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.
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!
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…
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]
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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?!
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!
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.
…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.
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.
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?
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!
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.
So last time, we got some backstory on Link’s history here and also a plan to take on the Divine Beast Vah Ruta.
I’ll be honest, not much of note will happen this update, as the majority will be wandering Zora’s Domain and talking to the various residents. So if that doesn’t interest you, you’ll probably want to check out after we do this shrine.
At the top, this weird-looking ball. At the bottom-right of this area, a hole for it to go into. The trick is to find a way to guide the ball to that hole.
There’s not really one particular way to approach this from what I’ve seen, though the best way to get the ball off is to push it off with Cryonis. I may not have realized that the first time I did this shrine.
That’ll get the ball here, where another Cryonis block will push it along a path that will inevitably lead it to fall off. The idea is to lead it from the left side of the incline all the way to the right, where you can lead it to the hole to open the gate leading to the monk.
Our general store has been in business for over 100 years. It has a long and honorable history. The shopkeep, Cleff, is really serious. But his younger sister, Tona, is head over fins for Prince Sidon! Kee hee!
The workshop:
The old man in the workshop, his name is Dento… He’s my grandpa!
This is our general store, the Coral Reef. If you are in the market for fresh fish, you have come to the right place! I have already told you that we carry arrows, but you should know the only ones we can’t sell are shock arrows. We Zora are a water-dwelling people, so we’re weak to electricity…
How’s business?
Not bad! Or…I’d like to say that, but it actually hasn’t been that great lately. Our goods are mostly for travelers…but we haven’t been getting too many of those around here lately. sigh At this rate, we may have to close our doors like the armor shop did…
There’s a bit of variety here, including some fish, swift violets, and ice arrows. Nothing I particularly want to buy at this time, though.
Also of note is the lack of armor shop. Zora’s Domain and Lurelin Village are the only non-Stables civilized areas that don’t sell armor. For the other Zora armor, we’ll have to look elsewhere (though rest assured I’ll have both by the end of the next update).
You’re a Hylian, aren’t you? It’s rare to see your kind around here. As for me, I was roamin’ nearby during my travels when Prince Sidon recruited me and brought me here. That’s cuz I can touch shock arrows. But I also weigh…well, a lot.
Yes, I’m sure of it! You’re Linny! Wow, it’s been such a long time! Wait, but…I thought you and Mipha…fell to Calamity Ganon. And if you’ve been alive all this time, where have you been? What have you been doing? Please, tell me!
Has it really been 100 years? In a way, it feels like yesterday… We’ve both been through a lot, I’m sure. If you don’t mind, I’d love to catch up sometime soon.
Almost every adult Zora here knows Link, it seems like. He must’ve lived pretty close to Zora’s Domain to know everyone this well.
I need to go to the Bank of Wishes to send a letter…but Mother won’t let me go because of that water monster. She treats me like I’m still a child. It’s sooo condescending. It’s really terrible to be at that awkward Zora age where I’m a young woman but I haven’t had my growth spurt yet. Just my luck to be a late bloomer. I’ll probably NEVER grow taller. Ugh, it’s awful to be me sometimes.
The Bank of Wishes is halfway down Zora River. If you send a letter down the river from the Bank of Wishes and get a reply…that person will be yours forever! That’s how the legend goes, anyway.
Who are you:
I’m Finley. All the other girls are head over flippers for Prince Sidon… But not me. I believe everyone has their own special prince out there, just waiting for them!
You wish to know about our water bed? Well, as the name implies…it is a bed filled with water. It conforms to the shape of your body, so it’s like being wrapped up in a cocoon as you sleep. Very calming. Oh, and its incredible cooling effect promises a level of sleeping comfort you simply can’t find elsewhere.
Pass. Too many rupees for something food can do much more easily (and cheaply).
Master Link… Do not tell me you have forgotten Lady Mipha… Lady Mipha was admired by everyone in the domain. She was the beloved princess of the Zora. But then… Do you really not remember? Lady Mipha was… Actually, I think it would be best if you heard this from King Dorephan.
So who are you?
Me? I am Bazz. A hundred years ago, you frequently trained me in the art of the blade. Remember? Thanks to that, I made great progress with my sword training, and now I am captain of the Zora’s Domain guard!
All the elders despise Link since they blame the death of Mipha on Link’s failure to stop Calamity Ganon, but the middle-aged Zora remember Link fondly from hanging out with them all the time.
It’s certainly weird exploring a place where everyone knows who you are when you don’t remember any of them.
There’s a floor between the base where the Mipha statue and the commercial areas are and the throne room above, where King Dorephan hangs out. There’s a few small swimming pools in the area, and of course more Zora hanging out here. This one in particular has a nice quest for us worth doing.
We’re gonna come across it anyway, so what’s the harm?
I am glad that was settled so quickly. See, there’s this fool in the domain who goads people into jumping off of Shatterback Point on Ploymus Mountain. It’s an incredibly dangerous jump, and this guy pressures people into jumping off by questioning their courage. He’s a real bottom-feeder. If this keeps up, someone is surely going to wind up horribly injured! I need a picture of a Lynel to show everyone how scary they are. That way, maybe people will stop going up there. Does that answer your question, Link?
Wait a moment… You… You’re Link! The perpetrator who forced Lady Mipha to join his crusade 100 years ago, only to be destroyed by Calamity Ganon! As though I could ever forget that face. You should know that the elderly here who loved Lady Mipha still remember…and they still resent you.
Link… I have retired from my role as a priest. I am now living my life free from the material concerns of this world. However… Ever since I retired, each day is more boring than the last… Spending day after day in idleness, only to pass from this world soon… Link… As I’m sure you are well aware, the afterlife lays claim to all. We never know when it will beckon.
Do you not understand the gravity of what you have done?! Not only did you Hylians fail to stop Calamity Ganon 100 years ago… But you went and stole our Lady Mipha from us!
Wearing the Zora armor, even a Hylian like you can climb a waterfall and get back up here in no time at all. That said, if you don’t mind me asking, would you please show me your true colors as you dive into the water?
When wearing the Zora Armor, pressing A next to a waterfall causes Link to automatically swim upon, ultimately flying above the waterfall to immediately glide to wherever he pleases. A great way to get some height!
Considering the effort required to do this side quest, this is reasonable enough reward.
Oh! I feel emotionally ravaged after that! It’s not every day I get to see a diving form as beautiful as yours, you know! I’ll be looking forward to your next dive! I really will!
Thank you for coming so quickly! You listened to what King Dorephan had to say! Yes, so that is the cause of our suffering in Zora’s Domain. It is all because of that beast, Ruta.
Yes… Repairs require a large number of luminous stones. You can find plenty of them around Upland Zorana. Have you, by chance, already stumbled across some luminous stones during your travels?
Luminous stones were part of the raw materials used to build Zora’s Domain. In the past, luminous stones were often mined from Upland Zorana…which is why Zora’s Domain was built here. That’s the story, anyway.
Fronk?
Fronk and I are Master Dento’s faithful apprentices. Fronk and I are always striving to better ourselves in the workshop. Master always tells us, “Repairing the domain is part of your training.” So that’s what we’re doing now.
Let’s turn in the stones.
Thank you! You’re really giving me 10 luminous stones?!
You’re a lifesaver! Truly! If you ever find yourself in possession of 10 luminous stones in the future, I hope you will bring them to me. But if that happens, know that I’ll only be able to give you one diamond for them. I would be honored if you would accept it when the time comes!
This is a pretty nice way to gather diamonds, the rarest gem out there. It’s not good profit-wise since you get 700 rupees for ten luminous stones compared to 500 for one diamond, but diamonds do have other uses, so it’s still a good thing to remember.
Alright, time to harvest some Shock Arrows. We want to take the east path to the reservoirs, from which we can fly up the waterfalls to reach Ploymous Mountain.
…Oh! Well, if it isn’t Master Link! Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes? We…used to play together all the time. That was 100 years ago. My name is Gaddison. The Hylian that Prince Sidon brought here… Don’t tell me that was you, Master Link! And what’s more…you don’t seem to have changed much in the last 100 years… Oh, but I shouldn’t be making idle chitchat just now. I’m supposed to be fulfilling my officially appointed duty by keeping watch at the east gate. I must maintain my surveillance of the East Reservoir Lake. We can chat later.
Climbing up to Ploymous manually would be a rather big challenge. It’s pretty high up, so it’d require a lot of stamina, plus with the rain surrounding it we pretty much have to approach it from the north or west, which is a long way around.
But we got this rather handy Zora’s Armor, which lets us climb the waterfall (at no stamina cost!) and then gives us an air boost to let us glide to wherever we need.
Ah, the Lynel. We’ve caught glimpses of them before, this is the first time we’ll actually deal with one.
Lynels date back to the original Legend of Zelda, where they threw swords around in the more dangerous areas of the map. In this game, they’re among the most dangerous enemies you’ll face, with quite a few tricks that make them difficult to go against, especially early on.
Note that we actually don’t have to fight the Lynel. Our goal is to get 20 Shock Arrows. We can sneak around and grab them around this area, or we can just find some elsewhere.
You do not want to fight this thing at a distance. It will start shooting off shock arrows, and three at a time no less! Then keep in mind that it’s raining, so we do not want to be on the wrong end of one of those.
Eventually I start getting some hits in. The main issue is Lynels have a lot of health, so it’ll be a long fight and you will break several weapons in the process.
Really, Lynel fights more than anything test your ability to dodge and launch counter-attacks. Mastering this process is a key part in surviving combat with Lynels, as they’re fairly predictable and easy to deal with close up, compared to their rushing/arrow attacks from a distance.
Lynel Bows are pretty nice. They launch three arrows at the same time, while still only costing one arrow to fire. Imagine raining Bomb Arrows with this thing!
But not quite yet. Remember that Zora Helm? The lake it may or may not be in is up on the mountain region, a bit to the northwest. Might as well grab it while we’re here!
It’s not very effective as an actual attack. Its best use is killing fish you’re swimming past, honestly, and even then it doesn’t do a great job at it. If you want to fish, use Cryonis and Bombs.
ahem My apologies… That sound was not very dignified, was it? P-pardon me… I’m all better now. That Lynel… How terrifying! One look at this, and I doubt anyone would get any reckless ideas about visiting Ploymus Mountain!
The final piece of Zora gear! Not bad. They boost swim speed a bit.
These Zora greaves were once made by skilled craftsmen by order of an ancient Zora king. Now they’re fairly common. As you may know, East Reservoir Lake was created in a collaboration between Hylians and the Zora. After East Reservoir Lake was finished, we made Zora greaves as a token of friendship for Hylians who came to visit. But over time, the number of Hylians visiting the domain dwindled, and my father had to close his armor shop. These Zora greaves here were the last pair left in the stock room when he closed up shop. Wearing these, even a Hylian can swim as well as a Zora. That said, these would be wasted on me. They are only useful for a Hylian like you. Please take good care of them!
Before we finish things off, let’s upgrade our new gear. All the Zora gear requires three Lizalfos Horns, a trivial thing to pay. The Champion’s Tunic is not so bad, but later upgrades will be more of a challenge…
And since it’s been a while, how should we dress? Zora’s Armor is required for a bit of the next leg, but after that I’m fine with whatever you choose, including dye colors.