won't you come into my parlor?

said the spider to the fly. ind. pri. sel. mhrise protagonist. written by vernal.

[fellstung]

ooc. WELL. i don’t have much set up yet but i might as well just. promo a little bit.

hi, i’m vernal, this is an indie, selective RP BLOG for my MONSTER HUNTER: RISE protagonist. this blog won’t be super active by any stretch, and depending on certain progressions i might have to archive it, but i kinda miss tumblr rp, so WHY NOT I GUESS.

RULES // ABOUT

[fellstung]

severingblade​:

Novus’s attention flowed from the words of his head palico, to the approach of the stranger and finally to the vault that landed him on one of his neighboring branches in nearly the same motion. The last part was instinctual. When Argent drew the insect glaive into hand, Novus all but subconsciously put the elevation difference between them and the aerial nature of the the glaive together and knew that his visitor was coming up. Novus met him at his perch with his gaze, a testament to the familiarity between hunters, and Novus had partnered with users of all the major weapons in the past. In a way, they were already kin, even if they were meeting for the very first time.

In response to Argent’s words, the troupe of palicoes that had escorted Novus here from the New World tensed up. One of them placed her hands at her hips and turned to face him bodily from her perch, the other sighed disdainfully and Three-eyes, who still sat on the ball of Novus’s knee, rubbed a paw across his cheek. The hunter himself felt the conviction as a full collective and would have shrunk away from it if he wasn’t up on a branch. Best he could muster was to push both palms flat against one another and, with a bow of his head, apologize profusely.

“Ahhhh … my apologies. I assure you that this is not habitual behavior for me. It’s just that there has been so much of the Old World that drew in my interest and I’m afraid … I became rather lost in a lot of it.”

That said, he lowered his hands and took in a greater glance of Argent’s appearance, noting the patterns inked onto his face ( tribal perhaps? ). He wasn’t certain but he thought he had seen canines as well. It reminded him of some of the wyverians back home, the difference being that his experience with them so far had been that they were mild mannered. Even as hunters. Argent seemed different somehow, whether in appearance or simply in the energies that he exuded.

“I hope you will allow me to treat you to a meal at the canteen in Kamura for your trouble.”

Novus was met with a quiet chorus of approval from his palicoes. They all seemed more at peace with themselves and with their hunter now that he was offering to pay back the inconvenience. Eager to move along, he dropped down from his perch. One large thud was followed by three small ones. Novus himself didn’t know which direction Kamura even was after having become distracted by the beetle. Thankfully, his palicoes did and he was able to use their direction to align himself onto the proper path.

After watching knowingly as the little insect skittered away to safety, he turned his attention back to Argent, intending to exchange introductions properly, “I am Novus. Fifth Fleet hunter from the Research Commission.”

Curious that beyond a long dagger ( most closely resembling a seax ) strapped horizontally across his lower back and slinger crossbow, he did not carry a weapon specifically for slaying wyverns.

A wyverian Argent is not-- while certainly he bears a close resemblance, his ears are rounded and he has the right number of fingers. Can’t be one. He smiles widely at the apology, bowing his head in return once Novus has straightened up.

“Kamura is a rather... unique location in its fauna as well. I do enjoy study of it to a degree, though I learn best by experience.” He jostles his Glaive as he straightens up. “No fault to you, good sir.” He laughs, a short but melodic chuckle.

When the other Hunter hits the ground, Argent quickly follows suit, landing with the grace one would expect of a user of such an elegant weapon; still, his stance is a bit squarer than one might expect, closer to a more stationary style of attacking. He dusts his pants off, casual but still competent.

“Well, I’m never one to refuse a free meal! There is that new dango flavor I’ve been meaning to try...” He flashes a toothy grin that could make anyone’s wallet cry out in pain. “Argent Vendell-- Jade-Shrouded Hunter of Kamura. The pleasure is all mine,” he says with a flourish and a light bow.

[fellstung]

ooc. design for the twisted remains of a selfless darkner.

[fellstung]

rathalascendant​:

     “ RIGHT, RIGHT, THE UH, chief would like to be sure that our own got it to their destination safely. I’m sure he’s looking forward to meeting you. ” Amongst the village CHIEF GARA is probably the wisest and most open-minded out of them all, and he probably owed that to his old age. Mari stifles the urge to sigh with relief knowing that this fellow was at least aware of the village’s unusual tradition, if not already here to learn about it.        It seems they were not the only village opening up to the idea of taking up new tactics. MARI preferred to stick to tradition, but even she would be lying if she said working with REVERTO hadn’t taught her a few new things she hadn’t considered before.        “ IS THAT A – bug? ” It was no bigger than her arm yet it sat calmly on VENDELL’S wrist like a tame beast. Upon first glance she would have thought it was a funny mechanism, or a clutch claw of some sort, but the very organic flit of its wings told otherwise. “ It is a bug! You brought a pet along too? ”

        INSECT GLAIVES practically unheard of here. But, Mari figures that this is the worst place to chit-chat and ask questions. They are still in the middle of the docks, among other villagers trying to unload the hunter’s things and felynes bringing goods to other boats fastened to the little port.          “ … UH, let’s not divulge here. CHIEF GARA is probably eager to see you, after all! And you’re probably tired from the journey. ”

“Aha, er, kind of?” Argent chuckles awkwardly, unsure how to explain the concept of a Kinsect in a succinct way at the moment. However, the girl is quick to redirect, and he is happy to follow along while he formulates an answer. “Yes, I am eager to meet your Elder-- or, Chief, rather.”

“Oh, absolutely. Though, the most tiring thing about it is actually being on dry land after so long at sea.” After all, exhaustion after a Hunt only sets in once the adrenaline has worn off, so perhaps a similar process can be applied to traveling. The inertia drags at his bones a bit, but the girl and her monster companion help him stay alert. He walks alongside them as they lead him off the main dock.

“I left my Palico back in Kamura. Poor dear doesn’t like sailing much, so we’re getting him acclimated, but this was too long a trip for him.” He sighs, then tilts an inquisitive glance to Mari. “Do Riders have Palicoes?”

[fellstung]

severingblade​:

@fellstung​

The hunter sat perfectly unmoving atop a thick tree branch in the flooded forest. One leg was propped up on it while the other hung low, and his hands were hidden away beneath a hooded poncho that smelled of earth and vines ( its coloration also resembled the forest ). His eyes, meanwhile, were angled straight down beyond the bushes and beyond the shortest blades of grass at something so small that he could be misconstrued to be obsessing over nothing at all. But he wasn’t.

Down there on the ground at nearly the smallest fraction the naked eye could perceive, there was a certain beetle on the prowl. It was different from the ones he had witnessed in the New World, with a thinner frame and even thinner legs but so profoundly unlike the hercudrome for example, which lumbered about on thick legs carrying a thick shell. This one skittered around so strikingly quick that he could miss it in one flutter of the lids. First hand, he noted the advantage of its numerous legs. It could move in any direction at any moment without the need to turn to face that way.

Terrifying, he thought, remembering how he had learned to prepare for a Diablos charge when it turned around to face him. What, then, is he to do if a wyvern need not face him to attack? For the time being, he was completely uncertain but the focus in his mellow eyes was unrelenting. For a mind like his, it was only a matter of time before he had the answer.

When it hit him, he finally moved. His mouth opened to form a wide O and his eyebrows arched on high.

“Ahhhh … I see now!”

He exclaimed in a whisper and finally changed up his posture, leaning closer without regard for alerting it. Thankfully, it continued, hunting for an ant that had strayed from the rest of the workers. The more he watched, the clearer it became to him that it never pursued at full speed consistently, rather stopping occasionally to redirect itself and continue the chase. It couldn’t compensate for changes in the motions of its prey as it sped towards them, and therein was its weakness. Novus settled, smiling and resting his chin atop his palm as he watched pensively, not too different from the first time he ever sat around a fire and listened to a recital of the Tale of the Five.

In the end, he released a breath and was interrupted by the sensation of a small weight landing and balancing on the ball of his knee. Glancing at the culprit, he was met by a felyne ( it is a tabby cat ) with a pair of sharp, perceptive eyes. This one was named Three-eyes, because the reaction-diffusion patterns in the stripes over his forehead had strangely enough formed a vague appearance of an eye.

He wasn’t alone. Two other felynes settled on neighboring branches, each of them keeping a close eye on the surroundings while their hunter studied the insects. Someone had to care for him whenever he had tunnel vision.

“Meow’re going to be late. Kamewra is probably already meowndering about you.” 

As if on cue, quiet (but not silent) footsteps of an approaching humanoid break the otherwise natural movement of the landscape. The Hunter walks up to the tree from a little out of the other’s field of vision, gathers a plant at its base. Sleep Herbs-- good for tranq bombs. He’ll keep these for later.

A slight twitch from one of the Felynes perched above causes him to look up, and his eyebrows raise. He does not call out to the stranger just yet, instead choosing to take out his weapon-- a mercilessly curved Insect Glaive, built from Nargacuga parts but somehow sharper, more dangerous.

He positions himself toward a sturdy-looking free branch, and with almost a single fluid movement, vaults himself into the air and catches the tree branch. Two swings to build momentum later, and he’s seated comfortably in the crook of the tree.

Showoff.

“Ahoy there,” he says with a bored tone. “You must be the Fleet Hunter I was sent to fetch.”

[fellstung]

ooc. making a utdr double verse despite myself... i can never escape

[fellstung]

bleedinghearth​:

Teddy catches the chittering, faint as it is, as does Spike, and while Teddy turns to look, Spike only cants his head, having mobile ears under that armor, which he takes off the helm of to get a better bead on the source.

“Prrrhm, did mew hear that?”

“Aye, I did. Reckon this is a Rider village?”

He doesn’t have to wait long for an answer, as out of the blue comes a figure, tall, dressed in sturdy silks. They have sharp, recurved fangs, not as extreme as a snake, but he’s clearly not a standard-issue Hunter. He must have an Affinity, like Teddy himself. His scales itch under that armor.

They speak in a breathy hiss, as though their larynx is a bit strained, their cords bruised.

“Was the fact I’m rubberneckin’ all over the bloody place a clue? Aye, I am. I’m from Kokoto, but I’d just been let off my deployment in the New World. Thought I’d see what the fuss was about this village. You got a name, mate? You can call me Teddy.”

“Prrow, and I’m Spike, the Impurrnetrable!”

“More like the Incorrigible, you blast-happy Felyne.”

“Mreowr! After mew go and tell me to “go nuts!””

The fellow huffs a small laugh, almost voiceless under the effort of producing human noise. “A pleasure to meet you both. My name is Argent Vendell.” He dips his head, a light bow to readjust his hood. “Teddy, hm? I like the sound of that.”

A subtle smirk crosses their features, close-lipped to seem friendlier. “You are a Hunter, then? Our weaponsmithing is, dare I say, unparalleled. I would know, I use a few master-crafts.” So this guy’s definitely a Hunter too. Interesting.

“Would you like a proper tour of the town? I so rarely see travelers, what with taking care of my babies...” His voice takes on an almost maternal quality at the mention of such. “So I would love to hear what tales you have to tell.”

A strange fellow indeed. The way he moves, while agile and fluid, seems as bug-like as the rest of his odd qualities. But he seems quite friendly, and hey, he’s offering to help get a grasp of what Kamura has to offer!

[fellstung]

bleedinghearth​:

@fellstung​

Kamura’s a nice change of pace from the New World. He looks a little odd with his heavy gear and his slinger, instead of a pair of trusty, well-behaved Wirebugs, and his utter lack of a Palamute, but his faithful Felyne, Spike, is as ever at his heels, wide-eyed behind the grinning mask of his Nergigante armor.

Teddy himself wears armor that harbors the unmistakable gleam of a Silver Rathalos, but it’s been modified, his entire right arm and pectoral out, a shield crafted from the formidable back plates of a grown Rathian sitting on the respective forearm, while over his left shoulder and arm, he’s fully covered, a crest of shining wing membrane affixed to a stiff mast of scales, bone, and metal, adorning his pauldron. Similarly, he’s wearing leg coverings, but only greaves and thigh plates cover them, the rest accounted for with stiff leather.

It’s an odd choice, seeing as typically, one would want more mobility in their sword arm, but if he notices anyone trying to puzzle him out, he doesn’t indicate as much.

“Meowster, why were mew in such a meowssive hurry to get here?”

“En’t this place remind you o’ home, Spike?”

“Hrrm, purrhaps. But there’s no Wyverian elder.”

“Oy, we don’t need one here for the sake of nostalgia, mate. Why don’t you settle your whiskers and get acclimated to the locals, aye? I’ll bet you’ll make a load of new friends.”

Ooh, this one’s pretty... A silhouette watches the stranger from behind a house, taking in the man’s presence and glancing over his armor.

A quiet chittering sounds from somewhere nearby, followed by a hushing noise. The chittering’s hard to identify-- it’s similar to a Neopteron’s clicking, but not the same. Temnocerans are practically nonexistent in the New World, but maybe they’re present here....?

Slowly, cautiously, someone approaches. Veiled in a long, heavy spidersilk cloak, it’s difficult to ascertain many features of this person-- but when they speak, a flash of long, hooked fangs does not go unnoticed.

“Good day, stranger. You are new here, yes?”

Nor does the distinct whispery aspect to their higher voice register.

[fellstung]

rathalascendant​:

      “ OH, YOU ARE SOOOOO CUTE! ” SHE’S NOT EVEN BOTHERED by the gentle nibbling, especially there’s a layer between those teeth and her own skin. It’s hardly even something she considers, since she’s so used to her own PUKEI-PUKEIS affectionately gnawing on her arms. No, MARI is content to absolutely shower this CANYNE with affection, for in all her years working as a rider, she had never seen one up close.

       She didn’t like HUNTERS, but … well, having a PALAMUTE is an okay in her book. They were among the few beasts out there that have been trained to work alongside them, so she had heard. They were the monsties of the hunter world, born and bred to work alongside people with loyalty, whereas felynes worked and trained by contract.

       She greets the excited beast with plenty of head pets with her free hand, up until he’s pulled back by his companion. “ Oh, he’s fine, he’s fine. TRUST ME, he’s nothing. ”

        It takes an awkward second to register the handshake. Any other local might go for the typical MAHANA greeting, but Mari supposes that in her travels, she’s learned that that’s a little more awkward. ( Not that it stops her from doing it sometimes. ) After a passing moment, she gives her own hand and offers him a firm shake. “ I take it you’re the exchange I was told about. MARI of MAHANA. ”

          She could see STREAK’S shadow stretching over her shoulder, and felt his breath at her side. The TOBI-KADACHI was looming over them, watching with a canted head. “ And this is STREAK. I take it you had a long journey, but … don’t be alarmed by the monsters. I don’t know how much they told you but the beasts in the village are tame. We’re a rider’s island. ”

Fool has decided he likes this person. She smells like danger, but he can handle that in exchange for pets and skritches.

“Aye, that I am. A pleasure to meet you.” He notes the quality of her handshake-- good first impression, for someone who seemingly isn’t familiar. His smirk fades into a calmer smile.

“Oh.” The sight of the Tobi-Kadachi, while it earns a surprised step back from the Hunter, doesn’t seem to shake him much. “I was told, rest assured. Part of the reason I came is to learn and understand Rider technique, actually!”

He whistles, high and thin, and a buzzing sound approaches as Vendell’s dear Kinsect nimbly weaves through the crowd and comes to rest at his arm. “Very good, Lucy,” he coos to the regal-looking purple beetle, giving it an affectionate pat when it closes its wings. He follows it up with a skritch for Fool when the dog whines, wanting attention himself.

“As a Glaive wielder, becoming better acquainted with monster behavior and such feels like it could only be a benefit.”

[fellstung]

rathalascendant​:

     QUITE THE CHANGE, INDEED. MAHANA is incredibly peaceful, for what it was. On its exterior, it does not look as well developed as LULUCION, and settlements of the old world … yet despite this, this tiny tropical hamlet hosted a plethora of surprises. After all, it is not just the people who are happy here.

      The children run alongside VELOCIDROME hatchlings, and bask beside royal LUDROTH in the sunlight. Felynes would scurry to and fro, meowing to themselves and to locals as they carried goods across the village docks. Around the stables deeper into town, Aptonoth graze freely in the open.        And among them, one of its most esteemed riders SHOVES her way through the busy docks, calmly followed by a TOBI-KADACHI.

        MARI DIDN’T LIKE HUNTERS VERY MUCH; ever since her experience with a particular group that trespassed on sacred ground and then eventually captured her monstie later down the line, she often approached them with … wary gazes, but her companions always reminded her to keep an open mind. The boat had been spotted well before it had landed, and the village, in an attempt to keep stirring a little more of that GOOD WILL with outsiders, sent her to be the greeter.

       Well, she’d saved the world once. Guess that made her the official tour guide these days. “ I’m looking for a hunter? HUNTERS? Do we got any hunter guys around here? ” She calls as she makes her way through the crowd. She would end up spotting the PALAMUTE before its actual partner.

        “ OH, JUMPING JAGGIES, THAT’S A PALAMUTE – ! ”

The Palamute perks its head in her direction before lumbering over to her with all the grace of a baby goat. Its coat is white, and its ears are big and floppy. It sniffs the girl’s hand even without her offering it to the dog...

And then promptly starts nibbling on her gauntlet. The bites are light, seemingly designed not to do any damage, but it’s a sight for sure.

Following close behind is its human companion, as he finally gets his footing and strides up to the dog. “Fool, no,” he admonishes, gently pulling on its collar to ease it back. To the creature’s credit, it sits back at the first sign of its master’s unhappiness.

“Terribly sorry, my dear,” says the Hunter with a breezy tone. He’s decked out in armor that makes him look more like a swashbuckler than anything, with a coil woven from spidersilk sitting at his waist. “He’s excited from being in a new place. Ah, but you were looking for Hunters, yes?”

He extends a hand to shake with a confident smirk. “Argent Vendell. Jade-Shrouded Hunter of Kamura.”

[fellstung]

GREETER for @rathalascendant​

It has been quite some time since Vendell left Kamura Village at this point-- he’d almost forgotten there was a world outside of the little town and its surrounding areas. Today, though, the ship he’s been traveling on is currently landing in Mahana Village-- a tropical-looking location on an island of the coast of a whole other continent. He’s a little nervous, in truth-- he’s brought his Palamute for support as a result, and has a hand on the Canyne’s back as he steps off the gangplank of the little sailing vessel.

The solid wood of the dock under his feet is a strange feeling, after so long at sea, and he wobbles a bit trying to get his land legs back. You’d hardly believe this clumsy fellow was a competent Hunter visiting for a cultural exchange between Kamura and Mahana...

“Woah, oh dear, oh dear--”