SNOW DAY

Waking of Thursday, November 15, 2018

SNOW DAY

So David and I.... we’d kind of been one-upping each other the entire game. He had more shrines, but I had more Koroks seeds. And we would poke fun at each other for being so behind in one area or another....

But lately.... David’s been seeing my shrine number go up, and so that sped him up, which made me want to get more....

And I’d seen him combing this cold, cold snowy region....

....It was my turn now!

Out from the Snowfield Stable and I was goin’ for the mountains! Looking for Koroks and Shrines!

OH it was a hard and fast snow day for me! I found my first shrine in the Pikida Stonegrove—which would have seemed a friendlier place if not for the everpresent snowy haze in the air! That and the incessant Lizalfos and Frost Pebblits made it rather foreboding. Great stone columns in a slanting valley, bearing up a canopy of flat-topped rock on top—which was as good as another snowfield in and of itself! Rok Uwog was the name of the Shrine there.

The second shrine I found in the Kopeeki Drifts! That was a fun one to get to, rolling giant snowballs down criss-crossing grooves in the snow! Trying to guess which one would lead to the giant stone doors at the bottom and SMASH them open! The Gee Ha’rah Shrine was inside.

I followed my shrine locator just up the hill to the west, and proceeded to chase it in circles around a large, snow-covered mound, beneath which ran an icy stream. I was dang near tripping over the Koroks, but for the life of me I could find no way to access the inside of this mound.... Well, no safe way. For the water was frigid, and would sap my hearts.

There were two small, tunnel-like openings into the mound where the stream entered and exited it; the only other opening to the interior was a low, wide cave-mouth on the side, where the icy water licked at a tiny shore like a miniature beach. I could see the shrine’s orange glow if I crouched. It looked like it was on its own tiny island in there.... with some Lizalfos, aw crap heck....

I rather found that.... there was nothing for it. I swam for it in my Zora Gear! And lost half my hearts. This was the Lanno Kooh Shrine, and thankfully it simply offered a Blessing for my efforts. Hahh, I could see why....

Made me want to draw Link shivering getting back into warm clothes once he got up onto the shrine-rock. Hoohoohooo brrrrr....

I don’t like interrupting the line of my travels when I can help it, but I did not want to swim back out of that place. Though the Spirit Orb had replenished my hearts, I really would rather have warped, and so went back to the Hebra Tower. That would be close enough.

The day was clearer than it had been when I touched down. And looking back at the mountains and studying my map, it was only then that I realized.... oh my goodness....

There is a mountain. A mountain I have seen many times. And it is the most oddly-shaped thing.... There is a hole blasted right through it. Well, not strictly; it did not form a tunnel.

When you looked at it from other places all over Hyrule, you saw the triangle of the peak, and then just high on the left side of the silhouette, somewhat overlapping the edge, there was just a big circle missing. Like a leaf-cutter bee had come and just snipped it out.

I had long been very curious about what must be up in that hole....

And looking back at the mountains and studying my map, I now realized....

I HAD BEEN ON TOP OF THAT MOUNTAIN.

The very one! It was the tallest peak! I’d climbed up there in my mad snow day wanderings and already said hello to the Korok! That giant hole had been right beneath me!

I wanted back up there!

So I went! I climbed and climbed and climbed, cresting hills and paragliding over ravines until I came to THE HOLE.

It gaped above me like a monstrous cave. “Oh my gosh IT’S HUGE,” I marveled. And the inside was all.... one texture? .... Eaten away, blasted out. Burned up.

Wow.

The shrine signal was strong here. I followed it to about the middle of the cut—for though the hole seemed crisp and shallow by far away silhouette, it was actually quite long, spearing lengthwise through the mighty ridge.

Around the middle, nestled in the inward wall against the heart of the mountain, there was a shrine behind some huge chunks of ice. I could see the orange glow through a high gap. There seemed to be plenty of room to access it from above, but when I tried to climb up to it, I slipped down the bluish-grey surface.

“OH MY GOSH, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?”

“What is it, ice?” asked Mom, who was in the room.

“It’s.... glass,” I said.

The mountain had been burned right through. I knew it.

What could do this?

Had it been a Divine Beast?

I got busy laying fires, and decided to clear away all of the ice, even the block containing a frozen Moblin. It came to life well enough once it was free, but I killed it with a little help from Daruk. Another chunk of ice contained a hidden treasure chest, and that was neat.... but most of the rest of it was merely ice.

The multitude of campires I had laid was a striking sight against the cold, dark blue, so I backed up and took a pictograph of them gleaming along with the warm light of the shrine.... JUST before a Blood Moon put them all out and brought that Black Moblin back to life! He hit me again this time without Daruk impeding him. Ouch my Warm Doublet had such a low defense....

I was suddenly regretting freeing the monster from the ice.... Would it forever spawn in this location now? Dang it....

This FOURTH SHRINE that I had found today was called the Goma Asaagh Shrine. And it contained a Major Test of Strength. Easy peazy lemon squeezy.

Upon completing the trial and exiting the shrine, I stepped back into the hole in the mountain to discover.... MORE SHRINE SIGNAL?

I continued up through the hole! Northwest and at a slight incline. Maybe whatever blast made this hole had come from the lower direction of the castle....

After getting rid of an Ice Wizzrobe in my way and going just a bit further I saw some smoke in the distance! And following this, I saw there was.... there was a cabin!

Selmie’s Spot, this was called?

Well at least it sounded like there would be people around.

I went in.

Selmie was.... a girl. Out here alone?

She had a lot of shields mounted high on her walls. Some of them I recognized, some of them I didn’t.

“Huh... Welcome to the middle of nowhere,” she said, “Population: us.”

Hah. XD

Her music was so soothing and pleasant after the rigours of the mountain.

I set the controller in its cradle to recharge (the light was red), just with the screen on that first line of dialogue. And when I came back from MADLY JOTTING ALL THESE NOTES FOR THIS ENTRY.... I just felt like sitting and listening to it. Just the sound of the music at Selmie’s Spot.

So soothing and pleasant after the rigours of the mountain....

Just the sound of it.... and the fire crackling.... and the wind blowing.... I just wished I could have it.... playing. Just for sound in the house. Or in my room. I could fall asleep to this. “Wouldn’t this make a beautiful lullaby?”

Mom agreed. <3

I was so utterly content and happy.

But wait it gets worse.

I was just listening to the slow, downward progression of the notes, the chords.... broken chords rolling upward in little changes.... when OH MY GOSH WHAT NO THIS WHAT YOU CAN’T THAT’S—

I TENSED UPON THE COUCH....

Got up. Still rather crouching. Padded softly closer to the TV.

Listened.

And listened more.

The progression was slow....

But no.... It was.... unmistakable.

Selmie’s music....

WAS THE HOUSE MUSIC FROM OCARINA OF TIME.

OH MY GOOOOSSSSSHHHHHH—

Augh.

It was so beautiful....

I love meeting old friends in new skins and new attire.

It's Barbaric Out There

Waking of Saturday, November 10, 2018 ~ 2

It’s Barbaric Out There

I made just one more dash past the Lynels to get back to the labyrinth, and give it a proper explore.

This was the North Lomei Labyrinth.

Huh. But the Lomei Labyrinth Island was just as northward, wasn’t it?

I didn’t let it bother me. I just made my perfunctory circumnavigation—happily discovering a Korok on the way, in a green-leafed tree that was most out of place here in this frozen wasteland—before stepping over the threshold, and hearing the voice of the monk.

Qaza Tokki addressed me and informed me that his treasure awaited me at the labyrinth’s end....

I went to it. There were some Lizalfos nests in here, some of them SERIOUS. And more Malice. But this time, I actually FOUND AN EYEBALL. I shot it, and a few of the magenta pools evaporated to reveal some extra treasure chests.... neat!

It was a cool maze, and quite difficult! I had to look beyond the lateral to solve it.... But at length I finally came to the Qaza Tokki Shrine, where the monk simply granted me his Blessing.

And inside the treasure chest.... Here it comes, I thought.... OuO

BARBARIAN LEG WRAPS!

I HAD THE SET!  >⩌<

OH IT LOOKED SO COOL!

Aahh! Time to hit up the Great Fairies! .... Later.

I went back to the stable, and thought about climbing more of the icy hills on the other side of the snowfield, but.... it was late.

I satisfied myself with listening to a few bedtime stories from Old Man Monkton, who told me the tragic tales of his childhood friends Harry and Mary. They had always been warned of the dangers of going near the maze and the nearby canyon ruins. But one day Monkton urged Harry to go into the maze as a sort of test of courage. He never saw Harry again. He said the mere memory still breaks his heart to this day. And Mary? One day she and Monkton went to the canyon to get a glimpse of the ruins. But Mary lost her footing and in the blink of an eye she slipped and tumbled down the cliff. Monkton never saw her again. He said that memory would haunt him to his dying day.

He said he guessed children have no real sense of danger, and that innocent curiosity can sometimes cause tragedies that can never be taken back. But as he grew older, he learned to overcome his grief over losing them, saying that you can’t change the past, only the future.

I was pretty shocked at how.... dark this was turning! Until Monkton went on to say, “Harry and Mary never made it back, but two of their descendants are in that stall over there. My only friends out in these parts were horses, you see. I suppose that’s still true to this day.”

....Oh.

They were horses.

Well that made it.... a bit more bearable I guess. XD

Goodness.

The Fleeting Career of Mr. Jingles

Waking of Saturday, November 10, 2018

The Fleeting Career of Mr. Jingles

I WAS GONNA GET THAT STALHORSE!

I set out from the Snowfield Stable in the morning, and fortunately it took me all day to climb the mountain, kill the baddies on top and find and suffice that golf-Korok. And when the world went dark, I sailed down past the Lynel toward the maze and.... there were no stalhorses there.

I dashed past the Lynel and back to the snowfield. No stalhorses anywhere.

Um.

“Where’d you see it, David?”

“By the maze.”

Huh.

Okay.

I slipped back past the Lynel ONE MORE TIME.... And found a stalhorse. Excellent. I knocked off its rider, tamed it, and took it back to the stable....

And as ever and always, the stablehand at the counter blindly asked if I wanted to register my new mount.

“Yes!” Oh please oh please oh please.... XD I was already thinking of possible names, and for some reason could not banish the thought of calling him “Mr. Jingles”....

“Uh,” the stablehand pulled up short, “that’s a monster, not a horse!”

Dang it! XD

“I’m sorry but we can’t board that... thing, here. It might eat the other horses.”

XD Well, couldn’t say I hadn’t been expecting that response....

I tried to interact with the skeletal horse for a while. The other residents were certainly reacting to him already, the people starting in shock at the sight of him, and the dog darting away in fear.

I dropped some carrots on the ground, but the stalhorse ignored them. Next, reminding myself just a bit of Harry Potter, I tried some meat. The stalhorse ignored this too. But the dog didn’t. He came hopefully padding up to where it lay on the ground, but I picked up the treat before he could get it, and he bounded away again.

I didn’t know what else to do, and so simply remounted and walked in sedate meanderings for a while, admiring the lightening scenery about the stable. I stayed with Mr. Jingles until the sun came up, whereupon he bucked me off.... and died.

David was horrified at the sight and sound of it.

I was just another horse short.

Ah well.

TO HEBRA!

Waking of Saturday, November 3, 2018 ~ 4

TO HEBRA!

I went back to the Serenne Stable!

I was gonna go north!

AND I DID!

I took the road to the northeast and ran! Beyond Mount Drena, the Blue Marker Mountain from long ago! Past the place where I had met that nice lady merchant with her donkey! Past the spot where I saw my first Tabantha Moose!

The road bent around the head of the canyon of the Forgotten Temple, curving back to the west, and the mercury plummeted. The trees became stark and sparsely-leaved. More moose and rhinoceroses started appearing! And it was a surprisingly short jog until I came of a sudden.... upon the Snowfield Stable!

I quickly locked down the neighboring Rin Oyaa Shrine—Cool!—before visiting with the locals. What in the world were people even doing out here in the icy nothing?

Harlow spoke of swords—They were cool, he said, but he asserted that a sword didn’t make a hero.

But Danton talked about the Sword of Legend.... now that was a cool sword.

“This sword here?” I showed it.

“That’s the sword of legend?” Danton said, “It’s slimmer than I imagined. I thought it’d be as big as me! With, like... jewels everywhere.”

And I legitimately wondered whether one of the writers must have based that exchange on an actual recounted history of some semi-knowledgeable non-fan getting his first glimpse of The Legend of Zelda’s fabled Master Sword.... XD

Danton was grateful anyway. “I’ll never forget this day!” he said. Aw, he had such a nice smile and a genuine face. :)

I went inside the stable, where the temperature did not improve—gosh this place was just cold all over—and one Juannelle told me about a.... STALHORSE? WHAT ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

She wanted a picture. ಠ_ಠ Or some notes. What in the ACtual crap.

And she told me where to find it. Oh I needed this region’s tower....

I could see the tower further to the southwest, up on some low, dark crumble of snow-covered rock. It looked easy enough to get to....

I KEPT GOING.

I clambered up into the rocky hills with the tower looming closer and closer above me—they were rarer now—until I came to a place where the road forked off to the left.

Huh? There seemed to be some kind of habitation over there.... nestled against the mountain....

I went to investigate.

This place was called Pondo’s Lodge. It was homey, and comfy. And the sole resident Pondo for whom it was named must have been someone’s father. Because only dads can crack out that many bad puns in such rapid succession.

It was amazing.

Near Pondo’s home was a little sunken dell, the far end of which held a smattering of peacefully leafless winter trees, cozy in the grey. The near end of the dell.... Pondo had transformed into something else.

A long, heaping ramp of snow (or earth covered with such) led from Pondo’s stead all the way down to the floor of the dell, where it transitioned smoothly into a large, circular mound with a flat top. And on this platform was where Pondo liked to set up his gigantic, moose-headed, totem pole pins with which to go.... Snowling.

I paid that man so many rupees. You got three big snowballs per game, but that ramp was so bumpy! It was difficult to anticipate how the snowballs would bounce or what little bumps might dump them over the side edge completely. My snowballs—though they grew encouragingly in size on the way down—kept veering off to the right....

But eventually, I got a strike! And Pondo gave me a prize for my efforts, rupees again, I think.... I can’t remember....

That guy.... so punny....

I thought about stopping there for the night. It was an inviting, comfy, warm and friendly place.... And the hour was getting so late, and I was tired.... And I loved all his moose-decor....

BUT THE TOWER WAS RIGHT THERE....

I kept climbing.

There were no great enemies about on guard, but the base of the tower—the Hebra Tower—was surrounded by a bristling ring of ice. And as the ground was so uneven, it was a little difficult to lay a fire. But eventually I found a spot of ground level enough to set down some wood and flint and set it alight without it rolling or sliding away.

It.... exercises your patience, the ice does. Unless you want to blow a ton of Fire Arrows all at once. But I just waited for my fire to melt the ice chunks until a big enough hole opened up for me to reach the tower.

The climb to the top was blissfully uneventful. And as I studied the new map data, I saw that.... THERE WAS ANOTHER LABYRINTH HERE. HEE.

My eyes roved over all the cool new places to explore, until eventually I paraglided back to the stable. I thought to save it then, it was getting so late, but....

Stalhorse....

It was night.

I went to look for it.

Juannelle had said it was to the north.... I set out across the stark and naked snowscape, only pulling up when I saw a Lynel in the distance. I didn’t want to get too close.

I searched up and down the north end of the plain, but couldn’t find any trace of a stalhorse. No, but hadn’t she said it would be near some ruins?

The labyrinth!

But.... those freaking Lynels in the way!

The night was burning fast. In desperation I ran up onto the bordering mountain to skirt the eastern Lynel before the morning came. And paragliding back down through the everpresent fog and mist, I caught sight of some movement on the road to the towering labyrinth....

I came closer and FOUND IT OH MY GOSH. I snapped a pictograph. A Stalkoblin was riding a Stalhorse!

....

I WANTED IT!

I dashed in, dispatched a loitering Lizalfos, killed the Bokoblin rider, and.... approached the skeletal equine.... It had glowing eyes and the rags of ancient trappings. Its tail was scraggly, and it had no mane.

I mounted it, and it uttered the rippling, gurgling ghost of a whinny as I tried to soothe it.... And what was more my surprise and my dread.... it calmed down and I sat still upon it. .__.

It was nearly morning! I wanted to take it back to the stable—could I make it?

I turned it about, and we got on the road, and I spurred it forward, but it bucked me off—had I spurred it too forcefully?—reared in throat-tearing agony, and DIED as the sun rose. Its bones separated and crumbled and turned black and disintegrated in the rising light, and it was gone.

....

Man.

....

I warped back to the stable—still didn’t want to deal with that Lynel—and Juannelle gave me like a hundred rupees or something for the picture.

That was enough for today. I was savin’ and goin’ to bed. It was late.

And all my two hours of sleep were full of Lynels in the snow.

A Matter of Presence

Waking of Saturday, November 3, 2018 ~ 3

A Matter of Presence

It would take two shards of Naydra’s horn in order to enhance the Champion’s Tunic, but I decided to just stop at one for now. Waiting for that dragon had taken forever! And I didn’t want to put it off any longer—I went back to Serenne, and I was gonna head north. I was gonna.

I just noticed a few more possible Korok hiding places along the way.... and of course with David watching when the sun went down I had to show him what the Skelesuit did, when the Stalcreatures started popping out of the ground.... It was a disguise! David had had this suit way longer than I’d had it, and he’d never known! And then when I saw the light from that fallen star I had to switch to my Stealth Suit to run there and get it in time, just a little detour.... Whoops, had to watch out for that Lynel beneath Mount Drena.... How long had that been there?

And then here came Dinraal down the canyon.

I ran. Still in my Stealth Suit I ran, moving so fast, giving no time for baddies, my gosh, I had to get there—! And I BARELY made it to the big canyon’s edge to shoot a scale off the dragon’s tail as he curled and twined massively away and out of reach.

I floated down into the canyon to pick it up; that was two of Dinraal’s scales I had now. I could offer one to the Spring of Power....

And with a warp and a short jog—gosh Akkala was such pretty country—I did. And a door back behind the Goddess statue opened up to reveal the Tutsuwa Nima Shrine.

It was a Major Test of Strength. Always a good challenge....

But my controller battery was running low; I opted to wait a bit before defeating the Shrine-Guardian. But once I had, I felt cocky and confident enough to turn my attentions to the three Guardian Flyers in the neighboring Ordorac Quarry. I’d deflected enough bolts from the landbound ones.... I could probably deal with the flyers....

As it turned out it was much more difficult than it seemed. With the Stalkers I could assume an optimal distance away, and time my reaction to the bolt. For me it was easiest when they came in close....

But the Flyers evidently didn’t need to hover in the same distance to blast you. And they swung and weaved beneath their propellers, further complicating the timing, and not even ensuring a deflected bolt would connect!

It was hard. But once I’d started I wanted to see it through. I ended up burning through Daruk’s Protection, breaking a few shields and using more than a few arrows, but in the end I did destroy them all. And the run of the quarry was mine.

Disappointingly, however, there wasn’t much to be found therein. Just a few good ore deposits, which wasn’t entirely unsurprising, but I could find their like anywhere.

The encounter was not a loss, though; I found something else out.

I discovered what makes my sword gleam at odd whiles.

It turned out the whiles weren’t so odd after all. The Master Sword would double in strength, and shine with the power to repel Evil, whenever Evil was in close proximity.

I discovered this when I was maneuvering around the edges of the quarry, making ready to draw the attentions of one of the Flyers. As it moved around its small patrol-circuit, it would come near to me and then move away again, over and over. And the range was just right, so that when I held the Master Sword in my hand and the thing came close.... the sword would KLANG with a ringing that hungered to be thunder, while the blade would light up and shimmer fiercely. And when the Guardian hovered away and out of range again the light would go out, and the sound would sleep.

THIS WAS AMAZING. There was something really cool about it, though also a bit daunting, if not scary.... But I felt a little bit past that kind of dread now, with the Guardians.

I could get close to them....

Also it would be a lie to say all of this did not remind me at least a little bit of Orcrist, Glamdring, and Sting.

Well the Ordorac Quarry was nice, but I didn’t anticipate ever coming back here again after the next Blood Moon. There was ore to be found elsewhere, and this place was too choked with small trees anyway. I swept for Koroks and other treasures, searching round every obstructing hump of unblasted stone.... place shoulda been a lasertag course instead, really....

Where was I? What was I doing....?

....OH YEAH—

Huppenwoop

Waking of Saturday, November 3, 2018 ~ 2

Huppenwoop

With the controller recharged I started up at the Serenne Stable again, ready to head to the colder climates of the northwest....

But....

....Was there some kind of buzzkill risk? What slowed me down?

I warped away to Cotera instead.

I had her upgrade some of my Desert Voe Gear, not that it would do me much good north of Serenne.... But....

Mmm I wanted to upgrade more things but when you upgrade things it flings them to the back of the closet; didn’t want to max out too many items before I got to my Champion’s Tunic; wanted to max that one out sooner so that all the other items being upgraded and flung to the back would push it forward onto the front page again....

Dratblast it I didn’t have any Naydra horn! I needed Naydra horn to enhance the Champion’s Tunic....

I had tried to set myself up at the perfect launch point to head into the cold northwest and finally fill in my map.

But I wanted that Naydra horn....

I warped to Mount Lanayru instead, and LOITERED.

I was waiting for the dragon, and it took forever. I paraglided down a bit, and then climbed back up and then climbed up on top of the ice pillars and then paraglided some more.... Down the slope of the mountain I stood on a pedestal of ice. Just stood. Lookin’ cool. Swiveling the camera.

“You know,” I said to David, “I’ve seen you, and everybody else, climbing around tall mountains with that friggin’ Wingaling Hat on your heads.” Just something I’d seen from further unintented glimpses.

David briefly gave me a funny look and then, “Oh,” he said knowingly.

“What do you think of me just climbing around in my Ruby Circlet and Warm Doublet?”

He thought for a moment, then said in a chiding voice, “Inefficient.”

“I killed a Lynel in this thing.” I nodded toward the Warm Doublet. “How do you like me now?”

“I said inefficient, not insufficient.”

“Have you ever killed a Lynel in this thing? It’s got, like, one defense.”

“I’ve never killed a Lynel.”

Well that made me feel right hoity-toity.

I climbed around some more, making Link jump and burning my stamina. “Hup! Hup! Woop! Huhn!” said Link.

“Careful you don’t run outta hup,” said David.

Link wooped.

“Or woop,” I said.

“Hupp ‘n woop,” said David.

“Huppenwoop—that sounds like a band. Like.... Steppenwolf. Huppenwoop.”

“Like a band?” David laughed. “Huppenwoop.”

“Why do I know that name? Didn’t they do....?”

“Magic Carpet Ride,” David supplied.

“Yeah, yeah, I knew it was something from Star Trek.” I had that soundtrack. Good one.

I made sure not to run out of huppenwoop.

I stood some more, waiting for the dragon. I scoped in to look at the layout of the land, and where Lanayru Road was, and what lay between here and there. I told David about the big gross Hinox snoring away in the place with the pristine-sounding name of Purifier Lake. “Nice,” I sneered.

I looked at the low snowfield in the foothills and the little forested area beyond.

“I could go and kill the Hinox. And kill the Lynel.” I considered.

“Gosh!” David burst, “What the heck, I mean you used to be the person that, like.... a speck of dust might move across the screen and you’d be like ‘Oh my gosh what is that run away!’”

“Or that thought a goat was Beast Ganon?” I reminded him with a grin.

“Yes!”

I paraglided down to Lanayru Road a couple of times. I was sure Naydra would make a pass there, or at least I had my suspicions....

And eventually.... HE DID! And I GOT that Naydra Horn! Huzzah! I KNEW he made passes through that valley! I knew that had to be him I’d seen reflected in the microwave door that one time....!

Return to Serenne

Waking of Saturday, November 3, 2018

Return to Serenne

I’d heard from somewhere, maybe somewheres, very probably including Madman Joseph, that there were 900 Koroks in this game.

I wondered just how deep my pockets could go, or would even need to go. Would I break through some kind of boundary with Hestu, once each of my inventories took up an entire screen? Would I reach hammerspace?

I wandered out from Tera’s fountain and into the desert. I’d caught unintended glimpses of map screens in my researching for finessing the log; the Korok Seed icons were practically tripping over each other. But where were they all hiding in this wasteland?

I trekked all over the desert, all over the highlands, killed the Lynel.... I found a few more Koroks.... But.... where were they all hiding?

Done with the puzzling Koroks for the moment I finally paraglided down to the Gerudo Canyon Stable, and took out.... Dragmire. Hadn’t ridden him in a while. I wanted him to carry me now, all the way to the Serenne Stable. Faron was found and mapped. It was time to head northwest.

We hit the road, stopping only a few times to rescue people—Regan, Chabi....

Near the Coliseum I bought all of Botrick’s arrows; I was always happy to do business with him. And at the Outskirt Stable I stopped to sell some more meat to Trott; he was always happy to do business with me.

But I didn’t continue right away. There was one other person I’d been meaning to speak to here at this stable....

Aliza stood out in the dappled shade of the trees by the road. “So did you find the Hero of Legend?” she asked when I approached. She was excited.

My choices of response made me laugh—it was either “I am he.” or “Bye.” XD

“I am he,” I said. Lol so stoic....

Aliza was.... surprised! She’d been waiting so long, but.... I wasn’t at all what she expected. It was a shame, she told me, because I wasn’t even her type! But she gave me something she had been saving for me anyway—a Star Fragment.

Well that was friendly! :)

“It feels SO good to finally check that off my bucket list!” she finished.

Then when I spoke to her again.... “You must be really busy, saving the world and all. How about instead of talking to random strangers, you think a little more about doing your job, yeah?”

Oof wow. XD

We rode on, not meeting a whole lot of other people on the road except for a guy named Savelle at the north end of the Breach of Demise. He had a cool helm. Made me want to get on enhancing my Soldier’s Armor....

We reached Serenne Stable in the ten o’clock hour where I boarded Dragmire and spent the night . . . . and when I woke up in the morning it was raining.

But here I took a break to eat dinner and then to watch a movie with friends. It was a little after Halloween, but we still enjoyed a corny run of Spaced Invaders. But in the opening credits I thought I recognized that name.... Ariana.... Ariana Richards.... And as the movie progressed and we came to the part with the young girl OH MY GOSH IT WAS LEX—she was so little!—was this her breakout role....?

Faron's Five-Cent Tour

Waking of Saturday, October 27, 2018 ~ 4

Faron’s Five-Cent Tour

I warped to the Shoda Sah Shrine in the rainy jungles of Faron, and went up the plateau. I’d seen it from the top of that mountain above the Twin Bridges.... the Lynel. Except it was a White Lynel now.

It had stood between me and the tower. I remembered....

I killed it. Awesomely. I don’t think I even got a scratch.

And I floated down a level to the next broad shelf, and found a Red Hinox.

I killed it, too.

Down another level and I ran into a nest of Lizalfos.

Killed ‘em.

And there, out from the edge of the next shelf downward.... was the crown of the Sheikah Tower. I could have floated over and it would have been a very short climb to the top, but....

I looked down.

An Electric Wizzrobe pranced around the tower’s base, and a cloud of Keese swarmed about its middling heights.

A few appeals to Ja Baij and they were all gone.

I sailed down and ran around the base for a little bit, scaring up what Koroks I could, before giving the tower a proper climb.

And the Faron Tower and local map were mine.

Cooool. I could see the places I’d been to—that pointy sandbar was called Cape Cresia, with a Soka Point at its tip.

All the Floria names were cool. I made my way north to a Keelay Plain—which was one of the very few places I’ve found that have gravel—enjoyed the foley—played some dangerous bog games looking for Koroks in Tobio’s Hollow, then up to the Jia Highlands and Angel Peak.

I was getting quite good at clearing out entire camps of Moblins and Bokoblins before they even knew I was there.

I remember paragliding in to the very last Bokoblin in my mask, his start of surprise and then friendly approach to come talk Bokoblin to me, and how I cut him down in two rapid strokes the instant he was close enough.

Didn’t even give him time to blink.

“I’m a heartless murderer,” I said to myself.

Of course, that very night was a Blood Moon and they all came straight back. In the high meadow I killed the stray Guardian one more time before getting out of there and paragliding all the way to Dueling Peaks Stable—I’d wanted to do that since I first climbed up to Misko’s Cache above the Twin Bridges. I was in roughly the same area....

But I couldn’t think of any business to see to at Dueling Peaks Stable, and I was getting tired, which meant.... it was another warping meander back to the Great Fairy Tera.

I upgraded a crapton of clothes.

And I considered....

I considered.... sorting.... for a while....

Sooorrrrt?

No.

Not cleaning my closet yet

GOOD NIGHT.

The Mysterious Palmorae Disc

Waking of Saturday, October 27, 2018 ~ 3

The Mysterious Palmorae Disc

“Okay, Zuta, lead me to ruins!”

I was back in Lurelin Village, entertaining an eager young child who really wanted to show me something.

We ran northeast along a low shelf of land for a long time, as it started to rain.... until Zuta finally stopped short and said, “Tell Garini I said hi!”

And then he started running back toward the village.

Okay then.

I continued along a little track that led back down to the beach. The sand seemed to extend quite a ways inland here, flooring a deep hollow in the side of the mountain. So these were the Palmorae Ruins. I could see two glowing daises, but not much else was distinguishable through the rain.

I moved closer, and just beyond the daises I saw a man, looking at—

WHAT.

THAT WAS....

THAT LOOKED REMARKABLY LIKE....

NO.

IT COULDN’T—

ASDFGHJKL;

IETHGERJSGHJAEKSGFAEKLR;GJNAEK;NVJLRAEHGUFIAR;EHGIRJ

I made myself remember how far I was from the Arbiter’s Grounds in the desert.

It just looked so remarkably like the Mirror of Twilight at first glance.... broken and everything....

I spoke to the man, Garini. He was studying this ruin closely, trying to decipher the inscription along its circumference. But of course, as the disc was broken and he didn’t have all the pieces.... he was having a hard time. The years of rain and sea-swell had taken their toll on the structure.

So what’s a Hero to do? Of course I agreed to help him—it was a shrine quest! I searched out the three other pieces to take pictographs of them. It was easiest at night, when the markings glowed. But I worked as I could, finding one nearby in the sand, one away to the right amid some rocks in shallow water, and the last one waaaay out on that pointy point of a sandbar I had been to before when I was looking in all the wrong places for Aris Beach.

I studied the markings myself for a good little bit. I wondered what form or forms of Hylian they were.... if any.... Reminded me most of OoT Hylian, though some characters had that flowy, Gerudo look.... Oh I wanted to nerd it all out on Omniglot so bad....

I brought back the pictographs, and Garini deciphered: “When the two find their place and kneel in reverence, then the way will open,” or some such words.

“I haven’t the foggiest what that means,” said Garini.

I did.

I got on the dais on the right and knelt down.

Garini looked at me, “Ah! Is that it?”

He did the same on the other dais.

And we knelt together.... and the shrine appeared! ^_^ The Kah Yah Shrine.

Ah, I love it when the game makes you do such dances....

As of December 12, 2018 I still have not deleted the shard pictographs. The resemblance was just too close! What would possess someone to remove it from the desert to this location? It was a good hiding spot.... Has the internet already looked into this? Augh probably, probably....

Deep Smit

Waking of Saturday, October 27, 2018 ~ 2

Deep Smit

I didn’t have the topo, but I could see the icon indicating Lurelin Village’s location. It was directly on the other side of a sizeable mountain from where I was.

Instead of following the winding beach all the way back, I decided to take a little climb, straight up and over....

From the beach and sea level, the mountain looked rather unremarkable, but as I climbed I discovered a good number of little dells and hidden hollows, and a heckton of Blue Nightshade flowers! Cool.

And at the tippy top was a Korok. Of course.

As long as I was at the crest I decided to spend a moment taking in the view. And looking down the tumbles of another side of the mountain, I could see.... Why that’s a heart-shaped pond! One single pond—not broken down the center like that one above Hateno Village. This heart was whole.

And there were people down there....

A Hylian man and a Gerudo stood on opposing shores of the little pond. Furtively staring at one another. I spoke to them both.

Wabbin was the man’s name. And he was in some seriously deep smit. That Gerudo across the way was gorgeous. But he couldn’t work up the nerve to just go over there and talk to her....

The Gerudo, Perda, on the other hand, was feeling a bit unsure. While she was indeed out seeking her true love, and this did seem to be a place of providence for the matter, she didn’t quite know what to make of the creeper who kept staring at her from across the way....

I played a lovely game of go-between. XD

Wabbin wanted to offer her a token of his feelings—a flower. Only he didn’t have any flowers. And he begged me to find him some Blue Nightshades.

Well! As it turned out I’d just run into a huge stash of those! Not that my pockets weren’t already full of them. I handed one over.

But Wabbin was too petrified to offer the gift himself. So he asked me if I would do it.

Heh, sure thing, buddy. X-)

I took the flower to Perda, and let her know how that guy over there was totally digging on her, and well.... that put her in deep smit, too.

A few more messaging runs back and forth, and the most adorable cutscene ensued, with Wabbin and Perda finally on the same side of the pond together, Perda still holding the flower! ^_^ Awww, that was cute. Don’t see items as props too often.

And as the sun rose on the high meadow with its pond in the seaside mountain.... I was the last one to fall into deep deep smit. Because I saw just how many Hearty Radishes there were growing around here! Sweet! 8D

Those things is good eatin’!

Beachfront Shenanigans

Waking of Saturday, October 27, 2018

Beachfront Shenanigans

I entered Lurelin Village!

It seemed.... a lazy kind of place.

I was helping people right off the bat. I supplied Kiana and her son Kinov with a Hearty Blueshell Snail and some Goat Butter—which ingredient I had JUST bought from that Chumin as he ran out of town (it was raining).

But! Kiana let me eat with them for my trouble! And I got a pretty good dish out of it, too! Cool!

Kiana’s husband Sebasto further bemoaned that fishing had become difficult since monsters had lodged up at Aris Beach.

I had flashbacks of Final Fantasy VII at the name. Emily, Lisa, Marlee and I had won some pretty good prizes with those cosplays. But I’d never played much of the game myself. Owing to the awkward questions I got from a much younger David when I made it to the Don’s place. After that I promised myself I’d never play the game again. Sometimes I’ve regretted it.

Monsters at Aris Beach, huh? I still didn’t have the map, so I just made a guess and turned.... left. Uh, northeast.

I ran and scoured the beach for a good long distance, but I didn’t find too many monsters. I found a few. And a few Koroks. But nothing too substantial.

So I came back down the beach, passed the village again and searched to the west. The wind blew in fiercely from the sea on my left. With a glance at my Sheikah Slate I realized.... Oh.... I was at the bottom of my map.

A few more Lizalfos cropped up and took issue with my passage, but I put them down easily enough. And then I saw it—a BIG monster nest, treehouse style, a duplex! Standing in the water just off the sandy shore of a shallow bay.

There’d be no sneaking to the top of this mess with my paraglider.... Unless I felt like hoofing it all the way to the top of one of these mountains, but I didn’t. And I didn’t trust that wind none too much at any rate.

Fortunately, the treehouse seemed mostly full of Bokoblins; there was only one Moblin that I could see. Maybe I could still pull a bit of sneakery. On went my mask....

But I had to take a raft to actually access the joint.

And after that....

Well, you know how these parties go.

I cleared it out and was rewarded with a nice Royal Halberd for my troubles. I’d been seeing those more often lately.... Maybe there wouldn’t be a need for me to hold the precious ones I already had in reserve anymore....

And the banner flashed across my screen—there was an update on the beach-quest!

So I guessed this must have been Aris Beach. Cool. That was good to know.

Maybe I should have gotten the map....

But Lurelin Village would be easy enough to find without it for now.

The Entry For Which I Do Not Apologize

Waking of Thursday, October 25, 2018

The Entry For Which I Do Not Apologize

I wanted to get back on the road to Lurelin, but.... I was distracted by my shrine-detector once again as I wandered around.

My wanderings also brought me back to that Lynel I’d seen from the top of that peak above the Twin Bridges. It had been blue, then. But now it was a White-Maned Lynel!

Why were they all white now? I’d been hoping to try my hand against a blue one.... a nice, medium level against which to test my mettle....

I didn’t want to mess with a White Lynel right now, but I did run a derping circle around it in my mask a few times. Seems if you stay in motion and they don’t get a chance to study you carefully.... they might just stay fooled.

After a time I finally found the shrine I’d been detecting—the Shoda Sah Shrine, hidden behind a big waterfall, like that one near the Lanayru Promenade.

You Shoda Sah me get it.

THEN I came back to the Lurelin Road, and back to that little canyon just beyond the jungle that had been so infuriating, where the cliffs had been impassable in the downpour. Maybe I’d try them again at some point, if the rain-spell were truly broken. But for now, I pressed onward down the road.

Just how far away was this village?

I ran on and on, along the bottoms of the cliffs and back to where I had plunged into the foothills to double back, and beyond, and still the road wound on through treeless, grassy hills and grey mountains, with no sign of the village.

I sported for a little while with a treehouse full of Bokoblins before.... my shrine-detector started going off again.

Maybe this one would be the shrine near the village.... for there was always a shrine near every habitation....

And this time, as it turned out.... it was.

Over the last rise in the road, I could see the sea, and spread along the shore, little fishing huts, and boats resting along the beach.

The shrine, the Yah Rin Shrine, was nearby the village, and it was easy to find.

You just go up the hill from the trail a little bit, and Yah Rin.

I was upon Lurelin Village, but.... I detected buzzkill impending.... and my laundry needed switching out anyway.

So I saved and quit.

Soon.