Four Koroks & a Stone Talus - Screenshot Roundup 74

Beach Blanket Bokoblins

Here it is folks, my last entry. Maybe just for now, maybe forever. I really did love writing this blog, but it just became so time consuming and taxing, having to replay everything I've already done and take all the screenshots. I haven't even played this game in over a year, except to take screenshots for this blog! Still, this was a fun writing project, and I will use the skills I learned here as I pursue other projects. But, I'm not done writing about video games yet! I just need to broaden my focus. So, I hope you will enjoy reading my new blog, about video games and pop culture: The Woebegone Golem. New posts start January 7th!

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I eventually give up on solving the mystery of the three trees. I will be back though! The hills I’ve been following don’t go on much further, so I glide back down to the main path once I near Dueling Peaks. When I reach the stable proper, I nab a few more things for my camera - animals, a few ingredients - before warping back to Hateno Village - specifically the Tech Lab. Before I head back to Kakariko, there’s a few more things to finish up around here.

Hateno Ancient Tech Lab

That's a lot of water. 

I chose here and not further into town because the things that need taking care of are all outside of town, and we are going to start by taking care of those sheep rustling monsters. I head down the path from the lab until I reach the point it forks to the left, leading to the beach.

As the path winds down the mountainside, I can see Hateno Beach and Bar below me. I see what looks like an enemy encampment - looks like that is where the sheep rustlers are based - and far off in the center of the bay, the orange glow of a shrine. I pull out my scope just to be sure. Yep! There are a few other oddities in the bay. I see a strange rock formation with a large flock of birds hovering above, and even more outcroppings along the coastline that will require exploring.

The path turns to the left, running north for a short while until it reaches a small pond with a waterfalls, surrounded by trees. In the center of the pond is a lilypad ring, which also means a Korok. I backtrack a little, there’s a short cliff I can climb to reach above the waterfall so I can dive in. Well, hover over and drop in. Korok Seed please!

Hateno Beach

I continue following the winding path down the mountain until I am let out at the beach. Hateno Bay stretches wide before me, a bokoblin encampment to the left, the shrine and strange rock formation to the right. Along the coastline I see what appears to be a Lizafos? But it’s tan. The same color as the sand. Since they all seem to resemble chameleons in this game...it must be hiding? Or trying to hide. I ignore it for now, breaking to the left towards the camp.

I find another new ingredient/critter scurrying across the beach - Crabs! I find two main varieties, there’s the red Ironshell Crab, which raises defense, and the blue Razorclaw Crab, which raises attack. Though living, I think they count as seafood similar to fish, and so should be cooked with food instead of potion ingredients.

That's a lot of 'blins

As I near the camp, I can see that it’s a busy one. Really busy. I move from the beach into the grass, giving the blin’s a wide berth so that that they don’t see me as I approach. There’s a set of hills nearby I can hide behind that are close enough that I can make out the details of the camp’s inhabitants.

I count a total of EIGHT bokoblins or all colors, including a a couple of new and presumably more powerful Black Bokoblins, the real ones. There’s also a Blue Moblin in attendance, but he’s the only one. I can see two sheep being kept in some sort of pen, which I assume are Koyin’s. Surprised they’re smart enough to build something like that, frankly.

This isn’t going to be an easy fight. There’s a ton of enemies, some very high level, and little to no cover for me to take once I get in there. It’s late in the afternoon, night will fall soon, so I decide to wait and use that to my advantage. Most of them should fall asleep, hopefully giving me at least a little bit of an advantage.

A few in-game hours after he sun goes down, all but two of the blin’s are asleep. The two who are awake aren't even acting like lookouts, they're just dancing around a campfire. I know I won’t be able to sneak up and murder all of them in their sleep, so let’s just start with the biggest guy: the mobilin.

Headshot!

I sneak close to the sleeping Moblin, waiting for the Sneakstrike command to pop up. After I land the blow, I continue to attack him with my club, reducing him to black ash and moblin parts. Unfortunately, in the commotion I also woke up and alerted all the remaining bokoblins. Retreat!

I move back so that I’m not in the middle of the group, doing my best to attack them from a distance as they approach. They have their own archers though, and I take a few arrows in the side when I’m trying to focus on the nasty black fucker in front of me. This is not an easy or pretty fight. I’m surrounded by 3 bokoblins, one black and two blue, and there’s one or two more still in the fort trying to hit me with arrows. I try to focus on the weaker enemies and using weapons that can fling them away, get some distance between us. I nearly lose it and end up having to eat some of my prepared food when I get close to death, but I manage to take out the bokoblins accosting me on foot.

Apologies to the palm trees destroyed as collateral damage.

That just leaves two more bokoblins, one heading towards me on foot with a spear, and a much weaker red one firing arrows at me from the fort. Still dodging arrows, I take out the last blue bokoblin and run up the ramp and knock out the last one. As his body disintegrates into monster parts, the nearby chest is unlocked - holding inside a Ruby. I also get the notification that my quest log has been updated. The sheep are free to go!

Before I go back to town to complete the quest, I want to finish exploring down here. This is as far east as I seem to be able to go, and I can see on the map a few nearby areas that warrant some investigating. It starts raining as I finish exploring the strip of land I’m on, though I don’t find much else beyond more crabs until I head towards the southern end. There, what do I find but a yellow Korok flower! I touch it, and watch as it jumped from the shore to a nearby rock in the water. It continues to bounce around rocks along the shoreline until finally, the white flower appears on the largest rock, netting me another Korok Seed.

Deepback Bay

Heading around the coastline, I see a boat docked on the beach. That’s convenient. As I head towards it, I am attacked not once, but twice by a trio of enemies. The first is a set of giant blue Chus, which I am happy are not any of the elemental variety. The second appears to be a trio of small Stone Taluses. Tali? I dunno, but they're called Pebblits and I use my sledgehammer to reduce them to rubble. When I'm finished, I continue to the raft and hop aboard and use my korok leaf to blow me across the bay. I wish I had a more exciting story to tell you, but I don’t. I exit Deepback Bay almost as fast as I entered it.

Mapla Point

On this new coastline I find more crabs, and I stock up. They seem like they count as fish for food, rather than a potion ingredient, so I can see making a lot of useful recipes out of them. I round the corner to Mapla Point proper, seeing a large shallow pool of water nestled among the rocky hills.

I should have gotten three different seeds for this one.

In front of that shallow pool, however, is a very obvious Korok puzzle: a ring of stones. This one, however, is missing not one but three. I have to do a little hunting - the stones aren’t in obvious places, and there are also exactly three of them. The three empty spots are all on different sides of the circle, so I use that as a hint, exploring in each direction of the hole. Doesn’t take too long before my new Korok buddy shows up and gives me another Korok Seed.

From the stone circle, I find a second Korok puzzle - another yellow flower to chase. This one starts on the right side of the point, atop a rocky hill. From there, it leads me up the east end of the rocky hills surrounding the pool, before finally giving up my 45th Korok Seed.

And from there, I spot yet another Korok puzzle - this time a pinwheel on top of a rocky outcropping just north of where I am. It stands at the center of the pool making up Mapla Point. It’s not a far climb from where the white flower and Korok lead me to. Once there and with ym bow out, three balloons appear and begin to rotate around me. Not nearly as annoying as the last one of these I did. Only takes me three shots and bam, 46th Korok Seed.

From my spot atop Mapla Point, I look out into the ocean to the east. I see islands in the distance, though I suspect that I would hit na invisible wall long before I made it there. Slightly more to the south appears to be an island I could actually swim too, however. Probably a few fun things to discover there in the future.

Maybe she's mad that I killed her babies earlier?

I look down into the pool of water, which is filled with any number of rocks and boulders. And what do you know, another Korok puzzle. This one is a simple lilypad circle in the water, so after angling myself, I leap from the outcropping and pull out my glider. Then I am myself to be sitting above the circle, and drop the glider. Fall, splash, Korok Seed!

Well, that was quite the Korok hunting expedition. I swim towards shallow water so I can exit the pool, ready to move south now. Then I wander too close to one of the giant boulders down here.

Oh goddamnit. Another fucking Talus.

---

Heart Containers: 5
Shrines Completed: 11
Koroks Found: 41
Sheep: No longer rustled
Deepback Bay: Not very deep
Mapla Point: A good place for Koroks and ROCK MONSTERS

Three Koroks in a Row & Three Weird Trees - Screenshot Roundup 72

In Which I Am a Backtracking Shutterbug

I walk into the lab after warping in, moving to Symin in the back. I hand over the three sunshrooms as requested, and in return he gives me 3 Hearty Truffles. He asks if I liked using the Sheikah Sensor+, and then also let’s me know he has something else he wants to talk to me about, when I have a chance.

Wait, is she making rocker hands?

No time like the present, my dude! He says he’s found another way to help my search for stuff with the Sensor. He again goes over how I can use pictures to blahblahblah. Then he asks me to put my Slate back on the Guidance Stone. Even Purah is in the dark about what he’s about to do, but wants to see it anyway so she allows it. (Snap!)

Rather than a rune or an upgrade, a picture is added to my Hyrule Compendium - this one is for Mighty Bananas, something I haven’t found in the wild yet (heh). Apparently, Symin discovered that it’s possible to recover pictures that were in the compendium in the past. Which they will be happy to do for me...for a nominal fee. I mean, that’s cool but I think I’ll enjoy taking these pictures myself. In fact… It probably wouldn’t hurt to fill in what I can right now, right? Then It’ll be easier to keep updated as I go along.

Time for a quick trip back to the Great Plateau! It won’t take too long, just enough to grab shots of the enemies and items that I can, then I’ll make the walk down to Dueling Peaks Stable, and then I’ll warp back here. Anything on the Kakariko-Hateno path I can grab on my way back to Impa. Actually that reminds me, I have another side quest I can complete now, I should be able to find a Traveler’s Sword somewhere on the plateau.

---

Back back back again...

The Great Plateau

I don’t find a single Traveler’s Sword on the plateau. Not a single one. Did the ones i found earlier all come from chests? I scour the plateau, hitting all of the Bokoblin camps I can remember, but none of them are carrying one. Sigh.

I work quickly though, cataloging things as I search. I learnt hat while you can add enemies, you cannot add the parts they drop. The same is true for animals. But the Compendium lists what each creature can drop, so you essentially are still able to hunt down anything you need, you just have to find the thing to kill for it first.

I also learn, entirely by accident, that you can take selfies! You can even have Link make a number of different poses using the left thumb stick. And even more when you hit the ZL button, for a total of nine. I screw around a little with it, taking pictures of my equipment for the Compendium while having Link make any number of ridiculous poses.

Once I’m finished there, I make my way down the path through the East Post and Outpost Ruins. I take pictures of the Moblins and a few other ingredients and items I couldn’t find on the plateau. Bugs and other critters prove particularly difficult, since the camera requires you to be fairly close for the picture to register, even with the zoom.

In an attempt to capture some of these creatures on camera, I wandered a bit far from the path, ending up southeast of Outpost Ruins on a small hill. A hill with a boulder on it that I don’t think twice about… until it starts moving, revealing itself to be a Talus. That makes three. This one looks different from the last two though - instead of a normal Ore Deposit weak point, this one appears to have a Luminous Stone Deposit sticking out of it’s back. It also has the subtitle (Luminous) after it’s name, if that wasn’t clear. Didn’t realize these could have subtypes!

Oww.

Before the fight gets going, I snap a picture of it for my compendium - it registers different to the one on the plateau that I snapped a picture of not too long ago. Similar to the different colored bokoblins and moblins, they are considered different creatures. Incidentally, I also learned that the bokoblins I’ve been referring to as black are in fact blue.

This fight seems more difficult to my tumbles with the last two taluses. I don’t know if it has higher defense or HP, but it’s health bar seems to be going down much slower than them. His weak point is also placed in something of an odd location, directly on the center of it’s back, and I end up relying on my bombs more than I do arrows to know it over. But, when it’s knocked to the ground I can nail him head on with a sledgehammer pretty easily.

It’s a more difficult fight then I care to admit to - he actually even killed me once, forcing me to start the battle over upon reloading - but I eventually manage to take him down in a nice explosion of Luminous Stones, Flint, and even a Diamond! I mark my map with a skull to mark the location of the Talus for future reference.

With THAT adventure down, I should get moving again...right after I explore that building I now see just a little further southeast of here, on a place called Scout’s Hill.

Scout’s Hill

This game really needs a photo mode. So creepy/beautiful.

There’s not much, just a solitary building/ruin, but it seems like it was important enough to label in fairly large letters on the map… oh well. It’s nice up here, peaceful. I would be very, very curious to see a version of this Hyrule with all the buildings still in tact. It would be a very different game. I also find a lone rock in the middle of the ruin. Korok!

There’s nothing else here for me to do, I suppose. I could hang out with my Korok buddy? Nah. I pull out my scope and scan the horizon for anything interesting. There’s plenty to the south and west, but for now I’m sticking to portions of the map that are uncovered - I’ve got enough to do as it is.

I see a few things across the river that could be interesting, but nothing that wouldn’t require some off-the-path climbing. So instead, I glide towards Proxim bridge, following down the Hylia River, name so because it seems to empty into Lake Hylia to the south. I can’t quite make the distance to the bridge and land on a beach just south of it - and right next to another Korok puzzle. It’s a Magnesis puzzle, so I switch runes and make the two sets of blocks match and get my Korok Seed.

...I could crush you so easily...

I climb up the beach hills, intending to walk my way back around to the path. Purely out of habit, looking for bugs or critters hiding under rocks, I grab one just up the first hill. And it reveals another Korok. This brings my Korok Seed total to 40!

After that little surprise, I notice a small Bokoblin camp on another beach just below me ahead. Been a little while since I’ve seen one of these I haven’t already slaughtered! They’re all red boys, so it’s not a difficult or long fight - and bokoblins still can’t swim, so with a few well placed swings, they are all quickly down for the count. I open a nearby chest to obtain an Opal, which I am happy to replenish my gemstone stores with.

This was intensely satisfying.

Standing on this small peninsula the bokoblins made camp on, I can see...something under Proxim Bridge. And even looking at the map, I looks like there’s a sandbar, or at least shallow enough water for me to stand under one of the awnings. Should be able to swim there from here…

It’s another Korok. Damn dudes, that’s like, four of them in a row. Now if I could just locate Hestu to spend them…

Hills of Baumer

Rather then continue on the path I’ve already traveled, I decide to follow along the hilltops to the south. I had already been up here once, avoiding the boulder traps as I navigated up the large fallen logs. This time I just climb up the old fashioned way. I can see a huge swamp to the south, just littered with burnt out buildings. It’s very tempting to explore down there...but I hold off.

...Jesus Christ is that another Korok? I see an orange pinwheel on one of the hills rocky peaks. As I approach and pull out my bow, three balloon targets burst into existence, and immediately begin to move about in a confusing pattern. Never easy with these guys. I waste about half a dozen arrows, lost to the swamp below, but I nail all three balloons and get my 5th Korok Seed in a row, bringing me to a total of 41.

WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH YOU!?

I continue along the hilltops further, passing by the Korok I found over here earlier, happily chilling in his spot on the giant logs. A few more hilltops over and I find another oddity. Three trees, all lined up perfectly. Two of the trees hold only a single apple, while the third holds many. Even the two trees that have the single apple have them in the exact same location. Hmm. This has to be a puzzle, right?

But what? First, I try picking all the apples. Nope. Maybe the apples make some kind of arrow that I just can’t see from this angle? I try firing off arrows in the direction it would be pointing, nothing. Oh! Maybe I have to throw a boomerang around all three trees? Nope, nothing, and I almost lost my boomerang too. Finally, I try cutting the trees down, starting with the one that held the most apples. And still nothing happens.

Sigh.

I hate Koroks.

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Heart Containers: 5
Shrines Completed: 11
Koroks Found: 41
Symin: Sunshroomed
Traveler’s Swords: Lost to the ether
Korok Puzzles: Frustrating as all hell

Snooping Through Purah's Shit - Screenshot Roundup 70

Sunshrooms & Grasshoppers is a Good Name for an Indie Band

Alright, it’s upgrade time! First up is the Sheikah Sensor. I tell Purah that I have the three Ancient Screws she requires, and after giving her a hearty “SNAP!” she unlocks the Guidance Stone in the lab. After inserting the Slate, I receive the first upgrade: the Sheikah Sensor+. What this does is allow me to change the sensor to help me locate any item in the Hyrule Compendium...although that’s empty right now so I’m not sure how useful it is just yet.

Never gets old.

After the upgrade is complete, Symin speaks up, interested in seeing the upgrade himself. Purah asks me to show him once I have a chance. First, let’s take care of the second upgrade: Remote Bombs+! After handing over three Ancient Shafts and another “SNAP!” I insert the Slate into the Guidance Stone again. With this upgrade, my bombs are now stronger and recharge faster.

The final upgrade requires three Ancient Cores and I don’t have any of those. Purah said I can collect parts from the broken down Guardians, but I suspect those I might have to get from the still active ones, as I haven’t found a single one otherwise. Yaaaay. But I bet that Stasis upgrade is worth it. I’ll be back, tiny woman!

With that done for now, I step over to Symin to show him the Sheikah Sensor+. As mentioned when I made the you're, he says that i can use it combination with the Camera rune to track down items. An what better way to learn this then through a side quest?

 Sunshroom Sensing

Well that's just begging to be explored.

Symin wants me to take a picture of a Sunshroom and show it to him. There should be one just behind the lab outside. I step out the back door, bringing me to what looks like a small wheat field these two must use to grow their food. A pitchfork stands against the building nearby. I also notice a winding staircase tucked away behind the now-lit furnace, leading up. The sunshroom isn’t going anywhere, so let’s see what’s upstairs.

On the way up, I take note of several oddities along the way. A lot of cute little world building pieces, telling the story of the tech lab without actually telling you the story. The first thing I notice is the decorated statue placed above the doorway. I didn’t give it much thought before, but now I see that they’ve decorated it, adding glasses that looks like Purah’s and an umbrella. Cute.

Next up is a LARGE telescope. I can’t look through it or interact with it, though there is a comically small ladder I can use without even needing to hit a button. It looks as though it’s pointed west, towards the Great Plateau. Perhaps watching the Shrine of Resurrection for signs of life?

Further up the stairs and I reach a bedroom. know it is a bedroom, because there is a bed. However, there isn’t anything else in here except papers and books. Could belong to either of them. Just a little further up and I’m at the top. There’s a deck and another door, surrounded by what else but guardian parts. In fact, on the roof of a building is an entire decayed guardian, covered in moss.

Of course you haunt me even here.

I ignore the door for now - I’m climbing up that dead guardian first. It’s a little awkward, the angle of the roof over the walls makes it hard to find a way to climb up. I have to move around to the side of the building before I can find a decent spot Link can grip. Once I’m climbing up the actual guardian I can see my urge to ascend was the right one: there is a Korok hiding at the top of this building, the leaf cloud shimmering in the wind. I finish the climb and interact with the cloud, releasing another Korok, bringing my Korok Seed total to 37.

I hop back down to the deck and enter the door. It’s another bedroom! Messier than the last one, with a small desk at the center, and a book I can read. It’s Purah’s Diary, and as she told me downstairs, it contains the story of how she came to look like a child. It’s hard to nail down exact dates, but it seems to be at least a few years old, written over the course of 7 days. Purah was working on an anti-aging rune, believing that by making making everyone younger, they would have a strong enough defense for when Ganon inevitably returns again.

At first it seemed like it hadn’t worked, causing Purah to suddenly become fatigued and feverish, nearly passing out until the next day. Turns out she did get the rune working, at first appearing to go from age 120 (holy crap how old do Sheikah get How old is Impa?!) to her 50s on day 2. And then to her 30s by day 3. Apparently that was around the age Purah was when she first began her research into the Great Calamity, and when she first began working on expanding the functionality of the Sheikah Slate and it’s runes, preparing them for Link’s awakening (heh) from the Slumber of Restoration.

...But it didn’t stop there. On day 4 she hit her 20s. Day 5 her teens. And then finally by day 6, she looked like she was 6 years old, where she seems to have remained. And it wasn’t just her looks that were affected, her emotional state also seems to match her age, and of course, she gets to deal with all those pesky hormones again. Poor girl.

It's only weird to be doing this if you forget she's not
really a little girl.

There are some other interesting details here too. For one, Purah seems to have created a lot of the Sheikah Slate upgrades herself, and she kept working until the blue flame went out. There were a couple of attempts at getting it relit, but between rain and people in the village, they ran into problems. Also, Link was apparently the youngest knight ever to be appointed to the Imperial Guard. Purah seems to have been rather protective of Link. I guess they would have been around the same age at the time of the Calamity. Wait how old is Impa exactly!?

That’s all there is to do here, so let’s take a picture of that sunshroom now. I head back down the stairs, this time going around to the back of the lab. I spot it, an orange mushroom, against the back wall. I pull out my new Camera rune and snap a quick picture. After saving it, I see the slot for Sunshroom in the Hyrule Compendium is now filled in with the photo I took. Nifty. The quest is updated, now directing me back to Symin.

I head back inside and talk to Symin, who asks to see my slate. He sees that I took the picture, and now tells me that I can go into the compendium and tune the Sheikah Sensor to it, allowing me to track sunshrooms, or anything else I take pictures of. I flip through the pages of the compendium, only having filled in the one item it is totally empty. I can see sections for animals, monsters, equipment, and treasure.

My completionist ass is torn between loving that I get to fill this out to hating that I have to fill this out.

I both love and hate you for this, Symin.

Quest isn’t done yet though, Symin would like me to retrieve Three Sunshrooms for him. I grabbed the one I took a picture of outside already, so that’s one down. He tells me I should be able to find more in Restam Forest, which thankfully is right below the lab to the north. I go ahead and tune the Sheikah Sensor to sunshrooms, though I doubt I will have many problems. Brb, Symin.

I head out the front door this time, walking in the direction of the farm and Restam Forest, which lie just beyond the cliffs leading up to the lab. I float down on my paraglider, landing in the center of the forest I had just been hunting deer in earlier. The sensor immediately picks up on nearby sunshrooms. Though to be perfectly honest, there are enough mushrooms and other ingredients in the forest that it’s a little useless. Every tree seems to have something at its base. I very quickly locate the two sunshrooms needed, and turn off the sensor.

Welp, don’t need anything else so after I gather a few more ingredients, I start the walk back to the lab. As I walk along the edge of lake Sumac, I can see some bugs hopping around the grass. Oh crap, that’s right. I still need to find a few more grasshoppers for Manny!

This would be handier if I remembered to use it.

I swap into my stealth outfit, and carefully approach the grasshopper. But rather then catch it, I pull out my Camera rune: This way I can find the remaining 3 I need, ha. It takes me a few minutes of wandering around the grass plains around the farm, but I soon have the bugs needed. Woo! Okay, I float down the cliffside, landing in front of Manny and handing over my grasshoppers. He thought I was just messing with him. Well no, *I’m* not messing with you, dude, but… What’s that? You wanna give me a Silver Rupee? Nope, I didn’t say anything.

With that done, I start the long trek back up the mountainside to the tech lab and Symin.

Then I remember I can fast travel there now.

---

Heart Containers: 5
Shrines Completed: 11
Koroks Found: 37
Bombs and Sensor: Upgraded
Sunshrooms and Grasshoppers: Located
Purah & Impa: Apparently Fucking Ancient

For a Big Farm You Don't Seem to Be Growing Any Crops - Screenshot Roundup 66

I Think The Lack of Oxygen Is Making You All Crazy

I cross another bridge, leading me under an archway and up a path that winds up into the mountains. I pass a number of houses, buildings, and other villagers along the way. First I meet a young girl name Karin, who tells me again about the young girl she saw coming out of the tech lab. There are a lot of nosy people in this village. Why doesn’t someone just go up there and talk to her?

The face of a woman who desipises her husband.

Most of the houses are empty, though I do find another recipe poster inside one, this one for a poster requiring a Hightail Lizard and a Bokoblin Horn. the windmills turning but what they are milling, I couldn’t tell you. In one home I find a man named Reede, who is...sleeping in the middle of the day. Apparently he works nights somewhere in town. No idea doing what. Further up the mountain I meet Ralera. She moved here from a place called Lurelin Village in the south after she married her husband. Oh! She is married to Reede, and together they watch the windmills. She watches during the day, and he watches at night. That seems...really detrimental to your marriage guys. Like you literally would never see each other. You aren’t sleeping together, literally ever.

What do you need to watch a windmill for anyway? Why does that require sitting on a hill all day and night? Maybe you guys are just trying to avoid your problems. You can’t run from your marital issues, people. After finishing our chat, she also points me in the direction of the tech lab. Don’t really have anywhere else to go, but thanks.

*backs away slowly*

Finally, what seems to be the last building on the mountain climb to the tech lab is a large farm and Hateno Pasture. Sitting on a stool near the entrance is an old man, Tokk, who seems more exasperated than anything when he has to talk to me. Again, he points me to the lab. Thanks Tokk, been a load of fun.

Up ahead I see a woman mumbling to herself about how “They’ll all pay!” Well you seem stable and safe to talk to. Koyin here is referring to the monsters down on Hateno Beach stealing her sheep - she must be the person who wrote on the notice board earlier. She asks for my help directly, triggering yet another side-quest.

 The Sheep Rustlers

Seems to be more direct than a lot of the other side-quests I’ve gotten recently. There’s a spot on the map near the coastline just south of the village that I’ll need to head to. After I get to that fucking lab.

I approach the pasture, which stretches wide in front of me. The entire plain is on a cliff overlooking the rest of the village and the valley. I can see pretty much everything here. Including this odd looking blue-flaming object just outside of the city. Hmm.

*sobbing uncontrollably* YOU ARE THE BEST BOY

There are dozens of sheep and cows, and even a couple of dogs to play with! I immediately forget what I’m doing to spend the next few minutes giving them all my attention. A few dropped apples later, and one of them beckons for me to follow, leading to me to another buried chest, this one containing Silver Rupee. Could have used that earlier, boy.

...you’re still a good boy though…

Before I wander too deep around the grounds of the farm here, I talk to the last person here I have yet to speak to, Dantz. He’s in one of the hay stalls, working away at carrying for all these animals. This is probably the biggest farm in the village and the only one with any livestock now that I think about it.

He guesses that I am a wanderer when he speaks to me. To be fair, it’s not as if there are a ton of humans even left in the world so any new face that isn’t a baby is probably not from around these parts. He needs help, the local deer population in nearby Retsam Forest has grown out of control and they need to be culled, and he's willing to pay me. Lucky for him I AM indeed handy with a bow, so I agree to help him. Never turn down a side-quest.

I'm plopped right in the middle of the forest after agreeing. It's not a side-quest at all, it's a mini-game! I have one minute to take out as many deer as I can, and Dantz will pay me for it when I'm done. I'll have to provide my own bow and arrows. Sounds like a deal.

SO MUCH MEAT

Dantz wasn’t kidding, as soon as I have control of the camera again I swivel around and see a ton of deer in the woods around me. The timer is ticking, so I get to it. As soon as I begin moving, the nearby bucks raise their heads, pausing only a moment before taking off.

Should have worn the stealth suit.

The timer is still ticking, so I keep moving, just a little slower now. The deer are rather resilient, taking two hits with an arrow to take down unless I can land a head shot. I could probably just use a stronger bow, but I don’t really feel like breaking any of those so I stick to my Boko Bow.

I only manage to take out 4 on my first attempt, and Dantz rewards me with...a Blue Rupee. ...Yay. I go ahead and give it another shot - apparently I can do this as much as I like. Which in actuality very useful. I may have only gotten a few rupees, but I also managed to collect quite a bit of Raw Prime Meat, which I’m sure will come in handy cooking later.

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker 2

My skills improve which each successive attempt. I switch into my stealth outfit as well, allowing me get closer to my prey before they notice. I get better with my aim as well, head-shots becoming easier and easier to land. I manage to get a few Red and Purple Rupees from Dantz for my efforts after that, as well as having a nice little stockpile of meat.

Lake Sumac

Before I continue up to the lab, I’m going to finish exploring the grounds of the farm here. Right next to the field, even larger than the field itself, is a large lake, Lake Sumac, with a small island at its center with a single, large tree on it. Right next to the hay stalls and Dantz is a raft, and right next to the raft a Korok Leaf. Don’t mind if I do! I cut the raft loose and use the leaf to blow me over to the island.

The island is...an island. There’s nothing of interest here. On the ground at least. Climbing up into the tree, among it’s branches is a single rock. And under that rock is my next Korok Seed. Thanks dude. I float back down to the ground and to my raft. Only one more stop to make.

Retsam Forest

...you guys have to be lonely sometimes, right?

The regular version of Retsam Forest, at least. It’s located right next to the farm of course, but now I can explore it without a timer. It’s still chock full of deer, but I leave them alone for the most part. Instead I take the opportunity to gather up resources - there are Ironshrooms, Silent Shrooms, and something new, Sunshrooms, which can raise my body temp when it’s too cold out.

I take my time gathering, leaving no stone unturned. Literally, but I don’t find any additional Koroks here. Before I leave, I put a stamp on my map on the forest - this seems like a great place to replenish resources when I need it, particularly the meat from the deer. Cartography!

I don’t bother with the raft to get back to the farm, there’s a strip of forest along Lake Sumac’s edge I can walk along. Between the grumpy old man, the woman screaming about revenge, and the guy paying me to kill a bunch of deer, this place has just been a barrel of laughs.

...let’s get to the fucking Tech Lab already.

---

Heart containers: 5
Shrines Completed: 11
Koroks Found: 36
Windmills: Watched
Sheep: Rustled
Deer Population: Murdered
Dogs: Played With

No, I'm Not Screaming Into the Void, I Always Make This Noise When I Have to Use Motion Controls - Screenshot Roundup 62

A Good Lumberjack Knows When to Improvise - Screenshot Roundup 61

Spelunking for Diamonds & Truffle Hunting Sisters - Screenshot Roundup 57

Bokoblin Fort Raid Redux & Diving Into Oakle's Navel - Screenshot Roundup 56

The Towering Inferno

Well, I’m at the tower. Now to figure out how to get to the top…

Hateno Tower

There does seem to be a climbing path through all the thorns, but it looks incredibly annoying if not dangerous. Bluh. How were the sheikah capable of making a tablet complete with its own OS, but couldn't attach a fucking elevator to their towers. They already use them to go down into the shrines!

...I didn't do it.

I circle and climb around the base, looking up for a good starting point. My search isn't terribly fruitful, but I do end up finding a few ore deposits along the base. Might as well fill my pockets while I’m here, right?

...Okay, so, you know how if you strike Flint with metal you can create sparks that you can start a fire with? Both in real life and in the game?

Well, apparently it works on ore deposits too. Especially when those ore deposits are placed on top of patches of dried leaves and grass. Which then spread onto the large swaths of dried thorn bushes in the surrounding area. As soon as I see the fire I run back around to the front of the tower, watching as the flames spread quickly.

Then I notice the updraft…

...This is either going to be incredibly stupid or incredibly awesome...

I really hope the tower isn't flammable.

I take a deep breath and leap into the flames, pulling out my paraglider instantly and shooting up into the air on the updraft. I watch as the plants burn below me, the older flames going out as new ones spread further. I follow the updrafts towards the tower, and I am able to hover close to the tower as the fire spreads up it’s walls, clearing it of the dangerous debris. I seem to have hit a vertical wall as it were, so I go ahead and attach myself to the tower, about ⅔ of the way up. It’s not an elevator but it’ll do.

I climb to the nearest platform as I wait for the flames to finish burning and then continue my climb up. At the top, I activate the tower and update my map, filling in the entire East Necluda region. The whole thing is a valley, Fort Hateno seems to be the only clear way in a out, other then possibly making it up somehow through the Necluda Sea. Geography!

I look out from the tower and survey the landscape. I mark a few of the shrines I see with pins, at least the ones that seem to be accessible from this area. I can also see Hateno village in the distance, on the opposite end of East Necluda from me and the tower. The path I’m taking actually loops all the way back around to where I first turned onto the land bridge. I’ll be able to hit the places I missed on the way back.

I have the worst fucking luck.

I look down at Fabio, and notice that the tower is actually perched right above a pair of bokoblin tree forts. Tree forts which it seems I am going to have to pass nearby on my way to town anyway. Might as well get the drop on them while I have the advantage. I position myself and jump, pulling out my paraglider and beginning my decent. I’ll be able to land on the highest part of the fort, able to take down many of them totally unseen and work my way down to the ground.

Wait. What’s happening? Something’s happening.

FUCK. It’s another Blood Moon, right when I was about to land. FINE. I teleport back up to the tower and wait for the moon to pass. Last thing I want is for all the 'blins I just killed to immediately come back. Let’s try this again.

Marblod Plain

The second attempt is much more successful. Also, since it’s night-time, most of the monsters are asleep, making my job even easier. I land very carefully behind a still awake bokoblin guard, and quickly dispatch him with a hammer to the back of the head. I can see more of the ‘blins now, and notice some of the stronger variety among them, along with a sleeping moblin mixed in. Party.

Gosh those fireworks are pretty.

I switch to my stealth outfit, wanting to work my way down the tree and taking out as many of the bokoblins as they sleep as I can. The closest threat is a large sleeping moblin, and so I sneak down a spiraling staircase and perform a sneakstrike on his sleeping body. I finish him off quickly and run back upstairs to avoid the guards I’m sure I woke up. Sure enough, I notice one of the stronger bokoblins searching for me, having heard me taking out his brethren . He only makes it like, halfway up the stairs before giving up though. Then he walks back down to his bed, yawns, and lays back down. Right next to three explosive barrels. Which are right underneath this ledge I’m standing on.

They really only have themselves to blame.

I pull out a remote bomb and let it fall.

I took a little damage in the explosion, but it was so worth vaporizing that 'blin. I also somehow managed to not wake anyone else up. Blin’s are heavy sleepers, I guess. I make to sneak over to him to take him out next, but before I do I see that I have a good vantage point of the other treefort from where I am. Just a bunch of sleeping bokoblins, all laying around even more explosive barrels. I notch a bomb arrow and let loose more pretty fireworks.

*chef kiss*

I seemingly destroy almost everyone on that tree except a single dark bokoblin. I float right over on my paragliders and finish him off before floating back to the first tree. There are only two bokoblins still alive and I take them out quickly. Once all is said and done, I open not one but two chests, containing an Opal (again) and 10 Arrows. Thanks. Alone on the ground beneath the treefort, I suddenly remember that I left my horse back near the tower. So grumbling to myself, I follow the path back west and up the hill towards the tower’s base. Once I’m close enough I use my whistle and see Fabio galloping downhill towards me. I hop on him rather spectacularly as he nears me and we take off into a gallop that I sadly have to stop almost immediately. Something’s caught my eye - a cave.

I hop off Fabio and leave him by the path again. A cave means keese and I don’t feel like trying to fight those annoying little fucks on horseback. But before I see my first bat, thee chus ambush me. I switch to my weakest weapon and take them out quickly and gather up the delicious Chu Jelly. Then I approach the cave proper, and see that it is actually a tunnel.

From here I can see at least a dozen or so keese, all sleeping on the roof of the cave. I also see another moblin about halfway down the tunnel, facing away from me. A hero’s work is never done. I take a few of the keese out with arrows before just saying fuck it and floating down to the moblin. I end up knocking out most of them as I swing my weapon at him, and whatever is left after is easy pickins. I break open the nearby ore deposits to replenish some of my rupees once I hit Hateno. Then I exit the tunnel.

...why are you here?

Oakle’s Navel

I see...a big hole. Well it’s a pond really, since there’s water in it. But it is a loooooong way down to it. Oakle has a very very deep bellybutton. (Who the fuck is Oakle? Is he from one of the Oracle games? I didn’t play those.) Also a pretty empty one, as the only other living thing I see in here is an octorok. I take him out as he floats up, before he notices me, and watch as the spoils fall into the water below. I also see a ring of lily pads like I did on the plateau. Korok! I spot a cliff perfect for diving placed near it and jump, collecting my seed.

...oh goddamnit I have to climb all the way back up? No. Fuck that. I fast travel to the recently activated Hateno tower and float back down to Fabio. Suck on that, Oakle.

---

Heart Containers: 5
Shrines Completed: 9
Koroks Found: 31
Tower: Nonflammable (& Climbed)
Blood Moon: Has Awful Timing
Oakle’s Navel: Deep and Full of Monsters

A Dip in the Hot Spring, Horseback Combat, & Another Stone Talus - Screenshot Roundup 54

Cave Spelunking & Blowing Up Bokoblins - Screenshot Roundup 53

But It Wasn't a Rock...It Was a Rock...Monster!

(I sincerely hope you read the title of today’s post in your best B-52’s impression.)

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 see the basic layout of the camp as I get closer, a few guard towers, one with a chest, and a fire at the center. A few 'blins man the towers while the rest are congregated around the fire and their dinner. A few bomb barrel litter the camp as well. Why do they store those? I've yet to see those weaponized by anyone other than myself, and why would you store them so close to a FUCKING FIRE? I guess Ganon didn’t impart much intelligence to his minions. I’m not gonna complain. After taking out the nearest guard tower I sneak a little closer, pull out a fire arrow, and aim for the closest barrel. In the ensuing chaos there is only one survivor, and I finish him with an arrow to the head before he has a chance to fire back. The chest opens to relinquish another Opal. I also take some Seared Steak from the fire for my troubles, and find a dozen or so Baked Apples strewn about that must have been cooked by the explosion.

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?

It’s a bit of a trek just getting there. Not perilous or anything (though there is a giant hole to my left known as Oakle’s Navel), but it’s a walk. I enter the forest, seeing a deer run off in the distance. Then I notice a pair of bokoblins hunting a boar. I save that boar. After that, the western half of the forest is safe to explore, and towards the southern edge I find a korok pinwheel which activates another pair of low flying acorn targets to pop up over the treetops. After I break the targets (and my bow) I collect my Korok Seed.

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*

Once Link’s health is restored I walk him out of the spring. Looking up, I can see an outcropping placed just perfectly for diving. Very courteous of the koroks to do that. After climbing up the cliffs, I dive, and get my 29th Korok Seed. I paraglide back down to the forest to finish exploring.

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.

I haven’t actually seen bokoblins riding horses before. I’m tempted to climb onto Fabio and turn this into a full on horseback battle, but with all the cliffs and drops up here I’d rather play it safe. Nothing I can really hide behind, so I say fuck it and just go running in, ready to draw my bow.

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.

Alright. Next stop, Hateno Tower! It sitting on another mountain top, this one to the left of my path. Glad I went over that land bridge. Along the path I fight a few bokoblins and moblins. All are solo, either patrolling the path or waiting to ambush me, but none gives me any trouble. The path leads me up, closer to the tower, until I reach another fork (along with another bokoblin and moblin to dispatch).

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