Monday, March 16, 2020

I'm not an artist: Six items from Oracle of Ages used by a modern spy.

Six items from Oracle of Ages used by a modern spy.

Zora Scale: Link earns the Zora Scale by defeating the corruption inside the belly of Lord Jabu-Jabu. This charm can magically calm even the roughest of seas which is why Link must obtain the scale before entering the Sea of Storms.

Fans are an excellent tool when you need to discreetly cover your hands or face. They are also invaluable when trying to smuggle information. This fan has been treated so that writing on it with a special ink leaves no naturally visible marks but these marks can be read with special lights tuned to an exact wavelength. 


Tokay Eyeball: This is not the actual eyeball of a lizardfolk inhabitant of Crescent Island. It is actually a large jewel that fits into the great Tokay statue on Crescent Island. Placing the jewel into the statue opens the way to the Ancient Tomb, the eighth and final dungeon in Link’s quest.

Link is given the jewel as a token of thanks from Cap’n, skeletal captain of the undead pirates, after Link gives them the Zora Scale. Without the scale, the pirates would have been stuck in the Sea of Storms forever. 

Security cameras are everywhere. One might think that this omnipresent net of watchful eyes could only make espionage harder. Spies have learned to leverage the surveillance systems by using them to observe targets and take advantage of the overreliance on security cameras by spoofing neutral feeds while undertaking clandestine actions.

Slate: Four slates can be found in the Ancient Tomb. They act as subgoals for Link as he must place all four slates in a room with a massive stone tablet before the secret staircase leading to the final boss is revealed. It is unclear if the slates have any writing on them, but they appear to be carved into the image of Ramrock, the dungeon’s final boss.

With the advent of smart devices, every new device that can connect to a network is a new way for spies to break into a secure location or network. As most smart devices have some port for a cable to be plugged into, spies have begun commissioning virus sticks that instantly install their contents when plugged into any compatible device. The programs are designed to copy themselves onto any device connected to the same network until they reach their target destination, such as the cooling systems in a nuclear reactor.

Ringbox L-1: During Link’s adventures in Labrynna he will collect many magical rings that can help with a variety of beneficial effects. When Link has Vasu appraise his first unidentified ring he is given the smallest ring box as a gift. While Link may only wear one ring at a time, this box only allows for Link to carry one ring from his collection at any one time.

Espionage hasn’t entirely given up practical tools. This little box is actually based on a simple magic trick where the contents of the box drop into a secret compartment when the box is closed. While this may sound juvenile, the average person is far less observant than one would assume. 

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So Covid-19 has fully upended my life. My job and school have both shut down for the next few weeks. While we are currently planning to only have a few weeks of closures, things may get worse and we may not go back for a while. I spent this last weekend getting prepared for having nowhere to go and trying to process my feelings about having my grad school put on a possibly indefinite pause as the world deals with this pandemic.

Please use my work personally however you see fit, but do not profit off my effort without my consent. 

Life is hard for many people. Make sure you are being excellent to everyone.
-Ceph

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