Gorons (Conquest)

The Gorons are a playable faction in Hyrule Conquest.

Description
A proud and powerful race, the Gorons are composed of mineral and rock rather than flesh and bone. Native to the Death Mountain range, their deadly and harsh homeland has molded them into a strong people. Gorons prefer things simple and easy, and are content to just live a relaxed and peaceful life. Despite this, Gorons love to fight under honorable pretense. Wrestling and fist fights are all common forms of recreation in their society. Even though they are not warlike, this interest in combat has aided the Gorons well in their past, most notably when the Zora Dominion attempted to invade and annex Death Mountain for its valuable gems and resources. The Gorons drove the Zora out in a bloody skirmish, and let the races of Hyrule know that fighting a war with the Gorons is a costly mistake. In battle the Gorons embody power. Most of their soldiers are very strong in a fist fight, and even stronger if they have a weapon in hand. They are also well armored, and taking down a Goron is difficult unless they are outnumbered. Their bulky size and relaxed nature has left them fewer in number and slow on foot though, so faster armies can easily run circles around an unprepared Goron force. Despite their lethargy, no one will deny the power of a well placed Goron punch to the face.

Ancient Age
The Gorons originated on Death Mountain along with many other races: the Volvagians, the Lizalfos, the Dodongos, the Helmasaurs and others. For many ages Death Mountain was a constant warzone between these races. During this age, a number of Gorons emigrated from Death Mountain to explore and colonise distant lands. Most of these colonies are never heard of again, except for the Gorons of Rolling Ridge, who settled in the Rolling Ridge in eastern Hyrule, and the Lost Gorons of the eastern Great Sea.

In 5000 BG, Dakkon, King of the Volvagians, became Maphaeus' successor as Sage of Fire. With his new powers, Dakkon killed the Goron king Dalagra, enslaved the Gorons and united Death Mountain under the Volvagian Empire, driving the Lizalfos and the Helmasaurs down south.

For many years, the Gorons keep trying to warn their neighbours, the Kingdom of Hyrule of Dakkon's treachery, but their warnings fall on deaf ears.

Rise of Ganon
In 0 AG, King Ganon of the Moblins marches an army on Death Mountain on his quest to claim the holy Triforce. Taking over the Fire Temple, Ganon quickly convinces Dakkon to side with him and order his forces to allow the Moblins 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 the Gorons, who accept on the condition that Zelda makes Darunia the next Sage of Fire. 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. Darunia dies after the battle, but as promised by Zelda, he becomes Sage of Fire, and the Gorons are freed and left to take control of Death Mountain.

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 the Gorons and the Dodongos. 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, the Gorons only find 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. The Gorons 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 the Gorons 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 the Gorons 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
The Gorons enjoy a very brief time of peace until 115 AG, when a blizzard starts ravaging Death Mountain. The blizzard lasts for over ten years and drives the Gorons into a slow decline.

Language
The Gorons speak a language known as Goronian.

Strengths, Weaknesses and Abilities

 * Rock Bodies: The Gorons are composed of rock and mineral rather than flesh. As such they are much more durable in combat compared to other races.
 * Masters of Siege: The Gorons deploy the best siege weaponry in all of Hyrule.
 * Instinctual Miners: The Gorons have a long tradition of mining ores and minerals from the Death Mountain Range, and as such their mines yield a higher income in the campaign than those of other empires.
 * Heat Seekers: The Gorons require warm temperatures to live, as such they suffer massive penalties when fighting in snow.

Civilian

 * Miner

Standard

 * Guardian
 * Rock Tosser
 * Beastmaster
 * Salamander
 * Battle Brother
 * Ruby Guard
 * Sumo
 * Drummer
 * Ram
 * Salamander Wagon
 * Salamander Warbeast
 * Bomb Thrower
 * Goron Giant
 * Fire Warrior
 * Patriarch

Siege Weaponry

 * Powder Keg Launcher

Hero Units

 * Berserker
 * Tribal Monk
 * Shieldbreaker
 * Brother-at-Arms

Heroes

 * Darunia
 * Daruk
 * Dangoro
 * Medigoron

Titan

 * Biggoron

Buildings

 * Hall of Brotherhood
 * Rock Pit
 * Quarry
 * Mining Shaft
 * Bar
 * Bazaar
 * Market Plaza
 * Hot Springs
 * Idol of Maphaeus

Military

 * Battle Chambers
 * Hall of Dance
 * Lava Smithy
 * Salamander Den
 * Gladiator Ring
 * Hall of Warriors
 * Explosive Foundry

Defensive

 * Stone Wall
 * Bomb Platform
 * Stronghold

Trivia

 * Unlike the great majority of lifeforms on Hyrule, which are attributed to Farore, and Sulkaris acting on her will, the creation of the Gorons is strongly linked to Din and Maphaeus, which may explain their different biological makeup.
 * The Gorons' faction symbol is that of the Goron Ruby, the Spiritual Stone of Fire from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.