Aurostrela

*Aurostrela - the Stardust Dragon. Master of multiple elements, this dragon smites its foes with divine lightning, summoned by its wonderous stardust. Watch out for its wing and tail attacks, which scatter more powder than other moves, and always keep an eye on your surroundings.* - Introduction in Monster Hunter Frontier Reborn

**Aurostrela** is an elder dragon first introduced in Monster Hunter: Outcast. It creates a wonderous trail of stardust-like particles that it can supercharge with either thunder or dragon energy to smite its foes.

## Physiology

Aurostrela is a minor elder dragon. Like Teostra and Lunastra, it has a layer of fur along its body that contains special powder. This hair does not coat the monster's wings, however, allowing it far better flight capabilities than the Emperor and Empress of Flame, but it does run along the dragon's neck, forelegs, back, sides, and especially thickly along the tail. Aurostrela's primary coloration is white.

Aurostrela has a long head, like a horse, with jaws that can open wide, suggesting a predatory diet - although so far, Aurostrela has never been observed hunting. Four horns are found on its head - two run from the nose to the back of the skull, growing larger as they go, and leaning slightly to either side, while the other two just out from the base of the head, just above the hinge of the jaw. When looked at in profile, with the head slightly titled down, this makes the head resemble a five-pointed star. Aurostrela has green eyes.

The wings of a Aurostrela are free of hair and also talons, creating a simple curve - the webbing is marked with a series of hexagonal patterns that resemble feathers. The wings themselves are slightly larger than average, due to their use in manipulating the elder dragon's unique powder. The tail has a shaggy coating of fur that grows into a fan at the tip - from the hips to the end of the tail, a row of small white spines can be found poking through the fur.

Aurostrela produces a special, powder-like substance, in a manner similar to Lunastra. This powder is normally silver in color, and often fills the air when the monster is nearby. Often referred to as "Stardust", this powder is easily manipulated via movements of the monster's wings, tail and horns. It can carry currents through the air, but also responds to Aurostrela's multi-element abilities, allowing to to throw divine lightning at foes. This power only grows as the monster becomes enraged.

Each of Aurostrela's horns is believed to manipulate one of the  or  elements. Upon becoming enraged, it gives full power to one of these elements, and glows the corresponding color - red for  or yellow for . This strengthens the elemental properties of its Stardust, making it more volatile. As time passes, this power builds up, resulting in a more prominent glow - if it is allowed to build up enough power, Aurostrela can discharge its elemental abilities in a massive elemental storm.

Due to the nature of its powder attacks, some researchers believe Aurostrela is related to Teostra and Lunastra. A fringe group however suggest that the composition of its horns and multi-element abilities are closer to those of Alatreon. Being a relatively new species, it is yet to be confirmed whether either of these are true.

## Behavior

Aurostrela are regal monsters, often found strolling around whatever environment they have found themselves in. They are not docile, but they are benevolent, and will not attack without provocation. Normal displays of intimidation to unruly subjects include blasts of elemental stardust, as well as a chilling gaze that promises retribution. They often rest at higher altitudes, where the wind can spread their stardust across a locale as warning to other monsters of their presence.

### Tracks

Aurostrela leaves "Dusty Footprints" when roaming, and "Elemental Blast-Marks" when accidentally scattering stardust.

### Special Behavior

Aurostrela has three states of charge, and the element it is building is shown by the color it glows - yellow for  and red for . At its first level, it has no charge, and its stardust is silver in color.
At the second level, the glow is present but faint - its stardust takes on the color of the element it is charging and deals bonus  or  damage.
At its final level, the monster's glow is much more pronounced, and arcs of red or yellow lightning hop between its hairs and wings. The stardust now deals ONLY  or  damage, but its power has been increased again. After 2 minutes in this state, Aurostrela executes "Rondo of Dragon and Thunder", returning itself to its base state - its charge can be lowered by one level each time it flinches, or if enough elderseal damage is dealt.

### Turf Wars

**Against elder dragons (when Aurostrela has no level of charge)**
The two elder dragons circle one another, squaring off and seeing if the other will back down. When they don't, they rush one another, firstly bashing heads, then grappling with their front limbs. The other elder gains the upper hand and slams Aurostrela down, bathing it in fire (Teostra/Lunastra) or poison (Chameleos) or blasting it with wind (Kushala Daora) for damage - Aurostrela retreats away, and sends an arc of stardust spraying out in front of it, which explodes with dragon-energy and stuns the elder dragon for a moment, dealing damage. Aurostrela taunts, and its foe roars - depending who is the quest target, the other monster then leaves the area.

**Against elder dragons (when Aurostrela has any level of charge)**
Alternatively, if Aurostrela has any levels of charge, instead of being thrown down, its foe takes a sudden shock of static and backs down. Aurostrela presses the assault and blasts it with whatever element it has charged, lowering their aura by one level - then the other elder dragon gets back to its feet, and tackles Aurostrela to the ground, dealing damage back and knocking it down to level 1 charge if it is fully charged. Then they toss Aurostrela aside and leave.

## Abilities

Aurostrela possesses the ability to produce a substance often called "stardust", which is very receptive to being charged with elemental energy. This stardust takes on electrical or dragon element properties as its owner grows in power, culminating in a massive elemental explosion that will topple all but the sturdiest of foes.

## Ecological Information

### Habitat

Aurostrela has been seen roaming the Undiscovered Isle in its entirety.

### Ecological Niche

As an elder dragon, Aurostrela supersedes whatever ecosystem it enters. They are not aggressive normally, but the presence of one is enough to make most other monsters back down and flee due to the overwhelming power they possess. A lack of natural predators however has led to the species becoming overpopulated on the Undiscovered Isle, and brought to the brink of collapse.

### Biological Adaptations

A large amount of fine fur and feathers serve as a way to distribute "stardust" into the air, while it is theorized that Aurostrela's horns serve some role in manipulating its elemental abilities. Its wide wings serve as a method of dispersing the powder over a large area, but as their surface is not covered in fur, they are stronger fliers than other elder dragons like Teostra.

## Cutscenes

### The Guiding Star Unveils At Last

The Charred Forest is filled with silver light as the hunter moves through it. Strange powder is trickling through the air, which they catch in their hand. It sparks a few times, with yellow and red, and then vanishes in a puff of smoke.
Suddenly, the air is filled with these sparks, growing in intensity until the hunter dives for cover, away from a massive, red explosion. When the dust settles, the air is clear of the silver sparks, and as the hunter stands again, a silver-white dragon lands where the explosion occurred. It snorts and flutters its wings, dislodging the very same powder that filled the air, and then narrows its eyes at the hunter. Crackles of red and yellow dance between the hairs on its back - as the hunter faces it head on, the Aurostrela stands on its hind legs and roars.

## Game Data

### Rage and Tired States

* Rage State: Aurostrela roars. The air becomes filled with stardust until it calms down again, boosting the power of its elemental attacks.
* Tired State: As an elder dragon, Aurostrela cannot become tired.

### Interactions With Unique Statuses

As an elder dragon, Aurostrela is immune to the effects of the frenzy virus and has not been seen hyper. Tempered Aurostrela are confirmed to exist - they are tier 3 threats, charing up energy faster than their ordinary versions, and arch-tempered individuals are confirmed to occur under the most specific of circumstances. These arch-tempered versions are a shining silver, with a copper tint to their wings and tail, and are capable of swapping between  and  elements at will when fully charged, dealing both with "Rondo of Dragon and Thunder".

### Mounts/Clutch Claw Effects

#### Mounting

Aurostrela is mounted like any other elder dragon. Toppling it reduces its charge level by 1.

#### Clutch Claw

The clutch claw can be used on Aurostrela's head, wings, and tail. Both wings soften at the same time.

### Breakable parts

Head: The horns are shattered. Aurostrela gains charge much slower.

Wings: The membranes are damaged.

Tail: The tail is severed. Aurostrela releases less stardust with its attacks.

### Sharpness Damage Effectiveness

 Body
 Forelimbs
 Wings
 Legs
 Tail

### Elemental Effectiveness

Aurostrela becomes immune to  or  when it takes on the elemental form of the same element. This resistance starts at its first level of charge, but it is affected by both when it is in its uncharged state.

## Quests

* Outcast
* Frontier Reborn

 **Client:** Sixth Fleet Commander
 **Notes:**
*This is an optional quest.*

 **Client:** Practitioner
 **Notes:**
*Gives a high number of great-quality charms. Must have completed 1 tier 3 tempered investigation. This is an event quest added in Title Update 1.*

 **Client:** Sixth Fleet Commander
 **Notes:**
*This is an event quest introduced in Title Update 3. Must be HR 50 or higher to accept and have completed "A Far-Lost Star". Unlocks "Starlight Necklace" layered talisman. Rotates with other Arch-tempered quests.*

 **Client:** Ethan
 **Notes:**
*Unlocked in Chapter 2: Rebirth and Rediscovery*

## Attacks

Aurostrela detonates its stardust by twitching its head upwards and sending a shock through its horns. The color its horns glow shows the type of damage its stardust will cause. Only applicable on stardust attacks that don't rupture on contact.

* Basic Attacks
* Frontier Reborn Exclusive

### Uncharged

* Claw Swipe: Aurostrela strikes with a claw.
* Charge: Aurostrela rolls its head, then rushes at a hunter.
* Pounce: Aurostrela rears back, then dives a short distance forwards.
* Tail Swipe: Aurostrela whips its tail behind itself twice.
* Tail Sweep: Aurostrela swishes its tail, then sweeps around clockwise, turning 180 degrees.
* Aerial Tail Sweep: Aurostrela sweeps its tail through the air while flying, knocking hunters away from itself and leaving a trail of stardust that lingers for a few seconds before dispersing. This stardust can be manipulated by the following attacks:
	+ Flap: Aurostrela repositions and flaps its wings while flying, sending the stardust spiraling forward, to explode on contact with a hunter. Only done when enraged.
	+ Howl: Aurostrela roars, and its horns crackle with energy. Then the stardust explodes.
* Stardust Cloud: While standing, Aurostrela shakes like a dog drying itself, dislodging a cloud of stardust around its body that then detonates after a second. This cloud is larger when arch-tempered, and at quest levels 200 and higher in Frontier Reborn.
* Flying Dive: Aurostrela dives down at a hunter.
* Prowling Snap: Aurostrela snaps forwards on its right, and then lunges and bites a short distance forward on its left.
* Air Slam: Aurostrela slams its front limbs against the ground while flying, then taunts.

### Charge Level 1

* Claw Swipe+: Claw Swipe now leaves a cloud of stardust, which Aurostrela detonates after a second.
* Tail Swipe+: Twin clouds of stardust are now left by Tail Swipe and Tail Sweep, and detonated after a delay.
* Corkscrew: Aurostrela hauls itself up, then corkscrews through the air a set distance. This builds up stardust on its body, which it detonates a few seconds after it has finished its attack.
* Standing Flap: Aurostrela hauls itself onto its hind legs, and shakes its body to dislodge a large volume of stardust, before sending this powder cloud forward with a strong flap of its wings. The powder leaves a trail and explodes after a few seconds. The wing flap has small wind pressure.
* Stardust Dive: Flying Dive now leaves a trail of stardust that explodes when it hits the ground.
* Wing Sweep: Looking to one side, Aurostrela flicks its wing upwards, sending out a wave of stardust that covers the ground for a second and explodes when stepped on. This can be triggered by slinger fire, arrows, or bowgun shots, dealing a small amount of damage to Aurostrela instead.
* Double Wing Sweep: Aurostrela flexes both wings and scatters a large arc of stardust ahead of itself. After a moment, it detonates this powder.
* Super-charge (Arch-tempered only/quest level 500 and beyond): Aurostrela does a backflip in the air, filling the air with stardust, before spreading its wings out, floating, and causing a small elemental explosion. This attack is done when Aurostrela charges to level 1 or switches elements while in charge level 1. The damage dealt is of the same element that it switched to. Aurostrela lands and taunts afterwards.

### Charge Level 2

* Back Leap: Aurostrela sweeps around and leaps backwards, creating space between itself and hunters whilst leaving a cloud of stardust. It then detonates this.
* Charge+: Charge now leaves parallel trails of volatile stardust behind Aurostrela, that explode after a second. It may perform a second charge before rupturing the stardust.
* Air Slam+: Air Slam now leaves a cloud of elemental stardust that explodes after a second, and can be done a second time when enraged.
* Circle Blast: Aurostrela spirals upwards, creating a ring of stardust that floats down to the ground and explodes on contact with it.
* Rondo of Dragon and Thunder: Aurostrela roars and takes flight. It spins around clockwise, scattering stardust that forms one arcing line of stardust that crosses over a hunter's position. As this arc explodes, it spins counter-clockwise and casts a second arc that crosses over the same hunter, before rolling in the air to create 3 elemental rings. These rings explode outwards in order, while Aurostrela returns to its base state and lands. When arch-tempered, the stardust will deal damage from both elements - otherwise, it only does either  or  damage. In Frontier Reborn, this stops resetting the monster's charge level once its quest is level 600 or higher.
* Hyper-charge (Arch-tempered only/quest level 500 and beyond): Aurostrela charges itself with energy in a manner similar to Alatreon switching elements. This attack is done when entering charge level 2, or when switching elements while in charge level 2, and has a large blast radius that does damage of the element that Aurostrela is switching to.

- Starburst: Aurostrela stands on its hind legs and scatters stardust ahead of itself using a flap of its wings, then inhales it. Its horns crackle, then it spits the blast at high velocity at a hunter, causing it to explode on impact. Aurostrela returns to all fours after the blast explodes.

- Elemental Charge: Aurostrela can imbue its charge attack with the  element if it is at level 1 charge. Past quest level 300, this attack always deals  damage.

- Divine Wrath: Performed at quest level 150 and above. Aurostrela flares its wings from flight, creating 8 lines along each compass point away from itself. Then it detonates them outwards. At quest level 500 and above, a second set of 8 lines appear as the first ones explode, forming between the first barrage. These then detonate with a second head twitch.

- Shelter From the Storm: Performed at max level charge, at quest level 400 and above. Aurostrela begins to flap its wings repeatedly, covering a large area around itself in stardust. Then, a jolt from its horns causes this to rupture all at once. Hunters stood directly below Aurostrela will be spared damage, as will those stood far away. The cloud's size continues to increase as its quest levels up. Beyond quest level 800, this attack can be done at level 1 charge as well (but with a smaller cloud, roughly 50% of the size).

- Starfall: Performed at level quest 700 and above whilst at maximum charge. Aurostrela wraps itself in stardust, rolls around itself while flying, and then slams into the ground in a colossal blast of elemental energy. This sends a shockwave rippling across the entire area that must be leapt over or dodged through. This sets its charge back to 0, and has a high  chance. At quest level 900+, this no longer reduces Aurostrela's charge level. Aurostrela prowls and taunts after this attack.

## Carves

* High Rank
* Master Rank

### Shiny Item Drops

#### Material Items

Aurostrela drops "Aurostrela Starscale+/Starshard", "Aurostrela Stardust/Stardust+" and "Dragon Treasure".

#### Slinger Ammo

Aurostrela drops "Dragon Pods" when uncharged and -charged, and "Bomb Pods" when -charged.

## Notes

* Aurostrela was designed solely to be beautiful and wonderous, in order to inspire research into its place of origin and ultimately be the catalyst for the deployment of the Exploration Division and subsequently the Sixth Fleet to a new, remote landmass.
	+ 50 years after the events of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, an exhausted and weakened Aurostrela individual crashed and died in the Wildspire Waste. The Fifth Fleet scholars concluded that it was not a native species of either the New World, or the Old one. Greater research led to the discovery of the Undiscovered Isle.
	+ After defeating an Aurostrela in Monster Hunter: Outcast for the first time, it is discovered that the population there has grown to unstable levels, leading to some Aurostrela travelling great distances in search of new territory - many of which dying before they can find it, and the one in the New World being such an individual. The Sixth Fleet begins culling their numbers to bring the population back in line and to prevent the species from collapsing.
* Aurostrela's roar sounds like bells chiming - and eerily similar to Alatreon's.
* All of Aurostrela's weapons have dual dragon and thunder element. They are the only weapons in the game to naturally do this.
* Named (once again) by Jeremiah V10.