Probably one of the most successful video game franchises in recent years, Monster Hunter has always been a series that has captured the imagination of many people with its fantastical yet realistic creatures. From the scary Vaal Hazak to the goofy...
Elder Dragons have had a big impact on our ancestors and how they see the world. Many of these animals took on a spiritual role in religions, whether that be as gods, demons, garden spirits, or holy creatures. But no matter what their roles were in the cultures of ancient people, their bizarre appearance and almost supernatural abilities have left huge impressions on humans.
One of the most common thing associated with Elder Dragons is the weather - specifically storms. In South East Asia, there are many different animals which are said to cause typhoons wherever they go. Most of these creatures are part of the Serpenlong order; however, one species of Hexadrake has also earned this reputation and is arguably one of the most popular, the well studied Eosdracon species.
Found throughout the coastal areas of Asia, its surrounding islands, and even as far as Alaska, Dracometallucornu procellas, better known as Kushala Daoras, are legendary for their ability to withstand even the most extreme typhoons. In fact, these animals who can grow to be 5.5 meters in length, 2.4 in height, and have a 9 meter wingspan, are renowned storm chasers.
(Dracometallucornu procellas procellas.)
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Roughly translated to 'dragon with the metal wings who causes storms' in Latin, the name Dracometallucornu procellas is one that describes these animals very well. Thanks to their iron-like scales, Kushala Daoras are incredibly durable, having been known to get back up even after suffering crash landings. However, these scales are also surprisingly light, allowing the animals to stay airborne.
But even if there scales are generally light, Kushala Daoras still need a running start to get off the ground, as their armour contains trace amounts of iron sulfide in them. Biomineralization is actually very common in the kingdom animalia, the only reason that this seems more extraordinary in the Elder Dragons is because their hides contain so much of the mineral that they look like they're made from metal.
These animals occasionally eat sulfur and carbon which adds to their metallic appearance. The minerals are absorbed into their scales, making their armour more durable. Although these deposits can be found anywhere if you know where to look, they're especially common around volcanic areas, compromised of raw exposed rocks which have just been churned up from the ground and contain an assortment of ores that may be hard to find otherwise. Because of this, it's not unusual for Kushala Daoras to visit these regions, especially during seismic events which they can detect, although the way in which they and other animals do it is still a mystery.
However, this diet of metals does have some severe drawbacks. Unlike almost all other Elder Dragons, Kushala Daoras need to shed their skin to grow. Unfortunately, the extra protection they gain makes it very challenging for them to bust out of their old hides. In addition to this, the metal in their scales can actually rust due to oxidation, adding an extra layer to break open and turning them into Rusted Kushala Daoras.
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