The Minish Cap: A unique form of identification

 A unique form of identification

Piece of Heart: Link can gather four pieces of heart to form a new heart container and increase his total life by one heart. They can be found as hidden treasure, given as rewards, and, of course, unlocked by fusing kinstones. 

This single crystal slipper is the only proof that the mysterious beauty from the ball even existed. Finding her has become a royal obsession, and every royal servant has been charged with finding out who this girl might be. What if the girl is a servant in the royal household, and doesn’t want to be found?

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I know that isn’t the classic story of Cinderella, but I’ve been through enough retellings of classic fairy tales to know you can change whatever you want, however you want.

I spend July clearing my backlog of unpublished art with Drewly, the art challenge all about celebrating yourself. I spend the rest of the year posting item cards I’ve drawn every Sunday.

Right now I am sharing item cards based on the items in The Minish Cap, and I’m drawing a set of item cards based on the items in The Phantom Hourglass. I don’t know what I’ll draw after I finish drawing all the items in every Zelda game, but I also don’t know how long it will take me to finish every Zelda game. Especially the items in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

Come back next Sunday for another item fit for royalty.

How to support me:

Ko-fi: Pay What You Want links 

Patreon: Shop and sustaining support 

Red Bubble: Buy a sticker or magnet

See my latest releases on Linktree

Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

The Minish Cap: A leprechaun’s pot of gold

 A leprechaun’s pot of gold

Big Green Rupee: Green is the simplest of the rupees, so big green rupees are the least valuable of the big rupees. Worth 50 of their smaller kin, Link often finds big green rupees in chests and soft soil as a reward for solving a minor puzzle.

Spending all summer searching for a leprechaun’s hidden gold is a waste of time. Spending all summer carefully tracking local leprechauns so that you can catch one after a particularly wild midsummer revel just takes commitment. Now that you’ve got this hungover fairy caught, you’ve got to get them to take you to their real gold, and not some false cache hidden to fool amateurs.

How to support me:

Ko-fi: Pay What You Want links 

Patreon: Shop and sustaining support 

Red Bubble: Buy a sticker or magnet

See my latest releases on Linktree

Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

The Minish Cap: A glowing bamboo shoot

 A glowing bamboo shoot

Fairy: Link can catch fairies in empty bottles found in fairy shrines or discovered in cut grass or broken stones. When Link falls in battle with a fairy still in a bottle, the fairy leaps out of the bottle and heals Link, saving him from death.

A lonely couple living simply as bamboo cutters deep in the mountains always wanted a child, but were never blessed with a one naturally. One day, the bamboo cutters were gathering mature stalks when they spotted a bamboo shoot growing unseasonably late. When they approached the shoot, it opened revealing a baby, answering their prayers for a child with this heavensent foundling. 

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I rewatched The Tale of Princess Kaguya as a parent for the first time recently and the movie really hit differently. It has been such a gift watching my kid grow up. Now some parts of movies I just watched without connecting to are some of my favorite parts of the story. Small moments of babies being babies or of real moments from parenting really resonate. I love that Ghibli includes these more ground aspects of life in otherwise fantastical tales. 

How to support me:

Ko-fi: Donations and Digital shop

Patreon: Sustaining support and Digital shop 

Red Bubble: Buy a sticker or magnet

See my newest releases on Linktree

Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

The Minish Cap: An enchanting enchanted harp

 An enchanting enchanted harp

Graveyard Key: Link needs to visit the royal tomb inside the locked graveyard. Getting the graveyard key is as simple as asking the grave keeper for the key, but the key is promptly stolen from Link by a thriving bird and hidden in one of the trees in the area. Once Link sprints face-first into the right tree, he can reclaim the key and enter the royal tomb.

In the morning, this enchanted harp plays a hopeful song that energizes all who hear. At dusk, it plays a calming melody that relaxes the body, mind, and soul. Late at night, all alone, the harp plays a song full of longing and despair, grieving some great loss forgotten by all, save the forlorn harp.

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How the heck is a harp the key to a graveyard? Classical Greek myth references, that’s how. Orpheus wanted to bring his love back from the dead, so he went into the underworld to lead her out. To pacify Cerberus, the three-headed guard dog of the underworld, he played his harp so finely that the dog was lulled into a deep sleep.

I also wanted to finish the set of items from the golden goose section of Jack and the Beanstalk, so I needed a magic harp.

How to support me:

Ko-fi: Donations and Digital shop

Patreon: Sustaining support and Digital shop 

Red Bubble: Buy a sticker or magnet

See my newest releases on Linktree

Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

The Minish Cap: A fairy tale

A fairy tale

Legend of Picori: Another of the missing library books Link must recover, Legend of the Picori was checked out by Dr.Left. Dr.Left is obsessed with researching the Picori, the secretive Minish, but is unaware that he shares his home with some of the very Minish he is studying. With the help of the Minish living in Dr.Left’s home, Link can find the misplaced book and return it to the Royal Hyrule Library. Once all three books are returned, Link can finally meet the retired Minish adventurer who knows the secret of entering the Temple of Droplets.

The Complete Tome of Legends, Myths, Tales, and Stories is constantly adding its limitless contents. While the book's indexing is arcane and its numbering esoteric, with luck and persistence, one might find their own story unfolding in the pages of the tome. Most readers fail to find their story and instead discover a tale that the inscrutable intelligence of the book believes will be enlightening or helpful.

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If you are going to use the Neverending Story Book in your world, you need to be ready to answer the question, “What happens when I write in the book with what I want to happen?” I can’t answer that for you, but be ready, because people love messing with fate.

How to support me:

Ko-fi: Donations and Digital shop

Patreon: Sustaining support and Digital shop 

Red Bubble: Buy a sticker or magnet

See my newest releases on Linktree

Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords Adventures: Staff of the dragon herald

 Staff of the dragon herald

Force Fairy: These fairies revive fallen Links that drop below zero hearts as long as the team has any remaining fairies. During their adventures, Link earns force fairies for gathering large sums of force gems. These fairies are rewarded when Link’s stats are calculated at the end of each stage. There are bonus force fairies hidden throughout certain stages and areas, allowing Link to earn extra lives through exploration.

Draconic staves are given to heralds of great wyrms. The more ornate and detailed, the higher age and station the dragon sovereign claims to possess. While it is not unheard of for dragons to willfully misrepresent their station in negotiations, dragons who have been caught overinflating their age or holdings are viciously mocked and harshly ostracized by their peers.

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Today’s drewly post is also just a regularly scheduled Sunday item drop. This serpent staff is my take on the Tevinter’s stave from Dragon Age: Inquisition. I also remixed it with a caduceus if you need a messenger or doctor staff.

Witcher items continue tomorrow with more Drewly.

What is Drewly?

Drewly is a month-long art challenge for July where you post art you have already made. No new art just for Drewly.

There are three rules:

Only post art you have already made.

Post as much or as little as you are comfortable with.

Tag your posts with #drewly and #drewly2024

If you enjoy my work, please consider donating:

Make a one-time donation with Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/theeasyspeaker

Become a sustaining supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ItemCardswithTheSpeakingSquid 

Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A bottle of distilled wish.

A bottle of distilled wish.

Fairy: Fairies in Wind Waker look far more humanoid than many of their counterparts in other Zelda games. This difference in appearance doesn’t change their general use. If Link has a fairy captured in a bottle when he runs out of hearts, the fairy leaps to his defense and heals some of his hearts. Link can carry multiple fairies as long as he has captured each individually in its own empty bottle.

Not what some would expect when they think of a genie’s bottle, but this decorative glass bottle once held the most famous genie in the west. The genie was rescued from millennia trapped in her bottle by an astral explorer who found her bottle while trying to return home. The bottle is long empty since the genie was given her freedom before choosing to marry her rescuer.

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I dream of Jeanie is a show I only know about because of all the times it gets referenced in other shows.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

#Drewly: A starry magic wand

A starry magic wand

Fairy’s Wand: In the hand of a fairy god-parent this wand opens doors, removes obstacles, dresses up, twinkles, and glitters. In the hands of others, it can topple kingdoms, curse foes, and cause terror.

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Drewly is all about posting art that you have already made. Post as often or as little as you’d like. It is a “challenge” to let you celebrate what you have already done. If you post for Drewly don’t forget the tag #Drewly.

See you tomorrow for more Drewly posts. 

If you appreciate my effort, consider a donation at my ko-fi.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords: A council of fairies from Four Swords.

 A council of fairies from Four Swords.

Fairy: As in many Zelda games, minor fairies heal Link for a significant amount of hearts when found during his adventures. As Link is without bottles in Four Swords, he can’t store fairies for a later time when his health drops. The great faeries preside over each of the three zones prior to Vaati’s Palace. They are responsible for awarding any medals and keys Links might have earned during the level.

In the ages since mortals ascended into de facto rulership of the world, the power of the fae has dramatically waned. Now, centuries after the last sighting of a great the surviving faeries are considerably diminished from their once grand stature. The strongest among them still meet in secret councils to plot how their people might survive, but some are beginning to speak about what should be done to take back what was stolen.

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The look of these fairies is based on the stray faeries from Majora’s Mask. The people making Zelda games used the design created for an N64 game in two different handheld adventures, Oracle of Ages and Four Sword. The mischievous forest fairies of Labrynna’s lost woods in Oracle of Ages appear as stray fairies as do the great fairies in Four Swords before they take on a more human form. I think that call back to the connection between Great Faries and stray faeries in Majora’s Mask is a neat design touch that probably is missed by most. It was by me until I started drawing and writing about all of the items.

Weather disasters are way more common than they used to be. A global pandemic is still ravaging the world. People are buckling under increased asks and pressures. Make the world a better place in some way. Give if you have something to give. Do if you have time to do.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

I'm not an artist: Six items from Majora’s Mask you can find in a druid’s hut.

Six items from Majora’s Mask you can find in a druid’s hut.

Fairy: A classic item in Legend of Zelda games, Fairies restore Link to full health when used and are automatically released when Link loses his final heart. Fairies can be purchased or found in Link’s adventures and are stored in an empty jar. An interesting note on the fairies in Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask is that they were intended to be small humanoids with wings similar to common close up depictions of Tinker Bell. The graphical demands were too high for that depiction, so the designers went with the glowing orb with wings depiction. The humanoid body is intended to be within the glowing orb. 

Druids cannot always live in perfect harmony with all the spirits of nature. Some sprites are too contrary to live in harmony with anyone. Such is the case for this troublesome fairy that caused the warden too much trouble with their ceaseless pranks and no must bide their time in a bottle until the warden feels merciful.

I'm not an artist: Five masks from Majora's Mask worn by outsiders.

Five masks from Majora's Mask worn by outsiders.

All-Night Mask: If Link stops the mugging of an old lady we talked about when we were discussing the bomb bags, the All-Night Mask will be available for purchase from the curiosity shop later in the week. While Link can adventure for 72 hours straight without ever needing to sleep, he is unable to stay awake through Anju’s Grandmother’s stories. The power of this mask ensures nothing can put its wearer to sleep, so Link can answer the old woman’s questions eventually earning two pieces of heart.

Those living in the lands ruled by vampire oligarchy do not take the image of Nosferatu lightly. Thought by many to be the first vampire that brought the curse of bloodthirst to these lands, the vampiric aristocracy worship the ancient creature as a pale patron saint of their kind. The mortal serf class privately malign the name Nosferatu and would shun any who would choose to wear its image.

I'm not an artist: Five items from Majora’s Mask owned by the world’s second tourist.

Five items from Majora’s Mask owned by the world’s second tourist.

Pictobox: Link is given the pictobox so that he can participate in the Swamp Tourist Center’s photography contest. The pictobox can only hold one monochromatic, or full color in the 3D remake, photograph at a time. This means Link must choose what he submits to the contest specifically. Based on the content of Link’s submission, he can earn anything from five rupees all the way to a piece of heart.

Having been a page on the ship that the first tourist took home, the world’s second tourist was inspired by the vivid images captured by the first tourist’s camera. Ever generous, the first tourist gave the page their pictobox, seeing in them the same spark for adventure that took them to the very ends of the world. The young page had a gift for photography, and their first collection of photographs, entitled Frozen Waters: Life at sea, catapulted them to stardom and earned enough money to pay for a tour around the world.

I'm not an artist: Five items from Ocarina of Time that can be found at the Temple of the Contemplative Yak.

Five items from Ocarina of Time that can be found at the Temple of the Contemplative Yak.

Bug: These blue beetles love to burrow in the ground and particularly enjoy the patches of soft soil that Link can find in his travels. Since Gold Skultulas often make their home in these patches of soil, beetles burrowing in the soil forces the skultulas out of their burrows so Link can slay the monster and release its cursed soul. 

Bullhorn beetles get their name from their large single horn and their extremely aggressive behavior. Mostly active during dawn and dusk, Bullhorn beetles see anything that is not a mountain yak as a threat, attacking with a ferocity unfitting of their size. Even though they cause the monks of the temple great annoyance, the monks see the beetles as a boon since they guard the yak herds against threats natural and supernatural and regularly turn over the soil with their daily burrowing. 

I'm not an artist: Finishing A Link to the Past with six jars from the Fairy Market

Six items from A Link to the Past you can find in the fairy market.

Medicine of Life: A blood red potion that restores Links hearts completely. This is a great placeholder for any potion you would need. You could also add various colors to make it more specific. 

The fairy market opens its doors for nine days every nine years. People and creatures from every corner of this world and many others come to the massive market to trade in all sorts of food from the mundane to the truly unique. They say one can find anything they desire in the fairy market if they know where to look. That includes more time. A seemingly ageless alchemist offers an elixir of life that adds ten years to a person’s life with one sip and fifty years to their life if they drink the entire potion. The potions are sold in a silent auction on the last day of the market and never to anyone who purchased a potion at the last market. 

I'm not an artist: Five(ish) more items from The Legend of Zelda

Here are six more drawings inspired by items appearing in the 1984 The Legend of Zelda. I included six because the two hourglasses are effectively palette swapped.

 

Clock: These two hourglasses could be twin magical items that each bestow one important power over the flow of time.