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...
Darkness envelopes the flooded forest as the moon reaches its zenith, announcing the dawn of a new day; however, it'll still be many more hours before the sun makes its appearance. Moonlight reflects off the muddy waters which dominate the area, their constant flow carving out a patchwork of waterlogged valleys and high steep hills.
From within the earth, underground rivers create catacombs of tunnels and caves which snake their way through dirt, mud, and stone. The roots of the hundreds of trees above them prevent the subterranean systems from caving in on themselves. Atop the hills, streams, and rivers flow down the steep embankments, eventually throwing themselves over the edge as spectacular waterfalls.
Despite the abundance of waterways here, the region is actually in the midst of the dry season and currently experiencing a dramatic drop in water levels. During the monsoon season, many parts of the flooded forest can be completely submerged by the sometimes seemingly endless downpour, granting more freedom to some of the environment's mostly or fully aquatic species; however, at this time of the year, many of these animals are forced to either stay in the deep pools scattered throughout the land or migrate to the ocean.
Thanks to the region's fortunate position allowing for year-round access to water, the dry season is ironically more hospitable for many of the flooded forest's denizens, with the lower water levels allowing them to walk across the now shallow rivers and lakes. It's also during this part of the year when many of the environment's inhabitants begin looking for mates, the combination of an abundance of resources and places to nest making it the perfect time to start a family. For Froth, a male Mizutsune, finding a partner is all he's focused on, as his body produces high amounts of hormones in response to the arrival of the breeding season, causing him to become significantly more aggressive than he usually is.
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Moving rapidly over the terrain, Froth easily bounds over obstacles, their presence failing to slow him down in any meaningful way. As he walks, the Mizutsune leaves behind a trail of protein threads to signify to passing females that he's in season, and to intimidate rival males, letting them know that he's too tough to handle and that they should just leave. All of this information is passed through smell alone, making it somewhat more efficient than making visual markers. However, there is one major downside to this tactic: other animals can pick up the scent.
Although his species is far from being defenseless, Mizutsunes still fall prey to larger creatures, and unfortunately for Froth, his attempts to catch the attention of a female may instead lead predators to him. His large, hooked claws, straight teeth, and long tail are all capable of being used as weapons in a pinch; however, these can only do so much to an attacker. Fortunately for him, he has a few more unique ways of defending himself.
His proteins may get him into trouble, but they can also get him out of it. Thanks to a series of glands positioned across his body, Froth can expel thousands of minuscule threads; upon making contact with water, the proteins slow the flow and trap air, creating a slippery and soft substance known as bubble foam. This ability allows the Mizutsune to easily slide around with astonishing speed and agility and drastically reduce his enemies' traction, causing them to slide around uncontrollably. Even if Froth is ever attacked on land, the absorbent pseudo hairs that line his lower body contain water, allowing him to create bubble foam virtually anywhere.
