Terminan Journal: Entry #4

I once again found myself walking out of the clock tower. It was the first day of my time in Termina yet again, and everything looked to be in place. I searched my bags, and, as expected, found my ocarina and Deku Mask. However, I was surprised to also find the other masks I had acquired, including the one taken from the creature within Woodfall Temple. What could this mean? Why would the Goddess of Time allow me to keep just these items, while casting away anything else in my possession? And does this mean that the swamp Giant is still free? If so, why allow that to remain constant, while still undoing all of my other actions?

Not wanting to dwell on things out of my control, I took Tatl's advice and left for the mountains in the north. The land was called Snowhead, and it earned its name well. The entire mountain was coated in a thick layer of snow and ice, almost unbelievably so. The other places I had been so far were rather temperate, but this mountain seemed to be isolated in its own personal harsh winter. Surely this was not natural.

My suspicions were confirmed when I came across a Goron, stranded on a high ledge. He told me that this weather was the result of a curse, coming from the high-up Snowhead Temple, and he became stranded when it hit. He had been there so long he was becoming weak with hunger, and I could not reach him to help him down. I proceeded onward, hoping I could find a way to help him.

Note: Help the stranded Goron

I eventually came across a small Goron village, locked tight to keep out the cold. The watchman let me in, where I found a most unpleasant scene. The Goron Elder has left to find a way to stop the blizzard, and his son has been loudly crying ever since. Nobody but his father can quiet him. I shall very briefly rest here to warm up before proceeding onward.

Note: Quiet the distressed Goron child

---

I left the Goron village and was met with a familiar face. The owl I met in the swamp greeted me, and oddly enough, he remembered me. He even made reference to our meeting in the swamp that should not have happened in this timeline. He told me to follow him to a distant cave in order to receive an item that would help me, but his path lead across a huge chasm! Nevertheless, I took his words of courage to heart and leapt into the thin air... and found solid ground beneath my feet. Invisible platforms dotted the air, and by following the owl, I made it across safely.

Inside the cave was a Lens of Truth, a magical item that allows the user to see the invisible, not unlike the one I found in Hyrule. I used this to return to the Goron village... where the lens also revealed a ghostly Goron. He requested that I follow him, and he eventually lead me to his own grave.

His name was Darmani, and he was once a proud Goron warrior. He had marched off to Snowhead Temple to drive back the blizzard on his own, but was swept off the mountain and died. He asked that I use my magic to return him to life so he could continue his mission, but this feat is well out of my power. So instead, I played for him the mysterious song the mask salesman taught me.

I could see the pain and sorrow melt away from his eyes as he listened to the song, and with a sense of calm, his spirit was put to rest, leaving behind nothing but a mask. Much like the Deku mask, I could feel a presence within this Goron mask. I took it with me, hoping that I could use its power to help Darmani save his people.

The hot spring in this cave is quite nice. I will warm myself here before I leave to find the Goron elder.

 The Song of Healing is truly a miraculous thing. It is capable of greater feats than you may realize...

---

Before leaving the spring, I decided to try wearing this new mask. As expected, I was hit with unbearable pain as my body transformed into that of a Goron. The freezing wind was still cold, but not as harsh as it had been earlier, so I stayed in this body while I began my search.

I found the Goron elder a few hours later, frozen solid within a thick layer of snow. When I dug him out, he believed me to be Darmani himself! Knowing Darmani to be dead, he dismissed me as a hallucination. But when I told him of his son, he ceased to care and taught me the lullaby he would often sing to him before venturing off to continue his mission.

I returned to the village and played this lullaby to the young Goron on the set of drums the mask's magic gave to me. He immediately fell asleep, bringing a sense of peace to the village. During my stay, more Gorons continued to mistake me for Darmani, some even offering me expensive delicacy rocks. I took a large rock sirloin with me as I left, which I then brought to the stranded Goron. The food gave him the energy he needed to climb down, and as thanks, he gave me his mask.

I then proceeded up to Snowhead Temple. The path was treacherous, but my Goron body was able to push through the wind and ice. And after a long journey, I made my way to the top of the temple, where another evil creature awaited my arrival. But to my surprise, the beast was nothing more than a large mechanical bull! It ran off, but I chased it down and destroyed it, claiming its mask and freeing the Giant it had held prisoner.

By the time I returned to the village, the snow had thawed and spring had returned. The Gorons wished to celebrate by racing through the mountains, but the path to their racetracks was blocked. Luckily, a rather large Goron in the village offered to train me on how to use powder kegs, which were more than powerful enough to blast away the rocks blocking the racetracks.

These powder kegs should be exactly what I need to get into the farm before the terrible event happens. But it is now night of the second day, and it has most likely already happened. I shall return to the first day now, and hope that it has not happened yet. Gorons, I'm sorry to return you to your eternal winter so soon, but even if it's only temporary, I must free Epona...

The bonds of friendship are an odd force, always influencing decisions in the strangest of ways. And nobody in this story is immune to the effects...

 Goron Mask - The Hero
Don Gero's Mask - The Rescuer