Head-on Assault

A Flurry to the FlameBefore Operation

Yato
Captain's audio log number two.
Yato
Current time, 0915 hours. Weather, cloudy. We have returned to the Soubo mountain range, and are currently continuing our advance.
Yato
Since the last recording, I along with Operator Noir Corne have encountered a series of unexpected situations while executing our mission.
Yato
We first engaged in combat with an unknown lifeform... a Rathalos. We were not successful in this endeavor.
Yato
Upon arriving at the village, our usual investigation into the source of the Oripathy outbreak was met with significant resistance from the locals.
Yato
Their reasons are still unclear, though from the medical tests conducted, it seems that the villagers have been in contact with Originium for an extended period of time.
Yato
In summing up the clues we've gathered so far, we have determined a course of action: we will continue to track the Rathalos into the forest to try and pinpoint the source of Originium contamination. Progress so far has been poor...
Yato
Ugh—The thicket here is too dense. Corne, hand me an axe.
Yato
What did you just hand me? I said to give me an axe, not—what is this...uneven... and squirming...ah!
Yato
An Originium slug?!
Felyne Artisan
Originium slug?
Yato
Why was there one on my hand?
Felyne Artisan
The slug has no bones... and a very hard carapace, very good! I like it very meowch!
Yato
Corne—where did you go?
Felyne Scholar
Hey mew, take a look. The seeds of this plant burst out with just a touch.
Felyne Scholar
They flew so far away, pawbably to extend the range of theirs dispersal... reminds me of a Blastnut.
Noir Corne
This might be related to the Rathalos's whereabouts...Oh! Could it be...
Felyne Scholar
I'm pawsitive that is completely unrelated to our search.
Yato
(Breathes deeply)
Yato
...We are currently travelling with some additional companions from another continent that bear some resemblance to Felines.
Felyne Artisan
That's Felynes to mew!
Yato
They call themselves Felynes with a Y, and possess information on the Rathalos.
Yato
With the help of these Felynes and the extensive problem-solving expertise of Rhodes Island Operations Team A4, I believe we will soon unravel this incident.
Noir Corne
Yato! This way!
Felyne Scholar
No, over here! The Rathalos went this way!
Noir Corne
But you said it was this way earlier...
Felyne Scholar
Those were old tracks, it left new ones here!
Felyne Scholar
Hmph! Anyway, just head this way! Mew are as stupid as a Kestodon!
Felyne Scholar
A slow monster that purretty much always charges around and gets stuck in trees!
Yato
...We're close to getting to the bottom of this. Recording complete.
Yato
Corne. Felynes.
Yato
Listen up, we've been walking for two hours, and have yet to see even a glimpse of the Rathalos.
Yato
If you'd like to continue your argument, I'll send you both back to that cave to have a nice chat with all the Originium slugs.
Felyne Scholar
Smithy, keep your meows down.
Felyne Artisan
Mrow?
Felyne Scholar
Look over there, on the flowers.
Felyne Artisan
In the underbrush?
Felyne Scholar
Undoubtedly, there must be—yes! A whole bunch of tiny, squirming, endemic lifeforms hidden beneath!
Felyne Artisan
Just a little closer—
Felyne Scholar
Hidden within the shadows, danger creeps closer, with the flying insects none the wiser...
Felyne Scholar
The concealed predator holds for just a meowment, fur its chance is close at paw! The time is... now!
Felyne Scholar
One expels a puff of smoke, and the insects are wobbling, are they about to fall?
Felyne Artisan
Mrrow... head hurts...
Felyne Artisan
A—Achoo—
Felyne Scholar
Smithy! Look at what you did! Scared them all away!
Felyne Artisan
Suddenly so sleepy... so many meowterials dancing in the clouds...
Felyne Scholar
Even the flying insects dropped from that puff of smoke... could it be one of its properties?
Felyne Scholar
I shall note this down... a new kind of endemic lifeform that can cause drowsiness in those affected. Purrphaps it may even be helpful in hunts.
Felyne Scholar
Tiny endemic life and flying insects, flying insects and nectar, Meownsters and Hunters... the resemblance is too much to bear.
Felyne Artisan
Mrrow... just like...
Felyne Scholar
Yes, Smithy. I've been noticing this ever since we came here, but while I'm pawsitive that Terra is a totally different world, it shares so many similarities with ours.
Felyne Scholar
Whether it be the villagers or creatures I've observed, a closer look has revealed that we share meowch more commonalities than diffurences.
Felyne Scholar
Our Ecological Survey in the forest so far has led me to the conclusion that while the endemic life here appears diffurent from the ones we are used to back home, the way things work is exactly the same.
Felyne Scholar
Plants, herbivores, carnivores... predator and prey constitute the basis of most biological relationships.
Felyne Scholar
The degree of similarity between these two worlds... is simply remeowkable.
Felyne Scholar
As I've said befur, our prior knowledge is adequate to understand this world, fur there is no fundamental diffurence.
Felyne Scholar
I can also record the Rathalos's activities here up close, and become Terra's top ecological researcher.
Felyne Scholar
I'm the purrime scholar after all! Meowhahaha!
???
To be an ecological researcher here, Originium will definitely be a factor to consider.
Felyne Scholar
Originium, mew say? I did hear Noir Corne mention it multipaw times, but I have not whiskered any obvious influence...
Felyne Scholar
I don't think it's that meowch of a problem. If you simply take a look at people like Noir Corne, they're pawbably just too dumb to understand how it truly works, purrphaps the rocks have their own special qualities even!
Felyne Scholar
However, this forest does indeed raise some concerns in me. It feels like something's missing, but I can't be sure what.
Felyne Scholar
What could it pawssibly be...
Felyne Scholar
Smithy, what do mew think—
Felyne Scholar
Ah, Noir Corne? Why are you here?
Noir Corne
Me? Should I not be?
Felyne Scholar
Smithy? Mrow? Where did mew go?
Yato
If I recall correctly, is that it?
Noir Corne
I'll go take a look.
Yato
Careful, don't step on it.
Noir Corne
Hey, you're right. Straight from the pages of 'The Originium Slug's Guide to Terran Wildlife'... Vanilla reminded us of this countless times before we left.
Noir Corne
'Top three creatures to worry about in the forests!' 'An aerial nightmare you definitely want to avoid!'
Noir Corne
Sporting dazzling silver and black feathers and an appearance from the front as dark as a ghost in the night...
Noir Corne
If you see patches of black and silver feathers on the ground, it means there's a stinkfowl nest nearby.
Noir Corne
And the moment you step into their territory, only one thing awaits you...
Felyne Scholar
Yato! Noir Corne! I can't find Smithy anywhere!
Noir Corne
What? Where did you lose sight of him?
Felyne Scholar
We were just meowing about, and he—
Yato
Corne... did you hear that?
Noir Corne
Yeah, sounds like wings flapping in the sky to me.
Noir Corne
They're getting more intense...
Yato
Over there.
Noir Corne
S-Should I go take a look?
Felyne Artisan
Meow!
Noir Corne
Arty! Where have you been?
Felyne Artisan
Noir Corne! Fur mew!
Noir Corne
What? This is...
Noir Corne
Wait, don't just skedaddle! Where are you going?
Yato
Corne... isn't that...?
Noir Corne
You don't mean—
Yato
Stinkfowl eggs.
Noir Corne
Hey! Arty! Get back here this instant!
Noir Corne
Ah—Don't come any closer, it wasn't me who took your eggs! I'll even put them back for you, okay?
Noir Corne
I'll return them right now! Don't peck me! Not my horn!
Noir Corne
Agh! It stinks! Blegh—
Noir Corne
Yato! Help me out!
Noir Corne
Arty! No more egg pinching for mew!
From Operator Noir Corne's personal experience:
If you are in the forest and see molted feathers from Stinkfowls marking their territory, never trample upon their nest.
And never, ever touch their eggs.
Otherwise, what greets you is only...
A foul and fierce assault from the sky to be reckoned with.
Noir Corne
Did we get away? They're not chasing us, right?
Yato
They got stopped over there.
Noir Corne
I'm beat...
Yato
Do you want some water?
Yato
Wait, don't come any closer to me.
Yato
Put your shield up so it can block the smell a little... I'll toss the bottle over.
Noir Corne
Yato...
Yato
Corne, I hope you understand that it's best for us to keep our distance for now.
Felyne Scholar
Mew stink! Stay away from meow!
Felyne Artisan
Further!
Noir Corne
I'm feeling pretty dizzy, is it from all the headpecking earlier?
Noir Corne
I feel like... the earth is shaking... Did I pass out? Is this a dream?
Yato
No, that's not it...
Yato
Get up! Now!
Felyne Artisan
There's so meowny of them...
Felyne Scholar
Lots of meownsters are rushing down the mountain!