Termina

Termina is the land where the story of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask unfolds. After restoring Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Link embarkes on a journey to find a "friend" he had lost after the Imprisoning War. However, he is ambushed in the woods by a Skull Kid wearing a strange mask known as Majora's Mask. Chasing after the Skull Kid, Link falls down a huge hole inside a tree, and wakes up in Termina.

Because many of the people and creatures Link met here were very similar to the inhabitants of Hyrule, Termina is often thought of as a parallel world to Hyrule, although this is never stated in the game. The official Zelda website encyclopedia states that Termina is a universe created when the magic of the gods slipped through the cracks in time and space. However, in Termina, the races do not have a common king that runs the land, but they have individual leaders. The Terminians are more advanced then the Hyruleans, but do not seem to have as much faith in the gods as the Hyruleans do. Every year they celebrate a big carnival in the center of the land, which is the city Clock Town. They do this in honor of the Four Great Ones which, according to legend, created the land and still guard it. The Triforce is not mentioned when Link is in Termina, so it is believed that it does not play a part in their lives or history.

Physical geography
Termina's central city is the lively Clock Town, located in the middle of the country. The landscape is very different from one area to another. Immediately to the West of Clock Town is the Great Bay, which is home to a small laboratory on a platform slightly out to sea, as well as the Gerudo Pirates, who have their Fortress there. To the north of Clock Town are the mountains, there lies the Highest point of Termina, Snowhead. South of Clock Town, the Southern Swamp are located, and to the east of Clock Town is the Lost Kingdom of Ikana.

Terminan geography
Terminan activity in Termina is concentrated in the huge town that is Clock Town, and unlike the monarchy in Hyrule there is a mayor. However, there isn't any evidence of farming, so it may be possible that the food Terminans get comes from the sea. Terminans live mainly in Clock Town and only a few people live elsewhere, such as Romani and Cremia, who live on Romani Ranch, to the South-west of Clock Town. Gorons live in the mountains to the north, Zoras live on the sea to the west, and Dekus live in the swamps of the south. There does not seem to be one ruling race, but each race's home is like a City-state, each with its own government system and traditions.

Clock Town
Clock Town is the apparent center of Terminian affairs, geographically located in the exact middle of the land. Inhabited mostly by Terminans, Clock Town is divided into 5 sub-sections: North, East, West and South, as well as an area known as The Laundry Pool. East Clock Town consists of a few games as well as an inn and a Milk Bar. The bulk of East Clock Town's area is taken up by the Stock Pot Inn, a twenty-four hour operational hotel, sporting a large bell. In addition, the mayor's office is located here. It is also home to the entrance of the hideout for a secret society known as the "Bombers". North Clock Town consists of a large park which takes up the entire area, except for a small Fairy Shrine in a corner. There are always children playing in the park and there are occasional sightings of a Keaton. West Clock Town is the city's main commercial center. It includes various stores, some of which are of a questionable legal status. West Clock Town is also where one can find the local post office and bank, as well as a lottery. South Clock Town is the town's main hub. It is connected to all four of the other sections of the city and to the outside world. Every year, the Carnival of Time occurs in South Clock Town, making it a cultural center. A large clock tower is in the center of South Clock Town, hence the name "Clock Town".

Termina Field
Termina Field is a large mainly treeless area that encircles Clock Town and borders Termina's various mountains, valleys and bodies of water. A system of roads spanning the field connects Clock Town with the other regions of Termina, including Snowhead, Great Bay, Ikana Valley and Woodfall. Although vegetated mostly by various grasses, Termina Field is far from topographically featureless. Many species of animal life populate the area, chiefly ChuChus. Termina Field is the perfect place for a horse ride.

Snowhead Mountain
The Snowhead Mountains are the pinnacle of height in Termina. Snowhead is home to the Goron race, who have made a city on the snowy slopes. The Goron city includes the main chamber- a huge place of meeting for the Gorons that takes up much of the city. Inside you will find a shop that sells assorted goods, and a chamber in which the Elder's son lives. Other places in the city include a Powder Keg shop and a Goron Shrine. Outside the borders of the city lies the Mountain Smithy, a quaint chalet with two smiths that will improve your sword for a price. Next to the Smithy, high on a cliff is the final resting place of the great Darmani, with a hot spring that provides warmth in the bitter cold of Snowhead. The Goron's temple is Snowhead Temple, a huge peak in the mountain range surrounded by a huge chasm. Snowhead Temple is where the bitter, endless winter stems from, which is torturing the Gorons.

Southern Swamp
Southern Swamp is a swamp in Southern Termina. Southern Swamp is very aquatic and lush, and it has an abundance of wildlife. Southern Swamp's chief species are the Deku Scrubs. who have a palace nestled deep in the Swamp, near Woodfall. Woodfall is the Deku Scrubs temple of worship, and is the root of the poison leaking into the swamp waterways. There are places in which Terminians live, and their businesses are high on platforms. One is the Swamp Tourist Center, where you can get a boat tour of the swamp, and the other is the Magic Hag's Potion Shop,where a number of helpful potions are sold. Other areas of interest include the Woods of Mystery, a maze like wood which is very much like the Lost Woods in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and the Swamp Shooting Gallery, in which you can test your skills with your bow.

Great Bay
Termina's large coastline, Great Bay is a peaceful and serene setting. As you enter, you will find a nice beach, with a fisherman's hut on the shore, and kayak-like boats on the sands. Outside of the beach on the water rests the Marine Research Lab, a odd looking place with porthole windows and a large hook on the roof. Here you will find the marine researcher, who is well informed on the plight of the Zora. North in the bay lies the Gerudo Pirate fortress, which has top- notch security, as is very difficult to enter. Down the beach, and through a cave, is an extension of the beach. Above the waterfall is a catchment where two beavers live, further up the river that leads to the waterfall is their dam where they make their home. Swim down in the ocean in this area and you will gain entry into Zora Hall, the main chamber for the Zora, and the home of its band, the Indigo-gos. Even farther out from shore is Pinnacle Rock, a murky place teeming with huge sea snakes, and further still the Great Bay Temple, home of Gyorg, and the stem of the murkiness and heat in the ocean that is preventing the Zora from hatching their eggs.

Ikana Canyon
Ikana Canyon is a desolate and forlorn area of Termina, where only the dead can call home. Ikana has a large river flowing through it, which leads to Southern Swamp if you follow it. The Ancient Castle of Ikana can be easily seen, but its main gate is closed forever. Along the river you can find the Music Box House, a strange dwelling with a waterwheel that makes the music playing in the house run. Also near the river is Sakon's Hideout, a seemingly impenetrable cave that Sakon hides all of his stolen goods. Further up the hill, you can spot the gigantic Stone Tower, a rock stronghold that towers above everything else. A deep well delves deep into the chilling underworld of Ikana. Near this is a cave full of water, where the river's source originates. Ikana was once a thriving kingdom, until evil entered the land when the Doors of Stone Tower were opened. The Ancient Castle of Ikana is now haunted by the Redeads and the Stalfos versions of the King and his two knights. The castle can only be accessed from outside via Ikana's well. Clearly Ikana is not a place of beauty, but one of death and evil memories.

Catacombs
The catacombs are a series of tunnels underneath Termina that serve as the entrance to Termina from the Lost Woods in Hyrule. It has no inhabitants other than what seems to be a dead Deku, commonly speculated to be the Deku Butler's son.

Terminans/Terminan Hylians
The Hylians in Termina, sometimes called Terminans, are considerably different from those in Hyrule. They are more technologically advanced, as they use clocks and fireworks, and they are given no mention of having magical powers. They are considered to still be members of the Hylian race, however.

Deku Scrubs
In Termina, the Deku Scrubs are far more advanced than Hyrulean Deku Scrubs, and they have a distinct culture and religion. They are run by monarchy, and their sacred temple is the Woodfall Temple, which only Deku Scrubs can access without magic. The Deku and the monkeys of Southern Swamp are hostile towards one another, and it is said that a monkey kidnapped the Deku Princess. The Deku are lead by a king with a large hat and very poor judgment.

Gorons
The Terminan Gorons are very different from the Hyrulean ones. The Hyrulean Gorons live on the active, and therefore hot, volcano, Death Mountain, while the Terminan Gorons live in Snowhead Mountains, where they experience seasonal variations, including extreme cold. During Link's visit to Termina, the climate of the Gorons' habitat is severely affected as the Moon looms ever closer. Terminian Gorons are a tribe "ruled" by a tribe elder, just like their Hyrulean counterparts.

Zoras
The Zoras of Termina live in the Great Bay Region. In Termina, Zoras are more open than Hyrulean Zoras, and they will leave their home to travel, which is easily shown by a very popular Zora band called The Indigo-Gos that like to play in Clock Town and other densely populated areas. They also live in saltwater, unlike the freshwater-inhabiting Zoras of Hyrule. Zoras are born from eggs, which must be kept in water at a certain temperature and kept together if they are to survive. Zora children are born without legs or arms, implying that they possibly go through an amphibian-esque metamorphosis. Unlike the other species, Zoras seemingly have no central government or even any government at all.

Pirates
The Pirates are apparently Termina's version of the Gerudo race of Hyrule, from which Ganondorf the Gerudo King of Thieves descends. Little is known about the history of the Terminan Pirates, but it appears that, like the Hyrulean Gerudo, the race is either primarily or entirely female. The Pirates inhabit a large fortress in the Great Bay Area. The Hero of Time, Link, comes across the Gerudos after they steal the "Indigo-Go's" lead singer Lulu's eggs. Little is known about the Pirates' dealings, but it is apparent that they are technologically advanced with things such as motorboats and cannons, and have in interest in research, as seen from the myriad of specimens they house in tanks.

Ikana and its people
While it is unknown if they were another race, there was once a civilization in Ikana, in eastern Termina, that died out due to a long history of war. The two ancient races of Ikana, the Ikana and the Garo ninjas, had a bloody past between them. The Ikana were led by Igos Du Ikana, who now sits on his crumbling throne in the Ancient Castle of Ikana. Link explores the ruins of the Castle and the temple in Stone Tower in order to free the fourth giant in the evil guardian mask of Twinmold. Now a wasteland haunted by vengeful spirits, virtually the only living people there are the researcher of the paranormal and his daughter Pamela, as well as the grave keeper, Dampé. Tingle also stops by occasionally to peddle the usual map or two. Ikana is also the location of the hideout of Sakon the thief.

Mysterious entities
There are a few other entities in Termina that used to be alive, but have long since perished. An example of this is the mysterious ghost dancer, Kamaro, who dances every night at midnight on the large mushroom-like objects just to the North of Clock Town in Termina Field, waiting for somebody to pass on his legacy which he was never able to complete. Other than that his past is shrouded in mystery.

Carnival of Time
Also known as the Festival of Time, this is a festival central in the Terminan calendar. On this day, people wear handmade masks for good luck and walk along a walkway from the festival tower to the Clock Tower, where they sing an ancient song to the gods to wish for a good harvest and luck in the year to come. It is said that if a couple dedicate two masks to the sun and the moon and get married on this day, their marriage will be a prosperous and happy one. Told by Anju's Grandmother.'

The Four Guardians
Also told by Anju's Grandmother, this is about the history of Termina and the dissolution of the one race into four different races. It also tells a story about the Skull Kid.