The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Eastern Palace

'Armos Knights guard the stairways leading to the Eastern Palace entrance. Hand-quarried slate slabs were used to form plazas and walkways, and walls were erected to create a labyrinth within the huge palace compound. Sahasrahla the Elder is reportedly hiding out from Agahnim in this area.'

Points of Interest
Although not as heavily populated as the west, the area around the Eastern Palace compound is home to an interesting variety of people and creatures. Octoroks are plentiful on land, and the waters are filled with Zora's Spawn. North of the compound lives a strange woman claims to stir up magic brews.

The Magic House
Before you seek Sahasrahla's Hideout, it might be worth it to pay a visit to the Magic Shop up north. Many travelers report meeting an old woman stirring a strange-smelling concoction in a huge cauldron outside the Magic Shop. Although she is spooky looking, they say that she is friendly. Her assistant inside the shop sells the Medicine of Life, the Medicine of Magic, and a rare blue potion that restores both Life and Magic.

The old woman sometimes needs Mushrooms for her brew and offers rewards to people who bring them to her. You can be the recipient of such a reward, but in order to find a Mushroom, you'll need to travel deep inside the Lost Woods. The reward is worth the effort, however. She will provide you with the mysterious Magic Powder which has equally mysterious effects on various objects throughout Hyrule. Magic Powder can be used in strange ways. For example, a Buzzblob will be turned into a Potatohead by a sprinkle of Powder. Fire Faeries also prove to be susceptible to Powder. One sprinkle turns them into real Faeries.

Unfortunately, just beyond the Magic Shop is a huge stone blocking the path beyond. Only those with strength enough to move it are able to continue to the waterways beyond. You will wish to return here later when you possess such strength.

Sahasrahla's Hideout
Sahasrahla the Elder knew that his days were numbered when Agahnim's forces gained control, so he waited for darkness to fall and stole away in the night. Because he had developed his telepathic abilities to an amazing level, he was able to communicate with other Hylians from his hideout.

Upon meeting you, Sahasrahla sensed something special about you. He wondered if you might be the one worthy of wielding the Master Sword. A series of tests were the only way to know for sure. Sahasrahla sends you on your way to the site of the first test, the Eastern Palace. He would like you to return with the Pendant of Courage before he will impart any further information to you.

The Eastern Palace
Twin gargoyle's heads, carved in stone, adorn the courtyard at the Eastern Palace entrance. Cool and stark inside, the palace at first appears to be deserted, but skeletons will materialize and sleeping giants will awaken to charge intruders.

Although not as grand as Hyrule Castle, the Eastern Palace is an awesome sight to behold. The floors are tiled with cool blue marble and the walls are constructed with blocks of jade-like stone. It is only two stories tall, and the lower level is a huge sprawling maze.

Floor 1
At last you are inside the Eastern Palace. You'll notice the room you are in has three exits, all to the north. The northwest and northeast ones lead to a big hole in the floor and the middle one is closed. The pot in the middle hides a switch which opens the middle door. Go through it.

In the new room there are three blue and red enemies that just move randomly so are pretty easy to avoid and fall to your sword really fast. The door you just came in and the door to the north are both closed, but there is a tile on the floor that look different. Step on it and both doors open, so continue north. Go to the bottom floor and proceed north avoiding the cannonballs coming at you. Every 5 shots a big cannonball appears and you need to use one of the gaps in the wall to avoid it. If you go west then south you can go up a flight of stairs and open a chest containing 100 rupees. Exit the room though the north door.

You now come to a big room, but you are limited to move in an upper floor balcony. There are doors both east and west, and the switches to open them are in between pots, one to the west, one to the east. Hit a switch, go throught the east door. You come to a room with 3 Blue Stalfos, and 2 of the blue and red monsters and 2 doors to the east. The Stalfos get kind of tricky, they jump back to avoid your sword slashes. Either corner them or hit them with the boomerang. Exit through the northern door. In the next room you find a closed door to the south, 5 post and an Anti-Fairy, which not only reduces your hearts but also your Magic Meter. Lift the middle pot to reveal a switch that opens the door. Go throgh the door. Here you find the Map. You can look at it at any time to see the whole dungeon ( on SNES, on GBA). Jump down, climb the stairs and go west 2 rooms.

Hit the switch to open the doors, go west. Avoid or fight the Blue Stalfos and go to the next room. Doors close, four Blue Stalfos appear after a while. Defeat them (throwing pots at them is the easiest way) and the doors open. Go north. Take the Compass from the chest, go down the stairs, go east. You can talk to Sahasrahla by touching the tile in this room. Go east again. You're now back in the main room, but on the bottom floor instead. You can also access the Big Chest, which requires a Big Key to open. There is a new enemy here, they look like blue statues but open their eyes and stalk you if you get too close. If you want some fairies go up the stairs and fall down one of the holes. Anyway, exit through the door to the east.

You have been in this room before, but from another angle. Go south, up the stairs and through the door. You come to a dark room. Move east fast to try to avoid the anti-fairies, then south. Kill the blue/red thing, hit the switch, and then go through the door to the east. Another dark room, with Blue Stalfos and pots. The pot in the east wall, the top one holds aSmall Key. Exit the room the way you came. Keep going south, then west then north until you come to a locked door. Use your key. Another room you have also already been to. Go west.

Notice the anti-fairies not moving around, just guarding a pot. Kill every other thing that moves in the room (2 blue/red things, 2 Blue Stalfos, and one of those armored Cyclops you need to hit in the eye). After the massacre the anti-fairies scatter. Pick up the pot, hit the switch and open the chest for the Big Key. Use this key to go north. Push the block in the right, keep going north, exit through the eastern door. Now you can open the big chest and reclaim theBow. Four Stalfos drop down to make your life (even more) miserable. Just use your sword to fend them off, they will leave soon enough. Get more fairies if you need them, and exit north.

Yet another dark room, but this one is way more dangerous. There are about 8 of the blue/red tencacle things and 2 cyclopes (Eyegores). One of the Eyegores has aSmall Key you need to advance. Use the bow or pots to defeat the Eyegores, but note that the bow only works if they're facing you (whereas the pots work from any angle). There is a door to the northeast with lots of rupees guarded by anti-fairies, get them then go back to the previous room. After getting the key you can exit to the northwest.

Floor 2
Welcome to the second floor. The southwest pot hides a switch that opens the door. Go west. The southern Cyclops hides the switch you need to open the doors. Make him move hit the switch and go west. There are lots of cannonballs moving non stop in this room, though there is a safe spot in the middle. Hit the northwest switch to open the doors, exit west. In this new room you meet a new enemy, a Red version of the Cyclops you have come to know and love. This one can only be beat by arrows in the eye, and it takes two this time. Dispatch of the enemies and go north. Kill the six blue/red tentacle things and the two Red Cyclops. Use the contents of the pots to refresh you life/arrow supply and head north.

Boss room! 6 blue statues come alive in the room, dancing with joy in a big circle. Each one takes about 6 hits from your sword or 3 arrows to go down, I recommend the arrows. After a while of the circular dance, they form a line and come bouncing with joy to the bottom of the screen, although they are pretty easy to avoid all the time, being such slow movers. After you beat all but one of them the last one turns red and instead tries to stomp on you. Any time he jumps up move slightly to the side as you hear him dropping and he should just miss you. Keep plucking arrows in his direction and you should have no problem. Congratulations! You have the pendant of courage, now take it to Sahasrahla. Two pendants remain!

Into the desert
With pendant in hand, go back to Sahasrahla to show him that you can collect these things. He will give you the Pegasus Boots and talk about some item hidden in a cave beyond Lake Hylia. Go back to the library in Kakariko Village and use your new found smashing prowess to tumble the green book off of the shelf.

Your next stop is the desert, but you should go and pick up the item Sahasrahla mentioned. From your house, go all the way south, you will come to a lake with a dam. Go all the way east, then all the way north. You should see a cave and a suspicious looking wall, and what do we do with suspicious looking walls? That’s right, bomb them. Go inside, open the chest and reclaim the Ice Rod, extremely useful in the next dungeon.

Go back to the dam and this time head west until you come to the desert, then go northwest until you reach the dungeon entrance. Use the green book to translate the writing on the stone and the path will open. Proceed into the ../Desert Palace/.