Melfae Queen

Melfae Queens are Neopterons.

Physiology
Melfae Queen has the same mole cricket-like structure of the smaller Melfaes, but is bigger and much wider. She is a bit larger than a Melfae Soldier. Most of her coloration is rust-brown except for white stripes down her enlarged abdomen. She lacks wings completely. Her antennae are tough, dark brown, and stout like an elder dragon's horns. Pink pheromone mist surrounds them when she is enraged. She has a pair of large and tough mandibles that allow for potent bite attacks and spitting earth. Her massive front limbs are rake-like like regular Melfaes, but are purely designed for attacking instead of digging. Her abdomen has multiple rust-brown ridges along the sides and top. The bottom of her back end has six sharp knife-like spines. Like the Seltas Queen her vocalizations seem more like a machine than an animal.

Ecology
Melfae Queens, as their name suggests, are the rulers of the Melfae hordes. They normally live deep within the twisting and treacherous tunnels of the Melfae hive, where none have seen them in their natural habitat. The events during Iceborne, mostly the doings of the Everwyrm, have agitated and disrupted many Melfae nests across the New World. This, across with the already increased aggression of the wildlife, has resulted in clashes between monsters and Melfaes. Eventually, over the course of the expansion the Melfaes become so desperate that they call upon the Queen to vanquish those who bother them -- an extremely rare sight normally, since the loss of a Queen is devastating to the nest. Invoking the Queen is the last resort of last resorts.

Under normal conditions, Melfae Queens spend most of their days producing young and secreting precursor pheromones. These substances are used to synthesize new marking pheromones whenever a new threat is identified. Melfae Queens rarely move from their royal chambers and are reliant on servant Melfaes to feed them. Infant Melfae Queens are select individuals raised on special food, where they assume the role of Queen either if they move to start a new nest or the current Queen dies. These reserve Queens lessen the loss and are kept in stasis to prevent them from running away and starting unauthorized rival colonies.

Behavior
Melfae Queens are normally passive and don't take much action. They have two goals: expansion and maintenance of the nest. This ideology carries over to all Melfaes and Soldiers in her nest. If anything threatens or challenges their ideology it is eliminated swiftly and with extreme prejudice. If worst comes to worst and the Queen must personally fight, she leads a small army of battle-capable Melfaes and Soldiers into battle. Her strategical skills are said to be quite good.

Abilities
The full abilities of the Melfae Queen were not known prior to the Hinterlands expedition, but the first few encounters with them made it clear that they are Elder Dragon-Level Monsters. They wield full control of the Melfae nest and the dozens if not hundreds of specimens. Many settlements have been destroyed by Melfae swarms, but it was not known what caused them. Some thought it was the earth itself getting revenge for mankind's exploitation of the land. With their special pheromone blends Melfae Queens control the movements and aggression of Melfaes and Melfae Soldiers as if by a psychic connection. A nest of battle-ready Melfaes fighting as one can devastate anything and everything in their path. Even mountains will fall.

In battle, the Melfae Queen is always accompanied by a pair of powered-up Melfae Soldiers. She also wields a small swarm of especially powerful Melfaes. Similarly to Ancient Leshen's Jagras, these individuals are far more aggressive and durable than their normal counterparts and will instantly fade upon death, unable to be carved. Melfae Queen can mark a certain Hunter for the swarm and Soldiers to assault, but unlike Ancient Leshen they have to be hit by her pheromones. A Melfae Queen hunt isn't a straightforward hunt, but one that requires strategy, quick thinking, and mastery of Iceborne 's new abilities to take control of the fight away from her.

Though the swarm is deadly, the Queen herself is not to be underestimated. She uses her massive size and weight to crush and batter opponents with body slams and rolls. Her huge claws and powerful forelimbs are more destructive than even a Soldier's. She can spit rocks and debris stored in her crop in addition to hurling boulders. She wields pheromones through various means, such as emitting a field of gaseous pheromone Seltas Queen-style, spitting sticky pheromone that inhibits movement if stepped on, or coating her claws in pheromone so her strikes inflict it.

Habitat
Melfae Queens inhabit rugged areas with the rest of the horde, but have only been spotted outside their nests in the New World, specifically Wildspire Waste and Hoarfrost Reach.

Theme
(To be determined)

Attacks
(Under construction)

Useful Information
''It is extremely difficult to fight the Melfae Queen with her escort in tow. Use everything at your disposal to separate and disable her Soldiers and followers.''

Weapons
(Under construction)

Armor
(Under construction)

Breakable Parts

 * Head (x2)
 * Forelimb
 * Back
 * Abdomen