Agitha is by far one of the most bizarre and eccentric characters Link meets during his adventures in Twilight Princess, and me and Flat have been convinced for a long time that she is more important than she appears to be. However, Agitha's dialogue is somewhat disappointing in this aspect, giving us very little to go on. But being the ever-vigilant researchers we are, we thought up a far more interesting and unconventional way of gleaning information from her: Dream Analysis.
Agitha sends you a letter describing a dream she had, which is transcribed in it's entirety below.
Agitha had a dream last night.
Butterflies surrounded Agitha and lifted her up to the sky.
As she waved to the people below in Castle Town, she could see so many people, some waving back, others staring wide-eyed.
Agitha flew in a big circle above Hyrule Field and the butterflies formed into a bed beneath her and said "Let's play again..." Soon they faded away and she woke up in her own bed.
Ohh... Agitha wants so badly to fly in the sky...
Method 1: The Giant Book of Dreams - No noted author, published by Magpie Books
Butterflies
To see a butterfly among flowers and green grasses indicates prosperity and fair attainments.
To see them flying about denotes news from absent friends by letter, or from someone who has seen them.
To a young woman, a happy love, culminating in a life union.
Flying
To fly in a dream often signifies an attempt to rise above your conflicts and difficulties. You need to rise higher but, alas, flights in dreams often end unhappily. Dreamers fly because they are anxious about finding themselves on the ground - flying often represents a flight from yourself.
Method 2: Sharp's Analysis, loosely based in the Freudian Method
This analysis is rooted in the idea that butterflies represent Agitha's money, and perhaps her aristocratic family as well. Agitha first mentions that she is surrounded by butterflies, a reference to the size and value of her fortune, literally being surrounded by money and wealth. She then mentions being lifted above above Castle Town, and circling around in Hyrule Field, both of which signify her feelings of exclusion and alienation from her fellow townspeople. Some of them wave at her, but many just stand there and stare wide-eyed, seeing her as more of an anomaly or a freak than a friend. The butterflies then form into a bed, and tell her they want to play again, both of which are signs that Agitha feels comforted by her fortune, and that perhaps she is happiest when "playing" with it by spending frivilously, but the butterflies then vanish, reminding her that her fortune is not going to last for ever. Finally, Agitha mentions her desire to fly in the sky, which is a thinly disguised way of saying she would like to leave all her troubles behind some day.
Method 3: Flat's Idea
Well I think that Agitha has a little cruuuushhhh! I would say the the butterflies in her dream of yonder night represent Link, and the butterflies he puts in her chest! Link surrounds her and lifts her up, where she can see the people of Castle Town waving and staring, and then he forms the bed beneath her for her to safely return to her Castle. See? It's flawless. She wants to fly again because she wants to be with Link again, which is why she's sending him around collecting bugs for her in the first place. Remember: she wants everyone at her ball to have a partner! She however, is all alone for her ball, how sad! Recapitulating, Princess Agitha's dream represents her longing for Link to be her Prince.
Other Ideas
The entire concept of flying above Hyrule could be a reference to the Oocca. In this interpretation, the people waving are the few Hylians who still remember the Sky People, and the ones staring wide-eyed, obviously less familiar, are the ones who don't.
Marin was another young girl who wanted to fly away from home.
Of course, this could just be more of Agitha's usual bug obsession as well.
Well, there you have it, a ridiculously in-depth look at a seemingly unimportant part of Twilight Princess. Stay tuned for more!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Inside Ikana Castle
Flat here, how's everyone's summer vacations going? To get away from the hustle and bustle in the graveyard, I took a trip to Ikana, in the land of Termina. Now, I know everyone hates vacation pictures, but I saw some really neat things at Ikana Castle! Everyone just sit politely and enjoy pictures of my travels!
So that was my trip to Ikana. While we were there, Sharp got sick and ran off, it was pretty messy for a few days but we made it back alive. Well, see everyone later!
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| This is the front gate of Ikana Castle. It appears to be two birds sharing a moment, or perhaps the candlestick between them. This would not be exceedingly interesting, if not for more similar birds elsewhere in the castle. |
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| This is all over the place. It's kindof like a wall border, but it's made of stone and not paper. I'd say it's definitely the same bird, but tbh it doesn't look like a guay and that's all you see around Ikana Castle. Perhaps there were more interesting birds in the past? |
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| ... |
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| This fella here is on every door in the place except the big one! He looks like a praying mantis, with a mask on a necklace. Three arms and a weird face, and antenna could also mean that he's one of the same birds as before, however... |
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| This was the wallpaper in a few rooms. Again, three arms, two legs, antenna, necklace. Maybe the same thing as the door, maybe the same thing as the birds. However, what should be sticking out even more is apparent signs of my people! The red dot at the top (the bird's nose) could be seen as the red pupil of an eye, with the necklace becoming a single teardrop. A Sheikah eye! Not to mention that the necklace also has red eyes, and that the picture can be seen in a third way, with the red wings being a pair of eyes for a very menacing face, perhaps that of Ganondorf. The legs and whatever's under them can be seen as the head of a Pol's Voice as well... |
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| This is the same thing, but on the floor. The Pol's Voice is perhaps more obvious in this picture... |
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| These guys were walking up the stairs next to me, all in a line. This is obviously a skeleton with some weird knees and cow skull slippers. One question I have though, is whether they have one eye or two. Those are very large eyes. Also, is that a Triforce on their hand?! They might be the same thing as the other pictures too, because the bent knees here are also present in the other drawings, if you look for them... |
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| I'm stumped. It's gotta be the same thing, it has the skull shoes, but it's not even recognizable in this one. Abstract art just loses me. |
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| Skulls. These were a border like the bird one. |
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| These guys were super nice. It's nice when you meet people on vacation. I took this picture to show you the one on the left's necklace. That looks familiar. Also they have red eyes. |
Monday, July 12, 2010
What Materials Are Canon?
In my last article, I mentioned that sometimes two sources can contradict one another, and when such an occasion arises, it is important to know where sources stand relative to one another. This article is meant to be a guide to determining your own ranking system
The first thing to remember is that there are four main types of sources:
Nintendo-made games
This category encompasses the pure, undoubtable information that we get from the main Zelda lineage. It should rank at the top of any list in terms of validity.
Nintendo-made sources which are not games
The big ones here are instruction manuals, NintendoPower and developer interviews, thought it includes anything made by Nintendo employees that isn't a game.
Third-party sources which are officially endorsed by Nintendo
This includes the Capcom Zelda titles (Oracle series, Four Swords, Minish Cap), the Zelda cartoon, and the official manga. It does NOT include the CD-I games, which are no longer endorsed by Nintendo.
Unofficial sources
Stuff like fanfiction, CD-I games, fanart, etc. Not really good for much besides inspiration and laughs.
Other Considerations:
Dreams
Link's Awakening and Phantom Hourglass both end with Link waking up and realising it was a dream, and as such, excluding the brief sequences at the start and end of each game where Link is awake, these games are not necessarily usable. We would still generally take most of the information as canon, but should a contradiction arise, these dreams would be considered false information.
Chronology
The developers' conception of the timeline has changed dramatically over time, and thus old information is generally trumped by newer information. We still hold on to the belief that all in-game information still holds true, but older instruction manuals and interviews directly conflict with the newer games, and as such we consider them discredited.
That's all for now. If our conception of the Zelda canon changes, we'll post an update.
The first thing to remember is that there are four main types of sources:
Nintendo-made games
This category encompasses the pure, undoubtable information that we get from the main Zelda lineage. It should rank at the top of any list in terms of validity.
Nintendo-made sources which are not games
The big ones here are instruction manuals, NintendoPower and developer interviews, thought it includes anything made by Nintendo employees that isn't a game.
Third-party sources which are officially endorsed by Nintendo
This includes the Capcom Zelda titles (Oracle series, Four Swords, Minish Cap), the Zelda cartoon, and the official manga. It does NOT include the CD-I games, which are no longer endorsed by Nintendo.
Unofficial sources
Stuff like fanfiction, CD-I games, fanart, etc. Not really good for much besides inspiration and laughs.
Other Considerations:
Dreams
Link's Awakening and Phantom Hourglass both end with Link waking up and realising it was a dream, and as such, excluding the brief sequences at the start and end of each game where Link is awake, these games are not necessarily usable. We would still generally take most of the information as canon, but should a contradiction arise, these dreams would be considered false information.
Chronology
The developers' conception of the timeline has changed dramatically over time, and thus old information is generally trumped by newer information. We still hold on to the belief that all in-game information still holds true, but older instruction manuals and interviews directly conflict with the newer games, and as such we consider them discredited.
That's all for now. If our conception of the Zelda canon changes, we'll post an update.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
How To Do What We Do
We here at The Gossip Stone get thousands of emails every day asking the same thing: "How do you guys know so much about Zelda?". Well, it's quite simple, we just follow a couple QUICK tips.
Question everything
I am a strong believer in the merits of inquiry-based learning, and as such, me and Flat like to start with a question that needs answering. Zelda is full to the brim with such questions, such as "What caused the Divine Prank?" or "Why aren't there doubles of the Kokiri in Majora's Mask?". By starting this way, you establish a clear and completable goal, and it perfectly frames the remainder of the process. Nothing is beyond question.
Use your instincts
Perhaps the most underrated tip, and yet by far one of the most important. There have been plenty of leads that we followed simply because "We had a feeling", and more often than not, those leads turn up some fresh information that we never would have found otherwise. So follow up on your hunches thouroughly, and you might be suprised how much you learn.
Identify contradictions
So you've asked a question and followed your hunch and, unsuprisingly, you've turned up something new. But wait, thinking back, it doesn't quite fit with something you found a few weeks ago, does it? Hmm. Firstly, you have to look at the sources you are looking at, and determine if both are of equal validity. Developer interviews and instruction manuals, for example, have been known to contradict firsthand information from the games, and in these cases we simply deem one of the sources of information invalid, and this is mostly a judgement call. If this is the case, you should start over with a question like "What no longer stands if we consider this manual to be invalid?" or something to that effect, and see what turns up. However, if both sources are valid, you have to...
Come up with a new theory
Over the years, a lot of our major theories have met with the tiniest of problems which eventually cause them to come crashing down. While tragic and irritating, this is a time of celebration, as every false assumption we abandon brings us one step closer to the truth. When new information contradicts an old theory, it's time to come up with a newer, better one. Then, of course, you must start again with questions like "What changes with my new theory?" or "What ius no longer explained without the old theory?". You'll find that a fresh take on things can lead to a huge burst in new discoveries.
Kindly share your findings with The Gossip Stone
By sharing your ideas, you'll get feedback to help you tweak your theories, and we'll get new information to help move the community forwards. Plus, you owe us for these tips. So there.
Well, now you know how Sharp and Flat manage to be so brilliant. Stay tuned for more!
Question everything
I am a strong believer in the merits of inquiry-based learning, and as such, me and Flat like to start with a question that needs answering. Zelda is full to the brim with such questions, such as "What caused the Divine Prank?" or "Why aren't there doubles of the Kokiri in Majora's Mask?". By starting this way, you establish a clear and completable goal, and it perfectly frames the remainder of the process. Nothing is beyond question.
Use your instincts
Perhaps the most underrated tip, and yet by far one of the most important. There have been plenty of leads that we followed simply because "We had a feeling", and more often than not, those leads turn up some fresh information that we never would have found otherwise. So follow up on your hunches thouroughly, and you might be suprised how much you learn.
Identify contradictions
So you've asked a question and followed your hunch and, unsuprisingly, you've turned up something new. But wait, thinking back, it doesn't quite fit with something you found a few weeks ago, does it? Hmm. Firstly, you have to look at the sources you are looking at, and determine if both are of equal validity. Developer interviews and instruction manuals, for example, have been known to contradict firsthand information from the games, and in these cases we simply deem one of the sources of information invalid, and this is mostly a judgement call. If this is the case, you should start over with a question like "What no longer stands if we consider this manual to be invalid?" or something to that effect, and see what turns up. However, if both sources are valid, you have to...
Come up with a new theory
Over the years, a lot of our major theories have met with the tiniest of problems which eventually cause them to come crashing down. While tragic and irritating, this is a time of celebration, as every false assumption we abandon brings us one step closer to the truth. When new information contradicts an old theory, it's time to come up with a newer, better one. Then, of course, you must start again with questions like "What changes with my new theory?" or "What ius no longer explained without the old theory?". You'll find that a fresh take on things can lead to a huge burst in new discoveries.
Kindly share your findings with The Gossip Stone
By sharing your ideas, you'll get feedback to help you tweak your theories, and we'll get new information to help move the community forwards. Plus, you owe us for these tips. So there.
Well, now you know how Sharp and Flat manage to be so brilliant. Stay tuned for more!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Plots of games, for use in timeline messery (part 1: the first three)
This is the first of a few articles talking about what happens in games, focusing on the beginning and ending situations such that they can be easily compared for placement in timelines. This article will cover the first three games, the next one will cover OoT, MM, and TP, the third one will cover LA and the Oracle games, the fourth will cover WW, PH, and ST, and finally the last one will cover the Four Swords titles, as well as Link's Awakening. It should be noted that there was some fairly public discussion of the timeline of these titles early on. The developer-canon order is that Ocarina of Time comes before Link to the Past and Link's Awakening which come before Legend of Zelda and Adventure of Link. However, this is "obscured by history" and very well might not be true with the approach of split timelines in Ocarina of Time. Much about the first two games lend themselves to being at the very start of the timeline. I digress, hopefully these articles will be of some use to timeline theorists. Feel free to correct me on anything that I am jumping to too large of conclusions on...
Note: This article assumes that the manuals are useless, and does not include any plot elements only revealed by them. The reasoning behind this choice is that they generally contradict other information in a way that is very hard to resolve cleanly. More will be said about them in the future, hopefully.
The Legend of Zelda
Situation at beginning:
The area south of Death Mountain, where this takes place, appears to be uninhabited except for a few hermits. This likely happens at a period in history where urban Hyrule is north of Death Mountain. Ganon is a pig monster, and never referred to as Ganondorf. He already has the Triforce of Power, but only that. Zelda has the Triforce of Wisdom and Link has no Triforce as far as can be reckoned. Zelda splits up the Triforce of Wisdom into 8 pieces, and is captured by Ganon. Link sets out to get both Triforces and save Zelda from Ganon. The Master Sword is nowhere to be found, and Link uses the "Sword" (a wooden sword), the "White Sword", and the "Magical Sword". There is a graveyard to the west, just in the shadow of Death Mountain, but no settlements nearby. River Zoras are a common occurrence, and there is a coast on the East side.
Situation at end:
Pig Ganon is defeated with the Silver Arrows, in his hideout under Spectacle Rock, and is turned into a pile of dust. Link is seen with Zelda, each hold a Triforce, Zelda says that Link is the hero of Hyrule, and that peace has returned to Hyrule now. Good end!
The Adventure of Link
Situation at beginning:
Ganon has been destroyed, Impa has told Link about a sleeping spell cast on Princess Zelda which can only be broken by the power of a third Triforce (The Triforce of Courage), sealed in a palace in Hyrule. To access this Triforce, Link must place 6 crystals in other palaces throughout Hyrule, so he sets out to find this Triforce and save Princess Zelda from sleeping. This is almost always assumed to happen right after The Legend of Zelda because he already has two Triforces and is looking for the third, a rare situation to be sure. What is unclear is exactly how long Princess Zelda has been asleep. The manual makes it seem like a loooong time, which makes no sense. It is most likely that Princess Zelda was attacked with the sleeping spell soon after the conclusion of The Legend of Zelda, probably in part of an attempt to bring Ganon back to life, since after all, when Link dies that is "RETURN OF GANON". This game takes place in a weird location, one not seen in any other game. The Legend of Zelda's map, a large area south of and including Death Mountain, roughly equivalent to the top-right corner of A Link to the Past's map, is a tiny little south-west corner in this game. This is north and east of Death Mountain, in a huge world including a bunch of towns named mostly after sages and also after Mido. Hyrule's coast is on the east side, and also the North, and there are four more islands off east. Two small ones, a boot one, and a maze one. Intriguing. The name of Link's sword and shield are not given in game, but are presumed to be Magical Sword and Shield from The Legend of Zelda, so the Master Sword is still absent. In each town there is an old man with a daughter, who will teach you magic. Volvagia makes an apperance as one of the palace guardians, which is not that surprising. Volvagia is a good choice for a benevolent boss monster.
Situation at end:
Link saves Hyrule and is a real hero! The last boss is, confusingly, Dark Link. He jumps out of Link when he sees the Triforce of Courage, and Link fights him and then takes it and saves Zelda, receiving a kiss in return. Dark Link might represent Link debating with himself over whether to use his wish on saving Zelda or whether to rule the world as a pig demon, or he might be a literal enemy meant to guard the Triforce. Anyways, everything is fine.
A Link to the Past
Situation at beginning:
The Triforce used to rest in the Sacred Realm. Many people fought over it, but eventually someone got in and took it, and since then the Sacred Realm has radiated evil. The Seven Wise Men were ordered by the King to seal the entrance to the Sacred Realm from Hyrule, and did so. Anyways, Ganon was in there. Aghanim has killed the King and opened the seal, and has started kidnapping the Seven Maidens, descendants of the Men. Hyrule is a kingdom surrounded by mountains and forests in this game, with no coast in sight. The geography is all south and west of Death Mountain, with a Lost Woods in the upper left-hand corner and Kakariko village just south of the Woods. Lake Hylia is in the Southeast corner of the map, the Sanctuary and the Graveyard are south of Death Mountain, and the Castle is somewhat in the middle of this area. Link's house is near the Castle, where he lived with his Uncle, a Knight of Hyrule. Ganon is in the Sacred Realm, with the entire Triforce, and has made his wish to rule the entire world, which has only been partially granted to him. He rules the Dark Realm (his corrupted Sacred Realm), and has apparently become a hideous pig demon, but maybe only because he's in the Dark Realm, which corrupts the form of all who enter. His hideout is in a tower he has built in the Dark Realm, replacing the Tower of Hera, named Ganon's Tower. Link starts out with some crappy equipment from his Uncle, but gains the Master Sword (in the Lost Woods) and the Mirror Shield. He then makes the Master Sword twice as awesome by getting some dwarves and then a very fat fairy to improve it. The only place people live, other than still living Wise Men who hide in caves, is Kakariko Village.
Situation at end:
Link kills Aghanim, and then Ganon the pig, using Silver Arrows and the Master Sword. It appears that Aghanim turns into Ganon, which is strange. Perhaps Aghanim was the embodiment of Ganon? Anyways Link gets the Triforce (yeah, the whole thing) who explains a bunch of stuff about it, because apparently it can talk. Link makes a wish to set everything back to normal peace, and then puts the Master Sword back in its pedestal where it "sleeps forever". The Sacred Realm theoretically goes completely back to normal as well, but not definitely, nothing is said about it specifically.
Note: This article assumes that the manuals are useless, and does not include any plot elements only revealed by them. The reasoning behind this choice is that they generally contradict other information in a way that is very hard to resolve cleanly. More will be said about them in the future, hopefully.
The Legend of Zelda
Situation at beginning:
The area south of Death Mountain, where this takes place, appears to be uninhabited except for a few hermits. This likely happens at a period in history where urban Hyrule is north of Death Mountain. Ganon is a pig monster, and never referred to as Ganondorf. He already has the Triforce of Power, but only that. Zelda has the Triforce of Wisdom and Link has no Triforce as far as can be reckoned. Zelda splits up the Triforce of Wisdom into 8 pieces, and is captured by Ganon. Link sets out to get both Triforces and save Zelda from Ganon. The Master Sword is nowhere to be found, and Link uses the "Sword" (a wooden sword), the "White Sword", and the "Magical Sword". There is a graveyard to the west, just in the shadow of Death Mountain, but no settlements nearby. River Zoras are a common occurrence, and there is a coast on the East side.
Situation at end:
Pig Ganon is defeated with the Silver Arrows, in his hideout under Spectacle Rock, and is turned into a pile of dust. Link is seen with Zelda, each hold a Triforce, Zelda says that Link is the hero of Hyrule, and that peace has returned to Hyrule now. Good end!
The Adventure of Link
Situation at beginning:
Ganon has been destroyed, Impa has told Link about a sleeping spell cast on Princess Zelda which can only be broken by the power of a third Triforce (The Triforce of Courage), sealed in a palace in Hyrule. To access this Triforce, Link must place 6 crystals in other palaces throughout Hyrule, so he sets out to find this Triforce and save Princess Zelda from sleeping. This is almost always assumed to happen right after The Legend of Zelda because he already has two Triforces and is looking for the third, a rare situation to be sure. What is unclear is exactly how long Princess Zelda has been asleep. The manual makes it seem like a loooong time, which makes no sense. It is most likely that Princess Zelda was attacked with the sleeping spell soon after the conclusion of The Legend of Zelda, probably in part of an attempt to bring Ganon back to life, since after all, when Link dies that is "RETURN OF GANON". This game takes place in a weird location, one not seen in any other game. The Legend of Zelda's map, a large area south of and including Death Mountain, roughly equivalent to the top-right corner of A Link to the Past's map, is a tiny little south-west corner in this game. This is north and east of Death Mountain, in a huge world including a bunch of towns named mostly after sages and also after Mido. Hyrule's coast is on the east side, and also the North, and there are four more islands off east. Two small ones, a boot one, and a maze one. Intriguing. The name of Link's sword and shield are not given in game, but are presumed to be Magical Sword and Shield from The Legend of Zelda, so the Master Sword is still absent. In each town there is an old man with a daughter, who will teach you magic. Volvagia makes an apperance as one of the palace guardians, which is not that surprising. Volvagia is a good choice for a benevolent boss monster.
Situation at end:
Link saves Hyrule and is a real hero! The last boss is, confusingly, Dark Link. He jumps out of Link when he sees the Triforce of Courage, and Link fights him and then takes it and saves Zelda, receiving a kiss in return. Dark Link might represent Link debating with himself over whether to use his wish on saving Zelda or whether to rule the world as a pig demon, or he might be a literal enemy meant to guard the Triforce. Anyways, everything is fine.
A Link to the Past
Situation at beginning:
The Triforce used to rest in the Sacred Realm. Many people fought over it, but eventually someone got in and took it, and since then the Sacred Realm has radiated evil. The Seven Wise Men were ordered by the King to seal the entrance to the Sacred Realm from Hyrule, and did so. Anyways, Ganon was in there. Aghanim has killed the King and opened the seal, and has started kidnapping the Seven Maidens, descendants of the Men. Hyrule is a kingdom surrounded by mountains and forests in this game, with no coast in sight. The geography is all south and west of Death Mountain, with a Lost Woods in the upper left-hand corner and Kakariko village just south of the Woods. Lake Hylia is in the Southeast corner of the map, the Sanctuary and the Graveyard are south of Death Mountain, and the Castle is somewhat in the middle of this area. Link's house is near the Castle, where he lived with his Uncle, a Knight of Hyrule. Ganon is in the Sacred Realm, with the entire Triforce, and has made his wish to rule the entire world, which has only been partially granted to him. He rules the Dark Realm (his corrupted Sacred Realm), and has apparently become a hideous pig demon, but maybe only because he's in the Dark Realm, which corrupts the form of all who enter. His hideout is in a tower he has built in the Dark Realm, replacing the Tower of Hera, named Ganon's Tower. Link starts out with some crappy equipment from his Uncle, but gains the Master Sword (in the Lost Woods) and the Mirror Shield. He then makes the Master Sword twice as awesome by getting some dwarves and then a very fat fairy to improve it. The only place people live, other than still living Wise Men who hide in caves, is Kakariko Village.
Situation at end:
Link kills Aghanim, and then Ganon the pig, using Silver Arrows and the Master Sword. It appears that Aghanim turns into Ganon, which is strange. Perhaps Aghanim was the embodiment of Ganon? Anyways Link gets the Triforce (yeah, the whole thing) who explains a bunch of stuff about it, because apparently it can talk. Link makes a wish to set everything back to normal peace, and then puts the Master Sword back in its pedestal where it "sleeps forever". The Sacred Realm theoretically goes completely back to normal as well, but not definitely, nothing is said about it specifically.
Friday, July 2, 2010
OOT-TP: The Great Migration
At the end of Ocarina of Time, Link and Zelda realise what a grand mistake they had made in opening the Sacred Realm as children, and Zelda sends Link back in time with explicit instructions not to make the same mistake again, beginning what me and Flat affectionately refer to as the Child-Timeline. More than a century later, the events of Twilight Princess take place in a new and different Hyrule, one so changed that we are barely able to recognise it. What happened in these years to transform this land so completely? Read on and find out!
What changed in Child-Timeline Ocarina of Time
When Link gets sent back, the important thing to remember is that he does NOT open the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf continues in his plan to acquire the spiritual stones, and as a result, Barinade kills Jabu-Jabu, explaining why he isn't present in Twilight Princess. Additionally, the Dodongo's Cavern remains unusable to the Gorons, leading them to search for rock sirloin in the depths of the mountain, via the Goron Mines. However, when Ganondorf discovers that even with the stones he is unable to open the Sacred Realm, he adopts the brute-force approach, leading an army of Gerudo and monsters on Castle Town. After sacking the town and destroying the castle without obtaining the Ocarina of Time (Which was most likely taken north with the escaping royalty and populous) , Ganondorf finally just destroys the Temple of Time, but finds he is unable to lift the Master Sword. Thus, Castle Town and the Temple of Time are left in the decrepit state we find them in in Twilight Princess. Eventually, Ganondorf's army is beaten back (Most likely by an army of Sheikah from the Hidden Village), and most of his Gerudo are killed in the process, explaining their lack of presence in Twilight Princess.
(Disclaimer: Ganondorf is not necessarily the one who attacks Castle Town and there is plenty of evidence against his doing so. However, an attack was obviously made, and Ganondorf is still the best theory we have so far. Other ideas are welcomed and appreciated.)
What changed in Child-Timeline Ocarina of Time
When Link gets sent back, the important thing to remember is that he does NOT open the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf continues in his plan to acquire the spiritual stones, and as a result, Barinade kills Jabu-Jabu, explaining why he isn't present in Twilight Princess. Additionally, the Dodongo's Cavern remains unusable to the Gorons, leading them to search for rock sirloin in the depths of the mountain, via the Goron Mines. However, when Ganondorf discovers that even with the stones he is unable to open the Sacred Realm, he adopts the brute-force approach, leading an army of Gerudo and monsters on Castle Town. After sacking the town and destroying the castle without obtaining the Ocarina of Time (Which was most likely taken north with the escaping royalty and populous) , Ganondorf finally just destroys the Temple of Time, but finds he is unable to lift the Master Sword. Thus, Castle Town and the Temple of Time are left in the decrepit state we find them in in Twilight Princess. Eventually, Ganondorf's army is beaten back (Most likely by an army of Sheikah from the Hidden Village), and most of his Gerudo are killed in the process, explaining their lack of presence in Twilight Princess.
(Disclaimer: Ganondorf is not necessarily the one who attacks Castle Town and there is plenty of evidence against his doing so. However, an attack was obviously made, and Ganondorf is still the best theory we have so far. Other ideas are welcomed and appreciated.)
Sages in Child-Timeline
The sages in Child-Timeline are all spiritual beings similar to Rauru. Inhabiting the five temples, these spirits were killed off by the boss monsters Ganondorf sent to the temples in Adult-Timeline, with one unique and relevant exception: the Sage of Spirit. Even as a child in Ocarina of Time, Nabooru has already been called to the Spirit Temple, and Twinrova is already living there, leading us to believe that the original Sage of Spirit dies before or during Link's childhood in OOT, and therefore the Sage of Spirit in TP is most likely Nabooru.
The Lost Woods, Kokiri and the Great Deku Tree
The southern landscape of Hyrule is drastically changed during the years between Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess, and a large portion of this stems from the expansion of the Lost Woods over much of what is eventually referred to as the Ordon and Faron provinces. The other noticeable change is that the Kokiri are no longer present, having either died out or, as I would prefer to believe, transformed into the monkeys seen in Twilight Princess (Thus, the Kokiri lack doubles in Majora's Mask because the monkeys are in fact their doubles). Gohma remains inside the Great Deku Tree long after his death and is able to locate and kill the Deku Tree Sprout, preventing a new tree from growing. Without his magic, the Kokiri are transformed back into forest creatures (Monkeys) and escape into the Lost Woods (Or die, if you really prefer). No longer kept in check by the Great Deku Tree, and with a nearly uninhabited expanse of land at their disposal, the Deku Scrubs (Or perhaps even the trees themselves) convert the majority of Hyrule Field and Castle Town into dense forest, eventually being referred to as the Faron Woods.
Ordon Village and Lon Lon Ranch
After completing the Cucco game at Lon Lon Ranch as a kid, Talon jokingly asks Link if he would like to marry his daughter, Malon. While it may have seemed like nothing at the time, we believe that Link does indeed marry Malon, and that their descendants, along with the descendants of Ingo and whoever else decided to stay behind, become the inhabitants of Ordon Village. While we have yet to agree on true lineages, a couple can be assumed with acceptable certainty. The pairing of Link and Malon most likely becomes the descendants of either Link or Ilia in TP (But hopefully not both!). Also, the goat ranch that Fado runs in TP may in fact be the very pasture that forms the center of Lon Lon Ranch in OOT, implying that he may be descended from Ingo, who takes care of the cows in OOT.
Well, that pretty much leaves us at the Divine Prank and, therefore, the end of the period known as The Great Migration. Stay tuned for more!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Masks of Interest in OOT
(Images courtesy of Zeldawiki.org. From left to right: Bunny Hood, Spooky Mask, Mask of Truth)
Bunny Hood
The Bunny Hood is traded to the Marathon Man in exchange for a wallet full of rupees, and returning to the Happy Mask Shop afterwards unlocks the final four masks available in OOT. The Bunny Hood is interesting because it has several unique effects. It appears to make the Marathon Man run faster than he could before, an effect it has on Link in Majora's Mask, but not in OOT. When worn at night in Hyrule Field, the Bunny Hood prevents Stalchildren from appearing, yet does not seem to have the same effect on the Marathon Man. It is quite possible that the Bunny Hood is based on or made from a Pols Voice (Pictured right), a volume-sensitive enemy featured in many previous Zelda titles (Although not in OOT). The Marathon Man's response upon seeing the mask for the first time, "I bet with those long ears you can hear the voices... Oh, these are genuine rabbit ears from the animal of legend!" seems to support this idea, implying that the "Animal of legend" is in fact a Pols Voice, and the part about hearing the voices is a reference to it's weakness, loud noises (Generally the Ocarina). However, since at the time of OOT's release, one could never actually use his voice to kill a Pols Voice (You could eventually in Spirit Tracks), this may be a clue to something different entirely.
Spooky Mask
The Spooky Mask is the third mask in the OOT mask-trading quest, traded to the little kid in the Kakariko Graveyard for 30 rupees. When worn for Dampe, he remarks "Do you know what kind of mask you're wearing...?And you're still wearing it?", and the scientist at the Lakeside Laboratory tells you "That was manufactured from a plank from a coffin. Yes, it was!", leading us to believe that this is in fact some sort of burial mask. The strong resemblance it bears to the head of a ReDead (Pictured right) furthers this supposition. Since there are no caskets in the Kakariko Graveyard (Only skeletons), the coffin it was carved from quite possibly came from the grave at Lake Hylia. In addition to all this, the Spooky Mask glows in the dark, leading us to belive there may be some sort of magic enchantment placed on it.
Mask of Truth
The Mask of Truth could be considered the "Prize" for completing the mask-trading sidequest, and purportedly allows you to "See into other people's minds". While this does hold true for Gossip Stones, ordinary people just seem to talk to you, although most of them are noticably frightened by your appearance while wearing it. This could be explained by them just thinking the same thing they would say normally to a scary mask, or it could be that Link is simply too kind to go around reading everyone's thoughts. Additionally, the Mask of Truth bears the Eye of the Sheikah, a symbol also present on Gossip Stones, the Lens of Truth, and on the clothing of numerous potential Sheikah in other games, implying that it is in fact an artifact of the Sheikah. The fact that the Happy Mask Salesman has such an artifact in his possession is one of the main clues towards his potential Sheikah ancestry. When worn at the Forest Stage, the Mask of Truth nets you a Deku Nuts upgrade. Wearing the mask while speaking to the people in the House of Skulltula when they are still cursed will cause them to scream audibly, which is interesting as they are themselves Sheikah.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Potential Sheikah in OOT (Part 1)
As the sun rises on the beginning of Ocarina of Time, the ancient Sheikah village of Kakriko has just recently been opened to the public by Impa, the proclaimed "Last of the Sheikah". However, it is quite possible that many Sheikah still remain in Kakariko, both in hiding and in plain sight, and that's to say nothing of the many Sheikah still residing in the Hidden Village. To this end, I, Sharp the Elder, present you with a list of the people in OOT whom I believe to have potential Shiekah ancestry.
Bongo Bongo
Bongo Bongo is quite possibly the inventor of the Lens of Truth, a well-known Sheikah artifact. The old man speaks of a person who "Had an eye they said could see the truth" (The Lens of Truth) and whose house "Stood where the well is now", and since the well is where Bongo Bongo was sealed away, this could quite possibly be referring to him. In addition, Bongo Bongo has the red eyes of the Sheikah, and assuming that he was indeed sealed in the well before Link's first childhood visit to Kakariko (Will be discussed in a future article), he would have been there prior to the opening of the town to outsiders, and is therefor considered to be a prime candidate for being a Sheikah.
Guru-Guru
Guru-Guru is the "Eccentric" man who plays the phonograph in the Kakariko Windmill. As the windmill is obviously one of the older parts of Kakariko, and is in fact connected to the graveyard by a series of tunnels eventually used as Dampe's grave, it is likely that Guru-Guru has been working in the windmill since before the village was opened to outsiders, and therefor he is a prime candidate for being a Sheikah. On the other hand, phonograph playing is a classic form of begging, so Guru-Guru fits the profile of being one of the many poor people who have recently moved in. Guru-Guru never opens his eyes, so their colour is
unknown.
The Composer Brothers: Sharp and Flat
While they aren't technically living Sheikah, I figured our namesakes deserve their own paragraph just as much as everyone else. Seeing as, just like all other poes, Sharp and Flat's eyes change colour based on their attack pattern, it's impossible to determine whether they are red or not. However, Sharp and Flat dutifully served the royal family in their lifetime, studying "The hereditary mystic powers of the family", and seeing as how they were long dead by the time Link finds them, it is almost inevitable that they lived in Kakariko long before it was opened to outsiders. All this combines together to form what we believe is our most compelling case for a confirmed Sheikah.
Bongo BongoBongo Bongo is quite possibly the inventor of the Lens of Truth, a well-known Sheikah artifact. The old man speaks of a person who "Had an eye they said could see the truth" (The Lens of Truth) and whose house "Stood where the well is now", and since the well is where Bongo Bongo was sealed away, this could quite possibly be referring to him. In addition, Bongo Bongo has the red eyes of the Sheikah, and assuming that he was indeed sealed in the well before Link's first childhood visit to Kakariko (Will be discussed in a future article), he would have been there prior to the opening of the town to outsiders, and is therefor considered to be a prime candidate for being a Sheikah.
Guru-GuruGuru-Guru is the "Eccentric" man who plays the phonograph in the Kakariko Windmill. As the windmill is obviously one of the older parts of Kakariko, and is in fact connected to the graveyard by a series of tunnels eventually used as Dampe's grave, it is likely that Guru-Guru has been working in the windmill since before the village was opened to outsiders, and therefor he is a prime candidate for being a Sheikah. On the other hand, phonograph playing is a classic form of begging, so Guru-Guru fits the profile of being one of the many poor people who have recently moved in. Guru-Guru never opens his eyes, so their colour is
unknown.
The Composer Brothers: Sharp and FlatWhile they aren't technically living Sheikah, I figured our namesakes deserve their own paragraph just as much as everyone else. Seeing as, just like all other poes, Sharp and Flat's eyes change colour based on their attack pattern, it's impossible to determine whether they are red or not. However, Sharp and Flat dutifully served the royal family in their lifetime, studying "The hereditary mystic powers of the family", and seeing as how they were long dead by the time Link finds them, it is almost inevitable that they lived in Kakariko long before it was opened to outsiders. All this combines together to form what we believe is our most compelling case for a confirmed Sheikah.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
A preliminary discussion of the cultures of greater Hyrule
Before the Unification War (the war in which OoT Link's father fought) the peoples of Hyrule were all separate factions. The Gorons and Zoras were not kind to each other, nor to the Hylians. But the King of Hyrule in that time fought to bring all the peoples under one ruler (himself) and to promote cooperation and understanding between the races. That being the case, at the time we see in OoT there is still much separation, and the peace seems very tentative. Only a representative of the Royal Family of Hyrule is accepted as a Hylian into Zora's Domain, or onto Death Mountain.
Hylians
The people of Hyrule are mostly Hylians. They have long pointy ears (to hear the voices of the goddesses) and are predisposed to magic. Link is a Hylian, and so is Zelda, and so are most of the people Link meets in the games, at least the ones set in Hyrule. The pointy ears is a dead giveaway, assuming they don't better fit the characteristics of another race. Most people living in Castle Town are Hylians, as are most who live in Kakariko village. They appear to have most normal hair colors and eye colors, with no tendency for any in particular. It is theorized that the Hylians who have brighter red hair are a result of intermingling with the Gerudo.
Sheikah
The shadow folk, and the protectors of the Royal Family of Hyrule, Sheikah are a very small numbered culture who always seem to be just scraping by with one or two remaining obvious instances. However, at any point there are a larger number of Sheikah who are doing normal things, in odd places, who presumably continue to pass on the bloodline and keep the traditions somewhat alive. Sheikah were the original inhabitants of Kakariko village, and seem to have played some significant role in the Unification War, because many of them appear to have died shortly before Ocarina of Time, such that many people believe them to be extinct. Impa, however, is a confirmed Sheikah, and presumed to be a fairly high ranking individual, in whatever social hierarchy the Sheikah may have, since she is the closest to the Royal Family, as the personal guardian of Princess Zelda. Impa seems to be the most authority holding citizen of Kakariko Village, as after the Unification War, she opened up the village to poor Hylians, presumable because of heavy losses to the population during the war. Notable Sheikah include Impa, Impaz, and possibly others such as Dampe or Madame Fanadi. The dead giveaway characteristics are red eyes, as well as the Sheikah symbol (a single eye, usually shedding a tear, such as the one on the Gossip Stones) on them.
Gorons
These creatures eat rocks, and live up in Death Mountain where they can find them. They especially like the rock sirloin from Dodongo's Cavern, so much that foreign Goron settlements (i.e. the one at Snowhead) have it imported! It's easy to tell Gorons apart from other species, as they are extremely homogeneous as a race. They all have the same yellow-brown skin, which is so hard that they can walk on lava and roll into a ball and tumble down mountains. Some have spikes. They have blue eyes, and many carry the Goron symbol (something like a pawprint) as what appears to be a tatoo. Many seem to be in the mining business, which is how they get their food. Some take a liking to merchanting, however. Gorons cannot swim, but surprisingly they survived the great flood. Goron society is dominated by a patriarchal system with elders upon elders being given the right to rule. Gorons enjoy sumo wrestling, and hot springs, as well as just rolling around in circles. Gorons tend to be extremely isolated as a society, and do not take kindly to unannounced outsiders, not to say that they're racist, just careful. If a Hylian or Zora proves to be not a bother, the Gorons will be quite pleasant. Some Gorons, for reasons unknown, are much much larger than normal, these have trouble living among Gorons inside mountains, so they sometimes just camp on the outside. This might be a random birth defect or a certain family line that has happened over time.
Zoras
The Zoras are a race that seems to have grown closer to fish. They can stay underwater indefinitely, but seem to also be able to breathe out of water too. Thus, they are extremely adaptable. They appear to be led by a monarchy, and call Zora's Domain, the source of the Zora's River, their home. There are indeed two types of Zoras to be found in Hyrule, requiring different treatment. The River Zora or sometimes Zola are an aggressive race who will attack you from the water. They are less civilized than the Lake Zoras who live in Zora's Domain and at Lake Hylia, and should be treated as barbarians. This is not to say that River Zoras cannot be civil, but if they see no reason to be, they see all Hylians as enemies. Lake Zoras do not normally allow Hylians within Zora's Domain, but when they are encountered in a neutral area such as Lake Hylia they are friendly. It is thought that in the timeline stemming from the adventures of the Hero of Time in Ocarina of Time, including Wind Waker, the Zoras evolve into a different race known as the Rito, who can fly. It seems a little silly that the only strong swimming race had to adapt to the new water-based environment, but they did. The Zoras were hit hard in the other timeline by the freezing of Zora's Domain, but they ultimately survived as a race. There are some Zoras in Termina, but it is unclear whether they are in contact with the Hyrulian Lake Zoras, it seems likely that one stems from the other at some point in history, however.
Gerudo
The Gerudo are a desert people made up almost entirely of females. Only one male Gerudo is born in a hundred years, and he is to be their King. Ganondorf is the example of this position as Gerudo King. Though not an "evil" people in the sense of the River Zoras, the Gerudo make their livelihood by stealing. They call the Gerudo Fortress, in the Gerudo Desert, their hideout, and also seem to use the Desert Coloussus as their place of worship, probably of Din primarily, and maybe the other goddesses as well. The Arbiter's Grounds might be a place of the Gerudo as well, but possibly not. The Gerudo women are known to find mates among the Hylians (for lack of men of their own race) and they then take with them the children deemed to be Gerudo. The others are presumably left to the Hylian men to raise (Malon may or may not be an example of this phenominon.) The Gerudo are hostile to Hylians in a diplomatic sense, and do not submit to the rule of the King. Hylians are not normally allowed into the Gerudo Fortress, with entry only permitted to those with a membership card. However, it is thought that Telma, who lives in Castle Town is mostly or partially Gerudo, so some may be defectors, or possibly the Gerudo as a tribe have crumbled by the time of Twilight Princess, since Ganondorf has been unable to lead them from within the Twilight Realm. There is a band of pirates named the Gerudo in Termina, it is unknown if they are connected to the Gerudo in Hyrule, but likely. The Gerudo have yellow eyes, and dark skin with red hair, setting them apart from everyone else obviously.
This concludes our brief look at the peoples of Hyrule, with some groups left out. Wait for part II, I suppose, but these are the most important and historically relevant groups of people. Flat, signing off.
Hylians
The people of Hyrule are mostly Hylians. They have long pointy ears (to hear the voices of the goddesses) and are predisposed to magic. Link is a Hylian, and so is Zelda, and so are most of the people Link meets in the games, at least the ones set in Hyrule. The pointy ears is a dead giveaway, assuming they don't better fit the characteristics of another race. Most people living in Castle Town are Hylians, as are most who live in Kakariko village. They appear to have most normal hair colors and eye colors, with no tendency for any in particular. It is theorized that the Hylians who have brighter red hair are a result of intermingling with the Gerudo.
Sheikah
The shadow folk, and the protectors of the Royal Family of Hyrule, Sheikah are a very small numbered culture who always seem to be just scraping by with one or two remaining obvious instances. However, at any point there are a larger number of Sheikah who are doing normal things, in odd places, who presumably continue to pass on the bloodline and keep the traditions somewhat alive. Sheikah were the original inhabitants of Kakariko village, and seem to have played some significant role in the Unification War, because many of them appear to have died shortly before Ocarina of Time, such that many people believe them to be extinct. Impa, however, is a confirmed Sheikah, and presumed to be a fairly high ranking individual, in whatever social hierarchy the Sheikah may have, since she is the closest to the Royal Family, as the personal guardian of Princess Zelda. Impa seems to be the most authority holding citizen of Kakariko Village, as after the Unification War, she opened up the village to poor Hylians, presumable because of heavy losses to the population during the war. Notable Sheikah include Impa, Impaz, and possibly others such as Dampe or Madame Fanadi. The dead giveaway characteristics are red eyes, as well as the Sheikah symbol (a single eye, usually shedding a tear, such as the one on the Gossip Stones) on them.
Gorons
These creatures eat rocks, and live up in Death Mountain where they can find them. They especially like the rock sirloin from Dodongo's Cavern, so much that foreign Goron settlements (i.e. the one at Snowhead) have it imported! It's easy to tell Gorons apart from other species, as they are extremely homogeneous as a race. They all have the same yellow-brown skin, which is so hard that they can walk on lava and roll into a ball and tumble down mountains. Some have spikes. They have blue eyes, and many carry the Goron symbol (something like a pawprint) as what appears to be a tatoo. Many seem to be in the mining business, which is how they get their food. Some take a liking to merchanting, however. Gorons cannot swim, but surprisingly they survived the great flood. Goron society is dominated by a patriarchal system with elders upon elders being given the right to rule. Gorons enjoy sumo wrestling, and hot springs, as well as just rolling around in circles. Gorons tend to be extremely isolated as a society, and do not take kindly to unannounced outsiders, not to say that they're racist, just careful. If a Hylian or Zora proves to be not a bother, the Gorons will be quite pleasant. Some Gorons, for reasons unknown, are much much larger than normal, these have trouble living among Gorons inside mountains, so they sometimes just camp on the outside. This might be a random birth defect or a certain family line that has happened over time.
Zoras
The Zoras are a race that seems to have grown closer to fish. They can stay underwater indefinitely, but seem to also be able to breathe out of water too. Thus, they are extremely adaptable. They appear to be led by a monarchy, and call Zora's Domain, the source of the Zora's River, their home. There are indeed two types of Zoras to be found in Hyrule, requiring different treatment. The River Zora or sometimes Zola are an aggressive race who will attack you from the water. They are less civilized than the Lake Zoras who live in Zora's Domain and at Lake Hylia, and should be treated as barbarians. This is not to say that River Zoras cannot be civil, but if they see no reason to be, they see all Hylians as enemies. Lake Zoras do not normally allow Hylians within Zora's Domain, but when they are encountered in a neutral area such as Lake Hylia they are friendly. It is thought that in the timeline stemming from the adventures of the Hero of Time in Ocarina of Time, including Wind Waker, the Zoras evolve into a different race known as the Rito, who can fly. It seems a little silly that the only strong swimming race had to adapt to the new water-based environment, but they did. The Zoras were hit hard in the other timeline by the freezing of Zora's Domain, but they ultimately survived as a race. There are some Zoras in Termina, but it is unclear whether they are in contact with the Hyrulian Lake Zoras, it seems likely that one stems from the other at some point in history, however.
Gerudo
The Gerudo are a desert people made up almost entirely of females. Only one male Gerudo is born in a hundred years, and he is to be their King. Ganondorf is the example of this position as Gerudo King. Though not an "evil" people in the sense of the River Zoras, the Gerudo make their livelihood by stealing. They call the Gerudo Fortress, in the Gerudo Desert, their hideout, and also seem to use the Desert Coloussus as their place of worship, probably of Din primarily, and maybe the other goddesses as well. The Arbiter's Grounds might be a place of the Gerudo as well, but possibly not. The Gerudo women are known to find mates among the Hylians (for lack of men of their own race) and they then take with them the children deemed to be Gerudo. The others are presumably left to the Hylian men to raise (Malon may or may not be an example of this phenominon.) The Gerudo are hostile to Hylians in a diplomatic sense, and do not submit to the rule of the King. Hylians are not normally allowed into the Gerudo Fortress, with entry only permitted to those with a membership card. However, it is thought that Telma, who lives in Castle Town is mostly or partially Gerudo, so some may be defectors, or possibly the Gerudo as a tribe have crumbled by the time of Twilight Princess, since Ganondorf has been unable to lead them from within the Twilight Realm. There is a band of pirates named the Gerudo in Termina, it is unknown if they are connected to the Gerudo in Hyrule, but likely. The Gerudo have yellow eyes, and dark skin with red hair, setting them apart from everyone else obviously.
This concludes our brief look at the peoples of Hyrule, with some groups left out. Wait for part II, I suppose, but these are the most important and historically relevant groups of people. Flat, signing off.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Gossip Stones
What better way to start our blog than with the titular item of interest, the Gossip Stones. Gossip Stones hold special significance to the two of us, as perhaps the first major clue we discovered, and the first mystery we sought to unravel. That was many years ago, and although we've come a long way in that time, we still ponder the mysteries of the solid black Gerudo stallion with the same childish intensity as back when we were knee-high on a grasshopper (Or at least I was).First, what exactly ARE the Gossip Stones? Gossip Stones (Pictured above courtesy of zeldalegends.net) are mysterious artifacts of the Sheikah, with many mysterious traits. While an in-depth discussion of these traits will have to wait for it's own article, one of them stands alone, the reaction to one wearing the Mask of Truth, another Sheikah artifact. When wearing the mask, examining these stones allows them to "Speak" to you, saying all manner of interesting things. There are 40 in total, and thanks to our good friend Video Gamer X over at The Odyssey of Hyrule we have a complete list of their locations, and their respective dialogue. Approaching with the attitude that each one must yeild some sort of worthwhile clue, Flat and I gave it our all, and uncovered the truth behind most of them. These explanations are also listed below for your viewing pleasure.
In Front of the Temple of Time - They say that Malon set the original record in the obstacle course of Lon Lon Ranch.
This is saying that Malon's horse (Epona) is the fastest horse at Lon Lon Ranch, and by extension, that she is the one you have to use to beat Ingo in the race.
In Front of the Temple of Time - They say that Malon of Lon Lon Ranch hopes a knight in shining armor will come and sweep her off her feet someday.
Since the one Malon hopes will sweep her off her feet is Link, the "Knight in shining armour" is in fact a clue that the Knights of Hyrule (Referenced in LTTP) are descended from OOT Link (And presumably Malon too).
In Front of the Temple of Time - They say that it is against the rules to use glasses at the Treasure Chest Shop in Hyrule Castle Town Market.
This is a reference to using the Lens of Truth to cheat at the Treasure Chest Contest.
In Front of the Temple of Time - They say that Gerudos sometimes come to Hyrule Castle Town to look for boyfriends.
This means that Malon's mother is most likely of Gerudo ancestry, due to the colour of her hair and Talon's lack of a wife. This may also imply that other Hylians may be part Gerudo as well, and could explain the general lack of non-Gerudo women in OOT Hyrule.
Near Hyrule Castle, just past the vines that you climb. - They say that if you get close to a butterfly while holding a Deku Stick in your hands, something good will happen.
When a butterfly lands on the end of a Deku Stick, it turns into a fairy.
Near Hyrule Castle Moat - They say that, contrary to her elegant image, Princess Zelda of Hyrule Castle is, in fact, a tomboy!
This is probably an early hint at Zelda disguising herself as Shiek.
Very Close to Hyrule Castle, by a tree, in a secret Grotto in the ground, only accessable with by playing the Song of Storms. Is only revealed after blowing up a wall, lies within a circle of stones. - They say that you may find something new in dungeons that you have already visited.
This is a hint at revisiting previous dungeons with new weapons to make new discoveries (Mostly Gold Skulltulas).
In Hyrule Field, in a secret grotto near the entrance to Lake Hylia - They say the horse Ganondorf rides is a solid black Gerudo stallion.
Unknown. Since Ingo says that Epona is a gift for Ganondorf, this could mean that Epona is a Gerudo breed, or even an offspring of Ganondorf's stallion.
Hyrule Field, near a brown tree, in a secret Grotto under a rock, west of Hyrule Castle/Market area - They say the horse Ganondorf rides is a solid black Gerudo stallion.
See previous.
Still in Hyrule Field, hear the Gerudo Valley, under a secret grotto, in the middle of a circle of stones. Put a bomb on the area to reveal the secret cave. Inside there will be webbing blocking the Gossip Stone and a Cow. Use Din's Fire to burn down the webbing in front of the Stone - They say that there is a switch that you can activate only by using the Spin Attack.
Unknown. Generally said to be a reference to the barred switches in the Water Temple and Ganon's Castle, but since these can be activated using Biggoron's Sword, bombs, or the Megaton Hammer, me and Flat remain unconvinced.
In Gerudo Valley on the ledge at the bottom of the ravine near the waterfall. - They say that the thief named Nabooru, who haunts this area, is a Gerudo.
Unknown. Potentially a reference to the Spirit Guide.
In Lake Hylia, left of the Lakeside Laboratory - They say that there is a secret on the road that leads to Lake Hylia.
Piece of Heart in a grotto.
In Lake Hylia, toward the back left corner, 3/4 underwater - They say that the Chicken Lady goes to the Lakeside Laboratory to study how to breed pocket sized Cuccos.
Unknown.
In Lake Hylia, toward the back right corner, 3/4 underwater - They say that Ruto, the Zora Princess who is known for her selfish nature, likes a certain boy...
Confirms that Ruto has a crush on Link, but since she's already proposed to you by the time you get the Mask of Truth, it seems a little too obvious.
The Sacred Forest Meadow, in the corner in front of the Forest Temple and Saria - They say that it's possible to find a total of 100 Gold Skulltulas throughout Hyrule.
Since there are additional Gold Skulltulas in Termina, this means that Termina is not a part of Greater Hyrule.
In the Sacred Forest Meadow on the upper part above the Maze. - They say that strange owl, Kaepora Gaebora, may look big and heavy, but its character is rahter lighthearted.
Combined with the following Gossip Stone, hints at Kaepora Gaebora being the reincarnation of Rauru, the Sage of Light.
In the Sacred Forest Meadow on the upper part above the Maze - They say that the owl named Kaepora Gaebora is the reincarnation of an ancient Sage.
Combined with the previous Gossip Stone, hints at Kaepora Gaebora being the reincarnation of Rauru, the Sage of Light.
In the Lost Woods, near the warp to Goron City, under a rock, inside a secret grotto - They say that the horse Ganondorf rides is a solid black Gerudo stallion.
See previous.
The Kokiri Forest, to the right of the entrance to the Lost Woods - They say that the small holes in the ground that you can find all over Hyrule make perfect breeding ground for bugs.
A hint at using bottled bugs to find Gold Skulltulas in soft dirt.
Right in front of the previous Gossip Stone, play the Song of Storms to make a secret grotto appear. They say that the horse Ganondorf rides is a solid black Gerudo stallion.
See previous.
The Kokiri Forest, to the right of the Deku Tree. They say that the Kokiri are always followed by small fairies.
This is the first available clue that Link is not Kokiri, but in fact, Hylian.
The Lost Woods, Left, then Left again, near the bridge. They say that when non-fairy folk enter the Lost Woods, they become monsters!
Undecided. This may be a hint towards Grog's mysterious fate upon entering the Lost Woods, or it could be a hint that Kokiri don't actually become Skull Kids when they enter the Lost Woods.
Zora's River, You must carry the cucco, all the way to the part where you can drift down to the ledge that leads to the ladder. You will not be able to climb with the cucco, so throw it onto the ledge, then climb, then grab it again. You probably did this before to get to the Fairy Fountain under the rock. Across from that hole will be a Gossip Stone. - They say that there is a man who can always be found running around in Hyrule Field.
Hint that since you sold him the Bunny Hood, the Running Man never stops running anymore.
Just across from this area is another secret grotto. If you fall inside you will find another Gossip Stone. - They say that the horse Ganondorf rides is a solid black Gerudo stallion.
See previous.
Zora's River, right in front of the waterfall, under a ledge - They say that Princess Zelda's nanny is actually one of the Sheikah, who many thought had died out.
Hint that Impa is a Shiekah, and that they haven't actually died out, since many Shiekah are still living in the Hidden Village at this point.
Zora's Domain, in front of King Zora - They say that players who select the "HOLD" option for "Z TARGETING" are real "Zelda players!"
Hints that most of you are probably n00bs.
Zora's Fountain, just to the left of Jabu-Jabu, - They say that there is a secret near the lone tree which is not far from the river in the northwest part of Hyrule Field.
Piece of Heart in a grotto.
Zora's Fountain, near the Great Fairy Fountain, and the hidden corridor, - They say that you can swim faster by continuously pressing B
While this is correct, it's never necessary. Intreaguing.
In the Graveyard, near the entrance to the Shadow Temple, only accessable with the Nocturne of Shadow. - They say there is a secret near a tree in Kakariko Village.
Grotto with two redeads, between the tree and the house Talon stays in. Stone of Agony is reccomended here.
In Kakariko Village, in a grotto behind the Potion Shop, accessable via cucco only. - They say that the horse Ganondorf rides is a solid black Gerudo stallion.
See previous.
Inside Dodongo's Cavern behind a bombable wall in the first main room - They say that Gerudos worship Ganondorf almost like a god.
This is a hint at the Desert Colossus being a shrine to Din, goddess of power. This may also be a hint at the relationship between Ganondorf (The Geruudo) and Ganon (The pig-demon).
Death Mountain Trail, on a ledge on the wall that Link must climb to get to Death Mountain Crater, and the Great Fairy - They say that Biggoron's Sword is super sharp and will never break.
This is a hint at the existence of Biggoron's Sword, and it's supremacy over the Giant's Knife.
Death Mountain Crater, close to the entrance nearest to the owl, there is a stone with a secret grotto underneath. - They say that the horse Ganondorf rides is a solid black Gerudo stallion.
See previous.
Death Mountian Crater, behind a bombable wall across a small wood bridge - They say that Medigoron didn't really think about his own size, so his store is really cramped.
Tells us that the creator of the Giant's Knife is named Medigoron.
Desert Colossus, to the left of the Spirit Temple - They say that the treasure you can earn in the Gerudo's Training Ground is not as great as you would expect, given its difficulty!
Unknown. May just be saying that the ice arrows are pretty useless, and frankly, they are.
Death Mountain Trail, in the circle of stones where you play the Song of Storms to reveal a secret grotto with a Golden Rupee, and a Gossip Stone. - They say that the horse Ganondorf rides is a solid black Gerudo stallion.
See previous.
Goron City, inside the room with all the boulders. Bomb a path to the chests and Gossip Stone. - They say that there is a secret around the entrance to Gerudo Valley.
Piece of Heart behind the waterfall.
Goron City, inside the room with the big Goron. - They say that Ganondorf is not satisfied with ruling only the Gerudo and aims to conquer all of Hyrule!
SPOILERS!
Hyrule Field, the southern part by all the trees is another grotto under a boulder. - They say that the horse Ganondorf rides is a solid black Gerudo Stallion.
See previous.
Right side of the Deku Tree. You have to climb the farthest Left root as high as you can go, then walk over to the other root. Now simply roll past the tips of the roots until you come around to the Right side of the Deku Tree. - They say that one Kokiri has left the forest, but he is still alive!
Unknown, seeing as Link isn't a Kokiri.
This is saying that Malon's horse (Epona) is the fastest horse at Lon Lon Ranch, and by extension, that she is the one you have to use to beat Ingo in the race.
In Front of the Temple of Time - They say that Malon of Lon Lon Ranch hopes a knight in shining armor will come and sweep her off her feet someday.
Since the one Malon hopes will sweep her off her feet is Link, the "Knight in shining armour" is in fact a clue that the Knights of Hyrule (Referenced in LTTP) are descended from OOT Link (And presumably Malon too).
In Front of the Temple of Time - They say that it is against the rules to use glasses at the Treasure Chest Shop in Hyrule Castle Town Market.
This is a reference to using the Lens of Truth to cheat at the Treasure Chest Contest.
In Front of the Temple of Time - They say that Gerudos sometimes come to Hyrule Castle Town to look for boyfriends.
This means that Malon's mother is most likely of Gerudo ancestry, due to the colour of her hair and Talon's lack of a wife. This may also imply that other Hylians may be part Gerudo as well, and could explain the general lack of non-Gerudo women in OOT Hyrule.
Near Hyrule Castle, just past the vines that you climb. - They say that if you get close to a butterfly while holding a Deku Stick in your hands, something good will happen.
When a butterfly lands on the end of a Deku Stick, it turns into a fairy.
Near Hyrule Castle Moat - They say that, contrary to her elegant image, Princess Zelda of Hyrule Castle is, in fact, a tomboy!
This is probably an early hint at Zelda disguising herself as Shiek.
Very Close to Hyrule Castle, by a tree, in a secret Grotto in the ground, only accessable with by playing the Song of Storms. Is only revealed after blowing up a wall, lies within a circle of stones. - They say that you may find something new in dungeons that you have already visited.
This is a hint at revisiting previous dungeons with new weapons to make new discoveries (Mostly Gold Skulltulas).
In Hyrule Field, in a secret grotto near the entrance to Lake Hylia - They say the horse Ganondorf rides is a solid black Gerudo stallion.
Unknown. Since Ingo says that Epona is a gift for Ganondorf, this could mean that Epona is a Gerudo breed, or even an offspring of Ganondorf's stallion.
Hyrule Field, near a brown tree, in a secret Grotto under a rock, west of Hyrule Castle/Market area - They say the horse Ganondorf rides is a solid black Gerudo stallion.
See previous.
Still in Hyrule Field, hear the Gerudo Valley, under a secret grotto, in the middle of a circle of stones. Put a bomb on the area to reveal the secret cave. Inside there will be webbing blocking the Gossip Stone and a Cow. Use Din's Fire to burn down the webbing in front of the Stone - They say that there is a switch that you can activate only by using the Spin Attack.
Unknown. Generally said to be a reference to the barred switches in the Water Temple and Ganon's Castle, but since these can be activated using Biggoron's Sword, bombs, or the Megaton Hammer, me and Flat remain unconvinced.
In Gerudo Valley on the ledge at the bottom of the ravine near the waterfall. - They say that the thief named Nabooru, who haunts this area, is a Gerudo.
Unknown. Potentially a reference to the Spirit Guide.
In Lake Hylia, left of the Lakeside Laboratory - They say that there is a secret on the road that leads to Lake Hylia.
Piece of Heart in a grotto.
In Lake Hylia, toward the back left corner, 3/4 underwater - They say that the Chicken Lady goes to the Lakeside Laboratory to study how to breed pocket sized Cuccos.
Unknown.
In Lake Hylia, toward the back right corner, 3/4 underwater - They say that Ruto, the Zora Princess who is known for her selfish nature, likes a certain boy...
Confirms that Ruto has a crush on Link, but since she's already proposed to you by the time you get the Mask of Truth, it seems a little too obvious.
The Sacred Forest Meadow, in the corner in front of the Forest Temple and Saria - They say that it's possible to find a total of 100 Gold Skulltulas throughout Hyrule.
Since there are additional Gold Skulltulas in Termina, this means that Termina is not a part of Greater Hyrule.
In the Sacred Forest Meadow on the upper part above the Maze. - They say that strange owl, Kaepora Gaebora, may look big and heavy, but its character is rahter lighthearted.
Combined with the following Gossip Stone, hints at Kaepora Gaebora being the reincarnation of Rauru, the Sage of Light.
In the Sacred Forest Meadow on the upper part above the Maze - They say that the owl named Kaepora Gaebora is the reincarnation of an ancient Sage.
Combined with the previous Gossip Stone, hints at Kaepora Gaebora being the reincarnation of Rauru, the Sage of Light.
In the Lost Woods, near the warp to Goron City, under a rock, inside a secret grotto - They say that the horse Ganondorf rides is a solid black Gerudo stallion.
See previous.
The Kokiri Forest, to the right of the entrance to the Lost Woods - They say that the small holes in the ground that you can find all over Hyrule make perfect breeding ground for bugs.
A hint at using bottled bugs to find Gold Skulltulas in soft dirt.
Right in front of the previous Gossip Stone, play the Song of Storms to make a secret grotto appear. They say that the horse Ganondorf rides is a solid black Gerudo stallion.
See previous.
The Kokiri Forest, to the right of the Deku Tree. They say that the Kokiri are always followed by small fairies.
This is the first available clue that Link is not Kokiri, but in fact, Hylian.
The Lost Woods, Left, then Left again, near the bridge. They say that when non-fairy folk enter the Lost Woods, they become monsters!
Undecided. This may be a hint towards Grog's mysterious fate upon entering the Lost Woods, or it could be a hint that Kokiri don't actually become Skull Kids when they enter the Lost Woods.
Zora's River, You must carry the cucco, all the way to the part where you can drift down to the ledge that leads to the ladder. You will not be able to climb with the cucco, so throw it onto the ledge, then climb, then grab it again. You probably did this before to get to the Fairy Fountain under the rock. Across from that hole will be a Gossip Stone. - They say that there is a man who can always be found running around in Hyrule Field.
Hint that since you sold him the Bunny Hood, the Running Man never stops running anymore.
Just across from this area is another secret grotto. If you fall inside you will find another Gossip Stone. - They say that the horse Ganondorf rides is a solid black Gerudo stallion.
See previous.
Zora's River, right in front of the waterfall, under a ledge - They say that Princess Zelda's nanny is actually one of the Sheikah, who many thought had died out.
Hint that Impa is a Shiekah, and that they haven't actually died out, since many Shiekah are still living in the Hidden Village at this point.
Zora's Domain, in front of King Zora - They say that players who select the "HOLD" option for "Z TARGETING" are real "Zelda players!"
Hints that most of you are probably n00bs.
Zora's Fountain, just to the left of Jabu-Jabu, - They say that there is a secret near the lone tree which is not far from the river in the northwest part of Hyrule Field.
Piece of Heart in a grotto.
Zora's Fountain, near the Great Fairy Fountain, and the hidden corridor, - They say that you can swim faster by continuously pressing B
While this is correct, it's never necessary. Intreaguing.
In the Graveyard, near the entrance to the Shadow Temple, only accessable with the Nocturne of Shadow. - They say there is a secret near a tree in Kakariko Village.
Grotto with two redeads, between the tree and the house Talon stays in. Stone of Agony is reccomended here.
In Kakariko Village, in a grotto behind the Potion Shop, accessable via cucco only. - They say that the horse Ganondorf rides is a solid black Gerudo stallion.
See previous.
Inside Dodongo's Cavern behind a bombable wall in the first main room - They say that Gerudos worship Ganondorf almost like a god.
This is a hint at the Desert Colossus being a shrine to Din, goddess of power. This may also be a hint at the relationship between Ganondorf (The Geruudo) and Ganon (The pig-demon).
Death Mountain Trail, on a ledge on the wall that Link must climb to get to Death Mountain Crater, and the Great Fairy - They say that Biggoron's Sword is super sharp and will never break.
This is a hint at the existence of Biggoron's Sword, and it's supremacy over the Giant's Knife.
Death Mountain Crater, close to the entrance nearest to the owl, there is a stone with a secret grotto underneath. - They say that the horse Ganondorf rides is a solid black Gerudo stallion.
See previous.
Death Mountian Crater, behind a bombable wall across a small wood bridge - They say that Medigoron didn't really think about his own size, so his store is really cramped.
Tells us that the creator of the Giant's Knife is named Medigoron.
Desert Colossus, to the left of the Spirit Temple - They say that the treasure you can earn in the Gerudo's Training Ground is not as great as you would expect, given its difficulty!
Unknown. May just be saying that the ice arrows are pretty useless, and frankly, they are.
Death Mountain Trail, in the circle of stones where you play the Song of Storms to reveal a secret grotto with a Golden Rupee, and a Gossip Stone. - They say that the horse Ganondorf rides is a solid black Gerudo stallion.
See previous.
Goron City, inside the room with all the boulders. Bomb a path to the chests and Gossip Stone. - They say that there is a secret around the entrance to Gerudo Valley.
Piece of Heart behind the waterfall.
Goron City, inside the room with the big Goron. - They say that Ganondorf is not satisfied with ruling only the Gerudo and aims to conquer all of Hyrule!
SPOILERS!
Hyrule Field, the southern part by all the trees is another grotto under a boulder. - They say that the horse Ganondorf rides is a solid black Gerudo Stallion.
See previous.
Right side of the Deku Tree. You have to climb the farthest Left root as high as you can go, then walk over to the other root. Now simply roll past the tips of the roots until you come around to the Right side of the Deku Tree. - They say that one Kokiri has left the forest, but he is still alive!
Unknown, seeing as Link isn't a Kokiri.
It is worth noting that this list only encompasses the Gossip Stones found in OOT. The Gossip Stones found in other games, while serving a similar purpose, give entirely obvious clues, and are there for not worthy of the same consideration.
Well, that's it for our first post. If you have any comments or contributions to make, please feel free to do so in the comment field below.
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