The Minish Cap: The Sacred Blade

 

The Sacred Blade

Four Sword: Recovering the fourth and final element of Wind and infusing that power into the White Sword restores the blades true power, transforming it into the Four Sword. This blade allows Link to create three total copies of himself and has the sacred power to banish evil.

The power of the sacred blade has been sealing back a prime evil for so long that its true purpose has been all but forgotten. Weakening with every fourth draw of the blade, the four-thousand four-hundred and forty-four seals are destined to fail. Pray the hero who now takes up this blade is ready, for in their hasty defense of the light they have begun to release the dark. 

----------

The Four Sword is my favorite sacred blade from the Zelda timelines. The Master Sword is iconic, but it just doesn’t top the Four Sword, especially the title screen sword shown when you boot up The Minish Cap.

Since you’re enjoying 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

Swordtember: Buster Sword

Buster Sword

Buster Sword: Cloud's iconic blade from Final Fantasy VII.

----------

I have never played a 3D Final Fantasy game. My only experience with anything Final Fantasy was the handheld releases on the Gameboy systems, especially Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced.

Since you’re enjoying 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: The titular item from Wind Waker.

Wind Waker: The titular item from Wind Waker.

Swift Sail: The swift sail is only available in the HD rerelease of Wind Waker. When used, the swift sail changes the direction of the wind to blow whichever way the boat is heading without having to use the Wind Waker to change the direction of the wind. This sail also allows the King of Red Lions to sail more swiftly than the regular sail. Link can obtain the swift sail in the Windfall Island Auction house only after receiving the titular Wind Waker.

This wheel came from the wreck of the heavenly barge of the gods that crashed on the shores of primordial chaos. Since being salvaged from the wreck, the wheel has been installed in many ships the worlds over. Each ship has come to an untimely end, but the divine powers held in the wheel tempt an endless line of captains to try their luck against the wheel’s curse.

Wind Waker: The Wind Waker is the royal conductor’s baton used to lead the chorus of sages. The King of Red Lions gives this to Link upon arriving at Dragon Roost Island to help him navigate the Great Sea and its many hazards. Link can use the Wind Waker to control the winds, command the elements, and conduct the many musicians scattered across the seas.

The owner of this wand is imbued with the power and poise to command the fundamental elements of creation. Leading the wind and sea in song, opening the bowels of the earth, or tapping out a tune for a dancing flame are just a few of the feats made possible by this wand. A prophecy speaks of one who will take up this wand to lead a chorus of sages whose voices will reawaken destiny.

—————

It is great to see these cards start to find their way into the world. It took me more than a year to finish drawing all of the 112 items in Wind Waker. I almost gave up this whole project because of the many instances of art block I experienced during this draw. All that is in the past. The draw for Wind Waker is over and I will be starting on the items from Four Swords Adventures after a much needed break.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

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. 

----------

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.

----------

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

Not an artist: Five items from Oracle of Seasons used by the oracle.

Five items from Oracle of Seasons used by the oracle.

Rod of Seasons: This rod is the core item of the Oracle of Seasons. This rod allows Link to change the season in the nearby region. Unfortunately, when Link is given the rod in the Temple of Seasons, its power is mostly sealed. Link begins with the power to call winter and must struggle and earn each additional season. The spirits of the seasons are trapped in other parts of the temple inaccessible to Link until he has obtained specific items. Eventually, Link gains total control of the seasons and can call in whatever season is convenient from atop the tree stumps that dot all of Holodrum.

The oracle’s duty is to maintain nature’s balance and to ensure the regular progression of the seasons. The rod of seasons is passed from one oracle to the next, given to the inheritor in the winter of the last oracle’s life. This powerful artifact has the ability to force the seasons to change, but no oracle would ever use the rod’s great power unless the balance of nature had been upended.

I'm not an artist: Five items from Oracle of Ages that are artifacts of musical history.

Five items from Oracle of Ages that are artifacts of musical history.

Harp of Ages: This harp is the core item in Oracle of Ages. Link finds it in a secret basement in Nayru’s house after they are taken by wicked Veran. A ghostly echo of Nayru tells Link she left it there hoping that a brave hero would find it and use it to save Labrynna. As Nayru is the titular oracle of ages, her magic harp allows Link to travel through time by playing magical songs that push him forward, backward, or allow him to travel freely through time. No time travel is allowed in dungeons or in certain map areas to make sure the game can’t be broken by creative time jumps.

The ancient stories are full of tales of the wandering singer who was such a master of the lyre that their music could soothe any manner of being from people and animals to spirits and the very earth itself.  Always seeking greater challenges to test their skills against, the wanderer pursued rumors of a passage leading into the lands of the restless dead. Returning from those lands, the wanderer was visibly changed. Gone was the eager boastful youth, replaced by a sorrowful and reluctant musician. 

I'm not an artist: The final five masks from Majora’s Mask that were worn by legendary individuals.

The final five masks from Majora’s Mask that were worn by legendary individuals.

Giant’s Mask: Donning this mask causes Link to grow to giant size. This mask is found in the Stone Tower Temple and can only be used in the Stone Tower Temple in fighting the dungeon’s insectoid boss. It totally makes sense from a balance perspective that you don’t want to allow your player unfettered access to being a giant, but it would have been cool if they did.

The story of the gladiator is known to many, but the original identity has been lost in the uncountable retelling. Nowadays it is not uncommon to hear that the legendary gladiator grew up just down the street from where the story is being told. The core facts of the story do not change. They were born into common people, conscripted as a foot soldier to die in their country’s wars, and they rose to a high rank through skill alone. Then they were betrayed, all they had worked for taken from them, and they were sent to die in the arena as entertainment for the very people who betrayed them. It was in the arena that the masses discovered the skill and tenacity of the one remembered only as the Gladiator.

I'm not an artist: Five items from Ocarina of Time you could see during ajourney to the shining temple.

Five items from Ocarina of Time you could see during journey to a shining temple.

Light Arrow: Link’s arrows are empowered with the goddesses’ light after he frees all seven sacred sages. The arrows allow Link to dispel magical barriers and strike lethal blows against Ganondorf. As an added bonus, monsters slain by light arrows almost always drop a bunch of rupees. Mechanically it is a nice way to provide the player more rupees in the endgame, but I also think that the hero of time being able to abuse the sacred power for personal gain is an interesting unspoken complication to the narrative.

From atop the temple of the triple goddess, a ceaseless light shines out onto the lands of the people. Even during the darkest night, the lands of the people are held in a twilight by the presence of the sacred light. The light shines from the crystal head of a spear that was once wielded by the greatest evil to ever rule over the people. The Hero of Song, the greatest of all the people’s heroes, defeated the great evil by securing three blessings from the three-that-are-one. Only after the hero received all three blessings were they able to defeat the great evil. Modern incarnations of the Hero’s Song tell that the hero slew the evil with their own spear and then triumphantly sang the three blessings into the once accursed weapon. Placing the newly hallowed spear atop the greatest temple on the highest rise so that its light might act as a ward against suffering for the people and their lands. The hero than left the lands of the people to pursue the corrupting force of evil in far off lands and have many great adventures. Recently rediscovered verses written down long ago say the hero defeated the great evil, but was reluctant to partake in the people’s revelry when they learned of the victory. The last act of the hero was to sing a mighty barrier around the spear's resting place that could withstand almost any force. The effort robbed the hero of their voice and led them to a life of solitude hidden away from the people.

I'm not an artist: Swords and stuff from A Link to the Past

Three swords and some useful items from A Link to the Past. 

Magic Mirror: This magic mirror can show you your true self. Unfortunately, it does that by teleporting you to a dark reflection of reality where everyone is a caricature of their true self. The only way to avoid being transformed into an impotent reflection is to carry a powerful protective ward.

This mirror does not have to be a link to another dimension. This mirror could be the hand mirror of fey royalty. Allowing any who gaze at their reflection to change their appearance by shrouding their true self in a glamour. To ensure any would be thief is punished, the item carries a curse. Any user other than the true owner runs the risk of becoming so enamored with their own reflection that they are unable to look away. Adventurers finding a mirror locked in the decaying fist of a skeletal corpse should be wary of looking into the mirror lest they fall prey to the mirror's enchantments. 

This could also be a device that allows access to Spyke™, the fantasy video calling service that connects you to the entire world, and many others, for secure and reliable communication over the high speed ley line connections. Terms and conditions apply. Void where prohibited.

I'm not an artist: Six items to close out The Legend of Zelda.

We made it! This is the final set of images from The Legend of Zelda. To celebrate the occasion I have included six images instead of the five I usually post. 

Magical Rod: This is about as true to the original 8 (?) bit image as it could be. This is a great entry-level magic rod that any caster or gifted dilettante earns as a reward for completing their first adventure. The basic design allows for this to be tied to any school of magic or specialty.