#armour and weapon descriptions are hardly the most accurate

[flygonscales]

This was a really interesting read! It’s really satisfying how you can justify some wonky biomes and geography (not a diss. They’re video game designers not geographers) by citing firestone and ice crystal deposits (I really like it when there’s an in universe explanation/theory that expands on the existing stuff rather than contradicting it). Plus it makes the caves under the gen 1 maps feel a bit more plausible but also special.

I also think that this was a really good way of explaining ore use in weapon crafting (I hadn’t really thought about it before) and if the monsters can use the ores as well (it makes so much sense), also light/nova crystals being microbe based has some cool symbiosis sort of implications for gypceros. Perhaps gypceros have a specific diet to help keep their crest microbes healthy? I would certainly expect them to eat certain minerals.

I don’t know if this is going too far off canon but.

Given the fact above that monsters form mineral deposits in their bodies through bioenergy. And elder dragons are all about bioenergy. What would you say the ‘you can mine Kushala scales in The Tower’ thing is?

Below are the theories I think are most likely (well… not really the Elder Dragon War fanon one but it felt weird not to include it)

a) the classic ‘before the elder dragon war humans built a tower out of kushala daora corpses’ (which is cool! I do love some edgy Equal Dragon Weapon type theories)

b) (my pet theory) the rock the tower is built from is deposited and formed in a similar process to how a kushala deposits ores in its scales/skin. Perhaps higher levels of bioenergy helps a kushala quicken this process so the material is formed faster (like. Not on a geologic timespan). Ingame we may be given a decayed scale but perhaps the material is similar enough in consistency/composition that they are interchangeable in common use?

(this is reaching a bit, I know. This probably isn’t developer intent)

c) the general canon which is probably the developers wanted you to find kushala shed scales for flavour like how you find kut-ku scales in the Forest and Hills but didn’t want to implement a whole new gathering spot so added them to the mining item drop pool (because the metal dragon scales wouldn’t be found with plants)

Wow! I finished half of the 120 icons I'm making for my Monster Hunter Map Project! My hand does indeed hurt!

Here's some of my favorites atm

Frozen Seaway (Gen 4) - Volcano (Gen 3) - Polar Field (Gen 3)

Forlorn Arena/Tower Area 3 (Gen 2) - Dundorma (Gen 2) - Val Habar (Gen 4)

Heaven's Mount (Gen 4) - Tower (Gen 2) - Great Forest (Gen 2)

- Please Ask Me About The Stupid Geologic Theory Of Monster Hunter I Have Been Thinking Of For The Last Year - Someone Else Must be Cursed With This Knowledge - That And The Maddening Task Of Making A Good Map Out Of The Goddamn Scramble Of References And Sources The Monster Hunter Devs Have Released - The Tower Haunts Me -