Contents |
Not all paths are open to the Link when he first ventures forth from North Palace. In the map below are shown the limits of his wandering, from Ruto in the mountains of the northwest to Rauru in the south. Parapa Palace is within reach if he travels to the northeast. And yet in this region of Hyrule, buried in the hills and deserts, hidden away in forests and caves, can be found items essential to Link's quest. It is up to him to find them.
| A | North Palace |
| B | Rauru Town |
| C | Parapa Palace |
| D | Ruto Town |
| a | Parapa cave |
| b | Magic cave |
| c | Desert cave |
| 1 | Secret Forest |
| 2 | Secret Meadow |
You begin your quest in the North Palace, along side the sleeping Princess Zelda. You can exit the palace by traveling in either direction. Once outside, you will be subject to doing battle in the wilderness if you encounter a monster icon while walking on the map. Battles in North West Hyrule are not too life threatening. The biggest danger is the Orange Moblins that you find in the strong monster encounters in the woods. They throw spears at you which fall to the ground as the fly. Remember to duck in order to block them with your shield as they fall.
From North Palace, your first destination is Rauru Town, which lies due east of the palace. Along the way, however, you may wish to make a detour and follow the road to the north. Above the road, you will find a little patch of woods (label 1 on the map). If you enter these woods, you will find a small set of trees occupied by blue Ache bats, and a 50 point bag lying on the ground. Collecting this can advance you to your first level increase, raising your vitality to level 2.
Once in Rauru Town, you can rest easy as you are safe from attack here. In the town, approach and speak with the townsfolk (get close and press
) to learn important details about your quest. Some know nothing, but others help with guidance and words of wisdom. Here, too, Link may restore both his life and magic. In the second segment of town, you may notice another woman step outside her home and walk back and forth. Speak to her, and she will invite you inside to talk to her father. Her father happens to be the Wizard of Rauru Town, and he will teach Link his first spell: Shield. This magic is useful for boosting Link's defense against a strong enemy. When you have completed exploring Rauru Town, exit back out to the map.
From Rauru Town, your next destination is Parapa Palace. To get there, you will need to take the cave passage located to the north (label a on the map). Carved from the roots of the mountains, the tunnel to the desert remains the only way open to Link. Darkness hands like a cloak, and there lurks a Lowder which Link must pass. Although in blackness, you can sometimes make out the location of the Lowder by watching the floor and noticing the position of it's feet. Defeat the Lowder and move on to the cave exit.
Once you're back outside, you will find yourself in the north east corner of the continent, occupied by a great desert. The palace is located up in the corner, but this is a good time to take another detour. If you follow the desert south down the right side of the mountains, you will come across a path that continues further south. Along the middle of the path, you will find yourself transported into a side view of the path which contains gaps that lead to deadly water below. You must jump across these gaps, while avoiding the harmful bubbles that are floating out of the water and up into the sky. Once you reach the other side, you will find yourself just above a tree lined meadow (label 2 on the map).
Step inside the meadow at the center, and you will once again find yourself in another side view. Search around and you will find the first Heart Container that will increase your health meter from four bars to five. It will also fill the meter completely. However, lurking close nearby is an Orange Goriya who likes to throw boomerangs at anyone seeking the heart. It may be wiser to challenge and defeat the Goriya before collecting the heart, but attack with caution; at low levels, the Goriya's boomerang is quite deadly. Once you have collected the heart, exit the area and travel back north to the palace, once again crossing over the gap filled path in the opposite direction.
In each of the six palaces of Hyrule, you will find an item which you need for your adventure. You must obtain these items as well as set the gems into the stone statues. Pass the silent guardian and enter the first of the palaces, located in Parapa Desert. You'll find that the bridges here aren't built to last. They begin to crumble as you step on them, so hurry across and collect the point bag and the candle. You'll have to defeat the boss, Horsehead, to reach the statue of the palace.
Once you have exited the Palace, you will return to the map, and notice that the palace is been converted to a pile of crumbling ruins. You will be unable to enter it again. With nothing left to do in Parapa Desert, you should head back through the cave. If you collected the Candle, you will now notice that the interior of the cave is brightly lit, and the inhabitant of the cave is quite visible.
On the other side of the cave, you may wish to visit Rauru town simply to refresh and lost health or magic. Ultimately, your next destination is Ruto Town to the north west, but there are two places Link should visit first. The first is the cave south of the North Palace (label b on the map). Inside, you will encounter a couple of Lowders and Octoroks, but most importantly, you will find the first Magic Container, which increases Link's magic meter from four bars to five.
The second place Link should visit is the Desert Cave (label c on the map). This cave is a little more dangerous than the previous cave, as it contains gaps that Link can fall down and perish in if you don't jump carefully. Ache bats fly down from the ceiling, and a strong Red Goriya guards the treasure of the cave found in the back. The treasure is a statue which has been stolen from someone. Collect it and retreat to the entrance of the cave. Once you have completed these two tasks, head straight for Ruto Town.
You may begin to notice that the towns are very similar to one another. Like Rauru Town, this town also features a health healer and a magic healer. Take advantage of them if necessary. More importantly, you will notice a woman step outside of the first house in the second segment of town. If you have not yet collected the statue, she will complain that someone has stolen it from her. If you have retrieved it, she will invite you into her home. Inside this home lives the Wizard of Ruto Town, and he will teach you the important spell of Jump. Without this spell, you will be unable to escape from North West Hyrule by passing through the cave south of Ruto Town. Once you learn it, you will be prepared to visit your next destination: Death Mountain.