Wind Waker: A belay pin for tying off life lines, or severing them.

 Wind Waker: A belay pin for tying off lifelines, or severing them.

Heart: Hearts are Link’s measure of health. Picking up a heart restores up to one complete heart in his health bar. Found in freshly cut grass, broken pots, or defeated enemies Link must quickly pick up a heart or it will fade away to nothingness.

In the roil of the stormy sea, every sailor must have their lifelines tied to the mast or risk being lost at sea. When the overbearing first officer orders the fool cabin boy to check the lifelines, you see your opportunity. What a shame it would be if that very officer’s lifeline somehow came untied during the storm and sent the officer to their watery grave.

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Belay pins are the wooden rods that sailors used to tie down lines to the mast and other secure attachment points throughout a ship. Lifelines were literal ropes tied around a sailor’s waist and secured to the ship with a knot around a belay pin.

If you haven’t experienced Treasure Island in some form go read the book or watch one of the many movie adaptations. I am particularly partial to Muppet Treasure Island or Treasure Planet, but there are many wonderful adaptations to enjoy.

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Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A fairy’s cello, or a fine fiddle, depending on who you ask.

 Wind Waker: A fairy’s cello, or a fine fiddle, depending on who you ask.

Wind God's Aria: The Wind God’s Aria is learned from a monument hidden on Gale Island. This song is used to awaken the new Wind Sage, destroy obstacles in the Wind Temple, and fix signs that Link has slashed to pieces. I did not know about that last one when I played through Wind Waker. 

When a young farmhand heard music playing from the grove of trees beyond the field they didn’t expect to find a lone fairy so lost in their music as to be totally unaware of the mortal’s approach. Having taken a fairy by surprise, the child could have wished for whatever they wanted, but they only wished for the friendship of the fairy. The kind open heart of the child was rewarded as the fairy taught the young one to play the fiddle better than anyone living or dead, mortal or divine.

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There is the common idea of “be careful what you wish for” in fiction, but I would love to see more instances of “wishing for selfless things being rewarded.” Maybe if we had a large body of shared fiction where people used the near limitless power of wishing to improve the lives of others we all might try to improve the lives of others. 

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Be excellent to each other.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: The harp of a sage.

 Wind Waker: The harp of a sage.

Earth God's Lyric: The Earth God’s Lyric is learned inside a tomb on Headstone Island. Link must conduct this song to awaken the new Earth Sage and to destroy stone blocks obstructing his exploration of the Earth Temple.

There are stories of a musician so talented that they could calm a volcano with the playing of their harp. These stories are true, but the musician is long dead and their spirit now rests in the underworld. If someone wanted to learn from such a virtuoso, they would have to travel to the land of the dead and then find a way to return to the lands of the living with their newly acquired skill.

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This instrument and the next instrument are items in Wind Waker. I absolutely love the art style of the game, so I drew the wonderful items from the game whenever possible. 

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Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A commander’s whistle.

 Wind Waker: A commander’s whistle.

Command melody: The command melody is inscribed on a monument in the Tower of the Gods. Its placement in such a hidden holy place ensured that only a true hero would learn its power. Such precautions are reasonable as conducting the song allows Link to take direct control over constructs, animals, and even people. Link uses this power to gather the Sages back together, but a less heroic person would surely use the power for evil.

When you hear the whistle you drop and give me twenty! Is that clear? I can’t hear you!

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I wanted to draw the actual sort of whistle used on sailing ships, but I had no idea what they looked like before doing research for this drawing and I didn’t think anyone else would have either. Maybe I do that whistle for another whistle or instrument in a future Zelda game’s drawings.

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Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A highlands bagpipe.

Wind Waker: A highlands bagpipe.

Wind's Requiem: The instructions for this critical song are inscribed on a shrine to another of the Wind Gods that call the Great Sea home. After visiting Zyphos’ shrine on Dragon Roost Island Link can conduct the Wind’s Requiem to change the direction of the wind. This is especially useful when sailing because Link can call up the desired wind and be on his way.

The call of bagpipes can be heard echoing through the mountains for leagues. Hearing a far-off bagpipe to an outlander might be a novelty, but native highlanders know to listen to the song for news. Some songs are dirges for the dead, others celebrations of marriage or birth, but the most dire songs are warnings of coming invaders and calls to gather for war.

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Growing up there was a bagpipe player who lived about a mile away from my house. I could always hear him playing those bagpipes, and wherever I did I was consistently shocked by just how loud they could get.

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Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A well-loved accordion.

Wind Waker: A well-loved accordion.

Ballad of Gales: The Ballad of the Gales allows Link to summon up a cyclone that will lift Link and his ship up and deposit them throughout the Great Sea. To earn this fast travel, Link must be lifted up in one of the Wind God’s cyclones and then successfully shoot an arrow at the god before being unceremoniously flung away by the uncaring deity.

When sailing the high seas, one learns many songs. Songs to work, songs to play, songs to dance, songs to drink, songs for weal, and songs woe. These songs are often sung to the many music of accordions, concertinas, and other small hand-held organs that allow the player to claim to be productive without having to toil at backbreaking work. 

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This is easily one of my favorite drawings from this set. I enjoyed the drawing the entire time I was drawing it which is rare as most drawings have a rather protracted ass phase where I hate most things about the drawing. I hope you enjoy it even half as much as I do.

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Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Holiday: A drink for St.Patrick’s Day

 A drink for St. Patrick’s Day.

Guinness: A pint of stout emblazoned with a golden harp. 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

If you enjoy my work, please consider donating:

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Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph