You're paragliding through the sky in Tears of the Kingdom, minding your own business, when you see it. A star-shaped island. It looks like a flower from above, just floating there in the Great Sky Island or the far reaches of Hebra. You land, walk to the center, and find a stone tablet written in a language that looks like chicken scratch. Link can't read it. Honestly, neither can we. But these totk messages from an ancient era are actually the backbone of the game's deepest lore, and finding all thirteen of them is a massive chore if you don't have a plan.
Most players stumble upon one or two and then forget they exist. That’s a mistake. These aren't just collectibles for the sake of completionism. They are first-hand accounts from a researcher living during the era of King Rauru, providing context that the "Dragon's Tears" memories completely skip over.
Why You Should Care About These Floating Flowers
The quest officially kicks off in Kakariko Village. You'll find a guy named Wortsworth—yes, that's his real name—standing near a fallen stone tablet in the middle of a pond. He’s part of the Zonai Survey Team. He’s obsessed. Once you talk to him, he moves to Lookout Landing, and that’s where the real work begins.
Each of these tablets is located on a specific star-shaped island in the sky. When you find one, you have to use your Purah Pad to take a picture of the inscription. You bring that photo back to Wortsworth, and he translates it for you. It’s a slow burn. But the reward? 100 Rupees per translation and a pretty sweet "Zonai Survey Team Fabric" for your paraglider once you finish the whole set. Plus, you get to understand what Zelda was actually doing while she was stuck in the past, which is way more interesting than just grinding for Korok seeds.
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The Logistics of the Hunt
Getting to these islands is the hard part. The Sky Map in Tears of the Kingdom is vertical, layered, and frankly, a bit of a nightmare to navigate if your battery cell isn't upgraded.
You're going to need a lot of Zonai charges. Seriously. Most of these islands are tucked away at high altitudes that a simple paraglide from a Skyview Tower won't reach. You'll need Hover Bikes (two fans and a steering stick) or high-level stamina food. The islands are spread out across the entire map, from the North Hebra Sky Archipelago down to the South Necluda Sky.
Here is the weird thing about the physics: once you step on the center of these star-shaped islands, the floor often gives way. It’s a trap, but a helpful one. The tablet falls all the way to the surface of Hyrule. If you miss the chance to take a photo in the sky, don't panic. Just follow the streak of light down to the ground. The tablet will be sitting there in a crater, waiting for its close-up.
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Locations That Trip People Up
A few of these are notably annoying. The one in the North Hyrule Sky Archipelago requires some serious vertical lift. If you haven't mastered the "Fan-Elevator" or the basic Hover Bike, you're going to be spending a lot of time falling and cursing the Zonai.
Another tricky one is located near the Thunderhead Isles. The visibility is garbage. You’re flying through a literal storm, trying to spot a tiny stone flower while lightning tries to delete you from existence. It’s easier to go after this one after you’ve cleared the "Secret of the Ring Ruins" quest, which clears the clouds.
What the Messages Actually Say
Without spoiling the emotional gut-punch of the ending, these messages bridge the gap between the founding of Hyrule and the present day. They were written by a scribe who was basically Zelda’s personal assistant in the ancient past.
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They talk about daily life. They talk about Rauru’s quirks. They describe how the people of that era viewed the "Princess from the Sky." It makes the world feel inhabited, rather than just a series of ruins. It’s world-building in its purest form. You learn about the royal diet, the construction of the floating islands, and the lingering fear of the Demon King’s influence.
Dealing With the Wortsworth Bottleneck
Wortsworth is a bit of a stickler. You can't just dump thirteen photos on him and expect a reward immediately. You have to trigger the dialogue for each one. It’s tedious. You show the photo, he reads it, he gets excited, he pays you, and you repeat.
If you’re doing this for the 100% completion mark, do yourself a favor and wait until you have at least five or six photos before visiting him. It saves on the loading screens and the repetitive travel back to Lookout Landing.
Actionable Steps for Completion
If you want to knock this out in one Saturday afternoon, follow this flow:
- Upgrade your battery. Don't even attempt the high-altitude islands with only three battery wells. You need at least two full rows to make the Hover Bike viable for long-distance sky travel.
- Unlock all Skyview Towers. This is obvious, but these towers are your primary catapults. Launch up, look for the star shape on your map, and mark it with a pin.
- Use the Sensor+ feature. If you’ve upgraded your Purah Pad with Robbie at the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab, you can set your sensor to look for "Stone Tablets." It makes finding the ones that have already fallen to the ground much easier.
- Snap before you leap. When you land on a star island, take the photo immediately. If the floor drops and you aren't ready, you have to chase it down, which is a waste of time.
- Check the Map Icons. Once you've photographed a tablet and Wortsworth has translated it, a small icon appears on your map. If you see a star island without that icon, you’ve missed it.
The quest for totk messages from an ancient era is one of the few "fetch quests" in the game that actually pays off in terms of narrative weight. It turns the sky from a playground into a library. Grab your camera, stock up on Large Zonai Charges, and start climbing. The history of Hyrule isn't just in the cutscenes; it's written on the rocks falling from the clouds.