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There is a plethora of side content for players to enjoy in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, so much so that many players don't even touch the main quest until hours in. Each side quest feels unique, and offers Link a new way to test his know-how of Tears of the Kingdom's new physics interactions.
There is a series of side quests spread throughout Hyrule that involve Link gathering members of a traveling musical troupe back together. The group meets at the Woodland Stable, but only two of the characters are there when Link arrives for the first time. One of the musicians, the Horn player Eustus, fell down a hole by the side of the road, and it's up to Link to bring him back to safety and get him back to the Stable Trotters.
The Hornist's Dramatic Escape Quest Location
The Hornist's Dramatic Escape quest is found on the way to Rito Village from the Tabantha Bridge stable. As Link heads northwest on the road from Tabantha Bridge, there will be a sudden sharp turn eastward in the middle of a mountainous area – on the map, this is just east of Piper Ridge and just below the text that reads "Tabantha Frontier" when zoomed out.
The Hornist's Dramatic Escape begins at the bottom of a pit just to the west of this curve, where players will stumble upon a man whose wagon crashed into the pit. As Link gets close, the sound of a horn can faintly be heard and will get louder as he gets closer.
The Hornists Dramatic Escape location coordinates are (-3644, 0768, 0117), in case players don't want to take the main road to reach this quest start. After talking to the source of the music at the bottom of the pit, a hornist named Eustus, Link is tasked to lift him and his wagon safely out of the hole and return him to the road.
Hornist's Dramatic Escape Quest Walkthrough
This Tears of the Kingdom quest isn't as simple as just lifting Eustus and his wagon above the threshold of the pit. Players actually have to make sure he makes it to land, all while he remains a passenger.
There are two main methods for completing The Hornist's Dramatic Escape: the intended method, which uses nearby Zonai devices, or the cheese method, which uses a combination of Recall and Ultrahand.
Whatever method players choose, it's important to avoid tipping Eustus and his wagon or dropping him from a height. If Link doesn't keep the wagon upright and afloat, the camera comically zooms in on Eustus' face as he yells that it's too dangerous.
Construct A Device To Lift Him Out Of The Pit...
There are a handful of nearby Zonai devices and construction materials that can make this quest much easier, provided players don't burn the whole thing up. The wagon is flammable, but the simplest way to complete this task is to use the nearby Flame Emitters on Balloons attached to the wagon.
One approach players can use is to attach two Balloons to the side of a platform, attach this to the top of the carriage, then use a Flame Emitter aimed upward at the Balloons to keep them inflated with hot air. Attach a fan to the back of the wagon so that it propels forward and lands on the ground when the Zonai devices are deactivated. Use Autobuild on this structure to keep it saved in case things go awry.
Remember to tell Eustus to get in before activating the Zonai devices, or the quest won't count as complete. And, be careful to avoid making the flame spewed from the Flame Emitter touch the wagon's wood, as it will combust and cause the quest to reset.
...Or Use Recall And Ultrahand To Cheese The Quest
The Recall and Ultrahand abilities in Tears of the Kingdom are some of its most game-breaking, especially when used with one another. The pit Eustus fell into is deep, but not so deep that it can't be cheesed.
First, grab the wagon with Ultrahand and lift it as high as it will go, as close to the wall of the pit as possible. Hold it at this height for a few seconds, then gently return it to the ground. Climb back to the rim of the pit and use Recall on the wagon. This will bring it back to the point Link dragged it to before, which should be just high enough to reach with Ultrahand from the top.
When the wagon is Recalled back to this point, quickly swap to Ultrahand and activate it as soon as the menu disappears so that it doesn't have time to fall.
If done correctly, Link should be able to simply lift the wagon to the ground, and if Eustus is inside, the quest will be complete. Players who can't get the wagon to float onto the ground normally can also stand on the rim and use Ultrahand as it floats upward, eliminating the need to attach a Fan to its rear.
Rewards For Completing The Hornists' Dramatic Escape
The Hornist's Dramatic Escape is part of a series of quests found across Hyrule that involve getting a wandering band – the Stable Trotters – back together. Link can find a variety of musicians all across Hyrule, who eventually meet up at the Woodland Stable just east of Lookout Landing in Eldin.
As for the quest rewards specifically, Eustus doesn't have much to offer, as most of his supplies went bad after he got trapped on the way to Rito Village. But, as a reward for Link's help, Eustus will give him three Courser Bee Honey, which can be used in cooking to improve Stamina recovery or as a Fused item that summons a swarm of bees on hit.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available on the Nintendo Switch.