Eastern Ruins

The Eastern Ruins are a location in A Link Between Worlds.^{[name references needed]}

Features and Overview

The Eastern Ruins are the remains of ancient buildings in Hyrule where the Eastern Palace is located. It is the counterpart of the Dark Ruins in Lorule. It is situated directly south of the Witch's House, indirectly east of Hyrule Castle, and indirectly north of Lake Hylia. It is mostly a maze with several dead ends whose walls are hills of varying elevation and has pillars, statues, trees in its central and southeastern areas, multiple caves, and a building that leads to a Treasure Hunter Cave.

Upon entering the Eastern Ruins and going north, Link encounters a gate that prevents him from reaching the path through the maze that leads to the Eastern Palace. Next to the gate are two pillars each with Bow markings on them and two more pillars with Crystal Switches on top. Reading the Signs that Ravio placed in this same area prompts Link to return to his house, where he is given the Rented Bow. This enables him to shoot Arrows at the two previously unreachable Crystal Switches while standing on the raised platform, causing the gate to open. After going north, east, and south in a winding path through the maze, Link eventually reaches the Eastern Palace located at the northeastern corner of the Eastern Ruins.

The only item found in the Eastern Ruins is a Piece of Heart in one of its caves, though two Lost Maiamais can also be found; one on top of a tree and another stuck to a rock wall. There are three Treasure Chests found outside in the Ruins; two of them containing Red Rupees while the third contains a Silver Rupee. A fourth Chest containing a Silver Rupee can be found inside the Ruins' Treasure Hunter Cave. Several stray Rupees are also found throughout the Ruins, including Green and Red Rupees laying out in its maze and Blue Rupees on the floor of one of its caves. To fully explore the Eastern Ruins and its caves and get all the items, Maiamais, Chests and Rupees located within it, Link must have the ability to Wall Merge and must have the Bombs, Hammer, Hookshot, Pegasus Boots, and the Power Glove in addition to the Bow needed to initially gain access to the majority of the maze.

No Fissures that link the two worlds are located directly in the Eastern Ruins, but there are two such fissures in the adjacent areas located within the same region of Hyrule as defined on the Maiamai Map. The first of these is located on the pillar in the rocky area west of the Ruins and the second is located in the basin directly south of it and is initially blocked by a rock that can be bombed. There is also a Weather Vane located by the Eastern Palace's entrance that serves as a warp point to the Palace and Ruins.