When you’re ready to challenge Zorah Magdaros again, talk to The Handler and, after some chatter, you’ll be able to select the assignment A Colossal Task. Get yourself a meal, bring along whatever items you need, then depart Astera when you’re ready.

When you arrive, you’ll be a speech from the Commander, largely saying little of value and rehashing old information, but he does introduce the Dragonator, and warn about interference from Nergigante. Afterwards you’ll automatically fly over Zorah Magdaros and drop down on the Elder Dragon’s carapace. Third time’s the charm, right?

This section of the quest is similar to the Zorah Magdaros segment during the quest One for the History Books in that you’re tasked with destroying Magmacores, which will weaken Zorah Magdaros. In addition, you can also make use of some stalactites, which you can knock down on Zorah Magdaros’s back with a will-timed Slinger shot. Generally, though, you’re just wasting time and trying to stay alive, so don’t be afraid to seek out mining deposits to exploit.

Eventually Nergigante will show up, requiring your attention. Head over to where the monster is perched on Zorah Magdaros, and try to jump off the nearby ledge onto its back. Unlike last time there’s no cavalry coming to save you, so you’ll just have to deal enough damage to the monster to drive it off, after which you’ll need to seek out more Magmacores, a task made more difficult by Zorah Magdaros’s constant, magmatic secretions and movement, the latter of which forces you to climb its carapace every once in a while.

Endure enough on the back of Zorah Magdaros and you’ll fly off when it approaches the barrier, upon which you’ll land. This part of the quest is similar to the first part of A Colossal Task in that you’ll need to load up cannons by picking up cannon balls (a cannon can hold up to five at once) and fire them. Some Barnos will attempt to frustrate you, but they can be deal with by making use of nearby ballistae. Deal enough damage to Zorah Magdaros and you’ll be instructed to jump down onto a ship below and activate the Dragonator, dealing significant damage to Zorah Magdaros. After using the Dragonator, use the cannons on the ship to continue pounding Zorah Magdaros until you’re victorious. Keep in mind that the barrier has a life bar, but unless you fall asleep while playing, it’s hard to see how Zorah Magdaros could possibly break through before you deal enough damage to it.

Watch the scenes that follow and you’ll be back in Astera, where many changes are afoot…

Death Begets Life

Successfully guide Zorah Magdaros.

15

The Argosy¶

Talk to the Commander to get rid of his exclamation point (he says nothing of particular interest), then find the Captain in the Tradeyard, who will tell you that a regular supply route has been established between the Old World and the New World. This allows them to bring items that are rare, or otherwise entirely unavailable to Astera, and while the ship - the Argosy - will show up at random times, it’ll stay around for the duration of three quests, so be sure to check for it regularly.

When it’s in port, talk to the Captain to see what he was able to acquire on his last trip. His supplies are separated into three bundles, each of which cost a set number of Research Points to buy. You can buy as many bundles as you want, but you can’t pick and choose amongst the individual items in each bundle. Best of all, you can also influence what he’ll have in stock by picking the “Request Goods” option, where you can select each of the possible bundles he’ll have stocked and choose whether he should look out for Consumable Items, Material Items, Trade-in Items or stick to the default mix of the three. There’s still a great deal of randomness involved, but it’s better than nothing.

Private Suite¶

Head over to the Quarters and talk to the Housekeeper Palico, where you’ll be informed that your living accommodations are being upgraded again… a fitting reward for a Fifth Fleet Hunter who has clearly surpassed all expectations. Move on to your new room if you want, although honestly, it may be a little too swanky for some tastes. Objectively, however, it gives you a whopping fourteen places to set pets you may have captured in the wild, so if you enjoy seeing critters hopping about, this is the room for you.

High Metal and Armor Dye¶

Next make your way over to the Workshop, where you can talk to the Armory clerk to find out they have new armor in stock, namely the High Metal set. If you were paying attention to the end-of-quest information, you may have also noticed that you can now upgrade your armor further, and supposedly customize its appearance. You can confirm the former easily enough, but as for the latter, you’ll have to wait until you obtain different, higher-grade armor, as nothing you currently have now can be dyed.

A Greater Threat¶

Travel to the Canteen next and talk to The Handler, who will tell you about a hunter who was injured (perish the thought!) while investigating some suspicious tracks, and about a Pukei-Pukei sighting in the Wildspire Waste… not the beast’s usual environs. This starts the next main quest; an expedition to the Wildspire Waste in search of these mysterious tracks, and the strange Pukei-Pukei.

Gajalaka Doodles¶

Before you leave, however, there’s one more bit of business you may be able to start. Talk to the Lynian Researcher near the Ecological Research station and, if you’ve kept up on the Grimalkyne quests up to this point, he’ll have another task for you. Apparently another form of Lyninan - the Gajalaka - inhabit the New World as well, and he needs you to search for their doodles so he can begin deciphering their language. This will start the critical bounty Cultural Exchange: Gajalaka Linguistics.

With that out of the way, eat a meal, then set forth on an expedition to the Wildspire Waste.