Five items from Link’s Awakening you can find in a cat burglar’s bag.
Mermaid's necklace: These pearls replaced the mermaid’s bikini top in the american releases of Link’s Awakening. It was clearly a reflection of the values of the time to censor the implication of a topless mermaid.
The Pearls of the Empress are a string of flawless pink and white pearls held together by gossamer strands of translucent kelp. It was the prize of the undersea exhibit in the Royal Museum of Imperial Expansion. The museum houses the spoils of the many expeditionary crusades that pushed the empire to its furthest extent. News of the theft has been kept from the public. Those with knowledge of the theft believe it to be a political statement. After many years of stagnation, the empire’s control has begun to wane. Official fear news of the theft would be seen as a symbol for the reclamation of power back from the empire by the peoples that have been absorbed by its expansions. Seeking to avoid widespread rebellion, the Imperial Police have abandoned official protocol in the search for the pearls.
Shield: Link’s basic shield, great for blocking rocks, arrows, and enemy attacks.
The best escape route is one that can’t be followed. A recent burglary ended when the thief dove from the balcony looking out over jagged rocks at the base of a sea cliff. While most people would not consider jumping from a great height a viable escape, a thief in possession of an auto-glider sees things differently. The auto-glider is a spring loaded glider packed to roughly the size of a backpack. With a little practice, anyone can gracefully glide down from the highest of precipices using the auto-glider. For best results, it is recommended that the glider be fully deployed before leaping, but the glider can be used during an emergency fall. Users should avoid handling the auto-glider roughly to ensure the trigger mechanism is not disabled before the glider is needed. The trigger mechanism of the auto-glider is so delicate that it must be entirely rebuilt after a single use. The developer of the auto-glider is reportedly at work developing the auto-wing system to “give flight to all people, and democratize the skies.” Since the auto-glider is prohibitively expensive, it is difficult to believe a complete flight system would be available to the average person.
Stone beak: In the updated re-release of Link’s awakening, the clue walls were replaced with owl statues that would tell Link the hint if he could find their missing beaks. The hint owl appears many other times through the franchise, so I assume they wanted to be more consistent with their vehicle for player assistance.
The Sanguine Order was declared an enemy of Ecclesiarchy when the did not provide a proper tribute to mark the coronation of the Their Holy Sovereign Nicola Bello VII. The chivalric order had sent a jewel encrusted statuette of an bird known at the Nornheim Raven as tribute but it was believed to be stolen by pirates en route to the holy city. The knights tried and failed to recover the idol and with it their good standing in the Ecclesiarchy. A few short months after the Empire finished conquering the Holy Sovereignty, the Nornheim Raven was miraculously discovered by Imperial conservators. The Raven was proudly displayed in the former palace of the Ecclesiarch until it was stolen during a gala where only the highest aristocracy were in attendance. Imperial officials have been interrogating remnants of the Sanguine Order, believing it to be connected to the theft, but have been unable to locate the whereabouts of the statue.
Power Bracelet: The first level of the power bracelet in Link’s Awakening. During this project, I have taken to replacing the Goron symbol with this pentagram shape. In my head it is also the strength symbol, so it shows up on many of my versions of the strength items.
Burglars are notoriously superstitious. Many would cancel a heist if the stars looked out of alignment or the wrong bird sang the first song of the night. Rituals and superstitions vary from thief to thief, but one would be hard pressed to find a thief without at least one lucky charm that had special meaning to them. This bracelet, inscribed with a prayer for strength, was owned by a miner that toiled in the depths of the earth to provide for their family. The day the miner forgot to wear the charm into the mines was the day a tunnel collapse trapped the entire crew under the earth. The mine became the miners’ tomb and the families left behind had to find new ways to survive. The current owner of this bracelet never takes it off and is loathe to ever enter into a mineshaft or underground tunnel.
Bomb: When you need to break a cracked wall or give a giant lizard indigestion only a good old fashion bomb will do.
Alchemists have perfect the process of trapping minor spirits of smoke and flame in small hand held devices. These bombs can be specially designed to have a variety of effects, for a variety of prices of course. Thieves of all sorts have begun using bombs to aid them in distracting guards, covering lines of sight, notifying accomplices, and breaking down barriers. These technological marvels have attracted the attention of more dangerous criminals who seek ways to maximize their ability to cause chaos.
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The expansionist empire in decay is my thinly veiled evil British/Roman empire.
The Ecclesiarchy is the less thinly veiled Holy Roman Empire.
Neither of these are lifting the source material whole cloth but they are the seed of the ideas I explored.
Feel free to use this personally as you see fit but please do not profit from my work without my consent because consent is sexy.
Be excellent to everyone.
-Ceph
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