Shadow Cantios

"*There is very little the Environmental Master fears, but even they have something they fear, it's their own shadow.*"
— Drake Wayden
The **Shadow Cantios** are the Subspecies of the Cantios.

## Appearance

As a subspecies it shares the original Cantioses body type but their are some differences. The differences are a thinner body, longer and thinner claws, a longer tail, bigger wings, and longer, sharper fangs.

Its colour scheme is however completely different. Instead of grey scales it has jet black ones. Dark red horns and chest. Dark blue feet, hands and tail tips. Grey wings. All of its spikes, claws talons, fangs and zigzag patterns purple. Once enraged its eyes become red and its poison veins glow.

Also its sounds are completely different to that of the Grey Cantios.

## Behaviour

Shadow Cantios have the combat style the Grey Cantios hate, evasive and speed. They will wait in the darkness almost invisible then strike their prey down in a blink of an eye. Their goal at first sight of a deadly enemy is their fear tactic. With their colour scheme they will flash a demonic looking red and blue and make a screaming like roar that bears next to no resemblance to their Grey Cousins. Most will flee in panic upon witnessing this sight, including the original Environmental Masters themselves.

These species are an exclusively nocturnal species, never being seen in the light of day.

## Ecological Information

### Placement In Food Chain

The Shadow Cantios are the main apex predators of the Sherin Peaks, gaining that status from its extreme adaptability, deadly breath and its ability to turn unseeable in darkness. In the many other locales where they travel, Shadow Cantios are considered a nomadic species, meaning they battle with the apex level monsters of those places for the top spot in the food chain. Shadow Cantios however are not completely unrivalled, as they very often have to fight off other apex level monsters outside and inside the region of the Sherin Peaks. Their biggest threat is their own main species, the Cantios at day. Shadow Cantios can also be defeated by Elder Dragons and powerful Deviants.

### Behaviour Towards Other Monsters

Shadow Cantios are much more aggressive than the main Cantios species towards other monsters. As they rely on being unnoticed, they don't take kindly to any monsters that could potentially give it away. If a monster sees a Shadow Cantios and the Shadow Cantios notices it about to do something, it will assume its about to let others know about it and will swiftly rush in to kill them before they can.

If not spotted yet, Shadow Cantios will flee into the darkness if a large monster comes near.

However if threatened, the monster causes its prey to flee, or a hunter comes near, the Shadow Cantios will instantly become hostile and relentlessly begin attacking. If a hunter ruins its plan to get prey, then Shadow Cantios will engage combat enraged.

### Tracks

* Common: Shadow Cantios Footprints, Eaten Corpse
* Unique: Toxic Undrean Ashes

Shadow Cantios creates Toxic Undrean Ashes by breathing the substance in a single spot, often to mark territory, remove excessive amounts of smoke, or act as a trap for curious monsters.

### Specific Locale Interactions

Shadow Cantios have the most prominent interactions in the Sherin Peaks. Area 4 is where it will often rest when no danger is around, and it can also do the same in Area 11 when there are other dangerous monsters in the locale with it. When threat is high in the Sherin Peaks and there is nowhere to hide, Shadow Cantioses patrol the whole environment to search out any dangerous monsters in the locale and keep notice on them. If a large battle breaks out near its territory, the Shadow Cantios, similarly to the Bazelgeuze, shall fly into the conflict and join it to repel them away from its turf. Some Shadow Cantios have the egg protection interaction that normal Cantios have, but this is considerably rarer than them.

In the Fallen Woods, a Shadow Cantios can swim out of Area 2 into the river and emerge from the river in Area 3 to preform a powerful leaping attack reminiscent of its introduction cutscene with Seregios.

In environments containing water deep enough to swim in, they can swim in them and use the water to change its Undrea clouds to a more spread-out form.

In environments of extreme cold, their slide attack can be used when not near water and can travel faster with it but with a shorter range.

### Special Behaviours

The Shadow Cantios across all locales that have a clear day and night time, be it fixed by quest or as a cycle will only be active by night. When day arises, a Shadow Cantios will go to the nearest cave area or, if unavailable, any area that provides significant cover. There if not in combat, they find a safe spot and either wait until night returns or go to sleep.

## Cutscenes

### Intro Cutscene

**Another Master?!: Sherin Peaks (Night): Area 13/Area 2**

A Cantios enters the cave area, it being extremely dark the wyvern can hardly see what the place looks like. The Cantios looks weary, it looking as if a dangerous being might appear. Unfortunately for it there is exactly what it fears in the very room, a Shadow Cantios gazes from above, completely unseen to the Grey Cantios. The Black Cantios awaits until the Grey Cantios prepares to sleep... which was its plan. A rumble from the World's Ravine shakes the area and awakens the Grey Cantios and makes Shadow Cantios become visible to it in a minor way. Unable to identify the monster the Cantios roars at the Shadow Cantios, to which it gladly replies with its own. The roar that it emits is nothing like what the Grey Cantios made, its a terrifying scream that echoes around the room. Upon realising exactly what the monster is Grey Cantios immediately starts running, knowing at this time it can easily outdo it. Shadow Cantios takes aloft and swoops down right in front of it, giving Grey Cantios a boost in confidence as Shadow Cantios isn't as well suited for close range melee combat as it is. But that thought would be in vain, as it fails to land a single strike on the moving shadow for its movements are too fast. Cantios resorts to its main tool for stopping this behaviour, its Undrea breath, successfully hitting Shadow Cantios with it. Unfortunately for Cantios it is like fighting water with water, as Shadow Cantios isn't affected and proceeds to deliver several strikes with its claws that gash through Cantioes scales. Seeing no way to win, Cantios takes off and flies away in a attempt to save it own life like with any other dangerous foe. Sadly Shadow Cantios isn't in the mood for letting prey escape tonight, with haste going after it. Grey Cantios yelps as it sees Shadow Cantios come dashing at it at a breath taking speed and just barely avoids being head on tackled. The two head up high, right underneath the ash cloud of Sherin Peaks and attempt to battle again. This is of course a fools choice for Grey Cantios as its attacker rushes with speed unbeatable and strikes with lashes unavoidable in all ways. It is hit again and again by talons that rival a Rathaloses that carve scale by scale away. Eventually a strike to the wings brings Cantios falling down into the lake below, but not before being wounded heavily to its tail. Cantios now injured doesn't see Shadow Cantios dart behind it in the water and with a swift strike it is knocked out of the water with its tail severed into pieces. Now, Cantios knows it cannot escape its fate and simply stands there for the Dark Master to make its move. And it does. With a heavy blow it tears out the protective scales of its chest, leaving its red flesh open. Shadow Cantios steps backwards and finishes its hunt by exhaling Undrea of its own into the wound. This Undrea unlike the Grey Cantioes is a more concentrated form and has a purplish silver look to it. All Shadow Cantios does is watch as it knows its all over now. The Cantios begins shaking violently and coughing up blood, this Undrea has poisonous substances in it that ravages the body rather that make it numb, meaning it feels every second of the severe pain. It only takes a few seconds before Cantios succumbs to the substance and falls over dead. The predator makes what appears to be a smile of some sorts before using its razor sharp claws to tear into the Cantioes innards to feast on them...

### Hunt Cutscene

**What You Cannot See...: Sherin Peaks (Night): Area 2**

The hunter arrives on the scene, having being instructed to deal with the wyvern that has been silently and quickly killing in the area. He/she comes across the remains of a Cantios, its flesh completely eaten and only bones remaining. A sound is heard nearby, alerting the hunter, as he/she has been beforehand been told that this wyvern strikes out of darkness. The trees rumble and the hunter prepares for what is about to emerge from them. Several Maccao and Scofisl emerge and appear to be bickering with each other. Two bigger forms jump out from both sides of the area which are a Great Maccao and a Prime Scofisl and they immediately head to each other and begin yelling at each other, the two packs have crossed territory and both want the other out of it. They have zero care for the hunter there and continue to argue, which goes no where until Great Maccao by mistake hops into a piece of the Cantioes tail, which isn't attached to the body, falling over with a yelp. The Scofisl begin laughing at the unaware leader, enraging the Maccao, making it give the attack order to which the Scofisl's respond to with ease. The Prime Scofisl prepares a pounce, with the hunter being too aware to the fight that he/she fails to notice another rumble coming from behind. Just as Prime Scofisl leaps a shadowy figure torpedoes right into the raptor wyvern and destroys its tail and inflicts major injuries with just a single strike. The leader is launched far and falls down motionless to the ground; it being stained in blood. The shadowy figure lands right on a Maccao turning it to a gory mess from the force of the impact. The hunter realises this is the wyvern the Guild talked about, the Shadow Cantios. With a simple dark look to them the Scofisl's begin to flee while the Maccao's stand their ground, until the Shadow Cantios releases a roar that knocks them right out of their stance and they too begin running. Great Maccao becomes furious and jumps at the Dark Wyvern, which it evades effortlessly, and wacks it away with its own tail. Maccaos disturb the Shadow Cantios thinking, so it decides to breath its Poisonous Undrea Breath at them, and with just that the poor Bird Wyverns soon die from its effects. The Dark Master sees the last Maccao squirm on the floor so it without mercy crushes it in its right foot talon and looks to deal with the Scofisl's next. It switches to a ground mode, where it rushes to and kills every last one of them with its claws and fangs. The two leaders remain in this hopeless nightmare, to which Shadow Cantios chooses the Prime Scofisl to be the first. The Prime Scofisl crippled from the ambush cannot stop the Undrea breath of the standard variety being breathed on it. The effects make Prime Scofisl suddenly stop pretending to be dead and transition into fight mode with a jump right into the wyvern. With a split second the Shadow Cantios grabs the raptor in its talons and starts spinning around violently to a speed where both look like blurs. Just as suddenly the Dark Cantios throws away the Prime Scofisl at much a speed it travels all the way past Area 7 and right into the sea to drown. Black Cantios then glares at Great Maccao with its red glowing eyes and prepares its right claw and dives right at it, to which unbelievably it dodges, but is got within half a second of the miss. Impaled on the claws of the Nightmare Cantios the Great Maccao is poisoned by the toxins within them. In a sadistic sense of humour the Shadow Cantios seemingly dunks the Great into the lake several times to see if it will hop across the water, to which it doesn't. Disappointed, its wings start emitting a dark smog and its eyes glow ever more as it prepares a big finisher. Great Maccao is launched up right up into the sky where Shadow Cantios waits below for it to descend. As soon as it does Shadow Cantios gathers the smog from its wings to its Undrea in its mouth, letting rip a Black Horrifying Tornado of death that tears then disintegrates the Great Maccao in just three seconds. The Dark Master roars in triumph over having killed so many monsters at once, but then notices something. The hunter lies gobsmacked at everything that just happened with him/her coming out of his/her trance after seeing the wyvern roar at him/her and then dive at their position. As soon at it begins diving the hunt begins with the hunter having to evade or block the incoming Shadow Cantios.

## Rage And Tired states

* **Enraged**: Will begin to use Poisonous Undrea exclusively, patterns glow and scales darken and it becomes faster.
* **Tired**: Drools from mouth and patterns fade.

## Attacks

**Shadow Cantios borrows some of Grey Cantioses attacks along with having new unique ones**

#### Ground

**(True Flying Wyvern Stance)**

* **True Flying Wyvern Charge** Rushes forward with its mouth open and finishes it with a bite.
* **Kick**: Shadow Cantios pounces at a target and lashes out with both talons. When Enraged this can poison hunters.
* **Undrea Ball**: Raises itself up and breathes downward firing a ball of Undrea. There is a chance it will remain skyborne and go into air mode after this. When Enraged it has a much higher chance of remaining airborne and the ball will cause Undrea and Poison.
* **Leaping Tail Swipe**: Shadow Cantios will jump forward and swing its tail right next to under its head.
* **Double Leaping Tail Swipe**: The attack will be done again, with the tail being swept to its opposite side.
* **Poison Toss**: Poison starts dripping from one of its claws as it takes a step back. With a swipe of its wing it flings a small clump of poison that can travel quite far.
* **Backhop Poison Toss**: Both wings raise to full size as Shadow Cantios turns suddenly to face a hunter goes airborne in a hop, flinging two poison globs, one from each claw while hovering back a bit before landing. It has the same animation as Pre 3rd Gen Rathaloes backwards fireball attack.
* **Jump And Bite**: Two quick bites while stepping backwards are the hunters prime warning of this strike as the Black Cantios jumps with the aid of its wings and punishes those who though they were safe from its fangs.

**(Enraged Only)**

* **Charge N' Spin**: While doing its charge it will have its wings spread open a bit and its mouth tilted slightly. As soon as it nears a hunter Shadow Cantios swings its fangs into a sweeping bite and then follows up with a tail swing.
* **Slide**: Walks forward quickly with a single shake of its body then quickly leaps forward, morphs its wings into fin form and does a fast Plesioth like slide forward. It can only be done in its True Flying Wyvern Stance when near water or on an icy surface and if the attack connects to the border of an underwater area it will jump into the water and go into water mode.
* **Backhop Poison Toss Wind**: When it does the attack now, a gust of black wind is sent forward from its wings that blinds hunters.

**(Pseudo Flying Wyvern Stance)**

* **Recoil**: Occasionally if a head flinch is done to Shadow Cantios in this stance it will dash forwards in a short burst and do a ground level bite in an attempt to get revenge for that hit.
* **Pounce**: Takes a few steps backwards then jumps into a target.
* **Wide Tail Sweep**: Raises its tail up high and bends with it and then swings its whole body right around in a full circle.
* **Slash**: With its sharp claws it takes a slash at its enemy.
* **Double Slash**: Jumping forward Shadow Cantios swipes with one claw and repeats the movement with the next.
* **Forward Slash**: In this variant it will throw itself forward with the slash and can reach far and wide with it.

**(Enraged Only)**

* **Leap N' Slash**: Shadow Cantios will jump to a hunters blind spot and do a Forward Slash to try and get a hit in.

**(Both Stances)**
(The animation is slightly different depending on the mode)

* **Ambush**: Hidden in darkness the Shadow Cantios waits until a hunter walks too close. As soon as hunters go near it they have until its glow alights before it does this attack. The Dark Master leaps out with poison spewing from its claws with its jaws wide open and in a split second it strikes with both claws multiple times while delivering two swift bites. The wyvern swings around as it lands, knocking away anything in the way of its tail. Due to the speed at which this is all preformed at it can easily devastate hunters and is easily a jump scare should it happen should Shadow Cantios appear as an unstable monster spawn.
* **Roar Of Horror**: Shadow Cantioses scales will darken and its red, blue and purple parts take an ominous glow as its head and wings fall low. In a blink of an eye these parts raise straight up again with a terrifying scream like roar emitting from its mouth. As the roar is emitted its glow intensifies and sends a rippling effect aimed right at the player that will cause them to flinch if they look right at it if their weapon is sheathed. The roar itself requires High Grade Earplugs to successfully block out.
* **Shadow's Undrea Breath**: Its chest will turn a slight grey as a mist forms in its mouth. With a head bobbing movement it swings open its jaws at lets loose the Undrea Breath that is signature with the normal Cantios, except not really. This form is a more concentrated looking one with a thinner shape with no clumps along its side.
* **Breath Of Cursed Undrea**: The Shadow Cantios will appear to begin to preform its Undrea Breath as normal. However, its chest will be a slight purple and black this time and its poison veins will glow forward to its head as it prepares the breath. With a sharp movement it unleashes the breath, a purplish red and black in colour it will inflict both Noxious Poison and Undrea. Breaking its chest twice and achieving the unique flinch will stop it from using this attack.
* **Shadow's Leaps**: Unlike normal Cantios when this one wishes to move somewhere fast it will leap in a way like the Nargacuga.
* **Side Bite**: A slight bite to the left while swinging its tail up to the right, doing minor damage.
* **Double Side Bite**: This time it will take a step forward once it does the first one, then take another in a follow up that is a bite to the right while swing its tail up to the left. It is faster than the single bite and will leave less of an opening.
* **Backhand**: Shadow Cantios takes one of its arms up off the ground and moves a small bit away from the direction it is going to aim. Once its arm is right under its head it sweeps the arm right across to the aimed side. The distance covered is wide and Shadow Cantios will turn the rest of its body to where the hand stopped at after it has completed the attack.

**(Enraged Only)**

* **Wall Jump**: If going fast enough in a charge attack it may do this attack. Shadow Cantios will do a hop to get on the wall then do a bigger one to reach a decent height. On the wall it will look at a hunter then launch itself off the wall at him/her and plunge down with its talons and fangs, piercing them right into the ground. To avoid this attack hunters should act as soon as it starts jumping.

#### Air

* **Skyborne Terror**: Its Roar Of Horror isn't limited to the ground, in this version it does basically the same thing, this time with it shining a ominous light below it.
* **Headbutt**: Violently turns its head to the side while turning.
* **Wing Slash**: Extends its claw to swipe while spinning with the other wing to keep it airborne.
* **Bite**: Bites downwards causing minor damage.
* **Double Bite**: This attack isn't so minor as it will move forwards with its two bites.
* **Talon Smash**: Shadow Cantios springs up with both of its talons and strikes down at the ground.
* **Glide**: Moves back and rushes forwards. Borrowed from Rathalos.
* **Surprise Ruined**: If any attack Shadow Cantios from behind it will upswing hunters in front of it using its tail.
* **Tail Sweep**: It will bring its tail by its side and swing it widely around it to its other side.
* **Rock Throw**: Slams both talons in the ground, pulling out a piece of earth. It swings back and then forth tossing the rock. Can cause Iceblight or Fireblight when in environmental areas.
* **Dive Slam**: Will suddenly extend its wing talons and slam directly down into the ground.
* **Talon Strikes**: Shadow Cantios will bombard a target with multiple slashes from its talons.
* **Talon Pin**: If low on stamina, it will aim at a hunter. Shadow Cantios glides back, readies its talons and slams into the ground. If successfully done it will proceed pin the hunter and then bite him/her repeatedly. If its not escaped from in time Shadow Cantios will do the Undrea Ball attack on the hunter pinned.
* **Black Wind**: Shadow Cantios covers its wings in Undrea and turns it into a black smog from its poison veins. The wings flap forward this smog that will cause Blind should a hunter be hit by it.
* **Talon Scrape**: With its toxic talons it scrapes the ground with globs of poison being left behind.
* **Swooper**: Evasively it flies up and then dives down forward striking with its fangs and talons and then dives upwards again all in a straight arc.
* **Shadow's Airborne Undrea Breath**: Shadow Cantios exhales Undrea around its mouth to ready itself for this. Hawking hunters it swings its head, sweeping the area with thin streams of Undrea with every go. After four swings it breathes forward a full sized stream.

**(Enraged Only)**

* **Triple Undrea Ball**: It will take a large breath and fire three Undrea balls in succession.
* **Poisonous Scrape**: It begins its talon scrape attack but will move downwards a second and claw into the ground then spring up, kicking forward poison at hunters.
* **Break Neck Dash**: Shadow Cantios dives up high and backflips, tucking in its wings as it does so. Within a split second it bolts right at hunters at extreme speeds in several ways before landing and doing a taunt. Although it looks scary at first there is a pattern to how it moves throughout this attack.

#### Water

* **An Ambush In Water**: In the darkest waters of the night Shadow Cantios will wait for its prey, in this case a hunter unaware. It will remain here until a hunter swims too close, and with a seconds notice with its glowing eyes, it strikes. Shadow Cantios dashes out with a roar, striking with jaws, foot talons, and tail in one lethal and quick strike. It will then turn to face what it had attacked to see if it killed its target or not.
* **Underwater Fear**: Not even underwater hunters are safe as in this version of its Roar Of Horror the water around it will distort with the glow in effect.
* **Bite**: A simple bite forwards.
* **Double Bite**: Will bite forward twice.
* **Wing Flap**: Takes its wings out of fin form and pushes forward a current of water. The wings causes modorate damage while the current inflicts Waterblight.
* **Claw**: Will extend one of its claws and slash. A very quick attack.
* **Tail Flip**: Raises its tail and back flips, if the tail isn't cut off it can inflict Waterblight.
* **Talon Kick Down**: If hunters are underneath Shadow Cantios it will preform this attack. It moves up slightly while raising up its foot talons and then dives down and delivers a kick from both talons. Once Enraged the attack will poison hunters.
* **Dash**: Swims backwards and charges into a faraway opponent.
* **Tail Swipe**: Will swing itself around to hit hunters with its tail.
* **Flinged Undrea Ball**: If hunters attack from land from a considerable distance it will fire an Undrea Ball in an arc like way not unlike the Lagiacruses (3rd Gen) attack.
* **Sweeping Undrea Breath**: If hunters are on land and are close Shadow Cantios will arise out the waters surface and exhale out Undrea Breath that moves left to right/right to left very quickly two times and then submerge.
* **Turning Bite**: Shadow Cantios will make a 180 degree bite that extends right around to where its tail was while the tail itself is also swung in the opposite direction. This attack replaces the **Curling Tail Swipe** attack of the normal Cantios.
* **Underwater Undrea Breath**: Shadow Cantios opens its mouth as a small bunch of Undrea emits. Suddenly it a forceful blast erupts from its mouth, causing Waterblight to those affected by it. Then following from the left or right is a stream of Undrea Breath that travels to the opposite direction. This attack is almost identical to the Flamethrower attack by the 4th Gen Fatalis, with differences being that this attack is done faster and the initial burst doesn't do the full damage of the stream.

**(Enraged Only)**

* **Quintuple Sweeping Undrea Breath**: In its rage its raises up more faster than usual and looks sky high, gathering a large amount of Cursed Undrea and then it shall do its Sweeping Undrea Breath four times even faster than the original one.
* **Freeze Flap**: An unexpected attack as it uses its wings not as fins. It repeatedly flaps them quickly and drains the heat from and exhales into the cloud formed. It bursts to hit anything in its range with Iceblight.
* **Black Flap**: Similar to the Freeze Flap it uses its wings in flying form and emits a black smog around them then launching it at hunters, blinding them. It is a much more dangerous one than the other "Flap" attack as it is done in much less time.

### All

* **Those Who Are Blind Shall Die!**: Shadow Cantios will waste no time finishing off hunters who are blinded by its black wind by targeting them the most out of all others.
* **No Clusters Needed!**: Shadow Cantios doesn't have any Undrea Blast attacks like the regular Cantios, so it uses something completely different. Its eyes glow as if where about to do its Roar Of Horror, with a sinister glow. It travels backwards as it prepares a large wind like version of Cursed Undrea with its wings emitting the black smog they have around into it. This intensifies the cloud, with Shadow Cantios drawing its head back upon this happening and prepares its own special attack, the **Undrea Tornado**. Drawing its head forward it does its screaming roar along with it spreads its wings and unleashes a large tornado like Undrea Breath that has a wide and long reach to it. Close to the attack the vision becomes nightmarish as all colours except the ones from Shadow Cantios completely drain, with its red glow striking out the most. While in effect a intense black wing blows behind it that will quickly sap the health in its reach and also blind hunters. After this attack finishes Shadow Cantios will taunt.

**(Enraged Only)**

* **Poisonous Undrea**: When enraged Shadow Cantios will now begin combining its poison with Undrea, meaning hunters will be poisoned and have Undrea at the same time. When it uses those attacks, the poison veins will glow and travel to its head.
* **More Potent Poison**: Now its all its poison has a chance of being Noxious.
* **Taking Aim For The Big Attack**: Shadow Cantios will snarl before beginning the Undrea Tornado attack but a twist occurs. Shadow Cantios opens its mouth as it was about to unleash the tornado but will do another snarl and then suddenly turn towards the nearest hunter and fire the tornado much faster than the normal version. This can easily catch players off guard.
* **Dark Environmental Master Undrea Tornado**: The ultimate attack of Shadow Cantios, which can start being used once it loses 40% of its health. It will breath in and absorb the air around it with a coloured air effect. If in hot environments it will breathe in red/orange air, if it cold locations it will breathe in light blue/white air, and in water it will breathe in exactly that. Shadow Cantios will then do the Undrea Tornado charge up to power the already enhanced Undrea cloud in its mouth. It then moves towards a player in a movement that knocks attackers away then stops and prepares itself as the cloud reaches its full power. Using all the substances in its body it has, the Shadow Cantios unleashes it all! The terror wyvern will arise and unleash a black tornado that looks like it could rival that of an Amatsu thanks to its effects and visuals. This time the wind will surround its entire body and give the sight effect to everyone in the entire area. The wind will also send out solid looking pieces of whatever environmental wind it collected along with the main blast that inflict blights depending on the environment it is in. The worst part is that this version can even turn slowly towards hunters unlike the normal one. After the attack is done the whole area will be darkened in a black fog like the Solstice Unknown's and Shadow Cantios will exit rage mode and be vulnerable for a few seconds plus be unable to do this attack for five minutes. If attacked enough during this attack Shadow Cantios will be sent flying upwards screaming and plummet straight down to earth and remain motionless for several seconds with all its body parts vulnerable to attack. If hunters are not one shot by this attack they will be upswung by the wind around its body or by sent flying far by the main blast itself.

## Death Animations

### Ground

Immediately upon the final blow being landed on Shadow Cantios it will fling out its wings which will knock hunters away and fall down but get back up just as fast. The dark wyvern groans as all its glows fade completely and it looks in disbelief that it has been defeated. It raises both wings to its sides weakly as it makes a dying roar before falling down to the floor and dying.

### Air

It shall not fall to the ground immediately upon the final blow, but instead scream out in pain and flail backwards then forwards. It desperately flaps its wings in a wonky pattern to try and keep itself in the air and gets itself high in the air . With its last few flaps its groans then does a yell into the sky, then plummets down to its death.

### Water

Shadow Cantios jolts backwards and spasms about in pain for a few seconds while yelling before it stops and does a final shake and falls to its side dead.

## Breaks

* **Head (2x):** Horns then scar up the middle of head along with its fangs damaged.
* **Chest (2x):** Spines broken which weakens hardness of the underside scales, then scars and fleshy wound which reveals its main weak point.
* **Tail Wounded:** Tips of blades broken and wounds across tail.
* **Tail Sever:** Tail must have been wounded first before it can be severed.
* **Left Wing** Weakens blinding winds from that wing.
* **Right Wing** Weakens blinding winds from that wing.
* **Left Wing Claw:** Reduces poison ablities from that part.
* **Right Wing Claw:** Reduces poison ablities from that part.
* **Back Spines**
* **Left Leg And Left Foot Talons:** Reduces poison ablities from that part.
* **Right Leg And Right Foot Talons:** Reduces poison ablities from that part.

## Damage Effectiveness

### Physical Damage Effectiveness

* **Head** = (Cut): ★★★ (Impact): ★★★ (Shot): ★★★
* Neck = (Cut): ★★ (Impact): ★ (Shot): ★
* Claws = (Cut): ★★ (Impact): ★★ (Shot): ★★
* **Wings** = (Cut): ★★ (Impact): ★★ (Shot): ★★
* Back = (Cut): ★ (Impact): ★★ (Shot): ★★
* Legs = (Cut): ★★ (Impact): ★★ (Shot): ★★
* Chest = (Cut): ✖(★) (Impact): ★ (Shot): ★
* Chest (Wounded Once) = (Cut): ★ (Impact): ★★ (Shot): ★★
* **Chest** (Wounded Twice) = (Cut): ★★★ (Impact): ★★★ (Shot): ★★★
* Tail = (Cut): ★★ (Impact): ★★ (Shot): ★★

* **Bold** parts are weak points.
* (★) means Shadow Cantioses chest can be damaged by cutting attacks when it prepares or does a breath attack, or by exceptionally powerful attacks or by attacks with Purple and higher sharpness.

* ✖ = Immune to damage type under normal circumstances
* ★ = 1-30% effective damage
* ★★ = 30%-70% effective damage
* ★★★ = 70%-100% effective damage

### Element Effectiveness

* Fire = ✖
* Water = ✖
* Thunder = ★★★
* Ice = ✖
* Dragon = ★
* Earth = ★
* Wind = ★

### Status Effectiveness

* Poison = ✖
* Sleep = ★★
* Paralysis = ★★
* Blast = ★★
* Stun = ★★
* Blind = ★★★

### Shiny Item Drops

#### Material Items

G Rank: Shadow Cantios Masterscale
Account Items: Wyvern Tear, Large Wyvern Tear

## Mount

* Shadow Cantios can be attacked on the back, head or chest and can be done in all three states. The land shake off animation can be of that of a Nargacuga's or the standard Flying Wyvern/Piscine Wyvern one depending on which stance it was in when the mounting attack occurred. The sea mount can involve it darting around in circles.

## Interactions with The Frenzy/Hyper Status/Tempered/Apex

The Shadow Cantios can go Frenzied, with its scales taking a purplish tint and its roar taking a somehow less frightening distorted sound. Its Undrea balls cause Frenzy along with Undrea and if the case, Poison.

The Shadow Cantios can also be in the Hyper State, it it gaining a even scarier speed boost and enlarged Undrea attacks.

Tempered Shadow Cantios are considered Lv2 Threat Monsters but have the same Hunter Rank requirements to hunt them as Lv3 Threat Monsters. Tempered Shadow Cantios use their breath attacks more often and more likely to use sneak attacks.

As the Apex Status, it can, in a unbelievably terrifying truth go into this status. In this state the wyvern becomes a horror unimaginable, it gaining all the attacks unique to the the Apex Cantios, with every single Undrea attack coming with a Roar Of Horror like sound with a permanent glow to its eyes even out of rage. The Apex Shadow Cantioes black wind attacks also inflict Frenzy along with Blind and gets a reach boost thanks to The Frenzy Mist adding to the smogs range. It will make hunters actually be glad to see a Shadow Cantios in a normal state after this.

## Quests

* G Rank (Village)
* G Rank (Online)
* G Rank (Event)

 **Time Limit:** | 50 Mins
 **Sub Quest:** | Wound Shadow Cantioses Wings
 **Other Monsters:**
 **Client:** Sherin Peaks Watch
 **Notes:**
*{{{Notes}}}*

 **Time Limit:** | 50 Mins
 **Sub Quest:** | Deliver Two Large Wyvern Tears
 **Other Monsters:**
 **Client:** Sceptic Harvester
 **Notes:**
*{{{Notes}}}*

 **Time Limit:** | 50 Mins
 **Sub Quest:** | Wound Shadow Cantioses Back
 **Other Monsters:**
 **Client:** Shaken Novice Hunter
 **Notes:**
*{{{Notes}}}*

 **Time Limit:** | 50 Mins
 **Sub Quest:** | None
 **Other Monsters:**
 **Client:** Steel Nerved Veteran
 **Notes:**
*{{{Notes}}}*

 **Time Limit:** | 50 Mins
 **Sub Quest:** | Wound Both Gelusioths Horns
 **Other Monsters:**
 **Client:** Chief Ecologist
 **Notes:**
*{{{Notes}}}*

 **Sub Quest:** | None
 **Other Monsters:**
 **Client:** Cantios Researcher
*The battle between the two Cantios species has gone on for too long. This one pair has been fighting for over a year! There is only one way to stop this, taking out both of them to serve an example to every other one of them that this will happen to them if they don't stop fighting!*
 **Notes:**
*{{{Notes}}}*

 **Time Limit:** | 50 Mins
 **Sub Quest:** | None
 **Other Monsters:**
 **Client:** The Commander
 **Notes:**
*{{{Notes}}}*

 **Time Limit:** | 50 Mins
 **Sub Quest:** | None
 **Other Monsters:**
 **Client:** Old Painter
 **Notes:**
*{{{Notes}}}*

 **Sub Quest:** | Fully Wound The Chests Of All The Cantioses
 **Other Monsters:**
 **Client:** The Unfelt One
 **Notes:**
*{{{Notes}}}*

 **Sub Quest:** | None
 **Other Monsters:**
 **Client:** Mysterious Priest
 **Notes:**
*{{{Notes}}}*

 **Sub Quest:** | None
 **Other Monsters:**
 **Client:** Purple Cloaked Elder
*Why do you wait hunters? Your guests are just dying to meet you! They're both in a special place, just for you. Surely you wouldn't turn down this offer right? If you don't meet them, I'll just have to ask them to go and find you themselves!*
 **Notes:**
*{{{Notes}}}*

 **Sub Quest:** | None
 **Other Monsters:**
 **Client:** Scarlet Mystery Man
 **Notes:**
*{{{Notes}}}*

## Ecology

### Body Biology

Has the appearance and body of a Flying Wyvern like Rathalos. Its bone structure and muscles are able to change to become able to move through water, or become more bulky and take a Pseudo Flying Wyvern like appearance. Its wings can bend to become fins, along with a pair of gills next to its throat that allow water filtering. The wings can also shrink in the webbing and bulk in the arms, causing its wing talons to swell and become hands like that of a Nargacuga's. The tail acts like a mace on land, which Shadow Cantios uses to smash through tough hides or the occasional rock. In water it becomes a fin, propelling it through the water. A unique ability that surprises most is Shadow Cantios being able to go underwater. With its wings and tail in a fin shape, it will flatten its spikes and scales to prevent forces slowing it down. Gills next to its head expand to allow breathing in the water while sealing off the tubes in the nose.

The body of the Shadow Cantios is quite light, but has powerful muscles to protect against G-Force, allowing it to travel at extreme speeds in the air easily without harm.

It's body also contains a lethal poison, its claws being naturally coated with it. If angered the poison will become more toxic, causing the zigzag patterns on its body to glow purple along with its claws and talons. These patterns are actually special organs which passes around poison when needed. An example of the organs being used is them transferring a wave of poison to Shadow Cantioses mouth to turn its usually tranquillising Undrea breath into a lethal killer. Shadow Cantios can controls said organs manually, as in the poison breath only being used on its own command.

### Undrea

The Undrea from Shadow Cantios is created from its stomach acid, substances in its lungs and dragon element which it cannot use purely. It affects the brain and pain sensors of whoever it affects, making them unaware of their wounds and effects instincts to become evasive or protect those wounded parts, leaving them to a potential fatal strike.

Shadow Cantios can make many different variants of this breath raging from a simple stream, balls, wave form, mist clouds and in its most deadly version a tornado of it that is more than enough to kill an enemy rather than affect it with the substance. Some of the strongest individuals can use the temperate and surrounding air or water to amplify its effect to the strongest any regular Shadow Cantios can handle. Said power is only used rarely and a direct hit by it is almost sure to end a heated battle to Shadow Cantioses favour.

Since Shadow Cantios uses its lungs when using Undrea it cannot breathe in while using it, making it use the weapon when needed. In use of its most powerful attacks meant for an exceptional foe, it will have to have a recovery time from using all that air and to restore its substances to make it. Should one be stupid or crazy enough to abuse the breath, the lack of air can potentially kill the Shadow Cantios. However, its able to use methods that a standard normal Cantios cannot use to prevent this from happening

Although they are naturally immune to it, should two Shadow Cantios fight, wounds sustained can lead to one becoming affected by the others Undrea, and result in the same affected movements and behaviour as any other monster.

The Shadow Cantios has a unique ability to use poisons in its body to toxicify its Undrea Breath, and unlike the standard version, it is made to kill. Once this variant gets into the bloodstream of victims it will ravage the body, not just in nerves, organs, blood cells and muscle attacked, with the victim feeling the pain in its entirety. Effects of this involve violent shaking, coughing up blood, red eyes, veins bulging, tensed muscles and extreme pain. Most cases of it not being treated result in death on its own without Shadow Cantioes interference. A Sheara Berry is said to not be enough to cure this, but an antidote will also be needed to use the poison aspect of the infection, in other ways if an antidote is used the infection will become that of standard Undrea.

### Locations

The Cantios Species can live in any environment possible. The only locations they avoid are areas that are ruled over by an extremely powerful monster, or places that are completely uninhabitable.

All known species of Cantios have been seen in high numbers in the Sherin Peaks region. This is where they mainly gather in, as they are mostly solitary wyverns elsewhere. It is believed the Undrea filled ashes in the region are the main cause of their liking to this place.

### In the Food Chain

Shadow Cantios will eat whatever meat it gets its talons on. It has been seen eating herbivores like Aptonoth, Apceros, Epioth, Rhenoplos, Kelbi, Anteka, Popo, and fish. It sometimes will eat more dangerous monsters like the Larinoth, Bullfango, Maccao, Jaggi, Scofisl, Velociprey, and sometimes some wyverns like Yian Kut-Ku, Quropeco, Dromes and carapaceons like the Daimyo Hermitaur. In occasions if a Shadow Cantios is especially hungry it will eat a monster that tried to kill it. They have even been known to kill and eat the standard Cantios should they wonder at night.

Despite their high status they can fall victim to other Apex predators like the Deviljho, Rajang, Teostra, Kushala Daora, Deviants and in the Sherin Peaks they have been confirmed to have been eaten by the Dasamalis. They have also been known to in rare cases even cannibalise each other if dire enough.

### Hunting Style

Shadow Cantios have a very different style of hunting than its normal cousins. The wyverns hide in absolute darkness, and then strike at the perfect moment that often kills prey in a single hit instantly. Should they survive or try to escape they waste no time in cutting them down with their talons and fangs. They a process a mace shaped tail to stun with a strike often aimed at the head. During combat the Shadow Cantios will transfer the poison it has into its special veins and make them glow ominously. This also poisons its claws if they haven't already and makes it able to use a deadly variant of its Undrea Breath that is made to kill, not leave one open. The poisonous breath isn't the only breath it has, it also has the ability to use the standard Undrea. With a direct hit from this breath its prey/enemy will become numb and their behaviour will often change. Many instances of the behaviour change make them unaware of their injuries and only blindly attack without any sense of evasion or blocking. Once infected by Undrea most hunts quickly end with Shadow Cantios striking an already wounded part to rupture an internal organ of its prey and kill it.

Since Shadow Cantios can fight in sea and air as well as land its fighting styles change depending on it too. In the air it attacks using its wings and talons to cut prey down before descending down on them and finishing them off. From this style of attack prey are most likely prone to being inflicted by Undrea breath. Shadow Cantios often fly to their preys side before they glide or attack with their talons. This style of attack is the one Shadow Cantios uses well the most, with its speedy attacks and movements being rivalled by a bare few.

In the seas Shadow Cantios mainly uses its fangs and tail to shred and smash prey to pieces. This attack pattern has been compared by hunters to be that like the Plesioth, which is a Piscine Wyvern.

In their wings is a unique poison in the form of a black smog. It isn't used much, but if there comes an opportunity to use it, they will. In the form of wind they expel it from the membrane in the wings and push it towards enemies with a flap. When this poison effects the victim they will lose their ability to see for a notable amount of time, leaving them at a serious disadvantage should they only rely on sight to fight.

A noted often fact is that Shadow Cantioes never hunt in daytime. This is an evolutionary trait that passed onto it after changing from its ancestors. A lot of Shadow Cantioes ablities become useless in day, making it essential they don't run into any trouble during this time and find a spot to sleep.

### Life Cycle

Shadow Cantios begin as eggs laid in any environment, even in water. The nest is surrounded by Undrea, giving would be predators the appearance that they are rotten, and any who persist get infected and then likely killed by the parent, who stays with the eggs until they hatch.
The new born Shadow Cantios has a unique appearance that differs depending on the environment it hatched in, but the other abilities to deal with the other environments develop over time. Food is mainly supplied by the parent Shadow Cantios, during the first few weeks. Should the parent dies of age or of other causes while in the presence of the young, they will eventually eat it out of hunger, confirming that the wyverns can be cannibals. During the next six months it develops and learns to interact in other environments. Those that fail, or have a disability that prevents its adaptation to other environments, very often die, abandoned by the parent or flat out killed by its siblings. It is believed an imperfect Shadow Cantios exists, but there has been no confirmed sighting.

If the parent contracts The Frenzy at any stage this will be passed onto its young. They might even become Apex, resulting in the deaths of the parent and all its siblings.

Those who do survive grow into fully fledged Shadow Cantios' able to live on their own.

An aged Shadow Cantios can be told from scales so black there's hardly any way of seeing where they connect, well developed wings, a roar that will send all but the strongest running in fear immediately upon hearing it without fail, sharper talons and fangs and poison that is fatal if not treated. Of course Shadow Cantios will eventually die, from age, effects of The Frenzy, killed by other monsters or slain by hunters as part of a quest contract.

### Evolution

Shadow Cantios evolved from an ancestor unknown which didn't lose its fish abilities when moving to land because of unique genes. It later evolved wings, becoming a Flying Wyvern and through new muscle stretching could change it back to a land monster.

The Undrea ability began as a poison, and through changes in its lungs and other chemical factors it fused to become the iconic Undrea breath. In Shadow Cantioes case unlike the Grey Cantios, it kept the poisons and still continues to use them in its current form.

Shadow Cantios differs from the evolution of Grey Cantios for many reasons. These ones evolved nocturnal instincts, being awake only in night and sleeping in the day. From this stance as they grew into predators they developed brand new tactics. Rather than head on attack prey, it would use its scales as camouflage in darkness and then strike out as they are unaware. As they evolved even more they would begin using more and more ways to ambush and now scare away enemies with a unique roar that is the result of differently formed lungs and vocal cords.

There is also a very rare species that didn't evolve from this ancestor. These ones are created from a successful crossbreed between a Cantios and Shadow Cantios that are both healthy and are significantly powerful. They leave care earlier than usual and begin going to all known environments they can possibly go to over the span into their adulthood. These species can hunt at both times of day, the time determining how it fights. By going through all the environments before its colours even began to form, where it was supposed to be green has turned Bronze and where it was to be red is silver. It also has silver coloured horns, a gray coloured chest and silver eyes. This colour change is because the Heatveins aren't Heatveins, their Elementveins that have gathered all five known base elements. Whenever it uses an element its grey and silver parts will change accordingly. Also depending on daylight its scales are either golden or black. When endangered the rare species reveals its full potential and merges its day and night styles along with their powers into one, turning its scales a dark crimson red. These Cantios are known as Optiaster Cantios, the grand ultimate of the species. Cantios and Shadow Cantios alike respect them once fully grown and matured, and are even able to set aside their battling with each other when one is around.

## Trivia

* The original concept for Shadow Cantios was "A Cantios mutated by dark powers to the point where it can only survive in night time."
	+ This was eventually changed to be an evolutionary path difference, and altered to fit two other concepts, "Something that Cantios fears" and "A monster that lurks and kills in the shadows".
* Like the normal Cantios, if it is hit in the chest enough while preparing or using a breath attack once it has been wounded twice, the attack will be immediately cancelled with the Undrea smoke bursting from the chest from the wounds, leaving it in a long flinch as it recovers from pain.
* The Special locations are the only places Shadow Cantios can be fought in sunlight.
* Before it was properly identified, the Shadow Cantios was known as a black shade that kidnaps or kills anything it sees or touches. After being identified it was linked to the deaths of several people, some hunters, mostly travellers and explorers, and rarely the odd random wanderer.
	+ This easily got it a higher danger rating than its normal daylight species, along with its ablities and nature to attack unprovoked.
* A special looking Shadow Cantios appears in the Schrade Forging Zone where it fights alongside Cwealis. It is a fixed large crown size, has a Black Flame aura and is locked in permanent rage mode. It can also do combination attacks with Cwealis which it cannot do on its own outside of Cwealises quest on its own.
	+ Cwealis has completely seized over that Shadow Cantioes mind and sense, turning it into a drone for the Black Doomful Dragon. Using it he made it eliminate outside threats without having to leave Castle Schrade's borders.
* Unless the location has permanent lighting or has a special mechanic that puts it in a seemingly endless day like in the, Shadow Cantios can appear in any area the normal Cantios can. This is also why it doesn't go to the Lighthaven Mountain, as there is never any moment where it has darkness suitable for it to be in.

## Credits

* **BannedLagiacrus**: Helping suggest attacks for Shadow Cantios.