Cards: Every item from Four Swords collected in one complete set.

Every item from Four Swords collected in one complete set. 

Here they are, every item I drew for The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords. Presented in both vibrant color and in black and white to suit your preference. The links below will take you to PDF’s containing all the items in the order they appeared.

Four Swords: The quintessential blade from Four Swords.

The quintessential blade from Four Swords.

Five Sword: We officially explored the Four Sword last week, but I drew five versions of the completed blade. Each has a different rune in the hilt of the blade and glows in a unique color. These colors and runes are intended to represent the four classical western elements as well as a fifth element of spirit, represented in the set with the triforce symbol.

In times of great need the bearer of this blade can call forth four elemental infused copies of themself by holding the sword aloft in salutation to the goddesses and then making a great circular slash through the air. With five heroes when there were one before, few challenges remain insurmountable. After the threat has been vanquished the copies must return to the blade until summoned again. 

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I always have an idea for a campaign, or at least a series of one-shots, where the players are all different copies of the single hero that used the Four Sword, but then somehow lost it before they could rejoin. Now the players journey to find the four Four Swords so that they might be able to become whole again.

A fun twist on this idea could be if one of the copies didn’t want to join back together. The villain of this campaign would be a copy of the same hero that would need to be conquered without being killed so that they could all rejoin again. Maybe each copy hero is actually one aspect of the whole hero which gives a reason why each of the player characters is different. This is effectively Inside Out if there was a more active antagonist.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to run an entire game centered on the Four Sword/Five Sword, the sword could simply be a high-tier artifact that gives the bearer the ability to make phantom copies of themself as if using mirror image.

These could also just be a set of five swords. One with power over one of the five elements. The fifth essence, or quintessence, could be a secret element that must be discovered.

I think a lot about games I’d like to run but probably never will. Many of these ideas work their way into whatever game I’m running at the time or whatever section of my homebrew I am fleshing out, but you can get inspired by these ideas and run with them.

Next week is Valentine’s Day so I will be posting something drawn to note that day instead of our normal Zelda based content. You can expect the collected set of item cards for Four Swords to come out the week after that.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords: The titular blade from Four Swords.

The titular blade from Four Swords.

Four Sword: Held in the shrine at the heart of the Four Sword Sanctuary, the Four Sword acts as the lynchpin for the seal that contains the great darkness of Vaati. Over time, the seal weakened allowing the wind sorcerer to escape and kidnap Princess Zelda. With the seal broken and Zelda in peril, Link pulled the Four Sword from the pedestal and was split into four palette-swapped copies of himself. The four-that-are-one then set out to fight the forces of darkness, storm the palace, defeat the wind sorcerer Vaati, and rescue Princess Zelda. 

The true instrument of a hero isn’t replaced instantly upon finding a novel or more storied artifact. A tool truly worthy of a hero grows and strengthens just as the hero advances through their journey. This blade grows in power and prestige with each worthy challenge the hero overcomes, regardless of however the hero bests the challenge, be it steel, song, or stealth.

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I like the idea of heirlooms, artifacts, or iconic items. I think it is kind of sad when a character replaces the item their ancestors had passed down through the generations with an item an enemy randomly dropped because the bonus is higher. Some games have actioned this discomfort with some version of heirlooms and artifacts that grow while other games include rules that don’t expect a constantly increasing set of magical equipment. I usually allow iconic items to mature with the hero so that the items become characters in the story equal to the characters.

Be excellent to each other.

-Ceph

Four swords: An antique lock and key from Four Swords.

An antique lock and key from Four Swords.

Small Key: Small keys are required to open locked doors and blocks encountered in the procedurally generated stages of Four Swords. They can be found in chests, usually at the end of some challenge or behind a dangerous obstacle. The Link that picks up the key is the only Link that can use the key to open a passage.

Without even realizing it, a young apprentice brought the clever machinations of the whispering darkness to a halt by locking the door to their master’s basement laboratory. The master had been manipulated by the whisper into opening a crack in the walls of our plane that the void could seep through, only to find their way barred by a locked door. Through a cosmic technicality, beings from the void cannot pass through a closed passage even if the way is barred only by a rotting wooden door and a rusty old lock. 

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This post is inspired by Locke and Key. If you aren’t sure how, go watch Locke and Key on netflix or read the comic.

I like the idea of mundane things impeding titanic forces because the mundane didn’t exist when the rules of the multiverse were written.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords: A cache of gems from Four Swords.

 A cache of gems from Four Swords.

Rupees: While the overall goal of Four Swords is to beat Vaati the Wind Sorcerer, the immediate goal for every Link is to amass as many rupees as possible by the end of each stage. Getting enough rupees is the only way to earn the great fairies’ keys to enter Vaati’s palace. Rupees also act as each Link’s lifeline. When a Link loses their last heart they can be revived if they have enough rupees to pay the incrementally increasing cost to revive. Many boons and banes help or hurt the Links’ chance of getting rupees such as the four hidden rupee shards, bonus rupees for finishing quickly, rupee wraiths, rupoors, and simply dropping rupees when hurt. Simply put, rupees are the lifeblood of adventure in Four Swords.

A room full of gems and jewels of assorted colors is rumored to be hidden within the stone walls of the ruined royal castle. Fortune hunters and thrill-seekers have attacked any crack in the walls with every tool imaginable over the years. The castle ruins are now pock-marked with the tell-tale signs of picks, hammers, and explosives, but the treasure chamber remains undiscovered.

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Rupees are required for any adventure, even the everyday adventures of life. The depths of winter can be some of the hardest times for many people and families in America. If you have some extra rupees, consider giving something to a local aid group. If you don’t, I hope you have enough or are getting the help you deserve. Everyone deserves to have enough.

Be excellent to each other.

-Ceph

Four Swords: Three more awards from Four Swords.

Three more awards from Four Swords.

Medals: Olympic medals for the Winter Olympics were not awarded this year. The athletes were unable to compete as there wasn’t enough winter weather to hold the games. The Olympic committee is considering creating a new climate change Winter Olympics that consists of events able to be played indoors or modified to not need snow.

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We talked about the medal of courage last week. These three medals are additional versions of that item.

Thanks for reading through my heavy-handed cautionary tale of climate change ruining established institutions.

Climate change is real and if we don’t all do more at the macro systems level, our planet will go through major climatic shifts that will be extremely uncomfortable and outright deadly for billions of people and other living things.

Use your voice to champion work to combat climate change now.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph 

Four Swords: A commendation from Four Swords.

 A commendation from Four Swords.

Medal of Courage: At the end of each stage a medal of courage is awarded to the one Link that has secured the most rupees. The prospect of a single-award creates tension between Links while they are trying to complete the stage while also finding the most treasure for themselves personally. Securing enough of these medals over time unlocks special opportunities in the games that Four Swords shared a cartridge with. This gave players a reason to try to collect these medals in addition to bragging rights.

Four of these medals were cast for the four heroes that saved the land from the villainous Wind Sorcerer. When only one hero returned from the Wind Sorcerer’s palace the people of the nation mourned the loss of three great heroes while celebrating the lone survivor. The hero was not able to convince the citizens that they were all four heroes rejoined, and many assumed that the surviving hero was not right in the head after their perilous journeys.

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Welcome to the first post of the new year. I’m still drawing and I have plenty left to draw before I get anywhere near done with this little project. We are nearing the end of the items from Four Swords so I am feverishly trying to finish the items from Wind Waker so that I have the complete set ready to go before I need to start posting.

I hope your 2022 is a year of growth and rising. Do what you can to make sure everyone’s year can be so productive and positive. 

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords: A tablet of ancient power from Four Swords.

A tablet of ancient power from Four Swords.

Heart: As both the measure of Link’s vitality and the primary means of restoring it, hearts are a precious resource while adventuring. Especially if you are a jump first look later sort of player such as myself. Hearts can be found all over levels in Four Swords, but most often by defeating enemies, cutting grass, or breaking the right breakables.

In searching for anything that would cure their child’s illness, parent and archaeologist Dr. Evelyn Weisz has left the boundaries of traditional medicine and turned to the occult. While they studied at university they wrote a thesis on mystical healing practices in the ancient world, but that was just intellectual curiosity then. Now, with an ancient tablet in hand, they are attempting to call up a spirit to cure their child no matter the price.

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I won’t say that most of the text that appears in my drawings actually says something, but this tablet definitely says something. The problem is I actually forgot what I made it say.

The world is a crazy and difficult place. You don't need ancient magic to make it easier for others.

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

Four Swords: Three magic keys from Four Swords.

Three magic keys from Four Swords.

 

Hero Keys: A few weeks ago we discussed the Golden Keys in Four Swords which can only be obtained after obtaining the three Silver Keys, defeating the sorcerer Vaati for the first time, and then earning 3,000 rupees in each of the three levels. The Hero keys are the next and final goal for Link in Four Swords. Any Link that has earned a set of Golden Keys and then vanquished Vaati a second time can earn the three Hero Keys if they complete a level with a whopping 5,000 rupees in their pouch. Defeating Vaati after gathering a complete set of Hero Keys is the final challenge for the Links in Four Swords.

These keys don’t open such an insignificant thing as a mundane lock. Instead, they open up the unbelievable possibilities of magic. The metal used to forge these keys allowed each to be imbued with a unique power. What would you do with such power, and what could you do to keep yourself safe from people who want that power for themselves?

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Locke and Key season 1 inspired these drawings and Locke and Key season 2 recently came out on Netflix. I really enjoyed both seasons and recommend them if you’re looking for something to watch. I know they are based on a comic. I never got too into the comics as there were so many when I found out about them that I didn’t know or care where to start. There is some really interesting storytelling and worldbuilding in Locke and Key though. Maybe I ought to sit down and give them a real chance. 

The U.S. had yet another school shooting. I am deeply saddened by the tragedy and I hope that something tangible and effective will eventually be done to stop the cycle of violence plaguing schools and other supposedly safe communal spaces. Guns shouldn’t be freely available to children, nor should they be sprinkled throughout the world like lethal confetti.

Be excellent to everyone, it could save a life.

-Ceph

Four Swords: Three questions from Four Swords.

Three questions from Four Swords.

You should recognize these keys as the three that were hung on the keyring from last week. If one of those rings really piqued your interest, I made sure to give you the chance to pick your favorite and leave the rest behind. It also gives me a break from having to think up new and interesting ways to describe how you get a set of keys earned by capturing an increasingly large bounty of rupees.

Where there is a key, there is usually a lock. Where there is a lock, there is usually the question, “why did someone want this locked away?” Sometimes, the only way to answer such a question is by using the key in the lock and freeing whatever was locked away. Can you be sure that what you seek isn’t best left locked up?

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WIth these staple items, I like to break apart the component pieces in my drawings and set them up as individual cards. Not only does it make me feel like I’ve drawn a whole bunch of different things when I’ve really only drawn a small bunch of things; it also lets me give collections to players piecemeal. Maybe they need all three of these keys but start with just finding one, and then have to fight hard to earn the second, and delve deep into the unknown to find the last. Once they have found all three, rewarding them with a new item card to show the set completed can be a fun way to commemorate their achievements.

Only one or two more key posts before we move on to other sets of pallette swapped objects. Look forward to showing off my attempts at being creative and efficient.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords: A ring of keys from Four Swords.

A ring of keys from Four Swords.

Golden Keys: Any Link that has already earned a set of silver keys and defeated the sorcerer Vaati in their palace can attempt to earn a set of golden keys. To earn the three golden keys, a Link must gather at least 3,000 rupees in each stage prior to Vaati’s palace. This more valuable set overrides the set of silver keys previously won, but is still only the second of the three sets of keys to Vaati’s palace. It’s no wonder Vaati’s palace gets invaded if there are this many duplicate sets of keys to the front door.

Known as the keys to the kingdom, these keys open the three most important doors in the land. The golden key opens the coffers and vaults where the nation’s wealth is securely held. The silver key opens the deepest door in the dungeon where the most dangerous person is held. And the copper key opens the secret passage beneath the great hall where the greatest secret is held.

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It is going to be mostly just keys here at The Speaking Squid for the next few installments. There are a ton of keys in the Zelda franchise and Four Swords doesn’t shy away from that. It can be difficult to come up with new and interesting ways to represent keys in Zelda games, so I often use keys as a way to check back in with how much I’ve grown. It is a good thing to return to a subject you’ve already explored with new skills and ideas. Everytime I come back to drawing keys I find I have a new twist or technical skill I want to try out.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

 

Four Swords: Covert instruments from Four Swords.

 Covert instruments from Four Swords.

Silver Keys: In Four Swords each of the three Silver Keys is awarded to any Link that gathered at least 1,000 rupees. To enter Vaati’s Palace, the fourth and final stage, Links must gather the three keys from the three Great Faeries. If the Links didn’t gather up enough rupees to earn all three keys, they cannot enter the lair of Vaati and rescue Princess Zelda and must try again. The silver keys are the first of three sets of keys that can be earned through repeated attempts at playing through Four Swords. 

Few societies of law and order allow just anyone to walk around carrying a well-stocked supply of lock picking tools without some sort of permit. There isn’t a sensible society that would allow a person to carry not one but four picks that make the bold but honest claim to be able to pick any lock, even apparently unpickable ones. All of that is to say, you shouldn’t show these picks off to anyone unless you want everyone blaming you for every misplaced valuable or locked door murder.

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I’m a huge elder scrolls fan. I could have individually drawn all the lock picks and skeleton keys from the various elder scrolls games and released them in drips and drabs until you collected the complete set, but that wouldn’t have given me an excellent set of thieves tools and legendary thieves tools.

If you are like me and enjoy technical YouTube videos, you probably have already enjoyed lockpicking YouTube channels. I’m a big fan of watching the Lockpicking lawyer to get inspiration on writing interesting lock-picking challenges for my games.

Welcome to November. It is getting cold where I live which reminds me that this is usually an extra tough time for many people who struggle financially. If you have more, consider giving back to people with less. If you have power, consider using it to make a more level playing field by raising up the lowest among us.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords: A handy item from Four Swords.

A handy item from Four Swords.

Razor Seed: Just like armor seeds and Pegasus seeds, razor seeds can be randomly found in Four Swords by cutting grass. Picking up the seed doubles that Link’s sword damage for the remainder of the stage. Seed-hungry Links can only benefit from two razor seeds at any one time.

Prophet’s palm is a hand-shaped fruit tended by monks who use the fruits as foci for divinations. Travelers must visit the temple orchards and search the dense trees for a rare five-fingered fruit. If they are successful in locating a rare fruit, they can ask the fruit one question and receive an answer in the form of a hand gesture that must be interpreted.

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This unfortunate drawing attempts to capture the Buddha’s Hand Citron. This visually compelling citrus fruit was a very memorable discovery. I never thought citrons could look so unique having grown up on very homogenized lemons and limes. Diving down the rabbit hole of global citrons, I found that there are a lot of unique textures and shapes in that fruit family that have been bred out of the citrus I see and eat here in the United States. 

Go out there and find some unique-looking food. You know, you might find your next favorite thing. Unless you find durian, then I’m sorry you didn’t find jackfruit instead.

Next week we are taking a break from Zelda items to celebrate Halloween. See you next week!

Be excellent to everyone

-Ceph

 

Four Swords: Desert fruit from Four Swords.

Desert fruit from Four Swords.

Pegasus Seed: In Four Swords, seeds are consumable power ups that can be found by cutting grass. The pegasus seeds double the speed of any Link that eats the seed for the rest of the level. With the speed boost, Link can avoid enemy attacks and rush to be the first to treasure.

The pitaya is a fruit of the desert and a favorite treat of the giant winged thunder lizards. Heroic stories of old speak of brave heroes taming the wild beasts to serve as powerful companions and mounts. To capture the beast, heroes stalked the fruiting groves of cacti and rushed the lizards only after they had gorged themselves into a stupor pitaya fruit.

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Indigenous peoples' day is tomorrow in the United States. Celebrate all the amazing things the indigenous peoples did prior to, during, and after contact with Europeans. Christopher Columbus was a vicious man whose actions are were abominable and whose legacy is misrepresented in history. In the most literal sense, he couldn’t have discovered America if there were humans there when he arrived. 

 I’ve been struggling to finish drawings lately. I’m still drawing but I’ve been stuck with about 30 drawings left to do in the Wind Waker set for a while now. Lots has happened to help me stay stuck; bought a house, moved, school started back up, Covid is still hanging out, but I want to put out there that I’m still working. 

While I haven’t been able to push through to the end of Wind Waker, I have gotten five good drawings based on a certain open world rpg that is celebrating its tenth anniversary next month. Watch out for those coming soon.

The world is still a crazy and deeply inequitable place. Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

 

Four Swords: A crystal gem apple from Four Swords.

A crystal gem apple from Four Swords. 

Armor Seed: The three seeds in Four Swords are consumable power-ups that can be found by cutting grass. Picking up an armor seed increases a Link’s natural defense and decreases the amount of damage they take from attacks and traps.

If you believe the rumors shared in the many kitchens of the world, the rarest and most desirable of all apples is the Crystal Gem Apple that only grows at the heart of truly evil forests. Only liars and fools claim to have tasted or even seen this mythological fruit. That hasn’t stopped generations of hopeful seekers from throwing their lives away in the many wicked forests of the world.

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I love Adventure Time. I think it found a perfect balance between banal childishness, abstract introspection, and absurdism. I haven’t watched or read any of the spin off material but I really appreciate the love Pendelton Ward, and everyone else who touched Adventure TIme poured into the show. 

This is another drawing that is not my favorite. I struggle to draw transparent materials and crystalline objects in general. It is a growth edge I’m still working on, but I still keep giving myself the task of drawing semi-transparent objects made of crystal and glass.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords: A sacred shield from Four Swords.

 A sacred shield from Four Swords.

Shield: At the beginning of every level in Four Swords all the Links are equipped with a sword and a trusty shield. As Links only have one item slot in Four Swords, they must surrender their shield if they want to pick up any of the other item podium items we’ve discussed thus far. Raising their shield, Link can protect themselves from attacks as well as stand their ground against reckless charges from monsters and other Links.

Emblazoned with the holy symbols of the goddesses, anointed in sacred oils, and blessed by the three high abbesses, this shield is a sacred ward intended to protect the greatest champion of the faith. Unfortunately, the shield never made it to the abessess’ intended champion. Instead, it was lost when the ship carrying the shield collided with a small vessel off the coast of an uncharted island during a violent storm.

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In stories, fate has a funny way of placing things where they need to be to be found by who really needs them. I like the implication that the intention was to create a stout shield for the greatest warrior of light and the creators of the shield didn’t realize that when the shield was lost it was actually finding its way to the true champion of light in a world of darkness.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords: An iconic pair of wings from Four Swords.

 An iconic pair of wings from Four Swords.

Roc’s Cape: With this cape, a Link is able to jump higher and soar over wide gaps. This ability is especially helpful in the high canopies of the Sea of Trees and the dizzying heights of Vaati’s palace.

The Winged Cavalry is famous for two things, the false wings each member wears and the brutal effectiveness of the troops in an all out charge. This private cavalry corps has decided the fate of many conflicts, usually in favor of whoever offered the largest purse. In areas whose fate has been changed by the cavalry, individuals wearing the iconic wings are either hailed as heroes or denounced as villains.

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These wings took a ton of work to set up and the end outcome was on the good end of okay. That is a tough part of drawing all the time with the eye to improve. I imagined these differently but appreciate them for where they ended up.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords: Legendary boots of speed from Four Swords.

Legendary boots of speed from Four Swords.

Pegasus Boots: When a Link grabs these boots from one of the item podiums in Four Swords they gain the ability to dash forward at incredible speeds. Unlike many other isometric Zelda games, these Pegasus boots allow for some slight steering once the dash is started instead of just barreling straight along. Like all utility items in Four Swords, these boots are only ever found on item podiums and can only be used during the stage they are found.

For one hundred years, these boots were worn by successive captains of a riverboat that only ever docked once every seven leagues. Over all those years the boots grew accustomed to traveling vast distance between each step on land. Now the boots have an innate magic that rushes the wearer many leagues with each step. 

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I am rounding the corner on big life events which is exciting but having recently moved I haven’t been able to dedicate as much time to drawing as I would like. With that in mind, I hope I can dedicate some consistent time for that soon and really fill my cup back up after all the positive but draining changes.

Hate is bad. Islamaphobia, racism, and any other us vs them thinking at all are all bad. Growing up with the 9/11 attacks at the center of my childhood was a defining experience. That day changed my world forever. It also centered hate as a motivator for so many of the actions that followed. It made hating others cool again which is something I hope no one forgets. Let’s all work together to dismantle all the hate that is so freely flowing and work to uplift all people to be their best selves.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

 

Four Swords: An irresistible glove from Four Swords.

 An irresistible glove from Four Swords.

Magnetic Glove: Link all tools in Four Swords, the magnetic glove is found on item pedestals found throughout the game’s procedurally generated stages. Using the glove, a Link can push or pull other Links. You can use this power to help your allies dodge enemy attacks, cross otherwise impassible gaps, or just make sure they can’t pick up the rupees you’ve got your eye on. The Link carrying the glove can also push or pull themself against magnetic blocks that can be found in the levels where the magnetic gloves appear.

This odd looking glove is what gave Samar the Iron Hand their fearsome name. Even before they replaced their missing hand with this magnetic prosthesis, they were fond of disarming their opponents and hoarding the hard won trophies. After contracting a fatal wasting sickness, the pirate secreted away to their hidden cache where they could ensure no one else might enjoy all the gold, silver, and steel they collected, nor the powerful iron hand that made it all possible.

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My life is still in a fairly large tumult. I’m currently moving and dealing with the school year starting during a pandemic for the second time. I’m a bit spread thin these days, but I really enjoy taking the time to write out my ideas for these item cards. I’m also still working through all the cards in the Wind Waker game, but progress on that has been slow going.

In America, we are still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. If you can get vaccinated and haven’t yet, I beg you to go get your vaccine to help keep yourself and everyone else safe and to hopefully put this pandemic in the rearview of our lives.

I also wanted to mention that the news is full of record breaking weather events. These are the result of human caused climate change and if you think anything else you have not listened to what the experts on the matter have been screaming for years. A UN report concluded that it was we humans who are responsible for making the only planet we have any hope of inhabiting for generations much harder to inhabit. I need to do better to make my climate footprint smaller, so does everyone else, but really we need systemic action from the top down to say that addressing and possibly reversing climate change is a priority that we are willing to put time and money into.

There is also a bunch of new in the US under the general topic of voting and health care access being shrunk while access to weapons and the ability to act negligently without much recourse increases. That sucks. I hope that one day America can figure out that gun ownership is a lot less important than free and open access to healthcare, food, housing, and education.

Thanks for stopping by this week. I hope to see you next week with another item from Four Swords.

Until then, be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph