My First Great Fairy Fountain - Screenshot Roundup 42

The Final Cucco & The First Combat Trial - Screenshot Roundup 41

Cuccos, Combat, and Cotera

*screeching noises*

As night falls, Mellie finally begins to meander back to her home for the evening. I wait until she is out of my eyeline before I casually walk over and hop the fence. I don’t get yelled at by anyone, so I quickly grab the final cucco and toss him over. I climb back over myself, grab him one more time, and throw him in the pen to join his friends. I turn to speak to Cado and he rewards me with a Purple Rupee as my reward. You know I kind of figured I’d have to get him and his ex back together. Guess they’re happier apart!

Let's go clear that shrine! I head back up the path into the mountains, and walk right one to the shrine. I can see that the path goes even deeper, into a forested area. We’ll get to that next. I activate and enter the shrine.

Ta’loh Naeg’s Teaching

    ~Ta’loh Naeg Shrine~

As I'm lowered into the shrine, I can immediately tell something about this one is different. The room ahead of me is exactly that - a large, open room. Just inside the entrance are two chests, one on each side. Opening them gets me an Eightfold Blade and a Shield of the Mind’s Eye - two pieces of Sheikah forged equipment. Pretty strong, too.

Uh...Do Asimov's Laws of Robotics exist here?

Walking closer to the center of the room activates a platform, rising from a large hole in the center. It’s got a passenger - a Guardian Scout. I’m not sure if it’s bigger than the others I’ve seen or I’m just imagining it. But it is definitely tougher, and I watch as an arm extends from its neck with a glowing blue sword at the end. Uh oh.

Before the robot has a chance to attack, Ta’loh Naeg speaks to me again, imparting information about dodging enemy attacks. Then, an information window pops up detailing the buttons to press. It’s a combat tutorial! I lock onto the enemy and give a few test hops to each side as the scout draws closer. If I wait until the last minute before jumping, time slows and I have a chance to make a Flurry Rush, raining multiple blows down in quick succession.

After I complete my first flurry attack, Ta’loh Naeg speaks once again as the guardian remains still. This time he has information on backflips. If I once again wait until the last second to dodge, I can unleash another Flurry Rush. But even after that, the Guardian is STILL standing.

Ta’loh next imparts information about using my shield to knock back an enemy's attack, leaving an opening for me to make - you guessed it - a flurry attack.

Finally, I am taught the classic spin attack. I hold my sword out, charging the energy, before unleashing it and destroying the scout. The gate to the monk and my eighth Spirit Orb opens, also revealing one more chest - this one holding an Opal. I speak with Ta’loh, silently thank him, and exit the shrine one Spirit Orb richer.

---

It’s day when I exit the shrine. I make to head back to the village to turn in my orbs, but since I’m already here, let’s explore that forest in the hills. As I climb further up, I pass under a few more Sheikah arches. They did make it sound like the Fairy Fountain was back here…

Rabbit thing!!!

A flash of blue has me stopping in my tracks. It’s another one of those rabbit-looking sprites I first saw near the Dueling Peaks Stable in the forest. It hasn’t noticed me yet, so I crouch down and pull out my bow. Inching just a little closer, I loose an arrow and hit it. Rather then kill it, rupees fly everywhere and the rabbit takes off. I try to land another shot but miss, and he vanishes. Still, I pick up my loot, knowing what I need to do the next time I see my luminescent furry friend.

Great Fairy Fountain

I wander further into the forest, unsure of what exactly it is I’m looking for. The map has two lakes in the forest, one in the north and a larger one to the south with a bridge over it. I head north first, and I soon see something unexpected - which is what I expected. It is a large green plant pod, that seemingly has yet to bloom. It sits in the middle of the northern lake, which is really more of a pond. There are a lot of Blue Nightshade plants around, so I stock up while I can.

...This feels like a scam.

As I approach the pod cautiously I see floating pink orbs with wings. Fairies! Resembling the ones from Ocarina of Time, there are a number of them all floating around the plant. I very careful tiptoe around, gathering up a few, no bottles needed this time around. I must be in the right place. A ramp sits on the side of the pod, made up of orange mushrooms, allowing me to walk up to it. Examining the pod triggers whomever is inside to begin speaking to me.

It’s a Great Fairy! My first one of the game, Cotera, and she needs rupees. When travelers would come by they would make offerings to her which is what granted her power, but since the Calamity… In any event, she says she can help me, but she needs 100 rupees first. It feels like there’s a bad message here about greed and the power of money. Or maybe it’s a good message about economics. Either way, I want the help.

Ohmygod she's fabulous and I love her

The cutscene that follows is very…suggestive. There’s a lot of moaning and squealing, talks of power and how it’s overflowing...but the plant encasing Cotera blooms into a large glowing flower with a pool in the middle. The Great Fairy herself bursts from the water, her head being nearly larger than Link’s entire body. She looks like one of the most beautiful drag queens I have ever seen. And that’s not a read, she’s lovely.

She has the power to upgrade my armor! She uses some of the ingredients I've gathered, each piece requiring a specific recipe. I can only upgrade my Hylian gear at the moment, it seems. She also tells me about set bonuses, and mentions that if I restore the powers of her sisters she can upgrade me even further. More fairies to find!

I'll let you make the joke about blowing. Low hanging fruit.

There’s not much else to do here, so I explore the rest of the forest. There’s a valley leading out to the East, but it leads off the map so I’m not gonna head that way yet. I head south for the other lake and find what looks like a shrine platform, one of the places you would place an orb. Maybe Impa and Paya’s heirloom? I gather a few more ingredients, and shoot another one of those blue rabbit things before heading back to town.

I leap from the clifftop and float down to the town center, making a beeline for the Goddess Statue. I speak to her, and choose to upgrade my health bar again. Still too squishy. I think I want at least 6 hearts before I start upgrading stamina. I watch as the ornate heart drops from the sky. Do you think anyone else sees this, or is it all in Link’s head?

PARKOUR!

I decide to take another lap around the town, speaking with everyone, before I head out for Hateno Village. Most of the town’s people seem to be going about with their daily lives, and there’s still no way for me to get that heirloom from Impa. I’m just about to leave when I notice a child near the produce shop with a quest marker over her head.

Damnit. Guess I better help this kid.

---

Heart Containers: 5
Shrines Cleared: 8
Koroks Found: 18
Cuccos Captures: 10 (finally)
Drag QueensGreat Fairies Met: 1
Laws of Robotics: Ignored

Cucco Hunting Among the Crazies - Screenshot Roundup 40

An Artist, A Graveyard, A Man Obsessed With Chickens - Screenshot Roundup 39

Cucco for Cado-puffs

I figure if I need to, I can use the Shrine Sensor to help locate it. Just next to the Goddess Statue and looking at Impa’s house is a painter, Pikango, who seems to be the outsider mentioned in the Journal of Various Worries. In typical Nintendo fashion, his hair also resembles a paintbrush. He tells me he is not from the village, hence people’s suspicion, and also mentioned a Great Fairy somewhere near the village. I watch him for a few moments as he takes in the view ahead of him before moving his brush to the canvas. His art style is...charming? I’m sure someone will want to hang it...on their fridge.

So are the people buried vertically, or...?

A path to the north of Impa’s brings me to the infamous Kakariko Graveyard. It’s not nearly as large or detailed as it’s past iterations, but still pretty creepy. Probably gonna be some kind of quest that happens here. I look out over a cliff into the Hyrule wilderness for a moment. Still so much to explore. Oooooo and behind this tree is an Iron Sledgehammer. According to the description, these are actually used for mining, so I'm gonna see if this isn't any more effective then using Remote Bombs.

Headed back up the way I came, I’m heckled by a girl standing outside. Lasli works as the Hylian equivalent of one of those twirling sign people, attracting customers to the town’s armor shop, Enchanted. She is also as thirsty for Link as Rola was. Walking inside, I examine the different pieces of clothing as they sit on their mannequins. I see the shirt and hood that go with the pair of pants I found on the plateau, and they actually look pretty nifty, and I also see a special Sheikah Armor set. It resembles Sheik’s outfit from Ocarina of Time, and according to the description will help with stealth. However, it’s not cheap. I go ahead and buy the Hylian Tunic, the hood is nice but doesn’t add any extra defense from what I have. Still, I’ll be back before long for the rest.

WERK

A final thing of note is another book on the counter. Titled Rumor Mill, Vol. 1, it was written by someone named Traysi and details a location called the “Lover’s Pond.” It is said that if people find this pond, they will also find their true love.

...okay? That’s it? No quest or anything? That’s not even a full page how is this the first volume in a series of books. Whatever.

Across from Enchanted is Cado’s house! He is definitely “The Bow Master” from the Journal of Various Worries. And uh...I really don’t blame his wife for leaving. His wall is just...covered in drawings of Cuccos. Just outside the house I find the hutch, three Cuccos, and Cado himself. Uh oh. I see where this is going.

...Dude you gotta get out more.

Cado has lost some of his Cuccos. Because of course he did. It’s Kakariko Village. Really, I should have seen this coming. There are 10 of them located in the village, 3 are already i the coop, and I need to bring the rest back here. Sure man. I’m pretty sure I’ve already seen a couple anyway.

Flown the Coop

I’m exploring the town anyway, so I might as well keep a lookout for these birds while I’m at it. I go ahead and backtrack down to Impa’s and the Goddess statue, and find a single Cucco wandering by a fire. I scoop him up, and as he screams and flails wildly, take him back to his home and chuck him in. One down.

I DON'T LIKE THIS ANYMORE THEN YOU DO, BIRD

I continue to explore the village, keeping my eyes peeled for more Cuccos. Just east of Enchanted is a pumpkin patch run by Olkin. These are the Fortified Pumpkins that Steen won’t allow Trissa to sell in her shop! Olkin doesn’t seem to mind though, and he gives me one of his pumpkins after chatting.

Deeper into the town I find a campfire, and another Cucco next to a small shed. After tossing him in the coop, I come back to explore...a lot of empty buildings? I guess people gotta work, and also not everyone wants to live in their place of business. Again I am impressed by how alive this world feels.

*R. Kelly begins to play*

I pass over a field of carrots that I can examine, but cannot harvest. Must be Steen’s nearby and within another shed structure, another Cucco! I drop him off with his friends.

I’m near the entrance of the village when I find the fourth, and on my way to drop him off I see a path up into the mountains behind the village. And hey, not only do I find another one of my feathered friends, but I can see the shrine off in the distance as well. Actually, we’re right above Cado’s home. Rather than just grabbing him and dropping him in though, I spot another Cucco across the way, on top of the armor shop.

I could probably use my own para-glider for this, but…

GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!!!

Half the fun of these birds is using them to float around. Lucky for me, in this game Cucco’s still act like hang gliders, so I use the little guy I just scooped up to float over to that rooftop. Then from there I pick up, take aim, and chuck both of them into their pen. That’s 9! Only have to find one more.

After searching a few more empty homes, I finally spot him. He's just wandering around in a fenced off area with some pink-leaved trees. I soon learn that they are plum trees, because the old lady who planted them, Mellie, yells at me the second I step on the other side of the fence. Look lady, I'm not trying to mess up your trees okay, I just want to get that VERY OBVIOUS CHICKEN WANDERING AROUND INSIDE. How come he's allowed in there. but I'm not?

Don't mind me. Not plotting anything suspicious or anything.

No matter what I do, as soon as Link’s feet hit the ground she gets angry and kicks me out. The trees were planted by Impa on the day she was born, she tells me, and so they are very precious to her. Also she mentions something about the Sheikah consider plums the "silent guardians" of their village. What? In any case, I can’t get the last Cucco. Yet.

That’s fine Mellie. I can wait. You can’t watch your precious plum trees forever.

---

Heart Containers: 4
Shrines Completed: 7
Koroks Found: 18
New Armor Purchased: Fashionable
Cuccos Captured: 10 9
Old Lady's Murdered: 0. For now.

Introducing Myself to the Rest of the Village - Screenshot Roundup 38

Meeting Impa & Learning About the Divine Beasts - Screenshot Roundup 37

A Town Full of Problems

As I approach what must be Impa’s home, two guards posted outside stop me. The first guard, Cado, assumes I am some sort of intruder before taking note of my Sheikah Slate. I suppose if there was anyone in Hyrule who would know what this thing is, it would be the people who created it. He seems to realize who I am, and the other guard, Dorian, apologizes and allows me to pass.

They’re not the only people between me and Impa, turns out. After walking up the stairs, a young woman named Paya freaks out at being in the presence of a man. And then calms down when she also realizes who I am. Does the slate just scream 'eternal virgin’ or something?

This is exactly the look your grandma gives you
when she's done with your shit.

Finally I get to enter and meet Impa herself. Having no context except her words, she would have to be more than 100 years old. She remembers me, from before my sleep. And girl is missing a few teeth. It becomes evident that Link can’t remember her either, which poses a problem. Can’t exactly save the world if I don’t know what I’m doing.

Impa then tells me a tale - similar to the one King Rhoam told me - of a primal evil, a great warrior, and a princess with the blood of the Goddess. 10,000 years ago, the kingdom of Hyrule was a very different place. The Sheikah tribe created great technology and weapons and used to defend the realm from great monsters. A plan was put in place, and Calamity Ganon was sealed away using the Guardians (the octo-robots) and 4 large mechanical animals known as the Divine Beasts.

But nothing lasts forever. Ganon always returns, and so in an effort to be proactive, 100 years ago the kingdom located and used these great weapons to try and seal Ganon away once more. But they underestimated his power, leading to the events of 100 years ago, and my healing sleep. Damn, sis. But all is not lost! Zelda left a message with Impa for me, that also doubles as a quest:

That's a lot of robots. That I have to kill.

Free the Divine Beasts

Each of the beasts was in the control of one of the other races of Hyrule - Zora, Goron, Rito, and Gerudo. Then just like he possessed the Guardians, Ganon possessed them. She marks their locations on the map for me, and gives me a quest also titled Free the Divine Beasts. Similar to my quest to defeat Ganon, this seems like one I will have active for most of the game.


She also gives me another quest, this one related to the Sheikah Slate and my lost memories.

Locked Mementos

My slate, turns out, is broken. People at a research lab in Hateno village may be able to help me, either to restore the slate or my memories. She marks the village on my map, and sends me on my way. Buuuuut seeing as I just got here, I’ll stick around for a little bit and do some exploring first, starting with Impa’s house.

The first thing I noticed is that behind her is one of those glowing orbs from a shrine. It’s marked as a family heirloom of Impa and Paya’s, and I'm asked to not touch it, but I bet I’ll need to use it for some side quest later. It’s basically a key without a lock right now. Going upstairs, I find Paya’s room, and her diary. Not much in it right now, just an entry mentioning Zelda and myself, and an aunt named Purah.

...I'll be back for you...

As I make to exit the house, I notice another book that can be read: the Journal of Various Worries. Inside, it would appear that various members of the village have written down their concerns or troubles - all with Dear Abby style pen names.. There’s the man whose wife left him because he chose his Cuccos over her, a father of two worried that a new painter in town will find the great fairy fountain (I will, don’t worry), a thirsty arrow girl, a woman who misses seeing fireflies, and finally a girl going by “Papaya” that is hearing “voices” coming from a certain heirloom.

This is kind of a messed up town.

Let’s see if we can help any of these poor people.

---

Starting with the guards posted outside Impa’s house, I decide to do a full sweep of the village and its denizens. Cado tells me about the Yiga Clan, and how they splintered when some of the Sheikah decided to become peaceful after seeing the damage their weapons had done after Ganon attacked. Dark stuff, and I can’t recall ever hearing the word Yiga before. Dorian let’s me know about some of the shops and amenities in town. He also let’s it slip that there is a shrine just on the outskirts, and that behind that a “guardian spirit” lives in the forest behind the village. Fairy fountain? Added to the to-do list!

Just in front of Impa's house are a series of statues. At first I thought they were Gossip Stones from past games, but on closer inspection they seem to be frogs. In front of each statues is a stone basin with an Apple in it. Except for one. Being curious hasn’t hurt me too much in this game, so I drop an apple in front of the empty statue. Korok!

ACA: Always Carry Apples

South of Impa’s house are 3 more buildings. The first, directly across from Impa’s house is the Shuteye Inn, run by Ollie. Ollie who seems to be asleep on the job, as I have to wake him up to talk to him. There are no tenants at the moment, but maybe that will change after nightfall. I’ll be back.

Next, just south of Impa and the waterfalls is a grocery store! High Spirits Produce, run by Trissa. They’re selling some Bird Eggs, Goat Butter, Swift Carrots, and...Bokoblin Guts. That’s very...specific. Speaking with Trissa, I learn that her husband, Steen, sells Swift Carrots and has such a strong rivalry with another farmer, Olkin, that he won’t allow his wife to sell Olkin’s pumpkins in her shop. Wow. I meet and speak with Steen outside. Not knowing who I am, he tries to convince me that 100 years ago The Legendary Hero ate nothing but Swift Carrots to become strong. Okay buddy.

Girl, you need to talk to your husband.

The next shop, across from the produce shop is The Curious Quiver, an arrow shop. I’m glad quiver upgrades don’t seem to be a thing in this game. In addition to regular arrows, they also carry Fire Arrows. They look pretty cool when not ignited, a red flame-shaped crystal on the tip. The owner of the shop, Rola, is so far the only Sheikah I’ve seen without white hair. Is she maybe only half, then? Unknown, but I do notice a quest marker over her head.

Arrows of Burning Heat

Talking to her a couple of time, I learn that she is the wife of The Bow Master - the gentleman who picked his Cuccos over his wife. She also can tell I’m an archer (was it the bow on my back, or the fact that I walked into an arrow shop that gave it away?) and has a rather thirsty request for me. Apparently, young men using bows is what really gets her engines revving, and since her husband left her, she hasn’t felt any passion. So, she’d like me to take my bow and use it and some Fire Arrows to light a set of torches around the town’s Goddess Statue.

This feels sacrilegious.

Located directly across from Impa’s home and next to the inn is a small shrine dedicated to the Goddess, complete with a small Goddess Statue in the middle. Surrounding the statue are 4 unlit torches - my targets. I think about trying to use the nearby campfire and regular arrows, but that angle won’t work so I just pull out my fire arrows. 4 shots later and my quest is updated. Walking back to Rola, she rewards me for my feat with 20 rupees. Not much, but all I did was turn a sad divorcee on. Wait, am I a gigolo now?

Done with this part of the town, I go back to the goddess statue in case I missed anything. Upon inspection it speaks to me, much like the giant one did in the Temple of Time. I can turn my Spirit Orbs in at any of these statues, not just the one on the Great Plateau. However, I am still one short for my next upgrade.

I’m pretty sure I saw that shrine Dorian mentioned around here somewhere…

---

Heart Containers: 4
Shrines Completed: 7
Koroks Found: 18
Impas Met: 1
Towns Explored: Enh, like, ¼?
Bokoblin Guts Purchased: 0 why would you even sell this