Waking of Saturday, March 23, 2019
Looking for Shrines.
Woodland Tower out to the Elma
Knolls and down below the northernmost Sheikah Sealing Pillar about the Castle.
The air was Malicelike in there. Eugh. No shrines though.
Went up and killed the Lynel below
Mount Drena. Aced it pretty good. Checked out Mekar Island again. Lots of
baddies. Yowch. No shrines though.
Running around....
You
know what? I thought, I’m gonna just
try and fly from the Elma Knolls to Hyrule Castle.
And I did, with Revali’s help. Sailing,
sailing through the airs I planned to land partway up the north Pillar. I was
ready to cling onto it and start climbing. Oh my gosh I saw a Guardian perched
on top. Was it alive? Was it dead? I would find out. Closer, closer.... ready
to grab it and climb, aaand....
I PASSED RIGHT THROUGH IT?
UM.
OVER THE MOAT NOW.
HEADING FOR ONE OF THE
CASTLE-ISLAND’S PLATFORMS....
I SANK THROUGH IT AND STOPPED.
I WAS IN THE ROCK UNSEEN. COULDN’T
MOVE, COULDN’T TURN THE CAMERA. COULDN’T EVEN PAUSE.
AND SOME REAL INTENSE MUSIC STARTED
PLAYING AND MY HUD MAP BECAME A 3D OVERLAY. LIKE UNTO A DIVINE BEAST.
I tried everything, but I just
could not dislodge myself from the bleak black stone. Eventually I just hit the
Home menu button to get out of the game.
Back in, and I was back on the Elma
Knolls. I had that Dragonbone Boko Club thingy, so I’d already visited Mekar
Island. That was good.
Hhhrmm
but I needed a better approach....
I went to Woodland Stable, looking
for Gotter and Parcy. But I couldn’t find them... Weren’t they here?
But I did find Molo. The Yolo guy.
He said there were some docks on
the north side of the castle. And rumors about a mysterious shrine nearby?
THERE IS A SHRINE.
I’M GOING TO FIND IT.
But.... where are—?
I checked my sidequest menu. Gotter
and Parcy were at Riverside Stable. I
went there, talked to them.... Gotter just wanted to try the food, the old
royal recipes. But Parcy told me about all the various ways to get into the
castle.
I tried her Sheikah method.
Approached from the east, near Mount Caramel or Mount Crumpet or whatever it
was called [Crenel Hills], crossed Helmhead Bridge. Killed the Guardian. There
were two Guardians on that island....
I was looking for her secret tunnel
but I didn’t see it. So I waited for nightfall and.... There. The luminous stones. I
see it now.
The tunnel was there. But.... with
so many Guardian Flyers, the remaining space between still felt so
treacherous.... So close and yet so far. How could I get in safely?
Well....
the night is young, I thought. Let’s try the Elma Knolls flight again.
It’s always a long paraglide and
jog from the Woodland Tower to get to the Elma Knolls.
Or at least.... to get to where you
want to be.
Too
many trips to Mekar Island....
I was lining myself up just at the
edge near the moat this time, not higher up the knolls and with no plans for an
extra Revali boost, when three Stalmoblins popped up and start chatting it up
with me—I have become an incredibly good quick-change artist. And then I was waiting
for the blasted rain to clear, just
so I could see where to land....
There were plenty of hampering
circumstances, but at length the air did clear up and between my new
Stal-friends I could scope in on the castle and see where I wanted to go—and there were explodable rocks there! Is that where the shrine is?
I leapt off.
Please
let the ground be solid.
....
And it was. My boots connected, and
glicked as they ought. I landed near
the rocks, ready to call on Ja Baij.
But time stopped first.
There was a cinematic: The Swirling
Calamity Ganon whirled up in a roaring ferocious, swinging about the castle,
raging, roaring, raving, ravening.... mouth
agape.... Oh gosh would it come and just eat me because I approached the
castle wrong?
But no.... As the camera pulled
back, trembling in the ragged tear of its orbit, Malice and dust stinging its eye.... there at the center
of the storm, there in the middle, shining through the stone of the towers and
parapets, in the center.... A
brilliant, penetrating Golden Light.
The Princess was still there. Her
holy power still held.
And on that heartening note, the cinematic
ended, and I was free to move. I blew up the rocks. Treasure chest. I opened the chest. Rupees.
‘Kay cool.
I went clockwise over the dark
stone, toward the east side, bent around a rugged corner and killed a decayed
Guardian, and made my way to the tunnel by the glowy stones....
The
East Passage.
It was all crumbled in here. Dust
and grit and rubble strewn everywhere. The walls seemed rough-hewn, though I
wondered how much of it was by design and how much by the ruin of time.
The music had muted as well. The
same desperate progression as had sounded outside still floated hauntingly
through these inner passages, only now performed by an organ running on minimal
stops. The brass, tempestuous percussion and keening strings had stayed
outside.
Malice still smoked through the
air, choking the passage.
Keese.
They fluttered around up ahead, in
a slightly wider spot, not yet aware of my presence.
I readied a weapon.
Oh, the Master Sword.... was glowing.
The hammering it made when it smote the Keese out of the air!
This place made my sword bare its
teeth in righteous ferocity.
I followed the passage to where it
widened slightly. A mine cart?
....
I
didn’t want to take a mine cart.
No, I was become a church mouse
once again, senses flared wide, stepping my way forward. I went slowly. Slowly. So very very slowly.
The railtrack had risen up on the
left side of the widening tunnel; on the right side was a shallow pond—more of
a little puddle in the ground, really. Dingy against the cracks between wall
and floor, like seepage from somewhere. A large ice block stood in the midst.
Four fire arrows reduced it to
nothing, and out came a Korok!
Even here. Even here they were
hiding.
It was strange....
Further down the passage, I finally
came to a Malice eyeball, beyond which I thought I could hear.... Lizalfos....
After I shot the eyeball, I could definitely hear Lizalfos. Quickchange!
These Masks are so handy.
There were Red Lizalfos everywhere.
No, not red, they must have been Black. I dispatched them as I could isolate
them, and they only dropped normal tails. Black Lizalfos.
I killed them and cleared the way
until the path rounded to the right and widened in earnest in a large, round
chamber, braced with heavy beams.
What was clearly a Talus sat dormant and obvious in the center.
It seemed to be the end of the
passage, except for the telltale lack
of a ceiling that I could see in the chamber.... The walls seemed climbable
enough, and there didn’t seem to be any other way to go.
Hhhmhm but I didn’t want to have
rocks thrown at me while I climbed.... with that Talus in the way....
....
All
right then.
I killed it. And where it had sat,
the ground was ruptured with escaping air—an
updraft.
Even better.
I rode the current up the shaft.
And up above I came to.... another chamber and then.... the Library?
That’s what it was called.
But everything was so smashed and
ruined....
It was awful. It must have been so
lofty and stately once, light shining in, such rich, dark tables, a beautiful
place for study.... Now there was a great gaping hole high up in one of the
long walls, as well as some of the ceiling above—a dismal drizzle poured in
from outside. The short walls each had an ornate stairway up to the upper
walkways and more bookshelves. But one of these stairways was partly collapsed,
and the red carpets lining them were all frayed and moth-eaten. Books lay
strewn over the tile, dog-eared to heck and back and now loved only by spiders.
It was sad.
More Lizalfos prowled and patrolled
here and there. I slowly cleared out the room, luring them away one by one with
my Mask until I could put them down out of sight of their companions.
But partway through my sweep, in
the midst of the ruin and cascades of debris, I found something down on the
ground level, on a table that must have been handsome once: an open book. A recipe book!
Inside was a recipe of the
Princess’ Favorite: Fruit Cake. It
consisted of any two fruit + Tabantha wheat + sugar cane. Apparently, according
to the following notes, it helped to clear the head for better concentration on
ancient technology research or something.... Heh, interesting....
Clear, clear, Lizalfos, Lizalfos,
Mask, Mask—I continued to sweep the room. And on an upper balcony-walk, I found
a second book. This one contained a
recipe for the Chancellor’s Favorite: Monster
Cake. It called for Monster Extract + Tabantha wheat + sugar cane + goat
butter. So that was the proper recipe....
Further notes read that it was a dangerous dish that made the head fuzzy and
might even encourage the formulation of evil schemes!
What was up with these dishes?? XD
That was two of them anyway. Did I
need more? Would there be any more? I’d been pretty thorough over the Library,
and I continued to look hard.... but I didn’t find any more recipes. That was
Gotter’s errand done, then.
I didn’t want to get too far ahead....
I could see the pathways branching off the Library on my map, but it took a
moment for me to realize they were hidden behind some some big metal cabinets.
Magnesing one of these out of the way I uncovered a crooked, rubble-strewn, downward-leading
passageway that led to the Docks.
More Keese, more Lizalfos. And....
There was a big space where I
thought something like another Talus would be, as there had been in the other
passageway.
But.... it was empty. All except
for—
That
giant brazier.
!!
The
Shrine!
I backed up, and shot a fire arrow
into the brazier.
UP came the Saas Ko’sah Shrine!
It was a Major Test of Strength
with no stone pillars for cover, but only big magnetic blocks I could toggle up
out of the floor with Magnesis! I’d seen David do this kind of trial....
I did it without a hit.
Once I came back out I proceeded
down a ramp to the docks themselves, low on the moat in the huge, cavernous chamber.
Faint light shone from beyond a bend in the immense stone passageway, dappling
the water; it must have led to the outside.
There were more Lizalfos down on
the docks, and I almost went to deal
with the two obvious ones.... before I caught the movement of the other. I
changed course and instead went up the earthen walkway around the edge of the
huge chamber, and took out the sniper first. The one who would have seen me get
up to mischief with the others. Dropped a pretty nice bow and a decent bundle
of arrows, that one.
Once his watchful eyes were no
longer a concern, it was down to the docks, where I killed the other two.
This left the run of the place to
me. There were weapons and things scattered everywhere around this place, all
among this ruin, boxes and barrels full of supplies.... It was a treasure trove
of junk. And there were some good
Hearty Salmon swimming near the piles—those were good fish.
Once I’d cleared out the Docks, I
made my way back to the Library.
I’d seen to Gotter, but.... what
about Parcy? Where was this Royal Guard’s
Gear she was so interested in? It had to be close.... right?
I went up to the other end of the
Library, the far end; there had been an upper exit there, at the top of the
carpeted stairs. This led to more chambers, more Lizalfos.... and a long, long
hallway. And still more Lizalfos.
The walls were cracked and crumbled
here and there. Rubble spilled in huge cascades. Was the red carpet still so red by dint of its quality? Or was that
just the glow of the constant Malice through the air?
There had been so many Lizalfos all
throughout the castle that I was almost taken off guard when, near the end of
the long hallway, I heard a sudden Moblin
grunt.
A large set of double doors stood
cracked slightly open; I could see movement beyond.... and I could tell that it
could see me too.
I dashed aside in a tense flutter
before whatever lurked within could take too much notice of me though, and
quickly changed to a more appropriate headpiece....
Now a Moblin myself, I edged
cautiously through the crack between the doors and into the next chamber, where
the Moblin was. He seemed to be the only baddie around, which was good—it’s
tricky when there are multiple breeds; Kilton’s Masks could only fool so much.
He held a huge sword.
I killed him.
And looked around....
The room was not draped in so much
finery as the hallway had been; the surfaces were more bare, warm and wooden,
the floor of finely cobbled stone. It was some kind of Guards’ chamber. And
there were beautiful weapons everywhere.
And there!
Those were different. My pictobox
didn’t recognize those.
The Royal Guard’s Shield. The Royal
Guard’s Bow. They were sleek and dark, and looked like they’d be more at
home under cover of darkness than anywhere else. Or infiltrating the dens of things
that preferred such.
So I made choices. I dropped. (As
my pockets were full.) And I picked up these new weapons. They evidently were
ancient Sheikah Technology designed to fight Calamity Ganon, and they were
strong and effective, but not very durable.
But
surely there had to be a sword as well?
There was a broad staircase in the
chamber, running up a couple of walls to a wooden balcony. I made my way up
until I reached a part where a large chunk of the steps had busted with age or rot. There was
nothing for it but to climb the wall.... higher....
The next passageway leading off the
upper Guards’ Chamber was smaller, cold and stony, and seemed to bend and twist
all around on itself. And it was lined with a series of blocked doorways that
looked tantalizingly explodable.
They were.
Moving slowly, cautiously, I blew
the first one up. Inside the hollow was a large and mighty armored statue,
resting its hands on the hilt of a Rusty Claymore, the bladetip at its foot.
It was very impressive-looking, but
I left it there.
Oh, but I did take the seed from the Korok hovering in the corner. Even here.
There were so many weapons
about.... The next hollow HAD A LIZALFOS AND I WAS STILL IN THE MOBLIN MASK—I
gasped as he saw me, as he recognized me.
Gave me a start but I could take him!
I ran back quick and killed him before he could breathe to another soul that an
intruder walked the castle grounds.
Hooooohh.
It was finally in the last
hollow.... that I found the Royal Guard’s
Sword. In a pedestal.
An ancient Sheikah replica of the
Sword to Seal the Darkness. It looked just like the Master Sword, only darker, just like the other Royal
Guard’s things had been.
But I noticed that the hilt was
backwards. The wings.... angled gripward
instead of bladeward. That combined
with the menacing sheen of the darker metals used.... gave it an almost perverse look.
Replicate
the Sword that Seals the Darkness?
.... It just....
Hh.
....
I took it.
This was Parcy’s Royal Guard’s
Series. I didn’t think there could be armor involved.
This was it.
I was going back now.
I was going back....
But what was behind that other
passage off the Library, leading up? It had been blocked by Malice, and the
attendant Eyeball was on the other side, but
I wondered if I could....
I drew a bow, aimed carefully....
and shot the Malice Eyeball. And what do you know? It worked from behind! I’d
shot it right through those goop-strands....
The dark barriers disintegrated,
and now the rainy outside and the bony glow of naked rubble glared in an
off-white rectangle at the top of the steps. I went up NOPE! NOPE. THERE’S A
GUARDIAN. GOING BACK INSIDE NOW.
Hm.
....
I had Gotter’s and Parcy’s things.
....
I’m leaving.
But I couldn’t warp from this map....
To the Docks then.
I would swim out.
And I did.
My paraglider gave me a headstart
out of range of a Guardian’s laser and I was plashing through the choppy water
before I registered the sudden change in volume.
The music was more orchestral
outside; I’d forgotten it was like that, with all my sneaking around the inner
parts. It was still the same progression, but now pronounced again by a
doomful, desperate brass section, and punctuated underneath by that iron-sharp
snare drum that tasted like spikes at
your back and on your heels.
And I heard it again.
As I had heard it while I was
sneaking about inside the castle.
At times the meter broke apart, the
theme turning to a fit of asymmetrical hammering like the darkness inside a mad
dog’s head. And yet underneath.... That dissonant, ascending organ line....
He was still serenading her.
Still serenading his captive.
And when the meter was allowed back
to a semblance or order, she would answer, with her Ancient Lullaby, perpetually
rocking the balance of power in a Dreadful Dialogue.
I swam, I swam.... waiting for the
map to change....
I swam, I swam....
Malice still swirled hellishly all
around me as I kicked and paddled for the northern shore, the current sweeping
me carelessly away....
If
I could just reach the shores of the Elma Knolls....
And still the nightmare music
played.
Swim, swim.... swim, swim....
I
swim....
And of a sudden the dripping
crimson dissipated and the air cleared. The Malice evaporated. My HUD showed the
normal map of the countryside.
And I made it.
Bedraggled back onto the shore.
That
would be a good artwork.
Here in the rain at night as the
moon goes down above me.
Unscathed from the belly of the
beast.
Angled low from the east, to see
the back of the castle on the left, and the high western sky in the middle, and
maybe the muddy rise of the Knolls on the right. Link on hands and knees,
sopping wet in his Zora Armor, like I was.
The sky and the moon all warped with pink, like the bending air
of a heat-haze, or the rainbow sheen of motor oil on the ground.
....
I think I’ll get to Riverside by
myself.
Woodland. Woodland I mean.
I’ll get to the Woodland Stable on
foot.
