Lunastra

The **Lunastra** is a large Stoker Class dragon that lives in deserts or volcanic regions.

## Official Description

A dragon with leonine features and a cool coloration, the Lunastra litters the air with hot blue dust. It is said that the control of their flames comes from the crown-like horns on their heads. Lunastras are the natural counterparts of the Teostra, and if both partner up and combine their firepower, they can create a beautiful but deadly supernova of flames and destruction.

## Physical Appearance

### Egg

Lunastra eggs are ornate, covered in small gems and a lattice type pattern. The crystals do not start forming until a week after being laid, and keep hardening until hatching time. It's said that these gems are unbreakable, which may be why Lunastra eggs are extremely tough to break when they're a few weeks to hatching.

### Hatchling to Adult

Newborn Lunastras are just as adorable as newborn Teostras, but these female dragons tend to have a slightly more mature face even when they come fresh out of the egg. The crown on its head are more like standard horns, and the eyes are much larger than a normal hatchling's. Lunastra babies have very large, bumpy-like scales and a semi-hard, ridged underbelly. On the tail is a tuft of tur, and they already have a small mane when born.

Lunastras are fearsome when they are grown. They have very leonine features, including a mane, large fangs, and a distinct crest that resembles a sort of crown. Their wings are also covered in fur, along with the tail tip. Lunastras have very large exterior ears that can be seen flopping to swat away bugs and flies. Rumor is they love to be scratched behind the ears. It's not recommended to try though...

All Lunastras are females, and their male counterparts are Teostras.

## Abilities

### Firepower

    Much like their male counterparts, Lunastras wield a powerful flamethrower-like breath of blue fire. They can also spread powder, but unlike Teostra, Lunastras spread their blue powder across the ground, which ignites when it comes in contact with fire. The fire can burn for a very long time, so any living beings that pass over or through it can be set alight in an instant. Lunastras generate a fiery aura that can burn things within close proximity, and even deflect long-ranged attacks and projectiles. The flames they breathe come from an oily fluid from within their bodies that can easily severely burn most opponents they face. Some have speculated that the Lunastra's horns play a part in its fiery abilities due to them glowing during the powder dispersion state, but this has never been properly researched.

Within the fur of their wings, Lunastras store their igniting powder, so with one wave of their wings, they can spread this powder about and even immobilize small enemies, such as humans, with the gust of strong wind from their wings. These dragons can also create massive heat waves that can overheat and even suffocate any living beings within the range of the blue fire. This is known as a **Hellfire** wave.

    The Lunastra can also combine the Supernova with its male counterpart, the Teostra, to create an even deadlier explosion known as a **Bond**. The shockwave from a Bond supernova can travel hundreds of feet away and send humans flying backwards, giving either Lunastras or Teostras to go in for the kill. Standing within the immediate radius of this bond will kill you or any living creature.

### Strength and Combat

    Lunastras are able to take on a Deathbringer alone, and due to their natural dominant behavior, these dragons will not back down until they've made their opponent submit. This behavior begins early on in the nest, and continues to when they create their own families. Intelligent and resilient, Lunastras are smart enough to trick enemies into powder traps and strong enough to take multiple attacks, even pushing through broken body parts like horns or bones. Like the Teostra, Lunastras know their weak spots and protect them well. They have a very high pain tolerance, even moreso than their male counterparts.

### Speed and Agility

Despite their size, Lunastras are agile and can sprint across burning surfaces. Due to their well-developed limbs, claws for tractions, and wings that cut down air resistance, these dragons are very agile. The front paws have thick pads that protect them from volcanic rock, and the back paws provide support for sprinting.

Lunastras have a high endurance, and can spend hours flying without needing to take a break. Like Teostras, Lunastras can flip, roll, and dive without any trouble.

### Intelligence

Like Teostra, Lunastras are very intelligent, able to make quick decisions in battle, avoid traps set up by hunters, and even defend their own weak spots. Lunastras have been seen rearing to intimidate enemies by making themselves look bigger. These dragons will attack certain parts on an enemy, usually larger, and take note of which cause the most pain, then continue to attack those spots.

### Environmental Impact

When the Lunastra appears in an area, powerful heatwaves are produced by its high body temperature, causing the temperatures in the environment to rise to inhospitable levels, including in deserts and volcanoes. Lunastras can turn sand to glass just by simply appearing in a desert, while, in volcanoes, they can cause lava to burst out of the ground from its high body temperature.

## Weaknesses

Like most dragons, the neck and head are open weak spots to attacks, even if the Lunastra's chest shell protects the heart. If the wings are damaged enough, Lunastras will lose their ability to fly, although they may still try due to their relentless nature.

Being a fire dragon, the Lunastra is naturally weak to ice and water, so attacks from ice dragons or weapons, or being completely submerged in water can seriously maim or even kill this dragon. It seems that Lunastras are more susceptible to poison than Teostras, so any, rather foolish, hunters will use poisoned weapons to try and take these she-dragons down.

## Behavior and Personality

Lunastras are brutal and quick to attack at the first sign of trouble. They do not back down easily from a fight, and will be more than ready to fight to the death if need be. These dragons are hostile to any sign of life except for Teostras, especially humans. When protecting their nests, Lunastras will pull out all stops to keep their territory or offspring safe, first leading the opponent away before setting them ablaze so as to not destroy their nests.

Much is still unknown about the habits of the Lunastra and the Teostra since the two are rarely ever seen together. What is known is that Lunastras will search for Teostras with the largest nests and the most minerals during mating season, and when a pair of bonded, they will cooperate often as Lunastras and Teostras seemingly mate for life.

    When mated with a Teostra and the pair have produced offspring, the Lunastra takes the role as protector, while the Teostra teaches the young how to find mineral deposits, fly, control their firepower, and fight. One Lunastra was seen rolling in the dirt with her hatchlings for fun, so they seem to loosen up their hardy exterior around their families.

Like their mates, Lunastras will claw at mineral deposits to remove the ores and minerals, then crush them with their claws to break them down into chewable pieces. The most commonly eaten ore is coal, which intensifies the flames of these dragons the most. Unlike Teostras, Lunastras have never been seen eating stockpiles of gunpowder, and seem to stick to natural resources.

## Training

The only reason these dragons are known to be trainable is due to Maya Prasanna's rescued Teostra building a nest and attracting a Lunastra from far away. When the two bonded and laid eggs, the Teostra showed his mate that Maya was of no harm, and the young Queen earned the trust of a Lunastra, along with their offspring when they were born.

It's speculated that you may be able to tame a wounded Lunastra by assisting it with food and medicine, or gaining the trust of its mate if it's been bonded. However, it's not recommended to try, as Lunastras are far more hostile than their partners.

## Trivia

* The Lunastra is from the Monster Hunter Universe.
* The Lunastra has often been called the "Empress of the Flame."
* Albino Lunastras exist! However, they are not albino in the sense of lightened skin, but rather darkened. An Albino Lunastra will almost appear as black, allowing for great stealth at night.
* Lunastras and Teostras are the only species to be classified as different species, not a sub-species, but have almost identical physiology.
* Lunastras and Teostras are the only species to have eggs that change appearance based on the hatchlings sex, and to be identifiable from the moment they are laid. That's right! These dragons immediately know how many males or females they'll be having from the moment their eggs are laid.

## Gallery

A mated pair of a Lunastra and TeostraAn albino Lunastra ©CUREDOSIN©kurotokusaA very aggressive Lunastra©dragonkingteo
## Image Sources

1. Unique Eggs by Caroline927 on ArtStation
2. Monster Hunter Baby Lunastra by HectorHerrera on DeviantArt
3. Lunastra Sketch by jsraphael57 on DeviantArt
4. Dark Lunastra by CUREDOSIN on Nexus Mods
5. Lunastra by kurotokusa on Pixiv
6. Lunastra Skeleton by dragonkingteo on Tumblr