Basecamp

Waking of Sunday, January 6, 2019 ~ 2

Basecamp

It was so much easier to get to Kaysa now that I could warp directly to the Tabantha Tower. With the Red Lizalfos tails I had collected, I had her do up my Snowquill Ensemble to its highest level! And then.... I think I am set....???? I thought wildly.

Back to Rito Village. I could only explore for so much longer. At length.... I came back to the Painted Landing—now Revali’s Landing—and aligned myself to the snowy clifftops Saki had indicated before. The Flight Range was somewhere over there. The distance looked manageable....

I was ready.

I leapt off the landing and began my paraglide over the lake. But what was my surprise before I even reached the other clifftop shore.... to see Kilton’s Balloon parked down there behind a rock near the edge.

I went to visit with him, taking my time perusing his wares, but he had nothing new.

FORWARD.

The cold pressed in at once, here near the icy coasts of Hebra once more. There was even snow on the ground. But my newly enhanced gear was awesome.

I did have to switch over to my Snow Boots after just a moment, though. If I wanted to move fast. And I did, because DANG I ran into a lot of trouble with mounted Bokoblins, an extraneous Yiga man who really should’ve been at home before his fire, and a number of Stalmoblins. And wolves.

Always the wolves, man....

But thanks to Kaysa, my Snowquill Ensemble was strong as well as warm. I cut and fought and bowled my way across the snow until I made it through to the Sha Warvo Shrine.

Path of Hidden Winds was the trial inside. Tricky!

Onward....

On into Dronoc’s Pass.

The Flight Range would be near here.... I could see the way I needed to go. But.... there was a dwelling over there, just to the north, nestled against the foothills of the mighty Hebra Peaks.

I just went to check it out....

The Hebra Trailhead Lodge this was called. Seemed to be some kind of basecamp.

No one was home, though.

Well, almost no one—there was a book. “Selmie’s Notes”. Selmie had been here?

Oh, she left survival notes, and mentioned that she’d left supplies at the bases of the flagpoles along the trail. That was nice of her. :)

Somebody else added....

“Selmie! Baby! I think I’m a better shield surfer! If I prove it, can we get married?”

And below that, an up arrow, and: “This total loser will never win!”

And then: “I didn’t know what love was until I saw Selmie sliding down the slopes... I can’t believe you retired... Where did you go?”

“Selmie, thank you for leaving the food! I’ll make good use of it here in the hut!”

“I saw some kid north of Coldsnap Hollow! He looked like he was pretty great at shield surfing!”

These must have been notes from other travelers. ^_^

“Selmie, thanks for the food that was left here. It seriously saved my life. I’ll be sure to leave some for the next person.”

“To whoever is reading this, please take as much of the food as you need.”

That was the end.

And well.... given express permission.... I helped myself, too. <3

When I came back outside, there was a dude by a fire.

I could be in the mood.... I approached him.

It was a Traveler all right.

I killed him.

Okay, to the Flight Range....

But....

No, it was late. I’d spent all day combing around this frosty little valley, and the icy night was fast approaching.

I decided instead to sleep in the lodge until morning.

Beyond Cotera's Forest

Waking of Friday, August 3, 2018 ~ 2

Beyond Cotera’s Forest

It was raining in Cotera’s Forest.

Where did I want to go next?

I looked at my map.

Huh.... the back way out of Cotera’s Forest, away from Kakariko Village, appeared to connect to that high field where I had first met Kass. I hadn’t been able to solve his riddle back then, or perhaps I had only been too distracted looking for Mei. A beast with a crown of bone....

I had never been beyond Cotera’s Forest before. I could see that the path connected to other places.... Places I meant to visit eventually. Places that seemed too momentous for any sort of casual approach.

But one fork in the road seemed like it would be enough to keep me out of too much trouble there.

I started.

And frightened the deer that were grazing back here, as I’d done so many times before.

Cotera’s copse of trees ended fairly quickly, and the stone of the mountain began to rise high on either side of the way—it was suddenly and very much a road now. In fact the name of it gleamed across the top of my screen. The place was called Lanayru Road ~ West Gate.

Everything was grey.

I came to the fork in a trice. Straight on and bending a bit to the right was the way to that inner lake I was so keen to visit and avoid at the same time. I didn’t want to go that way. Bending to the left was the way to Rabia Plain, where Kass was waiting. And right at the fork, a little off the road, stood a man. He was gazing hard into the right-hand fork....

I went to speak to him.

Traveler....

I’d figured. But.... well, a Hero has to check.

“About a year ago,” he started, “I was walking along this road, when I saw a bright light up in the sky. I looked at it, and couldn’t look away, and then I was surrounded by light... And when I came to, I was in bed. What do you think of that?”

“Sounds like a dream,” I told him as my only response. As Yiga thugs went, I kinda liked this one. At least he made politely open conversation.

“A dream, huh?” he said, “Well, the bed I woke up in wasn’t my bed. It was a hollow bed full of water, and in one corner of the empty room was a glowing device. And I took the glowing device in my hand... and when I came to I was here.”

He looked at me again, a subtle smirk on his face this time. “What do you think of that?”

“That’s... um...”

But before I could say anything more, the Piano dripped like icy water down my spine, and the man dropped his pretense and shouted, “FOR MASTER KOHGA!”

The fight was on, but the biggest worry on my mind was A year? What did he mean by a year? Did the game sense my meandering around and wasting time? What did it mean?

I killed the Yiga Clansman, and took his.... Demon Carver; now that was a mean-lookin’ blade. I didn’t have room for it in my inventory at first, until I remembered to throw out that freakin’ Stalmoblin arm.... Must’ve picked it up in the Gerudo Highlands....

I regarded the gate to the Lanayru Road.... and turned and headed to Rabia Plain instead.

The road opened up onto a lush and placid field.... Pausing only to visit with a cool-looking blonde guy named Eryck at his campfire beneath a tree, I continued north toward Kass’ hill.

There were a heckton of deer wandering around.... But I decided to talk with Kass first, just to let him sing the song again. He did. And after this I went and found a good, strong buck with a handsome rack.... and jumped on.

It really was nice having as much stamina as I did. The buck leapt and sounded its strange, piping call, but I soon soothed him into submission. He seemed so much bigger now that I was on his very back.... and he looked so regal! I urged him into a stately walk toward the Sheikah dais near which Kass stood.

Similar to the bear, when the deer was at a walk, it moved remarkably slowly. Hesitantly, I gave it a little spur—and it sprang into a high-tailed bounding! Gallup would just be too common a word for it. Ah, such a wonderful and majestic beast.

I rode him around the field for a bit before finally steering him toward the dais and slowing him to a walk. And when the beast with a crown of bone mounted this Sheikah throne.... the Mezza Lo Shrine rumbled up out of the hill.

I walked the deer back toward his fellows before releasing him.

Ancient Trifecta was the name of the shrine’s challenge.... which gave me a giggle for reasons only a few I know could appreciate.

I completed the challenge, accepted the monk’s Spirit Orb, and when I stepped back outside around five in the afternoon, the day.... was just so lovely. The sunlit sky over the river and beyond, and the Divine Beast Vah Ruta in the distance, were so beautiful behind the shrine.... that I took a pictograph.

It’s a good one. Gorgeous.

At Tabantha Bridge

Waking of Friday, August 11, 2017 ~ 4

At Tabantha Bridge

After visiting with Branli I continued down the long road that wound around the Seres Scablands—the place I’d seen north of Satori Mountain, the place with those strange mushroom-like treethings sprouting up out of the earth.

I’d seen a Mount Rhoam nearby on my map, and I wanted to see if that little body of water on it was a Fairy Fountain....

Before I got there however, I came to a crossroads beside which a signpost stood in the grass. It warned me to beware of suspicious characters I might see on the road, of bandits in the area who might attack me.

A woman stood OH SO CONVENIENTLY nearby.

....

Well I wouldn’t be the Hero if I weren’t a proper Fool.

I spoke to her.

Her name was Traveler.

“Dang it!” I shouted.

She threatened to kill me and we had it out. She gave me quite a bit of trouble, this one, but I struck her as I was able. She kept dancing just out of reach....

“Nimble little minx, ain’t she?” said Dad, who was in the room, and I laughed. XD

In the end I took her down and stole her bananas and hurried on up the road to a new stable—the Tabantha Bridge Stable. And a shrine. Which I had trouble accessing at the first by dint of it being up over a small ledge which I was obliged to scale in the rain. But I did get to it, and locked down the warpable.

Did that shrine have Guardians in it?

Where did I get.... more gears....?

Three men stood in a conspicuous huddle outside the stable, just begging to be eavesdropped upon. I approached them and they told me about the Leviathans that used to roam the land, and the giant bones they had left behind.

Ah.

So perhaps those weren’t Dodongos after all.

They asked if I would scout out the three Leviathan skeletons that were known in the land, and then come back and report or show them pictures or something....

At least I knew where one of them was....

Well I checked out Mount Rhoam, but there weren’t any Fairy Fountains on it. Conveniently enough, however, there was another man at the stable, name of Toren, who gave me a clue about a Great Fairy nearby! And he asked, if I were going to go looking for her, would I please make an offering to the Great Fairy for him?

I agreed and he gave me five hundred rupees.

He said something about the Sheikah Tower across Tabantha Bridge—some time in the afternoon, its shadow would point to where the Great Fairy lived....

Hmmm but I wasn’t sure I wanted to get that tower just yet, and so was hesitant to go near it and be tempted....

Do you find it ridiculous?

Why do I play the way I play?

What.

I’m savoring.

I’m breadcrumbing.

I’m exploring.

WHAT.

Instead of chasing after the tower’s shadow, I went back to my map, and studied the Gerudo Tower. I remembered standing near that one all day waiting for its shadow to crawl to where I was. Studying my map and recalling where that shadow had passed, I concluded that any afternoon shadow would be cast first southward, and then sweep counterclockwise to the east as the sun sank lower.

By sight, I placed a marker on the tower across Tabantha Bridge. On the empty blue map in my Sheikah Slate, I added two more markers at healthy distances south and east from the first marker. This pie-slice would be my search area....

And I plunged across the bridge....

A Guardian Flyer seemed to patrol near the road that wound off toward the left. And so as was my wont I took to the hills. I thoroughly searched my little grid around what seemed like it would be the midway point of the shadow’s afternoon course, but to no avail. At length I stood frustrated on top of a high rock, scanning all around me for those bright orange toadstools, that big green cocoon.... but saw nothing.

Disappointed, I moved to the rock’s edge to float down.... and saw the cocoon directly below me.

There was no water nearby.

I floated down, and spoke to the fairy inside.

A thousand rupees she asked for. But that was easy enough, especially with Toren’s help! I handed it over.

The cocoon burst open into a beautiful golden bloom. This fairy’s name was Kaysa. She had slightly darker skin, and sported a gaudy collection of pink-accented jewelry, the bangles on her necklace stark and triangular.

And then there was her hair. It was light pink just the same to match. But if Mija’s pompadour had been the pleasantly proportioned fluff of a strutting prairie-grouse.... Kaysa’s streaming fountain of bangs was more like a long-necked flamingo.

I had her work her magic on some of my clothes, and rather than blow magic at me or bop me with a kissed finger.... SHE LEANED RIGHT DOWN AND KISSED MY FACE.

Link covered his face in a fright before that cinematic was over. XD And it left him gasping and panting like he does when he runs out of stamina! XD XD XD

When I’d had all the clothes enhanced that I could, I went back to Toren and he gave me his thanks.... and I thought of some other clothes I rather wanted to acquire....

I’d recently collected a few more Ancient Gears.

It was time to pay Robbie a visit, and see if Cherry could forge anything for me....

The Fool Reckless

Waking of Friday, April 14, 2017 ~ 4

The Fool Reckless

Well, after hanging around as much as I cared to, I decided it was finally time to head toward the Woodland Stable and its tower. I needed to find out what I could about the river....

There was a road passing close by the Wetland Stable; it looked like it led away overland in the direction I needed to go. Surely it must have connected with the other side of Thims Bridge.

When I was ready I set off at a jog, blowing past Doctor Spoone and a coughing merchant as they visited in some tree-shade.

I was headed for some tricky territory—sooner than I expected it.

There was a man walking a little ahead of me, not even very far from the stable. But he trod just a little to the left of the path it seemed....

I spoke to him.

He was a Traveler.

I looked through him in avid determination—I had places to go!

But this Traveler was slightly different; he didn’t put up any thin lies.... He just asked about that thing on my waist.

Lots of people have been doing that.

But when he asked if it were indeed a Sheikah Slate, and fed up I told him No.... —I didn’t want to endanger this thing—

Well, we both dropped the charade and proceeded to have a very violent discussion about it.

Sometimes they still get me—sometimes I still get hurt.

But I’ve not fallen to one of them yet.

And I wasn’t about to start now.

I took his life before he could take mine.

Hylia help me if they ever start walking on the very roads....

No. Hylia help them.

I saw a blue bokoblin capering over a prone figure on a smaller bridge a short way ahead, just off the castleward split of a fork in the path. Great honk but this road was.... busy.

Well, as long as I was picking fights....

When the bokoblin was dead, the poor Hylian got up from the planks. It was a woman, and she had darkish hair.... and she stood, a little hunched, in her pink tunic before me—

“Leekah?” I said.

“You know, a hundred years ago, a girl could go for a walk alone if she wanted,” she said.

Poor thing.

She thanked me for my help, and took off in the direction of the Wetland Stable.

I jogged along with her. It wasn’t that far.

Well, Quince, here’s a woman for you.

Treat her nice.

Concussive Logging

Waking of Monday, March 6, 2017

Concussive Logging

Well, Bolson wanted thirty bundles of wood? I’d get him thirty bundles of wood.

I left Brown by the house we wanted to buy—heh, I seem to have been including him in my first-person pronouns lately—and took off into the hills. That house (it takes a great deal of concentration to not say “my” house), being way up near the end of the village, opened right onto a grassy, hilly wilderness. And I knew there was a big stand of trees somewhere along the ridge....

There were also some moblins. Whom I bombed. Because I didn’t want to deal with them up close.

They are quite large, the moblins in this game.

Besides, I didn’t know just how long my Iron Sledgehammer would last.

But I know where two more of those are....

From dawn to dusk I was about this endeavor. But I didn’t know how long my axe would last either—and then it dawned on me: In bombing the moblin, I had accidentally knocked down a tree or two....

!

I could just blow up the whole forest! :D

And so some time that day I put away my axe, and only let the wild wilderness resound with the Gift of Ja Baij.

They’re very talented bombs. They could even turn fallen logs into wood bundles.

Cool.

And when the sky was darkening and I had felled every single thin tree in the vicinity (I left the thick ones alone), which came out to exactly the thirty bundles I needed, I climbed a hill to paraglide back toward Hateno Village again (it takes a great deal of concentration to not just say “home”).

As I sailed I saw someone with a lantern walking along the ridge through the tall grass.

“Who’s this?” I wondered, and slowed my flight, angling downward.

I landed next to her, and she was trying to think of a word.

Her name was Traveler.

Oh no....

“It starts with L and ends with K.... What was it again....?” she wondered.

I tried to, uh, help her out with suggestions such as Lurk, Lick and Leek, but none of those were it and.... soon there was only one option left.

“Link?”

As Luck would have it, that was the right answer. She looked happy as a Lark—a very evil Lark—as she dropped all pretense and gave me battle. She went down easier than the others had, but not for Lack of trying; I was just catching on to their fighting style. When they stand still, charging up an orange energy cloud, then is a good time to go Lunk ‘em on the head or slash ‘em with your sword or use whatever you’ve got. Dang Lank creepers.... Do they all keep finding me by chance, or is there some kind of information Leak among my friends? How do I keep my whereabouts under Lock and key....

Okay, Look, fine, I’ll stop. Gosh.

This is why all Heroes are called Fools

Waking of Saturday, MARCH FOURTH, 2017 ~ 14

This is why all Heroes are called Fools

The rain slicked over my Hylian Hood.

Brokka [Toma] and I walked on, soaked, our horses’ hooves endlessly clopping, clopping, clopping over the dirt and slush.

There was so much we were passing by, so much that.... I would have wanted to explore. But I somehow felt safer in Brokka’s company. Safer in the footsteps of a sprite for which the game must always have an escape, surely....

As we passed by some towering cliffs on the other side of a wide river to our right—the Cliffs of Quince, beneath which some bokoblins capered about their campfire—I saw a woman sobbing by the side of the road.

Brokka didn’t stop.

I paused.

Brokka kept going. I didn’t want to lose her.

But who was this crying woman?

This didn’t feel right. This didn’t feel right at all.

Surely this woman needed help.

But I wanted to stick together with Brokka.

What if this was a trap?

Brokka moved further and further ahead through the rain, without me.

Two Roads Diverged.

“All right Brown stay here,” I murmured, and dismounted. I wanted to make this quick.

But the woman had no name.

She was only a Traveler.

Uh-oh....

She was crying because she wanted some salmon.

“And.... and also....” she stuttered.

“The life of the Hero!”

She transformed just the same, into the lithe and lanky thing, reddish, quick, deadly.

Well I’d taken the scythe of the last one—and his bananas and his rupees!—and we fought blade against blade.

Or was this where my Eight Fold Blade finally wore out and shattered?

I don’t remember....

I defeated her. And took her scythe and bananas and the rupees she dropped.

The bananas were from somewhere called Faron.

I wondered if that’s where this Yiga Clan was based....

I climbed back on Brown and raced ahead to find Brokka again.

Encounter at Kakariko Bridge

Waking of Saturday, MARCH FOURTH, 2017 ~ 12

Encounter at Kakariko Bridge

There was one other thing Impa had told me about the calamity.

There had been some, indeed there still were some, who had fled, deserting over to Ganon’s side. They called themselves the Yiga Clan.

She warned me to take care on my travels, for they might come after me with whatever devious, underhanded methods they could devise. For the Yiga Clan’s aim was to bring down the one that most threatened their dark lord Ganon—the Hero of Legend.

Me.

After coming down the mountainside where I’d met Mr. Hestu, I’d thought it was just another friendly cinematic ensuing. There was a man, in the mountainshade just north of Kakariko Bridge. He waved me down from a great distance.

I’m not sure if there would have been a way to avoid this, come to think of it.

Every person I’d talked to in this game so far had had his name displayed at the top left of his speech-boxes. But this person was just called “Traveler”.

Oh, would he introduce himself to me? Was this a sidequest?

He brought up the Yiga Clan.

Yiga Clan? I asked.

He told me their aims. He asked if I wanted to join.

I said No.

When was the turn....?

When did he suddenly look at me hard, and say....

“I will take your life!”

And his disguise fell away—was he even human still? His form became tall, lanky, lithe and deadly. His face was masked in a red design on white, and he carried a viciously carved blade.

I was in a battle for my life—he was so fast—he was hard to reach—he kept leaping out of range—running at me—striking me—disappearing and reappearing right overhead to cut me—

But I took his life first.

I panted in the shade of the mountain, and saw movement to my left.

“Brokka?” I called.

She was walking slowly down the stone steps of Kakariko Bridge, onto the dirt road.

I guess she hadn’t seen.

I greeted her when she came close, and we talked about ore, but....

That Yiga Clansman.... it had been so vicious....

I didn’t think they would be after me so soon....

So they knew who I was.... maybe knew my face....

I whistled for Brown to come from where I had left him further up the incline, and mounted up.