| Quest type | Main quest (Regional Phenomena: Gerudo) |
|---|---|
| Giver | Riju (Buliara, captain of the guard, sends you to her) |
| Starts in | Gerudo Shelter beneath Gerudo Town (-3876, -2954) |
| Requirements | Starts automatically during Regional Phenomena once you reach Gerudo Town and talk to the people in the underground shelter (reach it by moving the Sand Seal statue behind the throne with Ultrahand); Ultrahand, Ascend and Recall help with the puzzles. Tulin’s gust makes the desert much easier, so most guides suggest doing another region first |
| Reward | Heart Container, the Vow of Riju (Riju becomes the Sage of Lightning and can be summoned in battle), and the end of the sand shroud over the Gerudo region |
Meet Riju at the North Gerudo Ruins, help her aim her lightning, defend Kara Kara Bazaar and Gerudo Town from the Gibdo swarm, light the three red pillars to raise the Lightning Temple, then power its four batteries and defeat Queen Gibdo twice. Riju becomes the Sage of Lightning when the sand shroud lifts.
Walkthrough
Go to Riju at the North Gerudo Ruins
Talk to Buliara in Gerudo Shelter, who says that Riju is training at the North Gerudo Ruins. Leave the shelter by the passage on its left side and cross the Valley of Silent Statues: set Zonai mirrors with Ultrahand so that the light beams reach the green crystals and open the doors, then continue down to the ruins. Riju is waiting among her practice targets.
Help Riju strike the targets
Riju’s lightning needs a target to aim at. Shoot the practice dummy with an arrow, then shoot the small stone between the three statues while she charges her ring, so that her lightning reaches all three. She is then called away by news that Kara Kara Bazaar is under attack.
Defend Kara Kara Bazaar
Ride to Kara Kara Bazaar, north-east of Gerudo Town (Mayatat Shrine is the fast-travel point), and fight the Gibdos alongside Riju. Her lightning, or shock arrows, finish them quickly. Shoot the purple Gibdo hive that keeps spawning enemies to stop the swarm, then clear the rest.
Prepare Gerudo Town’s defences
Return to Gerudo Town. Talk to Buliara in the throne room, then to Captain Teake and Padda in the courtyards. Weapon racks hold Gerudo weapons and a chest holds elemental materials, so stock up and place soldiers and barricades at the gates. When you are ready, talk to Riju on her throne to start the attack.
Destroy the three Gibdo hives
Three purple hives sit outside the town to the north, east and west. Run to each and shoot the glowing hive while the soldiers hold off the Gibdos. When all three are down, follow Riju back to the shelter.
Read the mural
Inspect the mural in the shelter. It reads: “Standing back-to-back with the throne, witness red pillars across a vast sea. Unite the pillars in light to reveal the lightning stone and open the way.” Go to the building directly behind the throne in Gerudo Town and break the cracked floor to reveal a mirror and a beam of light.
Light the three red pillars
Follow the beam across the desert to each red pillar tower. At the first, break the floor to expose the mirror. At the second, climb the small tower and turn the wheel so that the pillar reflects light toward the third. At the third tower, glide in on a gust of wind and break the floor to get two Hover Stones and sticks. Combine them with Ultrahand, power the stones and ride them up the tower wall, then turn the wheel at the top. When the three towers shine on each other, a triangle of light forms and an altar appears in its centre.
Raise the Lightning Temple
Stand in the middle of the triangle and have Riju strike the altar with her lightning. The Lightning Temple rises from the sand. Strike the purple hive at its entrance to call Queen Gibdo, then fight her; Riju’s lightning exposes her so that your arrows and sword hit hard. Dodge her tackle and whirlwind by moving sideways. The fight ends when she has lost about a third of her health.
Charge the four batteries
Inside, clear the sand with a fan, push back the fire spheres with Recall and use a mirror to open the door to the Room of Ascension. To use its lift you must charge four batteries on the temple floors. Each battery needs light directed onto statues and plates, or a mirror carried by a balloon, and Riju’s lightning to charge it once its gate opens. The temple chests hold a Flame Emitter, a Large Zonai Charge, a Zonaite Shield and a Construct Bow (Strong or Mighty, depending on your progress for both). Other guides also list a Large Zonai Charge below the second bridge on the lowest floor, a Topaz under the movable sandstone there, a Royal Claymore (or Traveler’s Claymore, Soldier’s Claymore or Knight’s Claymore, depending on your progress) in a hidden corner room and a Gerudo Scimitar in the room with the collapsing floor. A Korok-Frond Guster inside clears the sand piles.
Defeat Queen Gibdo again
With four batteries charged, ride the lift to the top and have Riju strike the large purple hive to summon Queen Gibdo for a second fight. She is stronger this time and her attacks hit for several hearts, so bring plenty of food and have at least eight hearts. When her health gets low she summons Gibdos and gains new attacks; the hives block light, so destroy them with Riju’s lightning to stop the spawns. Keep to the sides, use Riju’s lightning to expose her and strike in bursts; Yunobo’s vow combines well with Riju’s. When she falls, take the Heart Container.
Take the Secret Stone
After the fight, Riju touches the Secret Stone, hears her ancestor’s voice and becomes the Sage of Lightning, and the sand shroud over the Gerudo region lifts. Speak to Riju and Buliara afterward in the throne room.
Rewards
You earn a Heart Container from Queen Gibdo and the Vow of Riju, which lets you summon Riju’s avatar to fight beside you and use her lightning. The quest leads on to the main quest A Mystery in the Depths once the other regions are done.
Tips
- Save before the second Queen Gibdo fight, and bring food that restores hearts.
- Shock arrows and Riju’s lightning are the fastest way to deal with Gibdos and the purple hives.
- Several of Gerudo Town’s side quests open once the sand shroud has gone.
