Holiday: Candy Cane for Solstice Season

 

Candy Cane for Solstice Season

Candy Cane: Apparently, the modern candy cane comes to us by way of the sugar stick craze that had overtaken Europe in the 1600’s. A story I saw repeated, but not substantiated, was that a German choirmaster was trying to get the children in his choir to behave so he gave them sugar sticks as a bribe. The church board heard about this and said it wasn’t adhering to church values to give indulgent sweets to kids, so the choirmaster had the next batch of sugar sticks bent into the shape of a shepherd’s crook as an allusion to Christ being the shepherd of his faithful flock. This change appeased the board and Christmas candy canes were born.

This wand of winter mirth improves the mood of any who takes a lick. The refreshing minty flavor also improves the breath and makes it easier to spread cheer.

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There are many holidays around the Winter Solstice. It is an important time for many people and many cultures. Wishing everyone who celebrates something in this time well.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A jug of seawater

 A jug of seawater.

Bottled Water: Fresh water scooped up into an empty bottle. Link can pour this water out when something needs a quenching. One important use of water in Link’s journey is when he must water withered bomb flowers on Dragon Roost Island to gain entry into the Dragon Roost Caves.

You’ve found it, the jug of endless seawater. Sort of a sick trick since you can’t drink the water and most desalination methods will be hampered by the critters, flotsam, and jetsam that occasionally spurt out. On top of that, the gurgling noise it makes is just plain unsettling.

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Based on the real gulping jugs that use the jugs’ odd shape to make them gulp in air intermittently while pouring. I also thought an Ewer of Endless water is a world-breaking artifact that isn’t provocative like a blade that can cut reality or a book that can rewrite fate but could have a significant impact if used properly. What adventures would happen in a desert society centered around a magical carafe that was the only source of water for miles in any direction?

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A bottle of fire water.

A bottle of fire water.

Bottle: Bottles are used to store and transport various potions, drinks, soups, and critters throughout the Great Sea. Link can earn a total of four empty bottles in his travels. Link earns the first bottle helping a sage accomplish an important personal goal. The next is earned by stopping a robbery. One is found in a submarine. And the last can be purchased from Beedle for 500 rupees. 

Come guess me this riddle, what beats pipes and fiddle

What's hotter than mustard and milder than cream

What best wets your whistle, what's clearer than crystal

What's sweeter than honey and stronger than steam

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Today’s blurb is brought to you by The Humors of Whiskey, a traditional Irish song. Hozier does a wonderful version that you can enjoy here.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: Eye patches to help you truly see.

Eye patches to help you truly see.

Hero's Charm: Wearing the Hero’s Charm allows Link to see how much health a targeted enemy has. This information shows up as an HP bar and when I played through the Wind Waker I didn’t like how gamey it felt so I didn’t use it often. How you get the charm depends on which version of the game you are playing. In its original release, Link must give a total of 40 joy pendants to Mrs. Marie at the school of Joy to earn the charm. In the HD re-release, Link must conquer the challenges of the Savage Labyrinth, an optional dungeon hidden on Outset Island to discover the charm.

Most eye patches aren’t worn because someone is missing an eye, rather they are worn to keep a good eye safe or prepared for different light levels. Some enchanted patches allow the wearer to augment what their mundane eyes perceive. Even rarer patches teach the wearer to ignore their mundane sight and instead open their third eye to glimpse absolute truth.

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No long post-amble. Enjoy the eye patches.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: You thought you found a chest in the dungeon.

You thought you found a chest in the dungeon.

Giant's Wallet: Just like the first upgrade to Link’s wallet, the second is gifted by a Great Fairy. This Great Fairy’s fountain is on the Northern Fairy Island. There is no obstacle blocking the way to the Fairy’s fountain besides visiting the island. With both upgrades, Link’s total rupee capacity is increased to an awkward 5,000 rupees. 

Ah crap, turns out that chest you found was actually a mimic. Forgot to mention that in the list of possible options. A shame you had to find out the hard way, but we will make sure to have your pension sent to your loved ones when the rest of us get back from this accursed expedition.

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A story in two acts.

This mimic was actually pretty fun to draw. I especially like the goat-inspired wide pupil that probably doesn’t make any sense from a biology perspective, but whatever, it is a made-up monster specifically designed to punish players. 

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: You find a chest in the dungeon.

You find a chest in the dungeon.

Adult Wallet: The two upgrades to Link’s wallet can be obtained in either order. As with most of the bag upgrades in Wind Waker, both are given by Great Fairies upon Link’s first visit to their fountain. One upgrade is given by a Great Fairy in the Fairy Wood of Link’s home Outset Island. The entrance is blocked by a destructible boulder that needs to be bombed to be removed. With the upgraded wallet, Link can now carry up to 1,000 rupees at once.

It is a simple chest left locked but unattended. There could be treasure inside, it could be trapped, or it could be both. I only know of one way to be sure.

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Let’s open this chest up. Tune in next week to find out what’s inside.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: Diving gloves from the lost city of Rapture.

 Diving gloves from the lost city of Rapture.

Power Bracelets: Wearing this pair of bracelets gives Link incredible strength. Allowing him to lift and throw boulders, or pigs, with ease. Link earns the bracelets in Fire Mountain by slaying all the enemies in a room in a set time. The chest containing the bracelets will only appear if he can conquer the challenge in the allotted time.

These gloves were designed for the transhuman guardians of a city hidden on the bottom of the ocean. These guardians needed to be able to traverse the crushing depths of the seafloor and wield strange mutant powers. With these gloves, the guardians didn’t need to take off their diving equipment to use their abilities, and in time they stopped taking their diving suits off all together.

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This week’s item is brought to you by the fantastic Bioshock and Bioshock 2 and Rapture, its terrible failed undersea metropolis.

I vote in the 2022 elections in the U.S.A. and I hope that you voted if you were eligible to vote. Every vote counts. Many of these races that are still being decided are being decided by a few thousand votes.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A self-reloading cannon.

A self-reloading cannon.

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Biggest Bomb Bag: The second and final upgrade to Link’s bomb storage is given to Link by the Great Fairy of the Southern Fairy Island. The entrance to the fairy’s home is blocked and can only be opened using a fire arrow or a bomb. With the upgraded storage, Link can now hold up to 99 bombs at once.

One of the limiting factors for the effective use of cannons is needing to have well-trained teams of gunners to operate them efficiently. After years of being pestered by the Grand Marshall of Artillery, the Chief Artificer of Inish finally used their considerable skills to create a cannon that can reload itself. Bound spirits of smoke, flame, and metal allow the cannon to magically load in charge and shot after every firing.

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Welcome back to our normally scheduled programming.

I hope you enjoyed Halloweekend. Let me know if there is any special Halloween item you want to see and it just might be your treat next year.

If you are a citizen of the U.S.A., make sure you vote by election day Tuesday, November 8th, 2022. Your vote is important.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Halloweekend: Manual of Witchcraft and Alchemy.

Manual of Witchcraft and Alchemy.

Manual of Witchcraft and Alchemy: This is the very book used by the Sanderson sisters to learn the secret arts of Witchcraft. The vile tome is inked in human blood, bound in human skin, and contains spells and recipes uttered by the devil himself.

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Happy Halloween!

I haven’t seen Hocus Pocus 2. I’m surprised Hocus Pocus earned a sequel after so many years. Seems like a heartless cash grab, but again I haven’t seen it so I don’t know.  Regardless, the book is a great spooky or horrific tome to use in your games.

I hope you enjoyed my spooky items celebrating Halloweekend this year. See you this Sunday for more items from Wind Waker.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Halloweekend: Sacred books from the Pharaonic Age

Sacred books from the Pharaonic Age

Book of the Dead: This locked within the book’s obsidian pages are spells to raise the dead as undead horrors and incantations to bind such creatures to your will. Such powers were deemed beyond the purview of mortals so the book was sealed in a hidden vault. If the vault were ever breached, the thief would need the long lost puzzle key if they wished to wield its dread power.

Book of Amun-Ra: Said to contain all the secret incantations known to the priesthood, this solid gold book was hidden to keep the powerful spells from falling into the wrong hands. One of the most dangerous spells could steal the life from a person and use it to restore life to the dead. Thankfully the book can only be opened with a special key that has been lost to time.

Puzzle Key: The golden and black books of the dead are both sealed with locks that can only be opened with a copy of this puzzle key. The key itself is a hollow box whose interlocking top opens to an eight pointed star. These keys must have been associated with the secrets of the dead they open not just the books, but also the sarcophagi of honored individuals and sealed relics of the god of the dead.

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Three items from the absolutely delightful Mummy films starring Brendan Fraiser. I earnestly love them with all my heart and hope you enjoy anything as much as I enjoy them.

Halloweekend is ending tomorrow on Halloween! Check back in tomorrow for one more spooky item befitting the season.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Halloweekend: Rathmite Ancestor Skull

 Rathmite Ancestor Skull

Priests of Rathma are better known as the unnerving necromancers emerging from the jungles of the east. This skull set in black iron fittings is the honored remains of a fallen death mage, their body now a focus for the magics of a new generation of necromancers. These necromancers fiercely defend the balance from any threat, celestial, infernal, or mortal.

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The cinematic trailer for the Diablo IV necromancers has a beautiful glowing skull focus that I just love.

To celebrate the weekend leading up to Halloween we are departing our regularly scheduled programming to bring you five spooky items from pop culture. Stay tuned every day through Halloween for more item cards.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A “light and mobile” cannon for the siege gunner on the go.

A “light and mobile” cannon for the siege gunner on the go.

Big Bomb Bag: The first upgrade to Link’s bomb storage in Wind Waker is earned by visiting the Great Fairy living on East Fairy Island. The entrance to their home is blocked by a boulder that can only be moved with the power bracelet’s magical strength or destroyed by setting a bomb. After earning this upgrade, Link can hold up to 60 bombs at once.

The smallest ship’s cannon also happens to be the largest cannon a mortal person could hope to use alone. This cannon can be moved and fired by a single gunner of incredible strength, or a small team of regular well-trained people. Reloading the beastly weapon takes so much time and focus that one could only hope to fire it once before being swarmed by the enemy.

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One of my players is a siege gunner in a naval campaign I am running, and getting them the chance to use their cannon skills off the ship was the inspiration for this ridiculous weapon. I imagined it to be held like the Heavy’s guns from Team Fortress 2.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A Trebuchet that you can fit in your pocket?

 A Trebuchet that you can fit in your pocket?

Large Quiver: This second and final upgrade to Link’s quiver increases the amount of arrows he can carry to a towering 99. Link is given the upgrade by the Great Fairy that lives on Thorned Fairy Island. The entrance to the fairy’s home is blocked by thorny vines that Link can only clear using the Magic Hammer.

Want to stay out of trouble but still rain down terror? Pocket Siege’s Trebuchet is just the thing for you. This magically miniaturized trebuchet can be enlarged to its original size without needing to establish complex logistics and long baggage trains. With a Trebuchet from Pocket Siege, you can go from scouting the enemy’s defenses to firing your first barrage in as little as one hour.

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What else would you like to see from the industrious folks at Pocket Siege? Let me know what you’re hoping to see from them next.

Be excellent to each other.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A catapult you can fit in your pocket!

A catapult you can fit in your pocket!

Big Quiver: This upgrade to Link’s original quiver allows him to carry up to 60 arrows at any time. Link is given the upgrade by the Great Fairy that lives on the Western Fairy Island. The entrance to the fairy’s sanctuary is blocked by a wall of fire that can only be cleared by using the Magic Hammer. 

The product that started it all here at Pocket Siege was the Pocket Catapult. This magicallly miniaturized catapult is easy to store and carry while in its diminutive state, and can be returned to its normal size by completing the conveniently included de-minitiarizarion ritual. Here at Pocket Siege we believe you should enjoy catapults where you need it, not just where logistics make it feasible!

Ammunition, crew, and reminiaturization ritual not included.

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Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

WInd Waker: A soldier’s shield.

 A soldier’s shield.

Mirror Shield: The Mirror Shield of Wind Waker is found in the Earth Temple and is guarded by the dungeon's mini-bosses, three skeletal warriors. With the Mirror Shield, Link can reflect beams of light to solve puzzles and stun certain undead enemies.

This antique bronze shield must be taken down on the first day of every month for cleaning and polishing. The shield is treated with such care as it is the home of the family’s guardian spirit. If the family has not kept the spirit’s home in good order, the spirit will not arise to defend the family.

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Get ready for a few weeks of siege equipment.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A hero’s buckler.

A hero’s buckler. 

Hero's Shield: This shield is given to Link by his Grandma when he sets out from home to save his sister. The sturdy shield was originally owned by a heroic ancestor of Link and has been passed down through generations as a treasured family heirloom. 

After winning the hero’s sword atop the crumbling tower in the ruins near town you must descend into the castle's dungeons to claim the hero’s shield. Local legend speaks of a great one-eyed spider that has devoured all that sought the shield. If you have what it takes to win both sword and shield, you just might have the spark of a true hero. 

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Lots of blue, green, and orange in the colors of these cards. Brass and copper colors for metals and then cheap complementary color selections to fill in the rest of the illustrations.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A masterfully crafted musket axe

A masterfully crafted musket axe

 

Master Sword - Empowered: Last week we restored the edge to the once mighty Sword of Evil’s Bane, but it still lacked the power to truly seal evil away. To restore this power to the blade, Link must help a new Wind Sage rise and restore the Master Sword to its former glory. 

No expense was spared in the crafting of this musket axe. The finest bladesmiths and gunwrights were forced to work hand in hand to ensure the weapon functions as an impeccable pistol and a vicious axe. The weapon was then anointed with sacred symbols and blessed to fire true and cut deep, all so it may be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

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There will be plenty more Zelda games for me to draw a true to lore master sword. I really appreciated when Breath of the Wild did with its decayed master sword ravaged by fighting evil for ages. Maybe when I eventually get to the Breath of the Wild items, I will take another stab at drawing the legendary sword.

I will also have to increase the number of games I need to draw items for soon as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of Kingdom was announced for May of 2023. Fingers crossed it is enjoyable.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A boarding axe

A boarding axe

Master Sword - Restored: Last week we discussed how Link finds the Master Sword hidden in a stasis locked Hyrule Castle. The blade has lost its keen edge and its ability to repel evil by the time Link finds it. To restore the fine edge of the blade, Link must help a new sage of the earth fulfill their destiny and reconnect a thread of divine power severed by Ganon’s vile deeds. When the new Earth Sage assumes their role, they are able to restore the master sword’s edge with the favor of the goddesses.

Many retired sailors hang a commemorative sword or hard won banner above their mantle as a commemoration of the fortune they enjoyed to live long enough to retire. One retired mercenary has a single well used boarding axe hanging above their mantle as a trophy of their time spent as the commander of the boarding party. They made enough money in the more than fifty sorties they led into enemy ships to buy a small Oceanside cottage to live out the rest of their retirement.

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Fall is back which means my lovely open summer schedule has been dashed to pieces and I’m busy with a million different things and I’m very out of practice juggling tasks.

I’m so spread out that I forgot today was 9/11. The terror attacks on 9/11 changed my life forever in ways my young mind couldn’t have expected. The racist and hyper nationalist knee jerk reactions the U.S.A. engaged in after 9/11 made the world worse for most everyone.

Be excellent to everyone. 

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A brass diving knife

A brass diving knife

 

 

Master Sword - Powerless: Throughout the Great Sea, the familiar Master Sword is referred to as the Sword of Evil’s Bane. In the great calamity that destroyed the world that came before the Great Sea, the Sword of Evil’s bane was weakend and its blade dulled. Link must prove himself a true hero by completing the trials in the Tower of the Gods before the secret path to Hyrule Castle and the master sword is opened. The blade that Link finds in the magically hidden Hyrule Castle is but a shadow of its former glory. With a weakened Master Sword in hand, Link must now find a way to restore the blade’s former powers.

Brass knives are used for diving as they resist corrosion. Many come with locking sheathes that strap to your leg so you don’t lose your knife during a dive. This one was enchanted to allow you to breathe underwater, but only while the dagger is sheathed.

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Today’s post is late as I was coming back from vacation today. In the northern U.S.A. Labor day marks the unofficial end of summer so we tried to squeeze a bit more summer joy into the season before we are onto fall.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph