Asura Ishvalda

The **Asura Ishvalda** is a relative of Shara Ishvalda.

## Description

Asura Ishvalda’s skin is charred black to the point of resembling charcoal, and between the cracks one can make out exposed muscle; these openings emit a fiery light when it is enraged, causing the air to simmer with its body heat. Interestingly, there is a large wound on the monster’s chest.

Its obsidian armor is jagged and menacing, and much slimmer than Shara Ishvalda’s rocky coat.

## Ecology

### Habitat Range

Asura Ishvalda resides at the summit of the Roaring Mountain, a lone volcano beyond the Elder's Recess. The surrounding area is a blasted landscape devoid of life, eradicated by Asura Ishvalda.

### Ecological Niche

Asura Ishvalda isn’t a part of the ecosystem so much as a living cataclysm. It is hostile to all other forms of life, and will go out of its way to kill whatever it sees, including other Elder Dragons. Few monsters can hope to withstand it.

### Biological Adaptations

Asura Ishvalda generates an incredible amount of heat, which it can release through its wingtips in the form of superheated air that’s strong enough to liquefy stone. It can swim in lava, which after emerging cools into a coat of obsidian armor. Asura Ishvalda can also unleash dragon energy, but only when it is truly furious.

### Behavior

While the Guild makes a rule not to anthropomorphize monsters, the behavior of Asura Ishvalda can't be described as anything other than malicious. It is excessively aggressive and unduly brutal to those that intrude upon its territory, and will even go as far as to mutilate its victims. While this was initially believed to be some sort of grisly territorial display, the dragon strikes without warning, which renders the theory moot. As soon as the intruder is dealt with, Asura Ishvalda then retreats to the caldera of the Roaring Mountain, where it enters a state of torpor. It doesn’t seem to eat or drink or mate; only waking to take out its anger on those unlucky enough to cross it.

While some intelligent monsters have been known to recognize humans after repeat encounters and even develop a grudge of sorts, Asura Ishvalda’s wrath exceeds anything found in nature and its cause cannot be determined. However, after much digging, an obscure legend may offer a clue. When the Ancients warred against the Elder Dragons, a mighty dragon and its mate were slain by a terrible weapon—yet the dragon did not die, sustained by its terrible rage. It lashed out everything, both man and monster; not even the other dragons were safe. It took the combined might of several Elders to force it into retreat, an epic battle that was said to scorch the heavens and the earth. The dragon then fled across the sea, forever lost to time. Yet here is Asura Ishvalda, a dragon bearing the scars of some ancient battle and possessed of eternal rage... If the legend is even remotely true, then the Research Commission has much to fear.

## Attacks

Notable attacks include:

* **Heat Beam:** Asura Ishvalda can shoot a fiery beam out of any one of its wingtips, inflicting Fireblight. It can fire up to three pinpoint beams in rapid succession, and can shoot while walking. Asura Ishvalda can also target hunters at its sides and to a limited extent behind it. These beams destroy safe ground, revealing the molten earth beneath. This can be stood on, but deals damage over time (this can be negated by Heat Guard).
* **Heat Blast:** Asura Ishvalda brings its fingertips together and fires a devastating blast in front of it. Unlike Shara Ishvalda, Asura Ishvalda isn’t pushed back by this ability and can slightly pivot while firing.
* **Sweeping Beams:** Asura Ishvalda sweeps one of its wings, firing from every fingertip, in an attempt to hit hunters approaching it from the sides.
* **Boiling Earth:** Asura Ishvalda concentrates several of its heat beams on a single patch of ground until it explodes, covering a large area. Similar to Gogmazios’s attack, but less lethal.
* **Lava Eruption:** Asura Ishvalda roars and rears up on its hindlegs before slamming back down, causing any nearby lava pools to erupt.
* **Underbelly Grab:** Asura Ishvalda’s underbelly sweep moves leads to a grab, where it roars in the hunter’s face before crushing them between its fingers and tossing them across the field.
* **Obsidian Armor:** To commence the second phase, Asura Ishvalda walks to the edge of the arena and dives into the lava, after which it will shortly emerge. Hunters have only a short window of opportunity to attack Asura Ishvalda before the lava cools and hardens. While armored, Asura Ishvalda can use more moves and its armor must be broken off before its body parts can be damaged again. Unlike Shara Ishvalda, Asura Ishvalda can continue to shoot from its wings in this form and retains its aggression.
* **Wing Smash:** Asura Ishvalda slams its armored wings onto the ground like fists. Instead of flailing wildly, Asura Ishvalda will target nearby hunters.
* **Claw Rake:** Asura Ishvalda’s raking moves inflict Bleeding while it is armored.
* **Nova:** One of Asura Ishvalda’s most dangerous moves. The monster roars before rearing up on its hindlegs and generating a fireball between its wingtips, which it slowly compresses until it explodes, covering a wide area and dealing immense damage to anyone caught in the blast. Only used during the second phase.
* **Demonflare:** Asura Ishvalda’s ultimate attack, only usable during the third phase at Master Rank 200. Asura Ishvalda begins to crackle with dragon energy before erupting with devastating force. The only practical way to avoid this move is to seek cover or use a Farcaster. Similar to Behemoth, Asura Ishvalda will use this move one last time when it’s on its last legs and it will not die until it’s done. When this happens, Asura Ishvalda jams its fingers into its chest wound, prying it open to unleash all of its dragon energy in a kamikaze attack to try and take as many hunters with it as possible.

## Combat Information

* **Phase One:** Unlike Shara Ishvalda, Asura Ishvalda begins the fight without armor. It will continue to bombard faraway Hunters with its wing blasts, but it is much more aggressive with its melee attacks. Over the course of the fight, Asura Ishvalda will destroy the outer ring of the arena with its wing blasts, reducing the amount of safe space.
* **Phase Two:** Asura Ishvalda heads into the lava and disappears. During this time, the hunters will have to avoid tremors and lava upwellings. When Asura Ishvalda emerges, it is covered in lava which quickly cools into a coat of obsidian armor. Compared to Shara Ishvalda, however, it remains just as aggressive and nimble in this state, and it is still capable of using its wing blasts. The hunters will need to destroy the armor to resume damaging the monster, and it will not restore its armor.
* **Phase Three (Master Rank 200):** Asura Ishvalda falls, but there is no victory fanfare. Its body begins to smolder and crackle with energy as the dragon rises again. Then with an earthshaking roar, it erupts with dragon energy, damaging and pushing back anyone too close. Asura remains permanently enraged until the end of the fight, but will occasionally tire, allowing the hunters an opening to retaliate. In this berserk state, Asura Ishvalda no longer uses its wing blasts, but acquires dragon energy attacks. Megaflare is also replaced with Demonflare, its most dangerous move, which it will use one last time when its health is reduced to 1 (it is invincible during casting) to try and take as many hunters with it as possible, but will die afterward.

### Physical Damage Effectiveness

 Head (Breakable)
 Wings (Breakable)
 Armor (Breakable)

## Equipment

### Armor

* **Resistances:** 20, -15, -5, -10, 15, 5, 0, 0, -15
* **Total Skills:** Agitator 5, Attack Boost 5, Fortify 1, Heroics 3, Resentment 4, Resuscitate 1, Partbreaker 2, Shara Ishvalda Divinity (Set Bonus)

## Quests

In order to unlock Asura Ishvalda, the player must reach Master Rank 100 before the Admiral wants to see them at the Elder's Recess. See "The Roaring Mountain" in Cutscenes for more information; this will unlock the "Ruinous God" prerequisite quest to access Asura Ishvalda.

 **Client:** Admiral
 **Notes:**
*Unlocks "Where Gods Fear To Tread".*

 **Client:** Admiral
 **Notes:**
*Unlocks "Fury Undying".*

 **Client:** Admiral
 **Notes:**
*Must complete "Where Gods Fear To Tread". Randomly appears after completing quests, and will disappear after two periods have passed.*

## Cutscenes

### The Roaring Mountain

* **Admiral:** "Finally. Thought you would never show up. I got something to show you."

*The Admiral begins to lead the Hunter on a narrow, winding path through the mountains.*

* **Admiral:** "While we were looking for Old Googly Eyes, I stumbled on this path. Naturally, I wanted to see what was on the other side, and well, here it is."

*The crevice opens up to a vast wasteland beyond the Elder's Recess. The land is dry and cracked and littered with the crumbling, charred bones of monsters. In the distance, a lone volcano belches smoke.*

* **Admiral:** "I've been around for a while, I haven't seen anything like this. Just dead land. Not one scrub. And the bones. That doesn't happen naturally. Something killed them. Something *mean*."

*He points toward the volcano.*

* **Admiral:** "And I'm willing to bet my zenny that we'll find it there."

*The Hunter notices a First Wyvernian standing on a rocky precipice behind them, and points them out.*

* **Admiral:** "Well, well, one of the locals."

*He calls up to the First Wyvernian.*

* **Admiral:** "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know what happened here?"
* **First Wyvernian:** "The mountain roars again. Worrying. It was sleeping until the song woke it. A song not unlike its own. But its chord is corrupted."
* **Admiral:** "Are you saying there's another Old Everwyrm up there?"
* **First Wyvernian:** "Old. Old, yes. Older than you. Older than me. Older than this land. Old. But it will never die. So long as the sun rises and the moon falls. And I must stand watch."
* **Admiral:** "In case that thing decides to crawl out?"
* **First Wyvernian:** "Yes. I will warn my kin. And their kin's kin. And any creature that lends its ear. Its coming would bring smoke and ruin you have never seen."
* **Admiral:** "We've dealt with Elder Dragons before."
* **First Wyvernian:** "A dragon does not live on that mountain. It is odium. It is fury caged in flesh, mantled in fire. If you value life—your life, the life of others—do not proceed. You would invite ruin upon this land."
* **Admiral:** "If that thing does come down, what then?"
* **First Wyvernian:** "Bid your goodbyes. Make the most of your time. Do not bother praying."
* **Admiral:** "I don't take things lying down. There's got to be something!"

*He claps the Hunter on the shoulder.*

* **Admiral:** "This Hunter's averted disaster on several occasions. Zorah Magdaros, Xeno'jiiva, Velkhana, Shara Ishvalda. If there's anyone who can take this thing on, they're right here."
* **First Wyvernian:** "... I have heard of you. You are skilled. But this is no common monster. If you wish to court disaster, then dance with Ruination. If you can surmount nature's protector, you may stand a chance against its destroyer."

*The Hunter receives the "Ruinous God" Urgent Quest.*

### Road To Ruin

This cutscene plays once the player reports back to the Admiral following the completion of "Ruinous God".
*The Hunter and Admiral hitch a ride on some Barnos to the Roaring Mountain. But as they draw close, something emerges from the caldera. It only takes a moment for the Admiral to realize what's about to happen.*

* **Admiral:** "Incoming!"

*A heat blast rips through the air, narrowly missing the both of them. The Barnos panic and they begin to swing wildly to dodge more blasts.*

* **Admiral:** "Almost there! Hold on tight!"

*But the closer they get, the more accurate the blasts become, until eventually the Admiral sees a huge energy build-up.*

* **Admiral:** "Drop!"

*The Hunter drops from their Barnos just a moment before it's hit, reduced to a smoldering husk. The Hunter crashes on the rocky slope alongside the Admiral, but there's no time as another blast almost hits them. The two of them take cover behind a rocky outcrop.*

* **Admiral:** "We can't get close with that thing taking pot shots at us. We need to break. You head that way, stay out of sight, I'll keep it busy."

*The Admiral and Hunter break cover at the same time, the former waving his arms and shouting at the top of his lungs, drawing fire away from the Hunter as they climb to the summit. Eventually, they reach the mouth of the volcano, but the monster is nowhere to be seen. Sliding down, the Hunter land on some solid ground and cautiously investigates the area. They come around a rock and peek around the corner... only for an eye to open up and stare back at them. The Hunter leaps backward and narrowly avoids the monster's snapping jaws, which then rises amid the smoke and fire to stare them down with hateful eyes. The monster throws back its head and lets loose a roar that sounds like a volcano erupting, and the battle begins.*

### The Rage That Conquers Death

This cutscene plays when the player takes on the "Fury Undying" quest for the first time.

The Hunter slides down into the caldera of the Roaring Mountain, and in the middle of the field lies the seemingly dead corpse of Asura Ishvalda. Then a heart starts beating, slow at first but picking up speed, every pulse sending a twitch through Asura Ishvalda's body, until the monster's eyes open. Asura Ishvalda rises again, shaking loose the ash that's settled on its body. This time, Asura Ishvalda does not roar, it doesn't make a sound; it only stares at the Hunter before the battle begins.

### Hatred For All Things

This ecology cutscene is unlocked after the player maxes out Asura Ishvalda's research level.

While flying above the elder’s recess, a Nergigante hears the distant roar of Asura Ishvalda and decides to investigate. Landing in the caldera, Nergigante sniffs about while Asura Ishvalda rises from the lava behind it, raising its obsidian claws to strike. Nergigante notices the shadow and barely evades the blow. Backing up, Nergigante roars in challenge... only to get blasted in the face by Asura Ishvalda. Using its wing as a shield, Nergigante rams its horns into Asura Ishvalda, who screams in anger and grabs onto its horns, snapping them after great effort. As Nergigante howls in pain, Asura Ishvalda uses one of its wings to grab Nergigante and force its head into the lava. The Eater of Elders struggles in its grasp, and while Nergigante can withstand extreme temperatures, it still needs to breathe, and eventually its struggles lose their vigor until they stop altogether. With a contemptuous snort, Asura Ishvalda starts to walk away, but stops when a bold revolture swoops down to feed on the fresh corpse. Asura Ishvalda regards the harmless scavenger for a moment... then it extends a finger and incinerates the hapless bird before returning to the lava.

## Music Themes

* Camp Theme
* Phase 1
* Phase 2
* Phase 3

## Notes

* In keeping with the Hindu theme of Shara Ishvalda, Asura Ishvalda is based on the Asuras, a class of divine beings in Hinduism that often battle the more-benevolent Devas. Asura Ishvalda was further informed by *Asura’s Wrath*, an action game that takes elements from Hinduism and Buddhism.
* You are free to add this monster to your fan games if you ask.