One of the first few Shrines in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the Keh Namut Shrine or the Cryonis Trial. This shrine is one of four shrines that Link must complete so he may be able to leave the Great Plateau region.
This shrine is also Link’s introduction to Cryonis, which is a useful Rune ability that can create pillars of ice on the surface of any body of water, even waterfalls (the pillar created will be horizontal). Link can create a total of three pillars at once. When a fourth one is created, the first of the three will crack and break. Additionally, the Cryonis Rune ability can also break the created pillars. After using Cryonis to create a pillar, Link may not use it until the timer gauge runs out. The Cryonis ability is used to complete this shrine and is used throughout the game.
After completing Shrines, Link will receive Spirit Orbs. These Spirit Orbs can be exchanged for more Heart Containers or Stamina Vessels. There are a total of 120 Shrines all over Hyrule, which means Link will be able to get a total of 120 Spirit Orbs.
Location
The Keh Namut Shrine is located west of the River of the Dead on the western part of the Great Plateau region. Out of the four shrines in the Great Plateau region, the Keh Namut Shrine may be the most challenging to reach because it sits at the top of a cliff paired with a cold and snowy climate.
Before trying to go to Keh Namut Shrine, make sure to prepare a few cold-resistant foods by cooking Spicy Peppers or equipping the Warm Doublet, which can be obtained at the top of Mount Hylia, to survive the cold climate. Additionally, you must first complete the Oman Au Shrine to obtain the Magnesis Rune ability which is needed to reach Keh Namut Shrine.
Going to the Shrine by swimming the River of the Dead is a bad idea as swimming in cold water will deplete Link’s hearts fast. Here is how to reach the Shrine:
- Go to the northwest end of the River of the Dead and there will be a broken bridge with two broken metal doors.
- Use Magnesis on the metal door that is on land and place it on the beginning of the bridge.
- Cross the bridge and use the path on the right to go up the cliff.
- Once you reach the walls on the edge of the region, go to the left and up the hill.
- After you reach the top of the hill, you will find another wall but elevated. Climb up the side of the cliff on the left.
- Up the top of the cliff you’ll find the Keh Namut Shrine.
The Cryonis Trial
To finish this Shrine, these are what Link should do
- Upon entering Keh Namut Shrine, interact with the terminal to obtain the Cryonis ability.
- Then, you’ll find that there is a pool of water with an elevated platform. Press the L button to use Cryonis and aim on the edge of water near the elevated platform and press A to activate and create an ice pillar. Climb up the ice pillar to reach the elevated platform and continue on the path.
- Next, go down the stairs and you’ll see another pool of water and a gate that opens vertically. Use Cryonis and activate it directly below the gate to open it. Then, continue on the path.
- Right after the gate, kill the Guardian Scout.
- Just along the path, there is an elevated platform on the left side of the wall. Use Cryonis to reach up the wall to open a chest containing a Traveler’s Spear. Then go back down and continue on the path.
- By the end of the path you’ll see a concrete slab balancing like a see saw. Use Cryonis directly below either side of the slab to create a path up the wall.
- Continue on the path and up the flight of stairs to reach the altar then talk to Keh Namut to receive your Spirit Orb.
After completing the Keh Namut Shrine, proceed to the Ja Baij Shrine or the Bomb trial to obtain the Bomb Rune ability and the Owa Daim Shrine or the Stasis Trial to obtain the Stasis Rune ability. After all these shrines, Link can finally leave the Great Plateau region and explore the rest of Hyrule.
