... Anyone else getting the feeling that the Nexus isn't actually on/in the ground? Because that list sounds a lot like something you would find on something in space.
My Zelda game instinct is screaming to me that there will be a massive puzzle lock on the command center door, because dungeon.
Armory, Engineering and Gunnery can all have dangerous equipment inside so they warrant restricted access as my first hunch. Fountain and Shrine sound important but not so immediately dangerous as the former places, so they could have lighter security.
Thus I'm hedging my bet that Hydroponics has free access and now that the place is thawing something might start stiring up.
The Mipha and Sidon scene was very nice, well done on it @ImmortalsBlade
I was a sucker for the extra we got from Sidon and Mipha cutscene when he was just a young child.
Armouries, Something called Hydroponics and Hanger, Gunnery station, Shrine of Resurrection, engineering, quarters and so many more, there's even a Great Fairy Fountain! Except they call it a Great Fairies fountain..."
We most likely will have to do a whole bunch of puzzle solving to open up the command center if it's locked down. I'd guess it would take opening up a bunch of the rooms. But I think it would be best to get confirmation.
After changing into much warmer clothing (and thus utterly baking in the summer heat) you end up being the second to arrive at the Gate, with Zelda already there inspecting what you assume is the control pedestal. It was a strange structure a bit of a distance from the village. It was situated on a large dais, with a ramp allowing easy access. It was made of the same material as the Sheikah shrines, complete with the strange glowing orange lines. The actual Gate was, in fact, a large circular archway at the far end of the dais, with a glowing Sheikah eye predominantly displayed on where the keystone would be if it was a traditionally built archway rather then the strange circular structure before you. As you step onto the dais you notice that set into the center of it seems to be some strange circle made of a slightly different material than the surrounding dark stone, but yet at the same time, it had that same corded design. Around it was a blue ring with Sheikah text clearly visible in the blue glow, with a blue shape the centre of the design, with three sets of two blue circles leading towards it from the outer ring.
"Having fun?" You ask Mipha as she jumps in another puddle behind you.
Mipha shakes her head and walks up beside you, whispering, "It's the only thing keeping me awake, but if I mention that out loud..."
You wince as you both glance at the figure leading your party, her nose inches from the Sheikah Slates screen and the audible sound of teeth grinding in frustration as she leads you through the twisting maze that was this fortress, constantly getting turned around as you have to navigate mounds of melting ice. Originally you had all been tense, waiting for an attack or trap but the constant empty hallways and rooms, and the only sound being the hum of whatever was making that noise along with the sound of water dripping off melting ice or flowing into grates had all left you bored or in Zelda's case exceptionally frustrated.
Finally, after what seems to be hours, Zelda lets out a cry of "It should be just down this hallway!" Before racing off. You and Mipha both sigh in relief, the long boring adventure through this maze coming to a close-
"GAAAAAAAAAAA-!" THUD!
"ZELDA!" You yell out as you hurry ahead, non-slip boots providing traction on the icy and wet floors as you rush forward to the prone figure on the ground, "Are you okay?"
Two red eyes stare up at the ceiling as a hand gingerly reaches up to poke at what must be a rather large bump forming on the back of her head, a wince confirming it. "No," she finally tells you, "I want to go home now."
"It's just up ahead, come on let's-" An ear-piercing shriek cuts you off, followed by the sound of fish being thrown onto an icy-surface, followed by an unhappy red mass sliding slowly into your foot.
"Are you hurt Mipha?" You ask, to which an unhappy groan answers you. You sigh, shaking your head at the state of your companions, "Not going to say you guys weren't aware it was going to be icy, why do you think I brought these no-slip booAAAAAAAAAAAGH-?!"
Mipha and Zelda it turned out didn't like your lecture, and as a pair of red finned legs wrapped around one of your legs as a pair of gloved hands wrapped around the other, and pulled them out from under you. A sharp pain explodes in your side and you curl up, clutching your injury.
"So, let's carry on Link!" Zelda cheerfully says as she climbs to her feet, her back and hair soaking wet as she clutches at the bump on her head, as Mipha pushes herself up with her trident. When you can only groan in response her tone switches to one of concern, "W-wait Link are you okay!? I didn't mean to-!"
"Link I'll heal you! Just tell me what's wrong!" Mipha cries out, kneeling down next to you.
"Landed... on... belt-buckle..." You manage to gasp out, and you hear both girls audibly wince in sympathy.
++++
As the three of you slipped and slide into the control room you all breathe a sigh of relief as natural light finally hit you. Well, some natural light as the massive window that adorned half the room had a raging blizzard on the other side of it. Still, you could make out that you were indeed inside a massive fortress of Sheikah design, resembling a many-towered castle more than the shrines it shared architecture with. This "Nexus" appeared built into a side of a mountain, as large peaks surrounded you on all sides. The room itself was circular, and set up much like a small theatre or lecture hall, with what appeared to be seats leading up the wall. Dominating the spacious centre of the room was what appeared to be a large table, which to have the same type of surface as the Sheikah Slate, except for some reason a pillar of light stretching to the ceiling was emitted from it, with many bracelet-like objects suspended in the air inside of it. Alongside the far wall was several of those pedestals, along with one in the centre of them with the dark stone with a glowing Sheikah eye suspended from the ceiling and a pedestal with a slot for a Sheikah Slate.
You all cautiously enter the room, until Zelda darts forward, turning this way and that as she took in every sight inside the room until she reached that centre pedestal and inserted her Sheikah Slate. Another droplet of light fell onto it, as suddenly dozens of transparent panes covered in Sheikah runes erupted all throughout the room, hovering in the air. Zelda dashed between them as she pulled off her gloves, swiping at certain panes, grabbing runes and seemingly throwing them onto others, tapping at things to make more runes appear and all the while chewing on her tongue, her eyes narrowed in concentration.
You and Mipha, with little else to do inspected the central table, tapping at the column of light which was surprisingly solid. Each tap sent ripples across the surface, almost like it was water yet unlike water you could not penetrate the surface with your hand.
Zelda noticed your curiosity and waved a hand at a panel, and the column of light began to fade, all the bracelets slowly drifting to the surface of the table until they formed a small pile. When the column of light vanished you and Mipha snatched one up for each of you.
"So hey, these bracelets... can we...?" You ask the preoccupied Princess.
"Huh? Yeah sure..." Zelda tells you, waving a hand at you before going back to muttering, "That can't be right... where are the.... why isn't...."
With a shrug, you and Mipha secure a bracelet to your wrists, to which you discover that not only were the straps adjustable but there was even a small surface like the Sheikah Slate on top of it. Text appeared on this surface, ones you could not read but immediately recognized as Sheikah characters.
And then....
Huh, was that the time? Was it that late in the day already?? And oh hey, that's the temperature as well! Also is that the weather? At least, you assume those snowflake pictures with the small arrow pointing to one of them meant the current weather. What a neat little device.
YOU OBTAINED THE SHEIKAH BRACELET! It can tell time, the temperature and the weather! How convenient! Though you can't help but feel there's more too it...
An enraged shriek snaps you out of your inspections as you turn to see Zelda repeatedly slam her fists into the pedestal in front of her until blood poured down her hands. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she glared at the screen in front of her.
"Zelda... what's wrong? What does it say?" Mipha asks, stepping forward as you walk to Zelda's side, unsure if you should put a hand on her shoulder or anything.
"There's nothing! There's nothing here! It's just a big empty building! Everything, even the data was stripped out!" Zelda chokes out, whirling on the two of you with wild, bloodshot eyes.
Mipha's face falls, and she stumbles back, resting a hand on the table, "But... your villagers guarded this place for years. We were supposed... this was supposed to help us save Hyrule..."
"Isn't there anything?" You ask, trying to ignore the horrible sinking feeling in your gut. This was all pointless? Had everything the village hoped for, everything they had prepared Zelda for been a misguided attempt to send her to a long abandoned castle?
"Nothing! Not even the Great Fairies are-" Zelda begins to shout, waving an arm before she pauses. Her brows furrow and she brings her hand in to tap a finger against her chin, "Great fairies... there are supposed to be three great fairies here..."
Mipha looks up, confusion on her face, "Three Great Fairies? Why is that suddenly so familiar?"
An almost giddy expression lights up Zelda's face as realization strikes her, "The sacred springs! The three sacred springs of course!~ AHAHAHA! THAT'S IT!" Zelda practically sings out as she does a happy jig.
That same realization seems to strike Mipha as she claps her hands to her face, "You saw faeries at one of those springs. By Nayru... could they really...?"
"What's going on?" You ask, rather confused.
"The three sacred springs! They're suspected to be sealed great fairy fountains!" Zelda crows at you, joyous laughter in her voice, "Something must have happened here, so the Great Faeries moved to those springs but not before blessing Kakariko village! They'd have everything this place was supposed to contain! Oh, it all makes perfect sense!"
"But they're sealed, so how do we get to them?" You ask, and a grin splits Zelda's face.
"Well, what's the one place that would have records dating back that long ago?" Zelda asks in a singsong voice.
Her expression falters when she notices the blank look you give her, thankfully Mipha saves the day, "Why the Temple of Time of course~! Oh, that must be the real reason we're to go there!"
Zelda nods, "Exactly! So!" She holds up her bloody hands, "This REALLY hurts!"
++++
You return through the portal to Kakariko village, where you find Paya and Impa waiting for you. Their expressions falter when you tell them of what little you did find at the Nexus, but brighten when you all explain why you need to travel to the temple of time. With your adventure done you all return to the manor, ready to set out tomorrow. Before you can sleep however Zelda gives you the important task of figuring out a meal plan for atleast four days.
Your horses will eat about 15 pounds of fodder a day. Zelda and yourself need to eat about 1 pound of meat and two pounds of carbohydrates and other food a day to stay healthy if you are seriously exerting yourselves. Elrora and Sif will eat together a total of 7 pounds of meat a day. Mipha as a Zora will eat between 1-4 pounds of meat a day, depending on activity. However as you'll be taking the Spirit tracks and riding there you might be able to eat lighter if necessary, though the animals won't be able too and will need to eat 30 pounds of fodder a day due to being unable to graze. You will likely reach the spirit tracks on the third day, and reach the temple of time on the fourth. Elrora and Sif will also still eat the same amount. You might also simply make extra in case someone joins you by the end of those four days, but you doubt that. Zelda and yourself need to also be able to drink regularly to stay hydrated in the summer heat, with Mipha needing at least three gallons of water a day. Wine and beer do little to keep her hydrated. It will rain on the third day, so she'll be able to drink normal amounts on that day. She also can eat normal Hylian food, but if you suspect there's serious activity coming up she will need to eat a lot of meat to be at her best for any combat situation.
2300 pound weight limit for wagon
Whatever can reasonably fit or tied to a saddlebag for two horses
Assumption is at least 5 people due to potential of gaining maidens
Paya volunteered to be used as a weight average.
1 Paya = 5'5" 110 pounds so for two other sages assume 220 pounds of weight needs to be available
1 Sif = 200 pounds
1 Elrora = 4 pounds
1 Mipha = 160 pounds
210 pounds of horse feed
56 pounds of barley flour
56 pounds of rice
28 pounds of barley
50 pounds of bacon, sausages, salt pork and other products
40 pounds of salted and dried fish
10 pounds of preserved venison
10 pounds of salt
1 pound of honey
2 pounds of goat butter
5 pounds of hylian herbs
20 pounds of honey-pickled apples
20 pounds of pickled plums
10 pounds of cheese
10 pounds of acorns, fleet lotus seeds and chickaloo tree nuts
15 pounds of Hylian Onions
10 pounds of swift carrots
30 pounds of fortified pumpkins
5 pounds of Hylian mushrooms
1 pound of Silent shrooms
1 pound of Stamella shrooms
1 pound of rushshrooms
2 pounds of pickled radish
2 pounds (around 1 litre) of olive oil
= 959 pounds
30 gallons of wine
10 gallons of beer
30 gallons of water
Which equals roughly 584 pounds
Food + Passenger Total is 1543 pounds
Items scattered between wagon and saddlebags:
7 Empty Elixir Bottles
10 repair powder
45 Bokoblin Teeth
14 Bokoblin Horn
3 Blue ChuChu Jelly
10 Restless Crickets
10 Hightail Lizard
10 Hearty Lizard
10 Bladed Rhino Beetle
10 Rugged Rhino Beetle
10 Summerwing Butterfly
10 Sunset Firefly
10 Hot-Footed Frog
10 Warm Darner
12 Rope Venom
12 Sweet Mushroom
22 willow tree bark
30 Deku Nuts
45 Teleportation Charm Packs
46 Barrier Charm Packs
49 Telekinesis Charm Packs
100 Paper
100 Blessed Ink
1 Traveler's Fishing Pole
24 Bombs
26 Incendiary Bombs
29 Smoke Bombs
27 Flashbangs
380 arrows
90 fire arrows
35 Assassin's Kunai
1 Traveller's Pick
1 Zora Spear
1 set of camping supplies for large group, includes cooking supplies, lamps, waterproof coverings, sleeping rolls, furs, fire starting kit, dry firewood, sewing kit, plates, cutlery, mugs etc
2 large tents
1 set of Zelda Approved travel games
1 sewing kit
1 First Aid kit
1 Zora Sword
1 Champion's Tunic
Spare Clothes for everyone who wears clothes plus other miscellaneous items
*winces* Zelda... really needs help. Sure, rage is justified... but she's hurting herself to the extent of bleeding by slamming her hands down so much...
Anyways. Hey @ImmortalsBlade would the outcome have been different if we had chosen to check other places out first?
