Floating on Updrafts & A Badly Timed Blood Moon - Screenshot Roundup 55

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

Returning to the Plateau & the Temple of Time - Screenshot Roundup 47

Climbing Dueling Peaks Tower & Meeting Mezer - Screenshot Roundup 27

Climbin' 'n Glidin'

My heart un-exploded, I catchmy breath before running back and speaking with Giro, though he didn’t indicate that anything was out of the ordinary. Does that mean I’m the only person who can see the Blood Moon and its effects? Surely people would have noticed monsters coming back to life.

You know, between hearing voices in my head, talking to ghosts, and now this horrifying Blood Moon vision, I wouldn’t mind a little confirmation that Link isn’t, you know, mentally ill. I’m not claiming to be an expert, but those are definitely signs of schizophrenia. Just saying.

...Yay. Another one.

I continue my way down the path alongside the Squabble River. The riverbank is just to my left, and as I near Dueling Peaks I take note of the Sheikah Tower across from me once again. It gives of a red glow, unlike the blue one on the plateau. It’s actually the same hue that an unfinished shrine has, before turning into that same electric blue after completion.

I need to get to that tower.

As I approach the Dueling Peak’s base, what do I see but a Korok flower! After touching it, it moves across the river, jumping from shallow rock to shallow rock. I chase after it, eventually swimming to the other side of the river to claim my seed. Thanks Korok.

I turn my gaze once again towards the tower, rising from the center of a lake. A large chunk of earth at the base of the tower leads me to believe that it must have been buried underneath the ground just as on the plateau. It also occurs to me that I am going to have to actually climb this tower, instead of just riding it to the top after it explodes. Crap.

...Goddamnit...

Dueling Peaks Tower

I walk around the lake’s edge towards the tower and up the “ramp” made by the earth. As I look up, I try to get an idea for the most optimal way to make the climb. Doesn’t look too different from the first tower, except I’ll be going up instead of down. I climb onto the side of the tower, and make my way up to the first platform. Then I allow my stamina to restore, and do it again, and again, until I’m finally at the top. As I make my way to the orange platform, rain begins to fall, and I insert my slate.

I get a nice cinematic flyby as the tower activates, turning from orange to blue, and unlocking the map for the area. Oh look, the names for all those places I’ve been but couldn’t have possibly known the names of! Even though the game doesn’t count every individual labeled item on the map as its own area, I still think it’s pretty awesome and will be using all of the names I can to refer to geographical locations. I also unlock something called the Sheikah Sensor, which acts like a radar, alerting me of nearby shrines.

It starts going off almost immediately. That’s gonna get annoying.

Okay, it was worth the climb.

While on the tower, I use my scope to note the locations of some shrines, though none of them are really on the way to Kakariko from what I can see. Still smart to have marked down probably. Once I’m satisfied, I leap from the tower, using my paraglider to slow my fall back down to the other side of the river bank. At the base of the mountain is another tree fort. Joy, more bokoblins to fight. However as I approach it, I see that it’s actually…empty. Completely. There’s not even an easy way up – there’s no drawbridge to lower. I land on top, but seeing nothing, hope down to take shelter.

There’s a Torch and an Woodcutter's Axe underneath, along with an unlit cooking pot, but nothing else. This feels like a trap. As I debate waiting for the rain to stop or not, what do I see running towards me but yet ANOTHER Hylian! Hooray! He joins me under the fort, also taking cover from the storm. I love the AI. He even talk about the weather when I talk to him.

Mezer, as he is named, is a traveling merchant, selling meat and salt. And since it’s raining, he is having a rainy day special! I don’t have a point of reference for any of the non-sale prices for things, so I take a gander over his inventory but refrain from making any purchases. I’ve still got a decent amount of raw meat leftover from hunting on the plateau. Still, I appreciate the company while we wait for the rain to let up. Not that he has much to say. Eventually the thunder stops and it’s safe to move on. I say my goodbyes and I walk through the Dueling Peaks.

Makin' friends all over the place.

Dueling Peaks

The Shrine Sensor is indicating that I’m headed towards one, so I make sure to check my surroundings as I go. Walking this close to the river, I see a classic Zelda enemy: Lizafos! At first, I have no idea what they are – I only see the splash of the water as two of them swim downstream, towards me. Curious, I step away from the water and pull out my scope as they pass, just making out the forms of the swimming reptiles but still not clear as to what they are.

Then I see Mezer coming up the path. And so do they, leaping from the water and onto the river bank to attack. Not on my watch! I leapt into action, drawing my sword to defend my rain-buddy.

He protek!

Lizafos are just as annoying as I remember, and very bouncy. They resemble overgrown chameleons, complete with bug eyes and long tongues. I try to keep both of them in my view as I target one, slashing at him with my sword. After he leaps out of reach, I switch to the other, and so on until they are both dead. I speak with Mezer’s still-cowering form and he thanks me for rescuing him, and even gives me some food as a reward. Then he continues on his way.

I examine some metallic boulders off to the side, though they don’t seem to do anything even when moved with Magnesis. Looking across the river, I see a Shrine on a cliff not too far up. Must be what was setting of the Sensor. I jump into the river and swim across, and then climb up to the Shrine to activate it, and enter.

Timing is Critical

      ~Ree Dahee Shrine~

I enter the shrine to see…a lot of platforms, all glowing orange. In front of me is a switch which, when pressed causes one of the platforms ahead of me to tilt to the right. On that platform is a ball which rolls onto another platform and into a slot, activating a moving platform. I hop on the platform and move to the next set.

This seems like overkill for what is basically Marble Madness.

This switch moves two platforms - the ball is on the top one, and I have to depress the switch as it rolls onto the bottom so that it is tilted towards the ball slot and not a bottomless pit. Takes a few tries before I get it, but I do. The next moving platform is activated, and I’m brought to the final puzzle platform.

This is only a single platform, but with a decent sized gap between it and the ball slot. I also spot a chest above the ramp holding the ball, too high to climb to. Hmm. In order to move the ball across, I have to press the switch and allow it to build up momentum, before letting go and moving the platform to a high enough position so the ball can jump the gap. I also see that when turned, the ramp reaches high enough to get the chest. But, unless I’m standing on the switch, the ramp remains too low.

Rhee Dahee

“Timing is Critical” is the name of the challenge right? I bet Stasis can help by freezing the platform in place. I learn I am wrong when the platform neglects to react to my rune. The switch however can be frozen, so after I get the moving platform activated, I stand on the switch. Once it’s close enough, I freeze the switch below me and hop onto the platform, allowing me to climb up the ramp and to the chest before Stasis wears off and the switch goes back to normal.

CLIMBERS BANDANA!

I know that’s probably way too excited for something I never even knew existed, but in the chest was a piece of armor for my head that increases my climb speed. Super useful! I also hadn’t had any head armor at all so the defense boost doesn’t hurt either. I slap it on and climb down to Ree Dahee, earning myself another Spirit Orb.

Gonna climb all sorts of shit.

---

Heart Containers: 4
Shrines Completed: 6
Koroks Found: 14
Tower: Climbed
Head: Bandanna’d

Wrapping Things Up & Moving On to Hyrule Kingdom - Screenshot Roundup 22

Ghost Hunting Across the Plateau

After avoiding the Talus again – really don’t need him waking up right now – I find myself back at the Old Man’s campsite in the Forest of Spirits. And he is understandably not here, the fire long since gone out. All of his other stuff is still here though. I know I’ve been on my own this whole time, but knowing he’s not just out here in the forest anymore…it’s actually kind of lonely. I’m the only living person on the plateau.

Just me and the fireflies.

I reach the ruined fountain, the Sheikah Tower to my left and the Temple of Time straight ahead. I take my time wandering through the ruins. Everything here is dead, either 100 years ago or by my hands. Actually…shouldn’t these guys have respawned by now? I don’t think I’ve seen a single monster I’ve killed before respawn. Do they STAY dead? Oh god, I hope not, that sounds so fucking creepy… Maybe the distance for respawning is just REALLY far? Or maybe it’s because I’m still in the “tutorial?” I’ll find out eventually I guess. Or I will forever wander a desolate digital landscape.

*chorus of angels sings*

Eventually, I reach the temple proper. Still creepy. I swear if something jumps out to scare me, I quit. I walk through the main doors to…find nothing. Well, no Old Man, but the statue in the back is glowing, and these Spirit Orbs are burning a hole in my pocket. I make my way back, the glow dying out as I get close, and I pray. Either the goddess or the statue – I’m not really clear on how this works, if it’s a conduit to the actual deity or if it just works for the goddess - offers to increase either my hearts or my stamina in exchange for four orbs. So it’s basically this game’s version of heart pieces. I
go with a Heart Container the first time, as I still feel waaaay too squishy.

As soon as I’m finished with the statue, a voice calls out to me. There’s the old man. He’s on the roof, and wants me to meet him out there. Sure, that’s normal. Sighing for Link, I exit the temple and begin to search the perimeter for the best way up. The walls are all fairly even, so I pick a spot towards the southern corner and hop up. I still have the stamina restoring meals on me if I need it. I cut it even closer than I did with the stone tower, but make it up nonetheless.

I watch as poor, exhausted Link struggles to catch his breath as I walk across the roof.

It’s a mess. One side of the roof is a death trap, full of holes and without a clear path, but the other half is solid, and I walk my way to the center beam. To my left is what I suppose would be the temple’s bell tower, and I can see what appears to be the Old Man’s form glowing within.

"Just...pretend I'm not on fire."

The cut scene starts as I approach. I will avoid explaining too much of the plot details, but here is the gist: Ganon tried to destroy the world, I’ve been asleep for 100 years, the Old Man is really the ghost of the King of Hyrule, King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule, and the voice that was speaking to me earlier was Princess Zelda, who is now trapped in Hyrule Castle holding back Ganon. And now that I’m awake, it’s up to me to stop him and save Zelda. Also I still can’t remember anything. A solid if not clichéd call to action for our hero. I’m invested, even if Link isn’t yet.

Seek Out Impa

After the King finishes his tale, he finally grants me the use of his paraglider. He tells me going after Ganon now would be suicide, and instead points me to a path to the east, towards Kakariko Village. I know that place! There I will meet Impa, who will be able to help me further. Also, there are apparently a pair of mountains called “Dueling Peaks” and all I can picture is boobs fighting each other. So now you get to think about that too!

With a final plea, the king fades away, flickering into blue flames and then nothing. Once again I am alone on the plataeu. There’s not much left to do here, though I’m sure I’ll be back soon. There’s bound to be plenty of things I missed. Chests, Koroks, hell I still have to kill that fucking Stone Talus. And those are just the things I know about, who knows what else this game has to throw at me.

Actually, there’s a chest up here with me. Carrying a very nice Soldier’s Bow. Gonna save that one for something big.

Okay this is pretty cool.

I walk out of the bell tower and onto the roof. Before I leave, there’s one last stop I want to make – The Woodcutter's House. The King’s house. The King’s cabin? The Cabin in the Woods. James Woods. Woody Harrelson. What was I doing? Right, woodcutter. I run across the roof and leap, ready to put my new paraglider to use. I pull out the glider and drift towards the cabin in the distance.

I find the cabin in the same state as the campsite. No one home. I putter around for a bit, picking up the stray ingredient here and there. I give the Old Man’s diary another read. He actually updated it after I gave him the recipe. The first new entry is still in the style of a diary entry, but the second, he speaks directly to me. Aww. He’s sorry for hiding his identity. It’s okay ghost man, you were just doing what you thought you needed to.

I'm honestly not sure how I missed this one.

I wrap things up here pretty quickly. Any stray mushrooms outside are gathered, and a shimmering bundle of leaves on the roof draws my attention. Korok! There’s got to be a ton of these guys I missed. Once I feel stronger, I’ll see about tracking them all down.

I walk back north, towards the north eastern side of the plateau. God that’s a long drop down… The fog has cleared so I can see the ground, but it’s still just as daunting. I think I can make out what looks to be bokoblins or bokoblin adjacent, so a straight drop down isn’t the smartest idea. I use my scope to check out the path. I can see the Dueling Peaks off in the distance. There’s a bridge over a river, and some ruins on the way.

Oh god(dess). There's so much to do.

I’m right next to the sheikah tower, and I’m thinking I could jump from the top. I see some kind of wooden structure standing above the small forest below. Like a hut or cabin on stilts. No signs of movement, so hopefully it’s safe. I warp to the top of the tower and position myself facing our landing pad, before running and leaping off. I pull out my paraglider and float towards my target.

Hyrule Kingdom

The name flashes on my screen as I land, next to a chest and some explosive barrels. Oooh, Fire Arrows!

I think we’re off to a good start.

---

Heart Containers: 4
Koroks Found: 9
Shrines Completed: 4
Relationship Status: Lonely
Ghosts: Hunted

Koroks, Magnesis, & Bottomless Bogs - Screenshot Roundup 13

Completing the Magnesis Trial & Collecting the First Spirit Orb - Screenshot Roundup 4

Climbing Down the Tower & Entering Oman Au Shrine - Screenshot Roundup 3

Raising the First Sheikah Tower - Screenshot Roundup 2

The Shrine of Resurrection & Finding the First Sheikah Tower - Screenshot Roundup 1