"Do we really have to see the zombie dragon?" Ruby asked.
"You won't see it as a zombie when we're done." Katana assured them.
"But it's so gross and horrifying! Not even the worst Grimm is that menacing!" Weiss cried out.
"Now, now, students. Perhaps you're judging the creature too harshly based on its appearance. Perhaps there's more to it than meets the eye." Ozpin told him. After all, he had basically the reverse of this scenario in his life, his lovely wife Salem turning out to be a horrible despot seeking to control and divide humanity.
"Professor Ozpin's right. That's the same problem many people have with Faunus. We were profiling the monster before we knew anything about that. Even animals shouldn't be profiled like that. Blake agreed.
Katana smiled at this. "Alright, then. Let's begin." She said.
The familiar logo of Strawfoot appeared on the screen as he began to speak. "For today's research mission, I find myself returning once again to the Rotten Vale. This is a place of death. A place of decay. The final resting place for so many countless Wyverns and even more than a few Elder Dragons. But the more time I spend here, the more I understand that this Rotten Vale can also be strangely, darkly beautiful." He explained as a place full of corpses, bones and rotting flesh all around, before the familiar book known as Strawfoot's Monstrous Compendium was shown.
The students shivered at the view of the view they got of the Vale. "It's full of bones and rotting flesh! How could it possibly be beautiful?!" Weiss cried out.
"Strawfoot has been shown to have a unique view on the world, but I don't see how anyone could see this glorified corpse pile as beautiful." Winter agreed.
"Perhaps we simply haven't seen it from the right angle yet." Ozpin reasoned.
"Indeed. Remember, the entire reason Katana had us watch this was to look beyond the surface and find hidden beauties." Glynda added, although she, too, was having trouble seeing this place as anything besides disgusting.
"This cavern we stand in now is illuminated by the lambent pools of Cerulean acid, likely a byproduct of the decaying Elder Dragon, Dalamadur." He continued as a hunter was shown walking through a large cave, indeed lit up by admittedly beautiful pools of blue liquid as he said. "Travelling deeper into the Vale, we can witness an eerie red light, which leaks through the surface, cutting through the effluvial waves in crepuscular rays. A breathtaking display of natural beauty." He added as a beautiful red light, similar to that of a setting sun, were seen beyond a strange opening in the back of the Vale just as he had explained.
"Pretty..." Ruby said in awe.
"I'll admit, I'm a fan of the red light. I wouldn't mind a lamp with that color lighting." Cinder agreed.
"Wow, who knew acid could look so awesome!" Nora said.
"Just remember not to swim in it, Nora." Ren reminded her.
"I'm not THAT crazy, Ren!" She insisted, pouting.
"So, what's a Dalamadur, then?" Yang asked.
"Two to Seven mile long snake." Katana said, leaving everyone absolutely shocked. [1]
"That. Is. AWESOME!" Yang said excitedly.
"You see, it's human nature to fear what we don't understand. It is often the case that this fear of the unknown is a health evolutionary adaptation for our species. It is a fear that often prevents us from putting our own lives at risk. But sometimes, this fear can hang heavy on our eyes, an opaque shroud obscuring our true sight, a dark lens distorting our own perceptions. Lost in our own terror, we often fail to appreciate the natural beauty all around us, the breathtaking diversity of life we find in this new world." Strawfoot explained as the hunter continued to observe the stunning areas with the blue acid.
"That's what started up the hatred against the Faunus." Qrow agreed.
"Indeed. On this matter, I can certainly agree Strawfoot's right. We need to look beyond the sum of their parts and see them for what they are. People like us." Ironwood agreed.
Blake smiled at this. "I'm glad you agree, general. I only wish you could've met with my father back when the White Fang was peaceful." She said.
"Okay, for Faunus sure, but what about a dragon with gross rotting skin all over it!?" Coco questioned.
"It's still the same thing, Coco: Something that looks different and uncomfortable, but may be really nice when you look at it." Velvet said, laying her head on Coco's chest, letting her stroke her rabbit ears.
"When I first began my research into this dark underground realm known as the Rotten Vale, I heard reports of an undead monster lurking in its deepest caverns. A terrifying vampiric creature. Decaying flesh draped over the animated skeletal remains of an ancient Elder Dragon. I heard hunters refer to this creature as a zombie, a ghoul, even a necromancer." He continued to explain while looking around, looking in a full circle around the room, before looking back to the far end from himself, seeing the fearsome creature. "They told me that the beast in these caverns was unnatural, evil, that it killed on sight, draining the life essence from those foolish enough to journey into the depths of the Rotten Vale." Strawfoot told the tales of hunters before him while he himself calmly laid down on a rock ledge near the center of the room, in plain sight, while the beastly creature roamed around, paying him no attention.
Everyone was a bit disturbed when the creature showed up, but soon that disturbance gave way to surprise and even awe as the creature roamed around while not even acknowledging Strawfoot. "It may not be the most natural, but it seems to be far from evil. And it's certainly not killing on sight." Pyrrha admitted.
"Maybe it just hasn't seen him yet?" Jaune wondered.
"Highly unlikely. I have pinpointed the creatures eyes and was able to map out its field of vision based on its eye placement. Based on that, Strawfoot is well within its peripheral vision. Even accounting for poor eyesight, it would still likely be able to notice him from his close proximity. And that's without even considering its other senses." Penny noted.
Everyone was shocked at this, but Neo quickly shook it off. "Yeah, what she said, Jaune. Why you gotta be so harsh to the dragon, just because it has old, dead flesh all over?" She teased him, causing him to shrink in embarrassment.
"Good one." Yang admitted, high-fiving her.
"These reports of an undead Elder Dragon are inaccurate. Fear had clouded the minds of those early explorers who first braved the Rotten Vale. My name is Strawfoot and this is the Vaal Hazak." Strawfoot finally introduced the creature as it harmlessly walked past him, still barely acknowledging the hunter mere feet away from it, calmly exiting the cavern while leaving Strawfoot completely unharmed.
"Vaal Hazak. A rather interesting name. Almost mystifying." Ozpin said.
"That's usually the aim for Elder Dragons." Katana told him.
"If only the Grimm were so tame." Ironwood said.
"Well, we saw some pretty peaceful Goliaths near Mountain Glenn, but I bet if we were closer, they would've squashed us like pancakes." Ruby admitted.
"As you can clearly see, this gentle giant, when unprovoked, holds no ill will towards human explorers. While it is true that this beast is a peerless predator, humans simply aren't on the menu. The Vaal Hazak feeds primarily on the effluvium that permeates the dead and dying Wyverns that are drawn into the vale. When it rests, it buries itself beneath piles of decaying corpses here in its nest. The hook-like spines covering Vaal Hazak's body catch torn fragments of flesh and hide decaying on the cavern floor, shrouding the Elder Dragon in the mantle of the dead." He explained as a picture was shown depicting Vaal Hazak from multiple angles, both with and without the flesh that covers it.
"That's super gross, but also kind of cool." Jaune said.
Yeah, but what's effluvium?" Yang asked.
"An unpleasant or harmful odor. In this case, likely the smell of decay from the rotting flesh. And, as an aside, there's likely harmful, flesh-eating bacteria to aid in the destruction of the rotting skin, which cannot be healthy for anyone nearby." Ren answered with near encyclopedic knowledge.
Blake shivered at this. "I don't even want to think of what would happen to a Faunus going there with a heightened sense of smell." Blake realized.
"I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. Not even Cardin." Velvet said fearfully.
"So bring like, the biggest bottle of perfume I have with me there. Got it." Coco noted.
Their are piles of flammable substances down their that you can throw, which will create a fire upon impact. Fire burns away the effluvium and clears up the air. It's a way better bet than perfume." Katana informed her.
"This death mantle serves as an added layer of armored protection for the Vaal Hazak. And also, aids the beats in cultivating the effluvial virus it requires to nourish itself. I cannot say with complete certainty, however it is my strong belief that the effluvial haze that permeates this realm is a virus similar to the frenzy virus of the old world. The same virus cultivated by and surrounding another Elder Dragon, the Gore Magala." Strawfoot explained the reason for the mantle and the virus, showing a picture of the aforementioned Elder Dragon, Gore Magala, along with a black mist surrounding it.
"That thing almost looks like a Grimm!" Nora declared.
"Frenzy Virus? I don't like the sound of that." Winter said.
"You won't like the effects of it, either. But we'll learn about that later." Katana explained.
"Like the Frenzy Virus, this effluvium saps the life out of lesser Wyverns that inhabit the region." He continued on about the virus as several small lizard creatures rushed past him, a strange mist rising off them, similar, but far weaker to the mist coming from Vaal Hazak. "The effluvium has withered and deformed the bodies of these Girros, leaving them as little more than walking husks. Near death, these poor creatures amble through the darkest recesses of the Rotten Vale, cultivating the effluvial virus within their bodies and waiting Vaal Hazak's return." He explained as he continued to follow Vaal Hazak.
Several people, including Cinder shivered at this. Would that have happened to Amber if she had absorbed all of the Maiden powers from her? That would likely be a fate worse than death. "I may really be a monster." Cinder said, looking at her hands.
Ruby suddenly held her hands, however. "You made mistakes, but you can work to make up for them. I think you can do it." She said.
"Ugh. Just waiting around for some weird creature to eat the the bacteria off you, then die. Not the way I wanna go." Neo said, shuddering once again.
"An unfortunate fate brought on by their environment. And one that no one deserves." Glynda declared.
"You see, Vaal Hazak has a very strange method of feeding. Specialized organs in the dragon's chest are used to inhale the effluvial virus, harvesting the nourishment it has gathered. This virus, cultivated in the dead and dying of the Vale is, in fact, Vaal Hazak's primary food source. It is also the dragon's greatest defense. Vaal Hazak can store large amounts of harvested effluvium within its body and when enraged, the dragon can exhale this virus from its mouth as a deadly weapon. Vaal Hazak will also defend its territory from both hunters and other large monsters when necessary, by unleashing concentrated blasts of effluvium." Strawfoot explained, still following Vaal Hazak, which finally noticed and watched him as it continued, but made no change in its behavior that made it seem like it would attack.
"It saw him!" Velvet gasped.
"I wouldn't worry about it." Pyrrha said with a smile.
"Yeah. He's just a big softy covered in gross, rotting flesh!" Nora agreed happily.
"You say AFTER Strawfoot listed all the ways it can kill you." Yang said.
"Not all. Yet." Katana quipped.
"And these effluvial blasts are not the dragon's only defense. Vaal Hazak's razor sharp talons, hooked spines and serrated, hinged double jaw are a fearsome arsenal of defensive weapons." Strawfoot finished on the beast's defensive, then moved to the big question. "So, why doesn't this beast attack? It's more than capable of rending a defenseless researcher such as myself limb from limb. The answer is that like all Elder Dragons, this beast is fiercely intelligent. Realizing that I pose no threat to its continued survival, Vaal Hazak is more than happy to share the resources of its natural habitat, to allow me to walk by its side." He explained as he did, indeed, walk side by side with the massive, terrifying beast before him, as if they were two friends out for a midday stroll.
"It is amazing how he's just able to walk alongside it like they've known each other forever." Blake said with a smile.
"Right. Despite having heard about the ways it can kill you, it does have a strange charm to it. And, when its not attacking, I can see how it could look cool to some people." Weiss admitted.
"It has two jaws! That's awesome!" Jaune and Ruby cried out together.
"Maybe, it's studying me, learning my behaviors. Attempting to discern my true intentions here. These are things I can never know for certain. However, this much is clear: in this New World, fear is the greatest enemy of knowledge. The greatest threat to the survival of our own species may, in fact, be our own unwillingness to discard the mantle of fear we wear and embrace the strange and terrifying diversity this New World has to offer." Strawfoot finished as he finally stopped following Vaal Hazak and let the beast return to its lair, an incident between the two never occurring.
"Wow. I never would have thought. Something that creepy-looking could actually be so passive and harmless." Yang said.
"And I'll admit, the double jaw thing is REALLY cool." Ruby admitted.
"Yeah. I'd almost like to try and pet it, if it were for the dead skin and deadly virus constantly surrounding it." Jaune agreed.
"Indeed. It's truly as Strawfoot said, fear clouds our judgment and makes us demonize what we don't immediately understand." Ozpin said.
"So, do you think it's possible, then, that Salem could perhaps be like this and since your last encounter, her intentions may not be what they used to?" Pyrrha asked.
"Oh, no. Definitely not. That woman is evil and wants to take over the world, or destroy it if she can't." Cinder answered, surprisingly.
"Yeah, if she wasn't like that, Dum-Dum and I wouldn't be working with them." Neo said.
"And that's from two people directly in her faction." Winter noted.
"We'll just break her legs if it comes down to it!" Nora declared.
"That would only piss her off. She's immortal and magically regenerates, remember?" Qrow warned her.
"So, next?" Katana asked.
"Actually, I'm rather curious to hear about Glacies and her species. Velkhana, I believe it was, you called them?" Glynda asked.
Glacies actually let out a small screech of pride at this, excitedly extending her wings. "I was hoping you guys would say that soon. And luckily, we've got the perfect source of knowledge on the subject. My little brother, Sai." Katana said, playing the next video.
A/N: Yep, that's right! My actual brother, fellow writer Sai Kunai Blade, the one who also invented Katana as a character, just made THE ONLY English Velkhana lore video. His YouTube channel is Sai Blade, so be sure to check him and the video out. It's titled "The Queen of Cold! Velkhana lore". And maybe subscribe, his videos are pretty good now that he knows how to edit.
[1] There is great dispute about this, whether Dalamadur can reach 2 miles long or 7, so I took the middle ground and said both.