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narcoticwriter · 8 months ago

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Genshin Impact Characters as Monster Hunter Creatures (Before 5.0)

I don't think I can justify why I'm doing this, so I'm not going to. I read through all of the wiki entries for both things, so there.

I can be as right or as wrong as I want to be so will it be objective? Not really. But is this up for debate? Sure! Discuss it as much as you'd like. I'm open to any takes that anyone can surmise!

Also, there may be spoilers for the games these monsters are in as well as the characters themselves, so be wary of that if you're particular about it.

Note: Aloy, for the sake that there's so much more going on in her case, will not count for this one.

Albedo - Safi'jiiva: The Safi'jiiva is one of the coolest Elder Dragons I've seen and the reason I picked this one out for him is because it is somewhat implied that it is not a native of the world of Monster Hunter. I also took inspiration from the fact that it siphons pure energy from the world to use it's attacks and that Albedo was 'created' by the purest element in Teyvat.

Al-Haitham - Nargacuga: This creature is not only a proficient hunter, it is quite careful with how it does so. Every part of it is a weapon that can be used with maximum effect, just like him. However, a funny quirk of the Nargacuga is that it will go berserk if exposed to a very loud high-pitched noise or flashing lights, and that also fits Al-Haitham somewhat.

Amber - Blood Orange Bishaten: While its aggression may seem uncharacteristic of Amber, the exploding pinecones that it eats and carries around is not. I don't think I need to say anything else on the matter, except for the point that a Bishaten should never have access to anything remotely resembling a Baron Bunny.

Arataki Itto - Lao-Shan Lung: This fits Itto perfectly as this Elder Dragon has quite the one-track mind, just like him. It matters not who or what is in the Lao-Shan Lung's way, it will destroy its objective and it will do so with all of its strength and it will not be deterred by anything.

Arlecchino - Pyre Rakna-Kadaki: This is the perfect monster for Arlecchino, not including the children that it uses as weapons, the stratagem that is present in how it attacks, and the fact that it is imbued with fire. The fact that Arlecchino loves spiders is a wonderful bonus.

Baizhu - Vaal Hazak: I was quite on the fence about this classification for Baizhu as this is more to do with the fact that this Elder Dragon is present in the Rotten Vale (dead things, fungi) than its actual function, but I think that this works for the sole reason that you do not expect a dragon bedecked in fungi and actively breaking down to still be alive.

Barbara - Mizutsune: The Mizutsune is mostly peaceful, but can be provoked into attacking, and quite ruthlessly at that. This pick is to pay homage to her nerfing as well as for the fact that there is much use of bubbles in its attacks, something that makes sense for Barbara to have.

Beidou - Lagiacrus: This is not just because of the title of "The Lord of the Seas" or "The Uncrowned King of the Dragons", but also for the fact that it is a legendary sea creature that uses thunder attacks. This, along with the Haishan lore, made sense for Beidou. It is also one of the coolest-looking (to me) monsters to come out of the franchise and I am nothing if not biased.

Bennett - Dodogama: This poor sod of a creature has balls of molten rock that can explode in its mouth if left in there for long enough. That has Bennett written all over it. However, the fact that it will absolutely put up a fight is also why I chose the Dodogama for Bennett.

Candace - Lunastra: This, along with the counterpart, was a noted choice as it fits her character. It was noted that the Lunastra typically gives a warning to anything that encroaches into its territory and will attack anything that doesn't heed that, and I thought that made complete sense for Candace.

Charlotte - Tzitzi Ya-Ku: The blinding flash of the camera and the blinding flash of its attacks should be more than enough. However, the dark coloration of its skin blending in and hiding from most other monsters in the undergrowth also calls back to how Charlotte does a good chunk of her work.

Chevreuse - Great Jaggi: Its distinction of it being the same status as larger monsters, the fact that it can be summoned by another creature, the pack leader status, and its intelligence made this an easy pick for Chevreuse.

Chiori - Diablos: The Diablos, first and foremost, looks quite scary. Secondly, it is quite scary and will do a number on you if it sees you and decides it doesn't like you. And finally, it can dig underneath and surprise you as well as stun you with its roar. This fits Chiori to a T.

Chongyun - Lunagaron: The functionality as well as how it hunts is the primary reason why I chose this creature for Chongyun, as in hunting mode, the Lunagaron's specialized thermoregulatory organ (which keeps it cold) is shut off and allows its muscles to heat and give it that extra advantage and power.

Clorinde - Silverwind Nargacuga: This Nargacuga is specialized in the fact that it is larger and therefore more experienced than your average Nargacuga. It also has a specialized attack that has it whipping its tail so fast that a 'blade of wind' is rocketed towards the one its attacking. It screams Clorinde.

Collei - Izuchi: This creature, despite what it looks like, is an omnivore as it not only hunts in packs, it also climbs trees with its tail to get to some fruit. It is also quite loyal and not that open to intruders, which is a given for most of these creatures, but is an emphasis for Collei.

Cyno - Zinogre: This one was actually a bit difficult to pinpoint, but in the sense that Cyno calls upon Herbanubis for enhancement in battle, the Zinogre calls upon the Thunderbugs for its abilities and power. They are also quite symbiotic in a way, so this was a good pick.

Dehya - Teostra: The Teostra is notably more aggressive than its counterpart and this fits Dehya in terms of how she reacts to certain things. The quickness in which certain situations are read and dealt with as well as its mastery over its element makes this an obvious choice.

Diluc - Nergigante: The irony of the Nergigante picking fights with Elder Dragons exclusively despite being an Elder Dragon itself also fits with how Diluc does his business when it comes to much more powerful people. It also has no elemental affinities, meaning that it is going at it with nothing but pure physical violence, which is a counter in some senses, but an affirmation to his approach.

Diona - Frostfang Barioth: A cat-like monster with an ice breath attack is practically made for Diona. This, along with its prowess and the slowing effects of the ice breath (ouch) leaves no room for debate.

Dori - Kulve Taroth: Some could argue that this monster would better fit Ningguang, but I argue that the act of scalping its horns for the gold and the shedding of the melted gold upon its back making it much faster and lethal speaks to what Dori was as it pertains to her character stories.

Emilie - Nightshade Paolumu: Strange choice? Yes. But the way it looks as well as the gas it expels putting people to sleep makes sense for Emilie. The aggression doesn't fit, but in all honesty, the gas takes precedent.

Eula - Velkhana: This choice was partially because of Velkhana's theme, but I also chose it for Eula because of the way it attacks it's foes. It's quite graceful but powerful and strong, just like she is! It also looks beautiful. So easy choice.

Faruzan - Legiana: The primary reason I did not choose the Shrieking Legiana for Faruzan is that while she does have a devastating verbal bite, she only does so when the situation calls for it (to her). The speediness and the quickness it has to attack and snatch up their prey also resembles her quick-witted and go-getter personality.

Fischl - Gore Magala: In case it wasn't glaringly obvious, I chose the Gore Magala for the reasons of how it looks. The look of a 'cape' that its wings has, the blackish purple thing of its scales and body screams Fischl. Bonus that this is not its final form and how it hunts.

Freminet - Goss Harag: The Goss Harag may seem unusual as Freminet is also present in the water as a diver, but I wanted to focus on the qualities of sheer resilience and technicality of its attacks. I find that how the creature fights is resembled in how Freminet methodically dispatches his opponents.

Furina - Soulseer Mizutsune: A Mizutsune usually has to be provoked into fighting, and this variant is no exception. However, I find that the scarred and often agitated Soulseer variant is resembled in how Furina feels after everything that's happened in Fontaine. Bonus for the bubbles and the glowing left eye.

Gaming - Magma Almudron: What primarily drew me to this creature for Gaming is how lion-like it looked (to me). The reason I snatched the magma variant is because of the fire aspect. The selection was quite simple in this regard.

Ganyu - Banbaro: For starters, the Banbaro is an herbivore. So is Ganyu. The Banbaro will also completely crush you if given a good reason to. Evidently, so will Ganyu. The Banbaro has been underestimated due to its more docile nature. So has Ganyu. But most soon learn not to make those mistakes.

Gorou - Boggi: Now, the reason that I chose the Boggi is because I refused to give Gorou a mount as a classification and a choice. So the Boggi was the next best thing. However, I will give its general stratagem of quickly attacking in packs and running away when warranted as a solid case of guerilla warfare. It makes sense.

Hu Tao - Ash Kecha Wacha: Make no mistake, this thing is a tricky little creature. While it doesn't go out of its way to be so, you can't help but find a resemblance with Hu Tao with the masking technique it uses as well as its ability to spontaneously spit flames. You don't know what you'll get with this one, and you don't know with Hu Tao either.

Jean - Gammoth: Solid, all-around good choice as all Gammoths present in the games are female and are quite aggressive to one creature in particular (Tigrex). I mostly chose this one for Jean because of the already common association of wisdom as it pertains to elephants. She'll get there one day, I'm sure.

Kaedehara Kazuha - Valstrax: This one was a quick pick for me, as the Valstrax is hardly ever seen on the ground, just like how Kazuha is never in one place for too long. I think they would find themselves to be kindred spirits in that sense.

Kaeya - Beotodus: You're probably wondering why I chose an ugly little fish thing for Kaeya and you would be right to do so, but please consider that this is a personal choice and that it makes sense solely for the fact that it blends itself into the environment. Good spies do that too.

Kamisato Ayaka - Oroshi Kirin: This creature's attack sets as well as the way that it fights reminds me of Ayaka in a lot of ways. I also found it fitting to attribute the Oroshi Kirin because it is quite tough, and people have tendencies of forgetting about that for Ayaka.

Kamisato Ayato - Nakarkos: I was already sold on this as the Nakarkos has two tentacles that are tipped with the skulls of dragons and is covered with the bones of the fallen for camoflauge. The arsenal of weapons and abilities it has as well as its adaptability is also quite like Ayato's way of doing things.

Kaveh - Almudron: At first, this seems like a rather nonsensical choice and I would agree if it wasn't for one thing. The use of mud structures created by what it secretes on its skin is the primary pick for Kaveh as it is used offensively and is genuinely impressive as a concept.

Keqing - Tobi-Kadachi: This fits Keqing to a T as its mobility, passive static charge, and capacity for launching projectiles make it quite the fiend to deal with. The Tobi-Kadachi is also quite efficient as it draws its static charge from its body rubbing against its environment, emulating how Keqing likes to do things. Anyone who's worked under her could tell you the same thing about her too, as most leave after a month.

Kirara - Felyne: I tried my best, but I could not find any other creature that matched as well as the Felyne. She's helpful, kind, and quite adorable, so this was the fit for her. It's not because it's cat-adjacent, please believe me. Felynes are actually quite complex as well, as some separate genuses have their own societies, and I attribute this to Kirara as well as she's a youkai in a mostly human society.

Klee - Bazelguese: This was a meme pick because I watched a video once with Klee and the theme of this monster in it. Also, is it that hard to believe that she would drop bombs as she was gliding? I find it to be very much in line with her tendencies. Klee also shows up everywhere that you don't expect her, which is how the Bazelguese operates.

Kujou Sara - Bishaten: The reason for this pick is because of the inspiration of the Bishaten, which was based off of the tengu. The Bishaten also has tendencies of carrying around fruit, and I can't help but be reminded of how Sara occasionally leaves melons for some of the youkai in the mountains.

Kuki Shinobu - Viper Tobi-Kadachi: The tendencies of this variant of Tobi-Kadachi is something I find similar to how Shinobu uses her own health to inflict pain on others as well as the flying projectiles, this time tipped with both poison and lightning. If Shinobu is certified in the area of healing, I also assert that she knows what hurts.

Layla - Aurora Somnacanth: The fact that its color palette matches with Layla is a coincidence I only just noticed. However, I also find that the characteristics of its attacks include putting its victims to sleep and encasing them in ice, which is fair to Layla as well.

Lisa - Espinas: This thing spends most of its time dozing and won't even fully come to consciousness until it is beaten into it, in which it will make you regret ever doing that in the first place. Lisa and it would understand each other on that basis. Also fun fact - 'espinas' means 'thorns' in Spanish and every rose has its thorns... even purple ones.

Lynette - Rathian: Now look here, I understand the implications of the Rathian and what I put Lyney with, but look at it as two functions of a whole. Lynette is typically in the background like the Rathian is on the the ground and is camouflaged green for some areas, which is ideal for scoping the area out. It is also quite capable of defending itself with its strength and fire.

Lyney - Rathalos: As I said above, the reason I chose this is for the two parts of a whole. The Rathalos is considered the flagship monster for the entire franchise and like that, Lyney has all eyes on him in his brilliant red. The Rathalos is also quite capable of the acrobatics of attack with flight and fire, which is a perfect help to the mostly ground-dwelling Rathian.

Mika - Kulu-Ya-Ku: Yes, I am well aware of the Kulu-Ya-Ku's reputation and how people see it, but is it so difficult to believe that the matchup makes sense? Mika is not necessarily one to be one the front lines and as such, is not really expected to have a combat role. However, he is more than capable of defending himself, and so is the Kulu-Ya-Ku.

Mona - Shagaru Magala: The reason I chose the Shagaru Magala for Mona was for how its wings look like a star when flared up. I will also understand that the Frenzy virus can be attributed to how some people can become obsessed with some parts of her profession and may drive themselves mad thinking about it, except this is not Mona's problem.

Nahida - Yama Tsukami: The Yama Tsukami is essentially what Nahida is in terms of its symbiotic relationship with the Great Thunderbugs, a reflection of Nahida tapping into the wisdom of the world and essentially coexisting with the land in some ways.

Navia - Gravios: The reason I chose the Gravios and the Basarios with those characters specifically is due to a personal observation that I've made, as I see the Gravios as the result of its growing pains and tribulations. Navia reflects that spirit very much and I think that the nature of the Gravios is also fitting for her pick.

Neuvillette - Ceadeus: This monster, despite only being in one generation, has stuck with the fans for a long time as its theme is one of the most popular of the franchise's history. The Ceadeus is a proper and genuinely awe-inspiring sea monster, unparalleled in its power and magnitude. However, justice, like the Ceadeus, is blind. And even Neuvillette himself is occasionally blind-sided in his pursuit of upholding the sanctity of Fontaine's laws.

Nilou - Somnacanth: The Somnacanth is fitting for Nilou as the way it moves and sways as it fights is reflective of her dancing. The meta as it stands also reflects how the Somnacanth can lure victims into a false sense of security. I will also say that it was quite difficult to find another monster that fit, so this is how it panned out.

Ningguang - Kushala Daora: The Kushala Daora is an iconic monster, which is a fitting choice for one of the most iconic figures in Teyvat. The sheen of metallic scales that it has as well as its wind attacks make this a perfect pick as Ningguang and her Jade Chamber can emulate that opulence. The added status as a flagship monster adds to that as well.

Noelle - Basarios: Like I've said before, Noelle as a Basarios makes sense in the fact that it is a juvenile Gravios and that it is mostly built for defense. Noelle prides herself in being able to do every task to perfect completion, but there is much room for growth and refinement and I am excited to see her progress as such.

Qiqi - Blackveil Vaal Hazak: This was a choice that I made with the full knowledge of how she became like this, and quite frankly, I consider this thing halfway into the grave already. The zombified and generally hazardous state of this creature is precisely what Qiqi is. Luckily, she has the talisman, but I also find a similarity with the vigil the Blackveil Vaal Hazak takes and how Qiqi dutifully goes about her tasks.

Raiden Shogun - Thunder Serpent Narwa: She's the other half of the Wind Serpent Ibushi. And based off of the lore for the Raiden Shogun and why she was created, need I say any more? Oh, and I suppose the control of thunder and lightning as well as the elder dragon status is also why.

Razor - Odogaron: This is one of my personal favorite picks as the Odogaron is one of the coolest things I've seen and Razor was one of the first characters that I came to love. The reason I picked the Odogaron was specifically for its dog-like looks as well as its set of double claws, which are very much like Razor and his wolf friend's simultaneous attack in the game.

Rosaria - Nightcloak Malfestio: I'm gonna be real honest, you could make a case for this fitting others, but this particular fiend is a master at espionage and sneaking around. The aliments of sleep and confusion are also plenty of aids that Rosaria uses in her vigilant hunts. As such, I believe this is a solid choice.

Sangonomiya Kokomi - Namielle: Of course the deep-sea fish inspired Elder dragon is going to be put with Kokomi, it ain't rocket science nor a feat of astronomical proportions. This pick is also homage to the downright Eldritch creature that she was supposed to be, but wasn't because the writers weren't locked in.

Sayu - Chameleos: The Chameleos is the epitome of what Sayu is in both nature and in life. Firstly, you don't usually stumble across a Chameleos. Next, the Chameleos is largely unpredictable, just like she was trained to be. And to top that off, every skill in its arsenal is only used when it is provoked.

Sethos - Seregios: This is certainly an interesting pick for Sethos, but I am confident with it as the Seregios has a very acrobatic fighting style and is quite mobile. Sethos is very much the same thing. I also have the added uses of flames, quills, aerial movement, and physical strength to be akin to how clever Sethos is as a character.

Shenhe - Rajang: I did not do her dirty at all. In fact, this is Shenhe in the bare bones. I feel no need to explain myself. If you've seen the Rajang attack anything, then you know why I chose it for her, unbridled aggression aside. I will also say that the Furious Rajang variant fits her if she was ever in the situation that her ropes came off.

Shikanoin Heizou - Kecha Wacha: The Kecha Wacha's behavior does align with Heizou's as he does not usually use violence as a resort. Like I've said before with Hu Tao, the Kecha Wacha is quite curious and takes care to observe its environments and the things within it. Its gliding ability is also a callback to how it looks like Heizou 'floats' with his attacks.

Sigewinne - Tidal Najarala: Sigewinne, as we've come to see, is quite unsettling. Her appearance lends her to lure people in with a false sense of security as she observes and dissects them. The Najarala burrows underground and lingers in fog to ambush its prey, the Tidal variant further entrapping those who are caught with globules of water balls. This was a pick that was quite inspired.

Sucrose - Paolumu: The title of 'Harmless Sweetie' is one of the most blatant disservices done to Sucrouse and just about anyone in this cast, and so too do people also like to look down on the Paolumu. The special air sac that the Paolumu has is reminiscent of Sucrose's attacks with Anemo and she too can defend herself given she has to.

Tartaglia - Ivory Lagiacrus: This was a no-brainer. Tartaglia the Childe spends a great deal going out and about causing chaos wherever he goes. It certainly doesn't help that his Delusion is Electro and is adapted to both water and land. This Lagiacrus and this dude is terrifying and no amount of recent lore and powercreep is going to do anything about that.

Thoma - Wulg: Folks, it was either this or the Volvidon, and I was not about to fight myself for an hour again. The primary reason I chose this creature for Thoma is specifically for its aerial spinning attack. Yes, the roundhouse kick in his moveset has lived rent-free in my head this whole time.

Tighnari - Garangolm: Now, I understand that this may be out of left field, but if you look at how Tighnari interacts with his environment, you'll see my point. The Garangolm is meant to protect and take care of the land it inhabits and will rise to the occasion should someone threaten that balance. That is a primary part of Tighnari's job.

Venti - Crimson Glow Valstrax: The main portion of why I chose this one is actually quite sad, as this variant of the Valstrax is in constant agony over its ruptured state. I will make the argument that Venti has been feeling the same since the gnosis was snatched out of him, perhaps even longer.

Wanderer - Wind Serpent Ibushi: I did this knowingly and with no remorse. Whether he likes it or not, he has an undeniable connection to the mess and the Thunder Serpent Narwa is his other half. And if you know the lore behind Ibushi, I'm sure you can understand why I saw Wanderer in him, just a little bit.

Wriothesley - Scorned Magnamalo: If you know the lore, then you understand why I chose this one for Wriothesley. He's effectively outcasted from conventional society just like the Scorned Magnamalo. This creature is also one to fight well and with everything that it has. It also looks menacing. So this is a good pick, in my opinion.

Xiangling - Deviljho: Yeah, this is a meme pick, but it eats. Aggressively. And it doesn't stop. Xiangling doesn't stop trying to eat everything, either. And she can't be stopped. This thing is a menace to everything around it and so is Xiangling's more experimental creations to everyone that happens to ingest them.

Xianyun - Aknosom: There's no way I'm going to see a bird wyvern that looks like this and not give it to Xianyun. Its temperament can also speak to how she tackles certain things. I also chose to interpret 'extremely territorial' as 'extremely protective' to which she most certainly is.

Xiao - Primordial Malzeno: This was a very interesting choice that I had to make and I did it after really thinking about certain things. I think Xiao fits the Primordial Malzeno in both story and form. This creature is a protector, bane of evil, and scourge of all that would seek to do harm, and all of this can be attributed to Xiao. The Primordial Malzeno is also quite peaceful and is willing to coexist with humanity, which Xiao is learning to do. So this was the choice.

Xingqiu - Coral Pukei-Pukei: Yes, this is a strange-looking pick, but I chose it mostly for the efficiency and proficiency that the Coral Pukei-Pukei uses in its attacks. The concentrated spray of water expelled from either its mouth or tail in its attacks is somewhat similar to how Xingqiu will use his own Vision.

Xinyan - Tigrex: Now, I'll be real honest here. The Tigrex looks scary, but in actuality? It only acts out when its hungry or provoked. Xinyan is the same way. She's quite kind and nice, but will bite if provoked enough. I also chose the Tigrex for its ability to give a specific screaming roar that can stun things like how most are stunned by her music.

Yae Miko - Narwa the Allmother: The lore, the lore, it hurts so much. However, Yae Miko getting this pick is the only one that felt true in my heart. She did her due diligence in all of the years Ei was gone, and she did it well, even when the other vessel meant for the purpose could not.

Yanfei - Explosive Peak Duramboros: The Duramboros is more bovine in nature, but it has a massive build and a club for a tail, however I stumbled across a variant not present in a lot of games. The Explosive Peak variant will cause bursts of flame as it slams down with its tail, something I find similar to how Yanfei will slam down the scales of justice.

Yaoyao - Bombadgy: I would say that I'm not attributing this pick to her as much as I am to Yuegui, her stuffed rabbit. In that sense, Yuegui is absolutely capable of exploding when needed and will not attack unless Yaoyao is in danger. So with that in mind, the Bombadgy is a sensible choice in this sense.

Yelan - Ahtal-Ka: The Ahtal-Ka is what Yelan is to how she operates. The machinations that it pulls out of the ground to control and defend itself is as well as its use of Dragonators to throw at its enemies are just some of the tools in its arsenal, which is quite similar to the many skills and tools that Yelan can employ with an unnerving quickness.

Yoimiya - Seething Bazelguese: If you thought that Klee was bad enough, imagine with me a Klee that has an advanced background in pyrotechnics, explosive capabilities, and the ability to set them off automatically. We are all quite fortunate that the mentality of Yoimiya does not quite align with those of the Seething Bazelguese.

Yun Jin - Great Maccao: This pick is flavor and circumstance, which means that its mostly tied to character traits. The Great Maccao is not really 'great' in the sense that it is the undisputed leader, but because it simply happens to be stronger and more brightly colored than its peers. It will fight and hunt alongside its kin, and I find that Yun Jin would do the same.

Zhongli - Shara Ishvalda: Oh, this makes sense. Completely. In fact, all I'll say on the matter is that the Shara Ishvalda is largely responsible for how the earth moves. Quite literally. If that isn't Zhongli at his prime, then I don't know what would be out of all of the monsters in this lineup. It may also be blind, but it sees you, and I will attribute that to Zhongli as well.

Alright, that's done! Like I said, I am more than willing to take opinions, comments, and other things like that. Let's have a discussion! Those are fun.

#narky thinks #going ham #genshin impact #monster hunter

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yakool-foolio · 1 year ago

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Ranking (Most) Monster Hunter World/Iceborne Battle Themes

This tier list will be mainly based on how much I personally enjoy it, so themes' accuracies to the monsters' personalities n such take less of a priority over simply sounding pleasing to the ears (but other factors may additionally pop up depending on the track). Monster Hunter's music sounds as unique as it does because each song tends to have one or two instruments that steal the spotlight for each theme, so in my commentary under the cut, I'll be giving these instruments a small highlight as well! Here's the full tier list! For the large monster area themes, I choose a representative monster for each: Rathalos for Ancient Forest, Diablos for Wildspire Waste, Legiana for Coral Highlands, Odogaron for Rotten Vale, Lavasioth for Elder's Recess, Barioth for Hoarfrost Reach, and Pink Rathian for Guiding Lands.

Commentary goes in order of the tier list from top to bottom n left to right. There's a lot.

(@junko-jinko since you were interested heh)

Red Glare In The Darkness (Nargacuga) - Nargacuga’s theme takes the top spot! The instrumentation is so unique and upbeat, it’s a blast every time I listen to it. The bass guitar section slays, and the chorus is mind-blowingly perfect. It could bring tears to my eyes. Instrument highlight: bass guitar and piano

Brutish Indigo (Brachydios) - Piledriving its way into second place is Brachydios’ theme! This song grew on me exponentially recently thanks to really listening in and appreciating the mallet instruments that pop up in the intro and bridge. Whatever that mallet instrument is, it fuckin’ ROCKS! This whole track carries the ‘harumph’ of a big monster ready to have the most intense boxing match of its life. Instrument highlight: mallet percussion

Spark Of Blue (Zinogre) - ROCK N ROLL TAKES THIRD PLACE BABY! That electric guitar is a godsend, I just wish it was emphasized more! This theme is insanely catchy, too. A hype battle theme through and through. Instrument highlight: electric guitar

Safi’jiiva (Not released on Spotify) - Holy fuck this medley takes me to a higher plane of existence. Honestly you could just ignore everything else and focus on the target theme (LIKE JEEBUS CHRISTMAS THAT BASS HAUNTS ME) and that’s enough to warrant its spot among the greats. But I won’t just focus on that cause this whole theme is awesome! Exceptionally fitting for an elder dragon that could evaporate you with a tiny droplet of its fire. Menacing, but turns around into a heroic masterpiece. Instrument highlight: choir and bass

Congregation Of The Fearless - The composer really took all of the themes of the other areas and combined them into one flawlessly. My jaw is on the floor as we speak. Coral Highlands’ instrumentation really shines the best here, harnessing the handpan/steel tongue drum to its fullest potential. And I hear that electric guitar and bass guitar in there! Such slick implementation! Instrument highlight: handpan/steel tongue drum and bass guitar

Keeper Of Hades (Vaal Hazak) - The back-and-forth between piano and harpsichord throughout this theme is so god damn good AUGH. Perfect mix of regality and lethality. Instrument highlight: harpsichord and piano

The Brilliance That Rules The Everstream (Kulve Taroth) - I’ve always adored Kulve’s medley. Each phase shimmers like gold. The organ in the second phase is always an attention-getter and the choir in the third phase is godly. It’s just solid (gold heh) all around, from beginning to end. Also I swear there’s a moment in the third phase’s verse that has a motif used in How To Train Your Dragon, which adds to the nostalgia for me. Instrument highlight: choir and organ

Ancient Leshen (not released on Spotify) - A theme I haven’t paid much attention to until now (but I have beaten this mofo), and once again I am floored by how excellent this sounds. Every single instrument gets its time to shine and sounds absolutely lovely! Instrument highlight: vocals and flute

Splendiferous Silver Sovereign (Velkhana) - The piano is the star of the show and it owns it! I love the staccato rhythm of the drums and brass crescendoing into the piano solos. Fit for the elder dragon of ice! Instrument highlight: piano

Morning Star Of The Dark Tide (Namielle) - An underrated theme for an underrated elder dragon! While it's on the slower side, it maintains a very entertaining rhythm with interesting use of marimba and piano. I’ll ride these waves any day. Instrument highlight: marimba and piano

Alatreon (not released on Spotify) - I haven’t really given Alatreon’s theme much of a listen before since I have admittedly never beat him. BUT now that I am listening to the full thing I can say with certainty this hits hard. This track really just says ‘oh you’re SO fucked’ and I love it. Instrument highlight: percussion and guitar

From The Rumblings Come A Song/A Single Bloom In An Eternity (Shara Ishvalda) - The perfect example of how to make battle music terrifying as fuck. The first phase is nothing to scoff at, but the second is when all hell breaks loose. THE GOD DAMN LAUGHING SNUCK IN AT ONE MOMENT??? HELLO??? Can’t believe this track can manage to be both creepy and really fun to listen to at the same time. Instrument highlight: mallet percussion and what sounds like a pungi flute??? Not quite but its very similar

The Invading Tyrant (Bazelguese) - Bazelguese’s theme is the One-Winged Angel of Monster Hunter. It’s incredibly iconic and instantly fills you with fear in and outside of the game. And once the intro subsides, it builds up to a banger chorus that shines with heroism. Instrument highlight: assorted strings

Murmurs From The Land Forbidden - One of the best area themes in the game. The chorus kicks major ass and that flute can fuckin’ get it. Instrument highlight: flute and whatever that introduction instrument is… synths???

Empress Of The Flame (Lunastra) - Teo’s wife improves his theme in every aspect. Not only harp, but also piano and harpsichord?! What a treat to the ears! Instrument highlight: harp and harpsichord

Ruler Of The Flame (Teostra) - Man I feel bad for sleepin’ on this theme. Those drums are absolutely fantastic and the whole song grooves really well. Instrument highlight: drums

The Howling Of The Lone Wolf (Yian Garuga) - This theme feels like orderly chaos in a way. It’s bombastic, but doesn’t go into overdrive. Those bongos are groovy, and it definitely snatched up some of Brachydios’ amazing mallet percussion. Instrument highlight: bongos

Roars Across The Hinterlands - That introduction woodwind hits real hard. Doesn’t waste its time to get right into the action. It’s a really fun take on a theme for a snowy area. Instrument highlight: percussion

World’s End (Arch-Tempered Nergigante) - Spiky boy 2 electric boogaloo! This version is one I feel like I can listen to more often and really enjoy. Nothing too special, but that chorus sure can be a banger. Instrument highlight: drums

Dancer In the Coral Highlands - Instantly hooked with the handpan and/or steel tongue drum introduction. A pleasant mix of hard-hitting ferocity with moments of elegance slipped in-between. Instrument highlight: handpan and/or steel tongue drum

Guiding Lamp To The Otherworld/How Life Springs Anew (Xeno’jiiva) - First phase takes its sweet time to establish the otherworldly nature of Xeno, but the second phase is where it’s really at. The headstrong march of the brass and drums leads the charge until the chorus unleashes a pretty string symphony. Not something I’d replay often, but gosh darn it I’ll revel in the beauty while I can. Instrument highlight: assorted strings

Even Elder Dragons Tremble (Nergigante) - The chaos radiates off this spikey boy in waves and the music reflects that perfectly. A rambunctious romp with an angry overgrown hedgehog accompanied by this song makes it all the more entertaining. But it’s not really a song I’d listen to on loop or come back to often. Instrument highlight: assorted brass

The Shadow Upon The Tempest (Kushala Daora) - I’m surprised at how much I find this song to be decently enjoyable when I find Kushala hunts in World to be really annoying. Really does sound like what someone would hear in the middle of a tornado and being windblown to hell and back. Instrument highlight: orchestral chimes

Savage Of The Ancient Forest - Standard fare, let's ya know what you're in for and it serves its purpose well. Instrument highlight: trumpet

Rulers Of The Wildspire - On the milder side, has a lotta fun instrumentation though. But unfortunately it’s not something I’d prefer to listen to over other tracks. Instrument highlight: assorted percussion and guitar

Forces Of Land And Life - The bells are what make it interesting, otherwise it just kinda feels blander than the others on the ‘alright’ tier. The chorus really only lasts about ten seconds. Instrument highlight: bells

Beast With Fire Upon Its Back (Zorah Magdaros) - As slow and surprisingly tame as this track is, it does feel like the embodiment of scaling up a mountain-sized volcanic monster. Is that organ I hear in the chorus aftermath? Instrument highlight: assorted brass

The Beast Bares Its Fangs (Tigrex) - Another instance where it's very fitting for the monster, but doesn’t have much replayability. For some unknown reason the added harp riffs sprinkled in make me laugh. Ah yes, let's give the aggressive feral creature that can damage you with its roars alone some nice lil’ harp riffs :) Instrument highlight: harp (for the funny)

The Voracious Devil (Deviljho) - I will live and die a Deviljho hater (not even him throwing other monsters around like toys can save him from my burning frustration hunting him), and his music definitely reflects how much of a prickly bastard he is. Definitely not replayable for me, but it sure does get the point across that you do not wanna cross paths with this giant pickle. Instrument highlight: assorted strings

#IM AWARE I MISSED SOME #BUT THIS TOOK ALMOST FOUR HOURS TO PROPERLY DO AND IM SLEEPY #maybe i'll add the others i missed to the tier list tomorrow #its a strong maybe though #i'll probably save rise/sunbreak theme rankings for next week #monster hunter #monster hunter world #monster hunter iceborne #music man ramblings

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somajean · 2 years ago

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I am back on my absolute Bullshit and there is nothing but OC lore below the cut

Okay. So. Vampires. I have an OC world. I have original writings and ramblings and things and ✨ jazz hands here ✨ ideas for future content use. But the most important thing I should just. Write down and scream to the void at some point is my Vampires. There are actually 4 distinct species of Vampire, and only two of them are fucking related at all. The other two are just convergent evolution saying hello like the carcanization processes of our world.

With that outta the way? FISH VAMPIRES. SEA DWELLING MFs. The key traits include bioluminescence, scales, androgeny, long "hair" and hermaphroditism. Basically, long long time ago there was a big ass Dragon, right? And it was in charge of the dark. Well, the truest, deepest, darkest place in the world is of course the bottom of the ocean. So deep the sun could never reach. Even the moon was "light reflected" so the surface? Ehhh. Not so useful. Old Dragon fucker was named Vaals, and set about mitigating things that could pass from deep to shallows.

Well some mixing inevitably happens; as it does in water. Sediment finds its level but life constantly evolves. So this siren swims down and she is so sure of herself and so beautiful and so fucking on point. And then she meets. The dragon. And she is NO LONGER the most beautiful thing, because how can you be more beautiful than a singular concept made manifest? She is of course, offended by this. And she tries to illuminate the ol' dreggin. Yeah, no? No. That didn't go too well. It's like staring into the center of an iris, it's not reflective of light. You can light the surroundings but not the actual subject in question.

But she is intelligent and not so scared. And so she's offered to stay. And to hell if this Siren doesn't stay! But she gets lonely with little to do and nothing to lure or torment, even if she can catch her own food. So what's this sea critter do? She talks to the dragon! And the Dragon comes up with a solution. It could lay eggs and suffuse them with her genetic material so she's not so incredibly bored anymore. Give or take a little while for whatever pops out to mature. She's game!

And so, those eggs made the first of the sea vampires- the Met Halla Van. The clutch didn't get individual names, that wasn't a thing they did back then. Even having forms of communication was a total pain because this was like, Cambrian era evolution. They little hatchies grow up, yay, and keep the siren company. And she dies of old age. Which, eventually, was bound to happen. But the little vampires just... didn't. They reached maturity and stayed that way.

A few of them died from sea critters or decompression swimming up or from light, which, understandable. But the numbers were dwindling. So they got together and thought, OK. Being lonely is kinda shit actually. So they lay eggs of their own and fertilize them. And, as it turns out, when your progenitors are a concept made manifest, a fuck load of magic and only one creature's genetic material, you kinda just take after the genetic material part.

So these vampires make a stable deep sea breeding/cycle experiment. They sort of lamprey on big things but by and large are just vibing (tm) with Dragon Parent. But, as time goes on and more foreign material gets introduced into the mix via food, blood, stray magic, etc, the critters start to deviate. The fishies that don't die after hatching look, generally, more and more and more like the bipedal siren than a mix of a dragon and a siren. Some of those little ones have bad fangs, a lack of fins for propulsion, and all that. So there has to be a solution to safeguarding these weird little genetic abominations. The eventual solution was to move up in the northernmost regions and hide directly under and inside ice shelves they started to hollow out.

So the "land walking" fish vampires were referred to as the Van Van Vaals. They can feed off the blood of each other, or fish, or people that wreck ashore into the icebergs. More on that... Later? Later. Different post this one is long enough.

#SJHLore #I'M BACK ON MY BULLSHIT #Sea Vampires #Basically #Fish Vampire #Talking about the origin of some feesh

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norrahc · 3 months ago

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Legacy of Phrecia Starters:

Vaal Animated Weapon Of Chaos

Vaal Absolution of Chaos

Vaal Summon Skeletons

ED/Cont Bog Witch

#path of exile #PoE #Legacy of Phrecia #3.25

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exilederdrick · 5 months ago

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[Spoilers] Path of Exile 2 - Day 12: Well That Happened

Platform: PC Controls: X-Input Controller Class: Titan Level: 48

Skills: Rolling Slam L11 with Overpower and Splinter Boneshatter L11 with Execute, Impact Shockwave, and Magnified Effect Volcanic Fissure L11 with Fire Infusion, Ignition, and Persistence Shield Charge L11 with Stomping Ground and Second Wind Armour Breaker L11 with Martial Tempo, Break Endurance, and Break Posture Seismic Cry L11 with Premeditation and Corrupting Cry Super Charged Slam L11 with Exploit Weakness and Fist of War Sunder L11 with Brutality and Jagged Ground Overwhelming Presence L11 with Precision and Vitality

Content: Apex of Filth to the End of Act 3, with one missed encounter

I got my long play session!

Though I possibly played for too long. I had a heck of a time trying to figure out one of the encounters in Act 3 and still haven't. I'll try again tomorrow.

As the title suggests, I had a moment tonight where I said, “Well that happened.” And I also had several other moments where I thought or said something along those lines. Some of them were good, some of them not so much. I've put a spoiler tag in the title, because I don't think I can talk about tonight without spoiling the end of Act 3.

What's Working For Me:

Again, on the whole, tonight was awesome! There was so much good at the end of this Act! It was also probably my buggiest night of playing, but we'll save that for the last section.

I guess I'll go area by area.

Apex of Filth: Wow this zone is just wonderfully disgusting! Yet another where the sound design is really on point. The carved entries you find, combined with a mushroom quest, also put a smile on my face. But my favorite part is how both my Titan and Oswald never want to even think about the Queen of Filth ever again.

Temple of Kopec: One of the previewed areas, this zone is definitely cool as is it's boss. It just got a little overshadowed. Interesting considering the mechanic in this area.

Utzaal: While this area is huge and I got a little annoyed later on while I was trying to solve my missing encounter, I still love it. Like the Faridun before them, the Vaal fight with mixed units here and it feels like they use intelligent tactics. The enemy variety and the way they worked together made this zone an absolute joy. Even when I was getting frustrated as I tried to figure out what to do with the Idols, I was still enjoying the combat. Viper Napuatzi was a fun and dynamic fight. And the twist at the end has me more interested in the story now.

Aggorat: Another zone with fantastic combat. The sudden change of scenery from the beautiful petal covered temple to a blood covered charnel house was brilliant. The new enemies that came with it also kept things interesting.

The Black Chambers: And now we come to it. The highlight of the evening! I don't know what mad lads you had dreaming up and cobbling together this nightmare fest, but well done! I caught shades of Hellraiser, 40K, Event Horizon . . . This was just an absolutely crazy zone and it had me pausing to gawk several times throughout. And the boss fight with Doryani was fantastic! I can't decide if I enjoyed his or Geonore's fight more.

What I'm Struggling With:

Let's talk about two mysteries I encountered, one I only just now solved while double checking things for this log.

The first are two mysterious statues in the Molten Vault. I don't know if these are place holders or have content not in the game, or if I'm just really missing something. But it looks a lot like you should be able to do something with them, there seems to be more zone across the way from them, and they have checkpoints next to them. They look almost like you should be able to put a soul core inside them, but there isn't a soul core in sight. I went near crazy trying to figure these things out. Thank you for the new checkpoint system, as it helped a lot in this. But not only could I not find or figure anything out for these, they created a red herring for the second encounter that had me stumped.

Those stupid idols! They just sat there clogging up my inventory for most of the night. I picked up the first one, and my character said, “I should show these to Oswald.” So I go talk to Oswald. Nothing. No quest marker, no dialogue, no indication of what I should do or where I should go next. The text on the bottom of the idols seem almost to be a riddle suggesting I'd be using them in an ancient ruin. I tried them back in the Molten Vault, the Venom Crypts, the treasure rooms in the drowned city . . . And of course nothing I did worked, because you seem to only be able to sell them to Oswald. I'd really appreciate some clarity here.

It was also at this point I noticed the catch to the checkpoint system. You can quickly move from checkpoint to checkpoint, but only while the instance is active. The second it resets or you start a new instance your checkpoints go away. I know why you're doing this, since the system could be abused for boss rushing. But discovering I'd lost my checkpoints in Utzaal again and had to travel through the zone again added a further point of frustration.

Finally, let's talk about the time travel. Sorry, I'm a science fiction nerd. The presence of time travel made it feel like a bunch of things in the story just stopped working. With Incursion it seemed fine because we know that Atzoatl was completely lost. So anything we do shouldn't affect anything except the layout of the temple. But this just created a rabbit hole of questions that I'm almost certain will never be satisfied.

I do get a kick out of Oswald basically saying, “Yeah don't think about it too hard.” I do like that there's a hint at the end of the Viper fight that there are definitely unforeseen consequences. And the stuff with Doryani is fantastic! I love how he mistakes us for the same exile that traveled with Alva's power to Atzoatl and killed the various architects there. And the fact we're now traveling with one of the most notorious villains of the setting, right after traveling with blatant butchers and slavers, is continuing to emphasize the fact that we're not necessarily the good guys here. I love Servi's reaction to everything too. As a general rule, when a character in Path of Exile is done with your nonsense, they're probably right to be.

Finally, I would really like to play Boneshatter as a reliable skill for clearing enemies. I've gone through the majority of the game up to now using it this way. The only hiccups were when enemy evasion start making me miss my hits. But now I have a new problem. If I freeze an enemy with my Boneshatter, I appear to only shatter it and not get a shockwave. I don't know if this is a bug or intentional. But it's frustrating that I have to find a new weapon again, or I'll lose access to my favorite skill.

What's Not Working:

This is probably my most bug filled night of Early Access so far. Again, I've either reported or confirmed everything I found. But it's clear Act 3 needs some real polish. Nothing broke my game, but there were definitely a lot of issues that soured the experience some.

I also think there needs to be better fast travel options once you open the portal. There should be some way to select waypoints from one time period or the other. And your town portal should take you to the Ziggurat Encampment. Please improve the QOL here.

Another QOL note, I'd like to see stash tab Affinity for trials. It would be nice to be able to quickly and easily store them in one place, especially on controller.

I think that's it for now! I'm ready for Cruel and I've already seen that this is going to be more than just monster scaling. I can't wait to see all you've cooked up!

#path of exile #path of exile 2 #live blogging #liveblogging #grinding gear games #live blog #liveblog

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belghast · 2 years ago

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Lightning Struck Friends

Lightning Struck Friends - I started a new Witch character in Path of Exile last night for the purpose of making them a Vaal Absolution Necromancer.

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you probably are expecting this post. I talked yesterday about wanting to try out Absolution… so last night I started a brand new Witch and got it through the start of Act 8. I decided to go with a Necromancer in spite of Guardian actually representing over 70% of the folks running Absolution or Vaal Absolution in this league. Guardian is really…

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#Absolution #arpg #games #Gaming #minions #MMO #MMORPG #necromancer #path of exile #poe #Spectres #TOTA #Trial of the Ancestors #Vaal Absolution #Witch #Zombies #Zoo

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varusai · 3 months ago

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Vaalaketh: Vaal is an excellent swimmer both above and underwater and he loves to swim. He grew up along a pretty major river, learned to swim really young, and was swimming practically every day for fun as long as it was warm enough. He’s since moved cities and is working most of the time now, but as long as it was warm snd he had some downtime, if there’s water he’s gonna swim.

Mi’Thai: Mi can swim decently. Her adoptive sister is a triton so she learned as a kid so they could play together easier. However, as she’s gotten older she’s stopped doing it for the most part, only if it’s either very hot or necessary for some other reason, as she doesn’t like her fur getting dirty and waterlogged (tabaxi). It’s still a skill that she practices though.

N01: Absolutely not, they’re made of metal and would sink like a stone without some sort of flotation device. And aside from that they have a not insignificant amount of trauma surrounding being in and dying in water in their previous life/body, so they’re terrified of it and will do anything possible to avoid anything too deep for them to stand (really anything above the waist is pushing into panic territory).

Can your OCs swim? If so, when did they learn?

#oc talk #oc: vaalaketh #oc: mi’thai #oc: n01 #oc questions

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reitziluz · 1 year ago

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last line game

rules: in a new post, show the last line you wrote (or drew) and tag as many people as there are words (or however many you like).

@creativenicocorner tagged me, thanks!

funny enough, the last line i worked on is actually the opening line of a short standalone thing about the first time kimon and vaal met:

"The monster that had yet to remember its name came to in a field of ash."

i think there's something off about it, but it works for now. i first wrote about this scene in finnish, so there's lots of weirdness related to translation to english that i'm contending with.

for tagging, i'm going to just leave sn open invitation this time. tag me back anyway, it's fun to see what others are working on!

#igottagged #post editor once again bugged out on my phone #so that's why i don't have italics or indents or anything going #ah and jic kimon and vaal are ocs #also. this was so dangerous. before i tinkered with this line i was writing absolute filth #and before that it was the business cards fic #which would have been maybe a teensy bit boring #to share a line from a published work instead of a wip #anyway. if i manage to finish this lil thing i might even post it #why not eh?

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sonicasura · 10 months ago

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Living Legend

" Mountains that scrape the heavens stand tall over the lands, seemingly insurmountable for any creature, however a legend travels along the heavens and earth. A great serpent whose might allows it to travel along the spires to the heavens above

The quake of the Mountains is felt throughout the range, as the colossus ascends up to the heavens. The great spires of land do nothing to hinder the boundless Colossus climb up to the wild blue yonder. The shatter of stone grows ever louder as the legendary serpent coils and constricts the mountains, ascending at great speeds, turning all in its way to rubble and dust and the spires who are weak are soon destroyed by the legend.

At the absolute apex the colossus stops, standing tall above the clouds, eclisping all under it's endless form.

Let it be known to all who ascend these great mountains, that the endless Colossus roosts at the apex of the heavens

Colossus That Roams The Zenith

* Snap*

Rider: Well that's the little poem that goes along for Dalamadur.

The 3 Division thankfully was not stunned into horrified silence like last time with the Vaal Hazak poem, but shock did still adorn the majority of there faces.

Kikoru: So this Monster, Dalamadur, is able to coil around mountains and destroy them, as easily as one would break balsa wood, did I hear that right?!?!?!?

Rider: Yup, a Dalamadur can easily destroy mountains that aren't tough with absolute ease. The mountains that remain standing after a Dalamadur climbs it, are the ones that are super tough and can handle the Dalamadur's strength. It's why the majority of Dalamadur sightings are in the Speartip Crag on Heavens Mount, that area has been shown to be super tough there and hardly buckle to a Dalamadur climbing it.

Izumo: Well damn, thats pretty insane, just how big are those things?

Rider: Well the Guild has been able to record the length of Dalamadur and the serpents size has been recorded to be about 1445 ft long.

Hoshina: THAT BIG, a Monster like that could easily scale a mountain like Mt.Fuji like it was nothing.

Rider: Well there is one other thing you should know.

Hoshina: And what's that?

Rider: That Dalamadur was pretty young.

That got the entire room to flip out

Reno: YOU ARE SAYING THAT IT CAN GET EVEN BIGGER!?!?!?

Rider: Well Yes, two ancient Dalamadur skeletons were found in the Rotten Vale, within the Rotten Vale a Dalamadur skeleton was found that is estimated to be about over 4,000 ft long, however that skeleton was found to be within the depths of the Rotten Vale and on the outside of the Rotten Vale and huge Dalamadur skull adorns the top of the Rotten Vale and winds all through out it and it's estimated to be about over 14,000 ft long, mabye even larger from other estimates taken.

It was once again Reno who broke the silence.

Reno: You do realize that if those estimates are true then that Monster would be nearly half the size of Mt.Everest, mabye even over half the size.

Rider: Well as far as I know it would take a very long time for a Dalamadur to grow to that size and the skeleton has been shown to have been around since ancient times, so for a Dalamadur to be able too grow too that size in this time, would be an insane beating of the odds. So basically no need to really worry and besides hunterers and riders have dealt with worse, so I'm confident that we can come out on top.

When Rider ended up finishing their tiny speech they noticed everyone is now just staring at them

Rider: Why is everyone just staring at me again.... Kafka's behind me isn't he

Kafka to Rider:

Lol There goes Rider again.

I bet the Nakarkos entry would really get Kafka's blood pressure to skyrocket. Nevermind the fact there's an entire region where powerful monsters go to die, how about a monster who lives and wears the bones of its victims? One so dangerous that it sends the Hunter's Guild into high alert should it stray too close.

Rider never thought something could beat the firm grip of a Rajang before. A riled up panic cuddler No.8 says otherwise.

#sonicasura #sonicasura answers #asks #foolmariofest #kaiju no. 8 #kaiju no 8 #kaijuno.8 #kaijuno8 #kaiju number 8 #kn8 #monster no 8 #monster no. 8 #monster hunter #monster hunter series #monster hunter stories #monster hunter rider #mh #mh series #mh stories

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locustheologicus · 2 years ago

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The Hubris of our Technology and a Semi-Pelagian Hero

I enjoyed Bishop Barron’s analysis of a show that I just started watching. I enjoyed his insights because it spoke on two themes that I considered and posted on recently.

The concern that I share with regards to Artificial Intelligence

The fruits and benefits of a Monastic (ascetic) lifestyle

I have only recently just started watching this series as a result of Bishop Barron’s reflection above. His description of the plot had me greatly intrigued. The series start with the historical burning of the Templar’s in 1307 and the legend of the Holy Grail, it then slowly introduces us to the socially domineering algorithm, Ms. Davis, and the contemplative heroine Sr. Simone. I was sold to this series right then and there. Bishop Barron brings together two great points here. First, technology, social media and even artificial intelligence are a part of our lives and they certainly can be helpful and perhaps even essential. But we need to keep this Holy Grail ethically regulated so that it serves humanity rather than being served by humanity. Second, the monastic ascetic lifestyle, that has been part of our Christian tradition, centers our humanity to the source of all being. Through ascetic discipline from worldly idols we find our freedom in God. This series teaches us that being centered in God we can be free from potential idols that trap us into serving their goals.

Idols control and manipulate us. Faith teaches us that our ultimate meaning, our pursuit of eudaimonia (happiness), is found when we find ourselves centered to the divine purpose of creation. As Augustine says, “My heart is restless until it rests in you.” Finding ourselves is no easy task, it requires much introspection and soul-searching that opens us up to our sins, our guilts and vulnerabilities. Instead many of us get lost along the way finding idols that offer temporary happiness that brings false joy (like the virtual wings that Ms. Davis grants those who serve her). Ms. Davis is the idol of artificial intelligence controlling our humanity.

Back when I was a kid the message that is drawn out in this series was captured succinctly in an original Star Trek episode. It was called, “The Apple.” Kirk and Spoke find an entire civilization that has been raised by a technological device know as Val. Val actually looks like an idol and it needs to be served by the population that it claims to protect.

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The title for this episode is a reminder of the fruit that gave Adam and Eve knowledge, the freedom to discern good and evil. At the end of this episode Bones, Spock and Kirk reflect on liberating these individuals from their technologically controlled lives.

Spock: Captain, I'm not at all certain we did the correct thing on Gamma Trianguli Six. Bones: We put those people back on a normal course of social evolution. I see nothing wrong in that. Kirk: Well, that's a good object lesson, Mister Spock. It's an example of what can happen when a machine becomes too efficient, does too much work for you. Spock: Captain, you are aware of the biblical story of Genesis. Kirk: Yes, of course I'm aware of it. Adam and Eve tasted the apple and as a result were driven out of paradise. Spock: Precisely, Captain, and in a manner of speaking, we have given the people of Vaal the apple, the knowledge of good and evil if you will, as a result of which they too have been driven out of paradise. Kirk: Doctor, do I understand him correctly? Are you casting me in the role of Satan?

This dialogue demonstrates the conundrum that the Enterprise crew faced. The innocent and naïve people served a machine that took care of their every needs including their reproductive necessities (which is bizarre). The sacrifice for this comfort was the absolute lack of freedom, the knowledge of good and evil. Our Catholic tradition recognizes our free will as a gift from God. We believe that God wants us to freely choose to exist for others. But for this choice to be free we need to be able to know and choose both good and evil.

Pelagius, an early 5th Century English monk, recognized this perhaps more than others. While he got into trouble for not take into consideration the need for God’s grace, he did see the absolute importance for humanity to experience free will and make a free choice. You can find this position laid out in his letter to Demetrias.

God decided to give rational creatures the gift of good will and the power of free choice. By making a person naturally capable of good and evil, so that he could do both and would direct his own will to either, God arranged that what an individual actually chose would be properly his own. The good could be done voluntarily only by a creature which was also capable of evil. Therefore the most excellent creator decided to make us capable of both.

Now this part is controversial, but even so, it is worthy of some consideration.

Actually, of course, he intended and commanded that we should do what is good. His only purpose in giving the capacity for evil was that we accomplish his will by our own will. Our ability to do evil is, therefore, itself a good. I claim it is a good because it makes its counterpart, the capacity for doing good, better. It removes the bonds of necessity and makes the person free to decide, makes the will voluntary in its own right.

Pelagius fiercely debated Augustine on this issue. The big difference is that Augustine was centered on the role of God’s grace, unlike Vaal or Ms. Davis the people would not serve a mechanical idol but they would still be spiritually dependent on God’s grace. This is fine except that it completely downplays one’s agency and the role that free will has in making an actual decision. We certainly recognize the need for God’s grace, which is achieved in humility through prayer and spiritual exercises, but we must be able to freely participate in our own pursuit of meaning and holiness. Like Spock, Augustine did not see “the Fall” as a positive development for humanity (and for the aliens of Gamma Trianguli Six). Kirk and Bones hold on to Pelagius’ belief that free will and the ability to make a free choice offered a more authentic lifestyle.

Sr. Simone can perhaps be seen as a modern day semi-Pelagian (she does center herself in God and has vivid grace-filled experiences along the way) who struggles to free humanity from an emerging idol that certainly does exist in our own world today.

#youtube #Pelagius #star trek #Mrs. Davis #bishop robert barron

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