Dragon Roost Island

Dragon Roost Island is a location from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. A large, volcanic island located in the northeast portion of the Great Sea, it is home to the Rito tribe and the Sky Spirit, Valoo. The island can be seen from a great distance, as it consists mainly of a huge mountain.

The first true dungeon in the game, Dragon Roost Cavern, is located on this island. After defeating Gohma inside, Link receives the first of the three Pearls, Din's Pearl, from Prince Komali. Dragon Roost Island is also home to the Wind Shrine, where Link learns the "Wind's Requiem". The original theme for the area appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as one of the music tracks featured in the Pirate Ship Stage.

Wind Shrine
Behind Dragon Roost Island is the Wind Shrine, a shrine dedicated to the wind gods Zephos and Cyclos. The monument to Zephos was left in perfect condition, but the one to Cyclos was broken.

When the shrine was first broken, "Cyclos created tornadoes to torment people", according to Zephos. When Link encounters the tornado of Cyclos, he has to knock Cyclos out with normal arrows from the Hero's Bow after he has obtained it from the Tower of the Gods. Once defeated, Cyclos teaches Link the "Ballad of Gales".

Treasures

 * A Grotto is sealed beneath a boulder nearby the Wind Shrine. Fifty Rupees are contained within a Treasure Chest at the end of the maze of rooms.
 * Using the Deku Leaf, Link can fly around the backside of the island to discover a hidden Treasure Chest containing 100 Rupees.
 * A boulder, surrounded by Bomb Flowers, can be seen quite high up the side of Dragon Roost Mountain. A projectile such as an arrow, or using a Hyoi Pear to take control of a Seagull to fly into a bomb flower can set off the explosives to reveal a hidden Treasure Chest bearing 200 Rupees.

Theory
Dragon Roost Cavern is very similar to the Fire Temple from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which supports the theory that Dragon Roost Island may be Death Mountain itself. Many other factors, however, help to support this theory:


 * Stone statues resembling Gorons are found throughout Dragon Roost Cavern. They have large teardrop shaped heads, big round eyes, spiky hair, and wide, large lips. The nose, however, appears too large to be considered a Goron characteristic.
 * Carvings of a dragon are found throughout the cavern. They don't resemble the anthropomorphic Valoo and are instead more snake-like in appearance. In Ocarina of Time, the ancient adversary of the Gorons was the dragon Volvagia, which resembles the murals and carvings very strongly.
 * There is a ring of smoke on the top in the beginning of the game.
 * The geology of Dragon Roost is similar to that of Death Mountain in Ocarina of Time. Both are the only large volcanoes visible for miles, both have lava domes almost reaching their caps, and both have the highest above sea elevation that can be found in the game.
 * Bomb flowers are found growing plentifully on both, and according to a Goron in Ocarina of Time, "Those plants growing over there are Bomb Flowers. They are 'mining plants' that grow only on this Mountain."
 * The music of Dragon Roost Cavern is very similar to that of Dodongo's Cavern.

If it is to be considered that after the flooding of Hyrule, the Zoras evolved into the Rito, then they no longer had a place to live as they were no longer sea dwellers. Many Gorons would have died in the flood as they can't swim, although it is clear that some could have climbed to the highest peaks to avoid the water (these peaks being Dragon Roost). With so little Gorons, the Rito could very well have forced them off their land to take over. Therefore the Gorons had to migrate, and found an island in which to inhabit. This becomes Goron Island which is seen in The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, although some of them travel back to the Great Sea in order to work as merchants, making a living selling and trading goods.

Etymology
Dragon Roost Island is likely named after the large dragon, Valoo, perched, or roosting, atop its peak.