Primodial Malzeno, the Primordial White Knight of the Kingdom in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. Fearless, battle hardened, and unwavering. The true Malzeno that the citizens of the Kingdom revered as their savior from the Archdemon of the Abyss: Gai...
Physiology: Primordial Malzeno greatly resembles a normal Malzeno, but has a more sturdy appearance, with most of its body, wings, and head crest being covered in silver and gold plates and blades resembling armor, and the parts of its body that were already gold becoming a darker, richer color. The Qurio are no longer present on its body, with the patch on its chest being replaced by a thicker section of armor plates, and its red wing membranes are now dark bluish-purple instead, with its horns also being less twisted. When infested by the Qurio, Primordial Malzeno will enter a "Bloodening" state similar to a regular Malzeno, where its scales will become duller, clusters of Qurio will gather on its arms and chest, and Qurio energy appears between the prongs of its tail. Further corrosion by the Qurio will cause this to develop into an advanced "Bloodrage" state, indicated by Malzeno's silver armor becoming greatly blackened and its wing membranes being tainted magenta. If Malzeno is injured enough, it can immediately enter the Bloodrage state without entering the Bloodening first. When severely injured, Qurio will swarm Primordial Malzeno and seemingly burn it, causing it to enter the "Bloodlust" state. In this form, its scales and armor turn completely black, and its wing membranes, mouth, head crest, and gaps between its scales start to glow brightly with fiery orange light, similar to the Risen Elder Dragons in their Risen states.
Abilities: Primordial Malzeno is the original form of Malzeno before developing its symbiosis with the Qurio, and boasts considerably superior physical strength and agility, as well as durability granted by its armor. Compared to the original variant, it fights more akin to a knight, preferring to use its physical strength in a more flexible and effective way by wielding its armored wings for both offense and defense alongside its tail. Despite its sheer strength, it is extremely precise to the point where it can stab individual Qurio out of the air with its wings. Even with just its physical prowess, Primordial Malzeno can overpower or repel other powerful monsters such as Scorned Magnamalo, Velkhana, and Gaismagorm. Unlike Malzeno, Primordial Malzeno will refuse to use any Qurio to aid it and will kill any that come near. However if distracted, the Qurio will attempt to bond with Primordial Malzeno and force it to enter the Bloodening state. Despite the symbiosis being forced, Primordial Malzeno's superior physicality allows it to wield the Qurio's power far more effectively, with it using their energy for powerful and violent new attacks. As the infestation progresses, this develops into the Bloodrage state, where Primordial Malzeno becomes significantly more aggressive, its attacks become more devastating, and its speed increases to the point of using the normal variant's "teleportation" multiple times in succession. However, like a normal Malzeno, the Qurio-covered parts on its body become weaker in these states, and dealing enough damage to them will end the state and topple Primordial Malzeno. If Primordial Malzeno is on the verge of death, the Qurio will swarm it further and seemingly overload it with energy, transforming it into the Bloodlust state. In this form, Primordial Malzeno's aggression, speed, and strength are increased dramatically, and it becomes capable of attacking and teleporting nearly continously without stopping. Unlike its previous two states, the Bloodlust state will not end until Primordial Malzeno is slain or successfully manages to purge the Qurio, but its struggle against the symbiosis will also cause it to become fatigued more frequently.
Behavior: Unlike Malzeno and most Elder Dragons, Primordial Malzeno is a rather peaceful Elder willing to coexist with humans, to the point where it was once revered as a protector of the Kingdom who would judge evildoers. It is fairly intelligent by extension, as shown by its skillful usage of its limbs and its ability to seemingly understand emotions such as gratitude or hatred. However, it can still be intensely territorial, and once sufficiently provoked, Primordial Malzeno will not hesitate to retaliate with extreme ferocity and destructive ability, such as in its violent battle with Gaismagorm and the Qurio. Even so, its fighting style is considered to be elegant and knight-like, but will become increasingly brutal and underhanded as the Qurio continue to influence it. Primordial Malzeno is bitter enemies with Gaismagorm and the Qurio for invading its territory, and both hunts down Qurio and resists their control. Even when infested by them, it will continously attempt to resist the symbiosis, making it look like it's constantly struggling.
(And there you have it ladies and gentlemen, Primordial Malzeno is coming to Yokai Academy. Chapter one coming soon.)
