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

Not an artist: Five items from Oracle of Seasons you can find in an inter-dimensional competition.

Five items from Oracle of Seasons you can find in an inter-dimensional competition.

Huge Maku Seed: This magical seed is given to Link by the Maku Tree after Link gathers all eight Essences of Nature. The seed acts as a powerful focus for the Maku Tree’s power, allowing Link to penetrate the dark forces that have kept Link from entering General Onox’s Castle to save Din and defeat the evil threatening Holodrum.

Every generation there is a grand tournament to determine which realm is truly superior. The throngs of spectators watching the competitions need to drink something, so merchants from across the multiverse come to peddle their wares. Some drinks are sweet, others bitter, and some are even a bit magic.

Not an artist: Five items from Oracle of Seasons needed to save the universe.

Five items from Oracle of Seasons needed to save the universe.

Ember Seed: Mystical seeds fill the place of the useful magical consumable. Each type of seed is unavailable to Link until he harvests them from a mystical tree for the first time. Ember Trees can be found in Horon Village, but only fruit during the Winter. Link cannot harvest the ember seeds until he has the seed satchel.

Ember seeds burst into an intense flame when cracked open. They can be used to light torches, clear brush, harm enemies, and burn the wrappings of mummies to reveal their skeletal forms. 

Each of the stones represents a different fundamental essence. This stone represents the essence of fire, and its true power can only be unleashed by touching it with flame. The powers of all stones must be unleashed together to stop the coming of the great calamity.

Not an artist: Four items from Oracle of Seasons carried by rival assassins.

Four items from Oracle of Seasons carried by rival assassins.

Slingshot: Link uses the slingshot to fling mystical seeds at enemies and triggers. Like the seed shooter in Labrynna, the slingshot uses different seeds to different effects, such as ember seeds being used for incendiary ammunition. Link finds the slingshot in the Dancing Dragon Dungeon atop the heights of Mt.Cucco. 

The freelance assassin known only as Svarta favors a set of short-range crossbows that can fire a volley of bolts in mere moments. Svarta has been hired to acquire the package by any means necessary. They have also been informed that other operatives have been contracted by rival agencies to acquire the same package, meaning the competition will be deadly.

I'm not an artist: Five items from Oracle of Age used during a dangerous heist.

Five items from Oracle of Age used during a dangerous heist.

Letter of Introduction: Link is given this letter by a friend of the Graceful Goron in exchange for some Lava Juice. After the proper introduction, the Graceful Goron will give Link the chance to earn the Mermaid Key by perfectly completing the Goron Dance. 

As a kid, perfectly completing the Goron Dance mini-game was maddening. It took me forever and I still remember how relieved I was to be done.

This whole plan only works because we got our hands on a datapad with security clearance. With this datapad, we can see when and where the nuclear device is going to be transported. It is vital that we do nothing to disrupt the data pad’s secure connection so we are not able to dig as deeply into the servers at Ad Astra Technologies as we would like.

I'm not an artist: Six items from Oracle of Ages found by archaeologists investigating the lost terran civilization.

Six items from Oracle of Ages found by archaeologists investigating the lost Terran civilization.

Library Key: Link is given the library key by King Zora during the current era after he cures King Zora’s illness with a magical potion in the past era. King Zora is healthy again, but there is a corruption in the seas pushing Lord Jabu-Jabu to the brink of death. Knowing that Link is the sort of person that can get things done, King Zora asks him to go to the Eyeglass Island Library and research if there is any way to cleanse the oceans and save Lord Jabu-Jabu.

This is the last key item I drew as an item that would get you access to a place. I think this one is pretty obvious as library cards are the “key” to services at the library. If you don’t have a library card, go get one. Libraries are wonderful resources. Many offer services that include more than just checking out books and if you don’t know what your library has to offer you are probably missing out.

It is generally understood by xenoarchaeologists studying the ruins of Terra that humans valued knowledge highly, but maintained tight control over who had the privilege to study and learn. Massive collections of written records were kept in even the smallest settlements across many regions of Terra. Even with the ubiquity of these archives, only those who carried the token of privilege were allowed into these prestigious buildings containing the collected knowledge of humanity.

I'm not an artist: Six items from Oracle of Ages found in a secret government facility.

Six items from Oracle of Ages found in a secret government facility.

Huge Maku Seed: This huge seed acts as a powerful focus of good energy allowing Link to penetrate the barrier surrounding the Black Tower so he can finally confront Veran. Link must collect all eight of  Essences of Time from the eight dungeons throughout Labrynna. Once he has every essence, he must return them to the Maku Tree so she can create the seed.

The Section for Occult Research and Defense, most commonly referred to as S.O.R.D., was created after a series of very public mass suicides were linked to prophecies spoken more than six hundred years ago. Officially, this section is only responsible for monitoring dangerous cult activity, but it also has a classified mission to keep occult and paranormal activity from causing harm. In the pursuit of that mission, S.O.R.D. has collected a number of interesting objects, including an avocado tree whose fruit can be used to accurately predict the future when its roots are bathed with blood.

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 owned by an herbalist.

Five items from Oracle of Ages owned by an herbalist.

Seed Satchel: A few more versions of the seed satchel from last week.

Mishri’s life as a traveling herbalist is a lonely one. To take the edge off of solitary life in the wilderness, Mishri had two satchels enchanted to contain talkative spirits. Mishri is now odder than ever after long months spent only with their luggage. 

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: Five items from Majora’s Mask you could find impounded in customs.

Five items from Majora’s Mask you could find impounded in customs.

Magic Bean: These magic beans grow into strong climbable beanstalks when they are planted in patches of soft soil and watered with spring water or the rains called down by Link playing the Song of Storms. Those waters must be quite potent since similar beans in Ocarina of Time take seven years to fully mature into beanstalks that could bear a hero’s weight. These beanstalks usually allow Link to access hidden areas containing a piece of heart or other valuable treasure.

Smugglers hide everything one could imagine inside of coffee casks. The strong aroma is supposed to hide the odor of any hidden contraband from the sensitive noses of the trained hounds. With the sheer volume of contraband laden coffee shipments coming into Port Brighton, a few are bound to be discovered and confiscated, coffee and all. The impound warehouse holds many exotic coffee shipments that are slated to be destroyed by “grinding and boiling” after the statutory holding period lapses.

I'm not an artist: Six items from Majora’s Mask you might find at a picnic.

Six items from Majora’s Mask you might find at a picnic.

 

Bombchu: These autonomous mobile bomb constructs move straight forward away from Link when placed. They can climb up walls and ceilings which allows for Link to get bombs to locations that would be otherwise inaccessible.

Nothing ruins a picnic faster than ants, except that is for flamesting ants. The bite of just one of these small insects is painful enough to leave the recipient doubled over in pain for hours. The few individuals who have survived an attack from a swarm of flamesting ants are permanently wracked with unbearable pain, forcing survivors to stupefy themselves senses with drink or smoke. 

I'm not an artist: Six items from Ocarina of Time you would find at a fantasy customs checkpoint.

Six items from Ocarina of Time you would find at a fantasy customs checkpoint. 

Silver Scale: Link has the innate ability to swim and dive in Ocarina of Time. This is pretty nice since, in other games, he has had to get some magical help to simply swim. The silver scale improves his natural abilities. most importantly allowing access to Jabu-Jabu’s belly. 

Fig Harbor is known as the gateway to the west in the thousand islands east of the Neck. With piracy being a socially acceptable career east of the neck, most people are surprised to learn of customs agents operating in such seemingly lawless lands. Fig Harbor customs agents all wear a silver scale in a glass bauble. They are only concerned with the intercepting the few truly forbidden cargos such as slaves or souls. 

I'm not an artist: Five items from Ocarina of Time you could find in a curious shop.

Five items from Ocarina of Time you could find in a curious shop.

Lens of truth: In Ocarina of Time, Link can recover the lens of truth from Dead Hand’s cold dead hands. The glass allows Link to discern illusions, perceive the invisible, and gaze inside sealed chests. 

Having gotten turned around walking the city at night, you find yourself on an unfamiliar street. It is lined with small shops offering all sorts of wares. Without realizing it, you find yourself drawn to Lil’s Trinkets, an outdated store with a cat sleeping in the window. The shop is illuminated by an army of candles that can only manage to make the interior dim at best. A disembodied hand covered in wax stands on a shelf with a small flickering flame hovering above each finger. The tag reads, “Glorious Hand, a guiding light against the darkness of ignorance.” You can’t seem to find the price on the tag.

I’m not an artist: Five items from Ocarina of Time you could find in an endless forest village

Five items from Ocarina of Time that could be found in a village in the endless forest. 

Deku Stick: Improvised weapons and temporary torches, Link uses these sticks in the same way many children do. Unlike Link, most children are not on an adventure with the fate of intertwined worlds hanging in the balance. In drawing the deku sticks, one was bare while the other had deku nuts still attached. I imagined the stick with nuts sounding like a rattle when swung. 

Children practice the basics of all sorts of skills by playing with sticks. Fishing, drumming, fencing, and even wand skills are all first learned by playing. This connection between children and their sticks is reinforced by the ritual of dowsing that all children in the village undertake as they come of age. Adolescents entering adulthood are tasked with venturing into the forest near the village alone and return with the stick that calls to them. The adolescent, returning with a stick, returns as an adult in the village. The nature of the stick is interpreted by the elders to determine what vocation is best suited for the newly christened adult. Most people in the village keep their dowsing sticks as mementos of the ritual that determined their place in the world. 

I'm not an artist: Five Items from Link's Awakening you can use this Labor Day Weekend.

Five items you could use this Labor Day weekend appearing in Link’s Awakening.

Small key: A minor key with plenty of uses. I drew this one as a more modern house or lock key. I don't think many people would be too offended at this apocryphal key shape appearing in their pseudo-medieval fantasy settings. If you are one of those offended people, I guess stay out of my topsy-turvy genre blending universe. 

With summer unofficially coming to a close, racers are scrambling to secure spots in the last big race of the season. Alejandra Ricco has had a great season, but with her recent disasters on the track she needs something like a miracle to finish the season on the podium. While working under her car after hours, Alejandra heard what sounded like footsteps approaching her workbench and then her keys falling to the ground. Alejandra didn't see anyone when she came up from below the car, but she found nine identical keys on her keyring that weren’t there early that day. Each key was warm to the touch with “wanna race?” etched into its face in a script she could barely decipher. Ever curious, Alejandra stuck one of the keys into her ignition and the car roared to life. In the same instant, the key was consumed in a gout of flame. For a few hours after, the car was in pristine condition but it slowly deteriorated into the same mess it was before and now also smelling of Sulphur. With nine races left in the season, has she just wasted an opportunity she can’t get back or can she find a way to win the season on her own without the help of the mysterious benefactor?