- "A bizarre creature that, when threatened, scatters pollen-like scales that heighten its own senses while causing detrimental effects to any other creatures that inhale them. As elusive as it is mysterious."
- ―Hunter's Notes
Gore Magala is a juvenile Elder Dragon that appears in several Monster Hunter games, and is the primary antagonist of Monster Hunter 4. It's adult form is Shagaru Magala.
Appearance[]
Gore Magala is a large pitch black dragon. It has a leg stance similar to felines and canines rather than most reptiles. It's body is covered in black scales and armor plating, as well as numerous spikes. It's wing-limbs are long and very well developed, ending in massive hooked claws with opposable thumbs, while the wings themselves are covered in fur and are tattered at the edges, with undersides that glow white, blue, or magenta. Gore usually keeps these folded to its side to resemble a black cape. It's head is relatively smooth, featuring sharp teeth and no visible eyes.
Ecology[]
Gore can be found in numerous temperate regions, usually forests, though many will often be drawn to mountains later in their lifespan.
Despite its intimidating appearance, Gore Magala is only a juvenile dragon. After hatching, the young have a one hundred year maturation period, after which they will often travel to their nesting site to molt into their full forms.
Despite having no eyes and relying on heat sensing and the hairs and scales it scatters to see, Gore is often one of the top predators in regions it inhabits, due to both its raw power, but also because the Frenzy virus it carries will often spread and kill off and any creature it infects, leaving a trail of death for Gore to feast off of.
History[]
In Monster Hunter 4(and subsequently its expanded version of 4 Ultimate) Gore Magala was initially completely unknown to the Hunter's Guild until it abruptly showed up on day. Wary of its aggression and lack of fear towards humans, the Guild dispatched a team of Ace Hunters to study and kill it. However, in their pursuit at, Gore ended up attacking a passing ship carrying the protagonist's caravan. It was shortly repelled, and chased into the Everwood, where the protagonist had to again repel the creature to save two of the Aces. The Guild then specifically chose the protagonist to corner the beast on Ancestral Steppe and kill it once and for all. Though appearing successful at first, Gore survived and molted into its adult form of Shagaru, and traveled to Heaven's Mount.
Abilities[]
Gore is an aggressive fighter, using its teeth, claws, and spiked tail in battle to great extent, and is shown to be a capable flyer.
The Frenzy[]
Gore Magala does not possess any elemental abilities, but makes up for this in a unique way. The dragon is a carrier of the Frenzy Virus. This pathogen is not well documented, but has had pronounced and disturbing effects on the Monster Hunter world. In humans and the cat-like Palicoes, after a short incubation period, the virus shuts off all natural healing processes, but is only temporary. In most monsters, infection is permanent and almost always fatal, with symptoms being darkened skin, red eyes, warped vocal patterns, and extremely wild and aggressive behavior. Infected individuals are contagious when symptoms begin to show. Elder Dragons are immune to infection.
Gore Magala has a unique symbiotic relationship with the pathogen though. The virus replicates harmlessly inside Gore's body without injuring or affecting the dragon, and Gore spreads the pathogen to new hosts as it moves and hunts. Meanwhile, Gore can harness and concentrate the virus in makeshift breath attacks, taking the form of black and purple orbs that travel along the ground, and powerful short range bursts. These Frenzy breath attacks are highly explosive and are every bit as dangerous as the fire breath of many other creatures. Its movements also leave Frenzy clouds that infect those who stand in them too long.
"True" Form[]
When engaged in battle against a tough opponent, Gore will begin a natural process in its body that heightens its senses and builds up power, shown by the changing color of its wings. After enough time has passed, Gore will assume its true form. During this state, it stops folding up its wings and uses them as a third pair of legs and as arms to smash, grab, and tear apart foes with. Two glowing magenta horns will also erect on its head, and its voice changes to one that is more high pitched and more of a hiss and screech then a growl and roar. The sky in the general area also darkens as if there was an eclipse.
Gore is incredibly aggressive and violent in this form thanks to its massive claws and muscular wings, and abandons the Frenzy orbs and small burst attacks in favor of very powerful pulsing burst attacks. The beast also cannot tire out in this form, and must be broken out of its true state with enough damage and then at least one blow to the head.
Weaknesses[]
Gore is very vulnerable to heat and fire, but its most crippling weakness comes in the form of strong opponents. While the effects of the Frenzy are usually detrimental, strong Hunters can overcome the virus quite reliably to gain a significant power boost and temporary immunity to additional infection.
Additionally, a few rare individual monster have been known to survive infection and form a symbiotic bond of there own. The "Apex" monsters are identifiable by the black fumes emanating from their skin, and have unnaturally strong defenses, inexhaustible stamina, and extremely aggressive & fearless behavior. These rogue demons are often more powerful than Gore itself, leaving the dragon to flee or die fighting its own unintentional creation.
Chaotic Gore Magala[]
Chaotic Gore Magala is a Gore Magala that attempted to molt into Shagaru Magala, but failed for some reason. Parts of its body have gold spiny scales like Shagaru, one of Shagaru's permanently erect brown horns, and one side of its head has a glowing red "eye". Its abilities and fighting style is chaotic mash-up of Gore and Shagaru, adding more potent frenzy orbs, large carpet bombs, virus geysers that erupt nearby, and scatter bombs. Its behavior switches between that of Gore normal form and its true form almost at random, and entering its true form only makes this even more dangerous.