champion here without realizing it! That is quite a feat, my boy!
Link, I doubt not that you have endured a great many trials. Still, I must ask you to hear my plea.
I shall do you the courtesy of speaking bluntly. We alone cannot stop this beast. Will you lend us your strength?
What?!
To ask a Hylian for help… Why, the very thought of it curls my fins!
Muzu, I expected more of you. How can you still protest?
Muzu! It is rude to speak that way to your king and his guest. Link is here because I invited him! With such unprecedented rainfall, we have no choice but to rely on the aid of a trustworthy Hylian. Have we not already discussed this and arrived at that very conclusion? He is the key to saving Zora’s Domain. I have no doubt in my mind.
Indeed! Link is a Champion, through and through. As things now stand, Zora’s Domain…
This is bigger than all of us, my friend. Zora and Hylians alike must put aside our differences and band together.
Have you forgotten already, my king?! We cannot trust these lowly Hylians! A hundred years ago, they abused the power of an ancient civilization and turned Hyrule into what it is today! And that is not the least of it!
Link…
Of late it has been mercilessly spouting water into the air. As a result, this area has been plagued by heavy rains. For us Zora, water and air are as one, so you would not think this would be quite so critical of a problem. Sadly, the rains have filled the eastern reservoir nearly to the point of flooding. If the reservoir bursts, as it soon will, I fear immense damage will befall not only Zora’s Domain…but also the area downstream from us. There, Hylian lives are in very grave danger.
So basically, only Link can stop Vah Ruta from continuing the rains that will soon surge water that will flood Hylian regions and put Zora’s Domain at risk.
https://my.mixtape.moe/qvihvz.mp4
Speaking of Vah Ruta, well, there’s our first real glimpse of it. These Divine Beasts certainly live up to their names.
Your princess, Zelda, often studied the Divine Beasts. That is, in the time before the Great Calamity. According to her research, the orbs located on Ruta’s shoulders…are mechanisms that can control the water it generates. However, they require electricity to work. These orbs are clearly out of control now because there is no electricity coursing through to stop them.
Seggin, who is quite shock resistant for a Zora, hit one with a shock arrow. Sure enough, it slowed the water a bit. Unfortunately, as an aquatic race, we Zora are terribly vulnerable to the power of electricity. Perhaps because we could not safely strike it with enough electricity at once, the water soon returned to its full force.
Link, I am certain you have already figured this out, but… We need you to use shock arrows to get those orbs working properly again!
So, about that…
Princess Zelda herself instructed you to board the Divine Beast and appease it from within?
Just hanging out in Hyrule Castle, seems to be doing fine for the most part.
The events of 100 years ago cannot be altered, it is true. But if we can regain control of the Divine Beasts…they may yet prove useful in sealing Calamity Ganon once and for all!
I did not know you had such grand ambitions, Link…
It sounds like we’ve got a game plan. Get some shock arrows, use them on Vah Ruta to stop its water, and then climb inside to regain control to use it against Calamity Ganon. Let’s do this!
Thank you, Link. Truly. We are in your debt. Our goal is the same. That means our meeting was nothing short of destiny.
This is no mere trinket. The Zora Armor is special, allowing the wearer to climb waterfalls. Needless to say, this will be very handy in certain instances.
Please, take good care of it.
Surely you do not really intend to give this outsider the Zora armor! Countless generations of Zora princesses have gifted that armor to the one they have sworn to marry!
He may be a Champion, but Mipha had no such relationship with him. So why should HE receive such an honor?
You must understand… He was in charge of educating my dear daughter, Mipha. Naturally, she means a lot to him…just as she means the world to us. Ever since we lost her to the Calamity, he has grown to despise Hylians. I hope you can forgive his rudeness.
I tasked Muzu with finding the shock arrows we will need to appease Vah Ruta. But now he has rushed off in a huff…
Link… Muzu is most likely at the square down below. Would you mind going down there? I would like you to try to speak with him.
Not sure what we could say to convince him, but considering he’s our best lead in finding shock arrows, it’s worth a try!
On the way down, another friendly elder.
Huh?! A Hylian!
Of all the Hylians Prince Sidon could have brought back… What are the odds it would turn out to be Link?
Hold on a sec!
I, Trello, shall punish you on behalf of our beloved Lady Mipha!
What about Ruta?
You! You were alive 100 years ago, so you should know all about Ruta! Surely you cannot have forgotten… Lady Mipha, our Zora Champion…in order to help defeat Calamity Ganon, she piloted the Divine Beast Vah Ruta. But I do not understand… Why is the Divine Beast sending a plague of rain to use and making the domain suffer?!
Whatever helps you cope.
Well, let’s see if there’s anything we can say to make this situation better.
Listen well, Muzu. There is something you need to know.
I was only a child then, so I did not know it myself at the time. But it is so. I grew up hearing my father tell stories, some of which were about my sister’s undying love for a Hylian named Link.
What?! No… You cannot fool me with such a fanciful lie. Not this Zora!
The facts are clear. He remembers nothing. Even when he looks upon Princess Mipha’s statue…
Meanwhile, Link ends up a bit distracted. Perhaps…
https://my.mixtape.moe/ehdznz.mp4
…this may be the trigger to another memory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIYZizAyAVg
In case you were wanting a sense of scale for these Divine Beasts, well, here you go.
As you may have deduced, of the six mystery memories, four are associated with the various Champions of the Divine Beasts. This one, of course, involves the Champion Mipha.
…this reminds me of the time we first met.
…always getting yourself hurt at every turn. Every time, I would heal you.
I thought it was funny how, being a Hylian, you looked grown-up so much faster than I did. I was…
We just don’t seem to know much about what we’ll be up against.
…if you - if anyone ever tries to do you harm… Then I will heal you. No matter when, or how bad the wound… I hope you know…that I will always protect you.
…maybe things can go back to how they used to be when we were young. You know…
So, yeah. I mean, Mipha’s far from the first Zora to fall for a studly Hylian named Link.
A closer look at Mipha’s statue may have jogged our memories a bit…
Do not mistake me for a fool, Hylian! There is no way you remembered her just now, when it is most convenient. In any case, without any solid proof, I cannot possibly take you at your word! If you have any such proof, now is the time to show it.
So, do we have any proof that Mipha had a romantic interest in Link?
Remember the gift King Dorephan gave us? Zora Armor, which is essentially a proposal armor given by Zora Princesses to those they wish to marry? The armor that was made by Mipha herself?
Wouldn’t you know it, it fits Link pretty well!
Eh!? What in the… That is the Zora armor from before! Lady Mipha made that by hand…and yet it fits you perfectly! What is the meaning of this?!
Now you understand, do you not? Now you know who her heart belonged to and who she made this special armor for. The fact that this armor fits Link perfectly should be proof enough that Mipha made it for him and him alone!
Now that you know, you must promise to help him save us all, Muzu. Please… Tell us where we can find the shock arrows we need. Knowing you, I bet you have already figured it out.
Hmph. I never would have imagined she would make that special armor for one such as he…
I do not approve of asking for help from a Hylian, but I suppose it is our only option at this point. I am a proud Zora. That means I must take responsibility for my unwarranted behavior toward you. As promised, I shall tell you where you can collect as many shock arrows as you will need.
A terrifying creature has made its home up there. This awful beast shoots volley after volley of shock arrows. Even a single one could be fatal to a Zora.
Aha!
That beast does indeed wield shock arrows. That is certainly one way to collect them quickly. He is vicious, to be sure. But I am certain Link will rise to the challenge.
In order to appease the Divine Beast, I estimate that you will need…hmm…at least 20 shock arrows. Do you think you can gather that many?
Why do you still doubt him, Muzu? I have no doubt he will be triumphant!
That Zora armor should come in handy. Just swim to the waterfall basin, and then go up the waterfall from there!
Let’s do this!
So we’ve got our plan.
Next time, we blow off our plan to see what stupid menial tasks the townspeople want us to do instead. Also maybe we’ll look into getting that helmet to match our armor.
