Sleepwalker

Waking of Sunday, June 16, 2019 (comprised of raw note editings from April 5, 2023 through April 17, 2023 that I really hope sound consistent because I left it alone for too long)

Sleepwalker

I started up in Kakariko.

Where the ORB was.

....

The orb was in Impa’s house.

Impa’s house had the Worry Journal.

The Worry Journal mentioned Pikango.

....

I was going to find Pikango.

Maybe now that I had read the Worry Journal, he might have something new to say....

He usually turned up around Stables, and so I got to work sweeping the map, searching for Pikango at every single one....

Warping to shrine after shrine....

But.... I was....

....so....

....tired....

....

.

.

.

.

—Link gave an exertive little grunt and I opened my eyes.

I had accidentally climbed up onto one of the storage boxes outside.... what Stable was this?

Oh my gosh I was tired.

I’d been running on only three hours’ sleep.

Good thing I’d been facing a stable box and not.... some cliff or ravine.... or monster....

Where was I? What was next?

Lakeside Stable.

There was a girl named Cima there, at Lakeside, bearing a red exclamation mark next to her person.

Hadn’t seen one of those in a while.

I woke up a little bit more....

She related to me how frightened she was of the lightning whenever there was a thunderstorm.

Good heavens was Faron a poor choice for you, Cima.

She said lightning struck the stable so often that she became nervous at even the slightest bit of rain.... and then asked me if I could find out why.

Uh, why so much lightning, not why she was nervous.

I agreed.... But as it was not storming or even raining at the moment, I contented myself in the meanwhile with camping out for Farosh to make his passes over the lake. Got a shard of his fang for my patience.

I am so sorry, poor holy beast....

Eventually the rains did come—you never had to wait long in Faron—and I could see what Cima meant: Again and again and again the lightning pounded down directly onto the roof of the stable, shaking the building and the residents....

I donned my Thunder Helm for protection and.... probably asked Revali for a helping wing to get up there and see what was going on....

It was difficult to see in the flashing darkness of the storm, but as I drew near to the stable’s crown, I could see there was an axe hewn right into the horse’s forehead. My gosh....

I removed it, and went back down to the ground, but—

Cima was fast asleep.

It seemed I had waited into the night for the storm to arrive.

....

With nothing else for it I decided to just keep sweeping the Stables, but.... I never found Pikango.

When the sun was up again I returned to Lakeside and sought out Cima once more. I told her about the metal axe on the roof.

She was deeply grateful, and she gave me—

THE RUBBER HELM?

CIMA HAD IT?

....

Okay well I was a little more awake now, but....

Well heck.

BACK TO KAKARIKO.

I ran back into the woods to Cotera’s spring, and had her work her magic on the new piece of armor. She upgraded it past level two, and now that I had the whole Rubber set at such a level—I dived into my menus to see—

....

Unshockable was the bonus.

....

Why this was like another Thunder Helm.

....

....

Well it looked kinda neat, as I wore it.... The Helm was shaped like.... Well I guess the easiest way to describe it would be to say that it seemed as though a fish had nommed onto my head and was now clamped there, its swiftly tapering tail flipped up in a little forward-bending prawn-curl over my crown, where the fin fanned out.

Kinda reminded me of the central Zoran palace, actually....

Similar to the Ancient Helm, my eyes could not be seen.

....

I gotta go talk to Pikango down there again, but....

....I was.... so tired....

Quit the game.

Bedtime.

 

Just Ends

Waking of Saturday, April 20, 2019

Just Ends

It was late. I sat down and thought to play, but.... the dryer was so noisy....

So I just went treasure hunting instead.

Hit Mekar Island again first. Nothing but a bunch of bad guys. Then why does it feel so....? Why does it feel like there’s something there?

Searched the shrines for chests I may have missed. But I still couldn’t find the Rubber Helm. I did find some other good stuff, but.... eventually I came to a point where I wasn’t willing to chuck out old weapons in exchange anymore.

Boy the Thunder Helm is useful for wandering around electric-path-type Shrines.

Pepp’s and bed.

Good night.

Shrine for a Rainy Day

Waking of Saturday, December 8, 2018

Shrine for a Rainy Day

It was time to fill in another unexplored spot in my network of shrines....

I warped to the Tabantha Bridge Stable, and set out east, away from the bridge, to explore the Seres Scablands—the land of those gigantic, anomalous, strange, otherworldly.... treeshrooms. And the land over which I had always—ALWAYS—seen a dark and pouring thunderhead, flashing from within with lightning.

The sky was actually clearer in the Scablands near the stable and the ensuing road. The eternal rain only really seemed to hover over the deepest heart of the enormous treeshroom sprawl, in a place my map called Ludfo’s Bog, back where the land flattened into a broad valley surrounded by tall mountains on all sides.

The topo had always seemed to indicate a kind of artificial rise in the middle of that valley.... I was positive there would be a shrine there....

I had traveled the road past the Seres Scablands a few times before, and I had seen the alien treeshroom forest. But for the first time I now indulged myself in plunging headlong into it in earnest, searching about its cracked and erupted earth, scaring Koroks out of the large, odd pocks in the ground, rainwater pooling in their bottoms.

What had made the ground this way? The land looked like it had boiled and then been left to sit, full of hardened bubbles like crusty cheese. But the rampant grass and unworrying flowers with their butterflies still left a gay feeling in the air. And the only beasties about were Chuchus, Keese, and the occasional Octorok.

I chased out a few more Koroks until I came to the Thundra Plateau—where the rain started.

A monk’s voice sounded: You who have come to this thunderous plateau... When the four spirits are settled in their places, the way to the trial will open. Or some such words.

Upon entering the darkness of the thunderhead I had caught sight of these strange, small, beacon-lights of differing colors, shining steadily through the gloom between the treeshrooms. Bright as lamps and somewhat above ground-level. Were those the “spirits”?

As I pressed on deeper into the storm, I saw that a couple of these beacon-lamps—orbs, I could see now, with strange emblazoned patterns on them—were perched atop imposing columns of more dragon-headed statuary. I also found the artificial rise indicated on my topo; it seemed to be a great, walled barrow of some kind. A Great Plateau in miniature, its raised surface upheld and bound in by an encompassing wall of dark stone.

I circumnavigated it first, like I do, the lightning crashing down on my Thunder Helm at whiles; I couldn’t be bothered to switch out my gear. The barrow was so big around that it took a good few minutes to complete one circuit. The wall had worn and crumbled down in a couple of places, leaving exposed slopes of rock and earth that gave easier access to the top. These were handy as it was difficult to climb the walls in the rain. Not impossible. But definitely hampered.

But first, I went after the red orb. It gleamed atop a relatively short dragon-totem, which stood beside another one of the Scablands’ jutting ruptures—a perfect stepping stone to give me a leg up. It took some hard climbing and leaping up the surface between slippings down, but I made it to the top in fairly short order. I picked up the orb and chucked it down to the plain before paragliding down after it.

However, when I tried to carry it up one of the crumbled slopes and onto the barrow.... well, the slope wasn’t quite so smooth as that. One jutting lip of hardened earth impeded me yet from reaching the top without climbing, and I could not climb while carrying this orb. Nor could I simply throw the orb over the lip and up on top—it was just high enough to prevent that.... and it knew it too....

Try every angle and starting point that I might, I could not get this orb up onto the grassy top of the barrow.... A couple of times I only succeeded in accidentally dropping it on my own head. ☆☆ -_- ☆☆

After a while I decided to leave off the red orb for a bit, and I climbed up on top of the barrow to just go and see about the other orbs up there, for I was sure I’d seen some....

A purple orb was just sitting there, in the midst of the four inward-facing dragon-totems. Each of these totems had a colored symbol on its neck, and a waiting depression in front of it. So I picked up the purple orb and set it in its place before the dragon with the matching purple symbol.

Nothing happened. Just as well; there were more orbs to get.

Some rusting weapon or other was stuck into the wet earth up here, and it too drew the occasional lightning explosion. But after a time even I got tired of all the fireworks, and just put off all my metal trappings.

The green orb was a little trickier, as it sat up on top of one of the dragon totems, and there were no handy stepping stones of ruptured earth to give me a boost here. However, I did have almost three full wheels of stamina, and a lot of Climbing Gear.

I knew I could climb seven or eight steps or grips before the rain would send me sliding back down. And so it was grip, grip, grip, grip, grip, grip, JUMP! Sliiiide.... Which would have produced a net gain each time if I could just rinse and repeat that pattern. But sometimes I could only make a couple of grips up the stone before slipping back down to the ground. The results to my efforts were annoyingly random, but I kept trying....

And all the while the rain lashed and the wind blew and the thunder kept up a constant grumbling overhead, the Piano lazing all over the sodden grass, contentedly picking its nails as it watched me work.

I scrabbled and slipped and hit the ground repeatedly, panting and out of breath. But with much persistence, I eventually did make it to the top of the totem. And the green orb was mine to toss down onto the grass.

The green orb went into its place before the green-marked dragon.

Now for that red one....

I hadn’t wanted to use Stasis, as I didn’t like wearing down my weapons. But I could see no other alternative. Back on the crumbled slope to the barrow-top, I found a bit of earth that looked like it could serve as a ramp.... and there was just enough rock for the orb to sit without rolling down, too.

I tried a Bomb first, to see if that would do it.... then two Bombs.... But Ja Baij had neither the force nor the aim to get the orb where I wanted it.

So I picked a single-handed weapon to sacrifice....

I set the red orb down once again in the nook above the rock, positioned myself just downhill, Stasised the thing, and started whackin’....

This approach was much more controlled, and I had soon imbued the orb with enough force to send it rocketing up the ramp and high over the barrow like a golf ball.

I scurried up once again, was relieved to find that I hadn’t whacked the orb clean over the barrow, and set the red orb down in its place before the red-marked dragon.

One more.

The final orb, orange, was set atop another dragon-totem down on the plain off the barrow. The tallest totem yet....

I got to it, jumping, climbing, scrabbling, grabbing, slipping, falling, panting, running out of energy again and again and again.... until my persistence paid off and I got on top.

I cast the orange orb back down onto the plain, and went to position it on the makeshift earthen ramp....

Huh.... this corresponding dragon’s motif looked yellow, not orange....

I wondered for only a moment, and then placed the orb.

And in the flat grass in the midst of the dragon-totems on top of the rainy barrow.... the Toh Yahsa Shrine came rumbling up out of the earth.

The trial within was called Buried Secrets. And WOW that was a lot of big blocks to knock around and blow up. Much fun.

When Lightning Strikes

Waking of Saturday, October 13, 2018 ~ 2

When Lightning Strikes

I felt the nearness of my journey’s end. There was only one Divine Beast left. And I didn’t want any more blank patches when I faced it. If I was coming full circle, that circle had to be full.

It was time to fill in my map.

It was time to venture into the jungles of Faron.

I traveled by horse this time, deciding to give Brown some riding time; he’d done such a good job. We headed out from the Highland Stable, into Faron Woods, traveling slowly. Even on the road, and with a horse, I still preferred a cautious church mouse’s pace.

We found ourselves crossing paths multiple times with one Chumin, a vendor, and his donkey. He looked cool in his vest and shorts and said he hailed from Lurelin Village—that habitation I’d heard tell of around here before. His attire made it seem.... like a laid-back kind of place. Maybe it was a beach town....

We met a few other people along the way, Meeshy, and someone called Totsuna.... And....

An “Oh noooo!” floated to me from over a hill. I dismounted and ran, and found two Black Bokoblins, one of them beating up.... Tye!

I saw it pummeling him against the thick trunk of a tree; I saw him take hits—

What it does to a hero’s heart.

I killed it! And ran. Sorelia was down. I killed that one too!

And they were safe and ran to each other to huddle together like they do.

Those two....

It was a long way through the jungle, with many detours, a good deal of Koroks, and a nigh unplumbable heckton of mysterious ruins, towers and treasures. But after an age of walking the road beneath a downpour of thundery weather, we made it to the Lakeside Stable.

And dang that Shai Utoh Shrine behind the stable was a head-cracker!

I decided to board Brown. He’d had some good exercise, but.... I really preferred to travel on foot. There were still a few resident Koroks to chase, and they led me out from the rattling jungle and toward the overlook—and a Floria Bridge.

Floria? I wondered.... And I walked further, and—the name flashed across the screen.

IT IS LAKE FLORIA, I realized.

The Ancient Lake Floria....

I had.... kind of heard it was here.

But discovering it was still cool nonetheless.

I crossed Floria Bridge as the rain still hammered the world, and dang Farosh was just.... this was just his playground or something. For the first time from this low angle, I saw him swoop over the watery valley. He came quite close to the bridge, as did his attendant aura of ball lightning.

This place was hazardous.

Fortunately I still carried the Thunder Helm. But I made it to the other side of the bridge without incident.

And my shrine-locator started going off again.

One of the stablehands had said there was something strange on top of the waterfalls on this side of the bridge....

The road was so long, the Koroks so plentiful, the enemies so insistent, and my pace so slow. The distance was mounting in my mind and I wondered where this path would even take me. But I received some assurance from one Letty, who looked like a Sheikah girl in Hylian clothes, that Lurelin Village was indeed this way.

I was way off my map.

Hmm, maybe I should have gone for the tower, first....

I continued. My shrine detector was still brreep-brreeping; I was sure it must have been on top of the tall cliffs to my left. But there was no getting up there in this weather.

And as I continued along the path, with a tremendous rumbling, the sky turned fiercer still.

That was thunder.

OH LIGHTNING! C8

“Uh, you need to—” David started.

BUT I DIDN’T. I’d been waiting for this. I’d switched to metal weapons in the course of my frays, but I was still wearing my Thunder Helm.

I stood still on the path, and my sword and shield spikked and spacked and zapped and crackled!

David watched but I didn’t move!

TESTING.... TESTING.... TESTINNGGG....

Kracka-BOOOOOM LIGHTNING CRASHED DOWN ON ME AND I JUST STOOD THERE IN THE SHAKING EXPLOSION WHILE THE EARTH ERUPTED ALL AROUND ME AND I WAS LEFT STANDING AMIDST THE FLAMES AND UPDRAFTS RISING THROUGH THE FALLING RAIN STANDING SO STILL AND STOIC YET. The Master Sword still in my hand.

“DID YOU SEE THAT?” says I.

“Yeah I did.” He eats cereal.

SO COOL. I LOVE THE THUNDER HELM.

A little further and of a sudden I was out of the jungle and.... in a rather pleasantly sunny little valley between mountains.

But my shrine detector had stopped. Well I couldn’t have that.... I turned back. Where was that shrine? It had to be up on top of those cliffs. The road had skirted around to the right of them.

The little valley was refreshingly open and bright after the pouring din of the jungle. But it was a soggy sunshine. The rain came in patches—the most inconvenient patches! I tried every nook and overhang, took advantage of the highest rises in the ground that I could find, just trying to gain one of the lower steppes, for the cliffs were not sheer.... But always that rain! I COULD NOT CLIMB IN THIS RAIN.

And the blasted Yiga Clansmen hounding my footsteps were no help.

This was ridiculous. I would step away from the cliffs, and the sun would peek through, as if to check on my progress. I would return to the cliffs, and the clouds would just POUR! WHAT!

I looked down the road; the cliffs seemed to give way to a more sloping geography further on. It might be a long jog, but.... their tops seemed to connect to the clifftops back here. And if this blasted rain wasn’t going to let up—

Fine! I’d take the long way round.... I ran down the road. I ran for a long way but there was still no sign of this Lurelin Village.... How far away was it? And when the slopes turned gentler I hoofed it up into the hills, cutting my arc as tightly as the land and the rain would allow, passing four-legged bovines along the way—if they could get up here....

I traversed craggy ridges that melded into the tops of red buttes until I had come back toward the waterfalls, where I found.... Kass.

I actually had to paraglide down a butte to reach him. My shrine locator was once again brreeping like mad, and nearby there was a most obtrusive, yellow-cracked mound, standing on the edge of a large drop-off above the lake. Huh.

My gosh, I dared say I must have been at that place the stablehands had pointed out from the other side of the bridge—the place above the waterfalls with the big weird.... thing. This rock formation.

I walked to the edge and scoped into the rainy haze at the distant twinkling lights to check, dropping markers to be sure, for the rain was still too thick to make anything out for certain. And sure enough, that distant glimmer away below the drop-off and more than a few bowshots out was the Lakeside Stable.

Time to see what their mysterious rock formation was about....

“Very impressive,” Kass said, “Not many could make it all the way up here in such rain.”

You’re telling me! I thought.

“Me? I stay nice and dry,” Kass went on, “My feathers repel the rain rather well. And my instrument is designed to withstand extreme moisture.”

Well that was handy. I considered.... If I’d seen a real instrument out in the rain.... even an accordion.... ugh I couldn’t abide such abuse.

“When your living revolves around ancient songs, you’ve got to be prepared for a few raindrops!” He smiled.

Kass sang the song handed down in this region for me. Heh.... I guess he’s kinda like.... Oh what is that guy’s name.... He even has his own -isms! Because he refuses to use the Italian. Is he dead....? Oh, what was it.... I keep thinking Purcell, but it’s not Purcell. That guy is definitely dead. He stayed out too late and his wife wouldn’t let him back in the house and he froze to death.

CONFOUND IT—it’s got a G in it, I’m sure of it.... ohhh.... GRAINGER! PERCY GRAINGER! Auwgh! That kinda sounds like Purcell!

Grainger?

....

Hm, he’s quite a handsome chap. Gads that photo looks old.

....Oh yeah, he’s dead.

I have forgotten more music theory and music history than most people will ever know.

Ah but PRESERVING SONGS HANDED DOWN.... Heh, why is it only now reminding me of Grainger?

I feel a sudden and renewed rush of affection toward Kass. Well done, mate.

AHEM! Where was I?

Kass sang his song for me!

When a lost hero calls down lightning from the sky

The monk responds from a giant mound on high.

Lightning, huh?

Heh.... This was gonna be good....

Through some persistence I was able to climb up on top of the rocky mound, where I re-equipped my metal trappings. (I’d taken them off while talking to Kass, because I didn’t want to inadvertently blow him to smithereens.)

After that I just had to wait for it....

So this was why it kept raining in this area.... NICE.

I waited.... and waited.... until.... snap-crackle-pop.... Kraka-BOOOOOOMmmm!

The mound explodacrumbled beneath my feet while I, the human lightning rod in my Thunder Helm, nonchalantly dropped onto the top of the Qukah Nata Shrine.

This dang shrine had been so hard to get to. I was ready to complete it and save and quit; my body was very tired. But first.... before he depopulated....

“Ah, so there was a shrine inside that crag split by lightning...” Kass said when I returned to him. “The bolt was so ferocious that I worried I might be struck down myself!”

You only weren’t before because I kept you out of danger, Kass!

“I’d say that’s worthy of being immortalized in song. Anyway, may the light shine ever on your path.”

Aw, with his lovely bird-smile with eyes half closed. ^_^

Love that guy.

Okay, let’s do this. I entered the shrine. And happily enough it was a blessing shrine! And inside the treasure chest were—

Rubber Tights?

Gotta say, I hadn’t been expecting that. What the heck....? XD

“These invaluable tights are resistant to electricity. They’re made with something called “rubber,” an ancient technology that no longer exists in this modern age.

WAT.

....

Okay. XD

That was.... very anomalous. It was four Spirit Orbs anyway. I came back out of the shrine and.... it was not.... storming?

The ground and grass still shone with moisture, but the world had opened up, and it was just that plimmering, shining, wetland music.... that happy Piano....

Only those who have walked through the desert

Evening of Monday, September 10, 2018

Only those who have walked through the desert

I warped to the Gerudo Great Skeleton in the corner, ran into the farthest storm, and started walkin’ east. Time to continue my circumnavigation of the map.

It was about noon when I started, and I walked for a long, long way.

But the Lizalfos kept me company.

I was getting better at wardrobe changes in the desert, and so was ready with my Ruby Circlet when night fell. But when the Electric Keese started to come out—where do they roost anyway?—I opted instead for a Warm Doublet and.... the Thunder Helm. It was SO NICE to fight them with the Thunder Helm on! No shocking! Even with metal weapons! 8D

Ahh, never again would I need face their incapacitating overreach in the rain.

I kept running, bumping into the southern boundary with my right shoulder time and again. Occasionally I would venture a few steps to the north if I saw some Hydromelons or a Voltfruit cactus.... and then it was back into the blur, the grit flying in an endless storm.

The desert was vast.

Once I inadvertently stepped into.... a laughing tambourine? And the cellos started up and taunted me to come out, and the name Arbiter’s Ground Molduga appeared at the top of my screen, along with a life-meter.

Arbiter’s Ground?

How interesting....

It was another name from another game. Another reference. Like Spectacle Rock. Or the more obvious Death Mountain—that one’s in a lot of games. But those were geologic features, and not so fleeting as any man-made structures.

Like the Arbiter’s Ground....

I am very fond of Twilight Princess. I was curious to investigate any reference to it, but.... No, I would come back to it later. I was busy combing the nether edges of my map.... in search of.... I was there because....

Well I just wanted to do it.

Soon after I stepped out of the Molduga’s song, however, a new sound came to my ears—the brreep-brreeping of my shrine-detector. And that did warrant a detour!

I turned north, and came out of the swirling limbo and into a brilliant, bright white world of glaring sky. I’d been in the murk so long; the difference was jarring.

Away in the dunes to the north I could see a single, large, solitary rock. One guess where the shrine was.

I followed the signal nonetheless, and was unsurprised when it took me straight toward the formation. I wondered if this was the shrine I had heard when the Chief and I had been sand-sealing after Vah Naboris.... I thought I’d even caught a glimpse of it then....

I climbed up on top of the rock and swept for Koroks before I found the familiar orange glow on the far side. The Misae Suma Shrine. But when I floated down.... I found there was a Gerudo collapsed against the activation pedestal.

What the....? Was that Barta? But this one wore green.... I didn’t remember Barta wearing that color....

It was....

Pokki!

I’d been looking everywhere for her!

She was exhausted under the hot sun, and she croaked that if this were the end.... then before she went, she just wanted a taste, just a sip.... of a NOBLE PURSUIT.

This gave me something of a dilemma.

See, Pokki’s name always made me think of Pocky. I do enjoy Pocky. And somebody must’ve let it slip to my Mom because she’d given me a large box of it for my birthday. And now I was down to the very last packet. And I’d been saving that packet.... for whenever I happened to find the missing Pokki.

And I’d just found her.

But it was late. It was nearly bedtime. I didn’t want to go to bed with a whole packet of Pocky just sitting in my gut like a stone all night.

So....

I left her there. Still begging for a Noble Pursuit in all her heat-stroke delirium. Very unlike me....

And I ran back down into the farthest storm and continued eastward.

I would save the Pocky for the time when I rescued her instead.

Soon, Pokki.... Soon....

I kept going east until I came to a sheer cliff face—the drop-off at the west end of the Devil’s Own Highway. I attempted to climb it, but.... it was too tall and I didn’t have the stamina.

I could no longer circumnavigate the map from here.

....

But.... that had never really been my immediate intention....

For now.... I decided to suffice myself with the desert. For there was plenty I had not seen of its deeper interior.

And so I bent my course to the north. I didn’t venture into the mountains but stayed down on the sand, skirting curious and tempting features on my map like that large, straight-edged rectangular structure, and of course those monumental statues of the Seven Heroines, whose grandeur I had thus far only witnessed in the topo.

However I was already fairly well acquainted with the desert’s northern edge, and its forests of stone pillars. And so halfway to it, I left the anchoring foothills, and plunged back westward into the trackless ocean of grit.

I passed through strange, flat scapes of small, isolated stonework ruins, the lot of them jutting from the sand like a pox. I found the sandy dell where my sand seal and I had won the race, and for kicks I rolled Bombs down into the Lizalfos camp. And I scaled every surprising island rock I found breaching the sand for air. The Koroks did not come out easily.

Every so often I gazed into the south at the enormous, palm-capped rock that had to be the Southern Oasis. I’d been giving it a wide berth; there was a Molduga down there, and I was short on Bomb Arrows. Soon.

After a very long time, mostly via the sand seal track at the end, I managed to walk all the way back to the lookout tower, and thence back to Gerudo Town.

I had walked through the desert.

And it was vast.

But does vastness retain its vastness once it is known?

Hm.

At any rate I felt undaunted enough to continue westward further still! I did make a stop at my favorite specialty arrow stall first, but.... Bomb Arrows were so expensive. And I was still short on cash. I couldn’t go Molduga hunting just now.

Unfazed, I continued nonetheless into the desert’s northwestern regions, with which I was not quite so familiar. There were many giant bones, and a lot more rock. Great place for an ambush, I thought in Scott McNeil’s voice.

I made it all the way up to that shrine beneath the ribcage, and this time, with my stronger clothes, I was able to climb up on top of the spine! And as I’d suspected there was a Korok.

The Koroks weren’t so shy out in the west. In fact they were fairly obvious, one of them perched at the top of a ribcage angled so high out of the ground that it could be seen for miles all around. There were also absolute treasure troves of Swift Violets to collect! Albeit along rock formations crawling with Lizalfos. But that didn’t pose too much of a hassle.

When I had ventured to the edge, and had my absolute fill of climbing around in the western sand storm, picking violets from high walls, turning over treasure chests, scaring up the odd Korok, and fending off Electric Lizalfos.... I hoofed it back to the ribcage shrine, captured a sand seal, and sailed back to Tera’s spring.

With all the Swift Violets I had collected, I was able to have her do up my Sand Boots another level, which was a welcome enhancement in this environment. However this also required me to part with four of my five precious remaining Molduga guts. I’d need to go hunting again soon.

That Molduga at the Southern Oasis....

All in good time.

I’ll get you later!

I warped back to the woods, settled Link down in Pepp’s bed at a decent evening hour for once.... and went to bed myself.

A Game More Dangerous

Evening of Tuesday, September 4, 2018 ~ 3

A Game More Dangerous

I touched down on the warp pad of the Ishto Soh Shrine, and was met with the buzzing sound of hundreds of flies.

I’d forgotten how much garbage Moza had piled up here.

But I dashed past it all and peered down into the Lynels’ Corridor! I had plans to try out my new toy.... On went the Lynel Mask and Link once again adopted a beefy, stoic stance. X-)

The canyon floor was too far distant for me to make out any creatures prowling along it, and so I relied on the skull stamp I had placed on my map—that was where the southern Lynel would be.

I floated down—there it was—and circled wide, landing some distance further south. Somewhat far away but not too far away.... but pretty far away....

The Lynel still stepped so grandly and paused so ponderously and roared.

And then it turned and SAW ME. FROM FAR AWAY.

We stared at each other. Usually when a bad guy sees its respective mask it starts walking toward you. But neither of us moved. We just stared. For a moment.

And then the Lynel circled round in a canter, faced my way again and nocked a Shock Arrow.

Nope! It was Ishto Soh for me again! I warped the heck outta there! :D

So wow, the mask really didn’t fool the Lynel for very long....

Well they were powerful creatures of many abilities.

But still....

I wanted to try again.

So I ran and jumped and floated down to the left this time, northward toward the mid-Lynel near the base of the Talus’ butte. I spied him as he walked among the baobabs....

With a crunch and a rush I hit the ground running through the long yellow grass. I wanted to get close this time....

It was a White-Maned Lynel, and when he saw my fast approach, he turned to face me, and stood his ground.

I just kept running. If things went south I could always just warp back to Ishto Soh....

The Lynel stood still until I had run right up in front of him, and could physically no longer move forward for his person. He had only looked at me the whole time. The way his head just dropped at the end.... looking down at me....

I was a tiny creature.

We looked at each other only briefly before I walked round to his left flank to see if there was a get on option. There wasn’t. Those zebra stripes. Broad tapers. So high over my head, the body so tall, so BIG. Thick, muscular legs, feathered hooves....

The Lynel turned as well; he wasn’t having me behind him. And we faced each other once more, staring just a bit longer. I was on the north, facing south now. The long south reaches of the Lynels’ Corridor stretched away into the distance behind my.... companion. The baobabs stood in the yellow grass. The Gerudo Highlands glowed bright ruddyrust in the daylight away to my right, the shade of the Zokassa Ridge cooling to my almost immediate left.

At precisely the same moment, I threw the game into a semi-pause by toggling toward the Stasis function, and the White Lynel reached behind his enormous back and fwipped out his gigantic spear.

Oh my.  ._.

I was able to Stasis him and get in a few hits.... But that charm works only briefly on living things, and briefer still on powerful ones.

I could have warped away, but....

Well I did need Lynel bits.... and I was here, wasn’t I?

I stayed.

I stayed, and stood, and fought. And remembering the Shock Arrows this one had pelted me with before, I tried the Thunder Helm for a spell. But apparently the Lynel only resorted to those at a distance, and no range I could give him on the ground would suffice—the ill-defending helmet was not helping. And so I switched to something more justifiable. Real armor. My strongest clothes.

Stasis could only help me so much between rechargings, but I employed it as best I could, capitalizing on every chance to land a Bomb Arrow right between the brute’s eyes. Head-shots dealt double the damage, or so I’d heard and witnessed elsewhere.

This one didn’t stun like the lesser foes did, though. Any Bokoblin would have been bowled over backward with a shriek, and not regained itself for precious seconds....

But a Lynel....

I don’t think he ever even had to shift his footing.

Then again he did have four of them. A leg at each corner. Huh!

I was a mouse to him.

Well the mouse could still bite!

More than once, more than thrice, more times than I counted, really, he sent me flying and tumbling and rolling across the grass with a groan—Get up get up get up, Link!—And I found myself chewing through my stocks at a vigorous pace!

But I gave him his own headaches in return—a Bomb Arrow could slow down a galloping charge! Even if I had to take a bit of it myself at close range—he moved so fast....

It became inescapably dicey however whenever HE BLEW FIRE FROM HIS MOUTH AT ME. The fireballs were broad, far-reaching and enormous, and they set the grass alight all over. Remembering the Big Yiga Clansmen, I used the flames more than once to slip away into the air, a bit singed nevertheless. The Lynel watched me with patient, hungry eyes in one such maneuver as I glided over him, released a Bomb.... and then detonated too early.

Well, that happened sometimes. Good thing nobody else was in the room.

The fire kept coming. I never had the thought of a linear retreat, but rather circled round him in evasion as he kept blowing and blowing and BLOWING! It was deadly and dangerous!—And the best opportunity to get close enough for a strike.

I pulled weapon after weapon from hammerspace as my blades gave their all and shattered in glory. Daruk had leant me three good helping hands that had evaporated pretty early on. And Mipha saved me from the brink before she too had to withdraw her power for a time whose end I would not see in this fight.

But when that monster hit me, ripped me, shredded me so hard that I saw that gleaming little winged orb come swirling up out of my pockets to my aid—

THAT WAS A FAIRY YOU JERK! DON’T YOU KNOW HOW RARE THOSE ARE?

I’d had enough!

I spared no provisions in maintaining my health from then on, and GAVE NO QUARTER in hammering my foe! I did not relent until his mighty, immovable hooves finally gave out from beneath him, and his proud knees sank at last into the ground below his bowing head, wild with mane and horn, heavy with defeat and death.

His carcass was mine.

When I’d pocketed his remains, I looked around at the aftermath of the encounter.

....It was ugly.

The grass was scorched black in great hatching swaths, or shorn clean away in places by blade or hoof. What a ruin. We’d all but burned the whole valley down.

....

It did feel kind of epic, though.

I visited Tera once more in the chill of the desert night to do up my Radiant Gear. The tights were already at level two, but with the shirt and mask enhanced to that level as well....  surely there would be a perk.... I was pretty sure.... it had to be....

IT WAS A DISGUISE I KNEW IT. AND MY ATTACK POWER WITH BONE WEAPONS WAS UP BUT THIS SUIT WAS NOW A DISGUISE I COULD USE TO WALK AMONG STALCREATURES UNDETECTED. I KNEW IT.

AUGH BUT IT WAS TOO COLD TO WEAR OUT HERE IN THE DESERT.

SOON.

I warped to the Deku Tree’s Navel in the three o’clock hour of the morning.... and slept until noon.

GOOD NIGHT.

From: Andrea

To: David

2018-09-04 11:43p

By the way I killed a White Lynel

tonight. On foot. It was ugly. The

whole valley burned down.

From: Andrea

To: David

2018-09-04 11:43p

Love you good night. <3

Another Hat!

Waking of Saturday, August 4, 2018 ~ 2

Another Hat!

I sand-sealed back to Gerudo Town and found Barta again. As we visited in the barracks, she confided to me that when I’d shown up out there in the desert, she thought the voe of her dreams had appeared.

....Heh.

I also spoke to Liana, and she was so happy I’d found Barta, she said, “Here, take this,” and handed me a hundred rupees, “Go buy yourself something nice at the market.”

Aww, thanks, Liana. ^_^

I said hi to Captain Teake on my way into the palace, where I saw that young Chief Riju had a certain red exclamation mark above her head.... Had I really already....?

I spoke to her.

“You’ve brought back the smiles to my people,” she said, “I know that you more than anyone else will be able to use this helm to its full potential.”

Or some.... such.... words.... Ah, that wonderful little ITEM GET song played, and I found myself in brand new possession of the Thunder Helm.

I was now LIGHTNING PROOF.

SWEET.

Would it make the same bubble-effect in a large radius around me? Would it glow?

I almost tried it on right then and there, but I remembered myself, and where I was.... I would have to leave town first.

I took my leave of the palace and jogged outside to put it on and have a look at myself!

....

There was no glowing or magical effect. Which wasn’t completely unexpected. I was sure it would still protect me well enough....

It did make me look just as buggy-eyed as it had done the Chief, but it was otherwise very shiny and ornate!

Cool. ^_^

Agh but I did not want to stop—I warped to Dueling Peaks to check with Hino just one more time.

But Hino wasn’t there.

I blinked and turned to gather Swift Violets from around the waterfall behind the shrine for a bit.... and after I had plucked as many as I could, then Hino made an appearance.

But there was no Blood Moon tonight.

Hhhhh.

It was in the three o’clock hour in the afternoon. A bit later for myself on the couch.

....

I just went to bed, and slept until morning.

Good night.

Friendly Neighborhood Hylian

Waking of Saturday, July 28, 2018 ~ 7

Friendly Neighborhood Hylian

I came back down just outside Gerudo Town.

They could all rest easy now that the Hero had subdued the imminent danger stomping around out in the desert.

But they still wouldn’t let a voe come into town.

....Eh. I had wondered.

I changed clothes right in front of them and jogged through the gate.

Actually all the townsfolk kept talking about how Chief Riju had been the one to put the danger down.... which.... I guess I was okay with. She had been right out there with me, surfing behind Patricia. Right under the Divine Beast’s feet. And I had been in disguise after all. Just some lowly common Hylian vai, assisting the Chief....

I had just imagined some moment when I would be recognized and accepted and able to walk around freely in this place.... No exception even for the Hero of Legend....?

Nope.

Still no boys allowed.

Ah well.

Chief Riju was waiting for me in her throne room. She gave an outpouring of gratitude at my appearance—her people were happy again, and relieved. Stress had been reduced all through the town—“Stress”. Lol, women. XD

As thanks for my help in calming Vah Naboris and saving her people, she offered me the Scimitar of the Seven, along with the Daybreaker, the sword and shield wielded by the Champion Urbosa herself. Riju could think of no more appropriate use for them than to be wielded by the Hero of Hyrule against the Calamity that had claimed their original owner.

Unfortunately there was no room for them in my inventory.

There was something else in the room, however, which rather caught my eye....

Mounted handsomely on a pedestal a little to Riju’s right was the Thunder Helm.

When I examined it, and Riju reacted, there was only one unbecomingly brazen option I was given to say: “I want the Thunder Helm.”

Both Riju and Buliara voiced a polite but firm opposition to this—well, maybe not so polite on Buliara’s account. The helm was an heirloom of the Gerudo; it belonged here.

But.... considering all that I had done for them.... and all that I had yet to do, for all of Hyrule....

Riju agreed to lend me the Thunder Helm. If.... I could continue to live up to the title of Hero, and resolve all the town’s ills. The Divine Beast was no longer a threat, but that didn’t make life automatically perfect. If I could solve the whole town’s problems, and bring the smiles back to her people.... then and only then would Chief Riju lend me the Thunder Helm.

Well....

Hero work was what I did best.

I left the palace and heard from the garrison that Barta.... was in trouble again.

But I had seen her! She had escaped from the Yiga Nest since I had last been there, and I had seen her here in the barracks! Getting raked by her superiors....

But now.... her fellow warriors told me she was in Dragon’s Exile. Home of Moldugas. Mmmm but I was more confident against Moldugas.... but.... Well I had gathered she was kind of reckless, but.... what in the world was she doing down there? Part of me could only wonder, and part of me was.... hungrily delighted at an excuse to venture down to investigate the Great Skeleton....

Wandering further around Gerudo Town I drifted into the canteen, but could still find no clues about the password, and so threw the barrel at the ladies again.

What other ills were there around town for me to solve....? I was quite out of ideas, but at length I did find one little vai to rescue: a child named Dalia.

Dalia wanted to plant an orchard in an unused, obscure corner of town. But so much litter kept flowing down the aqueducts into the water trough....

!! D8<

“CalybaaAAANN!” I huffed as I turned to crawl up the wall.

I found her, and I told her what her face-stuffing rind-waste was doing to poor little Dalia’s orchard plans—the kid had been crying....

Upon hearing of the child’s plight, Calyban agreed to quit chucking her rinds down the stream—but she wouldn’t do it for free. She wasn’t that kind of person. She enjoyed her Hydromelons for sure, but what she really wanted to taste were Wildberries. The kind that grew high up on the freezing cold steps of the Gerudo Highlands. If I could bring her some of those—like ten—then she would quit from her little rind-chucking hidey-hole.

Fortunately I just happened to have enough Wildberries in my pockets; I gave her some.

“Oh! Oh they’re so delicious!” Calyban remarked, or something like it. So juicy and flavorful, sweeter than anything she’d ever tasted.

Evidently it put her in a very good mood, for she then decided that, in addition to stopping her littering, she would even go help little Dalia clean up!

Well that was just dandy. ^_^

The screen faded out and back in, and I was alone on top of the wall.

Time to check up on Dalia!

I followed the course of the aqueduct back the way I had come—there were so many paths.... But I found the one path I was looking for, and dropped down into Dalia’s little shaded corner.

I have to admit, it looked much nicer than when I had left it!

And Dalia was smiling again—she was so happy that her ground was now properly prepared. And she was delighted to relate to me that a vai she’d never met had come and helped her clean it up! And given her some Wilberries to boot!

For my help, Dalia gave me a Hydromelon she had gotten from the other vai as well. Aww.... ^_^

And then.... she said I could come get Wildberries from her little orchard whenever I wanted! 8D

And I did, later, when her bushes were planted and growing—three bushes of two berries each. I plucked the bush on the right clean, but.... I left the rest for Dalia.

It was her orchard, after all.