Welcome back to The Legend of Zuzo: The Umbral Tower, a story about how one young Sheikah boy will fight back the darkness and bring peace to the land of Hyrule in a time of conflict, cataclysm, and constant peril.

Last time, our hero undertook - and narrowly completed - his village's traditional coming of age ritual, the Trial of Illumination. He recovered the legendary Lens of Truth from deep within the Shadow Temple... But in the process was nearly slain by an Evil Spirit, blinded in his left eye, and then captured by ninjas of the Yiga Clan! In a feat of tremendous Courage, our young hero escaped, then freed a fellow prisoner, the Keaton known as Oshi. Teaming up with his would-be rescuer and secret crush Kyokimi, he even managed to reclaim the Lens of Truth and sabotage the Goriya pirate ship that was transporting him to the Warlord's top admiral, causing it to explode and sink into the sea. Now he has arrived back at his village on Kakariko Atoll, to convene with the Elders of his tribe at the Pagoda of Whispers, in order to fully complete his Trial and inform them of all he saw and heard within the Shadow Temple before his capture...

Let's start with a refresher on the mechanics of this game.

Actions are resolved using die pools of d6, usually combining an attribute with a skill, where 5's and 6's are counted as Successes, and in contested rolls between more than one party, ties go to the aggressor. Best of Three aka BO3 is a quality only applied when circumstances are very favorable or a character has an excess of time with which to work at achieving a goal. Typically, the first roll made to resolve an action is the one that will be used. When bonus or penalty modifiers are presented, they refer to additional (or fewer) dice in the pool.

You have a number of Hearts which are divided into quarters, and damage will occur in increments of that size, varying depending on the source and your means of protecting yourself. When you have no Hearts remaining, Zuzo will lose consciousness for a time, and likely suffer far-reaching consequences. Having lost all Hearts at one point in our first chapter, for example, he lost the use of his left eye and currently suffers a -3 to uses of the Ranged Combat skill, and -1 to certain Perception checks. You also have a number of Mana points, which are used to activate magical tools or cast spells. Hearts and Mana can be restored in a handful of ways, with potions being the most readily available. Only certain rare food items will affect your Hearts or Mana; eating and drinking water is predominantly about staving off cumulative penalties for hunger/thirst that affect all actions, eventually reaching a critical point whereupon a character begins to lose Hearts hourly until they perish.

>Cont'd

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Zuzo is a Sheikah boy of eighteen years, with sharp red eyes, a pallid complexion, wirey build, messy black hair tied in a ponytail, and quiet demeanor. These are his stats and his current inventory:

Hearts: 3/3
Mana: 4/6

Your Attributes are as follows

Wisdom: 2
Wits: 1
Resolve: 1
Charm: 1
Strength: 2
Stamina: 2
Dexterity: 2

Your Skills are as follows

Melee combat: 2
Ranged combat: 1
Magic: 3
Athletics: 2
Crafting: 1
History & Lore: 2
Stealth: 3
Animal riding: 1
Music: 1

You know the following Techniques

Ninja Smoke - Uses one Deku Nut. Roll Wisdom+Stealth, on a success you are able to instantly move three yards, plus an additional two yards for each success after the first if there are any. This ability does not allow you to move through walls or across distances you could not travel by foot or climbing, it is a trick and not proper teleportation. On a failure, you are too slow, not only remaining in place but stunning yourself briefly with the blast.
Heavy Slash - Roll Strength+Melee+1 if the defender is resisting with Dexterity, or +2 if the defender resists with Stamina. You must use Stamina to defend against attacks during that round.

You know the following Spells

Minor Purify - The target of this spell can be no larger than would fill a common bowl, or held easily in one hand, and must be an inanimate object. Roll Wisdom+Magic, and on a success you remove tarnish or stains from the object, and disease or pollution if it is water or food. If the object is cursed, you must achieve more successes than the Magic level of the one that cursed it, and this may be done with multiple cumulative castings of Minor Purify.

>Cont'd

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You possess the following Items

Wooden Katana - Handed down to you by your mother, it is the sword you trained with your entire childhood.
Tent & Bedroll - Your father used to use these to camp during long expeditions.
Deku Nut - 7x - You keep some of these in a pouch. They can be thrown at enemies to daze them, or at the ground to use your Ninja Smoke ability.
Sheikah Mask - A gift from your best friend Tano, it can conceal your identity and provide minor protection to your head.
Steel Cutlass - A simple and effective weapon for close quarters.
Red Potion - Drinking this will restore 3 Hearts instantly.
Torch - This simple torch can provide light for a radius of a few yards.
Basic Grappling Hook - With a rope that is fifteen (15) yards long and a simple steel hook, this can grant a +2 on Strength+Athletics rolls made to climb.
Glass Jar - You can use this to store liquids or small objects.
Piece of Heart - Three more will grant you an additional Heart.
Lens of Truth - You can spend a point of Mana to activate one of the Lens' abilities, and may activate more than one at a time, with each point providing the use of a corresponding power for one hour after activation. The abilities are:

1) Night Eye
The lens can reveal your surroundings in total darkness, peering through it shows what is on the other side clearly as if it were perfectly illuminated. This can allow you to move unseen in the shadows without needing to rely on a torch, or reveal enemies waiting to ambush from the shadows.
2) Reveal Truth
Peering through the lens allows one to see through illusions and obfuscating magic. Invisible foes are revealed, magical facades are penetrated, and shapeshifters are shown for what they are.
3) Sneak Peak
Holding the lens in front of a door let's you view what is just behind it, but does not render the door transparent. Holding the lens in front of a chest or container allows you to view its contents. This does not function against enchanted doors or containers

You have One Hundred (100) Rupees in your wallet.

>Cont'd

>Archived thread for those that want to brush up
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2025/6330928/

With all of that established, welcome again to The Legend of Zuzo! We will pick up not long after we left off...

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

You followed Elder Tei from the beach to the Pagoda of Whispers, where he led you to the shrine on the top floor of the four story structure. Here you were joined by two other Elders, and served a white tea, steamed rice, and a soup made with sweet potato and fish broth.

The room is sparsely decorated, with uniform walls of dark timber and bone white paper, and white paper lanterns hanging in the corners and in the middle of the ceiling providing plenty of warm illumination. You are seated on a cushion in front of a small, low wooden table, in the center of the square room. Elder Tei sits directly to your left, Elder Umi is to your right, and Elder Jyo is directly in front of you, all with their own cushions, low tables, and tea.

You've spent the last few hours answering their questions, which are as myriad as they are terse, and recounting all the events of the prior day - from when you first set foot on Catacomb Island to begin your Trial, to your harrowing encounters inside the Shadow Temple, and the Goriya privateers that imprisoned you, all the way to your daring escape with Kyokimi's aid. The three wizened Sheikah listened very carefully to everything you said, occasionally betraying their contemplative aloofness with wide-eyed wonder at certain elements of your story - the Lens of Truth almost elicited gasps, and the description you offered of the strange men standing atop the disembodied demon hand in the great hall of the Shadow Temple generated a mix of severe concern and solemnity.

The only thing you neglect to mention is that Oshi asked you to travel with him to free his two brothers. You felt unsure enough whether to confirm that Kyokimi had in fact left the village to seek you out, but your dealings with the fairy fox seem to you to be entirely your own business, separate from the grim matters of the Shadow Temple, Black Tower, and the Warlord's machinations...

You've finished your meal, and drank your tea, and you've told the Elders everything you experienced... Now the room is silent and the three Elders look between one another solemnly.

>Cont'd

It is Elder Umi that first breaks the silence to speak. "This is dire indeed... If what you say is true, a terrible calamity has befallen the kingdom..." She says quietly. Umi is a thin, short woman with deep frown lines and eyes that have dulled to a pink color, her head is bald and her robes are simple, like the other two Elders in the room.

"Indeed, very dire... And yet, young master Zuzo has recovered the Lens of Truth, the first Sheikah to do so in over a thousand years... Is this not auspicious?" Elder Tei replies curiously, looking between his two peers. He is tall, with broad shoulders that hunch deeply as he leans over the table in front of him. His face is long, and flat, with eyes so tightly drawn you'd be forgiven for thinking they were closed. He thoughtfully strokes the long, thin beard that descends from his chin.

You look from one to the other.

"Calamity..."

Elder Jyo, speaks for the very first time since your arrival to utter this single word. "Terrible calamity... Hmm... Zuzo, first we shall speak of your Trial, then we shall speak of the interlopers..." He goes on. He is roughly your own size and build, a medium of the other two Elders, but with gaunt features and a scar arcing from his left ear to the side of his jaw. His eyes are gentle, but his features strong and severe, as if chiseled from mountain stone, with high cheekbones, a long nose, and a prominent jaw. There is a quiet intensity about him, despite his being the eldest of all the Elders, unable to walk very far without a bamboo cane, sleeping most of his days away in a hammock on the beach.

His companions both nod, and Umi takes the lead. "Yes, the Lens of Truth, it is as he says, auspicious. More often than it has been wielded by our own tribe, this tool is often recovered by a Hero of Legend, clad in green... He is said to vanquish great Evil using the Lens to guide his sword and steps. That you would return from the Temple with it suggests you have been marked by the Gods for some deeper purpose..." She says, sitting resolute and reflective.

Then Elder Tei speaks. "In many ways, the Lens exemplifies the Trial. It is a means of confronting that which is true, that which is real, and in so doing, overcome it. The Trial is meant to make you a seeker, and challenges you to return with the truth! The dark truth of our tribe... The Shadows of Our Past... It is only by confronting our legacy directly that we Sheikah can atone, and commit fully, knowingly to our current path. Recovering the Lens is an omen, you may be tasked with discovering something lost, or rebuking that which is false from the land." He offers, stroking his beard again.

>Cont'd

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Finally, Elder Jyo speaks again, resting his hands on his knees. "It is widely known that your mother, Impa, is an intrepid warrior, among the most formidable of our tribe, and wise as well. We have long expected great things from you, Zuzo, and still I admit surprise that you have returned with this most holy relic... As the others noted, it is a powerful omen. You must honor the Lens by using it to reveal that which is lost, forgotten, and hidden from the light." He explains. All three of the Elders nod in unison when he says this. A beat passes. "We in turn must honor the will of the Gods, and acknowledging your claim, we offer you our blessings... Please choose among them which you will receive, Zuzo... The Blessing of Power, Wisdom, or Courage..." He says, gesturing to either of the other Elders as he speaks.

Elder Tei extends a hand, palm facing up, and an orb of crackling red energy forms just above it, floating gently in the air. Elder Umi does the same, though hers is blue. Lastly, Elder Jyo extends a hand as well, with a green sphere of magic energy forming above it.

Which blessing will you receive from the Elders? Each unlocks a different fourth ability for the Lens of Truth, though these more potent abilities only last for ten minutes instead of an hour.

>Blessing of Power - Tactician's Gaze
When used to view an enemy, the Lens will reveal a single weakness. This can provide a crucial advantage against a particular enemy, or information about a broad type of foe that can be relied upon going forward.
>Blessing of Wisdom - Arcane Appraisal
When used to view an enchanted object or tool, the Lens will reveal the nature and function of its magic. Information gleaned will include any elemental focus and the relative power of the enchantment.
>Blessing of Courage - Savior's Spyglass
When used to view a container, door, substance or surface, allows for full transparency penetrating to a distance of up to ten (10) yards. A much more broad and potent version of Sneak Peek which can be used for scanning rooms in advance, spying, or even peering behind masks and through inclement weather.

Holy crackers, we're back!
>>6357768
>Blessing of Courage - Savior's Spyglass
Sounds like the best utility of the bunch. The others seem useful too, but I figure we can get some other tools to figure them out

>>6357768
>>Blessing of Courage - Savior's Spyglass
We just need to lock in on learning to do the other two.

>>6357768
>Blessing of Courage - Savior's Spyglass
When used to view a container, door, substance or surface, allows for full transparency penetrating to a distance of up to ten (10) yards. A much more broad and potent version of Sneak Peek which can be used for scanning rooms in advance, spying, or even peering behind masks and through inclement weather.

Wooo! Welcome back!!! Zuzo makes his return

>>6357768
>Blessing of Power - Tactician's Gaze
we're so back

>>6357768
>Blessing of Power - Tactician's Gaze
We we're pretty good at getting our ass beat last thread, we should pick something that helps us not get our ass beat in the future.

All my favorite anons are here... I think (^:

Things are gonna be different around here! Somewhat!

I am going to experiment with combat mechanics, and may not be updating multiple times a day like I could last time but maybe I will be even more frequent idunno man I've had a lot of free time this Winter. I am also gonna see how long we can get this thread before it feels like time to tie off, I am just gonna feel that out by vibe. I like the consumability if something 700-800 posts long, but depending on pace and engagement it might just feel right to rocket past a grand... As ever, I've got a lot of Big Ideas and am interested to see where we land with all of your guidance.

>>6357768
>Blessing of Courage - Savior's Spyglass

>>6357844
Good to see this quest back, QM, and I'm interested to see where you got with it.

>>6357768
>Blessing of Power - Tactician's Gaze
Welcome back QM! I'm very much looking forward to keeping up with the quest.

>>6357768
>Blessing of Power - Tactician's Gaze

>>6357768
>Blessing of Courage - Savior's Spyglass
Strength can be developed and weaknesses learned over time and experience. This sort of thing? It can't

>>6358042
To be transparent pun intended I will say that all three of these abilities COULD be acquired as spells over the course of your journey, but they are all pretty potent and it could take a long time plus some hard work.

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You rise from your seat, and bow in respect, then approach Elder Jyo to receive the power of the Savior's Spyglass.

Your are bid to hold out your Lens of Truth, and the glowing energy is absorbed into it in moments, causing the device to vibrate slightly between your fingers as this new magic settles in. When you tuck it back into your waistband, you bow once more, now directly to Elder Jyo, and then return to your seat, crossing your legs once more and straightening your posture.

Elder Jyo takes a long, deep breath. "Very good, very good. You have chosen with your heart. This concludes your Trial, young master Zuzo, you are now a man and an honored member of our tribe in full." He says, and all three Elders bow their heads in unison once more. You return the gesture.

Elder Jyo shifts slightly in his seat, then, nods, and then continues to speak.

"Now, there is much about our tribe you are only just learning, and more which is yet to be revealed. What you have relayed about your journey into the Shadow Temple is most concerning... We believe the dark figure you beheld was none other than the dreaded Shadow Demon, Umbravarth, the very same depicted in the panels of our burial ground. Doubtless you have seen the Towering Shadow which now stretches to the heavens above Catacomb Island?" He asks.

>Cont'd

You nod in confirmation, hands clasped in your lap.

"A blight upon the land... A terrible calamity." Elder Jyo replies, shaking his head at the mere mention of it. "The ancient Sheikah constructed for him an enormous Black Tower, from which their dark master could surveil the kingdom and relay it's many secrets. When it was destroyed by the Great Sages that sealed Umbravarth away, it's counterpart remained... An Umbral Tower cast inside of the Dark Realm. That which looms above our Atoll is an extension of this, a Shadow cast by that Shadow into our world... Shade of a shade... The accursed echo of our ancestor's greatest failure!" He slams a fist down on the table before him, eyes affixed to the floor. "Now unleashed by the Warlord's agents, the unutterable darkness of Umbravarth's wrath shall sweep the land once more..." He composes himself, and sits up straight again, looking at you.

When he does so, Elder Umi adds her own remark. "Of the wizard Verak, we sadly know very little. Only what our spies have managed to gather - that he is a conjurer of Dark World monsters, and a favored servant of the Demon Warlord." She says.

You hear an uneasy grunt from your other flank, and turn to look at Elder Tei, who is nodding along solemnly. "The Yiga Clan, however, are more familiar to us. They are traitors... Defectors who, upon learning the truth of our past, believe our tribe should never have abandoned the Dark Path. They rebuke the Golden Goddesses for our exile, and have long sought to return their lord Umbravarth to the mortal realm. When the Demon Warlord first began his campaign of conquest in the East, they offered their fealty, perhaps in exchange for his assistance in freeing their old master..." He says with disgust.

You set your jaw and furrow your brow... This is worse than you'd thought.

>Cont'd

*dabbing my brow with a sponge between formatting this text*

After a quiet moment, you look up as Elder Jyo speaks again. "Only one mortal has ever matched Umbravarth in battle, the Hero of Shadows, whose name is lost to time, and whose Legend is another of our people's guarded secrets, for to acknowledge his triumph openly would require we acknowledge also the truth of our ancestor's loyalty to the Demon Umbravarth..." He says.

"Even so, the deed could only be done after he collected the five Moonshadow Relics forged by Elder Shikashi in the time before myth..." Says Elder Tei with a particularly pensive stroke of his beard. "The whereabouts of these ancient weapons has eluded discovery since the day the Hero struck down the wicked beast. It is imperative we reclaim them for the defense of the kingdom." He adds, bringing his right fist down into the palm of his left hand for emphasis.

The other Elders concur with quiet nods. You quirk a brow. While you had never heard tell of the Hero of Shadows until today, you have heard about the Moonshadow Relics. They are fixtures in many of the fairytale stories told to the village children, allegedly having been forged by Elder Shikashi himself under the Blood Moon summoned by an ancient Demon King. Some stories suggest they were not constructed of wood or steel at all, and instead were wrought from the living shadows of the Demon King's mightiest servants after each was defeated by Shikashi in his service to the kingdom. They were one of several historical curiosities you recall being of particular interest to your father; fixations, really, and across his academic work they maintained a constant presence.

Elder Jyo heaves a deep breath, and focuses intently on you. This recaptures your attention, and you meet his steely gaze with that of your remaining eye. "Zuzo, you must understand that what we do next is for the good of the realm, and is not a reflection of the valor and skill you have demonstrated in returning with the Lens and escaping from the pirates. It is out of deference to our responsibilities to this kingdom." He says, and you brace for bad news.

>Cont'd

But you couldn't have braced yourself enough.

"You are forbidden from leaving Hidden Village Island, indefinitely. Yaro has already been instructed not to lend you any sea-faring vessel, and your father's old canoe is likely still on Catacomb Island, far from where it can be reached." The eldest Elder says matter of factly. "The recent graduates from the ninja training program have already been sent to the mainland. Those still in training will have it expedited, and will be sent tomorrow to finish their studies in the field. The kingdom needs every fighter it can have, without delay. But I am afraid that you are the exception, Zuzo. Even if you had been given time to begin your training, your being recognized by the Yiga Clan as a means of entrapping your mother is something that cannot be ignored... She is too valuable an asset. She has direct ties to the Royal Family, and is our most crucial agent for acquiring and transmitting critical intelligence. Her being compromised is a risk we will not accept. You are not yet ready." He folds his arms across his chest when he proclaims this, and the other Elders join him. All three nod in unanimous agreement that you will not be permitted to leave the village.

You recoil slightly in your seat, your eye widens, and you can't help but open your mouth to gasp in shock. Then you exhale sharply through your nose, and set your features in stern disapproval. The look you direct at Elder Jyo could boil water.

>Cont'd

Nonetheless, he remains firm. "Go now, young master Zuzo, return to Momoh, she has been very worried. This week you can begin work at the windmill, and you will be permitted certain studies, but we will not abide by your enlistment in the War, not under these dire circumstances." With this, all three Elders rise from their seats in unison, indicating that it is time for you to leave.

You do so, getting up carefully and turning your back on the three of them to enter the narrow hall you arrived by. The stairs take you down one level, to a landing that rounds the corner and to another set of stairs, and so on until you exit at the first floor of the Pagoda of Whispers, where tiered benches are arranged around a square central dais. You step around the outside of this gathering space and through the two main doors, out onto the soft, sparse grass of the village center.

The sun is just beginning to crest the horizon, streaking the sky with gentle yellow and orange light that melts through the violet night. Gulls cackle overhead, the wind massages soft waves across the shore, and some of your neighbors are beginning to set up their market stalls, while others stroll along well worn paths to their day's work. You inhale a deep breath of the familiar village air, filling your lungs.

It is the first day of the rest of your life.

You will not allow the Elders to keep you here against your will. After nightfall you will attempt to sneak away by boat, or perhaps some other means if it occurs to you. You have time between now and then to say goodbyes and run some errands to prepare. You'll convene with Oshi first, then Kyokimi, and after that will have to be strategic about where you go and what you do with your time. When all preparations are complete, you will return home for the evening, where you may speak to Momoh both before you depart.

>Cont'd

You may choose ONLY THREE (3) of the following options. After all three have been attended to, there will be another Vote for midday, where you will again make ONLY THREE (3) selections from the same list, allowing you to attend to things you missed the first time, or repeat them if you feel it would be beneficial. If you select 'Odd Jobs' it will always be the first thing you do.

>Approach Yaro at the pier, maybe you can simply convince him to let you leave, or maybe notice something by daylight that could help you later
>Visit Shishu's Shop again, his inventory may have changed and you have more money to spend than yesterday
>Make a stop at the village Archives and speak to Elder Ki, he can probably answer some pretty obscure questions about some of the things you have seen and done lately, if you're still wondering about them
>Go to Mobi's Dojo, you can pay him to teach you special fighting Techniques
>Pray at the Spirit Stone on the tall hill beyond the Watchtower, you should honor the Goddess before you begin your journey
>Go to Geesa's Tent, you can pay her to teach you magic Spells
>Work some odd jobs in the village center; unloading products, cleaning, delivering goods or messages [nets FORTY (40) rupees flat each time, successful rolls will give bonuses, up to a maximum total of ONE HUNDRED (100)]
>Gather food by climbing trees and using a spear to fish, it's cheaper than buying it, but time consuming [nets SIX (6) servings of food each time]
>Go to the Island Barracks and jail... It wouldn't be easy, but you could attempt to steal weapons or tools for your journey in order to save rupees

You currently have one hundred (100) rupees in your wallet.

OP have you played Dragon Quest 8? I ask because this "Moonshadow" stuff plus that one door puzzle in the first thread (I'm getting caught up!) are very strongly reminiscent of that game. Will we also get a cool blue ship from a desert, or reunite a prince with his departed loved one?

>>6358268
I haven't played any Dragon Quest! That sounds sick as fuck though!

>>6358264
>Visit Shishu's Shop again, his inventory may have changed and you have more money to spend than yesterday
>Go to Mobi's Dojo, you can pay him to teach you special fighting Techniques
>Go to Geesa's Tent, you can pay her to teach you magic Spells

>>6358264
>h
>Work some odd jobs in the village center; unloading products, cleaning, delivering goods or messages [nets FORTY (40) rupees flat each time, successful rolls will give bonuses, up to a maximum total of ONE HUNDRED (100)]
>Visit Shishu's Shop again, his inventory may have changed and you have more money to spend than yesterday
>Go to Mobi's Dojo, you can pay him to teach you special fighting Techniques

>>6358264
>Visit Shishu's Shop again, his inventory may have changed and you have more money to spend than yesterday
>Go to Mobi's Dojo, you can pay him to teach you special fighting Techniques
>Go to Geesa's Tent, you can pay her to teach you magic Spells

>>6358273
Okay here you go, spoilers duh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lObYOfq_FcU
6:49 onward
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsGRjFh7Iuc
up to 3:15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIG856UgnUg
up to 3:40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcC53OrPB5Y
0:55 to 9:15

>>6358264
>Work some odd jobs in the village center; unloading products, cleaning, delivering goods or messages [nets FORTY (40) rupees flat each time, successful rolls will give bonuses, up to a maximum total of ONE HUNDRED (100)]
>Go to Geesa's Tent, you can pay her to teach you magic Spells
>Visit Shishu's Shop again, his inventory may have changed and you have more money to spend than yesterday
Get dosh, get magic (so we can use the one stat we are most invested in) and get equipment that will help us escape the island. I wonder if we can scrap together enough money for the Sheika Ninja armour and a proper weapon.

>>6358406
Ooohhh yeah! Yeah!! I love this vibe. Feels very kith and kin to what I am tryna do so I may watch some playthroughs while I am cooking and stuff this week. Thank you anon!

Sounds like we're gonna be hunted by pretty much everybody. We need a disguise and a cover identity once we escape the island.

>>6358445
Our dead giveaways that we should find a way to conceal:
General appearance
Sheikah fighting style and skills
Missing eye
Red remaining eye

>>6358264
backing >>6358433

>>6358447
>general appearance
Shouldn't be too hard
>Sheikah fighting style and skills
A bit harder to conceal them without gimping ourselves
>missing eye
We could go MM and get a plain unadorned mask instead of the Sheikah one?
>red remaining eye
Yeah Hyrule doesn't have technology to make contacts. I think masking up is the best solution for most things

>>6358452
In BOTW the Yiga clan is always doing some kind of magic disguise as a generic traveler. I wonder if we could do something similar.

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>>6358452
>masking up
There is a certain Keaton Mask you'll probably have on you shortly, which is fairly nondescript and as of yet unaffiliated with you/your tribe by reputation.... He might have advice on avoiding capture, too.

>>6358454
Oh yeah. That's the disguise sorted then.

>>6358452
>red remaining eye
you can see through thin cloth if it's stretched enough so that might work.

>>6358454
I seriously hope we don't encounter Link yet. It's way too early for it. Let him do his own adventure and work his way through his own 3D open world version of Ocarina of Time. He's already skipping the Master Sword to speedrun straight to Ganondorf's war camp, so you bet he's going to get stomped and then have to escape and come back from that.

>>6358479
To catch up to The Legendary Hero, Zuzo would have to clip through the tree next to his grandmother's house by spinning while holding a rock above his head, and then spam [B] after letting go of the rock while in freefall in out of bounds to trigger what we call a Rock-Jump, facing Northeast at JUST the right angle, in order to skip ahead to the Lost Marsh. Then he would need to go to The Abandoned Manor and use another Rock-Jump to get to Midora Forest. If he approaches the far barrier of THAT zone and initiates dialogue with the Lumberjack in the red shirt, he can press [A] and [B] simultaneously to initiate a cutscene that could-

Just messin'

I think it's cool for Link to be out there but I don't want him soaking up the spotlight. His story has a different trajectory from yours, and his usual, and he'd be too distracting. So don't sweat it.

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>>6358485
We're safe as long as we don't run into the REAL Legendary Hero, guys...

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I can't believe Iet myself miss thread #2 starting, curse you Elden Ring!

I don't think we should rush leaving, honestly. The Elders will no doubt have Zuzo watched to some degree so he won't do anything 'reckless'.
>>6358264
>Visit Shishu's Shop again
>Pray at the Spirit Stone
>Go to Geesa's Tent
Let's get an idea of waht we'd like to save up before we use time on odd jobs, I say.

>>6358491
the REAL Hero, you say?

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>>6358517
>>6358491
>>6358517
Come on you guys, we're talking about the REAL HERO

Got six votes so far, may be some more later tonight but am gonna start a tally:

>6 Shishu's
>5 Geesa's
>3 Odd Jobs
>3 Mobi's Dojo
>1 Spirit Stone

If we do end up with a tie, I will roll dice to decide which way Zuzo goes on something. Right now, he would be visiting Shishu, Geesa, and then toss up between Mobi and making some extra scratch to shop with. *Please remember, after midday we will have the same vote, with the same list of options available, for another three errands before nightfall. You can revisit characters/locations from this first round then, if you'd like, or pick different options in order to cover a wider array of bases with your preparation. This is not your only opportunity to do any of these things before you leave, but there are purposefully too many options to do everything.*

Rolled 2 (1d2)

Ok! No more votes it seems, let's decide if we're making money or spending it:

1) Odd Jobs
2) Geesa's Tent

Will work on the next update today.

>>6358808
I'm dumb I meant Mobi, I am waking up for work right now(((: anyways!

>Shishu's Shop
>Geesa's Tent
>Mobi's Dojo

Shopping spree!!!

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You decide in short order that you ought to spend the first half of the day spending the rupees you managed to collect during yesterday's ordeal. Shishu likely has new wares, and you find yourself thinking about the Sheikah Armor on the mannequin behind the counter... You'll also visit Geesa in her Tent, and Mobi in his Dojo - with payment, these two wizened old Sheikah can instruct you in matters of Spellcraft and Combat.

But before that, you need to convene with your friends. Your house is a shorter walk than the Tea Tree, and in truth, you still feel a little rattled from your meeting with the Elders, so you opt to catch up with Oshi first, and answer his request for help.

You keep your pace brisk, as there's quite a lot to do, and arrive at the exterior of your family home off to the edge of the village in just a short time. You step inside briefly to confirm that your grandmother is away, likely doing her own shopping or gathering of materials for taking care of the property and keeping you both fed. Leaving, you make your way over to the nearby patch of tall grass at the base of a palmetto tree, and wade into it directly, brushing the green blades aside this way and that as you feel around for the little fairy fox. The grass comes up to your chest and is quite dense...

"Hoy."

Your hear a familiar voice in the back of your mind, and twisting around, you see that Oshi is just on the edge of the grass, sat atop a rock to give you and him both a clear view of each other. His eyes are closed and his tail swishes in the morning breeze. "That was some chat you had with those Elder guys, kid. Was starting to worry you'd be their age by the time you got out of there. How'd it go?"

>Cont'd

Your gaze shifts off to the side, and your face contorts into a scowl for a moment, before softening into a disappointed frown.

"Oh man, that bad, huh? The old 'you don't know how to fight good and your mom's a super spy with a relationship to the royal family and the bad guys will take you hostage or do weird magic on you to get to her so we're putting you on house arrest for the duration of the war' routine... Seen it many times." Oshi replies pitiously, shaking his head. "Tough break. Especially since I was counting on you to be my ride out of here."

You sigh, but then look back to him, features tensing.

One of Oshi's eyes opens, and he quirks a brow in the way that a fox might. "You can't be serious, you're gonna bust out of here? Tonight? So you can use that Lens to help win the war? Can't blame you for thinking you found it for a reason, but maybe that reason should be something else... Idunno, maybe looking at bugs? Or other small stuff? Oh, maybe seeing which fruit has bugs in it before you take a bite?" The fox suggests in a helpful tone. His eye closes again, and his fur bristles a bit. "Well, far be it from me to dictate your life, I barely have a handle on my own these days. If you want to skip town, count me in, pal, but don't be afraid to turn me down and play it safe here. This is a swell little hamlet you Sheikah fellas have here, way more peaceful than some other neighborhoods around the kingdom. I'm still glad to teach you a bit of magic for your help freeing my boneheaded brothers, but I can figure out my own way to the mainland if you think it'd be best to stay home, I promise."

You take a deep breath and cross your arms, regarding the Keaton carefully as you think.

What will you do?

>Accept Oshi's offer to help free his brothers from the Warlord's forces
>Decline Oshi's offer, what you must do you will do alone

And also:

>He is a wise fox, you will abandon your escape plan in order to enjoy the peace of the island and train over the weeks to come
>You will not squander an artifact like the Lens of Truth, you will not allow Tano and Kyokimi to fight for the kingdom without you, and knowing that Umbravarth is out there, you will join the war effort tonight, because every hand is needed to stem the tide of darkness

Last thread, having felt inspired by a rewatch of Fantastic Mr. Fox I encouraged players to read Oshi with George Clooney 's voice.

To the anon that instead said he heard Norm Macdonald: you have altered my own understanding of the character for the better.

>>6358864
>Accept Oshi's offer to help free his brothers from the Warlord's forces
we've lost an eye because of the warlord's forces, I want payback no matter how indirect it might be!
but at the same time.

>He is a wise fox, you will abandon your escape plan in order to enjoy the peace of the island and train over the weeks to come
I'm still of the opinion that the Elders have foreseen an escape attempt, Zuso wasn't exactly sublte about his disagreement.

>>6358864
>Accept Oshi's offer to help free his brothers from the Warlord's forces
>He is a wise fox, you will abandon your escape plan in order to enjoy the peace of the island and train over the weeks to come
I don't mind taking a moment to think things through. Oshi hasn't led us astray yet and like >>6358889 said the Elders will probably expect us to act rashly.

Also goddamn it now I can't unhear Norm either

>>6358864
>>Accept Oshi's offer to help free his brothers from the Warlord's forces
>He is a wise fox, you will abandon your escape plan in order to enjoy the peace of the island and train over the weeks to come
TRAINING MONTAGE GO!
Train hard, do odd jobs, buy gear. Maybe even through proxies.

>>6358864
>Accept Oshi's offer to help free his brothers from the Warlord's forces
>You will not squander an artifact like the Lens of Truth, you will not allow Tano and Kyokimi to fight for the kingdom without you, and knowing that Umbravarth is out there, you will join the war effort tonight, because every hand is needed to stem the tide of darkness

>>6358864
>Accept Oshi's offer to help free his brothers from the Warlord's forces
>You will not squander an artifact like the Lens of Truth, you will not allow Tano and Kyokimi to fight for the kingdom without you, and knowing that Umbravarth is out there, you will join the war effort tonight, because every hand is needed to stem the tide of darkness

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>>6358866
>>6358891
>Norm spreadeth

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You shift your weight a bit as you absorb his words. Maybe the Elders are right after all... You run a hand along the side of your head where you were struck so badly in the Shadow Temple... Maybe all those years of wanting to be a ninja, all those nights since the Siege, hoping to fight back against the monsters like your mother is something you truly are not ready for. Maybe you should spend a few weeks appreciating the privilege of being the only young person not enlisted into a deadly War. Yet all the same, you still would like to help Oshi and his brothers...

"Hold up, hold up, let's slow it down and roll back a sconch, buster." The Keaton pipes up. "I'm glad to see you learning to embrace your limits as a newly disabled veteran, really, but if you're going to dig your heels in here, how exactly are you gonna help prevent my siblings from having their tails removed? Idunno if I can square the circle on that one, not to sound, uh, rude or ungrateful, of course. It's the thought that counts, and I am reading that thought fondly - flattered you've taken a shine to me." Oshi puffs up a little when he says this, and lets a breath out of his snout. "Still, like I said, if you would rather hang back and work on yourself, I can figure my own way back to Hyrule."

Your face scrunches a little and you half frown, casting a glance in the direction of the mainland that lies somewhere beyond the horizon. You're certainly feeling conflicted.

Again, Oshi registers your thoughts and interrupts them. "Look, pal, how's about this: as much as I'd like to tag along while you do... Whatever it is you islanders do, like basket weaving or surfing or sand castles, if you are thinking you'd rather stay here I should spend the day looking for a means to set sail, if they really are sending the last of the conscripts, this time tomorrow your little pier may have even less traffic than now." His ears perk a little and his three tails all curl in different directions for a moment. "Why don't you also keep your eye peeled for ways to get out of here, and we link back up at this nice rock at about, uh, sunset? Even if you don't come with, I'll teach you a Spell if you can help me get to the mainland, that's worth something. Then, maybe whenever you make your way over you can find me, and if I still need help by then we can go back to the original deal. Sound fair?"

>Cont'd

Your shoulders ease up at the prospect. Maybe you won't be able to rescue his brothers, but if you can assist Oshi with his journey off of Kakariko Atoll that will still make a big difference in getting his family back together. You'll have to be mindful as you go about your business for any clues about how one might leave without the permission of the Elders.

What do you say to the new deal?

>Yes, I will meet back with you here at sunset with an idea of how you can get home, and I will remain in the village for at least a couple of weeks to recover and prepare for what I do next. Since I am staying behind, we should definitely split up so you can look for an exit in case I fail.
>On second thought, I want to accept your original bargain, and I will re-commit to escaping tonight, so you should stick with me during the day in order to work together on a plan.
>Write-in

>>6359008
>On second thought, I want to accept your original bargain, and I will re-commit to escaping tonight, so you should stick with me during the day in order to work together on a plan.
Time is of the essence people! Adventure awaits!

>>6359008
>On second thought, I want to accept your original bargain, and I will re-commit to escaping tonight, so you should stick with me during the day in order to work together on a plan.
Nothing's changed in my mind since I cast my last vote. No offense, but isn't this one a little redundant?

>>6359020
Not offended at all, it's definitely kind of redundant, but 1) I did not expect players to choose helping him AND staying on the island (which I introduced bc a player had suggested feeling we didn't need to rush away, and I'm down with a longer slice of life/low stakes thread before we eventually move on to the adventure proper). So, I wanted to alter the deal a bit in order to accommodate players so they could hang back and still do /something/ to assist Oshi. 2) It's a big decision! Anyhow, this convo was mostly meant to let you guys decide if you do or do not want to be stuck with Oshi as your 'guide', something I wanted to be sure to give opportunity to back away on at least once - a lot of characters that fill this role in the LoZ franchise are widely reviled, and while I think Oshi has been liked, I just felt an urge to give you one last chance to decide whether you would lock in or not, yaknow? I will leave this vote open a little while longer before I move us along to Kyokimi and things start to get more engaging.

>>6359008
>On second thought, I want to accept your original bargain, and I will re-commit to escaping tonight, so you should stick with me during the day in order to work together on a plan.

>>6359022
QM you gave us what looked like the chance to have our cake (time to prepare) and eat it too (help Oshi using our ninja skills), of course we small-minded fools took it.

>>6359095
Yeah just feels like another growing pain, I should have committed to my premise of Zuzo wanting to rush back into the fight - a quality of his I genuinely find endearing now. This is my first ''''popular'''' quest, I think sometimes my impulse to appeal to whims and/or give more agency than is necessary is because I am afraid of fucking it up, and I find myself getting turned off by quests that feel stifling. I am receiving this lesson though, I need to lock in, and keep my eyes on the prize, I can trust my instincts on this even if it FEELS new. I have been running TTRPG's for almost half of my life now... Thanks for your patience...

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Your brow furrows, and you exhale sharply. You're in for a penny, so you're going for a pound. Your response to Oshi's offer is a shake of your head, as you begin to wonder if his overly cautious sensibilities are beginning to rub off on you...

That might not be the worst thing in the world, all things considered. But when it comes to the matter of re-entering the fray? Well, for now, you aren't sold. You put on a brave face and give him an upnod.

"Hah, rhere he goes again, the swashbuckling teenage wounded veteran." Oshi chuckles, and his teeth show in a mock smile. "Well alright then, keep that energy, Zuzo. I'll keep my word, and right now I am gonna teach you a top secret Fairy Fox Spell. These are a little different than what you may be used to. Why don't you go ahead and press [L] to [L]-Target me. It'll adjust the Camera so you can pay extra close attention, if you Blink you'll miss it."

Your eyes widen at his suggestion - you didn't realize that would be helpful! You do as you are bid, and lock your gaze onto the Keaton.

Oshi nods to you, and his tails all swish back and forth in unison. "This Spell is called Blink, and it's a great way to get out of dodge. Check this out." He says, and as the last word enters your mind, he vanishes out of sight entirely.

"Hoy! Heh."

You twist all the way around when you hear his voice, and see Oshi peeking through the tall grass up at you.

>Cont'd

You take a step back in surprise, but then considering, you smile.

"Here pal, watch one more time..."

You train with Oshi... You learn a Spell...

You have learned... Blink!

At the cost of one (1) Mana, you are able to become perfectly invisible, and remain so, for as long as you are able to hold your breath and avoid blinking your eye(s) - the effect is ended the moment you take a breath or close an eye, and the effect is ended if you perform an attack, allowing you to draw near to foes, but not strike them undefended.

Oshi nods when you have integrated this mystic knowledge fully. "Yeah, that's excellent. Now look, I know there are much better invisibility Spells out on the market, I'm not gonna argue about it. This is fairy magic, man, it's efficient. Not resource intensive, yaknow? Anyways, you're a natural, great work, kid." He says. "I'll be with you, but so as to avoid drawing undue attention while you're attempting a low profile, I think I'd prefer to be less obtrusive for a tick. Don't mind me, buddy." With that, he drifts to your waist and transforma into a yellow wooden mask of his own likeness, tethered to your sash. "After you, my friend." He says matter of factly into your own mind.

>Cont'd
>Will write the rest of this update - meeting up with Kyokimi at the Tea Tree and talking - tomorrow

>>6359104
>press [L] to [L]-Target me. It'll adjust the Camera so you can pay extra close attention
Kek

>>6359106
What happens if we cast the spell with our eye closed already? Do we get unlimited time (until we have to breathe) but are blind?

>>6359199
Just doesn't work. Later on you may be able to get Spells of Invisibility with longer durations, and/or which persist even if you breathe or even attack. Way early in the story for that though, this is a Keaton trick for disappearing into tall grass.

>>6359201
Fair enough!

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With a new Spell under your belt, and Oshi at your side once more, you bound off towards the Tea Tree that grows on the far side of the village. On your stroll, you pass by more of your neighbors arranging their stalls, or sweeping the front of their shops. A few wave, and more give you curious looks or stares, specifically at the bandages around your head. None interrupt you or pry, however, they have their own business to attend to, and rumors of your Trial are yet to have spread beyond the Pagoda of Whispers.

Birds sing in the wooded areas between houses, and you find yourself soothed by the smell of fresh eggs and pork cooking, green peppers, onions, and fish broth. The warm sun tickles your shoulders through your robes. But despite these familiar comforts, you can't help but look over your shoulder a couple of times at the Enormous Shadow stretching up into the clouds on the other side of the Atoll...

All the same, you soon round the cobblestone fence to the clearing where the Tea Tree grows, and you hear music as you draw nearer.

https://youtu.be/CpPBO4cL2Ko?si=h1cGeohABIHejSeF

The grass here is soft, and seems to sway to the sound of Kyokimi playing her Sheikah Flute from where she is sitting at the base of the tree, leaned up against the trunk. You pause for a moment to take in the sound.

She is still wearing her armor, but her face is fully uncovered now, and you see there's a small wooden table next to her with a kettle sitting over a candle, with two ceramic cups for either one of you. You notice also a large bowl of rice, fried egg, and green onions, with two smaller bowls stacked beside it, and finally, a square package wrapped in white paper, bound with black twine.

>Cont'd

When she finishes playing, you approach, causing her to look up in your direction and smile.

"Hoy!"

She waves you over, half-giggling, and puts her flute away before sitting more upright. "Finally! Come share some breakfast with me, Zuzo." Kyokimi bids you, sidling up to the table herself and setting out the bowls separately with some chopsticks. "I'm brewing us some tea as well. I'd say we've both earned a relaxing morning."

You grin, and join her by the tree, sitting down with your legs crossed at the other side of the table.

Oshi remains disguised as a mask, and speaks telepathically to you as you make yourself comfortable. "Hey kid, grab some of those Tea Leaves before you move along, alright? That's good stuff right there."

You make a note to do so, but can't take your eye off of Kyokimi as you pile a serving of food into your bowl.

"So... You probably heard they're shipping us out tomorrow. Captain Kuro is here to oversee the transfer. Some of us asked, and we heard it would be everyone in training... And that you wouldn't be joining us. I'm... I'm so sorry, Zuzo. I argued with Kuro as hard as I could, but he wouldn't listen, I know you have the makings of a great fighter." Kyokimi says. Her eyes drift from you and down the surface of the table, and she sighs. Eventually, her gaze rises back up, however, and she smiles weakly. "When I find Kyokari I'll tell her you said hey, and I'll look for Impa too. I'm not sure where I'll be deployed yet, but there's already some whispers we may go after one of those Naval Fortresses you and I discovered on that Map."

>Cont'd

You nod a couple of times, and turn your attention to your bowl, but you don't eat anything yet. You glance to the package, which causes Kyokimi to light up.

"Oh, hey! Open that, it's your birthday gift! I was able to work with Shishu to have it brought over from the University, he was saying something about having a shipping deal?" She says, looking pleased. You vaguely recall him mentioning something about that. Naturally, you grab the package and begin unwrapping it.

You open the package... You find an item...

You have received... The Shikashi Diagram!

This document shows some kind of map, first carved by Elder Shikashi onto his own mask. It appears to have been hand-copied in ink on this parchment by your Father during his studies, along with a lunar chart and some ancient Sheikah symbols you don't recognize. It has been framed by the University Archive.

You stare down at the paper, clutching the edges of the frame tight in your hands. You breathe deeply. Your father used to spend hours running his fingers across the back of that mask, sitting on the porch, drinking tea and dreaming of the past.

"I thought you mi-" Kyokimi begins to say, but she is caught off by you practically launching yourself into her with a bear hug, squeezing your arms tight around her. You both nearly tumble over, but she manages to stay upright. "Oh! Hahaha, hey, happy birthday, Zuzo!"

>Cont'd

You let go, and sit back down, placing a hand on top of the Diagram. You don't have much left of your father's, so this means a lot.

Kyokimi begins pouring the tea, looking coy and not making eye contact. You catch a glimpse of her blushing. "Well, I'm glad you like it. Maybe when the War is finally over you can show me the real thing, on the mask, back at Hyrule University... I'm going to miss you out there. Keep an eye on this place for the rest of us, ok? Erm, uh, sorry, you know what I mean." She blushes again, a touch embarrassed to have inadvertently referenced your partial blindness.

How do you respond to that?

>Confess to her your plan to escape the island in order to fight for the kingdom, she may be willing to help and have ideas of her own.
>Play it close to the chest, thank her but don't admit your intentions to sneak away, you wouldn't want to incriminate her.
>Redirect the conversation, inquire about something else (specify).
>Write-in

>>6359237
>Play it close to the chest, thank her but don't admit your intentions to sneak away, you wouldn't want to incriminate her.

>>6359237
>Play it close to the chest, thank her but don't admit your intentions to sneak away, you wouldn't want to incriminate her.
I do trust her, but all it can take is one small slip of the tongue.

>>6359237
>Play it close to the chest, thank her but don't admit your intentions to sneak away, you wouldn't want to incriminate her.

>>6359250
Oh, IP change.
Am >>6358517>>6358889

>>6359237
>Confess to her your plan to escape the island in order to fight for the kingdom, she may be willing to help and have ideas of her own.
Woah now, Zuzu wouldn't LIE to his childhood friend would he? He'd want her to know where hes going and how they might contact each other later on. Shes going back to Hyrule University anyways.

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You nod shyly a couple of times, and half-smile. But you don't let on that she may see you sooner. You wouldn't want her to be incriminated or reprimanded by an officer in the field for concealing your intentions. Plus, a part of you is looking forward to surprising her as much as you'll probably surprise everyone else getting off this island.

The two of you share the meal she's provided, and finish the tea, laughing and reminiscing your youth together all the while. You wish you could do nothing else for the day, but after the kettle is finally empty, you look up to see how the sun has shifted. It's time you move along.

When you both get up, Kyokimi approaches and rests a hand on your shoulder. "I suppose this is goodbye for now. I'll need to spend the rest of the day packing before orientation with Captain Kuro." She says, and then pulls you into another hug, this time one where she is able to get her arms around you as well. "I won't forget you, Zuzo, and I'll be counting the days until I see you again and we can put all of the darkness behind us. You're one of the best friends I've ever had!" She pulls back, and plants a quick peck on your cheek that causes your whole body to heat up from head to toe, and a goofy grin spreads across your cheeks. "See you later, Zuzo!"

Once she's left the clearing, you remember to grab a handful of Sheikah Tea Leaves from the Tree and place them in a pouch inside your bag. "There we go, something to know about a guy like me, Zuzo, is I love some caffeine. I get the, uh, you know, the zoomies, I think they call it? Run all around? Yip a bit, jump up and down? Feels amazing, if you ever transform into a little furry animal, I can't recommend it enough." Oshi says.

Transform into an animal? You think incredulously as you sling the bag back over your shoulder.

"Hey now, might sound crazy, but if you keep up this Hero nonsense, it's a lot more likely than you'd think!"

>Cont'd

You proceed back to the town center, towards your first proper errand of the day: revisiting Shishu's Shop for fresh provisions.

When you step into his store, he stands up and waves.

"Ayoy!"

You walk up to the counter, giving your elder a polite bow in reply to his greeting.

He lets out a low whistle and shakes his head. "What's them bandages all about, sonny, you take a fall in the Temple? Well, you'll walk it off, you're one tough monkey, eh?" Shishu says, slamming a fist down on the counter and then pointing at you accusingly.

"EYHEHEHEE!"

The old man cackles for a moment, then composes himself. Meanwhile, you sheepishly scratch at the back of your head, smiling politely.

"Well, anyways, congrats on finishin' up your Trial, Zuzo, I know your parents would be proud if they could be here. What can old Shishu do you for today?" He finally says.

What can he do for you?

>Ask him to remind you what it was he said yesterday about the Secret Ship and his 'deal', Kyokimi mentioned it as well.
>Ask to see his inventory to buy and sell.
>Write-in

>>6359297
>Ask to see his inventory to buy and sell.

Here's what he said earlier. Seems like a good option for our escape plan. Let's not bring it up to him though, that could tip him off.

>The old man cackles at his own observation. "That's just swell, I say. You haven't set out for Catacomb Island yet, eh? Smart of you to consider making some last minute preparations. Why don't you have a look see at what it is I'm selling today. Just got me a shipment in from the mainland, I got a sweet deal having it brought in on the secret ship they built over on Ironclad Island. My empty crates and barrels get loaded on over at the pier in the middle of the night, I pay them a fee, and when the containers come back, they're loaded with all kinds of great stuff from my old buddies far and wide!"

>>6359297
>Ask to see his inventory to buy and sell.
If he hasn't heard about injury, maybe we can also...
>Write-in: see what he knows about the sped-up deployment, and subtly intuit if he knows about out being denied participation yet and how he feels about that

Gonna call it so I can hit the hay, and give ya'll a longer while to decide amongst yourselves how to budget.

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Shishu's Surplus & Supply Shop Inventory

Bag of rice (4 servings) ------------ 5 rupees
Salted side of pork (2 servings) ---- 5 rupees
Deku Nut -------------------------- 5 rupees
Fish Bait (3 uses) ------------------ 5 rupees
Deku Pellets (10x) ----------------- 5 rupees
Telescope ------------------------- 10 rupees
Arrows (bundle of 20) ------------- 10 rupees
Smoke Bomb ---------------------- 10 rupees
Slingshot ------------------------- 10 rupees
Snow Shoes ---------------------- 20 rupees
Bag of Caltrops ------------------- 20 rupees
Wooden Fishing Rod -------------- 30 rupees
Wooden Buckler Shield ----------- 40 rupees
Steel Kunai (3x) ------------------- 50 rupees
Goron Club ----------------------- 70 rupees
Steel Katana ---------------------- 80 rupees
Steel Naginata -------------------- 90 rupees
Sheikah Ninja Armor -------------- 80 rupees
Sheikah Samurai Armor ----------- 200 rupees

Zuzo's Inventory

Torch -------------------------------- 5 rupees
Deku Nut (7x) ----------------------- 5 rupees
Glass Jar --------------------------- 10 rupees
Red Potion ------------------------- 20 rupees
Basic Grappling Hook --------------- 20 rupees
Steel Cutlass ----------------------- 50 rupees
Tent/Bedroll ------------------------ 60 rupees

What would you like to buy?

>[XXXXX]

What would you like to sell?

>[XXXXX]

You have One Hundred (100) rupees in your wallet.

>>6359324
And, I will roll with this write-in after the transaction is complete, because it is a good idea!

>>6359405
>One bag of rice
>One side of pork
>Fish bait
>Deku pellets
>Telescope
>Fishing rod
>Buckler
The weapons are expensive, make our intentions too obvious, and we can loot as we go once we're on campaign.

>>6359405
>Buy
>Bag of rice (4 servings) ------------ 5 rupees (x60)

>Sell
Torch -------------------------------- 5 rupees
Deku Nut (7x) ----------------------- 5 rupees
Glass Jar --------------------------- 10 rupees
Red Potion ------------------------- 20 rupees
Basic Grappling Hook --------------- 20 rupees
Steel Cutlass ----------------------- 50 rupees
Tent/Bedroll ------------------------ 60 rupees

>>6359405
Bag of rice (4 servings) ------------ 5 rupees
Fish Bait (3 uses) ------------------ 5 rupees
Telescope ------------------------- 10 rupees
Slingshot ------------------------- 10 rupees
Wooden Fishing Rod -------------- 30 rupees
Steel Katana ---------------------- 80 rupees

Sell
Steel Cutlass ----------------------- 50 rupees

>>6359411
>>6359433
Did not specify yesterday but should have: Deku Pellets are the ammunition used for the Slingshot.

>>6359433
On second thought we're gonna be kinda useless with ranged weapons for a while due to our missing eye. I'll just remove the slingshot from my vote.

>>6359534
Ah, woops. Changing my vote to...
>One bag of rice
>One side of pork
>Fish bait
>Deku NUT
>Telescope
>Fishing rod
>Buckler

>>6359405
BUY
Bag of rice (4 servings) ------------ 5 rupees
Salted side of pork (2 servings) ---- 5 rupees
Fish Bait (3 uses) ------------------ 5 rupees
Telescope ------------------------- 10 rupees
Wooden Fishing Rod -------------- 30 rupees
Wooden Buckler Shield ----------- 40 rupees
SELL
Steel Cutlass ----------------------- 50 rupees

We aren't a pirate so a cutlass isn't worth it for Zuzo to have
He won't be using his wooden sword due to ceremonial and sentimental value but as >>6359411 said we can loot usable weapons later
We need food for survival, fishing rod for the fish, and telescope for scouting
Buckler also helps for Zuzo to learn to defend his blind eye half

Ok drilling down it looks like aside from the one scary vote to sell everything and buy a ton of rice, there is a general consensus about a lot of things.

I will give some additional time for more voters to potentially chime in (which could make another tie or make one individual shopping list a clear winner), but with a couple of you agreeing on selling the cutlass, two agreeing on buying the buckler, lots of agreement with the rest a final transaction is shaping up to be:

Buy
>Bag of rice
>Side of pork
>Fish bait
>Rod
>Telescope
>Buckler
Sell
>Cutlass

Leaving Zuzo with Fifty Five rupees in his wallet.

>>6359614
I'm not sure how I feel about selling the cutlass if we don't buy ANY other weapons.

>>6359618
Yeah, I am finding that interesting. You will still have your wooden katana, which isn't that much weaker than the cutlass, though, like in the games, there are certain enemies that can't be beat with the wooden sword, just like there are ones that can't even be harmed by a regular steel sword, not directly anyways. That said, at the midday vote you guys will have a second opportunity to do some odd jobs and make money, and a second opportunity to visit Shishu if folks agree to do both, so you could come back and buy one then. I am also doing the math and, well, if you guys don't sell the cutlass but stick to the current shopping list, you will have Five (5) rupees in your wallet to split between your next two destinations - Geesa's Tent and Mobi's Dojo. But, yaknow, being strategic about preparations/budgeting time and actions is the name of the game for today.

>>6359620
I'm willing to change my vote (>>6359570, formerly >>6359411) to back >>6359535

>>6359625
Ok! With two backers and four votes, that shopping list as stated (sans slingshot of course) is in the lead now. This would leave Zuzo with Ten (10) rupees in his wallet, and I will give this vote two more hours before I call it, in case some afternooners haven't had the chance to peek yet. Shopping is clunky in this format but I don't think there's a way around it; gathering rupees and deciding how to use them is too important to the fidelity here, as is side-questing and hitting certain numbers to unlock buying options (Twilight Princess' magic armor, for example, which requires a lot of grinding and hoarding to acquire before the endgame), not that I am doing that too seriously at this point.

>>6359629
DW QM, /qst/ LOVES shopping and shopping adjacent things (Building new buildings in a civ quest is basically shopping, for example. Choosing level ups? Shopping.)

>>6359433
Ok, locking in on this exchange, will update in a little while, thanks guys!

>>6359405
>Buy
Bag of rice (4 servings) ------------ 5 rupees
Salted side of pork (2 servings) ---- 5 rupees
Telescope ------------------------- 10 rupees
Some food as a precaution and a useful tool. Don't want to empy our savings just yet though. I was temped by by the fishing rod and bait but those can be found and made and acquired by hand, no?
I want to save a bit for a spell or a combat technique, too.

>>6359666
Dang I was late by only a moment. oh well, happens.

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You purchase:

>Bag of rice (4 servings)
>Fish Bait (3 uses)
>Telescope
>Slingshot
>Wooden Fishing Rod
>Steel Katana

For One Hundred Forty (140) rupees

You sell:

>Steel Cutlass

For Fifty (50) rupees

You have Ten (10) rupees in your wallet

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

You pack everything away, except for the steel katana, which you handle carefully, running your thumb carefully over the small Eye of Sheikah stamped into the steel at the base of the blade. It has no guard on the hilt, and the sheath is made of bamboo painted black with red bands where the segments meet. It is the finest blade you have ever held, a perfect example of Sheikah craftsmanship. It is light enough to be held and wielded with one hand, but the curve of the blade and length of the handle are suited to your tribe's traditional style of using the blade with two hands to both attack and defend. You affix it to your waist, and strap the wooden katana you've carried until now onto your bag; you can store it back home when you return there this evening.

"EYHEHEHEE!"

Shishu's raspy laughter snaps you out of your thoughts. "I sure love the sound of rupees jinglin' together! Pleasure doin' business with ya, Zuzo, don't forget your old friend Shishu while you're out in the trenches, neither. While you're out in the world, you can always order from the shop with our Mail Catalogue! That Medlali woman helped me set it up. You can find copies in certain towns, and have goods shipped to the Courier's Office there for pick up, shipping usually takes a day or two." He says, and then sighs. "Though, once they send off you young folks, my inventory will probably narrow down a fair bit." He adds.

>Cont'd

You offer an inquisitive look, making sure not to betray the fact that you won't be deployed with the others, and are instead just curious how that will impact his wares and what he knows about the deployment.

"Oh yeah, maybe you didn't hear on account of your Trial? Go have a word with Elder Tei or Captain Kuro up at the Watchtower for details." The old merchant begins. "Some bad stuff happening out there, the Elders are sending every able body left to reinforce the Royal Army. After that, the Secret Ship will only stop here once every other week. A Rito courier can move a package or three just fine, but to really move freight I need me a ship with a proper cargo hold!" Shishu grumbles, then sighs. "But only the Secret Ship can make it past that Naval Blockade. Canoes, galleons, don't matter what else, it'd all get blown to bits or intercepted... Suppose someone could swim past if they had some of that Zora Armor, but they'd be at the mercy of the open sea... Could get swallowed up by the Anglerfish in half a heartbeat, or some other nasty sea beast."

As he speaks, you nod along, until he gets to the part about Zora Armor. You quirk a brow about that, as well, and the chatty old man continues readily.

"Oh, Zora Armor?" Shishu begins, and then strokes his long mustache, looking up and to the side. Eventually he shrugs. "Can't recall where, but I sure do remember seein' a set in the village many years ago. Probably in poor shape, I hear that stuff needs to be carefully maintained. Might still have an enchantment on it, but I'd be surprised if it could survive the thrashing of a swim all the way from here to shore, and it'd take a mighty strong swimmer anyhow... Yep, I'd say if you did locate that Zora Armor, it'd be a one way trip. Maybe them Zora at the Lagoon could repair it for ya? They make and trade fresh sets, of course, one of those would last you a good long while. Ah, but what am I doing yappin' about Zora Armor and the Secret Ship? You have to prepare for deployment, my boy!"

Do you have any other questions or requests for Shishu before you proceed to Geesa's Tent?

>No, he's been plenty helpful, it's good to have a couple of ideas about how I might get out of here
>Yes, I would like to ask him about (Specify)

>>6359727
Ignore the slingshot!!! Forgot to remove it from the list!!!!!

Which also means!

You have **TWENTY (20)** rupees in your wallet!

>>6359728
>Could get swallowed up by the Anglerfish in half a heartbeat, or some other nasty sea beast.
I too have played Jak and Daxter 1. He is 100% correct

>>6359728
>No, he's been plenty helpful, it's good to have a couple of ideas about how I might get out of here

>>6359728
>No, he's been plenty helpful, it's good to have a couple of ideas about how I might get out of here

>>6359728
>No, he's been plenty helpful, it's good to have a couple of ideas about how I might get out of here

>>6359728
>>No, he's been plenty helpful, it's good to have a couple of ideas about how I might get out of here
Dang, how will we ever feed Zuzo without 240 servings of white rice?

Can Sloucho do the impossible and get one last update out before bedtime...? We will find out together B^)

>>6359728
>No, he's been plenty helpful, it's good to have a couple of ideas about how I might get out of here

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You offer another bow, and then wave goodbye to Shishu, thankful for all of his help thus far.

"Go give em' the business, Sonny! Do us all proud and send them monsters packin!" The old man cheers, slamming his fist down on the counter and pointing up in the air in exclamatory fashion.

"EYHEHEHEE!"

You take a deep breath when you step out into the daylight, resting your hand on the beautiful new sword that rests on your hip. It has you feeling already that you could take on an army, and this was only the first stop!

Your next objective is to learn more magic from Geesa, a mystic and magical scholar that resides on the far side of the market. She is most often sought out by villagers hoping for insight into the future through her Oracular Visions. Some, however, pay the friendly old crone for instruction in Spellcasting.

Keeping a brisk pace, it's not long before you approach the massive, yellow, cone-shaped tent where Geesa dwells. Pale green smoke wafts from the entrance, slithering through the air near to the ground in winding coils. You push past the flaps of fabric and step inside.

>Cont'd

The interior is a maximalist tableau of arcane trinkets. Bells, small paper lanterns, dried bird feet, herbs, and stained glass ornaments fashioned into the image of the Eye of Sheikah dangle from strings everywhere overhead. Wooden trunks, barrels, rolled up carpets, statues of strange beasts, and caged crystals crowd the edges of the space. In the middle of the tent there is a low wooden table with two items on its surface - a red Crystal Ball which is in the very middle, and a green glass Hookah, which rests near the edge, just in front of the woman sitting across from you on the floor, at the other side of the table.

She is short and frail, practically buried under her multi-colored and densely textured shawl, which mainly features a pattern of deep indigo Eye of Sheikah symbols on a goldenrod and crimson fabric surface. Her face is concealed somewhat by a wide-brimmed straw hat, but you can make out the round shape, the long white hair, and her sagging cheeks.

"Ayhoh?"

She perks up at your approach, at first, and you recall that she is twice as blind as you are - which is to say, she is blind in both eyes. "Is that you already, Zuzo? I foresaw that you would pay me a visit. Foresaw that fine sword you purchased as well. Have I said happy birthday yet?" Geesa begins. Her smirk becomes a full, toothy smile, then. "I don't remember. Well, happy birthday, dearie. Welcome to my abode! I foresaw also that you would be coming to me for instruction... But it was unclear what the result would look like..."

>Cont'd

You squint, a bit incredulous at all this talk of the future.

"Mmm, yes, I foresaw that you would squint and disbelieve and generally just be a teenage boy about the whole matter." She adds. "Nevermind. Welcome, dearie, what is it that brings you to see old Geesa on a day like today? I am pretending to not know. Which will be just fine for you, I promise. I foresee quite a lot and it tends to be rather maddening."

You look between her, the Crystal Ball, and the trinkets above you last of all.

what is it that Geesa can do for you?

>Ask a question of her and her Crystal Ball, a question about the future that lies ahead. (Costs 10 rupees)
>Ask a question about something else (Specify)
>Ask to see her inventory of spells for purchase
>Write-in

>>6359837
>Ask to see her inventory of spells for purchase

>>6359837
>Ask to see her inventory of spells for purchase

>>6359837
>Ask to see her inventory of spells for purchase

>>6359837
>Ask to see her inventory of spells for purchase
Something offensive to burn this mana on, perhaps?

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Geesa's Mystic Arts

Minor Disguise ------------------- 20 rupees
Alter your hair, eye, and skin tone for a time to appear Hylian
Low-light ------------------------ 20 rupees
Summon a small sphere of red light, which can be dimmed or brightened somewhat, in order to see
Cold Stare ----------------------- 30 rupees
Briefly gain the ability to do use small flames and embers, like candles, by looking at them
Shadowmeld --------------------- 30 rupees
Sink into the surface of a shadow, flat, in order to hide from your foes for a time
Shadow Shackle ----------------- 40 rupees
Command an enemy's own shadow to grab at their feet, holding them in place
Thunder Ball --------------------- 70 rupees
A damaging blast of electric energy
Shadow Jaunt ------------------- 250 rupees
Enter one shadow and exit from another in line of sight

What will you purchase?

>[XXXX]
>[Nothing for now]

*DOUSE small flames

>>6359966
Minor Disguise
Lol we probably should have saved some money. Woops.

>>6359966
>Shadowmeld --------------------- 30 rupees
>Sink into the surface of a shadow, flat, in order to hide from your foes for a time
Could we negotiate the missing 10 rupees? Surely we could do something for her to make up for those...

>>6359978
I'd allow this, but I would need at least a couple votes to back you up in order to go that route, because it would replace visiting Mobi's Dojo during the first half of your day. Your other option would be to proceed to Mobi after this, then in the afternoon vote to make some money doing odd jobs, then come back to Geesa, and that would likely net you more rupees than doing an errand for Geesa now, but of course that means you'd only have one errand slot left to do anything else before nightfall. I encourage everyone to look back at the list of options, consider Zuzo's funds, and be thinking now about the most efficient way to accomplish the goals they think are the most prudent.

I will say that even if Zuzo budgets his time and money poorly, I'll do my best to write it so that visits aren't a COMPLETE waste of time. Geesa, for example, can be spoken to for possibly useful information like anyone else, and if you pay for a Prophecy there will be a die roll to determine how useful/accurate/clear it is. Mobi won't teach you any Techniques for free, but I will be using your visit with him as an opportunity to re-introduce combat mechanics with some changes via a quick sparring session, in the style of Orca from Windwaker. Still, strategic choices and budgeting will, obviously, maximize your results - like Majora's Mask or parts of Twilight Princess. If it turns out that this kind of gameplay/challenge feels more frustrating than engaging, though, I'll toss it, but it seemed like a way to feature that element from the games.

I already was planning to make money in the afternoon so I say we wait until after that

>>6359966
>Nothing for now
>Ask for a Prophecy instead
I feel like gambling a little.
And we'll have time for making money anyway, it's not like we can sneak onboard the ship that's taking on all the Sheikah going on deployment. Way too many eyes there.

>>6360087
+1

>>6359966

Ok, I am gonna call this vote!

With two votes, we are gonna hold up on buying a spell but we are going to see what may or may not be in Zuzo's future...

Three anons, roll a 1d100, then I will roll a 1d3 to see which is applied to the prophecy. If three hours pass and not all of the d100 are rolled, anons are welcome to roll again. Thank you!

Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>6360115

Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>6360115
this seems like a rather elaborate way of just rolling a single d100

>>6360121
Hm I guess you're right, I just like group participation! I'll make it a Best of Three this time, because I like Foreshadowing!

Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>6360115

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You make a note of her prices, and eye a couple of spells in particular that may prove particularly useful. But for the moment, you hold onto your rupees.

Geesa nods as you instead draw closer and gesture to the Crystal Ball glowing deepest red, illuminating the old oracle from below. One blind eye blinks shut in a wink and she smiles impishly. "Why yes, you know of my Oracular Powers? Mmmmmm yes, you have a Strange Fate ahead of you, Zuzo... Would you like to see?"

You set your jaw, and then sit down cross-legged before her, with your hands planted on your knees. You nod assertively, and withdraw ten green rupees, which you place in a pile on the corner of the table.

"Ohmmmmm hehe.."

She is loud, and closes her sightless eyes as she makes her dramatic intonation, waving her hands and fingers above the scarlet sphere, it reminds you of a marionette puppeteer... And in moments, the tips of her fingers glow with a dark light, emitting an inky, tenebrous vapor.

"Shadows cast by the present hide the future... Shadows of Time, make way for our minds... Reveal to us what lies in the darkness ahead..."

With her mystic invocation, the entire room begins to glow with red light, and your ears ring, fading gradually until you can hear again... The sound of water very gently lapping against muddy banks, the sound of insects chirping in the needle-grass. The red loses color until you are surrounded instead by an impenetrable fog, one which occludes even Geesa and her table from your view.

>Cont'd

The smell of warm, briney saltwater and silty brown mud clings to the mist and fills your nose. A sound of plucking strings begins to creep steadily into earshot... A melody that is somehow familiar...

https://youtu.be/U0a4QiEpwAw?si=LMeNnxSEwBaISGB6

When it's very close, the music stops, and the mist parts way to show you a structure atop a hill in the middle of a dull, grey marsh punctuated by black needle-grass and the occasional shriveled tree, with channels of choppy, dark violet water snaking around them in a serpentine web.

The building enormous, a giant, Abandoned Mansion constructed of intricately carved wood that has been weathered by decades... Or maybe centuries... of ocean wind. It is dilapidated but still astounding in its grandeur, and you see blue lantern light flicker to life behind the broken, shuttered windows. The starry sky above is interrupted in one place by a New Moon that is perfectly black. Still, you can make out a symbol on the tattered banner fluttering near the grand staircase leading up to the front terrace - you'd seen it only once before in your life, earlier today, on the Shikashi Diagram.

The New Moon begins to expand, enveloping more of the sky in darkness. Teardrops of the void begin falling from above you as if from an ink dropper, the dome of heaven itself is an empty abyss and it is falling down upon you like a great ocean. Each particle takes on the shape of a Four-Pointed Hira Shuriken that spirals savagely towards the Earth below.

>Cont'd

"HYAAAGH!"

You can't help but cry out as you are shredded to ribbons by the tidal wave of spinning bladed edges.

But it isn't you that gets eviscerated. It is the psychic perspective of what may come to pass. As the flesh is stripped from the bone, you feel it instead becoming re-attached, with each drop of blood shed leading to one more drop of lucidity, and awareness of reality. As quickly as you are cut apart in the Mysterious Marsh where you found yourself, you are awakened to the interior of Geesa's Tent.

"Ohmmmmm hehe.."

Geesa opens her eyes, and regains her composure, as the glow of the Crystal Ball dims to what seems to be 'normal', at least in the context of a magical instrument like itself. "Oh my, that one sure had some stink on it!" She exclaims with a chuckle. "Hmmm... Anything else you need of Geesa for the time being?" She smirks as though she already knows the answer.

What do you say?

>Ask about something else (specify)
>Politely decline and exit the shop to see Mobi

>>6360172
>Politely decline and exit the shop to see Mobi

>>6360172
>Politely decline and exit the shop to see Mobi
Is that something to do with our buddy, who found the shuriken on his trial? Hmm...

>>6360198
+1
How foreboding

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>>6360198
>>6360226
Wha- pssh! Come on now, that could be mean to be ANY other Sheikah or Yiga ninja!

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You shake your head, and wave goodbye. The old woman gives you a bow of her head, not saying goodbye directly - perhaps because she suspects, or knows, you may yet return.

As you push past the flaps of the tent and step out in the warm air, a [Z] icon flashes several times.

"Hey, listen..."

You press [Z] button and the Keaton Mask at your waist becomes a yellow mist that coalesces into the shape of a familiar fairy fox sitting just in front of you. Oshi winks one eye open, and offers the usual vulpine grin. "Heya pal. That sure was trippy, huh? Did you notice that New Moon, and that Weird Marsh? Anyways, just popping in to say that if you are ever feeling stumped, confused, or maybe just lonely, you can always ask your buddy Oshi for a word of advice, mkay? You just gotta press [Z] while you have me with you, and I will give you my read of the situation, man to man, maybe it'll even help you out or something!" He says this, then rises to all four feet and does a quick circle in place before sitting back down and swishing his tails.

"Like, for example, it's a New Moon tonight, perfect for sneaking around, which I recall is something you're just bananas about. So happens that a lot of Shadow Magic is often affected by the Phases of The Moon, did you know that? That includes Spells but also certain magic Artifacts like the Lens of Truth. Maybe worth whipping it out tonight to see if there's something up with that. Anyways, just uh, you know, don't be a stranger!" He finishes, and with that, evaporates on the spot and reforms at your waist as a mask once more.

>Cont'd

You make your way next to a building near the middle of the town center, sitting across the path from the Pagoda of Whispers. It is understated and simple, with a sign shaped like a whale hanging above the door that says 'Dojo'.

Inside, you step into a large square room with a raised, stone circle in the middle that is ten yards in diameter. Various kinds of swords, spears, harpoons, and polearms are displayed along the walls, and there are some wooden training dummies near the far edge of the room, and something shaped like one but a bit larger concealed under a white sheet to the right side of the room. Light coming in from windows on the second story and some paper lanterns provide plenty of visibility. Your eyes are drawn to the massive figure sitting by a table to the back of the chamber, carefully sharpening a tanto with a whetstone.

Mobi is pale, even for a Sheikah, and very large. Standing up, he is just a few inches high of seven feet, and has the physique of a Sumo Wrestler but with noticeably muscular arms and legs. His proportions are readily legible because he is only wearing a loincloth, with wraps around his hands and right foot - his left leg is severed at the knee, ending with a wooden prosthetic. Other battle scars are also fully visible in his sparse attire. Large slashes across the left side of his stomach, and one arcing down his shoulder, a few on his arms. Two pink, circular puncture wounds long healed are on his chest and upper shoulder where he had been shot by arrows, and one vertical scar runs through his left eye, leaving it glassy and yellow in color instead of a healthy red. As you step up onto the stone platform, his head turns to acknowledge you.

He has a bushy white handlebar mustache that curls up on either side, and a bushy goatee that splits at the end, also curling up into points in a manner that makes it resemble the tail of a whale. The hair on his head is silvery white also, and tied up in a warrior's top knot. You don't know his precise age, but he is roughly a decade older than your mother, and is known by reputation to have been the village's mightiest fighter before her time. He taught her much of what she knows, and has taught you almost everything of the very, very little that you know, regarding combat and weapons.

>Cont'd

"E-YOOH!"

He sets down the dagger and rises to his feet, causing a vibration through the dojo, looking concerned. "Zuzo, I had intended to visit this evening! I assumed you would be resting. Elder Jyo informed me of your injury. Brave little Zuzo! Your mother will be so angry with you, but she will be tremendously proud, as well! Here." He reaches behind him, and tosses something at you.

You catch the item...

You have received... the Black Eye Patch!

This simple black leather eye patch can cover your injury.

He chuckles, and plants his hands on his hips. "Yup, wore that for a long time after my battle with Malkora. But now I'm old, and my looks don't matter no more, probably never did. Why don't you have that, seeing as we're both One Eyed Warriors, I'd say we gotta stick together!"

"RAWHAWHAWHAW!"

His laugh is a jovial roar from deep inside, and he throws his head back with amused abandon. Wiping a tear from his good eye, Mobi sighs. "Consider it a late birthday gift. Anyways, I'm glad you came. I think we oughta refresh your training, I wanna see how you were swinging that sword in the Shadow Temple! Before you go, let's have a Sparring Match to dial in your skills, alrighty?"

You offer a deep, respectful bow in confirmation.

"Good lad! Now, what else do you need, Zuzo?"

What else do you need?

>Can I see the price list for Technique training?
>Let's begin with our Sparring Match, it will help inform my thinking.
>He is an old family friend, perhaps he knows about a way off the island and would be willing to help?
>Ask about something else (Specify)
>Write-in
[Z]

>>6360435
>>Let's begin with our Sparring Match, it will help inform my thinking.

>>6360435
>Let's begin with our Sparring Match, it will help inform my thinking.

>>6360435
>Let's begin with our Sparring Match, it will help inform my thinking.
Some wisdom and guidance from one one-eyed man to another

>>6360435
>Let's begin with our Sparring Match, it will help inform my thinking.
I don't want to incriminate our sensei here any more than our crush, though I bet he'd be willing. A man doesn't get injured this much because he bows out of battles.

>>6360435
>Let's begin with our Sparring Match, it will help inform my thinking.

Ok guys I wanna TRY something here that I THINK will make combat more interesting and better emulate the games. Let's see how it feels in action, because I just have my notes and play testing, and if it feels yucky or more clunky or whatever, we'll kick it and go back to the system from Thread #1 which was serviceable but I think lacked snap...

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You step onto the stone dais, and slide off your pack, setting it on the ground next to the edge of this fighting ring. You smile confidently and draw your brand new katana, which glints an eye-catching reflection of the late morning light coming through the windows.

"RAWHAWHAWHAW!"

Mobi erupts into another mighty laugh. "Good lad! Already eager to get back into a scrap, just like somebody else I know... Hah, alrighty, let's see what you've got, Zuzo." He says, grabbing a wooden harpoon and stepping up to the platform himself, positively towering over you.

You plant your feet and take on a fighting stance.

Choose one of the following:

>Melee attack (katana) [Strength+Melee]
>Ranged attack (Deku Nut) [Dexterity+Ranged]
>Technique: Heavy Slash (katana) [Strength+Melee]
>Technique: Ninja Smoke [Wisdom+Stealth]
>Total Block [Stre-

"RAWHAWHAWHAW!"

The sudden laugh causes you to lose balance slightly.

"What are you doin', Zuzo? You look stiffer than a Gibdo in Winter! No, no, try again, loosen up." Mobi says, holding the harpoon with both hands, diagonally in front of him, knees bent, and elbows out slightly. "If you're gonna be a great warrior one day, you need to be more Dynamic! The monsters and fighters of Hyrule come in many different strokes, and you'll need to be nimble and perceptive to defeat them. Why don't we start with Designating a Target?"

>Cont'd

You tighten your grip on your sword, and adjust the positioning of your feet, then nod in confirmation.

"Good lad!" Mobi says with a smile and an edge behind his eye. "First thing you wanna do when you get into a scrap is [L]-Target an enemy, it'll adjust your view and help you lock on to your foe. Some enemies will have Weak Points that can be, or must be, [L]-Targeted and struck to defeat them, and sometimes that Weak Point will only be revealed if you make the right strike first, see?"

He flips the harpoon a couple of times, changing which way it is angled, but keeping it between you. "When you attack, you'll Roll The Appropriate Dice, and your opponent will do the same. If you get more successes, you'll land the blow. You'll notice that when you strike a Weak Point, it will heavily penalize your enemy, making it much easier to pile on damage and take them down." Mobi explains, and he withdraws a bronze helmet from behind him with one hand and places it on his head. There are two curved horns on either side, and the helmet guards his cranium, face, and neck. "I'll come at you like this is a real fight, so you get a feel for this Dynamic Flow. You just need to [L]-Target the right spot to open up my defences, then you can strike my Helmet - it won't hurt, but it oughta really ring my bell! Like a real fight, when you got options and you [L]-Target the wrong spot, it'll be harder to land a blow, and may open you up to retaliation. Alrighty then, Zuzo, let's have it!"

He begins to step towards you with the Wooden Harpoon held in both hands, parallel with the floor, with either end pointed out to the side so that it is a barrier between you both. If he gets close, he'll be able to use it to shove you right off the platform.

Select a target and roll a 1d3, first to roll a 3 determines where Zuzo strikes, if you've rolled already and landed a 1 or 2, you must wait for at least one other anon to roll a 1 or 2 before trying again:

>Wooden Harpoon
>Mobi's Helmet

Rolled 2 (1d3)

>>6360994
>Wooden Harpoon
Barrier, begone!

Rolled 1 (1d3)

>>6360994
>Wooden Harpoon

Rolled 2 (1d3)

>>6360994
>Mobi's Helmet

I am going to bed, trusting you anons to handle these instructions.

Once someone has rolled a 3, I will need one roll of Strength+Melee, which should be 4d6

Rolled 3 (1d3)

>>6360994
>Mobi's Helmet

File: 320px-Link-Orca-Wind-Waker.png (48.8 KB)

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Rolled 1, 5, 3, 6, 4, 3, 5, 4 = 31 (8d6)

*sleepwalking*

Roll Strength+Melee, for 4d6

"RAWHAWHAWHAW!"

Mobi tightens his grip on the spear, and raises it up higher... "Ahhh, see, my guard's up, so my Weak Point isn't Vulnerable yet! It's gonna be a lot tougher to land a blow. I get 1 Automatic Success and a big Bonus to my defense roll, see?"

Rolled 1, 4, 6, 6 = 17 (4d6)

>>6361046
Rollen

File: Japanese habitation.jpg (55.6 KB)

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"HYAH!"

You raise up your might blade, and swing downward at an angle hoping to strike your mentor's temple.

"HRAGH!"

He raises the harpoon and effortlessly deflects your blow, causing you to stagger back a foot. He takes one step forward, and shoves at you with the wooden bar, checking you across the chest and pushing you off of the stone platform, onto your butt.

"RAWHAWHAWHAW!"

He slams the bottom of the harpoon on the stone a few times when he laughs. "Alrighty, back at it, Zuzo! Get back up here!"

Once again he raises the spear between you both, while you dust yourself off and step up into the ring once more.

Select a Target and roll 1d3

>Wooden Harpoon
>Mobi's Helmet

we are moving on regardless of what you pick, but only this time because it's the tutorial - in a REAL fight you may choose to ignore a Weak Point; or you may lack the Item or Weapon or Spell needed to strike at it anyways, forcing you to knuckle down and try to outdo it with a dice disadvantage. Here though, it isn't necessary, and I want to continue demonstrating how this is gonna work. Anyways, for now I try to sleep foreal.

Rolled 3 (1d3)

>>6361056
>Wooden Harpoon

Rolled 1 (1d3)

>>6361056
>Wooden Harpoon

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>>6361064

"Good, just like that! Now that you've [L]-Targeted the Wooden Harpoon, attack again!" Mobi instructs, stepping closer to you again.

Roll Strength+Melee

Rolled 4, 2, 3, 4 = 13 (4d6)

>>6361155

Rolled 3, 2, 6, 2 = 13 (4d6)

>>6361155

File: katsuya (1).jpg (117.9 KB)

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Rolled 1, 5 = 6 (2d6)

Mobi hoists his harpoon once more, forward this time.

"Many opponents will only have one spot to [Z]-Target, and it'll simply be a Contested Roll, but tougher foes like me will put up some defense and need to be overcome in stages. Think of it like a puzzle. The better you are at fighting, and the better you are at identifying a Weak Point, the more quickly you can take foes down." He says.

>Cont'd

Rolled 5, 2 = 7 (2d6)

When your sword comes down, Mobi manages to catch your blade on the wood and drive you back.

THOCK-FSH

But you see a notch in the wood. "Good lad! Now try again."

Roll Strength+Melee for 4d6

Rolled 2, 4, 2, 2 = 10 (4d6)

>>6361181

Rolled 2, 3, 5, 6 = 16 (4d6)

>>6361181

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Your sword comes down again at an angle, and connects with the Wooden Harpoon.

THOCK-SNAP

Even though Mobi met the strike with a block, this second blow was enough to break the harpoon in half, and it falls from your coach's hands to the floor.

"Good lad!" He exclaims. "See, some defenses are brittle, and so even if you can't overcome the enemy's speed or skill outright, enough strikes will still eventually open up their Weak Point. Other foes, especially those with Thick Armor or Tough Weapons, may require you to overpower them in order to reveal a Weak Point. Now pay attention to this next part: certain Weak Points are especially vulnerable to certain Techniques or Items, and it's up to you to decide how to capitalize on those vulnerabilities. For example, a regular strike on my Helmet might glance off, but a Powerful Downward Strike, or one that I Am Not Expecting or Able To Lean Into would definitely shake me up, see?" He explains.

"When you get into a fight and select where you're gonna [Z]-Target, you will also be choosing the Technique, Item, or even Spell you'll dish out. If there's only one spot to [Z]-Target, you only need to decide how to strike. You're starting to get the hang of it, so attack again, lad!"

As before, make a selection and roll a 1d3, with the first to achieve a 3 deciding how Zuzo will proceed. Techniques are being updated for the new system.

>Heavy Slash [A strong downward vertical blow ideal for punishing an enemy head on from above, Strength+Melee+2]
>Ninja Smoke [Allows Zuzo to instantly move anywhere within a ten (yard) radius so long as he could get there by foot/climbing, and make an attack, allowing him to surprise foes and/or move behind their defenses] (Specify Item/weapon/spell)
>Standard Attack

>>6361190
>Ninja Smoke and bash his helmet at an angle he doesn't expect!

Rolled 1 (1d3)

>>6361193
Remember to roll a 1d3 when voting to attack bub, I will for you this time.

Rolled 2 (1d3)

>>6361190
Heavy slash

Rolled 2 (1d3)

>>6361190
>>Heavy Slash [A strong downward vertical blow ideal for punishing an enemy head on from above, Strength+Melee+2]

Rolled 5 (1d6)

OOC: I think I need to adjust THIS part of combat. I appreciate ya'll's patience as I test it with the group instead of on paper. This sparring match is essentially the flow for fighting a miniboss or boss, or a 'challenging' enemy like a Dark nut, where you need to pinpoint where to strike and how, then execute. With lesser enemies it should be a lot quicker, with you even being able to strike multiple targets at a time and only needing one or two successes to dispatch them. Because picking a target - when there are options - is part of the 'puzzling out' how to defeat an enemy, and picking how to strike (with what technique, what item - hitting an opponent's shield with a heavy enough weapon might break if, hitting an ice enemy with a fire weapon may melt it, hitting a dodongo's armored head with a sword wouldn't work but maybe using a Big Hammer would, but using ninja smoke to strike its unarmored tail could cut right to the chase, etc etc) The hope is that this feels more dynamic and stimulating than just picking whatever has the biggest dice, I don't want tedium. But if the 1d3 isn't cooperating and we get stuck waiting for someone to 'win' the vote, we have a new level of tedium, right? I want to keep a vote bc it allows the group to problem solve and allows more participation in combat, when actual attacks will typically work with one roll. Maybe! In addition to going with the first vote to land a 3, we let each additional vote for a specific target/attack combo to add a +1 to the first.

So in this case, one anon voted for Heavy Slash, and a second anon did the same, so the first roll to do that would go from 2 to 3, does that make sense? I think once we have this established I can guide us through it quick, and combat updates are brief and easy to hang out which I hope also keeps this from feeling like a root canal.

Let's try this solution, which combines a little luck with democracy, and go with the Heavy Slash.

Roll Strength+Melee+2 for 6d6

Rolled 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 5 = 18 (6d6)

>>6361203

Rolled 3, 5, 6, 3, 5, 4 = 26 (6d6)

>>6361203

Rolled 3, 2, 1, 5, 3, 1 = 15 (6d6)

>>6361203

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Mobi attempts to tilt his head in order to deflect the blow off of one of the Helmet's horns, but the power of your strike is too much.

"KYAAAH!"

SHONNGGG

The blow causes his Helmet to reverberate in a manner that stuns your old master, and then pops off of his head and falls to the floor with a clang. Disoriented, Mobi rocks once and then falls on his own butt.

"RAWHAWHAWHAW!"

He erupts into another bout of laughter, causing the fighting ring to tremble a bit. Then he dusts himself off and rises to his feet. "That was great, Zuzo! Notice how ties go to the aggressor, even though we both only rolled One Success." He lets out a deep sigh, and raises a finger as he speaks. "So just remember, when you attack an enemy, you'll be prompted to Select a [Z]-Target, a Technique, Item, Spell, or Weapon, and maybe a combo, from a list, and then roll a 1d3. If you make the same selections with your vote as someone previous, you add a +1 to their roll. That way, it should typically only take a few votes to engage. Tougher enemies will challenge you to think on your feet to identify how to access their Weak Point, which may require a mix of tactics and equipment to accomplish." He finishes, putting his hands on his hips.

"Any time you want, you can challenge me or another Dojo Instructor to a Sparring Match in order to test out different Techniques or gear and learn hands-on how it might be used! Now, with that out of the way, what else do you need?"

What else do you need?

>Can I see the price list for Technique training?
>He is an old family friend, perhaps he knows about a way off the island and would be willing to help?
>Ask about something else (Specify)
>Write-in

>>6361235
>Can I see the price list for Technique training?

>>6361235
>Can I see the price list for Technique training?

>>6361235
>Can I see the price list for Technique training?

File: 80s Zelda illustration by Katsuya Terada.jpg (70 KB)

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Master Mobi's Fighting Dojo

Spin Attack --------------------- 20 rupees
Arc your blade in a wide circle, allowing you to hit multiple foes, distributing successes among them if they are all adjacent, Strength+Melee
Parry --------------------------- 20 rupees
Wait for your opponent to attack first, then dodge around them and rise into a back slash that strikes at their rear flank, Dexterity+Melee
Multi-Throw -------------------- 20 rupees
When using a throwing weapon, you can deduct dice from your roll to strike multiple targets on a one-to-one basis, to a maximum of 3 total, Dexterity+Ranged
Fighting Finesse ---------------- 30 rupees
This passive Technique allows you to substitute Dexterity for Strength in combat, with the exception of certain techniques which require the Strength attribute
Helm Splitter -------------------- 40 rupees
Leap into a forward flip, and strike high at the head of a foe, bypassing whatever they guard themselves with in front, Dexterity+Melee+2
Ending Blow --------------------- 60 rupees
Deal massive damage to a prone target by leaping onto them with your weapon thrust downward

Zuzo does not have enough rupees to make a purchase.

The grizzled old Sheikah strokes his beard and gives you an appraising once over with his good eye. "You're still adjusting, right? To losing an eye? Well look here, lad, for a fee of 30 rupees, I can help you train to work with your new level of depth perception. It'll lower the Ranged Penalty by One (-1), which should help a good deal, and you'll still continue to improve gradually over time. Let me know if you'd be interested." Mobi offers, crossing his arms over his chest and nodding.

You bow in turn, appreciative to have the option.

What will you do now?

>He is an old family friend, perhaps he knows about a way off the island and would be willing to help?
>Ask about something else (Specify)
>Write-in
>Leave the Dojo and have a lunch to yourself while you decide how to finish preparing for your journey

>>6361550
>Leave the Dojo and have a lunch to yourself while you decide how to finish preparing for your journey

>>6361203
Seems sensible to me. With /qst/ having a low population, waiting on a favorable die to come up could take a while otherwise.

>Ask about advice for GIRLS

>>6361550
Oops, I should have tagged this post, too.

>>6361685

>>6361685
Thanks, yeah I think this has it so the maximum number of votes it could take to decide on what to hit and how will be 3, it rewards consensus while it encourages participation. I'm a big believer that Crunch =/= Clunk, if that makes sense, and so even though this new overall combat sequence is more complex in some ways, I think once we get fighting it will snap and make fights more about thinking than JUST stacking dice. I have high hopes, gonna let it spin a few times before I pry for real feedback.

>>6361550
>Leave the Dojo and have a lunch to yourself while you decide how to finish preparing for your journey

>>6361550
>Leave the Dojo and have a lunch to yourself while you decide how to finish preparing for your journey
Don't really understand why literally ALL the shopping options won the first vote when we had only a limited amount of rupees, which we then promptly all blew on rice and pork. Such a waste of time.

Oki, gonna call this vote and start drafting an update!

>>6361846

On the one hand:
I think this maybe just isn't the right format for this kind of 'puzzle', and so I maybe should have just decided where Zuzo would go to get ready. Plus, like that other anon said, /qst/ loves to shop, and I can at least anticipate going forward that they love it enough to prioritize it before having rupees to spend. In retrospect, just not good game design on my part to create a possibility, even an easily avoided one, that Zuzo would go places where his interactions are limited. I'll be filtering this 'mechanic' in the future.

On the OTHER hand:
I am finding myself surprised that, for the most part, anons are not taking the opportunity to interact with these NPC's very much outside of just shopping. It would be even worse design on my part of that was the only utility of these characters, yaknow, and even if there is a sense here that Zuzo should play his escape very close to the chest, there are a lot of other things he could be asking about.

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You shake your head, sheathing your weapon, and offer Mobi a final respectful bow, which he returns. Picking up your bag, you leave the Dojo and head outside. You make your way over to the nearest stretch of the shore, and climb onto a large, flat rock, where you sit down and begin rifling through your bag for some of the food you bought earlier.

Oshi takes the opportunity to materialize again, and circles you once before parking just next to where you're sitting. "Heya pal, good swordplay back there." He begins. "So, we got a good bit more daylight to burn together. We got a little intel on some Zora Armor floating around here? Wouldn't be ideal but would work in a pinch. That old guy was saying that Secret Ship won't come back so often after the last of the ninjas ship out tomorrow, but based on a little bit of your memory that came up in there, and what he said, seems like it will be at the pier tonight to load up on his Empty Crates." The fox muses.

You nod as you pull out a small camping kettle and your torch.

"Well, that seems like a safer bet to me. Could always commandeer a boat, or something... Gotta be at least a couple more ways we can figure to get off this rock, huh?" He goes on.

You pour some water from your gourd into the kettle and light the torch by dragging it on the rock, then add rice. You're listening, but mostly your mind is on having a meal after that sparring session, and how you'll spend the last part of your day.

Oshi transforms back into a mask, but makes a final remark into your mind. "Alright kid, home stretch. Just keep that eye of yours open for anything else that might help..."

>Cont'd

You may choose ONLY THREE (3) of the following options. If you select 'Odd Jobs' it will always be the first thing you do.

>Approach Yaro at the pier, maybe you can simply convince him to let you leave, or maybe notice something by daylight that could help you later
>Visit Shishu's Shop again, his inventory may have changed and you have more money to spend than yesterday
>Make a stop at the village Archives and speak to Elder Ki, he can probably answer some pretty obscure questions about some of the things you have seen and done lately, if you're still wondering about them
>Go to Mobi's Dojo, you can pay him to teach you special fighting Techniques
>Pray at the Spirit Stone on the tall hill beyond the Watchtower, you should honor the Goddess before you begin your journey
>Go to Geesa's Tent, you can pay her to teach you magic Spells
>Work some odd jobs in the village center; unloading products, cleaning, delivering goods or messages [nets FORTY (40) rupees flat each time, successful rolls will give bonuses, up to a maximum total of ONE HUNDRED (100)]
>Gather food by climbing trees and using your new fishing rod, which will help a lot [nets SIX (12) servings of food each time]
>Go to the Island Barracks and jail... It wouldn't be easy, but you could attempt to steal weapons or tools for your journey in order to save rupees

You currently have Ten (10) rupees in your wallet

>>6361917
>Work some odd jobs in the village center; unloading products, cleaning, delivering goods or messages [nets FORTY (40) rupees flat each time, successful rolls will give bonuses, up to a maximum total of ONE HUNDRED (100)]
>Go to Mobi's Dojo, you can pay him to teach you special fighting Techniques
>Go to Geesa's Tent, you can pay her to teach you magic Spells
Maybe the issue is choosing all three at once? This preparation section is really dragging on

>>6361933
Yeh, I suppose my thinking was that by doing three at a time, I'd avoid having a full vote - which can take the better part of a day on /qst/, sometimes longer - for every single stop, and thus allow you all to stop at two or three more spots than you would otherwise. I think for this next leg both of the shop stops will be just condensed to their inventories and purchasing so we can scoot to the other side.

I am having a laugh that this is reminding me very much of the Ordon Village sequence in Twilight Princess, which is a bad thing, but kind of funny.

>>6361933
+1 to the chocies.

>>6361917
I'm enjoying learning more about the island before we leave and seeing our options, but it is a shame we essentially are revisiting the same two spots twice each rather than getting to do other stuff. Oh well.

>>6361936
My recommendation is next time, either lock the buying areas until after we go and get money or give us a hint that our [bold here] money is a little tight and we won't be able to buy much [end bold]. As is we've kind of wasted our first half of the day of our limited ingame time, AND a day of irl time. Either that, or make visiting a store a 'free action' if we don't do anything else there and just browse around, realize we're broke, and then leave.
>>6361917
>Work some odd jobs in the village center; unloading products, cleaning, delivering goods or messages [nets FORTY (40) rupees flat each time, successful rolls will give bonuses, up to a maximum total of ONE HUNDRED (100)]
>Work some odd jobs in the village center; unloading products, cleaning, delivering goods or messages [nets FORTY (40) rupees flat each time, successful rolls will give bonuses, up to a maximum total of ONE HUNDRED (100)]
>Go to Geesa's Tent, you can pay her to teach you magic Spells

I want that disguise, I want Shadowmeld, and I want Shadow Shackle. Thunderball would be nice and Shadow Jaunt is out of our league (shakes fist at QM for taunting us), Low-light and Cold Stare are useful but situationally so. We can almost certainly learn to fight from either hard knocks, example, or paying someone on the mainland, but I doubt we'll be able to learn Sheikah magic anywhere else. If we can't do odd jobs twice...
>Pray at the Spirit Stone on the tall hill beyond the Watchtower, you should honor the Goddess before you begin your journey
>Work some odd jobs in the village center; unloading products, cleaning, delivering goods or messages [nets FORTY (40) rupees flat each time, successful rolls will give bonuses, up to a maximum total of ONE HUNDRED (100)]
>Go to Geesa's Tent, you can pay her to teach you magic Spells

>>6361933
>>6361952
Yaknow what guys? Especially if I make the two shop visits fast buys instead of actual scenes, there's no reason not to throw in one extra something. I don't actually care very much about not rewarding bad choices, and I am learning about the strategic capabilities of this kind of democracy right now anyways. I actually DO care about having fun writing interactions between Zuzo and various NPC's and/or the environment he's in. We also probably won't be back to the Atoll for like three or four 'levels', by my guess. So!!!!

Both of you pick one fourth stop.

>>6361917
>>6361917
>>6361917

Because you didn't spend time learning Spells or Techniques, your latter two visits were brief enough to afford you the opportunity for One Additional Stop!

When you vote, SELECT FOUR (4) options from the above list.

>>6361960
>Either that, or make visiting a store a 'free action' if we don't do anything else there and just browse around, realize we're broke, and then leave.
Heh I had a v similar thought at the same time!
>>6361962

>>6361962
I'll add the spirit stone to mine
>>6361933

>>6361962
>>6361960
make it THREE oddjobs for me boss, we might even be able to swing for Shadowmeld if that's allowed. Or the following if that's not allowed

>Odd jobs
>Geesa
>Pray
>Archives (so we can look for info on the zora armor)

>>6361917 >>6361962

>Work some odd jobs in the village center; unloading products, cleaning, delivering goods or messages [nets FORTY (40) rupees flat each time, successful rolls will give bonuses, up to a maximum total of ONE HUNDRED (100)]
>Go to Mobi's Dojo, you can pay him to teach you special fighting Techniques
>Go to Geesa's Tent, you can pay her to teach you magic Spells
>Make a stop at the village Archives and speak to Elder Ki, he can probably answer some pretty obscure questions about some of the things you have seen and done lately, if you're still wondering about them

>>6361962
I'm >>6361952
and will add
>Pray at the Spirit Stone on the tall hill beyond the Watchtower, you should honor the Goddess before you begin your journey
to mine. When your ignoble ancestor's spooky tower is looming over your people, that's a good time to pray.

>4 odd jobs
>4 tent
>3 dojo
>3 spirit stone
>2 archives
Gonna work on this today! Mwah

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You finish your meal in peace, watching the waves, feeling the breeze dance with strands of your dark, messy hair. You cast a glance back at the town center, and consider your current funds. Then back out to see... You gaze up at The Tower...

Once you've packed your things you head over to the market, and begin looking around for any signs or notices seeking help. You listen to the vendors as they converse with other villagers, keeping an ear out for a mention of any needs you might attend to.

Eventually you find a post by a small well between the Archive Building and The Windmill, near a fresh fruit stall laden with mangos, bananas, and apples. The post has a simple wooden sign where various pieces of parchment have been nailed. Some are posters, encouraging villagers to enlist in or support the War Effort, others are announcements of wedding ceremonies, sales... And job listings! Seems a few different locals are looking for help:

LOST CAT: REWARD
>¥
COURIER SERVICE WANTED
>¥¥
MUSICAL ACT REQUESTED
>¥¥
FISHERMAN NEEDED
>¥¥¥

Your eye moves right to the highest paying job, catching some fish for Elder Jeeroh, the Sushi-Man, a beloved local chef that has dedicated his life to preserving ancient Sheikah culinary traditions. It seems he will only accept applicants with a Fishing Rod, as his request is for someone to catch and deliver a rare Vermillion Thunder Tuna, after he saw one splash through the water while he strolled along the beach. They are strong, fast fish, too much so for a spear or net.

>Cont'd

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You're suddenly very glad you thought to purchase a Rod for yourself. You make your way over to the small shack where Elder Jeeroh does his work, and it isn't a long walk. There is a counter that runs in a semicircle around the outside of the small structure, with the thatch roof extending out into an awning that covers it. A couple of villagers are seated at the far end, carefully taking their time to enjoy a few rolls of exceptionally well crafted Sushi.

"Hehe, hoy, hoy!"

Elder Jeeroh greets you with a friendly wave as he steps out of the doorway and towards the counter, holding a dishrag in one hand which he is using to wipe clean a triangular shaped knife. He has a chef hat on his egg-shaped head, without which he would be shorter than you, and a smudged red apron on over his white robes. His eyes are obscured by thick spectacles with wire frames, and his long, thin mustache stands out straight in either direction, curling slightly at the end. Under his large, pointy nose, they remind you of the antennae on a shrimp or prawn, which his hunched posture also resembles. "Heheh, Zuzo, you wouldn't happen to be here about the Thunder Tuna, would you? I simply MUST have it... There are few finer delicacies... The exotic tingle of its powerful flesh... It is like a mighty monsoon for your mouth!"

You quirk a brow, slightly weirded out by his demeanor.

"Heheh... Well, take This! An Irontail Nightcrawler, it is the perfect Bait for our quarry." He goes on, tucking the knife into a sheath on his apron, and withdrawing from the front pocket a small, grey worm.

You pull out your Glass Jar and accept the offering from him with a nod.

Elder Jeeroh gives you a slight bow. "Go now, young man, bring great honor and glory to the house of Jeeroh by delivering me that magnificent fish!"

>Cont'd

You bow in return, and do as you are bid, heading over to the North Beach not far from where you had your lunch. You withdraw your Fishing Rod and afix the special Bait you've been given. It's a little difficult to pierce the worm, and it feels cold in your fingers, unusually heavy. Still, it is secured with some effort, and you take a deep breath...

Then cast your line out to the ocean, beyond the small waves nearest the shore.

You begin to fish...

Roll 5 1d20, you may reroll if a two hours have passed and no other anon has rolled. To catch the fish Jeeroh seeks, you will need to reach a total sum of FIFTY (50) within the 5 rolls, with bonuses if you do so in less than that. If at the end of 5 rolls you have not achieved a total of 50, you will fail to catch the Vermillion Thunder Tuna, and if you fail to achieve a total of 30 you will only catch enough small fish to receive the minimum payment of Forty (40) rupees.

Good luck!

Rolled 9 (1d20)

>>6362412

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>6362412

Rolled 9 (1d20)

>>6362412

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>6362412

>>6362465
>>6362462
>>6362441
>>6362439
Nat 20 or we fail, now... At least we cleared 30.

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>6362412
You are like little babies, watch this!

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>6362412
witness THIS

>>6362467
h-hayai....

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>>6362467
>49
Brutal...

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*sips white monster*
Yeup... Takes me back...
*Kicks GameCube and hits it with a hammer*

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Despite your mild anxiety about the approaching sunset, and your scheming to leave, you exercise a patience that almost surprises you. For some time, you don't get any bites at all. Then, a nibble, or a nudge from something near the seabed.

You yawn, brushing hair behind your ears while you keep your eye on the oval-shaped bobber. Eventually...

You feel a Big Bite!

Heaving back with both arms, you see a bit of electricity dance across the surface of the water, and then a Massive Red Fish explodes out of the sea, flopping through the air with your hook caught on the corner of its mouth. It's the Vermillion Thunder Tuna!

You wrestle with the beast, causing it to crest the water a couple more times, but eventually, the line snaps... And the fish disappears.

You re-hook your line with regular bait, and decide that you will still attempt to bring Elder Jeeroh useful ingredients, maybe even something Special like the one he sent you for...

After an hour and a half, you've managed to catch several sea bass, two sizeable squid, and best of all, a Great Silver Swordfish! It took quite a lot of fight, but this impressive specimen is certainly worth something.

>Cont'd

When you return to Jeeroh's Shack, you place the bucket of smaller catches on the counter, and then hoist up the swordfish, which is nearly as long as you are, and smile broadly.

"Oi-yoh?!"

Elder Jeeroh emerges from the interior, wiping down his blade. His glasses have slid down the bridge of his nose to show his wide eyes, but he sheathes the knife and pushes the bifocals back into place and approaches you. "Is that a Great Silver Swordfish?! Aiyah! Excellent, excellent! Oh! And sea bass... Squid... Yes, yes, excellent!" He begins, then looks around and over your shoulder. "And where then, is my Tuna?"

You cast your gaze to the ground, hands clasped behind your back.

"Ah, ah, I see, I see." The Elder replies sagely, nodding up and down. "Well, do not feel badly, young man, the Vermillion Thunder Tuna is a very mighty fish, very dangerous. Perhaps one day you will catch one. Besides, this Swordfish is a very fine achievement, I already have many ideas for how I may make use of it. Thank you very much for delivering it to me! Take this payment for your hard work." Elder Jeeroh says, placing something in your hand.

Four (4) Red Rupees!

You now have Ninety (90) rupees in your wallet.

Where will you shop first?

>Mobi's Dojo
>Geesa's Tent

Consider the possibility that enough anons will agree to spend the bulk of your money at the first shop... When you decide which of these two to visit first. If you guys spend it all at the next stop, I will let you all vote to go on to the second anyways (in case you want to dialogue with Mobi or Geesa even if you aren't buying) or just skip ahead to the Spirit Stone.

>>6362526
>>Geesa's Tent
JUUUUUST enough to get ALL the good spells [except shadow jaunt :,( ]

>>6362532
>Geesa's Tent

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>>6362532
>>Geesa's Tent

>>6362532
>Geesa's Tent

File: karakuri village outskirts 🌳✨__I’ve been playing BOTW again and it inspired me to try a landscape __Th...zeldabreathofthewild #zelda #zeldafanart #illust #digitalpainting #fantasypainting #digitalillustration #illustrations.jpg (116.5 KB)

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Geesa's Mystic Arts

Minor Disguise ------------------- 20 rupees
Alter your hair, eye, and skin tone for a time to appear Hylian
Low-light ------------------------ 20 rupees
Summon a small sphere of red light, which can be dimmed or brightened somewhat, in order to see
Cold Stare ----------------------- 30 rupees
Briefly gain the ability to do use small flames and embers, like candles, by looking at them
Shadowmeld --------------------- 30 rupees
Sink into the surface of a shadow, flat, in order to hide from your foes for a time
Shadow Shackle ----------------- 40 rupees
Command an enemy's own shadow to grab at their feet, holding them in place
Thunder Ball --------------------- 70 rupees
A damaging blast of electric energy
Shadow Jaunt ------------------- 250 rupees
Enter one shadow and exit from another in line of sight

What will you purchase?

>[XXXX]

You have Ninety (90) rupees in your wallet.

Will you stay to speak to Geesa?

>Yes, I will ask her about (specify)
>No, I will proceed to Mobi's Dojo when I am finished

>>6362573
>Minor Disguise ------------------- 20 rupees
>Shadowmeld --------------------- 30 rupees

>Ask her why she's charging for such useful skills n a time of war

>>6362573
>Minor Disguise ------------------- 20 rupees
>Shadowmeld --------------------- 30 rupees
>Shadow Shackle ----------------- 40 rupees

Rolled 1 (1d3)

>>6362576
>Ask her why she's charging for such useful skills n a time of war

1 = "I gotta make my nut, kid."
2 = "What do you care, kid, you ain't even allowed to be in the War anyways."
3 = "Shigeru Miyamoto said that it would be poor game design to allow full access to all spells early on, and that it would not be engaging if players did not have to budget their resources."

>>6362573
Minor Disguise
Shadowmeld
Proceed to dojo

>>6362573
>Minor Disguise ------------------- 20 rupees
>Shadowmeld --------------------- 30 rupees
>No, I will proceed to Mobi's Dojo when I am finished

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You are taught ancient Sheikah magic...

You have learned the spell... Minor Disguise!

By spending a point of Mana, you are able to darken your complexion slightly, and alter the color of your hair (brunette/blonde/pink) and eye(s) (hazel/blue/green), in order to appear to be of Hylian descent. The transformation to and from this state occurs in a puff of smoke, and only alters your features, not the appearance of your attire. The effect lasts for a full twelve (12) hours unless dispelled sooner.

You have learned the spell... Shadowmeld!

By spending a point of Mana, you are able to sink flat into and become part of a shadow, so long as it is on the wall or floor and is large enough to contain your silhouette. You can remain in this state for up to ten minutes before being ejected from the shadow, but can roll Wisdom+Magic to prolong the effect, needing a single success, and each time you prolong the effect thereafter requires one additional success. If the shadow you have melded with is sufficiently altered or dispelled by a light source, you are ejected. You cannot be harmed by normal means while melded with a shadow, but certain spells or magic items may be able to harm you, if your presence is detected.

You have Forty (40) rupees in your wallet

>Cont'd

Master Mobi's Fighting Dojo

Spin Attack --------------------- 20 rupees
Arc your blade in a wide circle, allowing you to hit multiple foes, distributing successes among them if they are all adjacent, Strength+Melee
Parry --------------------------- 20 rupees
Wait for your opponent to attack first, then dodge around them and rise into a back slash that strikes at their rear flank, Dexterity+Melee
Multi-Throw -------------------- 20 rupees
When using a throwing weapon, you can deduct dice from your roll to strike multiple targets on a one-to-one basis, to a maximum of 3 total, Dexterity+Ranged
Fighting Finesse ---------------- 30 rupees
This passive Technique allows you to substitute Dexterity for Strength in combat, with the exception of certain techniques which require the Strength attribute
Helm Splitter -------------------- 40 rupees
Leap into a forward flip, and strike high at the head of a foe, bypassing whatever they guard themselves with in front, Dexterity+Melee+2
Ending Blow --------------------- 60 rupees
Deal massive damage to a prone target by leaping onto them with your weapon thrust downward

Depth Perception Training ------- 30 rupees
Reduce your penalty in ranged combat by -1

What will you purchase?

>[XXXX]

Will you stay to speak to Mobi?

>Yes, I will ask him about (specify)
>No, I will proceed to the Spirit Stone when I am finished

>>6362623
I don't massively care about anything here other than
>Parry
>No, I will proceed to the Spirit Stone when I am finished

>>6362623
>Parry
I'd go for Spin too, but I figure we can use the extra Rupees. Depth Perception looks useful in the long run too
>No