#orphanbane

[iamthekaijuking]

Idk if you ever mentioned, but what are your thoughts on the plot of Monster Hunter World (and Iceborne)? The more colonial expansionist vibe MonHun is going for isn't by vibe, but on a substance-level, I appreciate how much it fleshed out what the Guild does. Granted, there are some....questionable decisions made in the story.

I agree with a lot of your sentiments. My gripes are the colonialism vibe, Bioenergy, lack of proper names or personality given to most of the characters, and the handler (I do not hate the handler for “being ugly” or “eating a lot”, I don’t like her because she’s annoyingly written). I did genuinely enjoy the experience of exploring a brand new continent and discovering everything. It was incredibly exciting and a huge new step for Monster Hunter. I also do like that we got some info into the inner workings of the Hunters Guilds.

[iamthekaijuking]

Theory: The reason why Nu Udra is particularly vulnerable to Dragon Element, and why the Rakna-Kadki armor set has notably less Dragon Resistance (though still some) is due to their preferred residence in volcanic locales. I think that the adaptations common for volcanic monsters make them particularly vulnerable to the Dragon Element. I thought of this after looking at other non-Wyvern Volcanic Monsters (as it is pretty standard that Wyverns, especially Flying Wyverns, are vulnerable to Dragon). Additional damage from Dragon Element is quite common, though they of course often take no additional damage from Fire and usually have a weakness to Water. This is particularly for monsters that are endemic to volcanoes, like Ajarakan and Agnaktor. Whatever Dragon Element is, whether in the blood of Elders or weaponized, it is clearly costly to the animal which produces it. In MHWorld, we see how the Elder's Recess is so strongly favored by the Elders Kushala and Teostra, which we already know consume minerals frequently. The abundance of exposed minerals is likely optimal for the upkeep of their specialized blood and their nomadic lifestyles may be a behavior to continue searching for more mineral-rich locales. This isn't even getting into the extraordinary abilities Elders often have. This may also be why Stygian Zinogre is frequently found in volcanic regions, while the typical Zinogre is a more temperate montane animal. Dragonfell berries WERE frequently found in volcanic areas (though MHWilds now has them literally everywhere except the Basin, which is weird) and are likely a kind of fruit formed by endemic metallophytic or hyperaccumulating plants in said locales. If baby Basarios or Uragaan are consuming any of such plants, then Dragonfell bushes/trees/etc. may be a decent chunk of their premature diet. Stygian, lacking the easy Gargwa and Arzuros it is likely used to, may have to start taking the heavily biomineralized Rhenoplos (a herbivores which may also consume Dragonfell berries when given the opportunity).

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.

I’m forwarding this to UHC

[iamthekaijuking]

Do you think that there are any particular implications lore-wise or in ecology, for why arthropods are explicitly resistant to Dragon Element? Since the original Monster Hunter, Neopteran armor has had heavy Dragon Element resistance. The same applies for both Nerscylla's and Lala Barina's armor (with Rakna Kadaki have less, but still resistant). The Carapaceon armors are in a similar boat to Rakna-Kadaki. Taking the theory of Dragon Element greatly bolstering the immune systems of species that produce it at face value, perhaps parasites of the Monster Hunter world are in an evolutionary arms race with Dragon Element monsters. We don't see them, but arthropod parasites must be just as abundant in the land of the Wyverns as so on Earth, if not more so.

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.

As for why bug monsters tend to have dragon resistance… Most bugs don’t live long enough to warrant an adaptive immune system and just have passive immune systems. But a massive bug that lives decades likely needs an adaptive immune system, so maybe something about said immune system is incompatible with dragon and thus naturally resists it?

[iamthekaijuking]

How do you feel about the ways in which the aesthetics of mammals are often given to Wyverns? Examples include the Fanged Wyverns (Zinogre, Magnamalo, Lunagaron) and the Pseudowyverns (Tigrex, Nargacuga, Barioth). Further, some Leviathans, such as Mizutsune, Somnacanth, and Almudron, all have some mammalian inspiration. Theoretical Phylogeny aside, taking the game's creative direction at face value, it feels like there is some aversion to adding too many overt mammals. I get that MonHun is the "Land of the Wyverns," but Magnamalo...feels like they just could have been a literal tiger instead of what we got. I quite like the Pseudowyverns, but their existence and the lack of actual non-Felyne felids makes me wonder if the carnivorans never really got a foothold on the planet (outside of the Bears) as megafauna. Same with non-Canyne canids (though that is a bit of a different discussion, as Felynes are literally people while the Canynes are domestic dogs). I think this issue is perhaps more egregious with Lunagaron being (ANOTHER) Wolf-Like Fanged Wyvern and Garangolm (Bishaten as well) having weird avian characteristics. I get that MonHun has an aesthetic and world built around Draconic animals, but did we REALLY need to add some Dinosaur traits to our mammals?

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 don’t mind the mammals having scales or the wyverns having snarling lips. Even wyverns having pinnae doesn’t bother me too much, but yeah I agree I wish the distinction was more clear between them. Mammals really shouldn’t be getting feathers, beaks (unless they’re monotremes), and pubic boots. And the wyverns, most of which are presumably dinosaurs and are presented as such, should not have “fur” or “pelts” but rather feathers. Fundamentally nothing about Lunagaron would change if it wasn’t a fanged wyvern, same with wulg.

[iamthekaijuking]

Given the incredibly strength and endurance of Canynes, do you think that feral Canynes may be a serious issue in some regions? It came to mind after considering how immensely strong and enduring they are. Gameplay conceits in their unlimited stamina and burrowing fast-travel aside, their capacity as invasive species to still through the roof. Kamura seems to be *Very* good at animal husbandry, between them, the Wirebugs, and Risebreak being the only games where you can just buy Kinsects that are already metamorphosed into a desired form. This may make their general cultural around the dogs less likely to result in ferals, unlike how IRL pet owners subsidize stray and feral populations by the thousands through abandonment. UHC has talked about how their reproduction may be a limiting factor in their success in ecosystems, which may also play a role. There may simply not be multi-generational packs of battledogs in the wild, with the benefits of taking large game like Aptonoth or Arzuros being less common them small game and scavenging. Still horrific for the fauna of the Shrine Ruins and Citadel though.

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 wonder, do we have anything on their reproductive rates?

[iamthekaijuking]

How do you feel about Rajang, as a monster? I am aware that UHC quite dislikes the "Anime Hype Monsters," of which it is difficult not to consider Rajang one with how it is treated in lore and turf wars. Honestly, Rajang feels like the opposite of Garangolm to me in many ways. One of an aesthetically well-designed carnivorous murder monkey whose habitat range should probably be more specialist and whose in-game presentation has it consistently punching above its weight class. The other has a comparatively weak design but also a much more needed megaherbivorous ecological niche in what seems to be a preference for montane forests, yet is blatantly presented as rather weak for its size (akin to Duramboros and Gammoth) in gameplay and when compared to other monsters of the same 'rating'.

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.

Garangolm has that megaherbivore problem you suggested, and it’s really annoying that only the blos wyverns are the ones treated with any semblance of power. Realistically, Garang should be able to turn the local homosexula dragon into a red froth, and Gammoth should have been able to snap Tigrex’s neck as soon as she got ahold of it. I also wish B team did a better job at making a Frankenstein ape.

[iamthekaijuking]

Are there any volant monsters that you would prefer to be flightless? I know even the Raths couldn't realistically fly, but some flying wyverns and others just don't pass the layman's volant vibe-check for me. Espinas shouldn't be flying, based on how low its metabolism usually is and also that giant fugging gut and heavy armor it lugs around. Same with how the Blos' wyverns and Gravios shouldn't fly (or even the light hovering they used to do after a Pitfall trap). Tigrex and Nargacuga not being volant is recent games is a positive, in my opinion. I don't mind Barioth flying, though I sometimes feel like it should be smaller than the other 2 pseudowyverns, despite being first discovered in the Tundra.

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.

Gogmazios I feel like all his limbs are too small for his body, and comes across as an emaciated corpse. But I think that’s sort of the point.

[iamthekaijuking]

Given the domestication of Scoutflies, Wirebugs, and the Kinsects, do you think that some Neopterans in the MonHun world are more intelligent than what we'd expect from insects? While we have domesticated bees and silk-moth larvae, it seems like the Kinsects in particular are not a single clade. The actual models of them can be beetles, dragonflies, lepidopterans, or hymenopterans in their appearance. The hunter clearly uses chemical signals to command it, perhaps buying particular pheromones for each breed (like how you can buy Kinsects directly in MhRise). Scoutflies and Wirebugs could honestly just be untrained bugs that were bred for specific purposes, though also being made more docile or recognizing humans due to how you can just plant Great Wirebugs in places and they seem not to resist you using them for travel. Idk if the silkbind skills actually require any training on the part of the bug itself, but it isn't impossible. Then there is Ahtal-Ka, which is its own can of worms. However, as a staunch Portable-Team defender, I love the damn thing and will bend over backwards to support its existence.

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.

Kinsects are a little weird, and I actually don’t think they’re multiple different domesticated insects. Considering you have to feed a kinsect to change its form, they might just have tons of phenotypes and multiple adult molts, which would heavily imply they’re genetically modified. Possibly a remnant of an ancient civilization.