Darunia (Total War)

"It's just like old times, old friend."

- Darunia to King Kazakk before their last siege.

Darunia is the third Sage of Fire of Hyrule and King of the Goron Brotherhood.

Etymology
Darunia's name is likely derived from the Goron words darudar (unbreakable, indestructible) and uniag (blessed one).

Physical Appearance
Darunia is a large and powerfully built Goron. His skin is of light tan and his eyes glow red and pink. He is characterized by a snow white beard and hair on his head. He often wears red tinted armor, even when it is not necessary.

Powers and Abilities
Darunia was given the ability to control and manipulate heat, most commonly through the use of fire and explosives. Despite his Sage abilities, Darunia places great emphasis on and prizes his physical strength over them. He would often prefer to punch his enemies in a fight rather than burn them.

Personality
Darunia is a hot headed, impatient, and easily angered individual. His friends simply consider him fun but loud and boisterous, while his enemies consider him an unreasonable and violent beast. Darunia is notable for his loyalty and treating debts seriously, both those made to him and those he made to others. He is very generous to his own kind and his allies. Dancing is one of his favorite hobbies.

History


Rise of Ganon
Darunia serves as the chief taskmaster of Dakkon, the incumbent Sage of Fire, emperor of the Volvagians and Death Mountain shortly before the Rise of Ganon. In 0 AG the Moblin King Ganon approaches Dakkon and attempts to convince him to betray the Hylians in exchange for rulership over much of Hyrule. While he initially declines, Ganon's bravado and bluffs impress him so much that he becomes willing to take the risk of rebellion. Dakkon sides with Ganon, and orders his forces to allow them passage into the Fire Temple. When Darunia and the Gorons under his command reject the order Dakkon attacks and bites Darunia, poisoning him.

Soon after Princess Nylin Zelda I arrives on Death Mountain with her armies and orchestrates an alliance with Darunia and the Gorons. Dakkon attempts to defend the Fire Temple but is injured by Darunia in battle. With many of his fellow Volvagians slain and injured, Dakkon flees Death Mountain across Hyrule and into the Gerudo Desert. Soon after Darunia becomes Sage of Fire and Dakkon's powers begins to slowly dwindle. As promised by Princess Zelda, Darunia and the Gorons are freed and left to take control of Death Mountain.

First Golden Age
After becoming the King of the Gorons, Darunia has a falling out with his brother Daruk, who is furious that Darunia was named Dakkon's successor as Sage of Fire, for reasons known only to the two. A rift grows between them, and Daruk leaves the Death Mountain range to seclude himself from the world.

The Gerudo Wars
In 100 AG, when the Zora Dominion threaten to invade Death Mountain, Darunia plans to lure them to the Dodongo's Cavern in order to show the Dodongos of this new threat and force them into an alliance. The Zora fall into the trap, and assaults Dodongo's Cavern, but the Gorons close in and help the Dodongos defeat the Zora, before Darunia proposes an alliance to King Dodongo. King Dodongo accepts, and the two races set up a defensive network along the mountain canyons.

King Farkos of the Zora eventually gives the order to march into Goron territory, and his forces clash with Darunia's and King Dodongo's. During the battle King Dodongo is slain, but Darunia is still able to confront and challenge King Farkos to a duel. Despite having to fight on foot against King Farkos and his battlecrab mount, Darunia ultimately dismounts the Zora king and crushes his skull with a warhammer, bringing an end to the Zora invasion of Death Mountain.

Darunia then decides to launch an invasion of the Zora Dominion in order to end their threat once and for all. However, he only finds the smoking ruins of Domain Prime and countless Zora and Twili corpses where the Zora capital has been. Darunia tells King Farkos' daughter Princess Ruto of her father's defeat and death before turning back to Death Mountain.

With Death Mountain's safety assured, Darunia decides it's the time for the Gorons to pay their debt with the Hylians when they were freed from slavery by Princess Zelda I a century earlier. Darunia leads his forces to follow the Hylians, who are marching west to free the young Princess Oraiya Zelda IV from Vaati, finally catching up with them at Ontheon, capital of the Darknut Legion where Vaati hides. The Hylian general Kazakk wishes he had come to their aid two years past when Hyrule Castle was attacked by Ganondorf, but Darunia reminds Kazakk to be thankful that the Gorons decided to show up at all.

With the aid of Darunia's forces the Hylians are able to defeat the Darknut Legion and help the newly-freed Sage of Spirits Yaraxonal to kill Vaati, drawing the Gerudo Wars to a close.

Second Golden Age
Darunia and his people enjoy a very brief time of peace until 115 AG, when an unnatural blizzard starts ravaging Death Mountain. The blizzard lasts for over ten years and drives the Gorons into a slow decline.

The Return of Sulkaris
In 127 AG, a short time after Darunia detects Gohma activity on Death Mountain, Link, Princess Tetralyna Zelda V and most other Sages come to his halls with a dire message: he and his people must evacuate immediately, lest the Oocca destroy them all. Soon enough, Darunia feels his power going away as Maphaeus is slain by Sulkaris, and the First Sages Solahrasin, Evaleen and Kovaloo converging on the mountain range with their armies and the Oocca. The others are bewildered at how the First Sages are fighting each other instead of allying against the Gohma, but Darunia is unfazed and gives the order to engage them in battle and open a way for the Gorons to evacuate. Darunia and Link are the last to stay fighting until the Oocca's Aura superweapon discharges, at which point they join the Sages and the rest of the Gorons in their shelters.

When King Kazakk arrives at the Gorons' encampment and informs them about their new alliance with the Gohma against the Oocca, Darunia decides that he doesn't trust the Gohma but the Oocca has destroyed his home, and later leads the Gorons in their assault on the nearby Oocca base with their allies.

Quotes

 * In the time it took for you to debate matters of war with your foe you could have simply punched them in the face.

List of appearances

 * Ganon's Wish (First appearance)
 * Flame Pact
 * Death Mountain Defense
 * Aqua Mortem
 * The Crime of Idols
 * Consuming Airu
 * Day of the Arachnids (Mentioned only)
 * To Kill a Sage
 * Escape from Death Mountain
 * Unholy Alliance
 * Skyfall
 * Sulkaris Showdown
 * The Covenant