Gnarled Root Dungeon

Gnarled Root Dungeon, located in North Horon, is the first dungeon in Oracle of Seasons.

Entrance to the Dungeon
The Maku Tree gives Link the Gnarled Key, the item needed to unlock this labyrinth's entrance, in the process of asking him to retrieve the essence Fertile Soil from it.

Themes and Navigation
Being the first dungeon of the game, the Gnarled Root Dungeon is fairly simple in terms of enemy and puzzle difficulty. Including the Boss Key, three keys can be found throughout the dungeon. There are also Treasure Chests containing a Gasha Seed, an unappraised Magic Ring, and Link's first Bombs, which can be used to expose a bombable wall within the dungeon. This dungeon features several Block Puzzles and a set of tracks for a Mine Cart. Defeating the dungeon's twin mini-bosses, the Brother Goriyas, leads to a room which yields a Seed Satchel filled with Ember Seeds. These are then used to light Torches, unlocking new doors and allowing Link to obtain the Boss Key of the dungeon. Once Link defeats the boss, Aquamentus, he obtains a Heart Container and the essence he was searching for.

Minor Enemies and Traps

 * Blade Traps
 * Chasers
 * Keese
 * Zol
 * Stalfos
 * Goriyas
 * Floormasters

Trivia

 * As Oracle of Seasons was originally meant to be a remake of the original The Legend of Zelda, this dungeon is reminiscent of Eagle Labyrinth, the first dungeon of the game. The layouts are similar, the exterior of both dungeons is what appears to be a dead tree in a small island within a lake, they are both the first dungeon in the game, and both dungeons have Aquamentus as the main boss. Also, an Old Man found within the dungeon will give Link advice on how to progress through the dungeon.
 * In Norse mythology there is a dragon named Níðhöggr that gnarls on a root of Yggdrasil, compared with the fact that the boss of this dungeon is a dragon.