After liberating Vah Ruta, the journey takes us to the highest peak in the east Hyrule’s. On the Mount Lanayru is the legendary source of wisdom, which was already available during our stay in Hateno Village through the shrine task “Treasure of Mount Lanayru” was mentioned. However, there is no ordinary treasure waiting there. The blue dragon Naydra, guardian spirit of the Source, has been affected by the mud of hatred and has fallen completely under Ganon’s influence.
We free Naydra, offer his scale to the source and use it to open the Jitan Sa’mi Shrine. At the same time, we collect several Korok seeds directly on the Mount Lanayru and learn how the three dragons work in Breath of the Wild. Their scales, claws, teeth, and horn shards are among the most important rare materials for armor upgrades and particularly long-lasting dishes.
Shrine Quest “Treasure of the Mount Lanayru”
You have already received the shrine task “Treasure of the Mount Lanayru” in Hateno Village at Medda. He told of a spring on the mountain where the princesses of Hyrule used to have to perform purification ceremonies. There is also said to be a valuable treasure hidden there.
The story has a direct connection to Princess Zelda. Shortly before the devastation, she herself boarded the Mount Lanayru to pray at the source of wisdom and finally awaken its sealing power. The ceremony was unsuccessful at the time. This place therefore also plays an important role in Zelda’s background story, even if none of the twelve freely found memory photos are activated here.
Prepare two levels of cold protection
On the Mount Lanayru prevails extreme cold. The winter doublet from Great Plateau alone is no longer enough. You need a total two levels of cold protection. Since we won’t be buying the full Rito set until later, the easiest way to combine the winter doublet with a spicy dish.
For example, cook several chilies or mushrooms that provide antifreeze into one dish and check before eating that two cold protection symbols are displayed or that the combination of clothing and food overall reaches the necessary strength. If you have enough ingredients, you should immediately cook a dish with a longer effective time. The climb, Naydra fight and the subsequent Korok round take a while.
Also take at least one reliable bow and about 15 to 20 arrows. We only need a few hits for Naydra, but the additional arrows are a useful reserve for Ice Keese and other opponents on the mountain. Fire Arrows are also useful because they allow us to thaw two frozen Korok caches.
Upgrade to Mount Lanayru
Teleports you to the Tahno O’ah Shrine, which we already unlocked during the shrine quest “Secret of the Three Cedars”. From there the Mount Lanayru lies north or northeast. Put on your winter doublet and climbing kit, eat your cold protection meal and start the climb.
Alternatively, you can walk north from the Hateno Village Institute through the Retsam Forest and follow the natural mountain path. However, since Tahno O’ah is already active on our route, fast travel saves a significant portion of the journey.
The higher you go, the more often you will encounter Ice Keese, ice slimes, snow wolves and blue echsalfos. Ice enemies have a particular weakness against fire. A single fire arrow can take out many of them instantly. Of course, normal arrows or melee weapons also work, but use more time and durability.
Optional: Korok in the Naydra snowfield
[Optional – required for 100%] On the eastern part of the Naydra Snowfield, a small glittering glow moves across the snow. It is one of the invisible Koroks. Don’t constantly chase the sparkle, but first observe its route.
Then position yourself so that the glow passes directly past Link on its circuit and press A as soon as it is in range. The Korok appears and gives you another Korok Seed.
Reaching the Spring of Wisdom
Follow the snowy path further uphill. Even from a distance, an unusual violet-black shimmer over the summit is noticeable. As soon as you overcome the last rocky steps, you will reach the source of wisdom.
In the middle of the pool there is a large statue of the goddess. Behind it, a huge dragon winds around the mountain peak – but Naydra looks completely different from a normal dragon. His body is covered in black and purple mud of hate. Several large orange eyes sit in the corruption.
Approach the goddess statue. She explains that Naydra has been watching over the source of wisdom since ancient times, but has been possessed by the evil power of the Calamity Ganon. Link is supposed to free the dragon from this curse.
Freeing Naydra – First Eye
Equip a normal bow. Bomb arrows or other special arrows do not provide any decisive advantage in this task and would be a complete waste. The first big eye on Naydra can be clearly seen from the source.
Aim carefully and shoot straight into the orange eye. One hit is enough. The first part of the mud disappears and Naydra awakens from her torpor. The dragon rises above the source and begins to fly around the Mount Lanayru.
This begins one of the most impressive chases in the game. You have to follow Naydra over the mountain and shoot the remaining large eyes on his body.
The updrafts from Naydra use
While Naydra flies over the mountain, strong updrafts arise near him. Jump in and open the Paraglider. The air current carries Link high enough to be at eye level with the dragon.
Draws the bow in the air. As long as Link has enough stamina, time slows down significantly and you can hit the orange eyes much more precisely. This is the safest method for all subsequent hits.
Don’t try to land directly on Naydra or touch the dragon. Icy energy balls appear around his body that can freeze Link or throw him off course. Stay a few meters away and use the enormous range of your bow.
Second eye on the Mount Lanayru
After the first hit, Naydra first climbs higher over the summit. Climb onto one of the surrounding ledges and wait for the next updraft. Jump in, open the Paraglider and look for the next big eye in the mud of hate.
Don’t let the smaller glowing spots confuse you when aiming. Only the big orange eyes count. As soon as the second hit hits, another part of the corruption is released and Naydra flies deeper along the mountain.
Third Eye in Flight Hit
Follow the dragon down the snowy slope. You don’t have to take the same route on foot as Naydra. Jump from raised cliff edges and glide towards him with the Paraglider. The updrafts around the kite always give you additional height.
Waits until Naydra flies relatively close to Link, draws the bow in the air and thus activates slow motion. Shoot out the third eye. If the angle is bad, feel free to let the kite fly another loop. Arrows are more valuable than a hectic miss.
Fourth Eye and End of Curse
The fourth and final eye becomes visible as the flight continues down the mountain. Use the updrafts and slow motion of the bow again. One final, precise hit destroys the remaining corruption.
A cutscene begins. The black mud completely disappears from Naydra and the dragon regains its original blue form. Both Naydra and Link then return to the Spring of Wisdom at the summit.
Optional: Photograph Naydra for the Hyrule Compendium
[Optional – recommended] Before continuing the ceremony, open the Camera Rune and point it at the now freed Naydra. Wait for the dragon’s name to appear in the search frame and save the photo to the Hyrule Compendium.
Dragons are comparatively rare subjects and you won’t always find them exactly when you want to photograph them. Now Naydra floats directly in front of you and is therefore particularly easy to pick up.
Obtain Naydra Scale
The goddess statue now requires a final ceremony. Shoot Naydra again with a normal arrow. In this first encounter you don’t have to aim for the horn, claw or mouth: the find is specified for the shrine task and you will receive a Naydra scale.
Simply aims at the large body surface. After the hit, a glowing object begins to fall to the ground. Follow its bright light and collect the Naydra Scale.
Now throw or place it in the water directly in front of the Goddess Statue. The source responds to the victim and a large stone door opens behind the statue. Behind it is the hidden Jitan Sa’mi shrine.
This completes the shrine task “Treasure of the Mount Lanayru”.
Jitan Sa’mi Shrine – Jitan Sa’mi’s Blessing
First activate the terminal in front of the Jitan Sa’mi Shrine. This will give you a very practical fast travel point on the highest part of the Mount Lanayru. This is especially helpful if you want to collect Naydra materials later.
No further testing awaits inside. The liberation of Naydra and the sacrifice at the source were the real challenge. Open the Treasure Chest and take out the Ice Lance.
The elemental weapon can freeze enemies. A subsequent normal hit deals additional damage against frozen enemies. In addition, ice weapons can be used to defeat certain fire enemies immediately. Photograph the Ice Lance for the Hyrule Handbook before using it or replacing it with better equipment later.
Then go to the priest Jitan Sa’mi and receive the next Spirit Orb. The shrine belongs to the Hateno Tower region. You can also find all seven shrines in this map section in the ZeldaCollection special guide to the shrines at the Hateno Tower.
Goddess Statue at the Spring of Wisdom
After completing the shrine task, you can also use the large goddess statue at the spring normally. If you have at least four Spirit Orb, exchange them for a heart or stamina container.
After the numerous shrines from Necluda, Lanayru and the Zora area, you should now regularly have enough characters. Extra endurance makes Tabantha’s upcoming journey into the mountains more enjoyable. At the same time, with each Heart Container we are getting closer to the later requirement for the Master Sword.
Optional: First Ice Korok northwest of the spring
[Optional – required for 100%] Leave the spring to the northwest and climb a bit down the snowy slope. There is a noticeably large ice block. Enclosed inside is a Korok.
The fastest method is Fire Arrows. Shoot the ice repeatedly and wait briefly each time so that the heat continues to work. You can also keep a firearm right next to the block or light a campfire nearby. Once the ice has completely melted, examine the glow left behind and get the Korok Seed.
Optional: Second Ice Korok on the higher ledge
[Optional – required for 100%] From the first ice block, continue northwest or north to a slightly higher ledge. There is a second large block of ice there, often near an Lizalfos.
Eliminate the enemy first so that you are not disturbed while thawing. Then melt the block with fire arrows, a firearm or a torch. The next Korok is waiting underneath.
Since both ice blocks are located within walking distance of the Jitan Sa’mi Shrine, they are among the most convenient krog seeds in the entire mountain region.
Optional: Time trial north of the Naydra snowfield
[Optional – required for 100%] Then continue climbing west to the northern edge of the Naydra Snowfield. Behind a small ridge you will find a tree stump with the typical Korok leaf symbol.
Stand on it. A yellow target ring appears on a summit to the south. You have to reach it within the allotted time. Immediately jump off the ledge, open the Paraglider and glide as far as possible towards the goal. Land as high as possible on the opposite slope and sprint up the last few meters.
The climbing set from the previous chapters makes the final sprint much easier. If you reach the target ring in time, the next Korok will appear.
Optional: Stone circle northeast of the Mount Lanayru
[Optional – required for 100%] Northeast of the summit lies a small forested section. Between the trees you can see an almost complete circle of stones. As with all comparable Korok puzzles, exactly one stone is missing.
The matching rock lies just a short distance east or southeast of the formation. Axyl it up and put it in the gap. Once the circle is complete, another Korok will appear.
Dragon Materials – Scale, Claw, Tooth and Horn
After his release, Naydra becomes a normal dragon in the game world and from then on regularly appears around Mount Lanayru, Lanayru Strait and Lanayru Bay. As with Dinraal and Farosh, the material you receive depends on which area of your body your arrow hits:
| Hit zone | material | Use |
|---|---|---|
| body | Naydra Scale | Sources, Armor, Cooking |
| foot / claw | Naydra Claw | armor, cooking |
| jaw | Naydra tooth | armor, cooking |
| Horn | Naydra horn splitter | armor, long effects |
After a successful hit, the separated material glows very brightly and falls to the ground somewhere below the dragon. Remember its direction of flight and only follow the light after you have landed safely again. You can only receive one material per normal dragon visit; Naydra has to appear again for further parts.
We also cover all three dragons, their flight routes and the various materials in our internal guide Locations of Dinraal, Naydra and Farosh.
Why Naydra Horn Shards are so valuable
The dragon parts are not only used for later armor improvements. They have an unusual property when cooking: they extend the duration of the effects of dishes and medicine. This is particularly valuable Horn splinters. If combined with a dish that increases attack, defense, speed or stealth, for example, the effect can be up to 30 minutes stop.
Don’t sell Naydra Horn Shards lightly. Claws, teeth and scales are also needed for several high-quality armor upgrades. While the retail values are attractive, Rupees are much easier to obtain than certain kite materials.
If necessary, you can find the material values and other ingredients in the ZeldaCollection guide for ingredients and materials.
Find Naydra later specifically
The activated Jitan Sa’mi Shrine is an excellent starting point for later Naydra searches. After its release, the dragon regularly leaves the Mount Lanayru and then flies over the snowfield or down towards Lanayru Strait and Lanayru Bay.
However, don’t stand directly at the source and expect Naydra to appear immediately before Link. Dragons can fail to appear if Link waits directly at their actual spawn point. A vantage point slightly lower on the mountain or on Lanayru Road is more reliable.
As soon as Naydra gets close enough, his presence creates a powerful updraft. Opens the Paraglider, gains altitude and draws the bow. The slow motion makes targeted hits on the horn, mouth or claw much easier.
Don’t confuse Naydra with normal enemies
Naydra, Dinraal and Farosh are not classic boss opponents. After their respective quest, they do not specifically attack Link and cannot be defeated. However, her body generates elemental energy balls and a strong aura. Naydra is therefore ice cream.
So keep your distance when collecting materials. A hit from the icy aura can freeze Link and, in the worst case, cause him to fall while gliding. For Naydra, protection from the cold is still useful, even if you are no longer directly on the summit.
Mount Lanayru to Naydra
With Naydra freed, the Mount Lanayru changes permanently. The black sludge of hatred disappears from the dragon and the Jitan Sa’mi Shrine remains as a fast travel point immediately at the Spring of Wisdom. This means you can return here at any time without having to climb the entire mountain again.
The spring itself is also a handy place to trade Spirit Orb for heart or stamina containers. Especially if you travel here later for Naydra materials, you can easily combine both tasks.
Departure towards Tabantha and village of Rito
The first Titan is freed and with Mipha’s Grace, Link has excellent security for the coming areas. Our next big target of the main target “Free the Divine Beasts” is far to the northwest Hyrule’s. There the Divine Beast Vah Medoh circles above the Rito village.
The journey takes you across the Hyrule Mountains and the Tabanta Border. There we activate the next tower, reach the stable of the Tabanta Bridge or the region around the Tabanta Tower and meet another Great Fairy. We then enter the Rito village for the first time and find out why Vah Medoh responds to every approach from the air with his cannons.