Goron

From the rugged peaks and subterranean caverns, the Gorons stand as stalwart giants, embodying the strength and resilience of the mountains themselves. These robust creatures have a distinctive appearance, their bodies hewn from living rock, their fiery eyes reflecting the warmth of molten lava. With a steadfast and amiable nature, the Gorons have a profound kinship with the earth they call home. Masters of stonework and craftsmanship, the Gorons forge formidable weapons and armor that rival the durability of their very beings. Their immense strength allows them to traverse the most treacherous terrain with ease, and their hearty appetites fuel their love for hearty mineral-rich foods. Despite their rugged exteriors, the Gorons possess a gentle spirit, forming lasting friendships with those who respect their traditions and peaceful ways.

A Monogender Society

A widespread misconception suggests that all Gorons are males. In truth, Gorons are asexual beings and do not possess gendered pronouns in their own language. Their deep, rumbling voices may have contributed to the misconception that Gorons are exclusively male, but this has never been a source of concern within their society. This is not helped by their native language lacking any kind of gendered pronouns. When Hylians first met Gorons, they assumed that all the Gorons they met were men and that any female Gorons must remain within their mountain homes. By the time this misconception had been cleared up, Gorons had already taken to adapting their native language of comrades to the Hylian word "Brothers".
Goron reproduction is not widely understood outside of Goron society. What outsiders have managed to piece together is that Gorons undergo a process they call 'budding', which will lead them deep into sacred caverns that have been carefully preserved for centuries. These gorons will bury themselves for weeks on end, nearly to the point of starvation, before returning to the surface to return to their normal routine. Months to years later, Goron children will emerge from these caverns. Goron children that are born around the same time will typically refer to eachother as Rock Brothers or Boulder Buds.

Stone Contitution

Gorons are among the most unique of the intelligent peoples of Hyrule. Their bodies have a consistency very similar to stone, which confers to them incredible strength and endurance beyond that of other peoples. Their backs are covered in a thick shell that is comprised of an even thicker rocky carapace that can withstand most blows. Owing to this thick shell, Gorons have developed a talent for tucking their arms and legs in so that they can become nearly round balls of unstoppable force. Due to their unusual biology, they are similar to cold-blooded creatures in needing to seek out heat to regulate their internal body temperatures. This naturally makes them resistant to extreme heat and makes them naturally inclined to remain around volcanic regions. However, they are not defeated by the cold, even if they typically dislike it. Gorons have been known to survive being frozen solid for days or weeks at a time and emerging relatively unharmed once given the opportunity to warm up.
Because Gorons are more elemental than they are creatures, they remarkably lack the need to breathe. This is a rather fortunate adaptation since Gorons can often get trapped in cave-ins where they must eat their way out. Some Gorons have been known to sink underwater, where they must then spend hours or days wandering aimlessly to find their way towards land. Their complete inability to swim makes Gorons extremely reluctant sailors because while they may have no fear of drowning, they have a very real fear of starving in the deep, unforgiving depths of the sea. Although Gorons are bound to a similar lifespan as most humans, their aging process is not nearly as straightforward. Most Gorons are considered adults at fifteen, but they will often continue growing for many years past that. Given the right diet and circumstances, there are tales of Gorons growing as large as fifty feet tall and weighing many, many tons.
To sustain all of this, Gorons require a diet of mineral-rich rocks and stones. Volcanic regions are a particular favorite region since it provides a continuous production of food to sustain them. Gorons have no interest in gemstones and traditionally discarded them as mere trash. This changed when they found Hyruleans adorning themselves with these discarded gemstones and absurdly considering them to be of more value than a good rock sirloin! This led to abundant trade with the other peoples of Hyrule, since Gorons' gemstones made them ill and found most metals too chewy and flavorless to be worth eating. Gorons typically will collect bundles of tasty rocks when they travel, since it can be difficult to come across edible rocks when they stray from the mountains. It is considered an incredible offense to offer dirt or sand as a food option to Gorons.

Known Settlements

Gorons are a common sight at any mountain and nearly every mountain will have some small Goron village. They typically live in small clans or tribes that might number between fifty to a hundred strong. They have also carved out deep underground cities, with some even reaching into the Depths.
Their largest cities are found on Death Mountain, Snowhead, and Mt. Goron. Gongoron Isle is a remarkable Goron village, since it was once a typical Goron mountain village that eventually became surrounded by ocean.

Thematic Archetypes

Path of the Battle Raver - Barbarian
Gorons take their music seriously, and their drummers are infamous for their deafening sounds and dazzling lights.
Path of the Sumo - Barbarian
Gorons invented Sumo Wrestling and would love to show you how it's done. It's better if you don't.

Oath of Glory - Paladin
Gorons may not be naturally warlike, but Goron warriors bring their boundless enthusiasm to the battlefield. It's positively contagious.

Arena Royale - Pugilist
Gorons know they're big and strong and enjoy making a show of it, even if they lament having to pull their punches for the sake of the audience.

Goron Features

Age. Gorons reach maturity by fifteen years old and can live up to eighty years.
Size. Goron adults stand 7 feet tall and average 600 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Built of Stone. Your unusual rock-like constitution grants you various benefits and drawbacks.

• You are resistant to fire damage.
• Due to your heavy weight, you cannot use mounts unless they are Huge sized or larger.
• You cannot benefit from updrafts except through magical means.
• You have a swimming speed of 0 and sink to the bottom when submerged. This speed cannot be increased except through magical means.
• You do not need to breathe and Underwater Combat rules do not apply to you.

Stone Blows. Your body is a natural weapon in which you have proficiency, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier.
Natural Armor. Due to your rock-like skin and the shape of your body, you are ill-suited to wearing armor. Your skin provides ample protection, however; it gives you a base AC of 17 (your Dexterity modifier doesn't affect this number). You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield's bonus as normal.
Mountainous Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. You can equip Two-Handed and Heavy weapons in one hand, provided your other hand is not holding another weapon.
Boulder Roll. You can roll into a ball as a bonus action. Until you emerge, physical attacks made against you are at disadvantage and you have advantage on Constitution saving throws. While shaped like a boulder, movement is doubled, and you can only use the Dash, Dodge, or Attack actions. If you Attack, you can only use Stone Blows. You can use a bonus action to return to your normal form.

Lifespan
Up to 80 years
Average Height
7-8 feet tall
Colouring and Markings
Gorons have granite-like skin, that has the texture of stone. Their backs are covered with a thicker shell that protects them in their balled up form. Gorons can grow hair and facial hair, which usually comes in white, gray, or platinum blonde.
Geographic Distribution
Gorons have a preference for mountainous terrain, where they have a ready supply of nutritous rock. Active volcanic regions are a particular favorite, since it provides a constant source of nutrition. Gorons will often live in caves and mine extensively for the best rocks, but are not a truly subterranean species.