(Continuing from where we last left off.)

Coming over to Shara, you patted the little Elder Dragon on his head and looked over the rocks he was messing with. The rock was originally jagged and coarse, but his vibrations had turned it more rounded and smoother, softer to the touch as you ran your finger over it.

You decided to try and help him advance how well he could use his vibration powers now.

Tapping the dirt and raking your fingers across it, you made a digging like motion and then pointed to Shara, trying to convey your meaning. The little Everwyrm's big eyes went back and forth between you and dirt before it decided to try something. You watched as it's wingtips began to produce a noise much like a faint song, invisible force generated around it.

Shara plunged his wingtips into the ground and then within seconds the juvenile Elder Dragon sunk down within the ground, vanishing from sight. You patted the ground where he disappeared at and felt around to see where he had gone. You felt a light movement under the dirt, a small vibration.

Then, suddenly, you turn just in time as Shara resurfaced behind you and jumped at you, tackling you to the ground. You just chuckled it off as you picked him up and set him down, he didn't hurt you so you didn't mind.

Later that day, you decided to do something bold and told Shara to stay put. The dragon listened surprisingly well and sat behind as you went back up to the technician. You requested a monster be released into the arena along with Shara. He paused at first but soon went along with it and had the other engineers release a simple Jagras into the arena.

You sat aside and watched as the gate opened to release the one small creature in there. Quickly, it takes notice of Shara and becomes aggressive, but Shara doesn't regard it too much. The thing tries to attack, but Shara repels it easily with a swipe of his his wings.

You watched intently as Shara toyed around with the thing, blowing it onto it's back with vibrations and smacks. Eventually, tiring of it, Shara finished the thing off by biting it's neck. You didn't doubt Shara wouldn't win, but you didn't know how to feel over the way he treated that Jagras either at the moment.

Collecting everything and Shara, you left the Arena and returned back into Astera.

File: Second Fleet Master.png (105 KB, 512x351)

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The first priority for you now was seeing what you could do with the carvings you got off the Uragaan you found dead at El Dorado.

You thought it wouldn't be too much a big deal to let Shara come along, he might've liked the heat of the Smithy anyway. People didn't overreact to his presence either, they treated him the same as they did that Poogie that was left to wander Astera as it liked.

Leaving your weapon behind at your room and gathering your materials in a sack, you made off for the Smithy. Vivi kept a close eye on Shara as you walked along.

Upon entering the Smithy, the Second Fleet Master looked up and shifted in his seat to greet you. Shara felt the heat and just sat there beside you with his eyes closed, enjoying the feeling.

"Oi, Freelancer! Good to know you survived that encounter. How's your creaking back holdin' up?"

"Could be better, but I'm not going to let a spinal injury keep me down." You say with confidence.

"Aye, good man, you and me both. Even if I lost my arms, I still wouldn't stop smithin'! Hah hah hah hah!" The SFM laughs. "So, what do you got for me this time? My hammer needs some work."

You set down the sack and open it, showing the large Uragaan materials inside. The Second Fleet Master set hammer aside and inspected the heavy materials, looking each one all over.

"Oooohhhh..... This would be from a hammerhead, and it looks like you got quite a lot of fine carves from em' too. But, these Uragaan, they are monsters that only High Rank Hunters face, so making equipment from them will take more effort due to how harder they are compared to something soft like the Jagras, it will cost a pretty penny of Zenny more too." The Second Fleet Master says.

"Give me some prices and I'll decide." You say.

The SFM looks over a manual next to himself and flips over a few pages.

"Hmmm.... Well, I can craft either an Alpha or Beta set. Both sets will cost about the same, sixty thousand Zenny. It doesn't look like you have enough to make a full set however, only a single piece from a set, which will cost twelve thousand. Additionally, if armor is not what you're looking for at the moment, I can have a weapon done instead." The Second Fleet Master explains.

"So, what will it be?" He asks. You begin thinking it over. You could craft a piece or armor, a weapon, or maybe even see about buying another Mantle.

What will you do?

>>4052209
Let's hold onto the mats until we can get a full set.

>>4052232
This

>>4052209
Craft an armor piece.

>>4052209
Craft a chest piece. We won't be able to get any monster parts for a while anyways, and our weakened spine is going to need the extra protection when we can go hunting again.

actually, changing my vote to crafting a chest piece too

>>4052274
this is me

>>4052209
>>4052471
This, absolutely. We need chest protection here and now. After that we can work on the rest.

"Give me the alpha set chest piece." You say.

The Second Fleet Master nods as you take our your Zenny purse and spill at least twelve thousand in coins to him. He scoops the coins away and takes up the sack of your Uragaan materials.

"You know, I actually really like the sets Uragaan can produce. They seem big, clunky and tough. A shame not everybody uses it around here. Maybe if you get more materials, you could be the first, aye?"

"Alright lad, this one will take some time. Check in tomorrow, your order may be done by then." The SFM guesses.

"Kay'." You say as you pick Shara up and leave the Smithy.

You went the way of your room and saw the housekeepers talking outside of it, standing around on the walkway. Curious as to what the two Felyne were there for, you approached and greeted and they both made it known for you.

"Greetings Meowster Hunter." They both say at once. One holds up a clipboard and the other a pen.

"We've been notified by another Hunter that mew were to allow them to move in as a tenant, they said something about a pawffer you gave them. Mwe were a bit confused at first because Hunters don't usually meowve in with one another so we took it to the Analytics Director. He told us that it was entirely up to mew."

"If you want to appawrove of this moving, just scratch your name here." The first housekeeper said, holding up a document on the clipboard, the other raising a pen at you.

"Meowr if you want to cancel this order, just say so."

You set Shara down and looked over the document. You already knew what this was.

>Sign your signature.
>Tell them you decline.

>>4052915
>Sign your signature.
Must be the scoutress, It will be nice to have someone to help to raise Shara while recover.

>>4052915
>Sign your signature.

>>4052915
>>Sign your signature.

>>4052915
>Sign your signature.

You decided to allow it, you did offer her to move in after all, it would be rude and awkward to just decline it now.

You took the clipboard and signed down your signature before handing it back over to the housekeepers. The two Felyne said they would return momentarily and made off. You shrugged and entered your room, settling down in your chair after putting Shara on the floor to play with Vivi.

You only now noticed a cupboard next to the fireplace actually, and upon further inspection you find bottles inside of root beer. Granted, root beer was pretty much everywhere in the world, available to such an extent it had become a standard and generic drink for any establishment to have, but nonetheless you still had a taste for it and popped a bottle open to drink.

As you drank alone quietly, your door suddenly burst open and you turned in a rush to see the two Felyne housekeepers struggling to enter with something large and wooden in their paws, a bed frame. Carefully, they set it down against an empty space near the wall and pushed it before setting it with green sheets and running out again.

When next they appeared after a few minutes, they came in with a small locker chest, and the second housekeeper was pushing a small desk topped with a few bobbles inside, leaving it right next to the bed. The first runs out and comes back bounding inside with an overpacked duffel bag in his arms, which he fails to balance and ends up falling down with it, managing to throw it on the bed as he fell.

The two housekeepers came up side by side and saluted before leaving, sweeping the floor with brooms behind themselves.

You were impressed by their dedication, but felt bad you didn't try to help and instead watched. You are about to settle down again when a knock comes from your door and you get up to answer it.

File: Roommate.png (23 KB, 512x351)

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As you expected, you open the door to greet Atricia.

"Vance." She smiles. "Thanks for giving me this offer, I think I've had just about enough of shivering at the Gathering Hub every night."

"My pleasure." You say happily as you invite her in.

Atricia comes over and sets her Thundersword down aside your own weapons and stretches.

"I don't want you to feel like I'm barging in on your space though, so if you want me to leave anytime, I won't feel bad over it, you just have to say the word." She offered in return for your own deed.

"No no, it's fine, really. It's my first time having a roommate that isn't Vivi actually." You admit.

"Mhm. Same actually, but I'll try not to be nervous over it." She says as she sits down on her bed and begins to dig through her kit bag. "I can't stand the barracks, not here in the New World and I didn't in the Old World either. Where did you stay in the Old World?"

"Taverns, I traveled a lot. I didn't stick around for any real Guild assignments." You say, sitting back down.

"I was stationed in Dundorma back in the Old World when I was low rank. I thought about becoming a Guardian for the pay, but I realized that I never really cared about money anyway, I care more about the sight. You know, getting out there and doing things, adventuring and having all kinds of encounters with Monsters. I can't get used to sitting around for long."

"Oh, and since I'm here, I'll help take care of Shara too just like I said. Actually, I did bring this."

Atricia pulls out some fruits and a chew toy from her bag, immediately catching Shara's attention and spurning the young Elder Dragon into coming over to eat.

"I think he likes you just as much as me already." You say.

"Hmm hmm hmm, he's so unique a lifeform isn't he? Kind of make you wonder just how Elder Dragons appeared to begin with."

Atricia pulls a book out and scoots into a comfortable position to start reading.

You rock back and forth in your chair. There was still some day left to burn.

>Brigg's been gone awhile hasn't he? He should have been back by now if all he was doing was feeding Tabitabi. Maybe we should go check on him.
>Let's chat with Atricia to pass the time, she seems to like talking.
>I should get some more rest already, I won't heal without it.
>Write in.

>>4053248
>Let's chat with Atricia to pass the time, she seems to like talking.

>>4053248
>Let's chat with Atricia to pass the time, she seems to like talking.
What should we talk about with her though?

>>4053248
>Brigg's been gone awhile hasn't he? He should have been back by now if all he was doing was feeding Tabitabi. Maybe we should go check on him.
INB4 Briggs has ran into the Demon Pickle again

>>4053248
>Brigg's been gone awhile hasn't he? He should have been back by now if all he was doing was feeding Tabitabi. Maybe we should go check on him.
This doesn't bode well.

>>4053248
>Brigg's been gone awhile hasn't he? He should have been back by now if all he was doing was feeding Tabitabi. Maybe we should go check on him.

"Atricia..." You said, making the girl look up at you.

"Do you remember earlier today I asked Brigg for a solid...?"

"Yeah, something about checking on something?"

"....He should have been back by now, it was just in the Ancient Forest..." You say, the beginnings of a grim expression dawning on your face.

"Do you want me to go find him?"

"We should go together." You say, standing up and grabbing your weapon. Atricia stands up and grabs her Thundersword, stopping you with her hand briefly.

"Alright, I'll go with you, but you'll have to stick behind me for the time being. Someone might get suspicious if they see you going out like this, still injured. I'll make up an excuse, so let me do the talking." She says, you tilt your head once in agreement as she starts leading the way out. You quickly strap on your Hornetaur armor and follow her out.

As suspected, some eyes went your way as you walked out with your armor and weapons, but nothing more really. It wasn't until you both reached the gate to leave did you nearly run into trouble and denial from leaving. The Field Team Commander himself was returning then and questioned the motives here.

It took some time, but eventually the Scoutress managed to convince him to let you through with her, on the untrue basis that you are here were going out to only hunt some Jagras for hides.

Even as you walked out wordlessly following her, you felt the eyes of the Field Team Leader digging into your back like Ahtal-Ka's blades.

It should have been around eight in the daytime as soon as you were walking out the checkpoint into the Ancient Forest. The sky was orange and you advised Atricia to go through the Aptonoth watering hole and then take a shortcut through a way you used.

As you passed by the area, you swear you must have seen something strange on the ground too, patches of white fur. Could they have been Tabitabi's? They seemed to have little sparks dancing about them. You took lead then and Atricia didn't say a word as she followed you through the ways you knew at running speed....

The First Wyverian seemed like a foreteller, able to divulge information through mysterious means. If anyone knew what happened to Brigg or where he was, it might be that tiny little being.

You headed that way, coming out into the small grove he usually appeared in. This time, he was nowhere to be seen however.

"First Wyverian! I need your help!" You shouted out with your hands.

There was no response, and you looked around with intensifying worry. Usually, he was here was he not?

That was when you heard shuffling through the leaves and lookup high above you. There he was again, in a different spot far out of reach. You wondered how he was able to climb so well...

Atricia stared with awe at the little thing, as though she had never seen for herself either.

".....Hunter.... you've come at a bad time..."

"Why is now a bad time?" You shot back, trying to move things on as fast as you could to find out what you needed.

"......The Forest... is quiet, fear runs through it..... The Demon has returned, searching for something it will not find.... it is mistaken..." The First Wyverian said.

"Demon...?"

".....Yes, the same responsible partly... for the mnemonic affliction that surrounds your pet...."

".....It roams about, destroying all it sees with fury unthinkable... it seeks only to nourish itself... You cannot fight it... it is beyond your ability to harm.... it would destroy you should you make such a futile attempt...." The First Wyverian alerted you to the dangers currently lurking.

"...I need to know something. I had a friend come through here, searching for my... uhh... 'pet'. He wore something puffy and white. Do you know where he is?" You asked the First Wyverian, your arms slumping to your side in a fetal way as you awaiting the answer.

The First Wyverian took a moment to speak, doing the same motions he did the last time you asked him something like that, tapping his staff and humming in his strange tone.

".....He hides.... along with the pet.... they hide under rocks.... near a waterfall.... The Demon is close... very close to them... it will soon uncover them." The First Wyverian says before turning around. "I can say no more.... for now... I must meditate on myself..."

The First Wyverian takes a seat on the limb and you look back to Atricia, who had the same look of concern over her face.

"I think I know that waterfall he spoke of. It's not a very big area. We should make a plan.... especially if this 'Demon' is what I really think it is." Atricia says, rubbing her headdress' horn.

You had a feeling you knew too, but you didn't want it to be true.

How will you plan going about this? You need to think of something that will get everyone out alive.

Okay, I think our best bet is to find somewhere high to stand at so we can shoot stones and shout to draw the demon's attention while the scouttress gets Brigg and Tabitabi out of there. Im thinking climb a tree and stand on a branch, we could swing with vines to escape and regroup back in Astera.

>>4053458
+1

>>4053404
As far as I can see, we can't risk getting hit at all. Which means we need to be out like a Paolumu out of hell the second we can. My suggestion would be to expand upon the first presented idea, using tainted meat to at try to at least get it moving sluggishly, then, rather than escaping via tree vines, we see if Tabitabi still remembers its mounting lesson and get the both of us out to the main gate that way.

Brigg and Atricia can probably use dung pods to drive off Jho once we're out of its line of sight, but the hope is that sleep meat will actually knock it out outright.

Think that Akantor is still enraged?

>>4053715
Probably, but I don't think Akantor is what we're dealing with here.

>>4053986
I know, I'm just asking because I'm worried about the Guild's sugarmama.

>>4054022
Kulve will probably be fine unless Akantor decides to tunnel after her. Even then, she might be able to beat him because the Gajalaka did say Akantor attacked while she was weakened.

"I'll think of something," You say confidently, not wishing to appear distressed. "Take me there to that waterfall, we'll do this together."

"Okay." Atricia came with a steadfast look about her face. She gestured you on and began walking through the forest at a fast pace. You followed, staying close by as you went.

The trip through this way didn't take long. You came out to a point where you heard water rushing and looked down to an area hidden by the rising cliffs. The ground was stone and rock with little greenery, and you heard a rushing waterfall about the place. You looked over to the side and saw Brigg there, sitting behind some rocks, breathing heavily.

You and Atricia rush to his side and he oozed out everything that happened. Being chased by something overwhelming as he ran with Tabitabi. He came here and hid, trying to shove her behind the rocks too, but the 'beast' sniffed them out by her fur and she tried to attack as he said.

"Brigg..... what happened to her....?" You ask with a heavy heart.

"It hurt her... not too bad... but just enough to make her stop putting up resistance... It's over there..." Brigg says as he points to the waterfall.

You looked over and took steps that way with Atricia. And there you saw it...

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The 'Demon' was itself one of the most universally feared monsters in the whole world. A fanged beast of such blistering rage and pulsing power that no Veteran would speak of it lightly, some even in whispers.

The thing was a hulking mass of muscle, an ape that the high ranked avoided and the G-ranked faced with shivers down their spines. This thing was destruction incarnate.

It was Rajang, the golden lion monster.

You saw the beast had in it's vise-like grip Tabitabi. The poor little wyvern was barely conscious with her neck held tight in the palm of the ape. You saw what it was doing, looking over... one of her tiny horn like protrusions. It had ripped one clean off of her face.

You understood it all now. Rajangs hunted Kirin a lot, that you knew from the Old World. This one must have found Tabitabi's fur that she shed, mistakenly thinking she was a Kirin. And didn't they eat Kirin horns as well? Must have been why Atricia rubbed her own horn.

"I'm going to do something," You say to the Scoutress, never taking your eyes off of the ape. "When I get it's attention, I want you and Brigg to get her and run. I'll explain everything later."

Brigg stuck his head out and came over. "I'm afraid right now Vance but... I'll try my best to help!"

Atricia sighed. "Okay, I trust you. Just... just don't get hurt."

The two of them went by the edge of the waterfall and waited, crouching down. You took initiative and scaled up a nearby tree over the base of the waterfall, picking up slinger stones along the way. You saw plenty of other green things like trees barely hanging onto the cliff above. They had vines you thought you could climb and get away with after you did what you were doing to do.

Taking in a deep breath and focusing your mind on it all, you readied yourself mentally and went forward with your plan. You loaded a stone, your arm slowly rising up to aim at the beast who almost had his back turned. And then, you fired.

The first stone hit the back of it's horn and the Rajang froze. The head of the creature went around, looking for the source when your second hit it in the head. The thing looked up and saw you, staring for a second before the third stone came. Now visibly agitated, the beast let go of Tabitabi and stood up to full height, bellowing it's roar.

You were shook, that roar was just about the damn scariest you've ever heard in your whole life, you wanted to hear Deviljho's over that...

To your own surprise, the Rajang didn't immediately leap up to grab you and crush you to the size of Zenny, it simply sat back down and continued what it was doing, biting at the horns it ripped off.

You shot three more stones and this time, it finally reacted again. It's hand reached over and grabbed a large rock from the waterbed which it flung at you with such speed you heard it whistle through the air, and you barely dodged it. These stones weren't cutting it, you even launched the rest but the Rajang continued to ignore you.

You saw it discard the first set of horns and then grab Tabitabi by the head, reaching to rip off the next set. Who knows what it will do when it realizes she isn't a Kirin...

>Enough of this. Draw your Gunlance and shell it to get it's attention so Atricia and Brigg can get Tabitabi and escape while you take your own route out of there.
>Wait... maybe... maybe you could use the horn from Atricia's headdress... but it might chase you next.
>Write in.

>>4054339
>Enough of this. Draw your Gunlance and shell it to get it's attention so Atricia and Brigg can get Tabitabi and escape while you take your own route out of there.

The horn idea would be a very bad one. Rajang is way too fast for us to outrun and once he eats it he'll be dead set on killing us. Better we escape using the vines.

>>4054339
>Gunlance time.

Also, stupid human. Thatss not how you declare a challenge.

>Let out your best war cry.

>>4054397
>>
that's how you die, anon. We're an HR in rookie gear.

>>4054339
>Enough of this. Draw your Gunlance and shell it to get it's attention so Atricia and Brigg can get Tabitabi and escape while you take your own route out of there.

>>4054339
>Enough of this. Draw your Gunlance and shell it to get it's attention so Atricia and Brigg can get Tabitabi and escape while you take your own route out of there.

Also do we have any traps? if so prepare one beforehand so we can buy as much time as possible.

>>4054452
We have flashbombs. If we can get it mid jump...

>>4054339
>>Enough of this. Draw your Gunlance and shell it to get it's attention so Atricia and Brigg can get Tabitabi and escape while you take your own route out of there.

"Hey! Ugly!" You shouted suddenly. The Rajang's eyes pivoting to you as you drew your Gunlance and aimed it at him. Rajang's eyelids went a bit wider, seemingly being able to tell a Hunter's weapon when he saw one.

You fired a shell at him and reloaded. The shell hit him directly in the shoulder and the Rajang tensed solid as it did.

The ape's eyes went over to it's shoulder and it extracted the shell with his free hand. You saw the damage, a single red spot in the skin beneath his fur, it was the equivalent of a vespoid bite to him, not even digging that deep in. The Rajang looked the shell over with burning eyes before you saw his meet your own. Then, he crushed the shell with his thumb and index

You've really done it now, you've pissed him off, royally.

The Rajang rises and slams the ground with his fists, roaring even louder this time as you sheathed your weapon in a hurry and grabbed hold of the tree, climbing up a few more feet before you looked up at the vines hanging down from the cliff above.

The Rajang backed up a step and then jumped, flying at you like a bolt of lightning with his fist's raised. You jumped too just then, grabbing the very end of the vine with one hand just in time to swing out the way as Rajang smashed into the tree. The tree was hit with such force that it's roots were torn out from the ground and it fell over, toppled.

Tabitabi had regained some consciousness then and Atricia and Brigg took that chance to get a move on, jumping down the waterfall and to her side. She seemed to listen as Brigg pulled at her head and guided her into the woods, away from the area.

You got one last look at them as they ran like you said. Now it was your turn to get out, with your life preferably.

The Rajang looked around again, and as soon as he noticed Tabitabi was gone, he peered back up at you with a glare of pure carnage as he snarled with fury. You shifted your legs, throwing yourself aside as the Rajang jumped at a great height at you again, his hand nearly grabbing your feet as he reached up.

You lifted yourself with some effort and began to climb the vine to get up and away. Once you scaled the cliff and reached it's trees at the top, you could be well on your way to sliding off and out of there.

You heard stone quake and looked down, the Rajang was punching holes into the side of the cliff, carrying himself up!

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You climbed ever faster than before as you could, jumping from one vine to the other as you finally reached the trees they all hung down from. The Rajang below punched into the cliff wall and you saw him digging his fingers into it.

Without warning, he ripped out a chunk of rock and threw it up your way. You got behind a tree and jumped to another as it hit the wood, splintering it into the air. These trees are strange, some lean off the cliff in a straight line held out into the air. It's like the curvature of spinal rises you can see on the backs of Uragaan and Radobaan.

You stood on top of the bark of two trees close together hanging off the side of the cliff. You looked down between your split legs and saw Rajang plant both of his hands onto another tree. You must have been at least twenty.. or thirty meters high into the air. The top of the cliff and it's subsequent fall back down to ground level awaited you. You had to lose this crazy monkey first.

It seemed it was gathering it's momentum, preparing to take a large leap at you to reach you. If it did, it would almost certainly grab you at last, and crush you like a piece of paper.

>Use your bayonet to chop down one of the trees, sending it plummeting down at the Rajang.
>Shell at it until he falters and loses his grip, falling back down to the ground below.
>Prepare a Wyvernfire blast attack and wait until he jumps up to unleash it into his face.
>Write in.

>>4054584
>Use your bayonet to chop down one of the trees, sending it plummeting down at the Rajang.

>>4054591
This
Shelling didn't do shit and we shouldn't take any chances with attempting daredevil stunts

>>4054584
Chop tree.

As a friendly reminder.

We have a ghille mantle. We can Gtfo once we break LoS.

>>4054584
>Use your bayonet to chop down one of the trees, sending it plummeting down at the Rajang.

A shell is a mosquito bite, so a wyvernfire would require being directly in its eye or in its mouth to deal any damage, and then we'd be making another Jho out of it. A falling tree will at least interrupt its charge. After that we need to get out, sledding downhill on our shield if we have to. But yes, Ghillie mantle.

>>4054631
That's right cut the tree and use the mantle. Our back is safe for now

>>4054584
>>Shell at it until he falters and loses his grip, falling back down to the ground below.

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You had to make sure he didn't get up so fast so you could get on your way and get out using your Ghillie Mantle.

The other tree opposite of you was directly above Rajang. Making it fall towards him would take that monkey back down to Earth.

The wood was old and hard, you would have fared much better with a switch axe or charge blade, but you didn't have any other options. You raise your bayonet and heft it high. You were going to chop it down, hoping the force behind your blows would weaken the tree into splitting. You weren't going to cut very well, so at the cost of your sharpness you'll hammer it with the blade.

>Roll a 2d50 to determine success...

Rolled 7, 24 = 31 (2d50)

>>4054725

Rolled 9, 14 = 23 (2d50)

>>4054725

Rolled 29, 39 = 68 (2d50)

>>4054725

C'mon dice gods.

Rolled 2, 34 = 36 (2d50)

>>4054725

>>4054725
OP use average or the highest value?

>>4054809
Unknown, hopefully best of.

Raising your Gunlance, you struck forward, sending the blade down to embed deep into the wood with all your force. The wood cracked and split at the seems, but it wasn't enough. You saw Rajang beginning to pull his massive body further up the tree he clung to, getting ready to make his leap.

You gain more resolve and work harder, yanking your blade out of the wood and then chopping down again in the same spot with more force applied. The wood crackled and split, burst to the air and you didn't let up. You heard the whole tree edge, going down slightly. You chopped and chopped and chopped in quick succession.

The more and more you did, the wider the wound became the tree soon began moving on it's own, the weight tearing itself apart from the trunk and bringing some roots with it out of the rock face.

The tree finally gave away and fell, you looked up and shot your slinger hook at a wedge beetle you saw dangling over the cliff top, hanging just over where you were standing at last.

Down below, the Rajang got it's footing on it's own tree as the one you cut came plummeting down towards him. He was about to leap, but instead jumped up, grabbing onto the falling tree and pushing himself above it. He jumped back off and onto the cliff's side, clawing at it as he slid down before punching a fist into the face to regain his grip. He had slid down lower than he was before and snarled in anger as you pulled on your slinger rope and used it to walk up the side of the cliff.

It was a moderate success, just scraping the edges of being a great success.

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You grabbed onto the ledge at the top and pulled yourself up. The Rajang went into overdrive climbing up to catch you. You saw he was at the other tree below as you reached the top.

You bolted off into the woods and slid down a stream of dirt using your shield while standing. You had nearly crashed into several trees until you smacked right into a bush and lost your balance.

You heard Rajang's roar from up above and stood up, strafing to the right for a distance until you saw a big rock and some bushes surrounding it. You hopped behind it and cast your Ghillie Mantle over yourself.

You did your best to control your breathing and sat motionless, hoping this would suffice to hide you.

You heard the ground rutting and like a Bullfango, the Rajang rushed down, looking for you. You heard it making 'ooks' and snorting really hard as it looked around. It overturned various things, ripped up bushes and punched and shook trees. You held your breath as you felt it stomp near where you were at.

It looked around for what must have been a good ten minutes. Then, you heard it walk off and vanish into the woods.

You stayed still for a while, unwilling to move until you were sure it was gone. You knew of only one place safe that was nearby to the waterfall you were at, and so turned back towards the edge of the cliff and began to climb back down.

You arrived shortly after at the Southwest Camp. You found your partners there along with Tabitabi, who was lying down with a pained expression, sleeping.

You made sure to pick up any fur you might of seen along the way to mask their trail from the Rajang should he ever prowl about here again.

"So.... why did we save a Monster today exactly?" You heard Atricia ask, visibly confused. You guessed it was about time to explain now.

You and Brigg both spent a while there relaying everything as best you could, how receptive Tabitabi was and how good it seemed at following some instructions, even allowing one to ride it. Brigg seemed to have even put more tags on Tabitabi's legs as well, for marking her as a monsters not to be harmed.

The Scoutress' reactions were mixed between surprise and being dazzled, she seemed to understand. You did shock both of them however as you decided to tell them the bit you were told about this Tobi-Kadachi's amnesia by the First Wyverian. After having personally witnessed him today, Atricia didn't doubt it. Brigg looked as though he didn't want to believe it, but didn't object to it.

You heard how it went from him too, the Rajang jumping from the cliff and ambushing them. You supposed it would be safe to leave Tabitabi as is. She was fast and could climb better than the Rajang, so she should be able to escape next time. You sort of wanted to keep her here at the camp for a while though, giving it enough time for the Rajang to leave.

Atricia and Brigg both looked ready to return to Astera.

>Ask one of them to stay and watch over Tabitabi for the time being.
>Stay yourself until tomorrow to watch over her.
>Leave her be for now and return to Astera with your partners.
>Write in.

>>4054965
>Stay yourself until tomorrow to watch over her.
I'm sure that she'd like a familiar face in these trying times.

>>4054965
>Stay yourself until tomorrow to watch over her.
Atricia can take care of Shara, if some hunters arrive they will try to shoo away the Tabi.
The commander will have our butt for this though

>>4054965
>Write in
At this point, we may need to get some help from outside resources. The Research Commission, uncaring as they can be for the feelings of the critters themselves, would probably keep Tabitabi alive and in safe hands for a short time if they could use the wounds it took as data on Rajang. Failing that, we may be able to leverage a favor from them by letting them follow Shara to the training arena tomorrow.

>>4054987
Supporting this. I suggest we speak to the chief ecologist or smart biologist over it.

Gonna wait until at least one more vote or so is cast to break our tie.

>>4054965
>Stay yourself until tomorrow to watch over her.

You come over to the side of the sleeping Tobi-Kadachi and pat her on the back.

"You guys go ahead back. I'm going to stay and watch her." You say.

"But if you stay, the Commanders gonna chew your head off once he catches wind of you going out like this injured, with a Rajang of all things present." Atricia argued.

"If anyone asks, just tell them it was all my idea, that way they don't blame you. I can't leave her like this, she could get found again by that monkey." You implored them.

The two of them didn't say anything else, but instead nodded in acknowledgement and left off to get back to base. You would accept whatever came of it, you just couldn't bear to see Tabitabi get hurt again... or even killed, not after the attachment you've developed.

You sigh and lean down against her larger form and pet her fur as she sleeps soundly. It was starry now, unlike you've ever seen before, so you laid your head back and closed your eyes, seeking to find sleep.

It came eventually, and you rested well despite your armor and restricting vest.

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Come somewhere around morning, you woke up to the sound of prodding against your visor. You opened your eyes and saw it was Tabitabi poking at your face with her tongue to smell.

You stood up and looked over her face, feeling the spot where the Rajang ripped off one set of her horn scales. She whines over it and you lean down, hugging her neck to calm her down.

"You know, Hunters develop new nicknames quickly when others see them laying about with the Monsters." You heard a voice say from behind. You turned your head to the sight of a large armored figure approaching with meat in hand. He comes up and stands over you. It was the Sapphire Star.

"But, I don't consider it in such a way that I would, I would be above the very prospect normally regardless." He says, throwing the meat down to Tabitabi, who ate it without a second thought, cooked or not. "If you're expecting a conflagration from the Commander when you return, don't."

"Huh? What do you mean?" You asked, standing up to face him. He had at least two and a half inches more over you, still towering.

"Let's just say that I might have put in a word, and as well included the Researchers. They can be mighty helpful in convincing the officers." He says, shrugging.

"You mean you got heat off of my back? Why?"

"It couldn't be helped. I suppose I did because for the first time in forever, I saw some... volition, very unique volition in another Hunter that I myself have possessed more than once before. I of course speak of you. Your two partners were questioned come daybreak, they explained the details. I made sure they were spared too." The Star says, tapping your shoulder with his broad hand. "How they spoke of you outwitting a Rajang of all things, that really made my attention whirl! Hah hah hah!"

"I was afraid that might've been my last day. Deathly." Is all you say.

"And yet here you are. What is it that carried you this far, hm? I know. But do you remember?" The Star asks, narrowing his helmet.

".....Courage." You say.

"Courage! Right you are! You did not forget my words when last we met!" He says, satisfied. "Now, I think I must inform you that there will be at least one change concerning your slightly larger tailrider."

"I can practically get away with whatever I want. After all I've done for the Guild, I've such fame that people clear the ways for me even these days, a perk of my notoriety. I could befriend and invite Kushala Daora to Astera and nobody would bat an eye in defiance. Well, nobody but the officers. Though, I think the Admiral would try riding it rather than shooing it."

"The Commander is still a sharp one, I still answer to him when the call is made." The Star says, turning away and gesturing his hand. "My suggestion of laying off on you wouldn't have been enough, so I 'mentioned' the research ramifications this presents and as usual the Chief Ecologist and his flock came running to get in on it. Their pleading was enough to convince our Commander, but only if your Tobi-Kadachi is relocated to live in the arena habitat to be studied more closely."

"You'll be able to see them anytime, they'll be fed and taken care of. But, they'll always be kept in a cage with scientists nearby, given some periods to roam in the arena to stretch it's legs. They plan on using it to study up on it's kind more closely, and a little bit on Rajang as well given it assaulted your tailrider, did it not? Also, would it surprise you if I said that this is probably the first Tobi-Kadachi we've ever.... "captured" and held?"

You stayed quiet and nodded once to convey 'yes'.

"Ahh, noted. Now, I'm sorry if this doesn't sound pleasing to you, but it was the only way I could get my little scheme to work. Are you okay with this? I only wanted to help a fellow courageous high spirit." The Star asks, his hand out your way.

You just stared at him, not in irritation or in any emotion at all. You thought over what to say.

What will you say to the Sapphire Star?

>>4055183
It' s ok, but warn him about her amnesia, that's thr least we can do.l

>>4055183
Don't like the idea of her being in a cage all day but as long as we can see her every now and then, it should be fine. Also, Rajangs gonna remember our face isn't he? Maybe he could also run into Deviljho too next time we see them.

>>4055183
>>4055190
Yeah, pretty much. We have to make sure that sooner or later it will go feral again, and we'll have to see what happens after that.

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>>4055229
>Rajang AND Jho remembering us
>our faces when they start to turf only to pause when they catch our scent and simultaneously turn to face Vance
>they start tripping over each other to beat our shit in

>>4055641
Imagine if we didn't cart to Ahtal-Ka and somehow pissed off the bagel the quest after.

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>>4055641
>Raiang and Deviljho realize they both want us dead more than anything and forge a truce to kill us through teamwork

>>4055675
Hey yeah how about you don't put such unfettered evil into words

"I guess I can't be mad, it might've happened sooner or later anyway. So, I'm fine with it." You answered. The Star raised his two fingers to give an 'OK'.

"Though, I must warn you, the reason why she's so friendly isn't normal," You say, petting Tabitabi on the head again. "The First Wyverian told me that she's ridden with amnesia from a fight with other monsters. I don't know how she might react when and if she ever regains her memories."

"A monster with amnesia? That's a first. With how much lower they are in intelligence to us, I didn't think they had to worry about such problems, but I suppose memories are memories." The Star says, taking a seat on a log.

"The First Wyverian seems to know you. What's up with that?"

"There's many of them, but only a few show themselves. I've spoken with one that resides here many times for help before. If it wasn't for them, we would have never been able to stop Zorah Magdaros in fact. I know they have this.... uncanny ability to.... predict things, like oracles." He says, leaning forward.

"I've no clue as to how ancient they are. It really makes me think sometimes just how they got their title, 'First' Wyverians. Maybe one day we will find out, maybe one day."

You say nothing and pat Tabitabi on the head before standing.

"So, how are we going to get her into the arena storage?" You asked.

"I will handle it all myself, with mayhap a little help from some researchers. I will stay here to look after her until they arrive. Don't worry, I will handle her gently. She knows basic commands, yes? You've been teaching her?" The Star says.

"Yes, a little, like directions and sitting and attacking."

"Very good. Then I shall have no problem. I assure you." The Star says, waving his hand. "You may return to Astera, I imagine you're parched by now, yes?"

You trusted the Star. Everyone in Astera did, so you reassured yourself mentally and bid him farewell after telling Tabitabi to stay with another hug. You returned to Astera and watched out for your surroundings as you went well on your way.

One of the first things you noticed when returning to Astera is people gossiping over the sighting of a Rajang so close to home base. Some Hunters were so superstitious over it that they even started to put up fortifications all by themselves near the canteen and lower ground entrances.

You noticed as you were walking back to your room the Commander over at his desk giving you a stink eye. Then, he waves his hand up to call you over. You breath deeply and march up front and center, not wanting to dally.

The Commander looked at you with crossed arms and just sighed, shaking his head slightly. "I suppose it's just like the Star said. It can't be helped."

"In spite of your injury, and orders to stay off duty from not only the Doctor, but me as well, you and your teammates spotted and subsequently escaped a Rajang intact with your lives in a packed environment like the Ancient Forest. I guess you just can't be kept down, can you?"

"I don't give up, sir." You reply.

"Your actions were irrational." The Field Team Leader interjects, but then he just shrugs. "But it's like they say, you can't keep someone from doing what they love. Hey, I've done the same thing before, it's nothing too big."

"Very well..... if that's the case, then I see no reason you shouldn't be allowed to continue undertaking missions," The Commander says, making you smirk under your helmet. "However... You may not do so unless you have at least one partner with you. And no, your Palico doesn't count."

You smirk a little less, this was still acceptable.

"I expect you'll continue to do good. The Sapphire Star seemed to have a lot of confidence in your abilities, he never says that about just anyone. Dismissed."

You saluted and returned back to your room.

Back at your room, you saw Atricia sitting on the floor with Shara and Vivi, the three of them had some plates and food set out. They immediately invited you to come over and have breakfast with them, to which you complied after removing your helmet. You thought over what to do today.

>Spark a conversation. (Specify what you want to talk about with who.)
>Check on your Smithy order.
>Wrap things up and go look at the Quest board.
>Go out on an expedition somewhere.
>Let's complete a delivery mission.
>Let's venture to Seliana.
>Let's play a Hunter's Game with friends.
>Write in.

>>4056072
>>Check on your Smithy order.

>>4056072
>Spark a conversation (with Atricia)
We haven't heard from Senzo at all since we woke up. What's he been up to?

>>4056072
seconding >>4056108

>>4056108
>>Let's play a Hunter's Game with friends.
Support, with any luck he is in one piece.

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"It's been a while since I heard about Senzo. What's the deal been with him lately?" You ask, sipping coffee. Atricia thought for a moment.

"Well, he's been doing a lot of expeditions lately. I even think he joined the party that went after Ahtal-Ka in the Guiding Lands." Atricia told you.

"Wait, how did that go down anyway? That Ahtal-Ka thing you just mentioned."

"The Commander gathered at least ten Hunters and sent them to the Guiding Lands on an urgent assignment to locate and slay that Ahtal-Ka. The Star was leading the party. From what I heard, they found her, but they failed to kill her. They said that they fought for a while, destroyed her inventions and wounded her pretty bad, but she managed to escape and hasn't been seen since. I guess the researchers and that Troverian don't have to worry for now. This means the Guiding Lands might finally get secured." She explained.

"Hmm...."

You were uneasy knowing that Ahtal-Ka survived. After seeing what she could do with her web, and knowing that they might send more supplies to build a fortress with to the Guiding Lands soon? It didn't sit right with you. Maybe they've stationed some Hunters there to protect the goods.

"Well, anyway, I heard Hulk was out on another quest already today. He said he was going to the Recess to slay 'Big Jaw'." Atricia says, chewing a fruit.

"....'Big Jaw'....?"

"A little rumor that's been circulating with the miners. They say that they've encountered a Dodogama unlike any other there before. They said it was terribly powerful and the biggest they've ever saw, big like a Rathalos!"

Oh no, here we go.

"But, that's just a rumor. I guess if anything, Senzo will just confirm it being true or false. I'm willing to bet it's just paranoia and all those miners saw was an average Dodogama." She says, passing the rumor off.

What will you do now?

>>4056233
Let's go hunt something. Ask Atricia if there is some quest she have in mind, go gather Brigg and go see the Quest board. Three Hunters will probably be sufficient, I guess Also get your chestplate while preparing.
Gotta get more and better materials.

>>4056233
Oh boy akantor got loose, way too early. ANyway what to do now I say we take it easy for now, maybe spend some more time with Shara, like try to build some sand castles or some sand sculptures with him.

>>4056233
We should take it easy after our near-death encounter. Gonna support >>4056291.

We should go hunting an Anjanath later, away from the monkey.

>>4056233
We should go to the Recess and find Senzo before he gets hurt. Remember what happened to him with the Gajalaka?

>>4056291
It kan't be Akantor, he's still trapped underground.

You looked over at Shara munching on a fruit and then back to Atricia and Vivi. It seemed they had become well acquainted with each other as well. You noticed Vivianne had polish on her claws that didn't have before, most likely makeup from Atricia. Girls will be girls.

You had an idea and spoke your mind, raising your finger.

"Hey, the little bit of the beach below the tradeyard is accessible isn't it?"

"Oh, yeah, it's a nice spot to sit out in the sun in, but I like it better for swimming. There's no danger of Gobul or Gajau down there at least." Atricia elucidated.

"Well there's plenty of sand, we could take Shara down to play." You suggested. The little Dragon's head perked up at that word, 'play'.

"Sure! I think he'd like that." She says standing. "I have to go take care of something first, I'll be back in a few."

You noticed Vivi stand as well and follow Atricia.

"Hey, where are you going?" You asked, wanting to know.

"To get a mew set of armurr!" She excitedly said, skipping.

"I've never had a Palico before in my life, I thought I might get to know Vivi since I'm staying here with you both. I have a lot of materials left over in my spot at the Gathering Hub, so I was going to see what liked from it and then use it to craft her some better gear." The Scoutress said.

"Ohhh." You say, appreciative of that. "Well thanks, I was meaning to do so eventually anyway."

"No problem!"

"See ya', Meowster!" Vivi waved as she left with the Scoutress.

You were now left alone with Shara until they returned and finished up your breakfast.

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You cleaned up the dishes and outed your fire, slipping your armor off for casual wear since you weren't going out. As you set your weapons down, you turned to a strange sight.

The blind on your window was now... down, unlike before, and you didn't remember putting it down. You saw Shara there with his wing pointing up with one tip, almost like a hand, and his song-like noise was audible.

"....Shara....?" You say, dumbfounded by the occurrence.

The juvenile Elder Dragon craned it's head at you, it's eyes closed like they are from time to time. You made no move, only standing there and watching as he began to walk towards the fireplace and reach up with his wing to the mantle, standing up against the wall.

His tip shuffled around and knocked down an empty ceramic bowl to the floor. You thought it would break, but it was caught quickly with the same wing.

The little Elder Dragon sat down and placed the bowl out in front of him. He paused to look back up at you.

You were freaked out by this, but remained still, not daring to move a finger.

Then, Shara began to choke as he lowered his head over the bowl. There were squelching sounds emanating from his throat and he opened his mouth. You were disgusted and gagged at the sight, placing your own hand over your mouth.

Then, there was a spark, a spark of a glow from his mouth. You saw a drop come down into the bowl, then a clear thin line of orange liquid poured out of his mouth into it until the whole bowl was filled. The juvenile Elder Dragon's deformed finger pushed it forward, towards you before he sat on his two back legs in a position unnatural to his body type.

"Ughhh..... no thanks, I like coffee, not orange juice..." You say, raising your hands in rejection.

"GHRUERGH!" Shara sounded, hinting at being a little demanding.

His finger came and pushed the bowl forward again, and then he tapped the edge of it, and then the floor, waiting for you to respond again.

You gulped nervously.

>W-Well.... if he really wants me to... bottoms up I guess.
>Ew! No way am I drinking that! I'm throwing that out.
>I'll.... I'll just keep it for later in a sample container.
>Write in.

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>>4056508
>W-Well.... if he really wants me to... bottoms up I guess.
Seems simple enough.

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>>4056508
>W-Well.... if he really wants me to... bottoms up I guess.
Yep, of course. Why not?
What's the worst can happen? We die or have a profetic dream 50/50

>>4056508
>W-Well.... if he really wants me to... bottoms up I guess.

What if by drinking this broth we gain earth-bending powers like Shara? Well I want to find out.

Slowly, you came closer over to the bowl, one step after the other. Shara opened his eyes and watched as you slid to your knees in front of him and looked down at the bowl apprehensively.

You nudged the side, the liquid behaved much like water, even though it looked like lava. You picked it up and smelled at it, but it had no smell to speak of. It was just a substance, nothing more.

"...For what purpose...?" You worded, but Shara just looked at you blankly, crooning softly.

You sighed deeply. And looked down at the bowl, you didn't want to disappoint Shara.

"....Here goes nothing...."

Slowly, but shakily, you raised the bowl to your mouth and dipped your tongue in, you wanted to know what you were getting into first. You pulled your tongue back into your lips and opened your eyes after a stark realization. The liquid, it had no taste, it was as bland as water too. Hell, it might have just been a fancy recolored water for all you knew!

"It's.... it's tasteless."

Shara croons louder and stands up again, the tip of his wing tapping the bowl.

You didn't waste any more time and didn't even hold your nose. You held the bowl to your mouth and drank the tasteless fluid all down until it was empty. It was like drinking from a pond, it wasn't warm or cold. You set the bowl down and wipe your mouth, Shara tilting his head your way.

"You satisfied now?"

Shara sniffles and pounces onto you.

"I'll take that as a yes." You say, picking the Elder Dragon up off of you and walking out of your room. At the least, that strange occurrence was over now, but you thought you might have to tell the Researchers about this, they would have a variety of reactions in store for you.

You met up again with Atricia after going out into Astera. You saw Vivi pop out from behind her happily and strike a pose.

"Ta-da! What do mew think of me now, Meowster?"

Vivianne was clad now in a battle dress different from her old Alloy set. It was a Palico's Rathian mail, and she sported a matching rapier with it too she waved around like a musketeer. The Smithy must have worked fast, they usually did make Palico stuff pretty quickly in comparison to actual Hunter's gear.

You gave a gave thumbs up. "Looking great Vivianne!"

She smiles to herself and does a twirl, the scaled plates flowing with her movement.

You held off from telling about that thing that happened back there for now and simply went along down the steps of a flight of stairs near the tradeyard. There, you came out onto a section of beach just below the canopy where the Commander usually hung around.

It was bright with yellow sand and had flowing waves of blue water. You loved the sight of beaches, they were so refreshing from what you usually knew from your younger years in Moga village, such as bayous and swamps.

It didn't take long at all for the young Everwyrm to become immersed in the sand as you set him down. Shara Ishvalda rolled around in it, waddled and dug under, popping his head up out of it. You and Atricia introduced him to the idea of building a sand castle by clumping sand up and together.

The little dragon soon joined in, and made sand rise and gather with his wingtips. There was a few researchers watching from the canopy above, much to the Commander's distaste from what you saw.

You sat down and started talking again, asking Atricia what her life was like after telling her of yours. She talked about being raised in Dundorma, always enjoying fighting and venturing out into the woods in secret, destroying many dolls from her love of being violent. She says she was sent to a university to learn etiquette, and signed up for the Guild's training courses after she graduated. She was great in scouting, and great with a clunky strong weapon, so she earned her nickname 'Scoutress' from that. The first monster she ever killed was Yian Kut-Ku.

You never went to a university yourself, you just got taught common manners.

She says that she never wants to retire, and then asks about your thoughts on that.

You answer with...

>Me neither. I'll die being a hunter in the great outdoors slaying monsters.
>I want to settle down and retire one day, live a more peaceful, comfy life.
>Write in.

>>4056735
>Me neither. I'll die being a hunter in the great outdoors slaying monsters.

>>4056735
>Me neither. I'll die being a hunter in the great outdoors slaying monsters.

"You know, I wanted to do what a lot of them tend to after a life of work. Find a nice home and settle down. But, you know what? I don't think I'll have time for that anyways." You say, standing up and looking towards the sun in the sky.

"I want to live my life fighting too, fighting Monsters for the sake of nature, all the way to the end."

Atricia just looks at you and smiles with a nod, standing beside you in gazing to the sun. "Yeah! You can't go wrong that way, going out like you want to, doing what makes you happy."

By chance, you caught Atricia's eyes fixed on you and locked your own to hers, in response you smile back. Her eyes flutter and she coughs and turns away quick, her smile not faltering. You turned back too to resume building your sand castle when you heard two feet land onto the sand, spooking Shara into knocking down one of his sand spires and catching your attention.

It was the Sapphire Star, who jumped from the railing above dramatically. That kind of made the mood of happiness you had awhile ago from hanging out with your friends die down a little and turn to something more serious. Atricia was in awe to see him personally approaching you and her.

"Freelancer, my good man, I've come to inform you that your tailrider has been successfully stored in the arena compartments." He says. "....Albeit with a bit of difficulty."

"Difficulty?" You raise your eyebrow.

"She wouldn't stop asking for physical stimulation in the form of pets from anyone she saw as we guided her, and when we used cooked food as a lure, she nearly trampled the researcher I had run with it to death chasing him." The Star got out. "But, we got the job done and fed her, so that's all there is to it."

He claps his hand and nods his head rapidly.

"Okay, thanks. Is that all you had?"

"Well, when you're done with this little thing here, I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me on a little personal mission." The Star says.

Everyone watching from the railing above gasped and began chatter over it. Some in disbelief that the foremost Master Ranked Hunter was asking a minor High Ranker if he wanted to join on a quest.

"You can bring your friends if you want or not, the choice is yours, if you want to stay too even. I was await at the canteen for your answer."

The Sapphire Star bent slightly in a courteous bow before he turned and left, marching off diligently. Ahead, he stops and looks back.

"Also, remember, the siege is in three days!"

He changes to a running speed and quickly dashes out of sight.

>Let's wrap up things here and go take him up on his offer.
>Let's go get our order from the Smithy now.
>Let's wrap up this and go check out the quest board.
>Let's go see if the Commander will let us do his last urgent.
>Let's go for a swim while we're still at this beach.
>We should go check on Senzo. His mission sounded dangerous.
>Write in.

>>4056875
Ok, if possible to pick multiple choices then I am voting to do things in this order
>Let's go for a swim while we're still at this beach.
>Let's go get our order from the Smithy now.
>We should go check on Senzo. His mission sounded dangerous.
>Let's wrap up things here and go take him up on his offer.

We finish up with Shara and Atricia, go pick our stuff on the smithy, go talk with Senzo to know the stuff about his quest and then go speak with the star.

Otherwise if only one choice, wrap things up and go talk with the star.

>>4056875
>Let's wrap up things here and go take him up on his offer.
>Let's go get our order from the Smithy now.
Need to hunt big bad monster, bring shooty friend and cute friend. Go get shiny good new chestbone. Leave tiny sized earth dragon in house.
Ooga Boogha, chala mala!

>>4056875
Addendum to: >>4056894
>We should go check on Senzo. His mission sounded dangerous.

OOHU UUHA!

>>4056889
>>4056894
>>4056899
Supporting all this
Can't wait to get our clown suit on

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Of the things you wanted to do, among them was getting your order, making sure Senzo isn't dead and then meeting the Star.

You thought you could spend a few more minutes here though. You wanted to go for a swim next. You could just use the casual wear you had on for swimming anyway, you had multiple pairs.

You stood up and walked towards the water. You haven't felt water like this in a very long time.

"Oh? You're going for a dip?" Atricia noticed.

"Sure, wanna join?" You asked. You saw her cheeks become a bit rosy as she stood up and removed her vest and waist piece, along with her boots and bracers.

"I haven't swam in a while, so I will."

You looked up at the researchers studying Shara and waved your hand. "Hey, you're times up now."

The researchers muttered something and one of them raised his hands and backed off with the rest. That was better.

Getting a running start, you went and leaped into the water. Coming up from the surface, you paddled back just as Atricia cannonballed right in as well. She laughed at nearly hitting you, to which you responded with splashing. She splashed back, getting you in the eyes a few times. You swam some laps around in the water as regimen while Shara was busy trying to get in himself, but wouldn't go any further than the shallow end.

You noticed Atricia wasn't there for a second and you looked around for several minutes until you saw her under the water, she popped out of the water and caught her breath.

"Think you can beat my record?"

You always did well in response to challenges, so you smirked and sucked in air before diving your head under, keeping yourself submerged by grabbing onto a kelp stalk.

>1d10 to hold your breath.
>Highest roll wins and determines how long you can hold your breath.

Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>4056962

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You sit well under the water for ten minutes. Your lungs from having grown up in Moga helped you to easily surpass Atricia's record. If you wanted, you could have sat under there for far, far longer. You were sure she could have too, but for the sake of competition, you both held back.

Still, you beat her holding back. You surfaced and controlled your breathing. She was just happy you could keep up.

"I guess I shouldn't have doubted a Moganer." She says, looking at you in a suspicious way with this snicker. Then, she cast off and lapped away. "Beat you to the shore!"

Needless to say, you still beat her to the shore, but she wasn't down about it, she treated it as a way to learn better.

You and her both got dry with some nearby towels and gathered your stuff. It took a moment to get Shara actually going, the little bugger was still trying his best to build more onto his already immense sand castle, which reminded you somewhat of the buildings you saw in Yukumo village once.

Next, you bid Shara to stay at home with Vivi and the Scoutress and made your way off to the Smithy to pick your order up.

The Second Fleet Master had completed it, an hour ago actually and left it to cool off after being freshly forged. He said that he spent a few hours more up at night making it, he got so enthused into crafting the bulky set. You thanked him gracefully and donned the new thing.

It was surely bulky, and brutish. The protection it provided was outstanding. But, you were a bit concerned about your appearance, you might have looked funny with the mixed pieces.

But at least you didn't look like that guy you saw over at the canteen wearing an all green pigmented Nergigante set. Decidedly, the appearance wasn't that bad.

Going down to the Commander, you informed him of what you planned to do now, going to the Elder's Recess to join Senzo. Joining someone still made it two Hunters like the rule he set for you, didn't it?

It takes a minute, but he speaks and gives you the okay for it as long as you stick together with Senzo.

Telling Atricia where you were going next, you called a Mernos and began your trip there.

Upon arriving at the Elder's Recess, you instantly spotted Hulk down at the first camp in fact. He was sat on a rock seat near the stove holding his head up with both hands.

You landed and came near. His head jolts your way and he grovels in an upset tone.

"Ooogggghhhhhhh! I've been here all night and I still haven't found 'em yet!"

"Found what?" You say in redundancy.

"Ole Big Jaw! The Dodogama those miners got spooked by." Hulk complains. He uses his hands as if to measure some size.

"I mean... they said the fracking thing was this large!" He says, both arms thrown out wide. "They said it was as big as the blue Rathalos that lives here, and I've been looking literally everywhere! I can't find 'em!"

He hangs his head low. "How can something so freaking big just get lost out of sight that easily...?"

"......"

".....Well, I mean, that did somehow happen with Zorah Magdaros too.... but Zorah can dig under the Earth cause he's a fracking moving mountain! Dodogama don't dig that far, there isn't even much soft ground around here to dig in either! It just doesn't make a lick of sense!" He detracts.

"I don't know what I'm going to do now if I can't slay Big Jaw. Those miners are gonna be pissed when I tell them I couldn't do their stupid quest...." Senzo says.

You looked over and noticed an entrance leading into a passage way in the rock nearby and pointed at it.

"Did you check in there?" You ask.

"....Why would I check in there? Big Jaw wouldn't even be able to fit in there." Senzo retorts, still peeved.

"There's ore in there, right?"

"Yeah, why?" Senzo says.

"What do Dodogama eat?" You ask.

".....Ore." Senzo says.

Senzo sighs and stands to sharpen his longsword. "I think I'm just gonna head back home and face the disappointment. You should too."

>He's right, Big Jaw couldn't fit in there. Let's just go home.
>But what if he is in there? We should look, if for a second.

>>4057072
>But what if he is in there? We should look, if for a second.
Don't hurt to try, worst case we just cancel the quest anyway.

>>4057072
>But what if he is in there? We should look, if for a second.

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"Still though, there isn't any harm in checking." You argue as you begin to make your way over to that entrance you spotted.

Suddenly, there was a red light coming from within and a rumble heard inside. You stopped and Senzo looked up attentively as he sheathed his longsword and came over to look too.

There was stomping heard from the trance and you saw a large shadow moving along the ground.

"Are you... kidding me right now!? He was in there after all?! This whole time!?" Senzo hollered out as the shadow came across the ground from the entrance.

You saw the imposing outline of the massive Dodogama as it stomped it's way ever closer to leaving the entrance.

You and Senzo both drew your weapons and waited for the worst. This colossus, Big Jaw, was nearing!

>Time for a fight! Hiyah!
>Wait, something's not quite right here.
>He's too big to take on! We must retreat!
>Hahhahah... hahahhahahahahaahahaha!

>>4057109
>Wait, something's not quite right here.

>>4057109
>Wait, something's not quite right here.

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But as the colossus did come out, you noticed that something was a bit.... off.

The Dodogama 'Big Jaw' showed itself from the shadows of the ore shaft entrance. One after the other, it's big feet drug it's fattened body across the gravel and it stopped, showing off it's impressive features in your line of sight with Senzo intently studying it.

He was visibly shaking under his armor.

The thing looked over the way of you and Senzo and then let out it's harrowing roar, wagging it's tail in the air and patting the ground with it's feet.

"I.... I cannot... believe it..." Senzo muttered.

He fell to his knees then and gave up.

"There's no way... there's just no way..."

"Senzo....." You say.

"It's him, it must be... it must be Big Jaw but..."

"But...."

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"....."

"HE'S NOT BIG AT ALLLLLLLL!!!"

Senzo pounded the ground with his fists.

"I.... I CAN'T KILL THAT!"

"Why not?" You asked after a pause. His head shot to you so fast you swear you heard a crack from his neck.

"Just.... just look at it! If I slayed that.... and the miners found out... I'd be the laughing stock of Astera for weeks!" Senzo whined.

"OUUGHHH! I can already imagine the chides! 'Hey Senzo, nice going, you killed the world's smallest monster!', 'Hey Senzo, was it hard?', they'll berate me!"

"I'm selfish, I came for glory and this... this is what I get? Really....?" He asks, looking up at the sky. "Oh Gog... oh ho ho Gog Gog Gog... you've got a sick, TWISTED sense of humor." He curses at the air with venom in his tone.

Senzo falls onto his back.

The Dodogama just looked on in confusion at his break down.

You weren't sure what you should do at this point. What should you do to help? Should you help? Could you even help?

Well, maybe the Dodogama could be slain, the body disposed of in lava and skinned for it's hide, Senzo could fabricate a story about how he peeled off the scales from the ""Colossal Big Jaw"" as he slew it in a heated battle here. But, you hated liars and lying. Still, he was you friend and just wanted a moment of glory to himself.

Maybe you should just forget it and take him home to own up to how big Big Jaw really is and then go about your own business.

What will you do?

>>4057240
Suggest he take the "Big Jaw" with him and either show it to the miners or give to the researchers, they probably would love to study how a dodogama can be soo small.

>>4057251
Addendum for Option number 3, keep it as a pet.

>>4057251
+1

>>4057240
Supporting >>4057251; the quest giver is sure to be embarrased if he shows the Tinygama to them.

>>4057240
Senzo should tell the truth, we shouldn't encourage him building his arrogant ego bigger than it already is.

"Senzo, this actually isn't as bad as you're taking it."

His neck curved up. "Freakin' how?"

"You already know what I've been doing."

"Aw no! I am NOT getting a monster pet! It'll just distract me from work! Besides, I hate kids." He says, crossing his arms and standing up. "Well uh.. not yours, uh, Shara's pretty cool. But still."

"No, I don't mean it that way." You say, walking over to the Dodogama. The thing looked a bit scarred as it shifted backwards until you reached down and picked it up. Big Jaw couldn't really move now, but didn't struggle as much to escape, he just stared away into the void. These things weren't really bright, were they?

"You can present this guy to the researchers. You know they love oddities, Astera will be talking about that one Hunter who found an abnormally small monster a lot. Word goes around fast, no?" You tried to convince him.

"Hmmm......"

He groaned again, drained before coming over in a rush and taking the Dodogama out of your hands.

"Fine! Fine! I'll do it. It's not like those miners are hard to impress anyway. I might still get some reward out of this at least, like research points."

"See? That's the spirit." You said.

"Now you're just being cheesy." He rolled his eyes under his helmet.

You shrugged, thinking you might have helped to salvage this situation if only by a little.

You whistled in the air and called for the Mernos to return to Astera with Senzo. You noticed along the way the Mernos carrying him going into overdrive flapping it's wings to keep him up in the air, the fat Dodogama he carried with one arm weighing them down.

It was a long trip.

Back in Astera, you saw him get practically trampled by the Researchers as he approached them holding Big Jaw. They were all raving about how 'cute' and 'fat' it was.

You snickered at the sight and shook your head.

You remembered now the meeting you had with the Star himself earlier and waved Senzo bye as he pleaded for your help. You made over to the lift and went upwards to the Canteen.

As you expected, you saw the Sapphire Star sitting there at the first table to your left with his Handler, he was drinking something from a golden tankard studded with small jewels. And what's more he was a using a straw that poked through his helmet's visor.

"Handler, a moment please."

"Sure! I'm going to go grab another bite." She said, closing that jumbo sized book of hers and walking towards the Canteen table.

"Please, sit." He offers.

You oblige and take a seat across from him. He slides over another rum he was saving and you take your helmet off to drink.

"I'm glad you've come. I'm sure the rest of the Hunters here would participate in a battle royal against one another just for a chance to be where you're sitting at." He joked.

"So, you said you wanted me to join you on a mission?"

"Yes. We're going to Origin Isle." The Star says.

"Origin Isle? Isn't that where you slew Shara Ishvalda at the first time?"

"Yes, you are right."

"Why there?"

He took another quaff of his drink.

"Well, first I want to ask you a question. What do you think the most powerful Monster in the world is?"

>Answer.

>>4058128
As if any answer other then Gog would suffice. Seriously though,

>Fatalis?

>>4058128
Probably Fatalis?

>>4058128
>Gog, Alatreon, Fatalis maybe?

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>>4058128
Mah boy, the fucker that DONT STOP FLYING!

Trick question, there's no such thing as the most powerfull monster, everything and everyone can be bested in time.

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>>4058128
*chanting intensifies*

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>>4058175
Get that abomination out of my quest.

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>>4058179
no

You tapped you chin, never breaking eye contact with the faceless helmet of the Star. When you felt you were ready, you gave your answer.

"I don't truly know. Though, there's plenty of good candidates. Fatalis, Alatreon, Gogmazios, Disufiroa..."

"Mmmm, yes." The Star says.

"Well, do you know what all of them have in common? They're all spoke of only in Legends. These Legends describe their terrible powers and omnipotence, but have any of them truth? What do you think?"

"I guess they're just Legends. You can't prove their wrong, but you can't prove their right either. I always look at things with an agnostic point of view." You admit.

"A common ground for many who hear of them, always being so neutral on things.... but not me." The Star says, twiddling his fingers.

"What do you mean to imply?"

"They do exist, though the Guild attempts to push the narrative that they don't to the commoners. It's a method of damage control, we could not operate effectively in a crisis with the meager villagers losing all of their composure and calm. Villages need not be riled while only the best of the best that hunt risk their lives to destroy the Black Dragons." The Sapphire Star says.

You didn't say anything. You didn't want to refute him, only stay open minded, even if what he was saying now was like the ramblings of the paranoid.

"I admit, I have never seen a Black Dragon myself, but I do know very closely one who has. My very own Father in fact. His name was Stanislaus, he was a G-Rank in the Guild, he brought me up as a Hunter. He's the reason I am the Star here today, the reason I have unbreakable courage. I know that those in the tales exist, because he killed the Fatalis once." The Star tells you.

".....Your Father killed a Fatalis...?"

"Yes. And it killed him too." The Star says, peeking around on watch for eavesdroppers.

You were speechless, failing to understand initially.

"But how....?"

"You cannot kill the Black Dragon. It is supernatural, beyond our comprehension, it's howl echos that of the screaming teeming from the underworld. My Father made a terrible mistake, a grave one, he wore armor woven of the black scales." The Star said hushed as he leaned in. "You already know of reincarnation, you witnessed it. I did too. The armor consumed his very body.... and the Fatalis was reborn through his flesh again."

You felt uncomfortable now.

"It has not been seen again for so long... disappearing back into the haunted land of Schrade. One day, it will come back, and I've no clue as to how soon, or where it will appear again. The Guild stations the fearless into Schrade's ruins to watch for the end times bringer, they must report frequently, and when they don't return... the Hunters will hear the call to march their way into the dark, to do what must be done."

"I ask a favor of you. Keep all I've told you as a secret only to yourself, between you and I." The Star requested as he sat back. "You witnessed the Everwyrm's revival just as I did the Black Dragon's once. There is something there I can feel. I have not told anyone else these stories in... years."

"You want to know why we're going to Origin Isle? You will find out once we are there. Still, I gave you a choice. If you want to back out, you may. But keep the secret."

The Star drinks again, awaiting your answer.

>Very well, we shall go with him to Origin Isle.
>This is not what I wanted to get into today.
>Write in.

>>4058512
>Very well, we shall go with him to Origin Isle.
Fuck it!

>>4058512
I see that flavour text isn’t all that flavourful. He’d better not be taking us with him to fight a Black Dragon though, or we’re gonna get all kinds of fucked up.

>Very well, we shall go with him to Origin Isle.

>>4058512
>Very well, we shall go with him to Origin Isle.
If the star is that serious it must mean some deep shit is going on.

You sat idly by. You were unsure about this, but the Star seemed genuinely upjumped over something and really wanted you to tag along. You hesitated for a while, waiting until you had finished your drink before you would decide. You guessed you shouldn't deny him. But you still harbored worry for where he might be carrying you.

"I'll go." You say.

The Star's head jolts up and he nods your way.

"Good man." He says as he stands. "Very well then, we shall go together."

You stood and followed him as he retrieved his hammer from the table and walked to the lift. He gestured you the first use and you went up as he directed, to the Gathering Hub. You pondered just how the Commission was able to land this giant ship up here exactly as you went.

You waited as he surfaced on the lift and beckoned you over to the Mernos roost. There was another Hunter there in Rathian gear with his own Handler, it seemed they were preparing something made of leather for the Star, which was in turn connected to the vests of at least three other Mernos.

"It's all ready and set to go, just like you asked." The Handler there in green told the Star.

"Excellent. With the weather proving favorable today, we will reach Origin Island via these wingdrakes posthaste!" The Star boasted.

"....Now?" You say.

"Yes, now."

You stumbled, quickly running over to the nearby trunk and restocking on some potions before returning to the Star. The leather object there had some straps for the wrist, you fasten one on as the Star pulls up the thing and wiggles it, rustling the Mernos.

"Hey! Don't sink in any quicksand while you're at it!" The orange haired Hunter said, waving up.

The three Mernos lifted off and began to fly. The Star directed their flight using strings sown into the thing he held onto, connecting them all by metal rings and leather straps.

In no time, you were lifted off with him and flying pretty fast now as you held on as well. You watched as you soared through the air with him. Astera quickly shrinking the farther away you were flown from it. He flew in the direction of southeast, crossing the sea after passing over much of the Ancient Forest.

You just took the view in and waited patiently on the flight.

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You were planted down on the dry ground lightly, unstrapping yourself from the binding wingdrake object. The Star came down too and tied the thing against a post, the Mernos relaxing and eating leftover feed from a bowl hanging on the post.

You looked around, noticing you were at some sort of abandoned encampment, one that looked as though it was destroyed.

"This place has changed much since I was last here." The Star says, walking around, observing the surrounding arid environment. It was like one massive island of rock in the middle of the ocean, nothing more.

"So this is Origin Isle." You remark, running your hand over the tips of some jagged rocks.

"Indeed. It was flatter the last time I saw it however. This place has changed it's shape, and it couldn't have just done that all by itself. Something has to be responsible, and it wasn't the Everwyrm." The Sapphire Star says as he walks down a trench in the spiked rocks. You follow close behind.

He offers his hand at a small ledge. Down below, there was a wide, semi-flat space that was round, almost like some kind of arena.

"Now, you will know why we're here." The Star says as he hops backwards off of the ledge. You saw him land on his feet at the bottom and jumped too.

You grunted as you landed hard, the impact reaching your spine. You stood up straight and just toughed your way through it all.

The Star walked out into the space below and raised his hands to the air.

"I know a close ally, a Wyverian Hunter. He travels about the New World constantly, much like the Admiral. It was him who felt the surge that led us to discovering the Recess, and the Elder Dragon Xeno'Jiiva. He has quite a record of sniffing out energy surging through the world."

"Energy?" You asked, walking closer.

"Not just any, Bioenergy. And as of late, he told me and the Admiral of another surge he felt. Right here in the Origin Isle in fact. What's more, he had visited this place again before us, and spoke of feeling tremors beneath the shell of Gaea below. And yet this time, there is no song to accompany it." The Star says as he turns to you.

"During our investigation into Hoarfrost Reach, we concluded it with the supposed slaying of the Everwyrm, who was causing damage to the ecosystem from earthquakes it produced, tunneling into the Everstream. It's quakes were preceded and followed by it's song. Do you follow where I'm going with this?"

"There's something under Origin Isle?"

"Something big, and not only is it producing quakes, it's producing massive waves of Bioenergy that's flowing through the Everstream, and beyond. Don't believe me? Hit the ground with your pickaxe and see for yourself."

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You heed the Star's words and take your pickaxe out. Heaving back, you bring it down and strike the ground.

Almost immediately after, you are thrown back harshly, the ground pulsing violently where you struck it at, a jet of flame-like Bioenergy blowing out of the wound.

"When our Crossing investigation was in effect, we concluded it with the slaying of the Xeno'Jiiva. It attracted Elders for many years using pheromones that circulated the globe. Those Elders would die, their Bioenergy spread throughout the New World. Xeno'Jiiva fed on it to grow more powerful." The Star says as he walks closer to the jet with his hand reaching towards it.

"Dalamadur, Teostra, Lao-Shan Lung... many Elders died in the Rotten Vale. Their Bioenergy accumulated and pooled. That only lead more Elders to being attracted by the aura they sensed here in this continent. It flared because of Xeno'Jiiva feeding on it. It died down when Xeno'Jiiva did. But now, it is flaring again, more than ever before."

He recoils as he nearly touches the hot jet.

"I feel it is connected with what that First Wyverian told you, don't you?"

You stand up again and brush yourself off.

"The First Wyverian said more Elders were coming. The 'Sky', the 'Comet' and.... the 'Blackened End'." You say, recalling what you knew.

"I fear that this event we witness now will attract nightmares to the New World. I want to stop it. I want to uncover what the root cause is and destroy it. Everyone I know here in the New World is my family now, and it is my duty to protect them. It is our duty to protect the world! The ecosystem!" The Star declares as he walks over and puts his hand on your shoulder.

"Fate is a strange thing, and that First Wyverian spoke to you for a reason. You must seek him out more, you must accompany us on our trials with the coming Elders. You have to help me, have to help all of us! All of this that is the New World. You'll do that, won't you?"

What will you say to the Star?

>>4058776
We're in, that's why we came into the new world, new challenges and a chance to prove ourselves, if the star itself invited us that means we're doing something right till now.

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>>4058776
Yes, our job as a hunter is to protect the ecosystem and help to bring balance. We just need to get better and BE better.

>".....No. They come for the Primeval Man. The sin of the past still lingers yet in a cyclopean tower..... It's foundation was laid with Dragons, it's form was hidden from sight by the people who spanned the world. The tower funnels, it is unlike any other... It will rise from the ground again."

We're not playing with a full deck of cards here, we know that they're coming here to stop something.

>>4058776
Look the Star in the face and give him only two words.

"Hell yeah."

>>4058776
>"I did see him again, He said that they're gathering to stop the Primeval Man. I feel like we're not playing with a full deck of cards, that we need more information."

You raise your hand and grab the Star's own, he braces his arm against yours as you both squeezed each other's palms. You matched your eyesight with the view port of his helmet and gave your answer.

"Hell yeah."

The Sapphire Star nodded once and then let go.

"I have heard what the First Wyverian told you. It was relayed to me through the Commander, however I think he doesn't know nearly as much on the situation just yet as I, or the Admiral, or even you. He must still be deferring to the other theory about late arrival to the Crossing. I will try to bring him up to speed as best I can. These topics shouldn't be spread among everyone, they should stay between you and I and the other officers." The Star reckoned as he watched the jet of Bioenergy die back down into the hole, melting the rock until it shut all on it's own.

"You've heard everything?"

"Yes. A 'tower, a 'Primeval Man'. I know not who this Man is, but he must be important to the grand scheme of things to warrant many Elder Dragons coming here for him, whoever he is. I will get to the bottom of it!" The Sapphire Star swears.

"The Guild and it's righteous purpose must win through, or else we leave disasters to fester and corrode our planet. We have only one world, we cannot let it slip into devastation." The Star says.

He begins walking back towards the ledge you jumped off of and you follow. But, without warning, he stops and holds his clenched fist up.

"What's wrong?" You asked.

He looks around and then kneels slightly, his hand cuffed around his helmet as he turned his neck closer to the ground.

"Do you hear that?" He said.

You too got down low, lower than him even as you placed your helmet against the dirt, your ear close to it. You listened out and heard...

>A crackle from beneath the rock, rising.
>A humming from down below from Gaea.
>A call, not from below, but above in the air.
>A set of searing stomps from all aroumd.

>>4058829
>A set of searing stomps from all aroumd.

>>4058829
>A humming from down below from Gaea.

>>4058829
>A humming from down below from Gaea.
Whatever you do, don't bring the Jet dragon.

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A humming from down below, radiating from Gaea.

And you realized it was getting closer. Taking every precaution you could, you quickly stood and dived out of the way as the ground below you suddenly imploded with sand flying everywhere. The Star came over quickly as another jet of Bioenergy shot up from the ground and died down just as quickly.

You rose to your feet to see the perpetrator of the hum.

It was a Nibelsnarf, an earthen Leviathan.

The thing snapped wildly, enraged from burns it received flowing in the ground.

"A Nibelsnarf? Strange seeing one here. If you want, I shall deal with this one for now." The Star offered.

>Nay, the glory will be mine.
>All yours, Star.
>I'll back you up.
>Let me at em', you back me up.

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>>4058900
>Let me at em', you back me up.
Just in case

>>4058900
>Let me at em', you back me up.
We can probably handle it.

>>4058900
>I'll back you up.
Reminder that our spine is still fucked up. Let's not take unnecessary chances.

>>4058965
You have a good point.

>>4058900
>>4058916
Switching to
>I'll back you up.

>>4058900
>I'll back you up.

"I'll...." You start as you still think it over.

"I'll back you up." You say to the Star, considering your spine still in it's current condition.

The Star glances at you and the Nibelsnarf twice and then picks something out of his satchel, which he chucks to you. You catch it and see it's a cluster of crystal bits.

"Crysalburst. I always keep some handy, they have surprising stopping power." He says as he draws his Kjarr Hammer, holding it in both hands as backs up towards the wall. You loaded the Crystalburst into your slinger and stepped back too.

"Have you tried out the newest feature slingers have these days yet? It's called the Clutch Claw. You aim it at a Monster and fire."

"Uhh, no? How do I use it?" You say, aiming your slinger at the Nibelsnarf wading through the sand towards you and the Star.

"You feel that little pin between your index and middle fingers? Pull it."

You do so and yelp in surprise as your slinger suddenly ejected a metallic claw out at the Nibelsnarf's head and then reeled the line in, pulling you through the air at it. You caught onto the thing and held on as it began to flail crazily.

"WOOOOAHHHH! W-WHA-AA-AAT DO I DO NOW-OWOWWWW?!"

"Press your slinger into it's head and fire your ammo!" The Star calls out, amused.

You grab onto the ridge above it's eye and shove your slinger into the spot on it's face above it's lip and below the big round eye it had. You pulled your slinger's trigger and let loose crystal shrapnel right into it. The thing bounced and snapped as it became disoriented and bounded towards the rock wall.

You jumped off at the last second and rolled to your feet as it rammed straight in, knocking itself down.

"Useful, huh? Hehheh... ATTACK!" The Star announced as he ran forward to begin his Big Bang combo on it's head from the other side.

You drew your Gunlance and went to support him.

>Choose a body part to attack. (Head, Gills, Forelegs,)
>1d100 to land a powerful blow.
>Whoever has the highest roll decides what is attacked and how much damage is dealt.

>>4058999
Forgot to put the Uvula and front legs as a body part as well, so you can choose those too.

Rolled 50 (1d100)

>>4058999
>Gills

>>4059003
C'mon...

I think everybody else is asleep.

Rolled 57 (1d100)

>>4059003
I'll roll for gills too

Rolled 40 (1d100)

>>4058999
>Gills
why not, eh?

What armor should we go for in the future when we reach master rank? I say Teo because of the cape.

>>4059063
I'm partial to the Anja sets, because of it being our first large kill in the New World.

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>>4059079
Also a good choice, especially alpha fulgur, reminds me of the chaos set from Dragon's Dogma.

What do you guys think was that orage goop that Shara puked out?

>>4059090
Hoping it ends up healing us

Rolled 90 (1d100)

>>4058999
G I L L S

You knew what to do. You saw those gills of the Nibelsnarf's flapping about out of it. That body part helped it to traverse the sand more easily, and inhale it safely with no worry. You were going to break that part.

You struck forward with a powerful downwards swing after firing your shell load. Pulling back your arm and reloading the Gunlance again, you struck it again with another powerful strike and then fired your entire ammo capacity right into it in a staggering blow.

The part was heavily damaged, but not broken. The Nibelsnarf was getting ready to regain it's balance when you gave another strike and fired a Wyrmstake rod into it. The Leviathan finally stood again, but the Star spun and landed a walloping on it's head with his final Big Bang slam.

The Nibelsnarf was thrown back from the blow and stunned, shaking it's head back and forth before letting out a wheeze. It screeched as the Wyrmstake rod exploded in it's gills, destroying the part.

The thing rode surfed viciously through the sand, doing it's best to try and catch you or the Star in it's jaws. You sheathed your weapons and moved out of the way to watch the Star get to work.

He wrangled the thing like a matador. Every time it rode by trying to get him into a snap, his hammer would impact the top of it's head with a sickening crack. He seemed to be the type who beat a monster's brains in to kill them, you already took fast notice of how the Nibelsnarf's cranium looked flatter after receiving blows from the Star.

The thing was still alive now after he flogged it for the next few seconds, but it was now disabled there on the ground, twitching it's limbs and appearing half-dead. The Star came over and held his hammer up. You saw him charge his momentum and then bring it down on the head in a strike carrying such force that the ground underneath cracked all the way over to your feet and a blue glow of Bioenergy seeped out. The Nibelsnarf, needless to say, was dead now.

"To be honest, that wasn't nearly as intense as I thought it would be." The Star commented as he sheathed his maul.

"Just wait till you fight it's cousin, Gobul." You say, coming over to carve the Nibelsnarf.

"Oh, I have. There's nothing more satisfying than slaying one underwater, in it's own home turf."

"Can't argue with that." You say, relating with him easily as a Moganer.

After collecting a fair amount of materials, you and the Star both set on the flight back to Astera.

He let you keep the materials, having no need for them himself as you arrived back in Astera. The Star bade you goodbye for now as he returned to his own work.

You went out to your private room and stored your materials for now. Atricia and Vivi were all gone with Shara.

You maintained your gear and left out again. The day wasn't even halfway done yet.

>Time to take on a new quest. Let's see the board.
>Let's go find where they've went off to this time.
>Let's go on an expedition somewhere in the New World.
>We're in good enough condition, let's accept 'Full Hands, Fast Run."
>Write in.

>>4059750
We should go make sure Tabitabi is fine in the arena.

>>4059750
>Time to take on a new quest. Let's see the board.
Let the girls have some fun. Search for Senzo and Brigg and see what's up, maybe they will be considering taking a quest or just be bros. We have been going out and about like a good hunter, but, we haven't been a good friend.

Also, seconding >>4059759

>>4059750
We should be able to do >>4059759 and >>4059766 in order.

Actually, we should grab the boys first, then see Tabitabi.

You thought today was perfect for a undertaking a quest. You could partner up with Brigg and Senzo, have a day be just about you and the boys.

But first and most importantly, you wanted to see how well Tabitabi was at the moment in the arena storage facility, so you went off that way with a wingdrake.

You landed at the arena and the place felt, different, somehow.

The technician from last time was there reading a Hunter magazine. He tells you lazily that there just isn't much activity, and the Arena's closed, the engineers went back to Astera.

You ask him if you could enter the storage to see a monster. He eyes you and shrugs. He then points you down to a flight of stairs leading outside the wall of the arena. You just sort of wave your hand and begin walking that way.

"Oh! There is a researcher down there already though just so ya' know." You heard the technician call.

You walked down the stairs and found yourself walking through a trench dug out underneath the wall with wooden boards the support it's ceiling and ground surfaces, wooden beams for support packed the sides of the walls it felt a bit cramped.

You came out to a little walkway built up against the wall of the arena outside and saw it leading up to a door. You approached it and entered. The interior was the inside of the chamber monsters were kept in before being released out into the arena ground.

You saw the railing extend all the way around it and lead to another door suspended above the below ground of the chamber. You came over to that and entered as well, finding another chamber inside a wooden building. It was faintly lighted with some openings in the roof, and you saw cages covered in large tarps with signs designating the monster inside. There was mostly small ones, such as Jagras, but also a cage containing a Kulu-Ya-Ku.

You saw a cage in the far corner lit up by the sunlight shining down from an opening in the sunroof and climbed down a ladder to approach it.

As you did, you heard a voice speaking.

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You crept up silently and hid behind a crate, peeking out to see the person the voice belonged to.

To your dismay, it was the Grim Biologist of all researchers. He was standing menacingly in front of the cage containing Tabitabi, and then you saw her. She was coiled near the wall, backed as far away as she could be. She was.... afraid of him, her head was hanging low and you noticed her shiver.

Something about the presence of this one particular man really seemed to upset her.

"Ohhh.... look at the hips on you. The scales, the fur trim..."

What? What?

Your jaw dropped slightly as you listened to his monologue.

"You must have such a fine method. I've had plenty of thunder sacs from various specimens... but I just could never quite grasp how to get them to work outside of their hosts."

He leans in closer to the bars of the cage.

"But you don't need one to produce electricity. You just have to caress something.... you make sparks from friction. So one of a kind." He uttered as he brought his mask between the two bars.

"I love inventing.... inventing new ways to kill. Imagine what Hunters will do once I find out how to... harness your ability.... and distribute it among them."

The Grim Biologist reached for his pocket and extracted something he began to scratch the cage bar with. It was a scalpel.

"You'll help me, you'll help me a lot with my work, you little thing. I will spend much time with you."

Tabitabi was whimpering now as the Wyverian stroked the cage bars and made her uncomfortable with the sound he made scratching the metal with his scalpel. The other monsters in other cages were also roused by the piercing noise.

You could do a lot of things at this moment. You could stand up and say something to this sicko, send this creep on his way, or just stay out of it and wait until he's gone.

What will you do?

>>4059961
Dont kick his shit in just yet.

Tell him to scram and that your reporting him to the guild.

If your reputation is anything to go by, that will be very poorly for you.

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>>4059961
This >>4059977
When the fucker is gone, go ahead and confort TabiTabi. Keeping it civil for as long as we can.

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>>4059961
If you're that incapable of restraining then I will recommend your peers to do it for you.

>>4060029
>...restraining yourself...
didn't triple-check.

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>>4059977
This, support. Hopefully we can find some way to get this guy suspended and sent back home.

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Having enough of him saying this junk to Tabitabi, you step out and make yourself known. The Grim Biologist drops his scalpel in shock and spins to look as you tap the ground with your foot.

"...Huh?!"

Tabitabi stands up and looks much better now seeing you here, like a child that found it's parent after loosing them for long.

"I think you should leave now, and go back to your dungeon." You say to him firmly.

He doesn't say anything, he just stares at you through the glass of his mask's big eye sockets.

"Oh? And what will you do if I refuse?" He challenged you.

"I'll report you to the Commission officers." You threaten.

"Is that so? You'll report me?"

"I will."

The Grim Biologist creaks his spin up and narrows his mask at you. Then, he chortled.

"You don't know much of the inner workings, do you, you little henchman?" He shot back suddenly. You remained quiet.

"I am allowed by the Chief Ecologist to work as I want on the corpses of Monsters, so long as they were put down humanely before hand. I can only acquire them by posting quests on the board. That is a rule I follow loyally. If I forwarded a request to the top scientists to have this Tobi-Kadachi for my work and it was approved, you couldn't do a damn thing about it." The Grim Biologist stated.

"In fact, you can't do a thing to me as it is anyway. Remember, it was you who technically broke Guild law by 'taming' it in the first place. I've never broken any tenant. I could send a report over seas to a Guild district and have you brought to light in the court, where you could be discharged from being a Hunter. And what then would you do? Resort to poaching just to get your kicks from action?"

You scowled under your helmet.

"I'm not doing anything wrong observing this monster while it's within the confines of a cage. Plenty of others unnerved by me have tried the same thing you might before, and they failed. Why? Because I'm a good little researcher, and I know the rule book well."

The Grim Biologist points his finger at you accusingly.

"I think you should leave actually, Hunter. I'm allowed to view the petting zoo when I want. It's not like I'm dissecting these pretty animals."

You gritted your teeth at that. He might have been completely right. Maybe you could speak with the Chief Ecologist about it.

What will you do?

>>4060127
Consult the Chief Ecologist.

>>4060127
>>4060221
This, but admit that you made a snap judgement before leaving, painful as it is to say. We don't need an egghead trying to fuck with us later down the line.

>>4060127
>Consult the Chief Ecologist
I half mind to spook this guy a little, like grab his head shove as close as possible to the cage and ask tabitabi to attack just to pull out on the last second, but that might go horrible wrong so I think we should talk to the chief ecologist.

>>4060127
Supporting >>4060221
Violence is not the answer this time.

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You stifled the agitation you had in you listening to his words and just exhaled.

"Fine. I'm going, I concede I made an error in judging you too quickly." You say.

"Ahh, good to know you don't forget your place on the pecking order." The Grim Biologist commented as he reached for his scalpel to scrape the bars again.

As much as you hated it, you turned back and left Tabitabi to be frightened by this freak and called for a Mernos to fly back to Astera with.

Upon landing, you immediately hiked over to the research post and approached a small Wyverian sitting on a stack of large, thick books.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Mmmwyes? What is it you need, Hunter?" The Chief Ecologist asks, never once looking away from the pages he scanned with impressive speed, flipping them at every turn.

"It's concerning the Tobi-Kadachi recently brought in, sir."

He glances up quickly and then back to the book.

"Ahh, yes. You are the Hunter that 'tamed' it aren't you? Don't worry, I'll have her taken good care of. I do hope some of us can see the tricks it's supposedly capable of soon. Your friend... ahh, what was his name? Brigg, yes, Brigg. He did inform me that you had made this Tobi-Kadachi learn orders."

"Yes sir, that's true. I've even rode her once, though not easily."

"Sounds like we could try making a saddle for you then eventually, and who knows? This could even pave the way for the Guild to authorize taming of more Tobi-Kadachi in the future as tailriders." He scratches his head. "Anyways, what is it you had for me?"

"I want to ask that one specific researcher be denied the privilege to go around her." You ask. The Chief stopped flipping pages and looked up to you in surprise. A few researchers around looked as though they already knew what was coming next.

"Oh? You know? Well... wait, let me take a guess.... you want the crow masked one forbade from nearing her, yes?"

"Yes, that's right actually, sir."

"Hmm..... Well it wouldn't be fair of me to just deny a researcher from actually researching things, this is how we gain information and data after all."

"I... I see sir. Just forget I said anything abou-" You started.

"But, to date, this marks the tenth... maybe hundredth complaint I've heard of him, the 'Grim Biologist'." The Chief says. "After ten complaints, I'm obligated to do at least something."

You just listened.

"I suppose I'll have to restrict him from accessing the Arena and Monster storage facility for now, but not for you, for all the complainers. Though I suppose you get what you want out of it too anyhow. If that's all, then I must return to reading."

"That's all sir." You say.

A few of the other researchers all looked stoked about something too, maybe happy that you complained and actually got something done about that freak.

As you walked away, you saw the Grim Biologist land with a wingdrake near the gate and look over in confusion. He narrowed his sights on you and you saw his fists clench when he noticed the other reactions.

You just smirked under your helmet and strode off. You swear you saw him running his thumb along his neck line as he looked your way. You didn't care though, what was the creep gonna do? Get himself in violation of the rules he talked about so lovingly? You had nothing to worry about.

You went up to the canteen and saw all your friends there at a table they all occupied. Vivi and Shara were seated along with Atricia and Brigg and Senzo were standing up next to it, just having arrived themselves, initiating conversation over what happened with them recently.

"Comrade! Over here." Brigg waved you over as you appeared from the stairwell.

You approached and greeted everyone, telling them about the run in you had with the plague doctor back there. They showed various reactions, Brigg was relieved when you told him about what the Chief Ecologist said and Atricia just nodded. Senzo snorted, saying he would have bloodied that guy's nose and you just chuckled at that.

Atricia seemed to be getting ready to suggest something. She was carrying a wooden case with her.

>Let's hear her suggestion.
>Let's suggest taking a quest with the boys.
>Write in.

>>4060509
>Let's hear her suggestion.

>>4060509
>Let's hear her suggestion.
C'mon, what's in the box?

>>4060509
>Let's suggest taking a quest with the boys.
She probably wants to play a hunter game. We can do that anytime.

>>4060509
>>Let's hear her suggestion.

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You stayed quiet as she flipped open the wooden box and showed it's contents. She had a stack of playing cards inside, two checkered boards, a knife and plastic pieces.

"Are these...?" Senzo began.

"Yeah, Hunter Games. I got them from university." She said.

Shara peeked out curiously behind her as she set down the black and white checkered board.

"Aren't these a little more sophisticated?" You say. They didn't seem like the kind Hunters such as you played, they were more.... 'fancy' you gander.

"Well, I did say I got them from university. I was going to play with Vivi over food. Did you want to play as well?"

>I got other things to do.
>No harm in it.

>>4060635
>Shara is staring at (You)
>No harm in it.

>>4060635
Nah, let the girls have their night out and lets hit up the quests with our a team.

>>4060635
>I got other things to do.
No thank you. This will be a boy's hunt, probably. Of course, we need better armor, weapons and fancier mantles for the siege.

"Actually, I was going to go on a quest today. Brigg, Senzo, I was gonna ask if you wanted to join. What do you say?"

"A quest sounds great right about now, I need something to take my mind off.... off of "Big" Jaw." Senzo says, raising his fingers in quotation.

"I would much like a quest too, my comrades." Brigg says.

"Well then that settles it, let's go hit up the board." You say, pointing off that way.

"Heh heh, you boys don't go having too wild a time." Atricia said as she set up a game of checkers with Vivi.

"You'll be okay with Shara?"

"Of course, I was going to see how well he does with a matching game. I'll have him fed and asleep by the time you get back." The Scoutress said, giving a little salute.

"Thanks." You nodded her way, waving Vivi off as you wandered over to the Smithy quest board with Brigg and Senzo.

"I already know a quest I wanted to do." Senzo says.

"Oh yeah? Which one?"

"It Worm's It's Way. I feel real bad for that Felyne, I got a thing for instilling revenge to bad monsters." Senzo boasted.

Brigg stood in front of the board and rubbed his chin, thinking hard as he went over it.

"Hmmmmm..... hmmmm hmmmmm... hmmmmmmmmmmm. Hm? Ah! I know, we should do this one." Brigg says, he points to a quest paper titled 'You Spin Me Right Round Baby'.

"GYAHH! No way! I won't even look at a Duramboros again, not after that one time!" Senzo stated, to which Brigg only laughed, having plotted that.

"Why not? I'm sure my cluster bombs could torch it's back well enough. Truly though, I think I'd take 'The Terrorbird!'." Brigg decided.

You thought over it as you looked the board over too. There were plenty of quests available on the board.

Quest list: https://pastebin.com/hSf9iAep

Which quest will you choose?

>>4060909
I am between:

I Got A Little Hankering and Tzis Is Out Of My Control!. One is a delivery of wyvern eggs and the other is just find a lost pet, both sound simple enough and go easy on our back.

>>4060909
>Title: It Worms It's Way | Reward: 7900 Zenny. Palico Sleeper Gadget.
>Palico Sleeper Gadget.
Yeah, I want that. We can help Senzo, it will make the mission easy enougn.

My other option is:
>Tzis Is Out Of My Control!
>>4060953 is right.

If we do "Fido" (Capture an Odogaron) we can get the armor it's stronger than our current one.

>>4060909
Voting for It Worm's It's Way
Hi Poleman

You reached forward and grabbed the paper for 'It Worms It's Way'. Brigg caved in and agreed as well, Senzo seemed pumped about it.

The three of you went by provisions to stock up on Hot Drinks then, they had been made available after a production started in Seliana.

You made one last pitstop by the Canteen and informed Atricia where you were headed with Brigg and Senzo. She was surprised by it but simply told you to stay safe and be careful with a smile. You gave her one last wave before leaving. And it appeared as though Shara was mimicking the motion with his wing, fluttering it at you.

You knew there was only a few ways to Seliana. One was by wingdrake, but that was a ride that took a while, the Mernos struggled to get through the harsh tundra current from the air, something that a larger wyvern was much more suited for.

You heard there was a person here in Astera who had a small ferry, not nearly as impressive as the Argosy, but much faster, and capable of getting people to Seliana. Luckily today, it was docked and preparing to leave with a load of workers and supplies.

You spent about three thousand Zenny to get a seat for yourself and your friends.

Loading up and unfurling it's sails and automated paddles, the ferry set on it's voyage and went on it's way to Seliana. Along the trip, you found that sea breeze again, and the smell of the air, and so sat back for a ride.

The trip across the icy sea to Seliana was as you could best measure it, at least an hour and forty minutes.

It was incredibly cold too as you felt a shiver across your skin. You pulled up your helmet to down the first Hot Drink you had of five when the captain called for it.

The ferry docked at a small wooden dock built onto the edge of the ice and the snow covered grounds, illuminated only by one lantern. You and your comrades waited as the workers began to move, collecting their haul before moving up onto the dock and disappearing into the snow.

You, Brigg and Hulk all moved up then as the ferry latched down and trekked up ahead.

It was there you were met with the sight of some magical place that rivaled... no, surpassed Astera, completely!

There laid out before you in all of it's glory was the snowy settlement of Seliana. The place was marked by it's well made buildings and towering Ironworks. You saw smoke rise from chimneys here and there. You couldn't help but find yourself lost in it as you walked down, stepped aside for a person riding a Popo through.

First thing was first. You needed food, hot steamy food for what was ahead. You headed down to the canteen here and nearly fainted upon seeing the Grammeowster Chef there again. It didn't take long for you to seat with your friends and order her heavenly meals.

You left an impressive tip of 10000 Zenny impulsively and went well on your way after that with Brigg and Senzo to depart on the quest. They might have even had to drag you out of the canteen just to get you focused on the objective at hand.

Brigg took an extra moment longer to inquire with the quest giver about the quest in specific, getting directions. Now that he was ready, your group departed out of the gate to Seliana into the wilderness of Hoarfrost Reach.

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You let Brigg take the reigns when you were finally out of the settlement. The target of the quest was located around an area designated as the 'Direfrost Strait', and you didn't know the way there. You just followed.

Brigg traveled through the heavy packed snow plain and up rises, through the caves and out back into the snow again. Along the way, you spotted in the distance a Monster known as Banbaro, such a powerful looking beast too, you were glad it was far away and not closer.

You had to drink your next Hot Drink after twenty more minutes of trudging through the terrain.

Eventually, after following a lengthy lane of snow, you came out to the place and Brigg notified you and Senzo that you were there.

This was the Direfrost Strait. It was a large open area higher above, on a small mountain. There was a rocky peak covered in snow in the distance, a wide proto-valley formed below it with two high ridges of snow like separate walls, it looked so large that you could fit a hundred of those Banbaro inside and there would still be much room.

There was segments wrapping all over and around on the lead up to the valley, like someone had dug these out as trenches. There were openings in the solid layers hidden beneath the snow that led underground as well, you hear water past the icicles near one of the openings.

A harsh wind began to blow in then and you held your arm up to shield yourself.

"Comrades, there appears to be more here than I thought. I say we spread out to find the target and use our flare guns to signal one another should we find it." Brigg said as he took cover behind a bush.

"Yeah, we'll cover more ground, weed the thing out so we can kill it." Senzo agreed.

"I suppose that's our best bet." You say, going along with it.

Where will you search at?

>The open valley.
>The mountain peak.
>The underground.
>The trenches.

>>4061292
>The underground.

>>4061292
>The underground.
Gi! Gi! nox! nox!

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"I'll go cover the underground, I'll do better with my shield and thrusts." You say. Senzo's longsword wouldn't be effective in a tightly packed space, and Brigg required range most of all.

"I'll go get the valley." Senzo says as he stands and takes off, wading through the heavy wind.

"I suppose I can get the trenches, and then check the peak. Good luck, comrade!" Brigg says as he holds onto his hat and goes too.

You jumped down and slid across the snow into a gap, breaking through icicles as you fell a short distance and landed on your feet. The underground system here was dark all locally. You pulled out a flare and cracked it without shooting it, making it produce a red light as it burned in your hand, you could safely hold it with your glove.

You walked around through the extensive tunnels, minding pointy formations that stuck up from the ground and hung from above. The only flora down here you could see were mushrooms that had a faint glow with a blue tint to it.

You didn't think you could get lost, you memorized the patterns and patches of mushroom colonies as you walked. It seemed the largest concentrations were near the openings with light shining down, and the darker it became the less there were, they were just like a trail of breadcrumbs from that bedtime story you heard in your childhood.

As you navigated the system, you eventually stopped as you found... a bone. And not just one.

There were many bleached white, small bones scattered about. You found a whole pile of them in the corner of a dead end in the system.

And furthest back to the wall.... that.. that was...

Was that a Felyne Skull?

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Hmmm.... Sadly enough, you do remember the quest mentioned a missing friend... this must have been that missing friend.

You would have to break the bad news. You weren't sure if you should collect the remains for a proper burial however.

You think you also caught a glimmer of something in your eye to the right, but you didn't really move yet. For some odd reason, you just felt like... you weren't alone right now in this very room, at this very moment.

Your flare was burning out fast.

>A glint? Must be treasure, let's check it out.
>Ask out loud if there's someone there.
>Turn around hastily in a rush!
>Guess we should just leave now and tell of our find.
>Write in.

>>4061417
>Khezu
Oh no.

>A glint? Must be treasure, let's check it out.

>>4061417
Let's slowly peek back. When we see it, we throw our flare aside and move away very, very quietly. Khezu are blind and go by noise.

>>4061465
No, I want to deflate the tension.

>>4061477
Explain

>>4061417
>Do a side roll.

>3-way tie
fug

Yeah, we gotta break this tie

>>4061430
Changing to this

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>>4061417
>A glint? Must be treasure, let's check it out.
Fuck Khezu, fuck darkness. Hello thunder weapon.

Best to check out that glimmer. The quest contract mentioned the reason for this late Felyne even coming out here in the first being a treasure he supposedly sought.

You walked over and held your flare up as you looked down. There was a box laid out before you, cracks all over the delicate wood. To say that this thing looked old was very inaccurate, this thing might as well have been ancient. That proves the deceased was right, unfortunate they could not get what they sought.

You thought it would only be right to take the treasure in their honor, so their effort didn't go in vain. You could give it to the quest giver.

You open the treasure chest and inside, you find only a glimmering golden object featuring many lineaments that were carved by hand. It was a King Armor Sphere.

You didn't want to come off greedy, but maybe you could ask the quest giver if this was up for grabs too after all was said and done.

You turned around and thankfully there was not a soul there. You were alone in the underground and so made your way back up.

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Coming back out into the trenches, you worked your way up until you had found the path to the valley.

Up there, you saw Senzo building a snowman and so approached.

"What are you doing?"

"Look man, I've already searched every inch I could find in this whole place. There isn't any fracking thing here. Look up there." He said, pointing to Brigg still scaling the mountain peak in the distance.

"He's aimless. We might as well go home. This wind's just as bad as my ex's yakking was!" He says, putting the head on the snowman and then leaning into it. "Oh, what did you find down there, by the way?"

"I found this." You say, showing him the King Armor Sphere. Senzo accidentally crushes his snowman's top half off as he spasms in utter shock.

"No. Way. That's... that's a..."

"This must have been the treasure. I also found a Felyne skeleton down there, a fresh one. That wraps up most of our investigation." You say.

"Oh, damn. That's a bummer." He says, looking down. "But, did you see any monster down there?"

"No, you might be right, there's nothing here." You say.

'WRHEAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHHH!'

You and Senzo turned as something burst out of a snow covered hole in the ground unexpectedly. It was a cave dwelling Wyvern known for it's blindness and thunderous power. Khezu.

"Oh ho ho man! A Khezu! Now it all makes sense!" Senzo says loudly. "I'll avenge you, Felyne I didn't know!"

He grabs his longsword out and runs forward to slash at the beast, only to be repelled backwards by it crouching and unleashing a shocking wave of electricity. He yelps as he shakes on the ground and you run up, pulling him away as the Khezu's jaw clicked and it screeched. You don't think you've ever seen a monster this happy before.

"Okay... that was a bad idea...." Senzo muttered.

The thing was closing in slowly, looking like it had a big dumb smile plastered on it's head.

>Help Senzo recover and shout for Brigg. We'll face it here out in the open.
>Let's retreat to the peak and let it follow our sound. We can outmaneuver it into falling down the high height.
>Get in front of Senzo and face the thing yourself.
>Tell Senzo to make a lot of noise and then sneak around yourself for a surprise attack.
>Write in.

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>>4062963
>Help Senzo recover and shout for Brigg. We'll face it here out in the open.
>>Let's retreat to the peak and let it follow our sound. We can outmaneuver it into falling down the high height.
Gather the group and keep the Khezu interested, then strategize.

>>4062963
Good ole penisface. Why is it smiling, though?

>Let's retreat to the peak and let it follow our sound. We can outmaneuver it into falling down the high height.

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>>4062963
>Let's retreat to the peak and let it follow our sound. We can outmaneuver it into falling down the high height.

>>4062992
Khezu always looks like he's smiling

>>4063021
Yeah but, from the way QM was describing, it seemed like it was smiling wide, even for a Khezu.

You grabbed Senzo up by his shoulders and tugged him along as he broke out of his paralysis for the moment.

"Come on, let's go to higher ground!" You say.

The Khezu smelled and listened for your words as it strode forward, it's rubbery hide creaking as it moved.

You heard it crackle with more electricity and pushed Senzo down as you rolled. The launched a volley of electrical spheres your way and you crawled then, getting back up to your feet and running along with Senzo.

The Khezu moved in pursuit as fast as it's suckers could let it. Once it reached a good enough distance, it's neck began to stretch out longer and it's jaws shot forward, nearly catching you with it's bite.

Now nearing the path up the peak, Senzo grabbed his sword's hilt with both hands and waited as the Khezu attempted it again. Stopping for the second, you watched as he pulled it and delivered a straight cut across the neck of the monster as it's jaws shot forward again. There was a series of bloody droplets spraying to the air as the blade cut through the rubber and the Khezu hissed as it retracted, it's hide breached but not too damaged by it.

It smelled it's own blood then and became confused. Senzo sheathed his weapon and lowered his hands. You knew what he was doing and ran towards him, jumping up with your one foot in his palms. He lifts you up a ledge and you grab his arm to pull him up after. The Khezu bumped into the rock as it tried to pursue.

You and Senzo both scaled the snow paths leading up, passing frozen formations of pure ice until you eventually found Brigg on his way back down.

"Dear me, a Khezu! I think this hunt won't be long enough after all with the three of us. He should go down easily enough, comrades."

>Agreed. We should lead it to the top where we can break it's wings and force it off the side, allowing terminal velocity to do the rest of the work. (Has a chance to lose all Khezu rewards and carves.)
>We should wait for it to get up, we can shoot at these ice formations to collapse them on top of the Khezu. That'll bring the pain so we can finish it.
>We should get it to the top and slay it traditionally..
>Write in.

>>4063118
>We should get it to the top and slay it traditionally
Look as we fall and nearly die in the fight.

>>4063118
>We should wait for it to get up, we can shoot at these ice formations to collapse them on top of the Khezu. That'll bring the pain so we can finish it.

>>4063118
>We should wait for it to get up, we can shoot at these ice formations to collapse them on top of the Khezu. That'll bring the pain so we can finish it.

You looked down, the Khezu was struggling to get itself up to continue it's pursuit, and eventually it did, sniffing in the direction upwards as it began it's own climb.

You looked around for something that could help, something from the environment to use against it. Your eyes trained up into you noticed an ice formation leaning off in the air, right over the passageway up to the peak.

"Brigg, think you could drop that?"

"With slicer ammo, you can cut anything." He says confidently as he begins walking back up the mountain. You and Senzo followed close behind.

The Khezu dragged itself up through the snow and you sat and watched as it wormed up the path to reach you and your friends.

Brigg loaded his bowgun with Slicing ammo and crouched slightly for recoil control as he aimed upwards at the hunk of ice above. He fired in short succession, going in small bursts as the bullets hit a specific spot, seconds after whirling to life and exploding into chunks that sliced through the ice in more than one way.

The Khezu lumbered underneath as the ice cracked above. It stopped at the sound and then squealed when the chunk broke off and fell on top of it, toppling it with a crunch. The Khezu's neck distended out and it screeched once more before it collapsed into the snow with a heavy segment of ice crushing down into it.

You thought it was dead, but that wasn't the last of it. The Khezu crackled with electricity again and it screamed, expending it into a shockwave that shattered the ice block and sent shards flying. It limped upwards until it caught your smell again and hissed. The thing began running your way, much to your displeasure!

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"To the top! We'll have plenty of space to fight it up there!" Brigg said as he took off. You followed behind closely with Senzo and hauled it. The Khezu was enraged now, enraged and determined to be the end of you.

You didn't expect it when the Khezu suddenly began to fly and soared above. You stopped and drew your weapon upon reaching the peak. The peak had much room to move, an absolute peak pointing into the air near it's flattened surfaces, but there were also edges one could easily fall off of too. The height was almost certainly death for anything that should fall.

The Khezu landed in the middle of the place and you surrounded it with Brigg and Senzo covering the other vectors. The Khezu sniffed all of you out and noted your scents, noting your placements as well. That was a bad thing.

Senzo was the first to try something, running again to slash, but thankfully he stops at the last moment to move back when the Khezu lets out more electricity.

Brigg fired some normal ammo to try and catch it's attention, but the thing stayed put and launched a ball of thunder his way, forcing him to roll.

When you tried to approach from the front with your shield high to block it's jaws and stab at it, the thing twisted around and span in a circle with it's neck extending out, covered in sparks. It's tail swung back and forth in Senzo's direction too, though it small. This Khezu was keeping track of everyone, preparing to counter anyone who attacked.

The place was roomy, but there might be too much debris to see if Brigg began using his cluster bombs...

If only there was some way to trip it, or get it's attention on one person so the others could attack! Maybe, maybe all three of you could try dogpiling it. Whatever your party was going to do, it had to kill the Khezu now, the thing wouldn't give up chase soon.

What will you call for as the de-facto party leader here?

>>4063324
Wyvernfire and shelling, keep a defensive posture. Let the Khezu commit to the atack or die, we need to create an opening for Senzo to atack, let Brigg fire at will.

>>4063324
>>4063358
Supporting. It's the best we can do under the circumstances.

You catch Brigg's attention with a glance and nod his way. He does the same and levels his barrel like you.

Both at once, you and him begin to fire without pause at the Khezu. You fired a volley of shells only to reload and do so again. His Heavy Bowgun spit an excess of normal ammos out.

The Khezu turned to launch back it's own trio of electrical balls, but you and Brigg would simply sidestep them and fire again. Now realizing it's position, the Khezu turned to your path and charged aimlessly with it's jaw wide open.

You kicked your foot back into the snow and charged a Wyvernfire blast up as it approached. It's neck extended outward to grab at you, only to be met with the staggering blast right in it's face, making it trip onto the ground.

Senzo took that opportunity to run forward and attack along with you while Brigg came closer to fire Spread ammo. The Khezu wheezed ferociously as it kicked and waved it's limps in a sleazy attempt to deflect the attacks, but it only helped it receive them worse as the blades and ammo tore it's rubbery hide.

The thing began charging again and everyone backed away as it let loose more thunder. The Khezu hopped to it's own feet and charged more. You expected that each in your party would simply keep on the offensive now and overwhelm it, but the Khezu had another answer to these tactics.

It's head and neck now brimming with electricity, it turned to Brigg's direction and lunged, waving it's own head around like a flail. Brigg was caught off guard, his Bowgun being smacked right out of his hands by the waving head of the Khezu and he lost his balance being backed up towards the edge of the peak.

"NO!" You yelled, sheathing your weapons to come try and help.

The Khezu's attention went back to Senzo and it leaped up suddenly using it's wings. It opened it's mouth wide and fell towards him, intending to bite down onto him. He brought his longsword to bare and wedged it between the teeth of the thing, saving himself. The Khezu didn't stop, it began pushing him towards the next edge.

"Ergh! I'll be fine! I can get up! Help Senzo!" Brigg yelled. But he only hung on by his fingers...

>Help Brigg get up before he falls!
>Attack the Khezu's legs to finish it off with Senzo!

It's times like these where I wish we packed traps.

>>4063453
>Attack the Khezu's legs to finish it off with Senzo!
Brigg have his Slinger/Clutch Claw, let us hope he knows about spiderman.

>>4063453
>Attack the Khezu's legs to finish it off with Senzo!

Now that I think about traps, we could have easily made a Predator reference.

>>4063453
>Attack the Khezu's legs to finish it off with Senzo!
Brigg's already a strongman with muscles, he can save himself here.

You trusted Brigg's word and turned your full attention towards the Khezu. The thing was gaining on the other edge with Senzo.

The Gunlance was a weapon in which it's users could never hope to charge as well as real Lancers, never having had that in mind for those who invented it, but hell if you weren't going to try your best with it now.

You steadied yourself and held your Blazing Gunlance tight before taking off in a hard sprint towards the Khezu. The thing must have heard your thumping against the snow covered ground as it became distracted and stopped pushing Senzo just as it neared the edge.

Hulk took this moment to run his blade through the mouth of the thing, slicing as it's exposed inner flesh and making it gargle angrily. It's wings went up and you bellowed a cry as you charged straight into the thing, piercing all the way into it's inner body with your blade. You held on and let out a powerful shell blast that penetrated the hide.

The Khezu flopped itself around until it ran into the form of the mountain peak and fell over, sending you rolling away on your back. That must have fatally wounded it, as your weapon held the elemental advantage.

The thing flipped around on the ground until it reached it's feet again and looked in your direction. It didn't seem to be smiling anymore. It shrieked again in rage and began building it's energy.

You and Senzo prepared to face it again, when there was suddenly a loud sound from the other side of the peak. You and Senzo braced and dove down as a cluster of bombs fell on the Khezu from above, exploding violently and exhausting the thing. Brigg had managed to get up in time to launch them, meaning you made a good choice.

With the beast down now, you rushed forward with Senzo and began attacking away freely as it squealed and flailed. Blood flew from the blades licking it's flesh under the hide and you stepped aside with Senzo as Brigg walked up and placed his barrel in front of it's face.

"Dasvidaniya!"

He pulled his trigger and finished the thing off with a shot of Spread ammo in it's mouth. The Khezu's neck jerked about for the last few seconds and then the creature lost all movement, accepting it's end.

Your party had completed the quest successfully.

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You looked around at your partners and simply exchanged high fives and fist bumps. The Khezu was toast and you could finally return to Seliana to warm up out of this freezing cold.

As you went down to carve the beast, you couldn't help but look up now at the sky. The wind was getting increasingly more fierce by the minute just like down at the base of the Direfrost Strait. You just thought it was an encroaching storm from the sea and so passed it off as you carved the Khezu with Brigg and Senzo.

Collecting a hefty heap of materials from it, you stuffed them away in your bag and looked up.

The wind was really strange today, clouds were swirling around in a vortex. This definitely couldn't just have been a plain storm, this was something else all together.

Then, the wind really picked up as it grew in the sky, becoming larger and larger. You were now holding your arms out and holding fast to maintain your balance.

"Hey! Come on! We gotta scoot!" You heard Senzo call. You looked back and saw the two of them finally leaving down the passage way to get out.

You took a step back, but still looked in the sky at that strange tempest...

As you continued to observe, you began to think you were seeing something in the middle of the vortex. But what could that be?

>Let's find out with our binoculars. It'll only take a second.
>We should get out of here already, winds too strong.

>>4063583
>Let's find out with our binoculars. It'll only take a second.
That ain't Amatsu, is it?