Outlaw Chieftain

 is a Rider that appears in the Riders of Discord DLC featured in Monster Hunter Stories Ultimate.

Description
The Outlaw Chieftain is a young man clad in Jaggi gear who wields a Thunder Dragon Insect Glaive. He is a human of average height with a thin build, and has pale skin, red eyes, and medium-length white hair.

Personality
The Outlaw Chieftain exhibits a brash and boisterous demeanour, being eager to spar with Riders and Hunters alike, and is hostile to the presence to those who push his buttons through mockery of his laughter or criticism, threatening the former with violence and rebuking the latter. He is cynical, having a dim view on human nature and being prone to complaining to anyone within earshot, which puts him at odds with more optimistic Riders. He has an especially dim view on Wyverians, thinking of them all as exceptionally ugly among the humanoid races, which aggravates the Wyverians in the Riders of Discord. He also exhibits a strong sense of pride, proclaiming himself to be a paragon among men and viewing his opponents as insignificant pests. Above all else, however, he cares for his pack of Dog Wyverns, viewing them as loyal companions and wanting to keep them content, even if it means raiding innocent villages and mugging the civilians.

Background
Born and raised in a coastal nation that shared borders with the Deserted Island, the teenager who would soon be known as the Outlaw Chieftain was fascinated with the Dog Wyverns that inhabited the valleys and beaches near his town, observing their movements whenever he had spare time, reading bestiaries about their locales and attributes, and even modeling a self-taught fighting style after their movements. He took a strong liking to them due to their competitive nature and status as underdogs among carnivores reminding him of himself, as he loved to fight with anyone in town, whether it be the locals or visiting pirates, for any given reason, whether it be comments on his laugh, which took the form of a simple “Heh”, boasting about their latest expenditures, with him wanting them to show their worth as hunters or pirates, or simply no reason at all, and would gladly accept challenges from them regardless of their strength, because as far as he was concerned, he was the best scrapper in town, if not all the land, and would prove it however he could. While his speed and litheness gave him an advantage over many of the other teens and the drunken adults that hung out at the bars, he suffered many a loss against hunters and pirates, for they were rugged, experienced explorers in their 20’s and 30’s while he was a scrawny kid whose fighting style was entirely self-taught, leaving it with noticeable holes open to exploitation from a clever foe, and they would gladly comment on it, which he did not like at all, viewing himself as the greatest the land had to offer and all. Nonetheless, the unrelenting courage and determination he exhibited despite being outmatched much of the time garnered him begrudging respect from locals and visitors alike, and eventually, the Guild outlet of his town offered him a chance to become a hunter so he could put his love of brawling to good use and bring down any monsters that might threaten the town. He gladly accepted the offer, believing that becoming a hunter would help him prove for sure that he was the best in town, with the chance to see the Dog Wyverns he adored up-close being a bonus. Selecting an Iron Glaive as his weapon due to its agile movements mimicking those of Dog Wyverns, he set out to prove his critics that they were wrong about him once and for all.

One fateful day, as he returned home after completing a quest involving the slaying of a Jaggi pack that was venturing too close to the town for comfort, he noticed that everyone in town, whether they be hunters, pirates, or simple civvies, were laying on the ground broken and battered, with some being covered in electrical burns, and curious to know who caused this, he asked the town’s mayor about what happened. The mayor told him that a mysterious man flew into town with a monster, assaulted everyone up in conjunction with the monster without rhyme or reason, took the town’s alcohol supply for himself, then ventured into the valleys, supposedly to flee the scene. In awe of the control the mystery man held over monsters, he ventured into the valley so he could find him and potentially get a taste of that power as well. Upon reaching the beaches on the other side of the island, he saw a man in Astalos gear with an Astalos for a companion gazing at the stars, and wanting to know more about the power he wielded, he approached him and asked to know who he was and how he could control the Astalos. The man, surprised that the teen expressed interest in his power, explained that he was a Rider, a class of hunter that specialize in forming bonds with monsters hatched from eggs dubbed Monsties, and that he had arrived to the isles to spread knowledge of his occupation (and enjoy some good drinks due to Kokoto’s beer growing too bland for his tastes), only for him and his Astalos to be harassed and attacked by the townsfolk, who immediately hated him without even getting to know his side of things for deviating from what they considered to be normal hunting and (in their minds) threatening to put ordinary hunters out of a job, and the duo effortlessly beat everyone in town and made off with their booze as a prize as retaliation. Glad to see that there was at least one person on the isles who could respect the art of Monster Riding, the man handed him a Kinship Stone, a tool essential for forming bonds between people and monsters, and demonstrated the power of the bonds by destroying a Plesioth duo that ambushed them. The man then took off, and realizing the potential the stone gave him, he sought out to acquire a full team of Monsties and increase his power.

Following the mystery man’s departure, the Outlaw Chieftain ventured back into the valleys and hunted down Dog Wyverns in the vicinity, chased them back to their nests, and pilfered their eggs before hatching them in a secret locale in the event that the local hunters spotted them and attempted to slaughter them. Thanks to the Kinship Stone, the team of Dog Wyverns he built up quickly bonded with him and viewed him as a leader, and as a bonus, he managed to successfully tame a pack of Jaggis that lost their leader in a previous hunt by exhibiting the power he held over his new partners through Kinship Attacks enacted on their predators, which convinced them that they were safe under his control. Proud of himself for finally harnessing the power of the Dog Wyverns he adored, he ventured into town to show off his newfound potential, believing that, as one of their own and having gained respect from them in the past, they would have at least some respect for him despite his differences. Unfortunately, the townsfolk were disgusted with him as well, marking him as a traitor to his kin due to becoming a Rider, and destroyed his house and belongings before rushing after him with torches and pitchforks. Although the Monsties and Jaggi pack feared the flames, they pulled through for the sake of their master, and with their combined power, they overwhelmed everyone in town and made off with their zenny and belongings as proof of their collective strength. Knowing that he would be exiled from the isles he once called home due to his actions, he and his troupe set off on a boat with the loot they gathered before sailing off, proclaiming that the townsfolk would regret mistreating him and underestimating him in both the past and present.

Anticipating that those outside of his former home would give him the same unwelcome treatment those within it gave him, the Outlaw Chieftain believed that he and his Monsties were doomed to be outcasts no matter how they behaved around others, and as a result, he chose to embrace life as a criminal instead of trying to get people to sympathize with him. Using the boat he took from the isles, he, his Monsties, and his Jaggi pack would travel to a variety of villages and towns with the intention of looting them and beating up the occupants to prove that he was the paragon among men he claimed to be, but refrained from taking lives because he believed that, unless his would-be victims went on their way to aggravate and provoke him, it would be taking things too far. Among the most notable of the landmarks he targeted were Moga Village, Loc Lac City (prior to its destruction by Jhen Mohrans), Port Tanzia, Yukumo Village, Val Habar, Cheeko Sands, and Cathar, and while some marauds were successful due to a lack of proper defenses, others ended in him and his troops getting beaten to a pulp and driven off by Guild Knights, Hunters, and fellow Riders who weren’t going to tolerate the presence of blackguards. Between intervals, he would have his Monsties and Jaggi pack fight with monsters located near the villages and towns he wanted to raid in order to hone their skills and prepare them for future invasions, and would prioritize the Piscine Wyverns above all others because he viewed them as an insult to nature, finding the idea of a bipedal fish with long, supple legs to be ridiculous. It would be through these invasions and the intervals between them that he would gain his signature title.

As the days went by, the Outlaw Chieftain and his crew grew more and more powerful thanks to repeated raids and training sessions, and began to attract begrudging respect among villages due to him being able to pull effective raids with Dog Wyverns and getting back up no matter how hard he got beaten, giving him the impression of an underdog. Contributing to this level of respect were an event where he fought an Astalos and a Paleozoic Great Jaggi simultaneously despite his disadvantages and forged gear from their parts upon completing the hunt, and a separate incident where he and his crew made their way into a Guild-endorsed location that was fusing monster armour with Unstable Elemental Seeds with the intention of making captured monsters into soldiers and took off with six Bird Wyvern armour sets without being detected by the guards, granting his Monsties even greater strength than before. As a result of his growing fame (and infamy), he was invited to join a league of Riders called the Riders of Discord by members who recognized his strength, and soon made a home on the Discordant Isles with his Monsties and Jaggi pack. This new tenure wasn’t exactly rosy, however, as his boisterous, yet cynical personality and hostility to rebukes did not sit well with some members, particularly The Illustrative Swordsman and The Crimson Enforcer, who were the least shy about telling him off regarding perceived flaws and would sometimes get into battles with him due to clashing opinions. In one particularly heated moment, he attempted to slash the Enforcer’s throat with a carving knife because he mocked him for having a laugh he considered to be stupid and made an insulting caricature of him in the form of a Routhiaugu that annoyed passersby with its laughter, which forced the current leader, a man clad in Cerambus armour named The Almighty Lancer, to intervene and force them to spend time off the isles and away from each other to cool tempers down. Despite the Lancer’s efforts, however, bad blood remained between the Chieftain and the Enforcer, who would insult each other within earshot, and the Swordsman being willing to put his own rivalry with the Enforcer aside in attempts to put the Chieftain in his place did nothing to ease tensions. The tension between these individuals would determine whether a visiting Rider with a Felyne for a companion would be the Chieftain’s friend, or his foe.

Abilities
The Outlaw Chieftain specializes in the Thunder Element, using it through the Thunder Dragon Insect Glaive, and as an Insect Glaive user, he is adept at draining energy from his enemies and using it for himself. His Monsties of choice are Great Jaggi, Great Baggi, Great Wroggi, Great Maccao, Great Jaggia, and Great Slaggi. When in a pinch, he can summon loyal Jaggis to hound the enemy, and these Jaggis appear in packs of two to three and infinitely respawn, requiring the player to work fast to avoid getting overwhelmed by stunning howls and reckless dashes. He also has access to Unstable Elemental Seed-infused armour in rematches, which, upon its application, perfects his Monsties’ physical stats and grants them access to Elements they did not have before (or, in Great Slaggi’s case, greatly boosts its Elemental abilities). Upon the application of the armour, Great Wroggi gains the Fire Element, Great Baggi gains the Ice Element, Great Maccao gains the Dragon Element, and Great Jaggi and Great Jaggia gain the Thunder Element.

Tropes that Apply to Them

 * Achilles Heel: Except for Great Wroggi, every Monstie on his team is weak to the Fire Element. It’s mitigated somewhat in the rematches, where the ones weak to Fire have Genes that boost their Fire Resistance, partially neutralizing the weakness.
 * A God am I: Proclaims himself as a god among men in rematches with the player. This is partially due to him gaining newfound strength that wasn’t present in the original battles, which boosted his confidence.
 * Berserk Button:
 * He despises Piscine Wyverns as a whole and will become enraged if the player brings one into battle, gaining a boost to Attack and a debuff to Accuracy.
 * While he usually tries to avoid killing, making fun of his laugh will result in him becoming homicidally violent, as the Crimson Enforcer found out during a heated argument.
 * Blood Knight: He loves to brawl, finding the act of fighting to be thrilling, and will sometimes pick fights with other Riders and Hunters simply because he’s feeling bored. This includes the player.
 * Boisterous Bruiser: He has a high opinion of himself, considering himself a paragon among men and viewing challengers as mere bugs in comparison, and loves to get into fights.
 * Can’t Take Criticism: Criticism, whether hostile or constructive, will often result in him getting sullen and complaining about his feelings getting hurt. This aspect of his personality puts him at odds with The Crimson Enforcer and The Illustrative Swordsman, who aren’t shy about telling others how they feel about them.
 * The Cynic: He has a dim view on humans and other humanoid races, thinking of them as selfish, stupid, and brutish creatures that only do good deeds out of convenience, and has little hope regarding the future, to the point where he’ll express it to anyone within earshot. This negative way of thinking is considered excessive and unappealing by several Riders of Discord, particularly The Crimson Enforcer, The Illustrative Swordsman, and the Hawkeyed Cannoneer.
 * Everyone has Standards:
 * Although he has no problem with raiding villages and mugging innocent civilians, he typically draws the line at killing people, which includes the Wyverians he thinks little of. Should they make fun of his laugh, however…
 * Despite his negative views on Wyverians, he doesn’t support the Ethereal Knights’ regime against them, and if the player sided with them at some point, he’ll rebuke him/her for supporting their fascist beliefs.
 * He also expresses distaste for The Children of Gaia due to the group’s extremism and hypocrisy, and if the player killed any of its members, he’ll tell them that killing them off was a favour to the world.
 * Fantastic Racism: He has a lower opinion of Wyverians than any other humanoid race, thinking of them as little more than “ugly elf rejects”. This line of thinking tends to irk the Wyverians that make up the Riders of Discord, with the most notable one being The Illustrative Swordsman.
 * Flunky Boss: Periodically summons groups of two to three Jaggis throughout the battle with him, which assist him by attacking the player and their Monsties.
 * Fragile Speedster:
 * As an Insect Glaive user, he attacks quickly, but can’t block enemy attacks.
 * Except for Great Jaggia, which is more of an all-rounder in terms of stats, every Monstie on his team has above-average Agility and meager Health and Defense.
 * Golden Super Mode: Him wearing Paleozoic Great Jaggi armour in rematches invokes this, as it reflects the increase in strength he gained between intervals.
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold:
 * Although he’s a braggart who exhibits violent tendencies and has little respect for Wyverians, he genuinely cares about the raptors that make up his team, viewing them as trusted partners, and will do whatever he can to protect them and make them happy. Even if it means raiding villages and roughing up the inhabitants.
 * While he decides to leave the Discordant Isles for good and tells off the Riders of Discord as a whole following his departure (with an especially scathing note being left for The Crimson Enforcer and The Illustrative Swordsman), he’s shown to still care about the group outside of a select few members, sending letters asking about their well-being.
 * Knife Nut: Carries a variety of Throwing Knives in his Battle Pouch and attempted to slit The Crimson Enforcer’s throat with his carving knife during a heated argument before The Almighty Lancer quickly put an end to it.
 * Raptor Attack: Every one of his Monsties is a Dog Wyvern, and he can periodically summon groups of Jaggis to gain extra firepower in battle.
 * Red Eyes, Take Warning: His eyes are red, and he’s a violent bandit.
 * The Rival:
 * He has a strong rivalry with both The Crimson Enforcer and The Illustrative Swordsman due to them being his most vocal critics on the Discordant Isles, and it does not help matters that the former despises his laughter while the latter is part of a group that he views as “ugly elf rejects”.
 * A one-sided rivalry occurs with the Piscine Warrior due to his love of Piscine Wyverns; the Outlaw Chieftain views him as a challenger that needs to be bested due to him specializing in the monsters he hates the most, while the Warrior doesn’t see him as a rival to begin with.
 * Screw This, I’m Outta Here!: He decides to leave the Riders of Discord late into the DLC’s plotline following an intense argument that ended with The Crimson Enforcer and The Illustrative Swordsman putting their rivalry aside to face him down, claiming that he’s had enough of those two continually bringing him down with their criticisms of him. Although the player has the option of taking his side of the argument and potentially forming a friendship with him, he will still leave the isles for good. However, he’ll send letters to the group asking them how they’re doing on occasion, showing that he hasn’t completely washed his hands of them (he refuses to have any association with the Enforcer and Swordsman, however).
 * Shock and Awe: He utilizes the Thunder Element through his Insect Glaive.
 * Super Mode: His Monsties go through something like this upon the special Unstable Elemental Seed-infused gear he places on them in rematches, gaining 5/5 in all physical stat categories and gaining Elements that they previously lacked.
 * Took a Level in Badass: He starts out as one of the lowest-levelled and weakest Riders of Discord prior to the later rematches with him, having a team consisting of frail, non-Elemental mons and wearing an armour set that loses effectiveness late in the game. Once those rematches are unlocked by the player, he and his Monsties have their levels maxed out, all of his Monsties gain 5/5 in each physical stat and gain Elements that are complemented by implanted Genes thanks to a special armour set he gave them, and he wears Paleozoic Great Jaggi gear as opposed to regular Jaggi gear, granting him greater defense and improved passive Skills.
 * Weaksauce Weakness: Because he only uses Bird Wyverns in battle, he's vulnerable to the situational Bird Wyvern Slayer attack, which deals heavy damage to Flying Wyverns.

Notes and Trivia

 * The Outlaw Chieftain was based on Jaggid, a user on the fanon wiki and a former user of the Discord.
 * His Birthday, Jan. 12th, is the same as Jaggid’s.
 * Him attempting to kill The Crimson Enforcer during a heated exchange was based on Jaggid joking that he would slit Chaoarren’s throat following the latter creating Routhiaugu, which was originally created with the sole purpose of mocking him. This exchange resulted in both parties being banned from the Discord for a week by TheBrilliantLance, which is why The Almighty Lancer is shown breaking up the fight between the characters and forcing them to spend time apart until they calmed down.
 * Him only using Dog Wyverns in battle was by Jaggid’s request.
 * His Great Jaggi, Great Baggi, and Great Wroggi respectively gaining the Thunder, Ice, and Fire Elements was based on ‘’Monster Hunter Explore’’ giving them those Elements.