The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom continues to captivate players with its open-world freedom and physics-based challenges. Among the many hidden trials scattered across Hyrule, the quest titled Keys Born of Water stands out as a test of environmental puzzle-solving. Successfully deciphering this riddle unlocks the Jochisiu Shrine and rewards adventurers with valuable progression items.
Locating the Keys Born of Water Quest
To begin this journey, players must venture to the Lanayru Wetlands region near the Squabble River. In this area, you will encounter a friendly Steward Construct standing near a mysterious stone structure. Speaking with this ancient entity will officially initiate the shrine quest by giving you a cryptic clue regarding keys made of frozen liquid.
The riddle requires you to offer three distinct keys born of water to the square slots built into the nearby cliffside. Understanding the surrounding environment is essential because the materials needed to construct these keys are readily available right next to the puzzle site. You will need to interact with the nearby campfire and the flowing river to generate the required materials.
Harnessing the Power of Frost
The core mechanic of this puzzle relies on creating solid ice blocks out of the flowing river water. Players can achieve this by throwing Ice Fruit or White Chuchu Jelly directly into the stream to instantly freeze the surface. Once the large square ice plates form, you must use Link's Ultrahand ability to lift them out of the river channel safely.
However, the ambient temperature near the campfire will cause the raw ice blocks to melt if they are placed too close to the heat source. Managing this melting process is actually the secret to solving the puzzle rather than a hindrance to your progress. You must carefully control how much the blocks shrink to fit the geometry of the altars.
Sizing the Keys for the Altars
The stone structure features three distinct square recesses that decrease in size from left to right. The first altar requires a full-sized ice block, which can be inserted directly after pulling it from the freezing river. It should slide perfectly into the large square slot and activate the first glowing green rune on the wall.
For the second and third slots, you must intentionally melt the ice blocks down to smaller proportions using the nearby campfire. Hold a fresh ice block near the flames with Ultrahand and watch its dimensions carefully as it begins to shrink. Once the block reaches the medium size, insert it into the center slot, and repeat the shrinking process even further for the final smallest opening.
Unlocking the Jochisiu Shrine
Once all three custom-sized ice blocks are correctly positioned inside their respective slots, the ancient mechanism will trigger a brief cutscene. The stone wall will shift dramatically, revealing the hidden Jochisiu Shrine from beneath the earth. This completes the formal shrine quest and grants you direct access to the interior chamber.
Because the main puzzle was already solved out in the open world, the inside of the shrine functions as Rauru's Blessing. Players can walk straight up to the altar to claim a Light of Blessing alongside a rare weapon from the treasure chest. This rewarding conclusion provides a fantastic boost to your health or stamina wheels for future exploration.
