Dragon Roost Island

Dragon Roost Island is a large, volcanic island located in the northeast of the Great Sea in the The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and is home to the Rito tribe, and the Spirit of the Sky, Valoo. The island can be seen from a great distance, as it consists mainly of a huge mountain that some theorize is Death Mountain. There are many explosive fruits scattered across the island, and many Kargarocs as well. It's the birthplace of Valoo, Zephos, and Cyclos.

The first real dungeon in The Wind Waker, Dragon Roost Cavern, is on this island and after beating it, Link gets the first of the three Pearls, Din's Pearl. Dragon Roost Island is also home to the Wind Shrine, where Link learns the Wind's Requiem.

Dragon Roost As Death Mountain
This dungeon inside is very similar to Death Mountain from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and in fact may be the Death Mountain dungeon itself. Many items found throughout would seem to confirm this.




 * 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 begining 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."

Because of these and other facts many have concluded that the two volcanoes must be the same or at the very least part of the same volcanic range, along with Fire Island's volcano.

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 we see in The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass, although some of them travel back to the Great Sea in order to make a living selling and trading goods.

Shrines
Behind Dragon Roost are two shrines, one for Zephos and one for Cyclos. Zephos' shrine was on the left and named the Wind Shrine where Link can learn The Wind's Requiem, while the right shrine belonging to Cyclos was broken and is believed to have had the Ballad of Gales' directions on it.

When the shrine was first broken, "Cyclos created tornadoes to torment people", according to Zephos. When Link encounters Cyclos' tornado, the player would have to knock Cyclos out with normal arrows with the Hero's Bow once they have got this special bow of the Tower of the Gods. Once defeated, Cyclos teaches Link the Ballad of Gales.

Treasure

 * A hidden cavern is sealed beneath a boulder nearby the Wind Shrine. 50 Rupees are contained within a 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 chest containing 100 Rupees.
 * A boulder, surrounded by Bomb Flowers, can be seen quite high up the side of the mountain. A projectile such as an arrow can set off the explosives to reveal a hidden treasure chest bearing 200 Rupees.