Palace of Winds (The Minish Cap)

The Palace of Winds is the fifth dungeon in The Minish Cap, and contains the final element, the Wind Element, that is required to transform the Elemental White Sword into the legendary Four Sword.

Background

It is revealed in The Minish Cap that the Palace of Winds did not begin as Vaati's personal residence, but rather as the sanctified home of one of the Four Elements that are the crystalline manifestations of the four major elements of the world, this element being the Wind Element. The palace is a creation of a special tribe of people closely linked to the winds known as the Wind Tribe, who were said to have constructed the palace when they still lived in the Wind Ruins just south of the mire known as Castor Wilds in southeastern Hyrule. Eventually, the Wind Tribe chose to join the winds they studied and worshiped so much, and to this end, they used their magic to raise the Palace of Winds up into the sky, constructing a new home for themselves there that would also serve as the road to the palace, the Tower of Winds, which also floated above the Cloud Tops just beneath the Palace of Winds itself. For generations following this, the Palace of Winds was guarded by the Wind Tribe, who sought to protect the Wind Element from those unworthy of possessing it.

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The Palace of Winds, as it is featured in The Minish Cap

The Palace of Winds is the dungeon where Link receives the Wind Element, which allows him to finally restore the Picori Blade by transforming it into the Four Sword. The featured treasure is the Roc's Cape, and the boss is the Gyorg Pair. The palace houses many enemies, including Puffstools, Bombarossas and Wizzrobes. The Palace of Winds essentially consists of two major parts: inside the palace and outside the palace. The Roc's Cape is received outside the palace, but the Dungeon Map, Compass, and Big Key aren't seen until Link finally enters the palace. To enter the palace, Link must climb to the highest level of the first section and drop down to the entrance. There, a Red Dark Nut guards the palace. It is in this game that the palace's origins (and ironically those of the Tower of Winds) are revealed, giving it much more background. In this game, the palace is revealed to have been a construction of the magical Wind Tribe, a race of humanoid beings that once lived in the Wind Ruins just south of Castor Wilds and now live amongst the Cloud Tops during the events of the game. It is implied that the palace was constructed while the tribe still resided in the Fortress of Winds with the sole purpose of being the home of the Wind Element. However, as time went by, the Wind Tribe chose to join the winds they studied so much, using their magic to raise the palace up into the heavens along with the Wind Element. There amongst the Cloud Tops, they constructed a new home, the Tower of Winds, and made it the road to the palace above them. For generations, they continued to guard the palace as the surface world largely forgot about them and their move to the heavens, though Gustaf, king of Hyrule during the time they departed, remained aware of this and kept a special Kinstone that would open the way to the Cloud Tops atop Veil Falls at Veil Springs.

After having searched the Fortress of Winds and finding the Wind Element not to be located there, Link pursued the Water Element in the depths of the Temple of Droplets. However, he is left without a lead to the Wind Element's location afterward, until he is greeted by the spirit of King Gustaf just outside the Temple of Droplets, where he tells the hero to visit him if he seeks to rescue Princess Zelda from her fate at Vaati's hands. Link eventually finds his way to Royal Valley, Gustaf's resting place, and meets once more with the late monarch's spirit, where he turns over to Link the Kinstone piece needed to reach the top of Veil Falls, the so-called "Source of the Flow". Using the Kinstone piece, Link is able to reach the whirlwind that is the portal to the Cloud Tops at the top of Veil Springs and launches himself up into the heavens in search of the final element. There he works his way up to the Tower of Winds, where he meets with the Wind Tribe and is granted access to the Palace of Winds above the tower by the leader of the Wind Tribe, Siroc. The palace presents Link with his greatest challenge yet as he braves the dangerous heights of the structure, having to work just to reach the palace's inner chambers. Inside, he confronts many powerful enemies that have taken root there to reach the summit of the palace, where he discovers that a Gyorg Pair has descended from the skies and taken hold of the Wind Element, flying high above the Palace of Winds preying upon any who dare to confront them. With much courage and agility (and help from the Roc's Cape, the treasure of the palace), the young hero is able to defeat the beasts and recover the Wind Element, allowing him to at last revive the Picori Blade as the legendary Four Sword.

Minor Enemies and Traps

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  Ball and Chain Soldier

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  Blue Chuchu

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  Bob-omb

• File:Bombarossa FS.png

  Bombarossa

• File:Bow Moblin Figurine.gif

  Bow Moblin

• File:Crow and Takkuri Figurine.gif

  Crow

• File:GDarknut(TMC).gif

  Darknut

• File:Wizzrobe Fire MC.gif

  Fire Wizzrobe

• File:Floor Master Figurine.gif

  Floormaster

• File:Gibdo Figurine.gif

  Gibdo

• File:Wizzrobe Ice MC.gif

  Ice Wizzrobe

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  Keese

• File:Peahat Figurine.gif

  Peahat

• File:MDarknut(TMC).gif

  Red Darknut

• File:Spark(TMC).gif

  Spark

• File:Spiked Beetle Figurine.gif

  Spiked Beetle

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  Stalfos

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  Wisp

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  Winder

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  Wizzrobe