TotK The Duchess Who Disappeared: Where Is Selmie?

The Duchess Who Disappeared is a side quest in Hebra. Selmie is a former pro shield surfer who once earned the nickname “Duchess of Downhill.” She set out to create a new shield-surfing course and never came back, and her two students are looking for her. Every side quest is on all side quests.

How do you start The Duchess Who Disappeared?

Go to Selmie’s Spot (Show on map) northwest of Hebra Peak, just above Rutafu-um Shrine. Her student Russ explains that she went to build a new course and has not returned. His buddy Fin is searching on the Biron Snowshelf to the west; look for his smoke signals to meet up.

Russ is said to appear in the lodge only after the main quest Tulin of Rito Village. If you have not picked up the quest yet, it does not matter: finding Fin on Biron Snowshelf, or going straight into the cave and talking to Selmie, also starts it.

Where is Selmie?

1. Head west from the lodge to the slopes on the east side of Biron Snowshelf and find Fin by his smoke signal. He says Selmie’s shield-surfing tracks end nearby.
2. Selmie is in East Biron Snowshelf Cave, which has an east and a west entrance (east entrance, west entrance). You can reportedly spot one of them by looking down over the cliff edge near Fin.
3. Go in, break the rocks in the way and you find Selmie standing by a campfire. She slid into the cave while scouting a new course, hit a dead end and could not get back out through the entrance.

How do you get Selmie out?

Selmie cannot climb up the way you came in, so you need to open another route.

1. In her chamber, find the breakable rock wall and smash it with a two-handed weapon, Bomb Flowers or bomb arrows.
2. Keep digging through the rocks deeper in until you break through to the outside.
3. Tell Selmie the way is open, and she heads back to her lodge on her own.

What is the reward?

Return to Selmie’s Spot (look for the bonfire in front of the lodge). Selmie thanks you with the Strong Zonaite Shield, accepts you as her third student and tells you to visit any time you want to shield surf.

For the shield’s stats, see Strong Zonaite Shield; for shield-surfing controls, see combat tips.

Related guides

• Mushroom haven and hot spring quests: more side quests in Hebra.
• Divine Helms: more side quests about finding things.