Finding yourself standing in front of dozens of buried chests in Cephla Lake Cave is a classic "Tears of the Kingdom" moment. You’ve probably spent the last ten minutes watching two bickering brothers, Domidak and Prissen, argue about which pile of dirt holds the legendary loot of Misko the Bandit. They’re stuck. They’ve been there for ages. Honestly, without a trick or some serious patience, you’re about to be stuck too.
Misko’s Cave of Chests is one of those early-game side quests that feels like a prank until you realize there is a very specific logic to it. You don't actually have to open every single chest. In fact, if you do it the hard way, you’ll end up with a inventory full of single Green Rupees and a lot of wasted time.
Where Exactly Is This Cave?
If you haven’t found the spot yet, head to the Eldin Canyon region. Specifically, you’re looking for the western shore of Cephla Lake. There’s a small campsite outside with a cooking pot and those two treasure hunters I mentioned.
The coordinates are roughly 2606, 1311, 0150. It’s right near the Kisinona Shrine, which makes it a super easy warp point if you need to leave and come back later.
The Dog Strategy vs. The Ultrahand Shortcut
The game wants you to be nice. Outside the cave, there’s a Hylian Retriever hanging around the campsite. If you feed this dog—usually about four pieces of meat or fruit—it’ll eventually become your best friend and lead you straight into the cave. It’ll sit right in front of the exact chest you need to pull out of the ground.
But maybe you’re low on apples. Or maybe you just don't want to wait for the dog to finish its "thank you" animation.
How to skip the dog
You can just walk in and use Ultrahand.
Most of the chests in the cave are just sitting there, but the one containing the actual treasure is partially buried. When you activate Ultrahand, you’ll see the outlines of all the chests. The "real" one is located at the very back of the cave, slightly to the right side of the main cluster of chests.
Pull it out. Open it up.
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Inside, you’ll find the Ember Trousers. These are part of the Ember Set, which gives you a "Hot Weather Attack" boost. Basically, when you're in a high-temperature area (like most of Eldin), your attack finishers will trigger a fire burst. It’s incredibly useful for clearing out groups of monsters without using up your Fire Fruit.
What Happens to the Rest of the Chests?
You might be tempted to go back and open the rest. Don't bother.
I mean, if you really want those single Rupees, go for it. But every other chest in that cave contains a single Green Rupee. The brothers, Domidak and Prissen, will eventually realize you found the treasure and give up, leaving you to your spoils.
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The Message in a Bottle
Opening the chest with the Ember Trousers triggers more than just a gear upgrade. You’ll also find a Bottle with a Letter inside. This is actually the starting point for a much larger treasure hunt: Misko’s Treasure: The Fierce Deity.
This letter gives you clues to find three more pieces of armor modeled after the legendary mask from Majora’s Mask.
- Fierce Deity Mask: Found in Skull Lake.
- Fierce Deity Armor: Located in Akkala Citadel Ruins.
- Fierce Deity Boots: Hidden in Ancient Tree Stump.
If you complete that set and return to the Cephla Lake Cave while wearing all three pieces, a secret stone door at the back of the cave will open. Inside? The Fierce Deity Sword. It’s one of the highest base-damage two-handed weapons in the game.
Actionable Tips for This Quest
- Don't waste arrows: Use Ultrahand to pull chests out. Don't waste your weapon durability or arrows trying to "hit" them.
- Keep the Ember Trousers: Even if you have better armor, the Ember set is fantastic for the Goron region bosses.
- The Dog is a lie (mostly): Feeding the dog is cute, but if you’re in a rush, just head to the back-right corner and look for the chest that's buried deeper than the others.
- Pin the Shrine: Activate the Kisinona Shrine nearby even if you don't finish it. You’ll be coming back here once you have the full Fierce Deity set to claim the sword.
What to Do Next
Once you’ve grabbed the Ember Trousers and read the letter, your next move should be heading toward the Akkala Citadel. It’s a bit of a climb, but the Fierce Deity Armor piece hidden there is arguably the best "bang for your buck" in terms of early-game defense and attack boosts.
You can also check the other Misko questlines, like the Treasure of Awakening, which leads you to the Link’s Awakening-style "big head" mask. Misko really liked hiding things in caves, so keep an eye out for any NPC wearing a mushroom hat; they usually have the inside scoop on where the next bandit hoard is buried.