(This week we are having a side quest Themed week for the frontpage. Idiotically I didn't claim the Romani Quest despite it being my favorite side quest in the whole series, and it was claimed by a different writer eventually. So, to ease regret, here's a hastily thrown together take on my favorite side quest in the series!)
Majora's Mask is laden with many great side quests, many of which are probably among lists of favorite side quests from the entire Zelda series. It even boasts the overall best critically acclaimed side quest of the series, Anju's Anguish. I understand why so many fans choose Anju's Anguish as their favorite side quest in Zelda - it has a lot of depth, a lot of the best character interactions in the game, and a lot of intertwined quests that can reward Link with various prizes throughout its progression. Honestly, objectively I'd agree it is the best side quest Zelda has to offer. Although for me it ultimately didn't interest me as much as the Romani Quest did.
Unlike Anju's Anguish, the Romani's Quest is contained in it's own bubble to an extent, but this quest is still very impactful in multiple ways (which I'll touch more on later). It becomes available at the halfway point of the game's main quest, and must be done at least until Link retrieves Epona because he cannot enter the Great Bay region without her. Also, the boulder blocking the path to the Ranch can only be blown up using a Powder Keg, which Goron Link cannot get permission to buy and carry until Snowhead Temple is completed.
When I entered Romani Ranch for the first time during the First Day, the first person I came across was Romani. From talking to her, she grew on me, she is an adorable little girl with a spunky attitude. A stand out thing she does is giving Link a unique nickname, "Grasshopper", because his clothes are green. Abruptly, the conversation takes a more serious and unexpected turn; she tells Link she is practicing using a Bow for the arrival of "Them" - "They" are aliens who come to the ranch every year around the Carnival of Time to steal the Ranch's cows at night. After telling this story, she asks Link if he will help her defend the Ranch from "Them". To learn Epona's song Link must promise to help, but he can neglect to follow through because everything afterward in this quest is optional. However, I was invested by intrigue when I first began this quest, so I followed through on the promise. After exploring the Ranch a bit more, I ran into Romani's older sister Cremia tending to the cows near the entrance of the Ranch. She is elated to hear that the boulder blocking Milk Road is destroyed, allowing her to finally make a shipment of Milk to Clock Town.
A long wait ensues for 2 AM on the Night of the First Day to come along, in the original version of Majora's Mask that is, so doubt in our minds of the legitimacy of Romani's story probably will creep forward. I'm ashamed to admit I started to become skeptical that "They" would arrive at all. But just like Romani said, around 2 AM on the Night of the First Day "They" do appear from a light orb that descends upon the Ranch. Succeeding to keep these alien creatures at bay earns Link a bottle filled with Milk as a reward from Romani. The progression of the quest from there leads to Cremia milking the cows and preparing to make a milk shipment to the Clock Town Milk Bar, she will depart for town at dusk during the Night of the Second Day. If Link elects to go along he must ward off an attack from bandits, who are actually the Gorman Brothers - rivals of Romani Ranch trying to destroy the milk bottles. Fending them off and escaping with enough bottles intact allows for the Milk Bar to be restocked. Grateful for the help, Cremia rewards Link with the Romani's Mask. Although there is another way this quest can go if Link fails to defend the Ranch from "Them", but it's a tragic outcome that offers no rewards.
If "They" reach the barn, the roof is blown apart, and "They" steal the cows - unfortunately Romani gets captured also. Link is powerless to do anything besides helplessly watch as "They" fly away in their light orb. Romani is returned to the Ranch the next day, but the state she is in is heartbreaking to witness. She is seen wandering the ranch in the rain, clearly traumatized by the experience from the night prior. If Link tries to talk to her, she is unresponsive and merely stares ahead into the distance as if Link isn't there at all. Meanwhile, Cremia can be found inside the remains of the barn, overcome by guilt that she failed to listen to Romani about the threat the Ranch was under. What else that might be running through her mind can only be guessed at, but surely none of it is good. Their entire livelihood was dependent on those cows, with them gone their financial future is no longer set. One scene that is terrible to witness is on the night of the second and final days, both Cremia and Romani are sitting at their dinner table with nothing to say to one another, whereas in contrast they are very talkative at the dinner table on the Night of the First Day. It's such a depressing sight. Everytime I replay this game on a new save file I make it a point to keep this outcome from happening.
Sticking around the Ranch after helping Cremia make the milk shipment lends to some other emotional developments too. During the beginning of the night of the Final Day, Cremia and Romani can be found inside the barn, the dialogue that ensues is touching. With the few hours that remain before the moon falls, Cremia is doing everything to make sure Romani, who is oblivious to this imminent threat, feels appreciated and loved. She is finally letting Romani drink Chateau Romani, a premium milk considered a delicacy in Termina (which is why it is so expensive). Cremia tells Romani she plans to make her a mask, and wants Romani to sleep in her bed with her. We're unsure what happened to their parents, so Cremia is like a mother to Romani - as the moon inches closer and closer to falling, these two sisters basically in mother and daughter dynamics will be comforting one another. Romani will drift to sleep happily with no cares in the world, while Cremia will be hoping to see another day.
So, depending on the outcome of the fight against "Them", two very different and drastic emotional arcs can unfold, one as happy as Majora's Mask can get (which is still pretty sad), or one that is completely sad, accordingly, there is a lot emotional depth in this quest. Furthermore, while it isn't as intertwined with other quests as Anju's Anguish is, it still crosses with some other quests in ways. The Romani's Mask directly influences one other side quest in the game to obtain the Gorman's Mask. Additionally, Anju's Anguish intertwines with the Ranch because Anju has a friendship with Cremia - so Anju's family is planning to flee there in hopes to escape the moon's impact when it falls.
Initially, superficially "Them" was what drew me into enjoying this side quest a lot. We only see them in this brief portion of the game and their origins are left ambiguous, which left me with many questions. Eventually, I began to speculate where "They" may have come from, and why "They" want the cows (looking back, this was some of the first Zelda Theorizing I probably did), which added even more depth to this side quest for me. I looked into numerous theories on "Them", such as the ones implying a Garo connection, or that the Gorman Brothers were behind it all somehow. The theory I made was that "They" might be a unique breed of Poe only seen in Termina. Onward, although it isn't confirmed, it is very interesting that people have drawn similarities between "Them" and the Flatwoods Monster in West Virginia folklore.
As great a reason to enjoy this quest as that portion alone is, eventually I began to appreciate it for the emotional depth, and for the ways it intertwines with other quests in the game too. However, none of this is what makes the side quest truly stand out.
It can be argued that the entirety of Majora's Mask shows Link growing as an individual. Yet, the actual first steps of him growing don't come full circle until the progression of the Romani's Quest, and this is the biggest reason why this quest stands out above all others. Link is already used to making commitments and seeing them through to the end, but the wagon ride with Cremia is a completely different scenario. He's tagging along after accepting a kind offer from Cremia to get a ride to Clock Town, duly, there is no commitment at all involved. Cremia confides in Link during the first portion of the journey, and he lends an ear for her. The dialogue here is some of the best in game, it begins with her talking about the recent troubles of the Ranch, expands out into her mentioning her friendship with Anju and about her wedding with Kafei, ending with concerns for the entire land of Termina by wondering if the moon will really fall.
Because of a detour making it necessary for them to enter the Gorman Brothers' land, the Milk bottles are potentially in jeopardy. Link is under no obligation to fend off the surprise attack from the Gorman Brothers, but he does it anyway without being under a commitment or having been told to do it by someone, he is doing it out of kindness. Moreover, Cremia recognizes this maturity from Link, which is why she rewards him with the Romani's Mask (it is a mask signifying maturity in an individual).
Normally, Link remains static in Zelda games. His "growth" is more in terms of improving as a swordsman or warrior, and gaining advantages to seem more powerful with the assistance of items he obtains. To watch Link actually having some growth as a character is remarkable, he grows over the course of the entirety of Majora's Mask, but in this side quest alone that growth finally surfaces - this is the pinnacle of the Romani Quest, and it makes this quest stand out even compared to Anju's Anguish; not only does it stand out, overall I'll say it holds up against it too. To conclude, this side quest doesn't get the praise it rightfully deserves, which is a shame - it will probably remain as my favorite side quest in the series for a long time.
Majora's Mask is laden with many great side quests, many of which are probably among lists of favorite side quests from the entire Zelda series. It even boasts the overall best critically acclaimed side quest of the series, Anju's Anguish. I understand why so many fans choose Anju's Anguish as their favorite side quest in Zelda - it has a lot of depth, a lot of the best character interactions in the game, and a lot of intertwined quests that can reward Link with various prizes throughout its progression. Honestly, objectively I'd agree it is the best side quest Zelda has to offer. Although for me it ultimately didn't interest me as much as the Romani Quest did.
Unlike Anju's Anguish, the Romani's Quest is contained in it's own bubble to an extent, but this quest is still very impactful in multiple ways (which I'll touch more on later). It becomes available at the halfway point of the game's main quest, and must be done at least until Link retrieves Epona because he cannot enter the Great Bay region without her. Also, the boulder blocking the path to the Ranch can only be blown up using a Powder Keg, which Goron Link cannot get permission to buy and carry until Snowhead Temple is completed.
When I entered Romani Ranch for the first time during the First Day, the first person I came across was Romani. From talking to her, she grew on me, she is an adorable little girl with a spunky attitude. A stand out thing she does is giving Link a unique nickname, "Grasshopper", because his clothes are green. Abruptly, the conversation takes a more serious and unexpected turn; she tells Link she is practicing using a Bow for the arrival of "Them" - "They" are aliens who come to the ranch every year around the Carnival of Time to steal the Ranch's cows at night. After telling this story, she asks Link if he will help her defend the Ranch from "Them". To learn Epona's song Link must promise to help, but he can neglect to follow through because everything afterward in this quest is optional. However, I was invested by intrigue when I first began this quest, so I followed through on the promise. After exploring the Ranch a bit more, I ran into Romani's older sister Cremia tending to the cows near the entrance of the Ranch. She is elated to hear that the boulder blocking Milk Road is destroyed, allowing her to finally make a shipment of Milk to Clock Town.
A long wait ensues for 2 AM on the Night of the First Day to come along, in the original version of Majora's Mask that is, so doubt in our minds of the legitimacy of Romani's story probably will creep forward. I'm ashamed to admit I started to become skeptical that "They" would arrive at all. But just like Romani said, around 2 AM on the Night of the First Day "They" do appear from a light orb that descends upon the Ranch. Succeeding to keep these alien creatures at bay earns Link a bottle filled with Milk as a reward from Romani. The progression of the quest from there leads to Cremia milking the cows and preparing to make a milk shipment to the Clock Town Milk Bar, she will depart for town at dusk during the Night of the Second Day. If Link elects to go along he must ward off an attack from bandits, who are actually the Gorman Brothers - rivals of Romani Ranch trying to destroy the milk bottles. Fending them off and escaping with enough bottles intact allows for the Milk Bar to be restocked. Grateful for the help, Cremia rewards Link with the Romani's Mask. Although there is another way this quest can go if Link fails to defend the Ranch from "Them", but it's a tragic outcome that offers no rewards.
The Romani's Quest has varying degrees of Depth
If "They" reach the barn, the roof is blown apart, and "They" steal the cows - unfortunately Romani gets captured also. Link is powerless to do anything besides helplessly watch as "They" fly away in their light orb. Romani is returned to the Ranch the next day, but the state she is in is heartbreaking to witness. She is seen wandering the ranch in the rain, clearly traumatized by the experience from the night prior. If Link tries to talk to her, she is unresponsive and merely stares ahead into the distance as if Link isn't there at all. Meanwhile, Cremia can be found inside the remains of the barn, overcome by guilt that she failed to listen to Romani about the threat the Ranch was under. What else that might be running through her mind can only be guessed at, but surely none of it is good. Their entire livelihood was dependent on those cows, with them gone their financial future is no longer set. One scene that is terrible to witness is on the night of the second and final days, both Cremia and Romani are sitting at their dinner table with nothing to say to one another, whereas in contrast they are very talkative at the dinner table on the Night of the First Day. It's such a depressing sight. Everytime I replay this game on a new save file I make it a point to keep this outcome from happening.
Sticking around the Ranch after helping Cremia make the milk shipment lends to some other emotional developments too. During the beginning of the night of the Final Day, Cremia and Romani can be found inside the barn, the dialogue that ensues is touching. With the few hours that remain before the moon falls, Cremia is doing everything to make sure Romani, who is oblivious to this imminent threat, feels appreciated and loved. She is finally letting Romani drink Chateau Romani, a premium milk considered a delicacy in Termina (which is why it is so expensive). Cremia tells Romani she plans to make her a mask, and wants Romani to sleep in her bed with her. We're unsure what happened to their parents, so Cremia is like a mother to Romani - as the moon inches closer and closer to falling, these two sisters basically in mother and daughter dynamics will be comforting one another. Romani will drift to sleep happily with no cares in the world, while Cremia will be hoping to see another day.
So, depending on the outcome of the fight against "Them", two very different and drastic emotional arcs can unfold, one as happy as Majora's Mask can get (which is still pretty sad), or one that is completely sad, accordingly, there is a lot emotional depth in this quest. Furthermore, while it isn't as intertwined with other quests as Anju's Anguish is, it still crosses with some other quests in ways. The Romani's Mask directly influences one other side quest in the game to obtain the Gorman's Mask. Additionally, Anju's Anguish intertwines with the Ranch because Anju has a friendship with Cremia - so Anju's family is planning to flee there in hopes to escape the moon's impact when it falls.
Initially, superficially "Them" was what drew me into enjoying this side quest a lot. We only see them in this brief portion of the game and their origins are left ambiguous, which left me with many questions. Eventually, I began to speculate where "They" may have come from, and why "They" want the cows (looking back, this was some of the first Zelda Theorizing I probably did), which added even more depth to this side quest for me. I looked into numerous theories on "Them", such as the ones implying a Garo connection, or that the Gorman Brothers were behind it all somehow. The theory I made was that "They" might be a unique breed of Poe only seen in Termina. Onward, although it isn't confirmed, it is very interesting that people have drawn similarities between "Them" and the Flatwoods Monster in West Virginia folklore.
As great a reason to enjoy this quest as that portion alone is, eventually I began to appreciate it for the emotional depth, and for the ways it intertwines with other quests in the game too. However, none of this is what makes the side quest truly stand out.
Link grows along the course of the Romani's Quest
It can be argued that the entirety of Majora's Mask shows Link growing as an individual. Yet, the actual first steps of him growing don't come full circle until the progression of the Romani's Quest, and this is the biggest reason why this quest stands out above all others. Link is already used to making commitments and seeing them through to the end, but the wagon ride with Cremia is a completely different scenario. He's tagging along after accepting a kind offer from Cremia to get a ride to Clock Town, duly, there is no commitment at all involved. Cremia confides in Link during the first portion of the journey, and he lends an ear for her. The dialogue here is some of the best in game, it begins with her talking about the recent troubles of the Ranch, expands out into her mentioning her friendship with Anju and about her wedding with Kafei, ending with concerns for the entire land of Termina by wondering if the moon will really fall.
Because of a detour making it necessary for them to enter the Gorman Brothers' land, the Milk bottles are potentially in jeopardy. Link is under no obligation to fend off the surprise attack from the Gorman Brothers, but he does it anyway without being under a commitment or having been told to do it by someone, he is doing it out of kindness. Moreover, Cremia recognizes this maturity from Link, which is why she rewards him with the Romani's Mask (it is a mask signifying maturity in an individual).
Normally, Link remains static in Zelda games. His "growth" is more in terms of improving as a swordsman or warrior, and gaining advantages to seem more powerful with the assistance of items he obtains. To watch Link actually having some growth as a character is remarkable, he grows over the course of the entirety of Majora's Mask, but in this side quest alone that growth finally surfaces - this is the pinnacle of the Romani Quest, and it makes this quest stand out even compared to Anju's Anguish; not only does it stand out, overall I'll say it holds up against it too. To conclude, this side quest doesn't get the praise it rightfully deserves, which is a shame - it will probably remain as my favorite side quest in the series for a long time.
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