Outside of the shrine I just completed last time, I note on the map that I had actually set a pin nearby, not on the shrine location itself. I think there was some interesting rock formation that I wanted to check out. So I run off in that direction. As I approach, I notice a huge block of skyland falling down, and it lands in the field. I am curious and concerned. What if one of these falls on me, or what if they keep falling, and the entire sky world falls back to land on Hyrule and do massive damage to everything?
I don’t have long to ponder this, as night falls and a pair of bokoblins who were camping nearby notice me and run over to attack. One swings a stone hammer at me, while the other tries to hit me with a lit branch. I manage to fight them off, with some difficulty, sustaining some damage. After the fight concludes, another huge block falls from the sky. It reminds me of Tetris.
It doesn’t seem like there’s anything particularly interesting about these falling blocks, so I look at them for a bit and continue onward. A bit further into the field, I spot a small herd of horses, and decide to grab one to tame it. As I do so, I see a falling star fall from the sky. It’s right in the middle of my field of view, and a long way from where I am, so I use the horse’s speed to cover the distance more quickly. When I reach the shooting star fragment, to my surprise it’s right outside the entrance to an honest to goodness horse stable. Wow, how convenient!
I decide to register and board my new horse here. The inn keeper/stable master guy tells me that I have boarded horses with them in the past. I’ve heard that you can retrieve your horses from BOTW for use in TOTK, so I gather this is how it is done. However, I decide to board this horse, which I name Pony. I also notice our old friend Beedle is sitting nearby, but I don’t bother talking to him at this time.
I check Pony in, and walk over to check out a nearby shrine.
The shrine puzzle is called “Building with logs” or something like that. I need to use Ultrahand to cross a series of obstacles of increasing difficulty. The first three are easy enough; I simply use the logs as bridges and walk across the gaps to the next platform. The final challenge is a small body of water, with a current, and I use the logs to construct a raft, attach a fan that happens to be at the last station, and use it to propel myself across the water. Only, my angles are off, and I end up blowing the raft into the wall off to one side, where I get stuck. I try repositioning the fan, which gets me a little closer, but then I start going in circles. I try re-adjusting again, and get a little closer, this time I just wait for the circle to get as close to land as it will, and jump for it, hoping that I can swim against the current quickly enough to get the the shore before my stamina runs out.
I just barely make it, and earn the reward of a Light of Blessing.
Well, that wasn’t too bad.
I’m in an unmapped area on the Hyrule Plains, or adjacent enough to them that the terrain is pretty much the same. It’s time to explore a bit.