For those of you who’ve fallen deep in the proverbial rabbit hole of Tears of the Kingdom, I feel you. In fact, this mindblowing game is so ingrained into my subconscious now that I find myself observing actual berries and random flowers in my neighborhood and wondering what kind of scrumptious/medicinal mixture they’d make when cooked together. Woof. That’s when you know that you need a break. Not from the game itself (are you nuts?), but from all the crucial plot-furthering Main Quests. If you find yourself in need of a low-stakes challenge, I suggest you direct your horse in the direction of Tarrey Town.
If Tarrey Town sounds familiar, it’s because it should. In 2017’s Breath of the Wild, Link pretty much helps build the place from the ground up in the eponymous quest, "From the Ground Up". The last time we checked in on the bustling community in BotW, the shrewd Hylian homeowner, Hudson, had just married his new physically-toned bride, Rhondson (despite the height difference), and the town’s few residents were settling in comfortably. It was a beautiful wedding: simple, casual and didn’t last too long. I thought it’d be my last time in this burgeoning burg. Thankfully, I was wrong.
Speaking of time, Nintendo hasn’t missed a beat. The developers have thought of everything, even the time span from BotW until the release of Tears of the Kingdom. It’s been six years since the release of Breath of the Wild, which means six years since Hudson and Rhondson’s wedding. A lot can happen in that amount of time. For example, when a mommy and daddy love each other very much, it can produce a precocious little Gerudo-Hylian girl called Mattison.
Yes, indeed. Hudson, now President Hudson of Hudson Construction, and his beautiful, buff Gerudo wife Rhondson may be a power couple, but they’re parents now. Mattison is 6 and soon will head off to Gerudo Town alone, which is all part of the traditional Gerudo path towards womanhood — sorry, vai-hood — that will keep her far from men until she's come of age. The time until Mattison’s departure is fast approaching, and Hudson, this rational, competent man whom you watched get married years ago, is just falling apart. But Mattison is no average 6-year-old. She’s got her mom’s Gerudo strength and her dad’s know-how. The only thing she hasn’t got is someone to talk to.
Now, in terms of how to actually help Mattison achieve her independence, it’s starts with just spending time with her, and as a result, you act as a kind of sounding board for her to express her thoughts and concerns. The entire situation feels like something you’d find in Persona as a way to create Social Links. After our first meeting, when Mattison opened up about the challenges of studying the Gerudo language, I was surprised that an Arcana card didn’t appear in a burst of light.
After talking to her a bit about her interest in foreign tongues, the next step is a piece of cake. Turns out that little Mattison is quite the self-motivated student and has been dispensing her linguistic skills around town to whoever will show up to her makeshift lessons in the town square. Along with Granny Monari, I attended a fun little Gerudo class and picked up a few new tidbits of knowledge. Did you know that Vaba means “grandma” in Gerudo? Try that one out with your friends.
With her Gerudo skills locked down tight to appease her mom, all that was left for Mattison to do was to assuage her dad’s doubts and fears. Can you believe this kid? The empathy! Once I got her safely on the Zonai railcar and down to the construction site without being seen by the town’s only bad guy, Hagie, the hard part began. As a gesture of love from father to daughter, Hudson constructs a balloon as a goodbye present for Mattison. The problem is that he wants to paint it yellow, like the sun. How ya gonna do that, Hudson? Naturally, with some elusive Sundelion flowers and, of course, Link is only one who can deliver 10 of them.
I'm not being facetious; turns out that these flowers are quite rare in Hyrule. Like, really rare. I was advised to look near fallen debris from the Sky Islands, but after an exhaustive search around the marshes of Tarrey Town, I had no such luck. Then I remembered that the Skyview Towers literally launch you into the sky to a sweaty palm-inducing degree. Perhaps that could work. But which tower? Ah, classic convoluted Tears of the Kingdom. Is nothing easy in this game?! At first, my frustration clouded the adventure. Why did he need 10 Sundelions? Couldn’t we just paint it purple, or blue? But once I actually found the tower I needed, took to the sky and touched down on the sunny serene Sky Islands, all complaints ceased, and I milked the experience. It was so...quiet up there. Not only did I find a plethora of the coveted flora, but I also bagged two fairies in the process. Nice, right?
With my treasure in tow, I paraglided back down to Hyrule and shrine-traveled back to Tarrey Town just in time to paint Mattison’s balloon before her Gerudo escort arrived. Even through my tiny Switch Lite screen, I could feel a rock in my stomach and a lump in my throat. This was the last time the family would be together for at least a decade. When Hudson proposes that we take a trip up in the balloon together, it feels like the end of all things. The sun slides up over the horizon, covering the family in its golden light. Rhondson's words to Mattison were just as warm. It’s a touching moment and one that I was grateful to a be part of.
By the time we landed, the entire town had assembled to say goodbye to Mattison. It’s a cinematic and emotional farewell that had serious Lord Of The Rings vibes, which meant that I almost lost it. When it was all over, I didn’t need Hudson and Rhondson’s rupees (even though the game made me take them), as the quest itself was reward enough.
Mattison's Independence Quest stuck out to me as it was not only a chance to reunite with the charming characters from the island hamlet of Tarrey Town again, but it went beyond the typical side quest fare. This particular challenge was deeper than simply finding a chicken, or constructing a wagon for a girl. Just like Vin Diesel mellifluously mumbles in those Fast and Furious movies, “Everyone's looking for a thrill, but what’s real is family”. Right you are, Vin. Regardless of where you are, or your progress in Zelda, maybe you should give your folks a quick shout. But don’t forget to save your game first.