The Great Plateau is an elevated region located slightly southwest of central Hyrule. It is a sacred land, the very birthplace of Hyrule according to legend. The Great Plateau is artificially separated from the outside world, and while the scars of the Great Calamity can be seen in this ruined land, it is one of the safer areas in Hyrule free from the forces of darkness. This region is a great playground to prepare yourself for a daunting, epic adventure.
Tower[edit]
You are required to activate this tower to progress in your quest. As the tower is buried at the start of the game, the terminal is fairly nondescript, looking like an odd hut among rocky debris at the northeastern plain, though the Sheikah Slate will lead you to its exact location. Once it is activated, you must either slowly climb down or hop down the platforms at the side. Activating this tower also causes the other towers in Hyrule to emerge, as well as activating the hundreds of Shrines scattered around the world.
Regional features[edit]
Climate[edit]
The Great Plateau experiences regular weather, from clear skies to rain and thunderstorms. Weather effects can alter gameplay, for example, rain causes you to slip while climbing but makes it harder for enemies to hear your approach. The west half of the region is a chilly mountain range that requires some rudimentary cold resistance to traverse safely.
Enemies[edit]
The Great Plateau is a great big tutorial, so you'll be exposed to a variety of dangers that you must learn to deal with. Red Bokoblins are the most prevalent enemies here, either wandering by themselves or staying in camps. They are weak and easy to defeat, but can be a problem in large numbers early on. Unlike other regions, the Bokoblins here never go up in strength as you progress through the game. Occasionally, a Bokoblin of a higher strength may be found within enemy camps. At night, you will also encounter the Stalkoblin, which can revive itself indefinitely unless you kill its head.
Besides Bokoblins, other minor enemies like Keese and Chuchus also appear. Similarly to the Stalkoblin, Keese only appear at night. They will actively follow Link and attck by ramming onto him. Keese are very weak and will die to a single strike from any weapon. Chuchus are sentient goo with a habit of appearing from the ground out of nowhere. They are very harmless as they have low health and take a long time to attack. Chuchus drop Chu Jelly, which is useless on its own but can take on elemental properties when exposed to said elements, which can have a bunch of uses later in the game. Around Mount Hylia, ice versions of these enemies can also be found. They can freeze you if they hit, which leaves you vulnerable to attacks from other foes.
While they aren't enemies explicitly, the fauna can also hurt you. The Great Plateau is inhabited mostly by harmless herbivores like boars, which only attack in self-defense and usually prefers to sprint away. Later on, you may encounter wolves and bears that actively hunts you, but they are still significantly weaker than the basic Bokoblin. Bees are also a danger when collecting beehives as they will attack anything that draws near, which happen to include Bokoblins.
Landmarks[edit]
Shrine of Resurrection[edit]
This is the point where you start your adventure, but there are few reasons to return here once you leave the first time. It is located roughly in the center of the Great Plateau facing northeast, with the exit leading to a cliff that gives you a great view of the plateau. A lone path leads toward the Temple of Time, while climbing over the mountain the shrine is in takes you up to the colder region of the plateau.
Temple of Time[edit]
The iconic Zelda location is back, but the Great Calamity and the passage of time has left it in ruins. The temple compound is quite large, as it consists of several square buildings along a flight of stairs leading to the temple itself. These buildings may contain treasure or enemies, so explore at your own risk. The main temple building is empty save for an impressive Goddess Statue, where you can turn in four of your Spirit Orbs for either more health or stamina. There is a ladder outside that lets you climb to the roof of the temple where you can find more secrets. Around the temple compound are the remains of Guardians, ancient machines created to defend Hyrule. You can search the body of some of them to get miscellaneous mechanical remains that will come in handy in the future.
Beside the main temple is a lake with a Rusty Broadsword on a pedestal at the top of an island at its center. A campsite with a fire place sits on the opposite shore. To the east, a large enemy camp can be found in the valley spanned by a broken arch. To the west of the temple, there is a stone gate marking the entrance into the snowy mountain region. Bell Peppers conveniently grow by the gate, which you can cook to get cold resistance in order to survive the harsh climates of Mount Hylia. To the right of the gate is an enemy camp with some steak you can steal and a cooking pot you can use once you slaughter the inhabitants.
Northeast plain[edit]
Although it's unnamed on the world map, this area of the plateau has many areas of interest, including the tower of the region, a shrine, and a sizable lake flooding what was originally the gateway on to the plateau. It contains the Oman Au Shrine, which has a shallow moat and metal items around so you can practice Magnesis. There are many small pools here, including the earliest instance of a bog in the game. You will sink while wading through a bog, stay in it too long and you will drown. There is an enemy camp by the large lake guarding a treasure chest.
Forest of Spirits and Hopper Pond[edit]
At the north side of the Great Plateau is the Forest of Spirits, a dense forest where creatures roam about. You can find the old man here early on, who will instruct you on how to hunt animals for meat. There is a cooking pot here by a fallen log where you can cook the fruits, herbs and meat that you've collected. There is a massive fallen log here, beyond which there is a small Bokoblin camp. Between the Forest of Spirits and Hopper Pond is a low, flat clearing. This is the den of the Stone Talus, a dangerous overworld boss. You must climb on top of it to attack the chunk of ore on its head, which is the only way to damage it. It can be difficult early in the game, but the reward is a load of gemstones that you can sell for early cash.
Hopper Pond is mostly taken up by an enemy camp, though it is also a good place to forage for stealth-effect items as well. To the west is an enemy camp nestled between some hills deep in a valley. The valley is lined with dry grass, so you can start an impressive wildfire here to take out the Bokoblins in the enemy camp, which will let you claim the treasure they hold with ease.
Eastern Abbey and the south woods[edit]
Surrounding the Ja Baij Shrine is an elaborate ruin with walls you can easily climb over. There are many Guardian corpses here, but amoung them, you will also encounter your first Decayed Guardian here. These mechanical enemies are stationed just outside the shrine and are fearsome foes to face this early in the game. Conventional weapons are too weak against them, but now is a good time to practice perfect parries (
+ 
) to deflect their lasers with a shield, a skill that will be immensely useful later on. The shrine is blocked by a rock wall, which can be destroyed by a Guardian's laser or skipped by climbing over. It can also be bombed once you get the Remote Bomb runes.
Up the hill south of the Eastern Abbey, you will reach a lightly-wooded area. You can find a cabin here owned by the old man, where you can stock up on items and weapons, as well as a cooking pot outside. You can check the old man's diary to get some gameplay tips. Many of the trees here can be chopped down, so this is a good place to collect firewood. There are several Bokoblin camps here. The smaller one is close to a beehive, which you can shoot down from afar to make them attack the Bokoblins. A bigger camp can be found in a low clearing guarding a cave sealed with wooden planks. Burning away the planks reveals another beehive.
There is a canyon at the edge of the woods which you cannot easily cross early in the game. You must chop down a tall pine tree so that it forms a bridge when it falls over the canyon to reach the other side. There is another Bokoblin camp here along with treasure if you search around. There are also rocky steps to help you climb up the cliff, which gives you an alternate path to the Owa Daim Shrine. Outside of the shrine is a rock where you can practice Stasis on, which will reveal a chest underneath.
Mount Hylia and the River of the Dead[edit]
The west half of the Great Plateau is one large, snowy wasteland, divided by a wide river running across it. The water here is freezing, so swimming in it will rapidly drain your health and there's no way to protect against it. There are several ways across, either by bridge or by boat, although they all involve fixing ruined docks and bridges with your runes. The most straightforward way is by climbing up the mountain range to the south, which will put many enemy camps in your way. Following the south shore, you can find a cave leading behind the waterfall where several treasure chests can be found.
There are two shrines you can reach here: Owa Daim and Keh Namut, although Owa Daim can be reached using another method. To journey through this cold region, you'll need some cold resistance. You can find plenty of Bell Peppers in and around the area to give you this effect temporarily; 5 Bell Peppers equates to around 12 minutes of cold resistances, more than enough for exploration. You can also carry a torch around for warmth, bringing flint and firewood if you need to relight it. A more permanent solution is to get the Warm Doublet. You can get it from the Old Man if you prepare the dish stated in the diary within the woodcutter's cabin, or reach the peak of Mount Hylia.
At the southwest bank are the two Shrines and Mount Hylia. The path leading up to Owa Daim shrine is like steps, flat but layered, while the area to the north is more steep, with a single winding path leading up to both Mount Hylia and Keh Namut Shrine. Mount Hylia is the tallest point on the Great Plateau, making it a great vantage point for setting destinations. Keh Namut is on an adjacent peak, and features an icy pool with treasure where you can make use of the Cryonis Rune you get from the Shrine.
The hills on the northeast are warmer and more grassy while also containing several enemy camps. The camp on the tip of the cliff overlooking Hopper Pond has a cooking pot, as does the tree-based camp near the edge at the waterfall.
The plateau walls[edit]
Prior to getting the Destroy Ganon quest, the entirety of the Great Plateau will be surrounded by a fog that prevents you from reaching the world below. After completing the tutorial, the rest of Hyrule is open to you, and you may leave the plateau in any direction you wish.
The plateau's border is indicated by sheer, massive man-made walls. The top of the wall is in ruins, but you can find treasure and secrets in some sections of them.
Quests[edit]
Follow the links for the guides to the main and shrine quests.
Main Quest[edit]
Shrine Quests[edit]
None
Side Quests[edit]
None