Goron City


 * Not to be confused with Goron Village.

The Goron City is the home of the Gorons in Ocarina of Time. It is located mid-way up the Death Mountain Trail, and it is also where the Goron chief, Darunia, resides.

Overview
Goron City is the main gateway to Death Mountain Crater and, ultimately, the Fire Temple. It also has a portal that leads to the Lost Woods, but its entrance is blocked by rocks that Link must destroy with bombs. Paintings of the Gorons themselves as well as other abstract shapes can be seen all around the city walls. The structure consists of four floors, with the entrance being at the top floor. The lowest floor has the two most important locations of Goron City: the Goron Shop and Darunia's chamber, the latter of which is initially closed off until proof of connection with the Royal Family is shown. Within Darunia's chamber is a stone monument that blocks off the entrance to Death Mountain Crater which Link will only be able to move once he turns into an adult.

Also on the bottom floor is a giant, spinning vase that only functions once all of the torches around the city are lit up. Situated at the center of the city is a platform suspended by ropes where the Spiritual Stone of Fire, also known as the Goron's Ruby, was once displayed which used to light up the city before Darunia took it away.

Story
When young Link arrives to Goron City, he finds that the Gorons are in a sort of predicament: their source of food, Dodongo's Cavern, has been blocked by a giant boulder, which is endangering the way of life of the Gorons. Their leader has locked himself up in his chamber and won't allow entry to anyone who is not associated with the Royal Family of Hyrule. Once Link shows his proof of connection with the Royal Family, the door to Darunia's room opens, allowing Link to speak to the Goron chief. Darunia, though reluctant at first, agrees to let Link help them by destroying the Dodongos in Dodongo's Cavern. After Link defeats King Dodongo and clears the infested cavern, Darunia grants the young hero the Goron's Ruby and grants him the title of Sworn Brother.

Seven years later, after Link retrieves the Master Sword, he returns to Goron City to find that all of its citizens are gone. He notices a lone Goron rolling around the third floor, and, after much trouble, Link manages to stop him using a bomb. The Goron turns out to be Darunia's son, who informs the young hero about the revival of the ancient dragon known as Volvagia. Due to this, Darunia left to the Fire Temple to try and defeat the dragon; however, while he was gone, all the Gorons were taken by Ganondorf as prisoners to the temple in order to feed them to Volvagia as a warning to those who might oppose him. Darunia's son informs the Hero of Time that Darunia headed to the Fire Temple in an attempt to save everyone, but he pleads for Link's aid to go and help the Goron chief. To do so, Darunia's son grants him the heat-resistant tunic known as the Goron Tunic, which helps Link stay in the intense heats of the Death Mountain Crater and the Fire Temple for long periods of time.

Once Link rescues all the Gorons from the Fire Temple, they will return to their city and thank Link for saving them.