As usual, there are new quests to pick up, and various services have upgraded their functionality. You can also upgrade armor to a higher level now, so if Nergigante was dishing out obscene damage… well, upgrading your armor might help a little. Speaking of which, go check out the new armor sets unlocked by defeating Nergigante, which should include the Damascus set, the Dober set, the Nergigante set, and the Dragonking Eyepatch. The last item is a Rarity 8 bit of head armor with the coveted Weakness Exploit skill - useful to almost any character, and well worth considering… if you can get your hands on enough Immortal Dragonscale, that is.

After you’re done at the Workshop, talk to the Elder Melder and she’ll happily reveal she’s had another breakthrough - she can meld even more decorations! Don’t get too excited, though, as this only includes the Dragon Res Jewel 1 and the Dragon Jewel 1.

A Veggie Master of Disguise¶

Pay the folks at the Resource Center a visit, and the Tech Chief will again complain about the Canteen’s lack of provisions. To remedy this situation, he’ll give you the delivery request A Veggie Master of Disguise, the objective of which is to provide him with one Hornetaur Carapace and 800 Research Points.

A Thousand-Year Old Crab!?¶

Next go up to the Canteen, where you’ll find the Fiver Bro complaining about work he never ends up doing… and he’s not going to end up doing it again, if history is any guide. Talk to him and sure enough, he’s STILL too busy eating to go get new ingredients for the Meowscular Chef. No wonder the larder is barren! This starts the delivery request A Thousand-Year Old Crab!?, which tasks you with recovering a Barnos Talon and 500 Research Points.

Tomatoes Red as Magma¶

Finally, make your way back down to the lower level of Astera and talk to an Excitable A-Lister, who can be found near where the Commander lurks and in typical fellow-hunter style he’ll gladly pass a task of his own onto you. This starts the delivery request Tomatoes Red As Magma, tasking you with bringing back a Lava Nugget and 600 Research Points. He must be learning bad habits from the Fiver Bro… This delivery request is actually more work than it may initially seem, as it requires you to fight an Uragaan. More than that, however, you’ll need to knock it down at some point during the fight (almost an inevitability) and while it’s prone, mine the rocky top of its carapace. Talk about a hazardous delivery!

Kirin, Again¶

If you’ve been keeping up with quests for the Chief Botanist and have completed Talons of Ire and Ice, you should be able to talk to another biologist near the Biological Research station - the Impatient Biologist - and he’ll tell you about a high rank Kirin lurking in the Coral Highlands. This will post the quest Lightning Strikes Twice.

Let the Investigations Begin!¶

Talk to the Field Team Leader (Ancient Forest investigation), The Huntsman (Wildspire Waste investigation) and travel to the Research Base and chat with The Tracker (Rotten Vale) then the Third Fleet Master to prime the investigations - a necessary step required to complete them, but on the plus side, you’ll get some information about where to search for clues.

Once that’s done, take on whatever quests, investigations and expeditions as you will (the sole standout, Lightning Strikes Twice will be listed below) and while you’re in the Rotten Vale, Ancient Forest and Wildspire Waste, be sure to examine every blue monster track you find, as these belong to the three Elder Dragons you’re now hunting. When you’ve completed the investigations into these dragons by filling the research bar, report back to the Chief Ecologist in Astera.

You don’t need to do these all at once, but on the other hand, there’s no reason not to, either. However you go about it, when you talk to the Chief Ecologist after completing the investigation(s) you’ll be told about the Elder Dragon in question. If you finished multiple investigations, talk to him multiple times to get through all the dialogue. For completing the Ancient Forest investigation you’ll learn about Kushala Daora, the Tempest of the Wind. The Elder Dragon in the Wildspire Waste is revealed to be Teostra, the Emperor of Flame (or the Peerless One, if you prefer). Finally, the Elder Dragon lurking in the Rotten Vale is Vaal Hazak, and is apparently connected to the effluvium infesting the middle reaches of the Rotten Vale.

Once that’s done, talk to the person heading each investigation - the Field Team Leader, The Huntsman and the Third Fleet Master, who will post assignments corresponding to the three Elder Dragons you need to hunt: Kushala Daora, Dragon of Steel, Teostra the Infernal and Hellish Fiend Vaal Hazak, for you to peruse at your leisure.

On top of that, there are a few things you can take care of in the Research Base, which, aside from these investigations, you’d have little reason to visit again. They’ll be covered immediately below, followed by the aforementioned high rank Kirin quest, which in turn will be followed by the new Elder Dragons… and the quests and bounties that unlock as you complete them. Don’t fret, you’re in the final stretch!

The Demontater Ritual¶

First thing you should do in the Research Base is talk to the Third Fleet Master (after dealing with whatever necessary investigation business needs to be done, anyways) and she’ll talk to you about the quest A Tingling Taste, which she apparently posted. After suggesting doing something obscene with the treasure you recovered, she’ll inform you that the Demontater beverage has been unlocked at the Canteen. Score.

Even more importantly, you’ll be able to start a new quest if you leave the Research Base and return. Do so and talk to the Shy Scholar, who will give you the quest Stuck in Their Ways, before babbling about some scandalous “you-know-what”. Oh my.

A Master’s Toast¶

While you’re messing around in the Research Base, talk to the Third Fleet Provisioner and he’ll give you a secretive delivery request A Master’s Toast, which tasks you with turning in a Thunder Sac and 600 Research Points. Obtain the Research Points however you may (it’s easy enough to loot some gathering points in the Elder’s Recess for a hefty sum of Research Points), but Thunder Sacs will require you to slay a Tobi-Kadachi.

Phantasmorgic Paprika!¶

After unlocking the Elder Dragon assignments, as detailed above, talk to the folks at the Resource Center and they’ll have yet another delivery request for you, Phantasmorgic Paprika!, which tasks you with turning in 600 Research Points and one Pukei-Pukei Sac+. No points for guessing where you get a Pukei-Pukei Sac+.

Whew. That’s a fair bit of work to do, but if you need more… well, there’s still plenty of busy work to oblige you! Next up will be covered some optional quests you can complete and some expeditions you can do, which may nab you some delicious trophies or achievements, if you complete them.