(Important information is bolded so you can simply skim through this! I suggest reading it fully, as I offer thorough explanation behind each decision.)
I believe it is not easy to adapt a game like Monster Hunter: World into a fanfiction. There are certain intricacies to game design which are intended to make the life of the player and developer easier. Such intricacies do not easily translate into literature, and therefore will be modified or removed for the purposes of the story. I hope that I will still be able to maintain the feel and charm of the game despite doing so. Before I get into what I'm changing, I want to note that this story will primarily be focused around original characters of the Sixth Fleet generation. That isn't to say that the Fifth Fleet characters won't appear, though. They will appear later on and play large roles in the story, but After Everwyrm will always be a fanfiction about the Sixth Fleet following in the footsteps of their predecessors and trying to surpass them.
The first 'intricacy' I will be changing is the lack of names. NPCs like the Handler and the Field Team Leader do not have canon given names, and the game is able to do this because the characters rarely refer to each other with any sort of name or title at all. However, in written form, this is very awkward. Repeating the same title over and over will be strange, and I do not want my characters to never be able to refer to each other. Therefore, the nameless NPCs in the game will receive proper names if they are to play a considerable story role. This is not necessarily unprecedented in Monster Hunter, as the Ace Rookie/Excitable A-Lister is canonically named 'Aiden'. I hope to give each character a very strong and fitting name, so I will be sure to take my time in deciding on names before this character becomes prominent in the story. I am also open to suggestions for names, so be sure to leave some in the comments!
Another thing to note is the presence of RPG mechanics in the story. For example, elemental weaponry. In a video game, this doesn't need explaining because it's a staple. You could even theoretically get away with not explaining magic weaponry in a literature format. With my writing style, it would simply feel awkward. Therefore, I will probably be developing a power system of sorts which is used to explain how elemental weaponry works. I may tie this into some of the esoteric things Wyverians can do, such as melding. It's clear through carving that most monsters manipulate the elements through biological functions. For those worried that I'm going to use realism to dumb down the fantasy element of the game, I actually plan on perhaps developing a system of pseudo-magic which goes in line with the semi-magical characteristics of Elder dragons. In a way, I'll be making Monster Hunter more anime than it already is.
On the note of anime, there will be a sense of power-scaling. In the game, you have your base ranks and your G-rank. This is also another game intricacy just to provide more fun for the player. This will be replaced with a power scaling system of sorts based on turf wars and in-game scaling. For example, we won't have a Master Rank Rathalos that can swoop in and kill an LR Kirin or something like that. You'll have your normal monsters, then normal monsters capable of sometimes challenging Elders, then you have your insurmountably strong Elders. I'll keep in Tempering as a case of unusually strong monsters who are born with extraordinary bio-energy for a typical member of their species, and Tempering can help a monster surmount its tier. Stronger monsters will be faster, physically stronger, greatly durable, and more destructive. Certain variants may be explained as cases of tempering, ie. Savage Deviljho is a tempered and somewhat mutated Jho and Seething Bazelgeuse is a tempered Bazel.
That all may be liable to some modification. Regardless, Hunters will work similarly as well. In every game, Hunters have displayed plenty of superhuman feats. Just holding the weapons they do would be difficult for strong IRL humans, then you add on their acrobatics in all of that armor and equipment they carry around. One shouldn't forget their enhanced durability and tolerance to heat among other things as well. To that purpose, newbie hunters would be somewhat low superhumans, whereas veteran hunters may boast blinding speed and terrifying herculean strength, so expect it to be entirely possible for the Metal Gear RAY boss fight to be replicated in some manner in this fic between a strong hunter and a weaker monster. I do acknowledge that a hunter lifting up and throwing a monster would look goofy, so more likely than not it would be that experienced hunters are highly-skilled speedsters with enhanced gear with emphasis taken away from increased strength. Except for the Admiral. That guy's a human Rajang. It's genuine canon that he never has used a slinger because he can just throw things that hard..
Finally, returning to the old subject of RPG mechanics. In this fic, I will be making up custom gear. For example, the Sapphire Star may wear armor out of endgame Iceborne materials, but it won't be the same suit of armor such materials would make in game. Certain characters may possess custom weapons, and I may make up new things similar to the Dragonator and Dragonrazer. Plenty of characters will be using in-game gear, however, for those who want such a thing. For now, that's all of the adaptational tinkering explained. Some final warnings are that this fic is going to be somewhat adult in nature. This isn't a smut fic, but scenes with a sexual nature are likely to appear at some points. The level of violence will be dialed up compared to the real games, so both hunters and monsters will suffer detailed and serious injuries outside of more comical scenes (ie. a Radobaan rolling over a bunch of unarmed researchers, they'll just get stuck to it, but combat scenes will be bloody).
Touching on the earlier points about magic, it's likely that the hunters have some serious medical technology with some magical characteristics. You never see any NPC hunters with serious disabilities from field work, so it is likely that hunters can meld and magic-herb a body back into one piece. Plus, I don't want hunting horns to be useless lore-wise, so they would display support-type magic, which would lend itself to the existence of healing magic in any lore.
With all of that said, please enjoy After Everwyrm!
