You're wandering through the Rabia Plain. It’s raining. Again. You see a weird guy named Kass standing under a mushroom tree, playing an accordion tune that somehow manages to be both haunting and deeply annoying after the tenth loop. He tells you a riddle about a "Crowned Beast" and a throne. If you're like most players, your first thought is probably, "What on earth is a Crowned Beast?" Honestly, it’s one of those moments in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild where the game expects you to just know the local wildlife, and if you haven't been paying attention to the woods, you're going to be stuck for a while.
The quest is officially called "The Crowned Beast," and it’s the gateway to the Mezza Lo Shrine. It sounds epic. It sounds like you’re about to fight a king or a massive boss. In reality? You're basically playing a very stressful version of animal husbandry.
Finding the Mountain Crown
To start this whole ordeal, you need to head to the Lanayru Tower region. Specifically, look for the Rabia Plain, which sits just north of the Quatta's Shelf. Kass is there. He always is. He gives you the song: "A crown of antlers in the verdant wood, to sit upon the throne as it should. A beast that bears the crown so proud, shall open the way for the one unbowed." It’s poetic. It’s also incredibly vague if you don’t realize that "crown of antlers" refers to a Mountain Buck. You aren't looking for a monster. You aren't looking for a king. You're looking for a male deer. Specifically, a large one with big, branching antlers.
Here is the thing about Breath of the Wild: the animals are skittish. If you sprint toward a buck wearing loud plate armor, it's gone. You’ve lost your "Crowned Beast" before you even got close. This quest requires a level of patience that many players—myself included—frequently lack when we're just trying to knock out one more shrine before bed.
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How to Actually Mount a Buck
This is where the frustration peaks. Most people try to chase the deer. Don't do that. You’re faster, sure, but the deer is erratic. Instead, you need to treat this like a stealth mission. If you have the Stealth Set from Kakariko Village (the Sheikah armor), put it on. All of it. If you don't have it, go cook some Sneaky Elixirs or eat some "Silent" food.
Find a group of deer in the trees near Kass. Look for the one with the antlers—the females (does) won't work for this. Crouch. Move slowly. When you get close enough, you’ll see the "Mount" prompt. Press A.
Now, the buck is going to freak out. It’s a wild animal, not a trained horse from the Duelling Peaks Stable. You need to mash the L button to soothe it. If you don't have enough stamina, the buck will buck you off, and you'll be back to square one, probably while Kass continues to play that accordion song mockingly in the background. If you’re low on stamina, eat a stamina-restoring meal mid-struggle. It feels like cheating, but Link's gotta do what Link's gotta do.
The Throne Part
Once you’ve successfully tamed the beast, don’t get off. You need to ride the buck over to the glowing orange circular platform near Kass. This is the "throne."
You don’t just ride over it; you have to stay on the buck while standing on the platform. Once the game registers that the "Crowned Beast" is on the "Throne," the Mezza Lo Shrine will erupt from the ground. Only then can you hop off and let the poor deer run back into the woods.
Why Does This Quest Matter?
Aside from the Spirit Orb, "The Crowned Beast" is a perfect example of BOTW’s philosophy of "show, don't tell." The game doesn't give you a waypoint for the deer. It doesn't tell you how to mount a wild animal. It expects you to use the mechanics you’ve learned elsewhere—stealth, taming, and environmental observation—to solve a riddle.
It’s also a bit of a lore dump. Kass is more than just a jukebox; his songs are pieces of the "Ancient Songs" passed down by his teacher. These songs often point to the trials the original Hero went through 10,000 years ago. Completing these isn't just about the shrine; it’s about completing Link’s journey as the chosen champion.
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Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
I’ve seen people try to use the "Master Cycle Zero" or a horse. Neither works. It has to be a buck. I’ve also seen people accidentally kill the buck because they were trying to use a frost arrow to "freeze" it in place to make it easier to catch. Don't do that. While freezing animals is a great way to hunt for Prime Meat, a frozen deer cannot be mounted. It just becomes a very cold statue that eventually turns into a steak.
- Check the weather: If it's a thunderstorm, your metal gear will attract lightning. Getting struck by lightning while trying to mount a deer is a very specific kind of failure that stays with you.
- Use the trees: Use the natural cover in the Rabia Plain. The deer have a cone of vision; if you stay behind them or behind the large trees, you can get much closer before they bolt.
- The Paraglider Trick: If you’re struggling with ground stealth, find a high point—like one of the large mushroom-shaped trees—and paraglide down onto the buck’s back. It bypasses the whole sneaking-in-the-grass phase entirely.
What Happens Inside Mezza Lo Shrine?
Once you've dealt with the deer, you actually have to finish the shrine. Mezza Lo is a puzzle titled "Ancient Trifecta." It involves a moving platform, a laser, and a crystal switch.
Basically, you have to time your hits on a crystal switch to rotate a platform. There is a Guardian Scout in there, but it's a minor nuisance compared to the puzzle. The trick is using Stasis on the laser or the platform at the right time to bridge the gaps. Most players find the "Crowned Beast" part much harder than the shrine itself, which is a bit of an irony in Zelda design.
Moving Forward
To get the most out of this encounter and the Lanayru region, you should prioritize your approach.
- Gear up: Ensure you have at least two pieces of the Stealth Set or a Level 3 Stealth meal.
- Scout first: Use your scope from the top of the hill to locate a buck before you go charging into the forest.
- The Glide Approach: If ground stealth isn't working, use the "drop from above" method. It’s much more reliable.
- Save your game: Save right before you attempt to mount the buck. If you scare them all away, you might have to wait a full in-game day for them to respawn or warp away and back to reset the area.
After you finish Mezza Lo, don't just warp away. The Rabia Plain is a great spot for gathering herbs and hunting if you need to stock up on materials for the later game. Plus, talking to Kass after completing his regional quests eventually leads to one of the most heartwarming conclusions in the game back at Rito Village. It's worth the effort of riding a stubborn deer onto a glowing plate.