These are dark days at ZeldaforElders.com. First, we drooped on hearing the news that the sequel to BOTW was another year away. Yes, it’s better to have a great game later than a lesser game sooner; nonetheless, we were disappointed. Second, Itzal has moved away – not, huffs Demelza indignantly, because of any shouting on HER part! But rather for work. He still comes to visit and play Nintendo occasionally, but not as frequently as when he was just down the street, as it were, and as it in fact was. As a result, Demelza has had to take up the controllers to advance our adventures in Hyrule.
Thus, the astute reader may notice a change in our posts. For one, there will be considerably more dying. (On Link’s part, that is.) There will be more pauses and asides while Demelza researches How to Raise a Shield or Unleashing Urbosa’s Fury and, let’s not forget, Doing All the Fighting When You’re Accustomed to Shouting Instructions (this being the title of Itzal’s tell-all biography of Demelza, which he plans to write after he retires).
It turns out that our method of play – Nintendo with a Friend (and a Cocktail) – had more benefits than even we thought. Division of labor allows for each to hone particular skills. It must be said that Demelza’s skills, while excellent in research, are sorely lacking in the game controller department. And…when you finally solve a shrine, is it really done if there was no one there to appreciate it?
Sigh.
Last week, Demelza slowly finished what Itzal had started before he had to leave: activating the three shrines for Daruk’s Song in the Champions’ Ballad. Doing so wasn’t a stretch from our days in the main game; Demelza had often trotted about Hyrule seeking out and activitating shrines in preparation for Game Day with Itzal.
But solving a shrine? That’s different: shrine-work has always been Itzal’s province, save for the time when Itzal abandoned the Giant Ancient Core in the Mirro Shaz shrine, and Demelza went back for it. (The woman will do anything in pursuit of a Giant Ancient Core.)
And then there’s fighting. We don’t mean the stray Moblin or occasional Hinox; those Demelza can handle. She’d even learned to perfect parry a Guardian Stalker’s beam, after a fashion, if only in areas where there is lots of cover. (See previous comment about obsession with Giant Ancient Cores, which Stalkers will upon occasion drop.) No, we’re talking sub-bosses and bosses and – oh, dear, Ganon-blights. Will Demelza rise to the challenge?
Rinu Honika Shrine: Block the Blaze
Metaphorically squaring her shoulders, Demelza entered Rinu Honika, on her own for the first time in a shrine. (Going back for the Giant Ancient Core in Mirro Shaz or the Phrenic Bow in Myahm Agana does not count, she admits.)
Like most places in Eldin, Rinu Honika is a lot of flame and fire and molten lava. Surveying her environment – and with the handy clue of the shrine’s trial name, “Block the Blaze” – Demelza concluded she would need to crouch carefully under the flames, a fiery sort of limbo, and when limbo wasn’t possible, use metal cubes to block flames so that she could cross over to the monk.
Zelder Tip #1: If you have the Flamebreaker Suit upgraded to the second, flameproof level (and if you don’t, why not?), you can walk through flames; there’s no need to duck or use the metal cubes as Demelza did, having forgotten she was fireproof in her Eldin attire. Indeed, having the Flamebreaker Suit makes this shrine a breeze! But don’t tell Demelza, who crouched resolutely under flames and diligently moved metal cubes and was, in short, incredibly impressed with herself. She wondered, perhaps, why the flames were so forgiving – she could have sworn they nipped at her ankles. But clearly she was more skilled than she knew!
Sharo Lun Shrine: Blind Spots
Once again, the title of the shrine provides a clue as to the requisite skills. In Sharo Lun, climbable moving cubes operate like a people-mover to both provide passage and protect Link. Flames coming up on the right? Move to the opposite side of the cube. Spikes on the other side? Move to the left.
The first section features flames. Eventually, the Link-mover cubes begin to drop into oblivion, however, and Link, too, if you’re not careful (not that anyone is speaking from experience). Jump off before that occurs and prepare for a similar corridor in which you’ll climb blocks once again, this time avoiding spikes. You’ll also have to take out some Guardian Scouts. If you have a good distance bow such as the Golden, you can take out two of the pesky scouts or even three, with some contortions, before you ever climb a cube. Continue passage through the shrine using the blocks and platforms until you come to a section with water flowing down the far side of the moving cubes’ pathway. If you’re so inclined, you can use Cryonis and Magnesis here to retrieve a falling treasure chest.[1]
At a second waterfall section, use Cryonis to create blocks of ice that Link can step up to the monk’s altar. The good news: The cubes don’t melt away should you, erm, happen to miss and need to catch them on the second…or third…pass.
Zelder Tip #2: Although it pains Demelza the researcher to admit it, don’t believe everything you read on the Internet. One source, which shall go unnamed, suggested wearing Ravio’s Hood, the better to grapple more quickly around the moving cubes. Well… yes. Demelza did that, and perhaps she scrambled around a bit faster on the cube. But using Ravio’s Hood removes the protection afforded by Flamebreaker armor. In our humble opinion, whenever you’re in Eldin, it’s far better to be flameproof than to wear bunny ears.
Kamia Omuna Shrine: Moving Targets
After defeating the Igneo Talus Titan, Demelza took a break to replenish her supplies – nothing like a sojourn in Lurelin Village to celebrate a smashing, if unexpected victory! Huzzah! Upon returning to the shrine, she paused to review her notes and check the Internet for tips, as is her wont. (It’s tough having to do both her job and Itzal’s, you see.)
Zelder Tip #3: If you warp out of the area before entering Kamia Omuna shrine, don’t pause on the threshold upon returning, to review notes or examine your fingernails or anything else. The Igneo Talus Titan will have risen again like a rocky molten phoenix, and it will gobsmack Link on the threshold of the shrine.
The Kamia Omuna Shrine’s trial, “Moving Targets,” involves two types of “moving” actions. The first entails dropping round bombs into cannons, then striking a switch nearby to rotate a cannon into place and detonate the bomb at the precise moment necessary to hit a couple of targets. One of the targets moves up and down, stopping at top, middle, and bottom. Hit the target when it’s in the middle.
The second action is more complicated: It requires the Switch’s oft-maligned (especially by Itzal) motion controls. Further into the shrine and on the right, you’ll see an upside-down target and a terminal. After interacting with the terminal, use the controller to rotate the target into a position reachable by the cannon’s bombfire. A second target is then revealed, but this one necessitates rotating a structure in front of the target so that you can shoot a bomb through an opening.
On to the Next
With three of Rudania’s emblems now in hand, Demelza faced a scary gamescreen – being advised that it was now time to retrace her steps in fighting Fireblight Ganon. Problem is: she’s never fought Fireblight Ganon – Itzal did – so there are no steps to retrace.
Oh, dear. Stay tuned.
[1] Now that Demelza has all the responsibility of research, note-taking, fighting, solving of puzzles…perhaps she sometimes skips a treasure chest or two. Itzal smirks about this when he hears her tales of woe. Demelza counters that at least she checks first to be sure a treasure chest doesn’t contain a Giant Ancient Core. Come on, if it’s a Shield of the Mind’s eye or a clumsy claymore, who cares?