Monster Ecologies: Shindoros
Entry ??? - Shindoros
Name: Shindoros
Aliases: Shin, Angel of Death, Toxic Reaper Wyvern
Classification: Reptile, Flying Wyvern
Biology: Shindoros are medium-sized Flying Wyverns, slightly smaller than a Rathalos or Rathian. Their bodies are covered with plumage, black on its back alongside yellow on its underside and tail. Red markings are located on various locations on its body, lines on its legs and chest mixed with crystal shapes on its tail and wings. A large mane runs from the chest to the head, often coloured with a reddish hue from the blood of decayed carcasses. Their heads have the appearance of an uncovered skull, but this is just bony plates rather than the skull itself. It’s front four teeth are located outside of its mouth, fastened like a beak to help the monster dig into its food.
Behaviour: A rarity amongst monsters, Shindoros are relatively peaceful creatures. They won’t attack other monsters unless defending a meal, respecting their space and keeping their distance at all times. When not searching for food, they spend the majority of their time grooming themselves. Rubbing their mane across rotting carcasses gives it a reddish hue and collects what researchers have dubbed “carrion powder”, which the wyvern evenly distributes around the mane using its wingtalons. The whole process can last up to three hours and a few minutes of sunbathing is also required to dry out the powder. Not only does this serve a defensive purpose as explained below, it is seen as attractive by potential mates.
Habitat: Shindoros are nomadic monsters, roaming from habitat to habitat in search of carrion. Due to the abundance of corpses in the Rotten Vale, they spend the majority of their lives in this area. While they mostly feed down in the lower levels of the Vale, they make their nests in the top layer of bones to avoid predators like Odogaron.
Diet: Shindoros are carnivores and scavengers, feeding on whatever corpses they can find. They can sometimes be found flying near monsters dying of old age and waiting for an eventual meal, but primarily look for food that’s already dead. When a Shindoros finds a tough-skinned carcass such as that of a Bazelgeuse or Diablos, they will stay by the body for days on end as they wait for decomposition to occur and soften the hide. During this time, it will not sleep at all and will fiercely defend its meal from anything that tries to get even a single nibble. If it is unable to find anything to eat, it has been known to steal food from right under the noses of other monsters. While young Shindoros do share their scavenging nature with their parents, they have been known to perch themselves on the backs of Radobaan and Acidic Glavenus to feed on any insects or debris that the monsters cannot reach by themselves.
Attack Method: Shindoros share many attacks with the rest of their Flying Wyvern brethren such as charges, bites, and tail swipes. Aside from these however, it has a few unique tactics to set it apart. They do not possess any elemental attacks such as fireballs or electricity, instead opting to vomit onto their enemies. This is surprisingly effective, as Shindoros stomach acid is extremely corrosive in order to break down its scavenged meals. Another technique is vigorously shaking its feathers, scattering the “carrion powder” it has collected into a fine, crimson dust. Enemies that inhale this dust will be poisoned and Hunters will also be afflicted with the “Stench” status.
Place in the Food Chain: Due to their pacifistic nature and scavenger feeding habits, Shindoros are rarely hunted or do any hunting themselves. Most monsters will leave them alone, but there are a couple of beasts that it has to be wary of. The extreme aggression of Odogaron and Deviljho make it so that they will attack the Flying Wyvern if given any chance, probably boosted by the smell of carrion exuding from the monster. While Shindoros have only been sighted in the New World, folktales from the Old World show that they did live there at some point in history. These tales portray Shindoros as “chauffeurs of the dead”, guiding the spirits of deceased monsters into the afterlife. Some villages saw them as a sign of good fortune for those close to them that have died, a sign that they are now in a better place.
This has been a report on the Shindoros. Thank you for reading.
(This monster belongs to the amazing @jabbah-the-hunter . Most of the information is theirs, but I added a small few things onto it myself. I decided to do this as thanks for using my monster concept. Keep up the great work! )