Shield Surfing & Wolf Burning

Lately I’ve taken a break from progressing the story in Breath of the Wild, and I’ve set off to complete some shrine quests and side quests. And of course, I’ve done some exploring as well. I was quite surprised when I saw what looked like a modern apartment building just off the coast. Even though I didn’t head there yet, it’s something I’ll have to check out at some point.

I ran into this guy Eryck, and when I started a conversation, he never turned around to face me! It was kind of weird talking to the back of his head like this. But maybe I shouldn’t post this here, because now I’m talking about him behind his back.

I then headed to the Spring of Power, where I triggered a new memory. I’m supposed to offer Dinraal’s scale here, but I don’t have it yet.

I ran into Beedle nearby, and he actually called me his stalker! The nerve of this guy!

Then he asked me to stop following him around. As if. I want to squash this pesky Beedle.

After completing five shrines, I had enough spirit orbs to redeem two more heart containers. I then headed up to Hebra Mountain, where I met Selmie.

She gave me a shield-surfing lesson. You just whip out your shield, stand on it, and slide down the mountain. Maybe shieldboarding would be a more appropriate name. I’m not very good at it yet, but this is a cool thing to include in the game.

It reminded me of the snowboarding mini-game in Final Fantasy VII, but that was a separate mini-game and not something you could do on your own during normal gameplay. But anyway, one lesson was enough for me (for now, at least), so I continued on to Coldsnap Hollow. There, I fought the Frost Talus for a side quest.

After that, I headed over to a large maze that was visible on the map: It was the North Lomei Labyrinth.

I dropped in on some enemies and then made my way through the maze. Eventually, I found the way into the shrine hidden away here.

After using a meteor rod to melt some large ice blocks, I decided to keep using it for a while. Not only will the fire automatically cook the meat of animals you kill, but sometimes they’ll survive…and continue running around as they’re on fire.

Once I was done in the frozen mountains, I went somewhere much warmer. In the Death Mountain area, I went to Gorko Tunnel in search of Gonguron. And indeed, that’s where he was. He looked exhausted, though.

I took him some rock roast, which his brother cooked for him. I watched him eat it, and it looked like it must have really hurt his teeth. But once he finished eating, he opened up a path to another shrine. After completing that shrine, I redeemed more spirit orbs for another heart container. At this point, I wrapped up my game for the time being.

In all, my completed shrine total is up to 54 now. Here’s an updated look at my current status. I may head for that last divine beast next time.

Ever wonder how Nintendo came up with the names of all the shrines in this game? I think this is how they did it. 😉