I don’t have to run all the way back to Calip’s cabin, as by the time I exit the shrine it is once again daytime. He’s right back here, still conducting his research. I talk to him and point out the giant shrine that is now here...and he chalks it up to a luck and plans to redouble is efforts. ...You do you, buddy. I’m taking my horse and getting out of this creepy place.
Fir River
Fabio and I get back on the road, headed east towards Hateno. Still no signs of the tower so my map is just a blue blob with a gold circle to head towards. Hopefully once I get around these valleys and hills I’ll be able to see something. Across the river from me, I still see the large cavern, but not a way to enter short of swimming across the river. Bokoblins aren’t aquatic, so I don’t think I have much to worry about. |
| I'm happy enough to see another person that I'm going to ignore the fact that you should be coming from the other direction |
The path leads me south and up a hill, where I come face to face with Toma once again. She again insists that I should let my fashion sense shine through. It’s nice, if not a little ignorant, to remain that resolute in the face of such a bleak world. Continuing up the hill, I see not only the Hateno Tower, but also a small land bridge with a path leading down into the cavern. I also spot a cracked wall hiding a chest with an Amber.
As I carefully guide Fabio across the bridge, a dark bokoblin hiding in the tall grass decides it’s time to attack. I leap off Fabio’s back with a strength and speed I didn’t know was possible (seriously, Link must have the thighs of a GOD), and work to dispatch him as quickly as I can. Not wanting Fabio to get caught in any further crossfire, I park him against the cliff walls before I descend into the cavern.
The cavern is, well, cavernous. I think this is technically the first cavern like this that I’ve seen, and I’m digging it. I haven’t visited even 10% of the world and I’m enjoying the difference in geography I’ve seen so far. The giant mountains of Dueling Peaks, the more rounded valleys and peaks surrounding Kakariko, the cliffs and caverns here in East Necluda… I’m sure I’ll notice some similarities in smaller areas but I just remember looking from Mount Hylia on the plateau, they each region had a distinct look and color palette. It continues to be impressive.
 |
| Your poor fire safety habits brought this on yourselves. |
I exit and return to Fabio. To reach Hateno, I probably need to head back across the bridge and east, but the Sheikah Tower takes precedence over that. Need my map filled in. So, I lead Fabio further south, up along the Cliffs of Quince.
Cliffs of Quince
The path towards the tower leads me back the top of the cavern I was just exploring. The tower eventually moves to my left, leaving a wide swath of unexplored land to my right. Since I cleared out the downstairs, let’s make the upstairs match.Most of the Cliffs of Quince are made up of a long, flat plain. It’s actually pretty beautiful, if you ignore the massive holes in the ground leading to. deadly drop into the caverns below. Definitely want to make sure I don’t leave the camera pointed up for too long. I find a herd of wild horses along the eastern side, though I can also see to the south a group with bokoblin riders. I go north instead.
I avoid a napping moblin under a tree and explore the rest of the field. Other then some large holes leading into the cavern below, the only thing I find of any interest is a Korok puzzle. Matching the cubes with Magnesis gets me my 26th Korok Seed. Circling around to the west, I can look out over nearly all of East Necluda - from Fort Hateno to Dueling Peaks.
As I head further south, ready to take on the bokoblins on horseback, I see that the cliffs actually extend much further southwest than I realized. There’s a small forest, and according to the map it’s located in a place known as Mount Rozudo, and it’s actually a part of East Necluda, located just east of Bubinga Forest. Though I can’t see any other way of getting there from any of those locations. Sneaky map is sneaky. Since I don’t see any other way to get there and it’s technically in an area I’ve already been, might as well make a quick detour, right?
Mount Rozudo
 |
| You guys get off on making these things difficult, don't you? |
Since everything to the east is still a big blur, I look at my map to make sure I’m not missing anything while I’m here. I see something that might be of interest - it looks like a small lake and a few trees on a cliff immediately south of here. I just need to climb up a few cliffs. They are at enough of an angle that it feels like the intended path, cutting west and then back east with the slope of the cliffs. I take out a couple of keese on the way, night having fallen some time ago.
It’s kind of cute! A little spring all on it’s own up in the mountains. As I approach there’s something...strange about the water? Not like a weird color but I think I see...steam? And like the water is moving more than lake water would. It’s a hot spring! I figure this out by accident when I have Link hop in and see his health regaining slowly while he bathes. There’s no name on the map for it but I’m gonna call it the Mount Rozudo Hot Spring. I also see a ring of lily pads in the water next to me. You know what that means!
 |
| *golf clap* |
After gathering a few random ingredients, I find a cave on the eastern side filled with ore deposits that are glowing. But more pressingly, I see a fire and bokoblin camp on the other side. Once I get closer I can see that all the bokoblins are actually asleep, not even someone in a guard tower watching. So using stealth to my advantage, I inch closer to the sleeping group, until I am close enough to one of the strong 'blins to perform a Sneakstrike.
That leaves him stunned long enough for me to finish him off while his buddies wake up and run for their weapons. I should see about stealing those first next time. I should also probably put on my stealth outfit next time since that's why iI fucking bought it. *Sigh*
There’s only two of them, one red and one blue (not black like I had previously thought, apparently), and I finish them off without too much of a problem. A chest nearby gives me some Fire Arrows, but that's it for this little grove. I head back through the tunnel, taking my sledgehammer to the Luminous Stone Deposits, releasing what else but some Luminous Stones. These glowing deposits are specific to these, and different from the other types of deposits I've come across.
With nothing else to do here, I leave Mount Rozudo the way I came, passing over Oakle's Navel again back to the Cliffs of Quince. Time to finish here and get to the tower. Along the southern part of the cliffs, I take out another moblin, I'm much less intimidated by their side now. That just leaves the bokoblins on horseback.
 |
| That's never gonna get old. |
They’ve got bows too, but shitty aim. I knock one of them off their horse with a well placed arrow and finish him off with my sword. I repeat this on the remaining bokoblins until the cliffs are safe. Woo! That just leaves the spot in the center. I climb up and find...nothing. Just some rocks.
Oh fuck, nevermind, they’re moving. Another Stone Talus. Not one of a kind, apparently. No worries, I took down one of these massive fuckers already, I can get this guy no problem. Well, almost no problem. The area I have to work with is smaller then on the plateau, so I find myself running a little more frantically to dodge the boulders he chucks. He’s got the same weak spot on his back. Which I am only just now realizing is identical to the Ore Deposits I’ve been smashing with my hammer. I seriously have to stop relying on video game logic, things in this game seem to behave a lot like they should. Advanced physics will do that I guess.
I knock him over with an arrow to the weak spot, then climb up and pull out my hammer. I can see Amber and other ores go flying with each smack of the hammer. Once he picks himself back up, I’m knocked off, but only have to repeat myself once more before he explodes in a shower of stone. I go around the battlefield collecting my winnings of Amber, Flint, Opal, and Ruby. I rejoin Fabio when I finish.
 |
| ...how? This thing wasn't even above ground a few days ago. |
Just a single blue bokoblin stands between me and the tower. I go ahead and hop off Fabio at the fork, I’ll just float back down to him once I’m done. After killing the bokoblin, I approach the tower and discover a whole new problem though.
Thorns. The tower is covered in thorns.
Why can’t these things be simple.
Heart Containers: 5
Shrines Completed: 9
Koroks Found: 30
Caves: Spelunked
Hot Spring: Sprung
Thorns: Everywhere
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