How do I beat the Eventide Island trial?
Objectives
There are three orbs total on Eventide Island, and three pedestals to place them on. The three orbs are located:
- In a tree-fort near the back eastern side of the island
- In the middle of a monster camp full of low-to-mid level bokoblins and one moblin
- Hanging from the necklace of a sleeping Hinox near the center of the island
The three pedestals are located:
- Near the northern tip of the island, slightly off-shore
- At the edge of a monster camp (near orb 2). It is covered by a flat rock that can be moved with Stasis.
- Near a monster camp at top of the hill at the islands southwestern tip. It is covered by metal crates that can be moved with Magnesis.
The order you place the orbs into the pedestals doesn't matter, and it also doesn't matter which orb you put into which pedestal.
Strategy
So, with that info out of the way, here's how I approached this problem:
Gather Resources - An Apple a Day Keeps Your Death at Bay!
First you need to gather some resources. Taking out the monster camps on the beach is good start - they will provide some simple weapons and food. If you think you can take out the camp guarding pedestal 3, that's even better because there is a cooking pot and fire nearby which you can use to cook some health-restoring food and/or elixirs.
Orb 1 - Tree Fort Scuffle
Once you've got some weapons and a bow, you need to start hunting for the orbs. The simplest orb to retrieve is, in my opinion, number 1 (the one in the tree-fort). It's only guarded by a handful of bokoblins, which can be dispatched pretty easily using the materials you should have by now. I took this orb and put it in pedestal 1 (the off-shore one). (Remember that you can use Cryosis to make platforms to walk on the water.)
Orb 2 - The Bokoblin/Moblin Menace
The next toughest orb is the number 2. Sneaking into the camp, while very difficult, is not impossible if you take out the guards/lookouts first. If you are sighted, try to rush onto one of the lookout towers - the monsters are unable to reach you there (usually). When I did this challenge, a thunderstorm started during this fight, and because the moblin was holding metal equipment, he was targeted by the lightning strike and was killed instantly - I don't know if the thunderstorm is a scripted event or not, but if it is, this is a great way to eliminate the biggest threat (provided you get out of range of the explosion right before it hits). Once you've got some breathing room, knock the flat rock off of the pedestal with Stasis, then put the nearby orb in it's place.
Orb 3 - The Chicken's Approach
The last orb is not the most difficult, but it does have the most risk if you do it wrong. First, if you haven't done so already, clear out the monster camp guarding the third pedestal. Then, from the top of the hill, jump down and paraglide right onto the Hinox's stomach. He will not wake up - yet. Grab the third orb from its necklace, then jump off and run as fast as you can back up the hill to put the orb into the pedestal. The Hinox will wake up as soon as you jump off, but you should be long gone by the time it gets up and starts chasing you.
Victory
Once you place the third orb into the pedestal, the challenge ends, a shrine appears on the tallest hilltop, and all your gear is returned. Congrats! This is definitely one of the toughest challenges in the game, so you can feel proud to have beaten it.