Drectusoma

Drectusoma is a large Snake Wyvern first introduced in Monster Hunter: Spearfall, known to inhabit most areas. They can be encountered in all ranks.

Physiology
Drectusoma has a tough, leathery exterior camouflaged to the color of mud, in order to blend into the environment and ambush prey. However, it also has a purple underbelly which serves as a warning to potential predators (largely Flying Wyverns) of their highly toxic bodies. It has a flat, wide head, resembling the Dalamadur, and a small "beard" made of filamented chitin.

It also possesses a flat, heavy tail that can be used to generate small amounts of wind pressure, and to whip around to stun predators and prey alike.

It is predominantly identified by its cobra-like hood, patterned in vibrant purple and black, acting like larger wyvern eyes to dissuade predators. Dangling from the sides of the hood are toxin sacs, which the Drectusoma can spit or expel through its leathery hide as a powerful, numbing anesthetic.

Abilities
Drectusoma are cunning predators who typically rush at high speeds and flank hunters from the side, rather than doing forward charges, and attempt to make small wounds in the Hunter should it miss, gradually injecting sleeping toxin through its glands. It can use its heavy, flat tail to slam the ground and create a small windblast to knock hunters back, or whip them at hunters to stun them outright.

When severely threatened, it raises its hood as a warning, and begins to exude knockout gas that causes Hunters to fall asleep very quickly when exposed to it.

Behavior
Drectusoma sneak up on their prey, largely comprised of Slagtoth and Gargwa, and spit or inject a numbing, anesthetic toxin that severely weakens their prey and causes minimal resistance to the predator wyvern. In the rare case that it is spotted on its approach, it can use its large hood's hypnotic colors to mesmerize their prey, before slowly wounding them to death with their fangs, also injected with sleeping toxin.

In the rare event that it encounters a larger, more predatorial wyvern, it raises its hood and hisses with a raspy, metallic vocalisation to warn the incoming wyvern of its toxicity; failing that, it wounds the victim and injects the toxin before escaping.

Normal State
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Trivia

 * Drectusoma's name is derived from a ritual drink (soma) important in early Indian culture, and believed in the contemporary form of the word to have hypnotic and intoxicating properties. This references the Drectusoma intoxicating its prey, and failing that, hypnotising it with its hood.
 * An enraged Drectusoma's underbelly and toxin sacs begin to glow.
 * The Drectusoma's toxin glands can be broken off along with its hood, but this causes it to exude the sleeping gas more frequently. It is, however, the largest hitbox on the monster, and particularly vulnerable to Shot Damage.
 * Drectusoma are known to ascend vertical structures (e.g. trees) and leap down onto unsuspecting hunters.