Herostratus

Johnathan Imolas, better known as , is an antagonistic Rider that appears in Monster Hunter Stories Ultimate.

Description
Herostratus is a short, gaunt young man with dark skin, short, unkempt crimson hair, yellow eyes, large eyebrows, and a notable amount of stubble on his face. Multiple burn marks can be seen on his body, and a small number of freckles can be seen on his nose and cheeks. He wears black-tinted Azure Rathalos armour whose helmet has a crimson horsehair.

Personality
Herostratus is a mentally unstable man who suffers from pyromania, being compelled to set things ablaze in order to release stress and obtain enjoyment, and exhibits pyrophilia, becoming sexually aroused when he sees intense blazes. While he's mainly driven by thrills, he also exhibits an uncontrollable desire for power, which the act of starting fires grants him, and has an affinity for powerful Fire Monsties as a result of his hunger for power. Despite his appetite for destruction, he is more selfish than evil, as he does not intend to harm innocent people with his activities, but does not consider the consequences of his actions, as he is more focused on getting the thrills and power he seeks, not noticing the death and destruction around him.

Background
Johnathan Imolas had a very rough upbringing prior to his rise as Herostratus. His mother, Evangeline Imolas, died just days after he was born, with her death being believed to be a result of a genetic heart condition combined with childbirth-induced trauma, and this resulted in his father, Nicolas Imolas, growing to resent him, blaming him for her death and vowing to make him suffer for taking away the woman he loved so dearly. Nicolas was physically, emotionally, and mentally abusive towards the boy, poisoning him so he could garner undeserved sympathy from onlookers, refusing to let him have a single contact outside of the house and attempting to control his life at every turn, starving him to the point where his growth and development were stunted, resulting in him being short and thin for his age, beating him over the slightest of offenses, like coughing too loudly or wanting to leave the house, stealing belongings within the house and blaming the boy for their disappearance before beating him when he attempted to protest his innocence, mocking him for being short and sickly, which was caused by the aforementioned starvation and poisoning, and telling him that he should have died in his mother's place at every turn, sometimes taking him to her grave just to rub salt in the wound. The abuse was so horrid that he would wind up unconscious for days, shake and shiver in his sleep, and have blood in his urine, which Nicolas simply passed off as being the result of a genetic disease. The years of abuse had led to John becoming overwhelmed with stress and a desire for the power he lacked at home, and whenever Nicholas fell asleep, he would sneak out at night so he could get a glimpse of the world he was missing out on, rushing to return home when the sun went up to avoid further punishment.

Whenever he wandered out of the house, John was quick to take note of all the fire found within Geo-Fulkright and the Dovan Mines, from the flames of the forge to the bursts of flame emanating from the volcanos, being fascinated by how powerful and carefree it appeared to be, and also took interest in the many Riders who wandered into town, admiring the power that formed from their bonds with Monsties. Having no other option to relieve his stress and obtain the thrills he never had at home due to Nicolas's controlling demeanour, he would start small fires whenever Nicolas was asleep, becoming enthralled by the overwhelming sense of relief and power in it, and would sometimes wander within the Dovan Mines, longing to become a Rider so he could escape the cycle of abuse. As time and abuse went on, he would just start more and more fires, to the point where the town's mining operations were nearly compromised due to excess heat and soot clogging up pipelines, wearing down heavy equipment, and causing stored food to spoil or become contaminated, and he would disappear for longer periods of time, with his dad never bothering to look for him unless there were onlookers, for he secretly hoped that the monsters within the mines would eat him. Although he was suspected of causing the fires due to his increasing fascination with fire, he was ultimately ruled out as a suspect by the townsfolk, for he was frequently ill and was rarely seen outside the house.

On his 13th birthday, as his dad lay asleep from a hangover induced by wild partying, John wandered deep within the mines to find the eggs he wanted despite not having been officially recognized as a Rider and came across a Meraze Egg, something that was rarely seen in the mines at the time. Practicing his own Kinship ritual with an improvised Kinship Stone made of rocks and twigs, like the Hero of Hakum and their friends, he was shocked to see the egg hatch before him, with the baby Meraze taking a liking to him, viewing him as a parental figure. Having never received this form of affection before, he was confused and scared by it, but quickly became fond of the Flying Wyvern, considering it to be the one true friend he ever made, and decided to bring it to the town to show it off, hoping that this act would finally give him the respect he missed out on. While the townsfolk were quick to celebrate his success, throwing him a special celebration, Nicholas was anything but supportive when he returned home from his son's celebration, smashing his gifts, calling him a worthless failure of a son for disobeying his orders to stay home, and viciously striking the baby Meraze with a mallet before threatening to torture and kill it right in front of him as punishment. Distraught by the unjust treatment of his new partner, all the sorrow and stress he built up over the years were converted into uncontrollable rage and hatred, and using all his might, he knocked him to the ground with a single punch, leaving him in utter shock. As Nicolas tried to collect his breath and get up, John left the house with the Meraze, locked the door behind him, and ordered the Meraze to burn the house down. Meraze obliged, and used infernal wind to set it ablaze, with John looking on with a satisfied look on his face as he watched his abuser beg for mercy and slowly burn to death. Realizing that he was finally free from the abuse, he left town with Meraze before the authorities could detect him, and succeeded, with the townsfolk being led to believe that he died in the fire as well. After they left Geo-Fulkright, John and his Meraze flew wide and far to find a new home filled with wonders and thrills greater than those within his hometown, and as they flew, he noticed a large, volcanic cavern filled with intense flames, lava, and many monsters that were not native to his part of the world. Being excited by the presence of such overwhelming power, he and his Meraze swooped down into the caverns so he could get experience them first-hand, wanting to experience the enthralling effect fire had on him once more and collect more monster eggs so he could acquire the power he lacked when Nicolas was alive. As they were admiring the view, an Azure Rathalos and a Black Gravios who were in the middle of a territorial dispute interrupted their moment, which resulted in them getting caught in the scuffle, and deciding that this could be his chance to become a real Rider, he waited for the two to exhaust themselves fighting with each other. When both were weakened enough, he and Meraze ambushed the monsters, killing the Black Gravios by knocking down a large stalactite on the cavern ceiling that crushed its skull underneath it and killing the Azure Rathalos by tricking it into crashing into various Powderstones, which induced a deadly state of shock. Satisfied with his victory but knowing that he had a long way to go, he carved them, took their parts to blacksmiths in Harth, and crafted himself Azure Rathalos armour and a Gravios Roar, requesting that the weapon be modified so it could spray a jet of flames like a flamethrower. Once the deed was done, he decided to take hunting requests for residents and travellers alike, hunting monsters who were roaming near the mining town and taking their eggs for himself in the process, giving himself a team full of powerful team of Fire Monsties he could count on to do the job right. However, despite all the power he achieved, he still was not content with what he had, for he still had heaps of stress built up from his time in Geo-Fulkright, and the fires in Harth and the Volcanic Hollow soon grew boring to him, so he went searching for new, unfamiliar territory so he could find a better way to release it.

Upon leaving Harth, he and his Monsties landed in a jungle area called the Jurassic Frontier, and deciding that this place would be perfect for testing out his newfound power, he used his weapon to burn any plants in his path, and ordered his Monsties to do the same. To his amazement, everything in his line of sight was set aflame and reduced to ashes, but unbeknownst to him, this reckless act of arson would have disastrous effects. Not only was the Jurassic Frontier going through a drought, but it was also being hit with heavy winds, providing the fires he started with plenty of fuel, and nearly all the foliage in the area was reduced to smouldering embers, which deprived many monsters of their homes and forced them to invade nearby human settlements to find food and shelter, and inadvertently leading to the untimely deaths of an entire Lynian society and three members of a quartet of Hunters who were sent in to investigate the mysterious cause of the sudden spread of flames, which stripped them all of their flesh and reduced them to bone before they even had a chance to escape. Making matters worse, the fires spread to the nearby Bherna Village and Wycademy, lighting them aflame, killing five villagers and six researchers, and leaving the survivors without a place to go. The surviving Hunter, who was left badly burned and mortally wounded, noticed a humanoid figure holding a fire-spraying Bowgun who was surrounded by six monsters who were also spraying flames all over the place, gave a detailed report of this sighting to the Hunter's Guild before succumbing to his wounds, and the Guild, believing that the figure committed the atrocity for fame, nicknamed him "Herostratus" in reference to an infamous man who set a sacred temple aflame centuries ago for the sake of fame, and was later executed for it. Although they wanted to hunt down John and make him pay for what he did, they decided that controlling the monster invasions and saving the survivors was a more important task, and sent out many Hunters and Riders to quell the invasions, but made sure to leave a request for a promising Rider with a Felyne for a companion to investigate the ruins before enacting the order, believing that they had the strength and skill needed to bring John to justice after witnessing their earlier displays of them. It would be this event that would determine John's fate...

Abilities
Herostratus is a Heavy Bowgun user whose weapon, a Gravios Roar, was modified to act like a flamethrower, releasing intense streams of flame that chew through a foe's HP upon activation in exchange for more Kinship usage. His passive ability, Pyrophilia, allows him to recover HP when he, his Monsties, or his opponents are under the effects of Burn, making Fire-based attacks counterproductive against him. His Monsties of choice are Meraze, Varusaburosu, Solmaron, Saitablo, Burokazutan, and Cerahund, all of which are powerful Fire monsters.

Tropes that Apply to Them

 * Accidental Murder: The only time he deliberately killed someone with his pyromania was when he exacted revenge upon his abusive father; every other murder he committed was the result of him not noticing that there were people in the settlements he set ablaze due to his uncontrollable urges getting the better of him.
 * Abusive Parents: His father was physically, emotionally, and mentally abusive, poisoning him so he could elicit undeserved sympathy, attempting to control his life at every turn, telling him that he was happier when he wasn't born, stealing household items and blaming him for their disappearance, regularly beating him over the slightest of offenses, ridiculing him over his short stature and poor health, which were caused by malnourishment and the aforementioned poisoning, and even blaming him for the death of his mother, claiming that he should have died in her place at her funeral. The years of abuse he suffered culminated in him resorting to arson in attempts to release all the stress he developed, and eventually, he murdered him upon him striking the Meraze he befriended and threatening to torture and kill it in front of him.
 * The Atoner: If the player defeats and spares him, he tries to make up for his past misdeeds upon realizing that his pyromania wasn't as acceptable and harmless as he previously assumed.
 * Combat Pragmatist: He waited for the Azure Rathalos and Black Gravios who got him caught up in their scuffle to weaken each other before pursuing them, and defeated both of them by exploiting the environment around him, tricking the former into running into Powderstones and dropping a giant stalactite on the latter with the help of his Meraze’s flames.
 * Even Evil Has Loved Ones: While not evil, his hedonistic tendencies leave lots of destruction in their wake, putting him at odds with the player. However, he genuinely cares about his Monsties, and seeing his abusive father strike his Meraze when it was just a hatchling was enough to make him snap and kill him in cold blood. If the player chooses to kill him, he'll request that they find his Monsties a good home instead of putting them down, for they were just following his orders.
 * Everyone Has Standards: He might be obsessed with seeking thrills, stress relief, and power to he point of causing deadly fires, but he's one of the few major antagonists who refuses to utilize the mind-control devices offered by Lord Hepskor, believing that forcing monsters to be mindless slaves would be hypocritical of him, for he himself does not want to be controlled.
 * Evil Sounds Raspy: He suffered laryngeal damage due to inhaling large amounts of smoke, leaving him with a gravelly voice.
 * Feed It with Fire: He recovers HP when burned, which makes Burn-based moves counterproductive against him.
 * Freudian Excuse: His hedonistic tendencies and lust for power partly stemmed from years of physical, emotional, and mental abuse at the hands of his father.
 * Heel-Face Turn: Goes from being an arsonist who was too selfish to acknowledge the cataclysm he inadvertently created to donating all the money he earns to restore Bherna Village, the Wycademy, and the Jurassic Frontier if spared.
 * My God, What Have I Done?: Once the player makes him realize just how much death and destruction he's caused after defeating him, he's absolutely mortified, with this revelation convincing him that he needs to get help and make up for the harm he caused. He also states that if the people of Bherna Village and the Wycademy researchers can't bring themselves to forgive him, he entirely understands, but hopes to do everything he can to make amends with them.
 * Obliviously Evil: He has no idea just how much death and destruction he's left in his wake due to his uncontrollable pyromania making him believe that his acts of arson were acceptable and harmless, reacting with confusion and disdain if called out on his actions. If the player defeats and spares him, he becomes regretful of his past actions as he begins to realize just how much harm he caused in his pursuit of enjoyment, stress relief, and power, and makes efforts to change for the better, going to therapy so he can manage his mental illness more effectively and attempting to make amends.
 * Playing with Fire: He specializes in the Fire element, using a Gravios Roar and having six powerful Fire Monsties. Specifically, his Monsties of choice are Meraze, Varusaburosu, Solmaron, Saitablo, Burokazutan, and Cerahund.
 * Pyro Maniac: He suffers from pyromania, which gives him irresistible urges to start fires. Like most pyromaniacs, he starts them to feel enjoyment and release stress, but also has the distinction of starting them as a display of power, which is a trait that typically isn't seen in pyromaniacs (it is common among serial arsonists, however). He also exhibits pyrophilia, which causes him to become aroused from watching fires, and this is displayed in the battle with him, where he recovers HP if he, his allies, or his opponents have the Burn condition.
 * Self-Made Orphan: He murdered his father as revenge for the years of physical, emotional, and mental abuse he put him through, locking him inside a house, setting it aflame, and watching as he burned to death.
 * Weapon of Choice: His signature weapon is a modified version of the Gravios Roar, which is Black Gravios's Heavy Bowgun.
 * Younger Than They Look: He's 20, but due to a lifetime of stress derived from an abusive childhood combined with all the smoke he inhaled after lighting fires, he appears to be in his 30s.

Notes and Trivia

 * Herostratus is named after a 4th century arsonist who sought out (and achieved) notoriety by burning down the Temple of Athena, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
 * His Birthday, Oct. 10th, is the same as John Leonard Orr's. Orr was a firefighter and arson investigator who was convicted of serial arson and first-degree murder on June 25, 1988, being sentenced to life imprisonment for his crimes.
 * Despite his actions, killing Herostratus lowers the Karma Meter. This is because John had never intended to harm his victims or destroy an entire ecosystem, but simply did not realize the severe repercussions of his actions due to his mental illness. He is also shown to not be entirely irredeemable if spared, going into therapy to control his pyromania and doing his best to make amends with the residents of Bherna Village and the Wycademy once he realizes just what he's done to them, which adds to the negative karma.