Monster Hunter Stories: The Crimson Shadow Sign-Ups/Discussion thread

[Corzak The Mighty]

Hello there! It's been a long time... a long LONG time...

*looks at the original thread*

Oh god has it been a long time...

But anyways, I've been getting a wild hair up my ass lately. What with Monster hunter World shaking up the lore of the Monster Hunter universe, and with the mainline games, Frontier and Online substantially expanding the universe and backstory of Minegarde since the original run of The Crimson Shadow, I figured it would be a good idea to reboot it with a fresh cast of characters and a fresh coat of paint!

As a background as to the lore of the story, it follows a disgruntled hunter named Jack, an expert hunter who long ago had lost his lover, Theophany, during a botched Iodrome hunt to a Crimson Fatalis. Now with experience and equipment to back him up, Jack has set up a request for all hunters willing to join to aid him in his quest: collect one of the legendary dragonslaying swords of the ancient civilization and slay The Crimson Shadow!

As you can tell from the title, this story is also a sign-up thread! Anybody's welcome to join in, but I'd suggeest reading up a bit on Monster Hunter's equipment, armor, and weapons first before jumping into it. Here's some links to get you started:

https://monsterhunter.fandom.com/wiki/Portal:Weapons
https://monsterhunter.fandom.com/wiki/MHGU:_Armor (closest I could find)

The character template is as follows:

Character name:
Age:
Height:
Weight:
Physical Description:
Personality:
Backstory:

If you got any questions, feel free to ask me. Now, let's get this back up and running!

[Demon Lord Gira]

Character name: Tenebra Nox
Age: 23
Height: 5ft 10
Weight: 170 lb
Physical Description: Tenebra is a youthful young woman with greyish blue eyes, and pitch black hair reaching just down to the shoulders. Her preferred style of armor is Barioth armor (Though she does have an old Crimson Quropeco armor set she has stashed away somewhere), and her preferred kind of weapon is the Dual Swords, or more specifically the Snow Venom. She also loves to use a specialized Insect Glaive called the Shadow Walker. Her weapons tend to be coated in a special kind of poison that weakens most monsters over time.
Personality: She has an almost childish, immature air around her, which makes people wonder how she could possibly he a good hunter. In part, most of her skill comes from her athletic prowess, which works well with her kind of weapons. Eye witnesses claim she uses whatever monsters she hunts as mere amusement, rolling under them, leaping onto their backs, and otherwise toying with them until she gets bored and finished them off. While some may say she’s not a team player for various reasons, she is a fun and entertaining addition to any team, if not abit head-strong and whimsical. She also shares an odd fascination with the “Star of Calamity.” She has a pet Great Baggi, named Sleepy Face, that she travels with. Something else she has, is incredible skill and use of her vocal cord, or rather, how many different kinds of voices she can imitate to perfection, even those that shouldn't be possible. The few that know of her call her "the human peco" because of this talent, which tends to also come with the side affect of drawing in whatever monster she called. This is helpful when she's hunting said monster, and as far as anyone knows, there's no voice she can't mimic perfectly.
Backstory: Limited. She is an anomaly in the Guild’s records. No known backstory, she simply appeared out of the blue one day and requested to be a hunter. At first, her skills seemed sub-par, but the Guild officers were baffled when she not only went after a Baleful Gigginox, but a Great Baggi and a Barioth at the same time with no backup, but captured them all with nearly no damage done to her, along with a strange horned creature she calls a "Banbaro". Ever since then, she’s been a rising hunter in the works, every new hunt set to further her limits and get new enjoyment out of her. A few obscure sources hint that she may have come from beyond the ocean, but there is no concrete proof of this.

[GodzillaFreak99]

Just dropping in t say that's so nice to see a sign-up fic after so long. Brings back some memories it does.

[Corzak The Mighty]

Yeah, they seem to have kind of faded into being a thing of the past. Makes me sad.

[GodzillaFreak99]

Yeah, they seem to have kind of faded into being a thing of the past. Makes me sad.

Yeah, it is. They're really fun to participate in and I have a lot of nostalgic memories of ones like TKFA and Emmiseries and Nocturne of Eternal Darkness. Shame you don't really see them anymore (not counting this one of course) but I digress.

[HayesAJones]

I'mma be greedy and none of y'all can stop me!

Joan

Spoiler:

Name: Joan

Nickname: Jo
Age: 27
Height: 5’6’’
Weight: 154 pounds without armor, 169 pounds with armor
Description: Joan is a swart, stocky man of average height who wears flashy Maccao armor. His powerful build belies the awkwardness with which he moves it, flailing and perpetually unbalanced at any pace brisker than a walk. Jo has dark, lively eyes and an extremely expressive face that favors confident smirks and terrified contortions. He keeps his long, thick hair tied in a high ponytail and maintains a trim goatee.
Personality: More interested in slaying and capturing monsters for the useful parts they provide than the sport or safety it can bring, Joan considers himself an alchemist and a sharp-dresser before a hunter. While he normally carries himself with energetic confidence, Jo is quick to fold under attack, whether it be verbal from fellow hunters or physical from fearsome quarry. This is reflected in his choice of weapon, a gunner through and through. He attacks from afar with his handsome Quill Burst or even unpredictable alchemical fireballs, rarely, if ever, entering melee. Despite prioritizing his looks and chemical concoctions over honing his skills, he is a fairly successful hunter, recently infiltrating High Rank due to his sharp mind and fleet feet. He has a bad habit of relying too heavily on others, sometimes teetering on the edge of non-contribution, but although he resists taking the initiative, he is swift to offer ideas on how to end a hunt, often carrying tranquilizer round, traps, and homemade explosives. Jo is typically very leery of monsters he knows to be tough opponents or monster he has no idea about, but he has a passion for Bird Wyverns, interested in their brilliant scales and bright plumage as well as the various organs, glands, and secretions that enable their intelligent, active lifestyle.
Backstory: While he was born and raised in Loc Lac City, Joan got his start in Bherna, where he was lent the home of the then (and still) traveling resident hunter. He is well liked there despite his quirks, and has grown to be very fond of the mountain town himself. His place in Bherna as well as the nearby Wycademy was cemented not long ago by a position aboard the newly completed Soaratorium.

Oka

Spoiler:

Name: Oka
Age: 35
Height: 5’9’’
Weight: 156 pounds without armor, 211 pounds with armor
Description: Oka is a tall, broad-shouldered woman in well-worn Gypceros armor. She chooses to contrast her fair complexion with dark makeup that makes her pale eyes pop; they are like cold, blue flames rising from dead coals. Her stern, pinched features give off an infamously intimidating impression, though her short, feathery hair has a boyish charm that creates the desire to ruffle it. So far none have been bold enough to try.
Personality: Oka is a competent, experienced hunter, and she seems to act in much the same way as one would expect of one. A woman of few words, she speaks through her actions, aggressive and stubborn in combat. If she can take a hit to deal a greater one, she always will. Though she revels in the hunt, leaping at the chance to test herself against new prey, she prioritizes the protection of villagers and caravans. She will take the unglamorous job that needs to be done before the high-profile one that benefits only a few. This is only what her reputation can inform you of however. Those who actually know her could tell you about of a number of eccentricities. When she refrains from speaking, it is more often than not because she does not know what to say, not due to cool stoicism. Oka is, in truth, somewhat shy and tends to act independently because she is uncomfortable coordinating with others. She also has a thinly veiled love for monsters she considers cute (which is not always what others think, mind you). Moofah, Jaggia, Royal Ludroth, and Seltas all hold a special place in her heart, but the ruler of her beating core is undoubtedly Lagombi, of which she has several armor sets modeled after. None have seen the hunt; these armors are purely for recreation. While she is too timid to wear them in public, some too cutesy for her tough image, others too revealing for her own tastes, she will happily pose before a mirror in them.
Backstory: Both a resident and the resident hunter of Yukumo Village, Oka is locally famous. Joan's senior on the Soaratorium, the conqueror of the Fated Four, and the slayer of the destructive elder dragon known as the Argent Comet, she has climbed to the very peak of High Rank, though she has not yet pierced beyond it. The most powerful of the Brute Wyverns are something of an obstacle to her, answering her sheer force with even greater strength. She is steadfast that the toxic edge of her beloved Poison Serpentblade will soon break through them however.

... except Dan, who's VERY handsome if I haven't mentioned that today.

[SpanishBulldog63]

Character name: Xalanul
Age: 30
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 210 pounds 
Physical Description: 6’4” and of a powerful stocky build, Xalanul is deceptively quick on his feet, and stronger than he even looks. Despite the scars he wears like badges of honor, (a trio of scars across his right eye, a long scar across his chest, and a few teeth marks here and there.) he hardly looks like he spends his life journeying. He prefers to keep his hair trimmed short in order to keep it from getting snagged by man, beast, or nature itself. Likewise, he keeps a pretty clean appearance with his mustache and goatee. Clad in a mix of Seregios, Grimclaw Tigrex, and Rajang armor (Regios Tassets and Greaves S, Grimclaw Guards, and Grand God’s Peer Robe. Helmet is optional to him). He wields a staff that seems thicker and heavier than your ordinary staff with blue light glowing inside it (some say it’s cosmic in nature), and a bow called Nera’s Flight.

Personality: Xalanul is a survivor, doing what he can to protect himself and others. While the feeling of doing good is great, he is also human and tends to get carried away as a lady’s man at times during celebrations. But it’s not entirely without merit or just for the carnal pleasures: it’s a lonely world to explore with no one to share it with. While not a braggart, he can be a snarky but extremely dependable hunter who takes the safety of civilians and comrades first before revelling in the hunt with whatever beast he calls to his aid. Gods have mercy on the soul who attempts to kills the creature he's bonded with at the time, however.

Backstory: Xalanul was the son of a renowned hunter team and, like them, held great respect for the creatures around him. His gift of being able to communicate with wildlife was seen as an extraordinary asset, and his parents had talked to him about using it when he was older as a licensed hunter with their team. But life doesn't always give families the happy endings they want: one day as their caravan trekked to another village upon hearing of an elder dragon nearby, it was attacked by the Crimson Shadow itself, leaving a young Xalanul the only survivor. Carrying his parents’ weapons with him, Xalanul didn't hesitate to begin training for revenge, honing his tracking skills and raising his physical capabilities to unheard of heights. Some, to this day, speculate he must have been raised by Rajang as a child. After years of hunting, rewards, and nights of being visited by women of whichever village he was at at the time, he finally got a solid lead on where the dragon was. After a long hellacious battle however, the injured beast fled, leaving a broken weapon and a furious Xalanul behind. These days he helps stragglers and weary travelers in need, healing them and protecting them in hopes of information about where the Crimson Shadow currently resides