Gohma (Conquest)

The Gohma are a playable faction in Hyrule: Total War.

Description
The Gohma are a very ancient race that once dominated a majority of Hyrule, and while there is no leftover proof they claim to have existed long before the Hylians and even the ancient Darknuts. True or not, the Gohma are at the very least as old as the Hylians and are found as antagonists in the historical and religious texts of many races. The Gohma themselves are an arachnid species that thrives in swamps and otherwise dark and damp places. They feast on all manner of both living and dead things and are known for hunting down unaware people in the night. It is commonly believed that all Gohma are mentally linked to each other, and that calling any lone Gohma an individual would be inaccurate. Each Gohma operates more like a disembodied hand or appendage to a greater mind that controls their race. Whatever the case may be, their objective is very clear: expand and consume. Their desire of manifest destiny reflects in the armies; overwhelming numbers are the preferred tactic of their kind. Alone a single Gohma is weak, frail, and insignificant. In large swarms they are a terrible force that can bring down the largest of foes when working in unison. As such a Gohma army must be more concerned with surrounding and outmaneuvering an enemy army rather then facing them head on. The Gohma are masters at getting the upper hand in positioning, and when they surround a foe it's very easy for the enemy to want to make a run for it rather then stand and fight against an endless tide of spiders. A properly managed Gohma swarm is one of the most powerful combatants that an unfortunate army may face.

Ancient Age
The Gohma of Sulkaris were created in 5000 BG when the Fallen Sage, Sulkaris, countless millennia after being cast out from the Sacred Realm into Hyrule, encountered an ancient Gohma which was wandering the world as aimlessly as she was after the death of their progenitor Iemanis. Granting the beasts untold knowledge and power, she twisted and enslaved them to be her personal army.

In 5000 BG, the Gohma went on a rampage and began eating everyone in their path before being defeated by the Ancient Hylians and the Huskus under command of King Gustaf in the region that would become Ordona Province. During this battle Sulkaris was slain by Gustaf by a light arrow. Her body was destroyed, but being an immortal sage her spirit retreated along with the remaining Gohma in hiding. Over time the word Gohma would come to refer exclusively to Sulkaris' corrupted Gohma, and not the descendants of the ancient Gohma that did not come under her influence, like Vitreous, the Arurodas, Tektites and Magtails.

Gerudo Wars
In 99 AG, the spirit of Sulkaris wanders into the Kokiri Forest and comes upon Mido, a Kokiri chief disgruntled with the rule of the Great Deku Tree. Mido converses with Sulkaris and is entertained by the idea of ruling over the entirety of the forests and works with Sulkaris to set up an invasion of the Deku Tree's Grove. Sulkaris plans to absorb her Sage powers back from the Great Deku Tree.

The initial invasion fails and the Gohma are driven out, though they manage to kill Saria, who is forcibly made a Sage by the Great Deku Tree. After the first failure, Sulkaris then opts to outright invade the Kokiri Forest with the entirety of the Gohma and absorb the new Sage's powers herself. When asked who the new Sage of Forest is, Mido lies to Sulkaris and tells her that the Great Deku Tree named Mirora and not Saria the new Sage. During her invasion Sulkaris kills and absorbs Mirora, reconstructing her body and becoming alive again. She does not regain her Sage powers however, and she is swiftly broken and killed by the Great Deku Tree while Saria encases her spirit so that she could not escape. Sulkaris' entrapped spirit is then sealed away in Palagard's Sanctuary, the city of the Huskus, where Palagard keeps watch over her. The remaining Gohma, along with Mido, flee to the homeland of the Gohma in the Misery Mire.

Meanwhile, in the war-torn Kingdom of Hyrule, a Gohma Queen has managed to infiltrate the capital of Hyrule Prime and becomes the pet of the orphan girl Agitha, who proclaims herself the Princess of the Insect Kingdom. When the Hylian general Akazoo Vapith asks Agitha for permission to use her house as a hiding place for his men, she introduces the Gohma Queen to him.

Second Golden Age
After the end of the Gerudo Wars, the Gohma start to make contact with Akazoo and Azrily, his friend in the Sheikah Cadre through Agitha, whom Akazoo chose to raise as his own daughter. As Agitha grows up, the Gohma come to perceive her as an asset since she had been feeding and aiding larvae and wasn't butchering them like everyone else in the world.

Throughout the years, Akazoo grows increasingly discontent with the Kingdom of Hyrule, and begins to use the Gohma to plot his betrayal.

The Return of Sulkaris
In 126 AG, when Princess Oraiya Zelda IV and her daughter Princess Tetralyna Zelda V are on vacation at Malkariko, a city to the south, Akazoo summons Agitha to inform the Gohma the time to move is now: he has set up nests around the city, whose population can provide a good supply for a hive for several months and whose position is perfect to set up a forward base and strike at the Kokiri Forest. Agitha warns Akazoo and Azrily the Gohma still see them as a deception and won't spare their lives in spite of their aid, but Akazoo only requests the Gohma to let him deal with the Princesses, which they find acceptable.

Mido and Agitha then lead the Gohma assault on the city, manage to overwhelm the garrison. Agitha reveals to the Gohma their next target - Palagard's Sanctuary - the location of which is known to nobody but Mido. However, Mido only agrees to lead the Gohma to the city once his hated father is dead, so Agitha assigns a task force to strike at the Kokiri town of Kanokiri where the Great Deku Tree is residing.

As the Kokiri defenders desperately try to repel the Gohma back, Mido reveals himself to the Great Deku Tree and praises Sulkaris in front of him for having granted him freedom, that which Kasuto kept away from him. As the Great Deku Tree tries to explain, Mido orders an Armogohma to incinerate his canopy. In his death throes, the Great Deku Tree manage to kill many Gohma, though ultimately sparing Mido's life, before a squadron of Armogohma finish him off.

With his vengeance achieved, Mido leads the Gohma into Palagard's Sanctuary to free Sulkaris from his grip. At Palagard's Sanctuary, Agitha tries to convince the Huskus Empress Tamako to peacefully let Sulkaris free - to the expected result: the Huskus refuse to listen to her and prepare to defend their home against the Gohma. The Gohma, however, prove to be too powerful, and eventually overwhelm the Huskus. After Palagard is killed and consumed, Mido and Agitha enter the prison and coerce Saria into freeing Sulkaris, who then imprisons Saria back in her place and kills Empress Tamako.

Deciding the newly-established Lanayru Province to be the biggest threat to Gohma expansion, Sulkaris leads an attack on Airu to end the only threat facing the Gohma. She manages to kill Queen Rutela, but the rest of important Lanayru personnel all manages to survive. For the next month the Gohma advance further into Lanayru Province, consuming town after town.

Language
The Gohma speak Ancient Gohma, a remnant of the time before their race was corrupted by Sulkaris.

Starting Regions

 * Misery Mire
 * Coastal Swamps
 * Archnus Ford

Rebel Regions

 * Moruge Swamp
 * Midoro Swamp

Racial Bonuses/Penalties

 * Combat performance in Forests +1
 * All Generals have Squalor -1 and Loyalty +1
 * 10% reduction to all unit costs
 * Combat performance in Snow -1
 * All Generals have Influence -1 and Troop Recovery -1
 * Cannot initiate any Diplomacy or hire Mercenaries

Standard

 * Gohma Larvae
 * Caretakers
 * Royal Larvae
 * Pincergohma
 * Gohma Long Legs
 * Shield Gohma
 * Hive Keepers
 * Shroud Walkers
 * Tank Gohma

Siege

 * Acid Sprayers
 * Acid Batch
 * Armogohma

Special

 * Arurodas
 * Tektites

Agents

 * Gohma Princess
 * Gohma Regent
 * Gohma Queen
 * Hive Amplifier
 * Gohma Mite
 * Gohma Harvester

Heroes

 * Sulkaris
 * Matriarch
 * Mido
 * Agitha

Tech Tree
The Gohma Techtree is mostly unlocked at smaller settlement levels, however the Gohma must focus and specialize their hives to very specific tasks. For instance, an entire settlement can be dedicated to train only Gohma cavalry units and not any ranged units. This gives the Gohma very early access to all of their forces in a limited sense, but greatly encourages the player to begin invading cities as soon as possible to produce the full range of Gohma units.

Hamlet

 * Mycelium Colony: Large fungal colony that the Gohma are capable of growing to support rudimentary levels of food.
 * Lumber Extractor: Gohma colony capable of destroying and converting trees into resources used by the Gohma to augment their structures. Increases the economy of host hive.
 * Nesting Chambers: Nests dedicated to the growth and hatching of Gohma Larva.

Village

 * Mycelium Network: Expanded system of Mycelium Colonies to feed larger Gohma populations.
 * Lumber Extractor Network: Expanded system of Lumber Extractors to deforest and process flora.
 * Royal Infirmary: Configures Nesting Chambers to allow the growth of support based Royal Gohma organisms such as Royal Larva and Queens.
 * Elongated Galleries: Configures Nesting Chambers to support the growing of running and cavalry based Gohma organisms such as Pincergohma and Gohma Long Legs.
 * Hive Defense Grid: Configures Nesting Chambers to host defensive and armored Gohma organisms such as Shield Gohma and Hive Keepers.
 * Gapped Birthing Halls: Configures Nesting Chambers to permit the growth of ranged Gohma organisms such as Acid Sprayers and Armogohma.
 * Massive Birthing Rooms: Configures Nesting Chambers to allow for the growth of huge Gohma organisms such as Tank Gohma and Shroud Walkers.

Town

 * Mycelium Grid: Highly organized series of Mycelium networks allow for massive fungal growth and food support.
 * Lumber Extractor Grid: Highly organized series of Lumber Extractor networks allow for rapid deforestation and production speed.
 * Vacuole Node: Large storage chamber that preserves both fungi and the corpses of Gohma victims for later consumption. Allows for the growth of more Gohma organisms.
 * Hive Node: Gohma structure capable of processing and emitting orders to individual Gohma throughout the hive, strengthening their connection and cooperation with each other. Increases Gohma growth and reduces the risk of Hive separation.

Large Town

 * Mycelium Microcosm: Gohma Hives are organized to support the growth of Fungi everywhere, ensuring no shortage of food.
 * Lumber Extractor Preserver: Lumber Extractors separate seeds and spores from victim flora, replanting them to regrow forests for future deforestation efforts.
 * Giant Vacuole Node: Expanded Vacuole allows for the storage and preservation of more fungi and meat for Gohma consumption.
 * Giant Hive Node: Larger Hive Node is capable of receiving and emitting even more orders at a more rapid rate across Gohma hives. Increases Gohma growth and reduces the risk of Hive separation.

City

 * Massive Vacuole: Extremely large storage chamber expanded under entire Gohma Hives, capable of preserving both fungi and meat for very long periods of time.
 * Massive Hive Node: The Largest of Gohma Hive Nodes is capable of receiving and emitting orders for tens of thousands of Gohma organisms. Host Hive is immune to any form of rebellion.
 * Gohma Graveyard: Dead Gohma are brought to the Gohma Graveyard to be analyzed, allowing future generations of Gohma to adapt to weaknesses. Allows Gohma units to be grown with their first unit upgrade level.
 * Solarium Nursery: Advanced methods of Gohma nursing allow them to grow eggs into Larva and then into adults at an extremely fast rate. Allows for the growth of five Gohma units simultaneously.

Large City

 * Virid Crystal Node: Gohma Hive Node infused with the magic of the Emerald Sages, spreading the growth of crystalline formations. Allows Gohma units to be grown with their second unit upgrade level.