#orphanbane

Similarly, this could be said for why Magnamalo can be found in such locales. The Shrine Ruins seem like a similarly ideal habitat for Zinogre as the Misty Peaks are, but the fact that Magnamalo can be found often in volcanic regions is likely due to the mineral-cost of its Hellfire. Further, Scorned Magnamalo is able to produce Dragon Element. It is likely forced out of the Shrine Ruins for less productive habitats (due to it being an outcast with broken horns and damaged armor) and the fact that so many Elders end up appearing around the Citadel may well have drawn them there. Notably, regular Magnamalo cannot be encountered in the Citadel, so the Citadel, while relatively nearby to Kamura, is probably beyond the typical range of the Kamura population.

For Ebony Odogaron, the Rotten Vale likely has just enough dead Elders, or generally just a ton of minerals within corpses, so the species can readily maintain enough Dragon Element. The more nomadic Ebony Odogaron likely takes a more proactive approach to finding corpses, perhaps with a preference for scavenging Elder Dragons as well. For Deviljho, the species may come into conflict with Elders so notably because of the nutritional stress they face. Deviljho is starving, as a rule, and the expenditure of Dragon Element it engages in to survive infections as a rampant scavenger and frequent combatant probably are causing it nutritional stress as well. Now, this does not explain by Ebony Odogaron, Stygian Zinogre, and Magnamalo are encountered in the more Arctic/Frigid locales as well as volcanic ones. For that, I have another theory: Dragon Element has some thermoregulatory properties. Elder Dragon Blood in particular may be another enabler for elders throughout the series to be so nomadic, despite many lacking obvious specializations for extreme temperatures. Because of this, when Dragon Element is used against monsters that rely on it for thermoregulation, it not only causes a kind of allergic reaction in their immune system, but also messes with their ability to regulate their internal body temperature. Even without vertebrate blood, Nu Udra may well depend on some convergent ability to thermoregulate that still causes it great harm when disturbed. It may also be more vulnerable to Dragon Element than arthropods due to how Cephalopods also often have closed circulatory systems. Rakna-Kadaki still retaining an open circulatory system may be a big deal in how the effects of Dragon Element cannot induce the potential anaphylactic effects that it does in other monsters. Notably, neither Ceadeus nor Nakarkos give Elder Dragon Blood in MH3U and MHGU respectively. The two fully aquatic Elder Dragons just don't give it, which is a bit strange to me. Further, Ceadeus is still weakest to Dragon, while Nakarkos is also very vulnerable, if that helps at all.

Wait a minute.....is Ceadeus the only monsters in your Hexapterygian group that doesn't give Elder Dragon Blood? Perhaps it lost the ancestral feature due to being secondarily aquatic?

That’s actually kinda weird ceadeus doesn’t give elder blood. Maybe that was just overlooked? I know nakarkos doesn’t because it’s a cuttlefish and Fatalis doesn’t because it’s special or something.

The idea that dragon element also has thermoregulatory properties, and that when disrupted interferes with a monster’s ability to maintain stable temperatures in extreme environments on top of having an immune response makes a ton of sense. And that bug monsters are immune to dragon because they’re biologically different enough from vertebrates, but cephalopods coincidentally are slightly more similar and are vulnerable.

Fuck, that’s really good. I might actually have to add this to my phylogenetic tree docs next time I update them.

My theory: With how monsters like Deviljho and Ebony Odogaron make use of Dragon Element's immune enhancements to consume greater amounts of carrion and are readily exposed to pathogens, perhaps an evolutionary pressure exists for some insects, such as those which lay their eggs in carcasses, to be able to resist the Dragon Element when such carnivores are scavenging or contesting with one another. From how Deviljho readily expels Dragon Element when enraged and how Ebony Odogaron constantly discharges some of said element in its bites, it be behoove many insects to adopt some resistance. Qurio potentially having compounds in their saliva capable of calming elder dragon immune systems may also be relevant here. Whether they be obligate sanguivores like the Qurio or infest the bodies of live beasts with their larvae like many flies, arthropods may have convergently had similar compounds evolve for similar niches. Further, most elders are able to reject the Qurio, their immune systems successfully fighting off the parasites to become Risen elder dragons. Qurio armor does not exist for us to compare to Nepteran armors, but resistance to Dragon Element may be a key factor in how the Qurio even manage to get an elder to be afflicted in the first place. With all that being said, none of my theories help explain why megafaunal arthropods would also share such resistance. It may be as simple as an ancestral characteristic in many arthropod clades, perhaps?

This is something fascinating to ponder, and I agree that yeah a lot of parasites would have high dragon resistance. Things like hookworms probably have crazy dragon defense.

I do wish we got more fanged beasts in monster hunter. Maybe something like a poison camel monster or maybe a giraffe or rhino would be cool. Maybe a ground sloth or chalicothere.

Caniformia seems to be doing well since canids, mustelids, and bears exist. I don’t think we’ve seen “true” pinnipeds before but they’d make an excellent choice if we get underwater combat back.

I think that could be something worth thinking about. Realistically I don’t see entire packs of feral Canynes being able to take on mid to high level large monsters very well, and might actually be prey. But I can very easily see them becoming very good mesopredators feeding on small monsters, with full packs maybe bringing down an aptonoth.

I do genuinely like Rajang and I don’t mind it being a nomadic and aggressive monster who can punch a bit above its weight class, but yes it should not be punching the spike ball nergigante into submission or King Kong jaw snapping a ravenous tyrannosaur big enough to fit Rajang in its rib cage. It used to just be an apex monster like rathalos, albeit a very scary one, but now it’s goku punching god.

And the lore isn’t better either because it’s weird anthropomorphizing anime edginess. The fact that it’s even remotely suggested that rajang might purposely rip off its tail to become a furious rajang, a state that will eventually kill it, is really stupid.

Canonically, I think both Khezu and Gigginox fly in their games. Khezu, even Red Khezu, being volant feels anathema to me. Gigginox perhaps being in a windy Alpine region, like the Iceshard Cliffs, could make more sense as a volant animal than one that readily quad-launches from the ground like the other quadrupedal flying wyverns. This may be a hot take, but I dislike Gypceros being able to fly. I know I am a rubber chicken hater, as the volant Yians don't bother me, but I feel like Gypceros already has too much going on. This thing must be burning calories like Michael Phelps with how many expensive tools it has at its disposal and its habitat diversity means it is more able to join future rosters in general, which I dislike because I would take so many other poison monsters over Gypceros....like any of them to fill the slot just to keep the worst bird away for another generation. Nerscylla is the best thing to happen to Gypceros' reputation for a reason. Also, Gogmazios probably shouldn't be volant, but I am still riding the TU4 hype and cannot be unbiased about my beloved Gog.

I actually don’t mind a lot of monsters flying. Obviously ones that are canonically flightless and had copy paste animations removed where they can fly is good, like the blos and pseudo wyverns. Magnamalo should not be capable of fart powered flight. For the cave wyverns, I do think it’s a bit dangerous that they fly without any visual or auditory aid.

I think the better question for me is what monsters do I think should have bigger wings? Some exceptional fliers like the raths, Rey Dau, and Kushala should have even bigger wings. I also wish we had more specified diversity in flight capability among monsters. Sure, most of them flying is fine, but for many like espinas and gypceros I think they should be specified as poor fliers. Many ground birds spend most of their time on the ground, but retain the ability to fly for escaping predators or covering long distances, but that doesn’t mean they’re good at flying. I especially feel this way about barioth because despite being said to be an exceptional flier, its wings are better adapted for running, climbing, and grappling and the aerodynamics of its wings are terrible. Arkveld should also not be able to fly with its weird elbow beards.

I mean intelligence is kinda hard to gauge, and you can’t really paint broad strokes for a group of organisms that comprise 80% of animal species. There’s plenty of “dumb” arthropods, but also tons that are incredibly intelligent in specific ways. Cockroaches and eusocial insects have high social intelligence for bugs, dragonflies can predict the flight path of prey to intercept it, bees can count, ants can recognize themselves in mirrors and perform amputation surgery on colony mates, and jumping spiders are up there with octopodes for most intelligent invertebrates capable of problem solving.

So Ahtal-Ka wielding tools isn’t that crazy. (I also like her too because she coincidentally has the same gimmick as my GUARDIANverse character Alratchne. Although instead of piloting rubble with silk she prefers the bones of other guardians).

Scoutflies and wirebugs don’t seem too intelligent, although scoutflies may have incredible memory if they can remember the scent of hundreds of things.