#the coral highlands is so pretty

[galaghiel]

tried facing a tobi kadachi with a switch axe. bad idea. gonna hunt some more anjanath and barroth in the meanwhile to upgrade my weapons. the pulsar rod isn't as good as i thought sadge.

when i found the tobi kadachi again after i fainted, this time using my ol' reliable defender glaive, it was just sleeping. i kinda feel bad killing it hhhh

i hate paolumu or whatever tf its called. it looks cute but man is it irritating to fight. it replaced the pukei pukei as the most annoying monster i had to fight

[mrmachupichu]

I've been pretty meh on the new monsters in Wilds so far UNTIL this trailer. I looove rose spider. Railgun dragon is pretty cool too now that I can see it better. And we got a bit more of that Monster Hunter goof as well (still hoping there's an adorable Felyne chef cooking animation). So yeah I'm pretty happy!

[kotylynnemerrill]

So yeah this probably needs a lot of editing but...you know...here we are - here it is.

Enjoy ❤️

Your Words I Hold Forever Ch. 6

March 16th, 1968 4:00 pm

There wasn't too many people at the park just as Fez had expected. That was just fine with him. No witnesses in case he made a fool of himself. And less likely the chances of them being interrupted by someone wanting to purchase certain goods.

Fez had been nervous about today. He hadn't exactly said the word 'date' but there was no denying it...he liked Lexi, liked her a lot and he wanted to do something nice. Even if he was constantly being harassed by Ash for acting like a 'skuz'.

He told her he would pick her up and they could go somewhere and chill, somewhere other than his place, which had recently become a little cramped with the arrival of his cousin Faye.

This had not been anticipated and not a welcome change but Kitty had insisted she stay till things got straightened out with her old man.

But, so far, everything was solid. Lexi had been surprised when she climbed into the car and spotted the picnic basket and the cooler in the back seat.

"A picnic?! Where," she had asked with a sweet furrow of her brows.

"You'll see," Fez had told her earning him a pout.

The stereo played softly through the open windows of Kitty's green Cadillac, accompanied by the soft breeze and the bright sun, it was picturesque.

Dempsey park was probably the smallest park in East Highland but it was pretty and Lexi had gushed with excitement when they pulled up and found a nice spot to park.

Fez untucked the blanket from underneath his arm and neatly spread it out. He could feel the loud buzzing within his body simmer to a steady hum as his nerves calmed.

"Are you sure kitty doesn't mind...the blanket?" Lexi motioned to the crocheted afghan now spread out on the grass.

Fez softly smiled at Lexi standing there clutching the picnic basket in her hands. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, stray strands of cinnamon hair framing her face. She was wearing a simple dress with thick shoulder straps, the coral color looked beautiful on her.

"Nah. She don't mind. But what are you doin with that heavy ass basket?" Lexi looked confused, her brows furrowing when he held out his hand expectantly. "I told you I'd carry that."

"oh!" Lexi laughed a little, realization clicking. "That's okay. It's really not heavy at all."

"Shit ma, I'm trying to be a gentleman over here." Fez said sounding exasperated.

"Well, in that case." She handed the basket over to Fez and he sat it down next to the drink cooler already by his feet.

He made himself comfortable on the blanket and motioned for Lexi to come closer. She adjusted her dress before taking his strong outstretched hand, and settling down next to him.

It was amusing how small her hand was in his. Soft and warm against his skin, he probably held on to it a little longer than was necessary, but she didn't seem to notice or she didn't mind.

Now that they were all settled Fez reluctantly let go of Lexi's had and brought the basket closer. "Okay...now I didn't bring nothin fancy but it's all good. Trust me."

"I'm sure it is." Lexi grinned.

"Hell yeah it is." Fez excitedly opened the basket, pulled out the top compartment with the utensils and napkins, and then pulled out a plate covered in foil. "We got Fezco's specialty sandwiches." Next he pulled out two medium sized round tupperware containers, one was obviously a pie or dessert of some kind. "This right here," he tapped the light blue container " is kitty's doing, her famous macaroni salad. And this" he tapped the dark blue container shaped like a pie "is blackberry cobbler."

"Well call me impressed." Lexi raised her eyebrows. Fez merely shrugged, and clasped his hands together, "Hey you know. I do what I can." Fez fought the urge to smile like the Cheshire cat, but he couldn't help it.

Fez was a simple creature with simple needs and one of those needs just so happened to be impressing Lexi Howard. He knew by now he didn't need to, but he wanted to. He liked that there was an ease to it.

He never thought of himself as a super romantic person, but he was taught that if you like a girl you treat her a certain way. Then again, his grandmother had also told him love was an instinct you couldn't trust...for the first time he thought maybe she was wrong.

Fez passed Lexi a plate with the required utensils and napkin then got one for himself before they both filled their plates with a ridiculous amount of food.

He reached into the cooler with the drinks and produced a strawberry soda, Lexi's favorite flavor, before grabbing one for himself.

"Oh! My favorite! Now you've really outdone yourself." Lexi beamed.

Fez returned the smile. "Glad to hear it."

"Did you know the first sandwich created by John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, in 1762?  Apparently he was playing cards and didn't want to leave the table, so he asked his servants to bring him roast beef between two slices of bread so he could eat."

"Okay...you know I'm gonna ask..." Fez playfully rolled his eyes as he took a bite of his macaroni salad.

Lexi snorted in the midst of taking a big bite of her sandwich. She quickly chewed and swallowed before answering. "I was at the beauty parlor with my mom. I was bored and they had magazines. It was an article in Time magazine I believe," was her simple reply. She took a quick sip of her soda and took another bite of her sandwich.

"I bet you'd find an instruction manual interesting." Fez took a big bite of his own sandwich. Lexi stuck her tongue out at him, remnants of her bite of sandwich still there.

Fez scrunched up his nose, "Eww."

Lexi smacked his foot. "Why not, they're challenging." Fez laughed at this. He should have expected that kind of response from her.

"Okay so when did they invent those then miss smarty pants."

"I don't know everything." Lexi rolled her eyes before cooly forking some of her macaroni salad. " But if you must know a 2,000-year-old Greek tablet was found in 1900 supposedly the first manual ever made, it was for building houses." She stuffed the bite into her mouth and slowly lifted her eyes to meet Fez's. Fez raised a dense eyebrow before laughing.

"And how the hell you know dat?"

"Book on the history of architecture my dad left" Lexi gave Fez a cheeky smile before taking another drink of her soda.

"Mm hmm." Fez took a drink of his own soda, trying to keep from laughing again.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"You never did finish telling me about the play you're writing." Fez asked putting the last of the food back in the basket. "What exactly is the idea behind it" He mimicked Lexi, stretching out his legs and leaning back on his elbows.

"Oh ion know. It's about like a group of girlfriends who grow up and sort of grow apart."

"So like a coming of age story."

"Exactly!" Lexi gave an excited snap of her fingers. "But I'm worried...like it's based on real people I know, and there are definitely some things they won't like me sharing. Especially my sister. I guess I'm worried they might get their feelings hurt."

"Ohh you really stroking the bees nest with that one." Fez replied, clicking his tongue.

"Really? But that's not my intention at all."

"I mean, if someone invited me to a play and didn't tell me they'd be airing out all my dirty laundry I'd definitely have some questions."

"Like bad questions?"

"Depends on the play."

"Right...but like, would you be mad?"

"Depends on the play."

"Right. Ion know, It's just something I keep going back and forth on. Whether people will like it or not...or will they be upset by it, you know...that's if I even finish it." Lexi finished with a huff.

"You'll finish it...for sure. They'll be showing that shit on Broadway, girl."

"Yeah...we'll see." She sighed, obviously not agreeing with him.

"And I wouldn't worry about hurting their feelings... everybody gets their feelings hurt sometimes, you know? Sometimes people need to get their feelings hurt, you feel me?"

"Yeah...I don't know. This is like, for the first time I'm doing something for myself."

"Shit...I get you."

Fez suddenly smiled, his ears catching the new song that was playing. He glanced at Lexi through his lashes, looked down at her small hand next to his for a second. She looked back at him with a small smile, her cheeks the color of roses.

He took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze before tugging on it a little.

"Come on." He tugged a little harder as he stood up, easily lifting Lexi up with him.

"What are you doing?" Lexi let out a giggle as Fez pulled her close and took a hold of her other hand and started stepping to one side then to the other. Lexi fell in step with Fez's movements as they swayed. He cast her out with a twirl, his strong hand holding hers tightly before bringing her back to him, wrapping her tight in his arms.

Fez began humming with the song, then gradually began to sing along.

"No I won't be afraid. Oh, I won't be afraid. Just as long as you stand, stand by me".

He was no Ben E King but he didn't care. This night was going better than he could have ever imagined. He felt completely at ease, like he did this kind of thing all the time.

Lexi soon joined in with her own soft soprano voice as they continued to dance. "So darling, darling stand by me. Oh stand by me. Oh stand, stand by me."

He would have to tell her...and soon. He hadn't quite figured out how yet. For now, he would put that on the back burner until he could formulate some sort of plan. For now...he wasn't going to let all the uncertainties get to him. Everything was perfect here with the music, the sun...Lexi in his arms.

Fez spun Lexi again as they softly sang in unison.

"Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me. Oh stand by me, oh won't you stand now, stand...

Stand by me..."

[kaijubrains]

The environments in MH wilds look pretty nice so far.

I love MH world, because the environments were so cool. Coral highlands and rotten vale are just very interesting visually and conceptually. Peak stuff

Then MH Rise gave us some bland as fuck maps. They took such a step backwards, my god. Glad to see they are moving forward again.

[girlkisserr]

frosting infodump go (im lacking art ideas rn)

he was originally brought on with the Research Commission with the rest of the fifth fleet as a hunter since he was actually a pretty good hunter, and pretty much does normal hunter things like investigating stuff and taking down large monsters so the research can actually like happen

yea that was at least until he got his leg broken or something by a diablos and almost died immediately afterwards. its not to say he never sustained other injuries but a lot of them were somehow fortunately enough to not be super horrible even if some were still pretty major. (rib cracks fucking suck btw, he wouldnt want those again. dont get your chest crushed by an anjanath everyone)

since he couldnt walk he had to return back and have someone else handle it in his stead and spent the next while healing through that. rolled a nat1 on post traumatic arthritis and chronic pain upon ye! fuck your knee in particular idk. it sucked. he was annoyed and a little disappointed since it meant he might not be able to hunt anymore as he was still kind of still freshly healed at that point he gave it a bit more time. as he got better he started working lighter jobs again, mostly deliveries and nothing too labor intensive but eventually he got used to it even if he was still kind of annoyed he leg ouchie

he went out hunting anyway. he took the jobs again after being bored and yes he suffered the consequences always actually. (moving around is good but hes definitely pushed it way too much) and got forced into even less activity afterward because. knee hurt curse. something something emotional grief and accepting it eventually with some help he helped with forcing zorah magdaros out into the ocean (mostly manning a ballista) and then the months of whatever the hell happens between that and high rank in game idk

he got a cane, somewhere within that time frame after someone suggested it. nothing super fancy since he didnt really know what he'd want on it anyway. he also kind of psuedo retired as a hunter in favour of idk. becoming a quest handler instead, dipping a bit more into the research part or something and got assigned to another hunter (Odessa, who's owned by my friend @/thehappiestgolucky) and thry get to experience. the horrors. such as baby god (xeno jiiva)

he was both her quest handler and hunting partner in some form but he did a lot more monster tracking than actual fighting, also cooking for the road. his book is essentially just a giant hunter's journal with whatever information about monsters he gets and notes it down. at some point they all move to Seliana and he begins his winter hating arc

the cold made it a lot harder to ever do actual hunts and he'd retreat back to camp a lot more, heat packs were the most friend ever and for a solid while he actually made the mistake of staying in a little too long instead of trying to move around (but with the advice of that he felt a lot better) snow and ice however. mean to him. they got him an ice pick for his cane so he doesnt fall over

he does actually have at least one other cane with a wider base for more support, since all the locales reasonably are a little mean to him. forest is fine but mostly lays in tripping over a tree root or something. wildspire just tires him the hell out (and the sun means the metal part of his cane heats up and he Has absolutely accidentally touched it before) since the sand isnt the best place to walk

coral highlands is. its a lot of highland so hes been a lot more careful regarding it and rotton vale, while he didn't really want to go down there again. bones are tripping hazards and bones are spiky and sharp and theres also effluvium which honestly could not be good for any hunter to breathe in like that flatout. you are going to fuck up your lungs.

other random things. hes just kind of shy about his appearance in a way. even if most of the other hunters dont *seem* to judge him (they signed up for danger they know this is a possibility) the occasional pity glance or remarks are just. thanks! i guess! though it doesnt bother him as much anymore it does still a little bit. overall hes also kind of shy in the way of being seen like anywhere without most of his outfit on (the hot springs) not in a gender dysphoric kind of way, if anything he passes just fine but also theres the weird little fear of judgement

for the most part he had his own room living in Astera, not super fancy but it was cozy enough. in Seliana his lodging is bigger but still sort of a one floor cabin with everything he'd need. he doesn't use his cane while indoors but he likes having it within reach. also travelling. the line from rise where sometimes hunters go "oh sweet a chair/bench" is exactly what he mutters to himself every single time he finds somewhere to sit. most of it as a kind of joke but he needs it

he retired from the commission completely at some point at the age of roughly 18-19 and moved out to Kamura, bringing most of his old hunter gear and journals with him. and then. the horrors (the rampage)

the fact that he ends up meeting Odessa again anyway is kind of hilarious though

[i-can-even-burn-salad]

You've reminded me how much I miss GW2, so: 9, 11, and 17 please?

Thank you for the ask! :D

9. Do you remember any specific times when the game made you go “oh shit” in a good way?

The honest answer would be no, but that's memory issues 😅😂

Oh! I remembered one! I was in Orr, and I looked up, and I saw just how freaking high some of those towers were!

I was in Blazeridge, climbing on top of ruins, and the dragons swooped by.

Climbing the sky trails in the Desert Highlands and seeing the palace in the sky.

Glint's Lair, and Istan, and the boiling sea in Draconis Mons.

Doing current events and suddenly everywhere were those sad, shiny, naked dudes sobbing and vanishing.

Hopping into WvW (when I could still be bothered) in the evening to grab something and end up defending borderlands until 5 am with like 5 people.

Soloing the last 25% of Lupi on a build not made for it after everyone died, because I wanted to rub it into the pug's face.

Going EotM to grab a WvW daily, and while capping a reactor, a second player joined, and we looked at each other, looked at the tower (which as also daily) and were like: Wanna try?

3 hours later, the two of us had capped everything on the whole map, single-handedly, including the two enemy keeps. Most epic moment of my gaming life. Never saw them again.

11. What’s your favourite feature that’s been added to the game since you started?

Since I had another 11, this time I'll say gliding. Movement in this game is ON FUCKING SPOT, and I have never felt as satisfied in any game than I did jumping off some high cliffs and going swoosh.

Mounts really are a close second to gliding.

17. Favourite location?

I really do like Divinity's Reach (I'm boring), the district with the carnival and the confetti flying is <3 I also love Bitterfrost, I spent too much money back then on getting the vantage point teleport item and worst of all, I don't even regret it. Just chilling under a cherry blossom tree.

But my fav gotta be Orr. Oh hey *wanders back to question 9*

I don't know what it is. The weird architecture (I mean, cool stone arch, bro, but did you, you know, build houses?), the theme of the gods, the rainbow shimmering corals and glowing orbs, Arah, which I am very fond of.

When One Path Ends was announced, I was SO excited 😂 I do love Siren's Landing as well.

*deep sigh*

The world is so pretty, yet here I am, fangirling over post apocalyptic oil spill wasteland full of monsters.

[yuri-cocaine]

ffxivwrite 2023: fair

Edda Puffin knew she wasn't exactly anyone's definition of a fair maiden, but she still tried her best. White sundress, big straw hat stuck with daisies, chunky coral jewelry, strappy sandals. She was in charge of the flower stall this year at the Aleport County Fair, although she wished she wasn't. Her big sister Ayleth fit the image of a flower seller much better, with her pink dress and pink ribbon and braided hair. As she carefully packed bouquets onto the family chocobo, Edda calculated all the different ways she might shirk work and go eat her weight in fair food.

The Puffin Flower Farm was one of many farms in Halfstone that had a stall at the fair, for it was one of the biggest money-making events of the year. Visitors from all over came to sample Aleport's brews, and the more they drank, the more they spent on food. Enterprising culinarians bought so much local fruits and produce that chocobo carts carrying farm fresh crops ran nonstop back and forth from Halfstone to Aleport all hours of the day. The fair was also a popular destination for lovebirds, and the Puffins made a pretty penny selling bouquets and corsages and flower crowns. They also sold flower garlands and streamers to the fair staff in all the colors they asked for--crimson Bloodshore roselles, soft pink lilybells, glowing white raincatchers, cerulean moongrasses, bright yellow sunflowers.

Last time she was at the fair, Edda had been seeing a Highlander girl called Marnie, whose parents were sommeliers. Marnie was tall and graceful with a sailor style dress and a delicate parasol to shield her from the sun, and she seemed too high class for a farm girl, but Edda impressed her by flawlessly playing the entire fiddle solo for Menphina's song. The bowstring snapped afterwards, and Marnie laughed delightedly as Edda struggled to find a replacement. Then Marnie went home back to Aleport, and Edda never got in touch with her again.

Such was the way of things. No use leaving a heart in pieces over sudden summer romances. Edda bundled away the last of her flowers, and set off.

[voidnull-crow]

Yknow what, no, it needs to be said.

Yeosang is red.

He stands out, for good reason. But he’s not just the light shades, the bright, the alluring, the sharp. He’s also the darker ones. The ones that are warm and comforting and as deep and drowning as the ocean. He’s the bubblegum pink and the crimson and the maroon and the burgundy. He’s the red in the sunset, so striking it takes your breath away, makes you pause, makes you admire it before it’s gone below the horizon. He’s the red in highland lilies, so delicately pretty and inviting yet dangerous. The red of wines and the red of coral. Your eyes are meant to be drawn to him.

Yunho is blue.

You may not notice him immediately, but he’s in everything. He’s cool and comforting and a constant quiet presence, like the sky. He’s chameleonic, having such a wide range of shades to blend with any color he’s put with; the blue green, the blue purple, the blue gray of stone. He’s commanding and bold like the gem blues of sapphire and lapis lazuli. He’s the blue in peacocks, regal, flashy, eye catching. He’s the blue of glacial ice, glowing and endless and powerful like you’ve never seen. You can’t look away when you do notice him.

Whoever picked their mic colors picked right.

Pspspspspsps blue and red shippers

Observe

[tobii-kadachii]

some landscape photography

[talesofsonicasura]

Cheshire and the 5 Great Villages

Hello folks! Another section fot Madness New World: Wild. Here we'll be on the main Grunt formed villages alongside the Hunter that helps keep the peace between them, Cheshire Masamune. Let's begin with our Hunter.

Cheshire Masamune is a hunter from Kamura who went on the expedition to the New World in hopes of helping his village find a defense against the countless hordes of monsters that tend to attack it every 50 years called the Rampage.

He's often referred to as the 'Cheshire Cat' for his cryptic mannerisms towards strangers, his mouth scars that make him look like he's constantly smiling and unique armor set called the Enigmatic Spectre.

In truth, he didn't fully save himself when his team got wiped out by a mysterious force. An juvenile Elder Dragon known as Blackveil Vaal Hazaak had been caught in the lethal struggle. Both had saved each other unaware of the powerful bond that would be forged between the two as they worked together to survive. This Elder Dragon was given the name Ainz and serves as Chesire's main source of transportation.

Thanks to this life changing incident, Cheshire learns he has gained the ability to commune with monsters even being able to form partnerships towards a select few. Something he used to help the various Grunts thrive and be able to form their villages with minimum issues.

Now onto the villages, there are 5 main ones with small outpost like towns scattered across the New World. One major village in each main biome: Ancient Forest, Wildspire Wastes, Coral Highlands, Rotten Vale and Elder's Recess. Let's check them out shall we?

Ancient Forest: Status Quarry Village

-Run by Status Quo with Chieftain being 2BDamned

Main village that the Fifth Fleet set up base at upon arriving to the New World. Many of the occupants consist of normal Grunts but a few Zeds, MAGs and G03lms can also be found.

Status Quo handle important subgroups that help the village function from Supply Management, Foragers, Survey Scouts, Defenders and of course Hunters. Only member of Status Quo not tied to Status Quarry Village is Hank J. Wimbleton.

Hank is under Cheshire's stead, partnered together so the Grunt wouldn't do anything stupid. If things get seriously bad back at the village, he immediately returns as even Elder Dragons can't handle his vicious fighting style.

Sanford leads the Foragers while Deimos is tasked with assisting the Survey Scouts. 2BDamned handles the village affairs since most of his team aren't really good at negotiations nor diplomacy.

Wildspire Wastes: Rawshack Village

-Run by chieftain Sheriff

The second main village can be found in the middle of the Wildspire Wastes. Normal Grunts and G03lms make up a majority of the population with some Zeds. If you are looking for explosives, then Rawshack Village is the best to go to.

The village forces consist mostly of former bandits or rouges so they tend to find the best places to search for resources. Other than living his cowboy dream, Sheriff handles most of Rawshack Village's matters with Church and Jorge being the places two main defenders.

Escorts are another specialty to this particular village as the bandit skillset can make finding safer routes and good vantage points for long range fighting easier.

Coral Highlands: Titan Village

-Run by Chieftain Torture

3rd main village but also one of the largest. MAGs makes up most of the population with a few G03lms and normal Grunts. A lot of Lynians such as Grimalkynes also live here. Have pretty good ties with Rawshack Village.

MAGs tend to be very aggressive in nature however the vibrant nature of the Coral Highlands make them much more benign and hospitable unless on the hunt. Every MAG has a Palico to help manage their aggressive tendencies. Titan village usually transport heavy materials to the other villages, even providing MAG fighters if a village or town isn't properly defended.

Torture is a grunt of a few words so his trusty Palico Bullet speaks for him most of the time. He also keeps the much more dangerous monsters that come from the lower levels of the Coral Highlands at bay as Elder Dragons frequent the deeper sections of the New World, causing chaos in their wake.

Rotten Vale: Hell Circus Village

-Run by Chieftain Tricky Hofnarr

The fourth main village located in the corpse riddened Rotten Vale with Zeds being the entire population. Normally the Rotten Vale isn't a great place to set up villages due to effluvium, a bacterium that causes dead flesh to decay faster and are toxic to a lot of creatures.

Such a thing should be lethal to Zeds but something very odd occurred instead. Effluvium can apparently benefit Zeds by returning the identity of who they once were before zombification, memories and personality rapidly coming back. A symbiotic relationship that has yet to be fully understood.

Living Grunts affected by Effluvium enter a state call Partial Death. This state will result in zombification if they die with effluvium still in their bodies. A sign of partial death is a slight green tint to their skin.

Tricky is a very unique case upon Effluvium exposure. The side of him that's Hofnarr is brought back but the side that is Tricky still remained. In short, one body now held two different personalities. Hofnarr handles all political affairs while Tricky deals with the fighting parts.

Anyone who wants to reach the Elder's Recess the safest way possible will usually seek out escorts from this village. The Zeds natural ability to dig led to the creation of a special tunnel work across the New World.

Elder's Recess: Origin Village

-Run by Jebus Christoff

The last main village and the first ever established. A heavily fortified city that does research on the Elder's Recess and various Elder Dragons frequenting it. The population is equal split between MAGs, Nornal Grunts, G03lms and Zeds.

Jebus deals with any Elder Dragons that exhibit one peculiar behavior, trying to delve deep into the forbidden section. This section being the very one Cheshire's team explored before a mysterious event killed all but the Kamura hunter.

Elder Dragons are walking disasters that are rumored to be able to end the world if left unchecked. Hearing that multiple are trying to go in this one specific place didn't mean anything good.

All Chieftains believe that something is attracting the Elder Dragons but are unable to perform any proper investigations. Jebus does know that whatever it is could hold disastrous consequences for everyone should it get loose. Hank and Cheshire are usually called in when multiple Elder Dragons proceed to breach the forbidden section.

That's all I have for now. I'll be going over the various Madness Combat cast's different equipment alongside some extra stuff in a different post. Rather not have this get too long. Cheshire Masamune will appear in one other AU, he ain't exclusive to Madness New World.

Until next time folks, continue to thrive in the madness and I'll see you later.

[heyitsmejona]

I am exited for Cantha and just got the new Skimmer mastery but don’t know what to do with it or myself - A GUIDE!

Hello fellow GW2-players! This is a guide for cool places you can explore with your Skimmer!

Requirements: 

You theoretically only need the Skimmer but to get the full experience you may also need the Springer (bunny) or any other mount you feel is appropriate. You can follow this guide alone but it may be more fun to do this in a group, as it is most likely you encounter a few difficult situations! If you want to make some money with it you need to bring a few gathering tools like sickle & pickaxe.

You can also only do most of the stuff if you have PoF and LW Season 3 & 4!! However, this guide has 15 steps in total and if you want to save money, the first 5 steps can be done without using waypoints. Don’t worry if you don’t have the map on your character yet, you can use tp to friend if a player of your party is on the map! Furthermore, I did not calculate the time needed to complete the guide but I would estimate it might take ~ 2 h if you’re fast and 3+ h if you are in a group and/or you want to complete everything!

Oh, and to all the roleplayers out there, this includes a few awesome places for some rp-sessions. 

DISCLAIMER: I am not accountable for any danger you get into or deaths that will happen to you!! Also this is a super super long post with visuals so I’ll hide the rest under the break!

If you’re ready: mount-up and let’s get into it!

Overview:

map

1. Bitterfrost Frontier:

Start from the Sorrow’s Eclipse WP and dive down! You’ll find a quaggan city and some corals! You can also loot all the chests gathered on the ice lake and maybe farm a bit of Winterberries if you feel like it. If you are finished you can leave through a portal to Frostgorge Sound and travel to the Earthshake WP and move on to the next step! 

2. Fireheart Rise:

On this map are two cool places! The first one is in Highland Thaw (upper left corner of the map), to reach it you have to start at the Rustbowl WP (Portal from Frostgorge Sound) and move up/north. You’ll find a lake with some underwater ruins and if you’re lucky a rich platinum vein. But be aware, there is sometimes a group event to kill an ice worm, at least 3-4 players are required to finish it.

The second place is further down on the map, you can travel to the Severed Breach WP and swim in dirty water and travel up/ north again until you reach a cool spot where some lava rivers hit the water. Looks really beautiful. Also, if you’re feeling extra fancy, there is one jumping puzzle and a hidden mini dungeon near the lake you can complete.

To reach the next destination leave the map over the Sati WP to the Iron Marches and travel south to the Dew Claw WP and leave the map.

3. Plains of Ashford:

Start from the Ascalon City WP and go east to Foefire’s Heart (poi) and if you glide down with your skimmer you’ll reach a blue cave with a cool hidden spot for some roleplaying!

To reach the next step, travel to Lion's Arch with the portal in the Black Citadel and go through a portal there to the Southsun Cove.

4. Southsun Cove:

Start from the Pearl Islet WP and go down/south to the beach where you can roleplay a bit and then move west to Sawtooth Bay where you will find some cool sunken ships and lots of sharks. Sometimes there even is a group event to kill a shark! Also a cool fun fact, you can enter the Privateer's Moorage and go down to the  cargo bay/the heart of the ship! Which is also a cool spot for some roleplaying as there are only some craps inside.

5. Rata Sum:

Go to the Port WP. There is nothing special in the water except some Triopen and weird electrical fishes but if you travel north you’ll reach a dam (wall) which you can climb onto with your Springer but be aware if you dare move further north you’ll land in Asura Jail, and I am not joking about that, try it out with your friends! To reach the jail like a normal person go to the Research WP and go north to the Peacemakers HQ where you can go down the stairs and you will enter the cell block of Rata Sum. Very cool for some roleplaying, if you are into that. (jk)

6. Draconis Mons:

Wow, have you ever wanted to swim in the sulphuric water of the volcano without dying? Now your time has come, mount-up and dive down. But not to deep or the game will threaten you with murder! You can start from the Mariner Landing WP and go wild. You won't see much anyways.

7. Ember Bay:

Start from the Promontory WP and travel south to the Sulfurous Deep, you’ll find a seaweed farm spot, some corals and if you feel like it, go farm some lotus on the nearby island/shore as well.

8. Malchor’s Leap:

There is much to explore here! It’s best if you start from the Lights WP and move west. You’ll find some cool statues from Malchor, an abandoned quaggan village, sunken ships and weird orrian architecture! Near the sunken ships is a group event where you have to kill a captain and her pet and in the big ship is something weird??? I haven't figured it out yet, but if you enter the bridge of the Harbinger (poi) there is like a veteran creature and some corpses swimming around, from there you can go deeper into the ship and you’ll find a door with some weird dialogue, idk man. Something cursed is going on there. Also The Harbinger has some cool lore, you can check out the Marriner Plaque on deck. If you move south from there you will find some weird swimming architecture and a group event with three bosses no one does, like ever.

9. Sirens Landing:

Okay, soo this one might be interesting for some of you! You can start from the Camp Reclamation WP and lo and behold, there are some shirtless Sylvari volunteers in the bay area! Yeah, moving on… you can find some orrian oysters and corals in the water and if you move east you’ll find The Buoyant Bough (poi) which has some nice plants on deck and if you put two and two together you’ll find some implied bouncing mushroom (HoT mastery) lore. Overall a good spot for some roleplaying! You can move up/north afterwards and do the jumping puzzle on the island, if you feel that's necessary. Otherwise there are more orrian oysters in the water and if you swim into the direction of the Choking Depths (what a cool name, you guys) you’ll find some very big and awesome sea urchins on the ocean floor!

10. Thunderhead Peaks:

Start from the Revolution’s Heart WP and move down to the Shattered Bay (poi in the bottom left corner), collect Volatile Magic and some Dragon Crystal Nodes on the way and if you finally reach the bay, there is a clam farming spot deep down in the water. From there you can move east to the Ice Floe and on the ground of the ocean you’ll find a seaweed farm. But be aware, both farming spots are guarded by some dangerous creatures.

11. Desert Highlands:

Start from the Brightwater WP and move west to the Transcendent Bay, if you have the Jackal portal mastery you can collect a chest in the giant vases, otherwise swim further east and you’ll find an underwater farming spot for clams!

12. Crystal Oasis:

Start from the Amnoon WP and take your Raptor on a walk and travel west to the harbor area, you can dive down and visit the old city of Amnoon, some sunken ships and a few corals. Afterwards swim south, you can make a stop at the swimming party boat for rich kids, do some roleplaying and move on. In the furthest bottom left corner of the map, like really far down you’ll find another clam farming spot. If you are lucky like me you’ll see a salomon and a shark fighting and a whale between the giant seagrass pillars. (Which was really beautiful, I cried a little bit.) And if you feel extra fancy and want to challenge yourself, you can climb on the weird cliff structure where the mastery point is. On top of the rocks are some Scarab Caches where you can get a Mini Scarab (small drop chance) if you’re lucky!

13. Domain of Vabbi:

You can start from the Market Ruins WP and move up/north or you follow the river down/south. Really far down in the south is a small chest, you tell me if it's worth it or nah. However, if you move up/north you can enter a cave right next to the red raid portal. The cave is super pretty and if you make it over a small wall you can enter a jumping puzzle of some sort, but there are super many branded elementals wandering around and at the end chest spawns a giant Volatile Magic man, whom you need to defeat for an achievement. (forgot which one though, sorry!) This one’s really dangerous, it's best if you do it with some friends. But I mean if you’re feeling especially daring like me you can do it alone too, I guess. I warned you though!

14. Domain of Kourna:

This one’s not really all that special, I just wanted to include it because I really like the meta on that map and would totally recommend it to you! I somehow like the map i.g., idk don’t question me. It’s best if you start from the Allied Encampment WP and follow the river and move down south, the water there is slimy but you’ll find some mussels on the shore! You can travel until you reach the bottom left corner where you’ll discover cute coelacanths swimming around and about. (Honestly, f*ck you Joko for polluting the water, have some Respect.)

15. Domain of Istan:

Phew, you have reached the last step! Start from the Champion’s Dawn WP and follow the river into the ocean. There is like a small empty fishing boat, cool, cool, great spot for some roleplaying. When you’re moving on, dive down to the ocean floor and travel further south until you reach Mehtani’s Blade, there is like an awesome anchor in the water, 10/10 would recommend. Also, more coelacanths in the water and in a much better and healthier environment. I am happy for them, this is what they deserve. Whoop, getting off track here, soo the bigger ship, the Mehtani’s Blade has some cool lore, you can speak to the ghost captain! (Also, a good inspiration for a character's story/backstory!) And to finish your trip on a good note, go west to the entrance of the Grotto of the Defeated where you can read some funny notes on the wall, really, go check them out!

Thank you for your attention, I hope you had lots of fun and discovered some new stuff in GW2!

[crystal-beast-tamer]

I’d like to add that the Elder Dragons (the “proper” dragons plus…basically anything that doesn’t fit the other monster types, like a literal bone-covered squid in Nakarkos) are specifically treated with a degree of mysticism, but mainly in the sense of having poorly understood ecologies and biologies.

The ultimate exception, of course, is Fatalis, who is basically a stereotypical “evil” fairy tale dragon, divorced from the usual imaginative realism that pretty much every other monster is subject to, which is the entire point. Same with Safi’Jiiva looking like a “normal” red dragon, even with it keeping the utterly alien powers of it’s very alien looking juvenile form, Xeno’Jiiva.

As for the general designs, while the designs are perhaps a bit chunky, they’re still made to fit into an ecosystem, and subversions of the normal imaginative realism are deliberate. Also, to add to that, not everything with wings actually flies, as Diablos, Basarios, and Gravios (the latter two both being two stages of life for own species, Bassrios the juvenile stage and Geavios the adult) are Flying Wyverns (the most “wyvern” wyverns, so to say) that are heavy enough that they don’t actually like to fly at all (if they can at all, since the Gravios don’t really even fly for more than the briefest of moments), with Diablos in particular (on stop of being an aggressive as heck herbivore) even preferring to dig with it’s wings instead (even having nails more akin to shovels that are better suited to that task as well as staying atop of sand in it’s usual desert habitats instead of sharp hooks,). Then there’s the wingless Fying Wyverns of Akantor and Ukanlos, who merely have the same model skeleton (and in-universe, probably a similar enough skeleton sans wings) as monsters like Tigrex and Nargacuga (and the only monster with that sort of skeleton to really be able to fly is the Barioth, the rest usually only gliding).

Really, I could ramble on about the imaginative realism at play, like the literal symbiosis (with bugs, no less) that fuels the wolf-like Zignore’s electrical powers or how the Brachydios similarly has symbiosis as well (with a slime mold, too), as well as how the monsters act with other monsters and their own kin (Rathalos and Rathian are the same species, just the males and females of it, and are fiercely protective parents. Side note for them, Rathalos is the more air-oriented one between them, and actually has larger wings to match alongside his venom being in his talons compared to the Rathian having it in her tail).

So…yeah. My apologies if you didn’t expect me to ramble so much. I admit, Monster Hunter is a series with a lot of cool designs with some imaginative realism baked in. If you ever look more into it, the world of MH is vast and complex, even including basically a coral reef atop a mountain (the Coral Highlands) fed by a giant monster graveyard (the Rotten Vale) down below, both filled with matching monsters. There’s also the new Oilwell Basin, which is basically a landscape of oil with monsters adapted to it like the freaky-but-cool Rompopolo and currently mysterious “Black Flame, true name unknown but the monster is basically a fiery octopus with oil covering it, so…yeah, I’d encourage looking more into it. It’s real cool stuff, even if the monsters probably are a bit chunky by IRL standards.

Ok, I’m a big Monster Hunter fan, and so I’d like to ask…what do you think of how they go about their mosnters’ wings? Especially given they’ve done some redesigns to them (compare Yian Garuga’s old design)s wings to the new design’s to see what I mean).

oh gosh, there are so many creatures in the monster hunter series and I only know things via my best friend who enjoys playing the game and rambling to me about the worldbuilding and fantasy ecology lol.

I think the wing designs vary in quality. a lot of them, like the yian garuga you mentioned, have oddly chunky wing fingers and are missing a patagium. there are cases where i think the patagium can be ignored, like how modern day flying lizards and squirrels don't have a membrane on the upper side of their forelimbs, but when you're going for that batwing shape on a dragon creature, I just feel like it helps the design look more practical.

The more badass a creature is meant to be, the more chunky it tends to get as well, which only makes them look heavy and impractical in my opinion. from what I understand though, the new games have been getting better with their creature designs and leaning in more with the worldbuilding which is real cool! I appreciate the lore that treats them like actual living animals in an interconnected environment.

[scurpmun]

So I had a thought.

In the Coral Highlands before the feline tribe place.

When Kan wants some place to listen or some time kinda to himself he'll be there just humming a song to himself.

And he's pretty easy to find when he's there cause normally nothing else is there besides a few fish and maybe some birds

[wanderers-minuet]

PSA For Skysteel Gathering Tools

You need to gather a metric TON of HQ items for the Skysteel gathering tools.

Through trial and error over a few hours, I found that certain areas have certain node bonuses that work more in your favor for this endeavor.

I will attempt to explain as well as I can, please bear with my napkin math here, and if I’m wrong or you see errors in my logic please let me know. This was my own experience, I’m happy to update this with other people’s info/experiences so we can all work together towards our upgrades faster!

So.

Both sets of items, for the first and second upgrades, have two locations to get them. One has +yield and some +attempt nodes, the other has +hq chance and +attempt nodes. You’d think “oh hey +hq% that’s rad I want that.”

Except you don’t. Those nodes with the +hq% only push you to like...50-52%. I’m pentamelded except tools, with perception food, and that’s as high as I got on those nodes without abilities. Which are only 4 hit. You have to spend extra gp to get more yield (400 BY/BH II for +2, which brings you to a total of...3 yield per swing for 12 yield per node?), and even more gp if you want to boost the hq% more (100 for 10%, 300 for 30-100%), plus 10+gp per swing if you use the random increase hq% skill (it can override itself if the % is higher). So thats 500-700 +40+ gp for 12 possible items if you’re maxing your hq% (less if you sub in +yield abilities instead of +hq... but...) 

Meanwhile, the +yield nodes are either +2 or +4. With a base 30% hq chance boosted with the 300gp skill, i got to about 60-63% depending on food and luck, a few times i got 70. I then used the 100gp to boost yield even more (+2) for a total of 7 yield per swing (400gp). On a 4 hit node with the +4 yield. That’s 20-28 yield per node, possibly. You can boost the hq% even more with the 10gp skill that adds a random hq% on top of what you have (only applies if the roll is higher, so you can do it multiple times before you swing until you like the % or run out of gp), if you have over 700gp. 740 to do all of the above. TLDR of above: on the +yield nodes you need a minimum of 700gp to max out hq%, and every 10gp after that can push the % a little higher. The same applies to the +hq nodes, but you get FAR LESS yield.

Of course your mileage may vary based on your stats, but overall the +yield nodes were MUCH FASTER than the +hq ones - in the span of an hour I made it to about 200-220 if i recall using the +hq nodes, vs changing to the +yield nodes and getting the next 200-250+ in like 20-30 minutes. I am fully pentamelded Facet Gear except tools, which have one overmeld each. So I’m pretty well prepped and that’s the mileage I was getting.

GREAT, you say. Now tell me where to find what and where and which nodes. First, make sure you have a decent supply of perception food to boost Unearth/Leaf Turn III and cordials. I used a ton of cordials.

Gathering Part One

For the first gathering sets, you need 340 HQ of one item, and 120 NQ of a second item, both on the same node. The second item is a Hidden item, so it randomly pops up. 

Botany requires 340 Oddly Specific Latex HQ, and 120 Oddly Specific Fossil Dust NQ. Mining requires 340 Oddly Specific Obsidian HQ, and 120 Oddly Specific Mineral Sand NQ.

The botany nodes are as follows:

Dravanian Forelands - Whilom River - +hq% nodes

The Sea of Clouds - The Whale’s Crown - +yield nodes

The mining nodes are as follows:

Coerthas Western Highlands - Red Rim - +hq% nodes

The Sea of Clouds - Ok’Vundu Vana - +yield nodes

I recommend focusing on getting the NQ items first (I even prioritized them on +4 nodes), and just smacking away at nodes with no hidden mats hoping for HQ hits until that part is done without bothering with GP unless capped, then you can focus the rest of your time on using your GP/cordials on the main material. I saved my GP for the +4 yield nodes, and if I capped before I saw one again I’d use Unearth/Leaf Turn I for 100gp on a +2 node, which were rather common, or a few uses of the 10gp skill.

Gathering Part Two

The mats for the second set follow the same pattern as the first, except you need more of them (and a different material).

Botany requires 510 Oddly Specific Amber HQ, and 180 Oddly Specific Bauble NQ. Mining requires 510 Oddly Specific Dark Matter HQ, and 180 Oddly Specific Striking Stone NQ.

The botany nodes are as follows:

Coerthas Western Highlands - Ashpool - +hq% nodes

The Churning Mists - Four Arms - +yield nodes

The mining nodes are as follows:

The Dravanian Hinterlands - The Daggers - +hq% nodes

The Dravanian Forelands - Mourn - +yield nodes

Again, I recommend focusing on getting the NQ items first (I even prioritized them on +4 nodes), and just smacking away at nodes with no hidden mats hoping for HQ hits until that part is done without bothering with GP unless capped, then you can focus the rest of your time on using your GP/cordials on the main material. I saved my GP for the +4 yield nodes, and if I capped before I saw one again I’d use Unearth/Leaf Turn I for 100gp on a +2 node, which were rather common, or a few uses of the 10gp skill.

I have not done the fishing part yet, but fishing doesn’t really have any “node bonuses” that I know of - you just need to buy the special bait and find the right fishing hole. You need 40 Thinker’s Coral HQ (The Dravanian Hinterlands - Thaliak River) and 60 Dragonspine HQ (Coerthas Western Highlands - Dragonspit).

Anyway please like and share if you think this is helpful, and let me know if there is something I can do to make it clearer or fix mistakes. Good luck out there!

[evilrubberducke]

Strangers in a Strange Land- Chapter 5- Miasma

Art by the lovely @wolfy1298​!

After Quite a while, chapter 5 is up! Sorry it took so long, but I hope the chapter length makes up for it a little.

In this chapter, a celebration is had, a new area is explored, and a careless action has consequences

Read it on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20280019/chapters/54112678

Read it on FF.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13365894/5/Strangers-in-a-Strange-Land

Teaser under cut.

"Everything looks good," the medic said, making a final note on the form she was filling out before handing it to Izuku, "Congratulations, Mr. Midoriya. You're cleared for active duty."

Izuku let out a sigh of relief while Mina cheered loudly. He'd been feeling perfectly fine for nearly a week now, but it was nice to finally have official confirmation.

"Yes, yes, We're all very excited," the medic said dryly. "Now, how about you two get going and stop disturbing the other patients?"

"Sorry!" Mina chirped, with a smile on her face that said she was anything but, "C'mon Izuku! Let's bounce!"

She grabbed his arm and practically dragged him out of the medical ward, to the great amusement of the rest of the patients. The laughter that followed the pair out of the building caused Izuku to flush with embarrassment. Well, that and the fact that he was hyper aware of the way Mina was gripping his hand.

The revelation that he had fallen for Mina had made things much more difficult for Izuku. So many interactions seemed to take on a different tone now, from their simple daily chats to their sleeping arrangements.

During his convalescence, Mina had taken to sleeping at the foot of his bed, next to or sometimes even on top of his feet. At first Izuku had thought little of the gesture. Mina had been shaken by the encounter with the Kirin and felt guilty for leading them into the fight. As time had passed, however, and she made no move to return to her own bed Izuku had become more and more aware of her presence every night. She might be stuck in a feline body, but he couldn't ignore the fact that he was spending every night in bed with a girl, or the fact that her original form had been quite pretty.

"So," Mina said, jolting him from his thoughts, "What do you wanna do first? There's a big battle going down in the arena between some A-listers and a pair of Paolumu, so we could go watch that, or we could go fishing again. I heard someone spotted a platinum fish by the docks the other day. Or we could do something else. I'm open to ideas!"

"Mina, we should probably report to the Commander first. He should know that I'm back to full health."

"Fiiiiiiine," Mina sighed, "you're right. But then we're gonna do something fun and not work related to celebrate!"

"Sounds good," Izuku said with a small smile.

"Hey you two!" the Field Team Leader called, waving them up to the command section of the Tradeyard, "What mischief are you up to today?"

"Actually, we came to see you and the Commander," Izuku replied, "I was just cleared for active duty, so we came to let you know."

"Excellent news!" the Commander said, looking up from the stack of papers he was perusing "Tell me, are you up for exploring a new area?"

Izuku and MIna didn't even have to look at each other to confirm. They both nodded in perfect synchronization.

"Perfect," the Commander said. "Now, while you've been recuperating, our best technicians have been working hard to transform the Third Fleet's Research Base into an aerial research platform, a task that was completed several days ago. Finally, the area beneath the Coral Highlands is open for exploration."

"Ooooh!" Mina said, "What's it like? Is it as pretty as the Highlands?"

"Not quite," he replied with a chuckle, "The first reports describe it as an area dominated by decay and effluvium, earning it the tentative title of 'The Rotten Vale'"

"Oh come on!" Mina cried, throwing her paws up in dismay, "Why does this place have to keep jerking me around? We get one nice place to explore, and then it's back to the pits!"

"The pits is actually a fairly accurate description," the Field Team Leader cut in before she could continue her rant. "We know the Vale runs deep; we're just not sure how deep. The effluvium gets thicker as you go down, and our scouts are having a tough time dealing with it. Apparently it can sap your energy pretty quickly, and our standard issue masks aren't doing much to combat it. The second fleet is working on improvements, but it might take a while."

"And we can't afford a delay like that if we hope to pick up Zorah Magdaros's trail in time to reach it," the Commander said. "Which is why we're sending our best hunters to search for a way through or around the effluvium. If the two of you are willing, you can leave at first light for the Research Base, and travel with them to the Vale."

Izuku frowned. "Sir, if you're sending your best hunters, won't we just get in their way?"

A rare smile touched the Commander's lips while the Field Team Leader laughed openly, slapping his knee in amusement. Before Izuku could ask what was so funny, a furry elbow lodged itself in his stomach, causing him to fold in on himself in pain.

"He means us, you humble idiot!" Mina hissed.

Izuku flushed with embarrassment, both from his mistake and from the high praise. "S-sir... we, er, I don't—"

The Commander held up a hand to forestall Izuku's objections. "Let me stop you right there Mr. Midoriya. I've had reports from the ecological research team, the resource center, the Lynian Researcher, and the Chef, all of which were practically glowing and demanded that the two of you be assigned to their division on a permanent basis. You've earned every bit of praise and then some, believe me."

Izuku swallowed, pushing down his embarrassment as best he could. He wasn't entirely successful, and he could still feel his cheeks burning, but he at least managed to squeak out a response.

"Thank you, sir."

"You're most welcome. But both myself and the rest of the division leaders agree that mere praise isn't enough. Thankfully, the perfect opportunity to reward your hard work has presented itself. As you may be aware, the Fifth Fleet ended up being quite a bit larger than we expected, which has left us short on housing space, and the barracks rather packed. Recently, though, a private room in one of the more established districts of Astera has opened up, and we've agreed that you should be the ones to take it over. So, what do you say?"

"We'll take it!" Mina said, before Izuku could politely decline. He shot her a questioning look, and she shrugged. "What? I'm tired of people keeping me up with their snoring. I never thought I'd miss the UA dorms this much, but honestly I'd fight a pissed off Anjanath to have a private room again at this point."

"Uh, Mina, I'm pretty sure you'll still be sharing it with me," Izuku said, glancing to the Field Team Leader who nodded in confirmation.

"Well, yeah, but that's different," Mina said, turning slightly away from him. "You're much better company."

Now it was Izuku's turn to look away as he tried to hide the blush that was rising in his cheeks. He turned his gaze back to the Field Team Leader, who was grinning and wiggling his eyebrows, and the Commander, who looked pensive.

The look disappeared a moment later, though, and a small smile crossed the Commander's lips. "I suppose congratulations are in order, then." he slid a key across the table to Izuku, who pocketed it. "Take the rest of the day to get settled in your new room and to prepare for departure. A wingdrake will be ready to take you to the Research Base at dawn."

Next to Izuku, Mina shuddered involuntarily at the mention of the upcoming wingdrake ride, but didn't say anything. Even though Mina had accepted the necessity of wingdrake transport as the scope of the Commission's activities expanded, she had never gotten comfortable with them. She still shut her eyes during the rides and sank her claws into his leg for safety, despite the flights being relatively smooth.

"We'll be ready sir," Izuku said, snapping off a quick salute, with Mina following suit a second later.

"Glad to hear it," the Commander said, returning the salute.

With that, Izuku and Mina took their leave, heading off to take a look at their new abode.

"Is everything all right, grandfather?" the Field Team Leader asked, once the two hunters had departed, "You seemed a bit distracted just now."

The Commander sighed heavily and leaned on the table. "Apologies. My current projects have taken more of a toll on me than I expected."

The Field Team Leader nodded sympathetically "You could always let the division leaders handle more of the paperwork. It would lighten the load on you significantly."

The Commander shook his head. "They have enough work with their regular duties. I won't add to their burdens unnecessarily. Besides, with a bit of luck, my workload may just be lightening a bit in the next few days."

"Does this have anything to do with your secret investigation?" the Field Team Leader asked.

"Indeed," the Commander replied, picking up the top sheet from the pile he'd been looking over before Izuku and Mina had arrived. "I'll need to wait for the Captain to return from the guild in order to confirm some things, but I believe I've made a breakthrough just now."

"Now that's interesting. Any chance you feel like reading me in?"

"Not just yet. For something like this, I would rather have all the cards I can get before showing my hand. In the meantime though, let's get back to work on the supply lines to the Research Base," the Commander said, setting the paper back on the stack, which he pushed to the side.

The paper had yellowed slightly with age, and part of it had become illegible with water damage sustained on the voyage across the sea, but most of it could still be made out. It was filled with name after name, a list of hunters who had signed up for the expedition to the New World. The names on the list, however, were not what the Commander had been so interested in.

He was far more interested in the two names that were conspicuously absent.

Read the rest on AO3 or FF.Net! Links available on my blog if this post breaks them again.

[callsignbaphomet]

Slinger Ammo

So there are a total of 15 items you can equip to your slinger and all of them are valid in some way, shape or form. Here’s a tl;dr of what they do and can be used for. Oh and before we start all of these can be used to awaken a stunned partner, set off traps and bombs from a safe distance. Just wanted to get this out there as to avoid saying the same thing over and over again.

Stone Pods:

These are found everywhere and are not exactly something you wanna use on a monster per say. Can also be used to set off environmental traps and set off bombs from a safe distance. Overall not powerful and won’t stop monsters from retreating. Pretty useful for knocking out vespoids from the sky and can be used to safely kill them without destroying their bodies.

Redpit:

Also underwhelming and can pretty much be used for the same reason stones are used. Only very slightly more powerful, and I use this word sparingly and sarcastically, than stones. Can be found everywhere.

Brightmoss:

In terms of power it’s hilariously bad but it does have its uses. Use them to light up a dark area if you can’t see too well. This is also super useful against Jyuratodus. Hit that fish with it and when it swims underwater you can see where it goes as the glow will give its position away. I’m really hoping Capcom gives us a bit of a horror quest where we have to fight a monster in a really dark area and need to use these to tell where it’s going or where it is. Wishful thinking, that’s all.

Scatternut:

Starting to get to the good ones finally! Scatternuts can be used for the same reasons stones and redpits are used for but these do more damage, can actually KO a monster if you manage to hit it on the head and it’s fantastic for stopping retreating monsters. When they hit a surface they explode on impact. Can be found in Ancient Forest, Wildspire Wasteland, Coral Highlands and Rotten Vale.

Torch Pod:

These are a lifesaver when exploring the Rotten Vale, specifically the areas full of effluvium (the yellow mist of doom). Just shoot one on the ground and it’ll clear a considerably large area of the stuff. When it hits a monster it’ll do a bit of fire damage. These are also great when fighting Lavasioth and it decides to be an ass and harden its outer shell and causing your attacks to bounce back. Hit it with these to soften that spot so your attacks don’t bounce. Found everywhere though they are super uncommon in Coral Highlands. These will stagger monsters out of their attacks and can be used to stop their retreats.

Bomb Pod:

These do a lot more damage than the previous ones and they are my second favorite slinger ammo to use to detonate bombs. They can stagger monsters out of their attacks and will stop them from leaving. These are dropped by monsters and Bomb Beetles can be seen rolling them in the Elder’s Recess.

Piercing Pod:

These are pretty much Bowgun pierce ammo but for your slinger. They do a decent amount of damage and if you have the piercing skill activated it’ll do more damage. Just, for fuck’s sake, do not put on the piercing skill for these. It’ll up the damage but that ain’t enough to actually kill it. They’re dropped by various large monsters and helmcrabs. Excellent for staggering and stopping retreats.

Slinger Thorn:

These don’t do too much damage when they stick to the monster however if you managed to stick one on a monster’s head and you hit it it will cause Stun buildup. No good for staggers or stopping retreats. Dropped by large monsters and helmcrabs.

Dragon Pod:

These will cause a bit of dragon damage and will also apply Elderseal to Elder Dragons. These are dropped by Elder Dragons frequently so instead of using dragon weapons consider using weapons with their weakness and use the pods to cancel their auras. Golden and Shiny Gold helmcrabs in El Dorado drop these. Great for staggering but not for stopping retreats.

Puddle Pod:

These can be used to deal a bit of water damage and break mud coatings off monsters (Jyuratodus and Barroth). These are also fantastic against Tobi-Kadachi, when it raises the fur on its body hit it with a couple of these to short circuit it. When Anjanath becomes enraged and is frequently spitting fire hit a couple of these on its mouth and knock him on his ass for some free DPS and to put the fire out for a bit.

Crystalburst:

The mother of all slinger ammo! When they hit a monster they explode on impact causing massive stagger and these actually can cause a KO if it lands on the monster’s head. These will without a doubt stop even Elder Dragon attacks! Lunastra or Teostra about to Supernova? This stops it. Kushala Daora about to do its Cyclone? This stops it. Nergigante about to do Dive Bomb you into the next life? Hit him before he takes off and it’ll stop him in his tracks. This is also guaranteed to stop a retreating monster whether it’s an Elder Dragon or not. These are super useful for fainting Gajalaka in one hit. As of now pre Iceborne these are only found in Elder’s Recess and El Dorado.

Screamer Pod:

These make a shrill like sound that’ll force an underground Diablos and Black Diablos back to the surface giving you a few seconds of free DPS as it tries to get back out. Supposedly these will also force Jyuratudos and Lavasioth back up to the surface but I’ve tried it and it hasn’t worked for me. I only use these for the Diablos. You can craft these from screamer sacs harvested from the Noios found in the Wildspire Wasteland. However these won’t stop a retreating Diablos or Black Diablos.

Flash Pods:

These are priceless against flying monsters like Rathalos, Azure Rathalos, Legiana, Paolumu, Kushala Daora and Bazelguese. If you bring 10 Flashbugs with you you can pretty much make sure none of these ever fly during the quest. Abuse the fuck out of these pods. If you flash a flying monster it’ll come crashing down giving you a few seconds of free DPS. If the monster is grounded and you flash it it’ll blindly attack as it can’t find you. These can stop attacks and even stop retreating monsters. You get these by gathering flashbugs which are found everywhere and can even be cultivated in the Botanical Research Center. Regular monsters don’t become immune to these over time but tempered and arch tempered monsters are completely immune after the third successful flash. Kirin and Tzitzi-Ya-Ku are completely immune to flash pods whether regular or tempered (there is no tempered Tzitzi tho). WARNING! DO NOT EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES USE FLASH PODS AGAINST LUNASTRA. SHE WILL NOT COME CRASHING DOWN SHE’LL ONLY STAY AFLOAT FOR A FEW SECONDS AS SHE BLINDLY ATTACKS AND WHILE BLINDED SHE GETS VERY PISSED OFF AND THIS WILL TRIGGER HER TO USE HER SUPERNOVA ATTACK!

Dung Pod:

Also priceless especially during High Rank. Hitting a monster with this will cause it to leave the area. This is really useful for when Bazelguese or Deviljho invade your quest. Also useful when you’re doing capturing quests as the target monster may end up fighting another monster and it could actually get killed therefore failing the quest--THANKS RATHALOS YOU NOSEY BASTARD! You can find dung everywhere and even see some dung beetles rolling some away. I suggest you start hoarding this the second you start playing the game. These cause no stagger and will not stop retreats. It’ll actually make them retreat. Some monsters leave after getting hit once others take a little more convincing.

Throwing Knives:

These are tiny knives that fit your slinger and can be used to craft ailment inflicting knives. Some quests will provide these knives whether bare or already crafted but only in Low Rank quests. The knives are supplied to you by the game in some of these LR quests and even Arena and Special Arena quests. In High Rank you may get them from Gajalaka that ran away. They may be bare or already upgraded. 

Knife + Parashroom = paralysis knife

Knife + Toadstool + poison knife

Knife + sleep herb = sleep knife

These status knives will inflict the ailment the fastest, yes, even faster than the LBG can. Sadly there are no knives for purchase anywhere.

And that’s pretty much the gist of slinger ammo. With Iceborne slinger ammo will become far more critical to the game and there are a lot of changes done to the slinger. Not saying the slinger isn’t important now, it really, really is and it’ll make your hunts that much easier.