Anyone who has played any Monster Hunter game will have probably noticed at some point that the ways these so called "monsters" act are strangely familiar, with their behavior being more animalistic than monstrous. This is without a doubt the thing...
Day breaks over the lost continent of Fonron as the sun's rays are cast down across the great forest, the shower of light occasionally broken by the blanket of clouds that currently hangs over the area. The crystalline streams, ponds, lakes, rivers, and waterfalls glisten in the morning, their clear waters greatly contrasting with the mysterious vibe given off by the towering trees, hanging vines, and dense vegetation which surround them.
In the distance, the area's colossal tree casts a gargantuan shadow across the land as the sun rises behind it, making it appear as a glowing beacon in the sea of dense vegetation. Surrounding this mighty landmark are large, sloping mountains covered by a thick, green carpet of foliage, with only the occasional clearing breaking this pattern.
Created by the heavyweights of the great forest, these clearings provide some of the area's flora and fauna with much-needed resources that wouldn't be regularly available within the woods, such as sunlight, large bodies of water, essential minerals, and more edible vegetation. Emerging from the trees and entering the area is a small herd of Aptonoths, their search for more palatable food leading them to this part of their home.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
As the herbivores mill about in the clearing, leisurely grazing or drinking, some of them stay near the edge of the forest, slightly more apprehensive about coming out into the open. After looking around and listening carefully for a while, some of the animals exit the cover of the trees, more confident that the coast is clear; however, a few still stay back, their instincts telling them that something isn't quite right here.
Sniffing the air, some of the Aptonoths smell something different, but they simply can't figure out what it is, or where it's coming from. Meanwhile in the clearing, one of the herbivores approaches a cluster of bushes. As soon as it takes a bite, it leaps back in pain as blood trickles from its mouth.
While the herd backs away, a large, spine-covered tail slides out of the foliage and across the ground, leaving behind in the process a plume of dust. From within the bushes, Thorn, an adult female Espinas, is asleep, having barely been aroused by the Aptonoth biting one of the many spikes that sprout out from her body.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
