By now you have the Zora armor set and a quiver of shock arrows, you’ve enjoyed a Blue Lagoon, and you’re raring to free a Divine Beast from the clutches of – but wait. First, you must board the beast before you can free it from any clutches. In this post, we discuss the remaining three parts of the Vah Ruta quest: gaining access to the beast; solving the puzzles and activating the terminals; and, finally, fighting the blight.
GAINING ACCESS
Prince Sidon is your guide in the next part of the adventure. To board Vah Ruta, a mechanical beast in the form of an elephant, first meet Sidon at East Reservoir Lake.
Zelder Tip #1: Inexplicably, there’s a bed at the reservoir. Sleep in it to recover any depleted hearts.
After resting, jump onto Sidon’s back; he’ll take you as close as possible to a waterfall so you can fly up in your Zora armor and, while hanging in the air, shoot shock arrows at four pink glowing orbs, two on each side of the beast.
But Vah Ruta isn’t going to take it sitting down; the elephant shoots ice blocks at Link. Use Cryonis to shatter them. When all the ice blocks are gone, the path is clear to the waterfall.
Once airborne at the top of the waterfall, remember that time slows when you’re having fun – or when you’re aiming an arrow. But you can only hang in the air so long; if your stamina runs out, Link will fall.
Zelder Tip #2: Unless you’re a quick shot with a steady aim, eat a meal or potion with temporary stamina wheels before starting.
As the battle progresses, Vah Ruta throws more and different types of ice blocks at Link. Not much to do but lather, rinse, and repeat: shatter ice blocks, swim up waterfall, shoot glowing pink orbs.
Eventually, you’ll knock out the four pink orbs, Prince Sidon will wish you good-bye and good luck, and you and Link will be abandoned at the front door of the Divine Beast dungeon.
At this point, the Beast is activated as a fast-travel point. Thus, if Link or Zelders need replenishment – arrows for Link, cocktails for Zelders – you may now go in search of same. SAVE YOUR GAME!
We had a heated discussion about writing this next section.
HEATED DISCUSSION
Demelza: We can’t say nothing about how to navigate the dungeon.
Itzal: It would take you 15 pages and 5000 words, and that’s too long for a blog post.
Demelza: We’re adults of a Certain Age. We grew up with essays and memos, not PowerPoints or tweety things limited to 140 characters.
Itzal: It’s 280 now.
Demelza: Whatever.
Itzal: I covered Day One on the Great Plateau in 1000 words.
Demelza: And you left behind the Hylian trousers!
Itzal: Again with the Hylian trousers.
Demelza: We should at least explain how to activate the terminals, even if we skip the treasure chests.
Itzal: You were intending I get the treasure chests? We’re lucky if I find the terminals again.
Demelza: I will agree to skip the treasure chests, but I must have at least 2000 words to do a walkthrough of the dungeon. It’s our first Divine Beast, Itzal!
Itzal: 1000.
Demelza: 1500.
Itzal: This heated discussion is taking up a lot of words. And, no.
Demelza: Fine.
We now return to our regular programming.
REGULAR PROGRAMMING
To free the Divine Beast, you must obtain the dungeon map, activate five terminals with your Sheikah slate, and fight Waterblight Ganon.
To get the map, shoot an arrow at the glowing eye in the middle of the evil goo known as Malice, use a Cryonis block to lift the gate, then just run ahead – wait, now we’re switching from regular programming to An Aside.
AN ASIDE
Have you ever noticed that walkthroughs frequently say “just,” “simply,” or “merely?” It is never “just ” or “merely” in our experience. In addition, why say “run” ahead? Do they think Link is going to stroll?
(Itzal: Let’s keep our eye on the prize, Demelza.)
THE PRIZE
Activating the first terminal with your Sheikah slate earns you the dungeon map, after which you may rotate the stupid three-dimensional elephant, which requires more spatial relations abilities than Demelza has.
Now, “merely” activate the remaining four terminals. To do so, we refer you to the following resources (under protest by Demelza, who, nonetheless, acknowledges their excellence):
- www.zeldadungeon.net
- www.polygon.com
- www.ign.com
- Teenagers everywhere, who can’t be hyperlinked
That done, return to the main control unit to initiate the battle with Waterblight Ganon (WBG, to save words).
BLIGHT FIGHT
There are two phases to the battle; the second is triggered when WBG has lost half his health points. In the first phase, WBG throws a spear at Link, which an accomplished gamer will “simply” avoid with side hops, backflips and perfect dodges. (Itzal: Wow, is that sarcasm, Demelza? Is this passive aggressiveness coming out because I wouldn’t let you do a walkthrough of the dungeon?)
(Demelza ignores Itzal.) In the second phase, Link must fight WBG hopping around four platforms in water. He’ll again need Cryonis to shatter ice blocks thrown his way. And at times, WBG will shoot laser beams at our hero; “just” parry the beam back at the blight, both protecting Link and damaging his enemy. Bomb arrows work well here.
When WBG is finally defeated (Itzal to Demelza: Are you deliberately being abrupt?), be sure to collect the heart container (Itzal: Is this about the one I left in the Goron mines?), and talk to Mipha to earn Mipha’s Grace, which restores Link’s hearts automatically when they run out, plus adds five temporary ones, but only once every 24 minutes.
Later, chat with King Dorephan to get the Lightscale Trident. It’s not all that durable, but it looks pretty.
HEATED DISCUSSION RESUMES
(Demelza insists that photo captions do not count against a post’s word total).
Demelza: There, I finished in exactly one thousand words. If you say anything at all, it’ll run over.
Itzal: