The Minish Cap: Pipe of the Irresistible Melody

 Pipe of the Irresistible Melody

Ocarina of Wind: Link must climb to the top of the Fortress of Winds and defeat the golem guardian to earn the ocarina. When Link plays the instrument, a bird is summoned that can quickly carry him across the land to safe landing places Link has previously discovered.

We had a rat problem in this town, worse than any you could imagine. After years of suffering, a piper came and claimed they could rid the town of all the rats in a single night, but it would cost every coin from every person in town. When the time came to pay, the tight-pursed lord refused to pay, and now all the children are missing. Can you please help us?

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The Pied Piper came to Hamelin and offered to catch all their rats by luring them into the river to drown, but when the city didn’t pay, he lured all the city’s children into the river.

Dark fairy tales aside, I was in American public schools in the 90’s and 00’s so I have nostalgic memories of learning three blind mice on the recorder.

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Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords Adventures: Earthshaker’s mallets

Earthshaker’s mallets

Quake Medallion: The quake medallions of Four Swords Adventures are used to summon up earthquakes that reduce nearby enemies to jelly. They are not killed by this process, instead, they are simply reduced to non-threatening ooze creatures. The medallions appear in specific locations to provide the Links with a way to approach a seemingly overwhelming enemy.

The tremors caused by great drums being played are nothing compared to the power these mallets can unleash. When played as part of a great ritual of unmaking these mallets cause violent earthquakes. These quakes have sunk islands, leveled cities, and even woken a volcano from its long slumber.

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I’m all for giving players cataclysmic power, but I usually attach a long complicated ritual to the power so that they can only use it when they have tamed the current trouble or are willing to risk their safety and success.

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Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A fairy’s cello, or a fine fiddle, depending on who you ask.

 Wind Waker: A fairy’s cello, or a fine fiddle, depending on who you ask.

Wind God's Aria: The Wind God’s Aria is learned from a monument hidden on Gale Island. This song is used to awaken the new Wind Sage, destroy obstacles in the Wind Temple, and fix signs that Link has slashed to pieces. I did not know about that last one when I played through Wind Waker. 

When a young farmhand heard music playing from the grove of trees beyond the field they didn’t expect to find a lone fairy so lost in their music as to be totally unaware of the mortal’s approach. Having taken a fairy by surprise, the child could have wished for whatever they wanted, but they only wished for the friendship of the fairy. The kind open heart of the child was rewarded as the fairy taught the young one to play the fiddle better than anyone living or dead, mortal or divine.

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There is the common idea of “be careful what you wish for” in fiction, but I would love to see more instances of “wishing for selfless things being rewarded.” Maybe if we had a large body of shared fiction where people used the near limitless power of wishing to improve the lives of others we all might try to improve the lives of others. 

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Be excellent to each other.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: The harp of a sage.

 Wind Waker: The harp of a sage.

Earth God's Lyric: The Earth God’s Lyric is learned inside a tomb on Headstone Island. Link must conduct this song to awaken the new Earth Sage and to destroy stone blocks obstructing his exploration of the Earth Temple.

There are stories of a musician so talented that they could calm a volcano with the playing of their harp. These stories are true, but the musician is long dead and their spirit now rests in the underworld. If someone wanted to learn from such a virtuoso, they would have to travel to the land of the dead and then find a way to return to the lands of the living with their newly acquired skill.

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This instrument and the next instrument are items in Wind Waker. I absolutely love the art style of the game, so I drew the wonderful items from the game whenever possible. 

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Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A commander’s whistle.

 Wind Waker: A commander’s whistle.

Command melody: The command melody is inscribed on a monument in the Tower of the Gods. Its placement in such a hidden holy place ensured that only a true hero would learn its power. Such precautions are reasonable as conducting the song allows Link to take direct control over constructs, animals, and even people. Link uses this power to gather the Sages back together, but a less heroic person would surely use the power for evil.

When you hear the whistle you drop and give me twenty! Is that clear? I can’t hear you!

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I wanted to draw the actual sort of whistle used on sailing ships, but I had no idea what they looked like before doing research for this drawing and I didn’t think anyone else would have either. Maybe I do that whistle for another whistle or instrument in a future Zelda game’s drawings.

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Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A highlands bagpipe.

Wind Waker: A highlands bagpipe.

Wind's Requiem: The instructions for this critical song are inscribed on a shrine to another of the Wind Gods that call the Great Sea home. After visiting Zyphos’ shrine on Dragon Roost Island Link can conduct the Wind’s Requiem to change the direction of the wind. This is especially useful when sailing because Link can call up the desired wind and be on his way.

The call of bagpipes can be heard echoing through the mountains for leagues. Hearing a far-off bagpipe to an outlander might be a novelty, but native highlanders know to listen to the song for news. Some songs are dirges for the dead, others celebrations of marriage or birth, but the most dire songs are warnings of coming invaders and calls to gather for war.

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Growing up there was a bagpipe player who lived about a mile away from my house. I could always hear him playing those bagpipes, and wherever I did I was consistently shocked by just how loud they could get.

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Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A well-loved accordion.

Wind Waker: A well-loved accordion.

Ballad of Gales: The Ballad of the Gales allows Link to summon up a cyclone that will lift Link and his ship up and deposit them throughout the Great Sea. To earn this fast travel, Link must be lifted up in one of the Wind God’s cyclones and then successfully shoot an arrow at the god before being unceremoniously flung away by the uncaring deity.

When sailing the high seas, one learns many songs. Songs to work, songs to play, songs to dance, songs to drink, songs for weal, and songs woe. These songs are often sung to the many music of accordions, concertinas, and other small hand-held organs that allow the player to claim to be productive without having to toil at backbreaking work. 

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This is easily one of my favorite drawings from this set. I enjoyed the drawing the entire time I was drawing it which is rare as most drawings have a rather protracted ass phase where I hate most things about the drawing. I hope you enjoy it even half as much as I do.

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Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A thundering rowing drum.

 Wind Waker: A thundering rowing drum.

Song of Passing: The song of passing allows Link to progress the passage of time, moving from day to night and night to day. Link can learn the song from a dancer on Windfall Island whose memory is sparked when Link shows them the Wind Waker. Songs in Wind Waker are not played by Link. Instead, they are conducted by Link using the Wind Waker. I always imagine that the wind itself played the songs as conducted by Link.

In the heat of a race or the din of a storm, every rower needs to be in sync. The deep thunderous drums beat by the master of oars keep the rowers rowing together, and it keeps them rowing long after they would normally give up, caught up in the fervor of the drums. It is no wonder that countless feats of strength have been accomplished to the steady booming of drums.

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Drums and bass can make people do some crazy things. It can also get a whole mob of people to surge and move in relative unison. If you ever find yourself at a party that’s getting too rowdy, try turning down the bass to see if it calms people down.

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Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Not an artist: Five items from Oracle of Seasons that are not exactly what they seem.

 Five items from Oracle of Seasons that are not exactly what they seem.

Engine Grease: Tick Tock, the Horon Village clockmaker, is in desperate need of a beautiful bird to complete his most recent clock. The magnificent bird that Syrup gave Link for the mushroom is just the piece Tick Tock has been searching for to finish his magnum opus. In exchange for the masterfully crafted bird, he gives Link some engine grease. To be fair, he probably only uses the highest quality lubricants, but the trade still feels a bit one-sided.

The grimy antique brass lamp is a fully functional lamp. Unfortunately, no amount of cleaning will ever restore its original luster. Also, no amount of rubbing will release a djinni to grant you three wishes.

Not a colorist: Five full color items from Oracle of Seasons you may have seen before.

Five full-color items from Oracle of Seasons you may have seen before.

What you’ve got there, that’s not a knife. Now this, this is a knife.

Not an artist: Four items from Oracle of Seasons found in a temple during its restoration.

Four items from Oracle of Seasons found in a temple during its restoration.

D8: I felt the need to complete the set of RPG dice drawings. The d8 was nice because it gave me another opportunity to draw triangular objects in perspective. That sentence is only partially sarcastic as perspective is a really powerful drawing skill, but one I don’t have great mastery of yet.

The order who originally founded the temple was very fond of relying on luck and randomness. To determine how and where they began their morning rituals, a die was cast three times to determine which direction they should travel, how far they should travel, and how long they should pray to start each day.

Not an artist: Four instruments from Oracle of Seasons that summon spirits.

 Four instruments from Oracle of Seasons that summon spirits.

Strange Flute: The strange flute in Oracle of Seasons functions the same as it does in Oracle of Ages. At first, it does nothing, but it will eventually gain the power to summon Link’s animal companion, after he gains an animal companion of course. How Link obtains the flute determines which of the animal companions he will eventually bond with on his adventure through Holodrum. All strange flutes become available to find after Link explores through the Snake’s Remains dungeon.

Music can lure all sorts of different spirits to interfere with mortal affairs. A particularly annoying and unloved trickster spirit can be summoned to torment others by playing a special tune on the slide flute under a full moon. The spirit will run rampant through a community visiting vile pranks on all but the summoner until sent away by playing the same tune on the summoning flute.

Not an artist: Five more items from my campaign

Five more items from my home campaign.

Disturbance of the Peace

This +1 thundering warhammer can greatly amplify its wielder's voice. This can potentially increase the effective range for sound-based effects.

Oddly enough, my players dodged the whole encounter where this was supposed to come up. They have never seen it, but it seems like it could still come up in their adventures on the high seas.

Holiday: Observe the final day of Rosh Hashanah with a shofar

Have a great new year to everyone observing Rosh Hashanah 

Shofars are ritualistically blown to call in the new year during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

I am trying to be more inclusive and diverse with my holiday item cards. I’m not Jewish, so it was interesting learning about the rituals and celebrations surrounding the Jewish New year.

America lost a titan of justice and equity on Friday, Ruth Bader Ginsberg will be missed. She lived an amazing life, and I hope my country can live up to her legacy.

Times are tough, so you should always be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

I'm not an artist: Five items from Oracle of Ages you could use at summer camp.

Five items from Oracle of Ages you could use at summer camp.

Funny Joke: Link is given this hilarious joke by the only comedian in Lynna City in exchange for the cheesy mustache. It seems the comedian needs something to make people laugh and he is resorting to prop comedy. In exchange, he says he will teach Link the funniest gag he knows, but how funny can that be since he needs wacky facial hair to liven up his act.

          Hello again from camp,

It has been HOT for the last two weeks. Most days I just split my time between swimming in the lake and snacking on popsicles in the shade. I think the popsicles are from a different country because the jokes are written in a language I can’t read.

Not much else going on lately. Hope you are having a great summer. 

Can’t wait for your next letter.

I'm not artist: Three animals from Oracle of Ages met on a vision quest for the new year.

Three animals from Oracle of Ages met on a vision quest for the new year.

Dimitri’s Flute: Link unknowingly selects his animal companion in Oracle of Ages in how he acquires the strange flute. To eventually meet Dimitri and forge a bond with the dodongo, Link should buy the strange flute from the Lynna City Shop when it is available for purchase after completing the Moonlit Grotto. If Link buys the flute, he will eventually run into Dimitri in the lost woods and Dimitri will teach Link a tune to play when he needs help.

Dimitri is a red dodongo that can be ridden. When riding Dimitri, he can chomp enemies and foliage and swim like a raft. Link can also pick up and throw Dimitri with the help of the power bracelet.

Upon entering the spirit world, it is not uncommon for first-time travelers to be visited by a massive turtle spirit. These are avatars of the great turtle that is said to safely carry the world through the cosmos upon its back. The spirit teaches novice wanderers a melody to sing should they wish to return to the material plane. The great turtle's senses are not limitless, so travelers are warned to not wander too far, lest they become lost in the infinite realm of spirits.

I'm not an artist: Five items from Oracle of Ages found near the fields of silver.

Five items from Oracle of Ages found near the fields of silver.

Gale Seed: When cracked open by hand, gale seeds create a small tornado that Link can use to warp to any mystical tree in Labrynna he has already discovered. When shot from the seed shooter, these seeds explode in strong winds that fling away enemies.

Unfamiliar plants with odd fruits and leaves mark the outer edges of the taboo places. In those places, the influence of the silver has changed our world to look like another. It is true that some who have eaten fruit from the forbidden groves have been given wondrous gifts, but most die in agony as they are consumed by the silver from the inside out. 

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 first six items from Majora’s Mask you could find in the Great Spell War.

The first six items from Majora’s Mask you could find in the Great Spell War.

Ocarina of Time: Link is given the Ocarina of Time by Zelda as he is leaving Hyrule in the prologue of Majora’s Mask. She also teaches him the Song of Time, warning him to play it in times of need. Link's ability to travel in time by playing the Song of Time is the only thing that allows the entire story of Majora’s Mask to take place. Without it, Skullkid would have succeeded in their apocalyptic plan of pulling the moon down from the sky. For continuity purposes, Majora's Mask takes place in the child Link timeline after he is successful in defeating Ganondorf.

Legends tell of a vast store of ancient arcano-technology held in a hidden vault behind a sealed gate that can only be opened after the fabled Horn of Doom is blown. A thousand years of peace were shattered when foolish adventurers sounded the ancient horn without knowing it would warn all the world that the vault would soon open. After the warning, the great powers of the world quickly mobilized their vast forces to ensure they would be the first to find and secure the vault.

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.