Woodland Tower is in the middle of a Hylian military installation that’s been overrun by monsters since the fall of Hyrule. It’s also in the middle of a swamp that will suck Link in if he steps in it, so it’s best that he doesn’t. Also, there’s a Fire Wizzrobe near the base of the Tower that drops the Fire Rod the weapon-loving kid in Hateno wanted to see. (Next on the list was Moblin Club, which was easy enough. Then Duplex Bow, which may take a while.) Looking around from the top of the tower, the first thing to draw my eye was that it’s probably close enough to Hyrule Castle to paraglide over [1]. The Lost Woods dominate the region, and there’s a dark area off to the north.
When I visited Korok Forest before, I didn’t stop to take in much of the scenery – Hestu, Master Sword, shrine so I can get back fast, and that’s it. This time, I stopped to have Link talk to the Koroks, who’ve got a small village running in and around the Deku Tree. They’re all so happy to be helping Link, it feels amazing. There’s one who set up a bed of leaves as an inn, only unlike the other inns throughout the world, this one doesn’t have a charge to stay. All of this reminds me that the Koroks used to be Kokiri [2], and Ocarina of Time Link grew up among the Kokiri and kept his house there even when he was an adult. Millennia later, Link and the Kokiri may be different, but he’s still got a home with them.
There are a few sidequests that the Kokiri have. One wants to see an ice rod (or the stronger version, blizzard rod). Another wants to see a picture of a Blupee, a glowing blue rabbit/owl thing that generates rupees when shot with an arrow; there are two Blupees Link can visit walking from the shrine above Kakariko Village to the nearby Great Fairy Fountain. Finally, there’s a Korok who asks riddles about things Link may have encountered in his travels: apple, pumpkin, Sunshroom, Voltfin Trout, and Lynel Hoof.
The main feature for Korok Forest is a trio of Shrine Quests, with an overarching quest. To get the annoying one out of the way, first is The Lost Pilgrimage: watch over a Korok as he travels to the shrine without being seen. The “without being seen” is tricky, and that’s ignoring the fact that the quest is designed to make you think you need to come out of hiding. My first instinct was to stick to the edges of the forest, only we’re in the Lost Woods, and going too far from the trail results in being lost. Otherwise it’s a matter of staying far enough back and out of line of sight, except for a wolf near the end of the run. The Korok won’t move while the wolf’s around, and I couldn’t figure any way to get the wolf to go away without shooting it, and that revealed Link to the Korok… but the wolf obeyed typical blood moon mechanics and didn’t respawn. Daag Chokah Shrine is a blessing shrine.
The Test of Wood gives Link a wooden sword, shield, and bow, and challenges him to make it through the gauntlet of enemies without breaking or swapping the weapons. Most dangerous is obviously the Fire Keese, but the hardest part for me was crossing a swamp because I’d forgotten about Cryonis and couldn’t find a way across without it. Again, Maag Halan Shrine is a blessing shrine. Link also gets to keep the sword/shield/bow, which aren’t really good but I can’t bear to throw them away or break them, so they’re hanging on the hooks in Link’s home.
Trial of Second Sight involves navigating the Lost Woods by looking for trees with iron in their mouths with the Magnesis power. Near the end it gets a little more creative, with Link needing to feed one of the trees a rusted shield, which spawns a chest that needs to be fed to the last tree to gain entrance to Kuhn Sidajj Shrine, a third blessing shrine.
Before leaving the Lost Woods, there’s one final thing to collect: In a tree near the path from the entrance to the Lost Woods to the Kokiri Forest, there’s a treasure chest with a mask that, when equipped, vibrates when Link’s near a hidden Korok. Makes finding the little guys much easier.
[Note: Around this time is when I did the first Trial of the Sword.]
Next: The Guardian Gauntlet.
[1] One thing I like to do in sandbox games is save for the night and then run around doing things not caring how badly I wreck the game and/or get killed because none of it counts. Given the proximity to Hyrule Castle, around this time I made a run at it, defeated a Lynel, and actually made it to where Link fights the final boss, cheesed the first two Blight Ganons with Lynel Bow salvos of Bomb Arrows, and got fried by Thunderblight Ganon who used a shield.
[2] At least, according to Wind Waker, which also had Rito as evolved Zoras and now we’ve got both, so who knows. Although there are regions in the Lost Woods named for Saria and Mido [3], so probably.
[3] Saria got a lake. Mido got a swamp. Heh.
