Potential Sheikah in OOT (Part 2)

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.

Dampe
Dampe is the homely gravekeeper that tends the Kakariko graveyard. The large gravestone states:
Here lie the souls of those who swore fealty to the Royal Family of Hyrule
The Sheikah, guardians of the Royal Family and founders of Kakariko, watch over these spirits in their eternal slumber.As Dampe is the one responsible for watching over the graves, this would seem to imply that he is a Sheikah. Additionally, He is later interred in the same graveyard, which further implies his status as one who "Swore fealty to the Royal Family". Additionally, Dampe has perhaps the most thorough knowledge of the underground tunnels connecting the graveyard to the windmill. He also spends his days stationed outside the Shadow Temple (Although perhaps unknowingly). While this would seem to make quite a compelling case for him being a Sheikah, Dampe lacks red eyes, their defining characteristic.

Happy Mask Salesman
Happy Mask Salesman is an enigma, and there are numerous theories surrounding him, one of which is that he might be a Sheikah. He does have red eyes, although he only opens them when he's angry so he could just be "Seeing red". He is the one who supplies you with the mask of truth, an ancient Sheikah artifact which lets you communicate with Gossip Stones and talk to animals. He also shows a keen interest in Majora's Mask, an item which may or may not be connected to the Sheikah (But that's another article). Lastly he shows strong musical prowess and a limited ability to perform magic, both traits common to confirmed Sheikah.

Spider House Family
The "Spider House Family" is the name I gave to the people that you exchange skulltulla tokens with. As an adult, the old man dressed in blue will tell you the story of a wealthy family in the village who were "Cursed for their greed", which is persumably the SHF, since they can afford to give you unlimited rupees. Seeing as how the villiage has just been recently opened to non-Sheikah at the start of the game and the story is told as though it happened long ago (Longer than seven years anyway), it would seem to imply that they were living there during an all-Sheikah period. Also of note, they are terrified of the Mask of Truth, implying that they may have been cursed by a Sheikah as well.

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.)

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.