Monster Hunter Stories 3: Galyad & Death’s Maw Walkthrough – Part 8

Part 8 Overview – Galyad, Death’s Maw, and Two Feral Bosses

This section of Monster Hunter Stories 3 takes you from the Colossal Dragon’s crystallized remains into the desert city of Galyad, then down through Death’s Maw toward an abandoned village. Along the way you must defeat two mid‑game feral bosses: Feral Ajarakan and Feral Rakna‑Kadaki. This walkthrough focuses on getting you through both fights efficiently while also covering navigation tricks and key items that make the whole stretch much smoother.

Recommended before starting this part:

• Party roughly in the mid‑30s for levels
• At least one blunt weapon user (Hammer is ideal)
• One cutting weapon (Greatsword) for follow‑ups
• Several Vital Essence (buyable in Galyad later, but bring Hearts and healing in the meantime)
• A flying Monstie (Rathalos or Tobi‑Kadachi work well)
• Zoom Shrooms to fast‑travel back to Galyad once it opens

Colossal Dragon Remains & Area Setup

After the Almudron fight in the Muddled Marsh, the story moves you toward the dunes and the crystallized remains of a Colossal Dragon. This entire stretch is your gateway to Galyad and to the Crystallisis questline, so it is worth doing a bit of setup before triggering the first feral boss fight.

As you arrive at the dragon remains, you will see hunters mining and trading Egg Quartz. Kora sympathizes with them, while Eleanor warns about the danger; this conversation is just setting up the larger Crystallisis narrative, so you can move on once it ends.

Grab the Map from Explorer Felyne

Before going anywhere else, look for the wooden watchtower in the area and climb it to meet the Explorer Felyne.

• Climb the ladder and talk to the Felyne to obtain the area map.
• This reveals the layout and makes it much easier to plan future Egg Quartz runs and dens.
• From the top you can also spot the distant city of Galyad and several nearby monster dens worth clearing later.

Once you drop back down and move toward the Egg Quartz workers, a cutscene will trigger where monsters scatter and a new threat erupts from underground: Feral Ajarakan.

Feral Ajarakan Boss Strategy

Feral Ajarakan is your first real test of the Crystallisis arc. It hits hard, punishes careless targeting, and introduces more deliberate Kinship and Wyvernsoul Gauge management. Treat it as a check on whether your team can handle mid‑game ferals.

Recommended Setup

• Weapon: Hammer or any strong blunt weapon as your primary.
• Secondary: Keep your usual favourite; you mostly need the blunt damage here.
• Monstie: A solid all‑rounder that doesn’t auto‑target the arms too early. Power‑leaning Monsties are fine; you’ll handle Speed/Technical manually.
• Items: Potions/Herbs, Life Powders if you have them, and at least one way to heal multiple Hearts (Vital Essence becomes available in Galyad, but if you’ve saved any earlier, bring them).

Phase 1 – Break the Head, Ignore the Arms

The key to this fight is proper targeting during the opening turns.

• Target: Head first. Ajarakan’s head is weak to blunt damage. Open with your Hammer and use skills like Meteor Hammer to stack heavy hits.
• Avoid the arms. If you hit the arm too early, Ajarakan can counter with a brutal backlash that easily deletes half your HP in one go. Let your AI ally handle weakening the Blightstone on its own timing.
• Keep your Monstie safe. Don’t force risky Head‑to‑Heads until you see the pattern; manual skill selection is more valuable than rushing damage.

Your partner (Leia on Rathalos in this sequence) will naturally focus more on Ajarakan’s arms and the Blightstone Crystal. You cannot order her directly, so focus on playing around her actions instead of trying to sync with them perfectly.

Phase 2 – Overheated State and Kinship Timing

On roughly the third turn, Feral Ajarakan shifts into an overheated state and starts favouring Power attacks.

• When it’s overheated and using Power, respond with Speed attacks in Head‑to‑Head situations to win clashes and reduce damage.
• As your ally chips away at the arms and the Blightstone, watch for the moment the crystal shatters; the boss becomes much more vulnerable after that.
• During this period, focus on building your Kinship Gauge. Don’t rush your Kinship Skill as soon as it’s available unless you need it to avoid a lethal turn.

Once both you and your ally have full Kinship, aim to unleash a double Kinship attack while Ajarakan is not mid‑animation for a big attack. This combo deals a large chunk of damage and usually leaves the boss staggered or close to it.

Wyvernsoul Gauges, Hearts, and Finishing the Fight

Feral Ajarakan uses Wyvernsoul Gauges (WG) as an additional power layer. Learning their colours saves a lot of pain.

• When the WG glows blue, this is your window to go all‑in. It’s safer to attack aggressively, especially if you can chain skills and Kinship.
• When it flips back to red, shift to a more balanced rhythm: one or two hits, then defend or heal.
• If your ally is knocked out and loses all hearts, you can bring them back with a topple rush, restoring them to three Hearts. Note that this does not revive you if you go down; your own Hearts must be maintained with items and positioning.

Remember that if either you or your ally loses all three Hearts, it’s an instant game over. Keep your HP topped off; don’t hesitate to heal if you take a big backlash or misread an attack type.

With the head broken, Blightstone shattered, and at least one strong double Kinship unleashed during a blue WG window, Feral Ajarakan should go down within a few more turns.

To Galyad – Sand Boats and City Arrival

After the battle, follow the path north. You will come to two large sand boats and a group of Egg Quartz hunters preparing to depart.

• Speak to Catba near the boats; she’ll thank you for dealing with the Feral Ajarakan.
• After the cutscene, interact with Catba again to choose whether to depart.
• If you still want to clear nearby monster dens or gather more Egg Quartz, select No, do your cleanup, then return.

Once you’re ready, board the sand boat. On the way, you get more character insight, including Eleanor discussing her sister Amara and her desire to change her. At the end of the ride, you arrive in Galyad, a bustling city surrounded by dunes and crystal formations.

Galyad & Crystallisis Quest Progression

First Steps in Galyad

As soon as you’re free to move, do a loop of the city:

• Visit the weapon and armor vendors to see any upgrades unlocked by the previous fights.
• Stop by Emporium Melnyx and look for Vital Essence. Each one costs 1,000 Gold Points and restores a lost Heart mid‑battle, which is extremely valuable against upcoming ferals.
• Talk to NPCs with quest markers to pick up side quests for extra rewards and XP.

Meeting Ena and the Ministry of Eggs

To move the story along and unlock more of Galyad:

• Head to the main objective marker and meet Ena, the Scrivener Councilor. A short cutscene introduces her role in the Crystallisis investigation.
• After the introduction, she asks you to meet her at the Ministry of Eggs the next day.
• Use this free time to stock up on Vital Essence, check shops, and explore the city layout.
• When you’re ready, talk to Rudy at the marked table to skip the day.

The next day, follow the marker through the large bazaar to reach the Ministry of Eggs. Here Ena explains more about Aenshin, the Elder Dragon who once guarded the Sacrosanctum. The Rift War forced him out, and his absence ties into the rise of feral monsters, Crystallisis, and the spread of Egg Quartz.

Ena then asks Corbin to guide you toward an abandoned village reachable only through Death’s Maw. After this, return to Galyad’s base area and speak to Rudy again to skip to the departure day.

Ena then asks Corbin to guide you toward an abandoned village reachable only through Death’s Maw. After this, return to Galyad’s base area and speak to Rudy again to skip to the departure day.

Once time advances, head back into the dunes and talk to Catba’s apprentice near the sand boats to travel into Death’s Maw.

Death’s Maw Navigation Guide

Death’s Maw is a vertical, crystallized canyon with wind geysers, flying monsters, and patrolling ferals. Moving through it cleanly is all about using the right Monsties and spotting the breakable rocks that unlock new paths.

Entry Cliff and First Geyser

As you step into Death’s Maw, follow the path forward until you’re standing at the edge of a high cliff.

• Switch to a flying Monstie like Rathalos or Tobi‑Kadachi.
• Jump off toward the central wind geyser below to glide safely.
• Watch for swarms of Remobras circling the area. Touching them triggers random encounters; steer around them if you want to stay focused on the main route.

After landing, you can roam around the lower pit to grab <stronggathering and="" chests<="" points="" strong=""> you can see nearby. Be mindful of any feral monsters prowling the area; if you’re not prepared for optional fights, give them a wide berth.

Climbing Out – West and North Cliffs

When you’re done looting the pit, ride your Monstie over another wind geyser to gain height and glide to the western cliff.

• From the west side, jump again and ride the currents toward the northern cliff.
• Follow the path toward the objective marker until you reach a vertical wall.
• Use a Monstie with climb (Tobi‑Kadachi or a Canyne) to scale the wall and reach the upper ledge.

Activating New Geysers with Breakable Rocks

After the climb, you’ll cross a gap with no active geysers below, but your objective lies on the next cliff over. This is where the small rock formations come into play.

• Look for a small rock on the middle platform between cliffs.
• Either use your Monstie’s projectile ability or run up and attack it with a melee swing.
• Breaking the rock causes a new wind geyser to erupt.
• Jump back, glide into the new geyser, and use the lift to reach the eastern cliff and continue toward the objective.

Keep moving forward, avoiding feral patrols where you can. Shortly afterward, you encounter another blocked geyser:

• Break the rock capping the geyser to reactivate it.
• Use it to soar upward and circle the canyon.
• From the air, search for two more blocked geysers and repeat the process: land, break, ride the wind.
• After activating all of them, you’ll have enough height and angles to glide straight toward the main objective marker.

Past these platforms, a cutscene triggers where Rachnoids swarm your party and call in the second feral of this chapter: Feral Rakna‑Kadaki.

Feral Rakna‑Kadaki Boss Strategy

This fight is more complex than Ajarakan’s because of the attached Rachnoids and Rakna‑Kadaki’s shifting web mantles. The pattern is very learnable once you understand how its attack types change by state.

States and Attack Types

Rakna‑Kadaki cycles through three main states:

• No Web: Uses Technical attacks.
• Web Mantle (Legs): Still leans on Technical.
• Web Mantle (Cocoon): Switches to Speed attacks.

In most of the fight you’ll see Technical attacks, so defaulting to Power in Head‑to‑Heads is usually safe. When you notice the full cocoon mantle, expect Speed and adjust accordingly.

Opening Turns – Hind Legs and Adds

Rakna‑Kadaki starts the fight with two Rachnoids. Ignoring them too long can snowball damage and web attacks, so your first few turns should be structured:

• Turn 1–2: Target Rakna‑Kadaki’s Hind Legs with a Hammer (blunt damage). This part is very weak to blunt; you can chunk it quickly.
• As soon as you’ve landed a couple of solid hits on the hind legs, swap focus to the Rachnoids and clear them out. They’re fragile but annoying if left alive.
• Once the adds are gone, go back to the Hind Legs until you successfully break that part.

Breaking the hind legs reduces Rakna‑Kadaki’s mobility and sets up easier part breaks later in the fight.

Mid‑Fight – Forelegs, Kinship, and Wyvernsoul Gauges

After the hind legs break, switch tactics slightly:

• Swap from Hammer to a Greatsword or another strong cutting weapon.
• Focus on Forelegs for the next target. These are easier to clip once the hind legs are gone.
• By around turn seven, assuming you’ve used at least one Monstie skill, your Kinship Gauge should be close to full. Some armor and weapon skills charge it faster, so exact timing can vary.
• Try to line up a double Kinship Skill with your ally when Rakna‑Kadaki isn’t cocooning for a major hit to its HP and Wyvernsoul Gauges.

Just like Ajarakan, this feral’s Wyvernsoul Gauges indicate how aggressively it can retaliate. Whenever you land a big Kinship combo, take advantage of the stagger window to focus on breaking more parts.

Back Spikes, Vital Essence, and Closing the Fight

After a successful double Kinship that staggers Rakna‑Kadaki, switch your target to its Back Spikes.

• During stagger, you can safely pour damage into the back without worrying about Backlash counters.
• If you lose a Heart at any point, use Vital Essence to restore it immediately. This lets you play more aggressively without fearing a sudden triple‑Heart loss.
• Your AI ally will continue attacking the boss’s crystal; given a few turns, the crystal will shatter, making Rakna‑Kadaki significantly more fragile.
• Once the crystal is broken, switch into a pattern of: break parts → build Kinship → double Kinship → heal → repeat.

As long as you keep up with healing and adjust attack types correctly (Power into Technical, Speed or Technical into Speed depending on the mantle), the fight becomes more about execution than surprises. Rakna‑Kadaki will eventually fall, ending the combat portion of Death’s Maw.

Aftermath and Next Steps in the Crystallisis Quest

Once Feral Rakna‑Kadaki is defeated, a cutscene plays where the Rangers hear a distant monster call and encounter an older man and his companion. He recognizes Amara’s name and, upon learning that Leia is her daughter, invites the group back to his home to talk.

This meeting wraps up the current leg of the Crystallisis quest and closes out Part 8 of the walkthrough. From here you can expect:

• More information about Amara and Aenshin’s role in the ongoing crystallization.
• Further exploration of Galyad’s outskirts, including egg‑hunting opportunities in crystal‑rich quarries.
• Additional feral encounters and rematches that make your earlier investments in Vital Essence, upgraded weapons, and Kinship management pay off.

Before pushing on, it’s worth returning to Galyad via Zoom Shrooms or map travel, restocking Vital Essence, upgrading any gear with materials from Ajarakan and Rakna‑Kadaki, and checking new side quests that may have unlocked. With both ferals down and Death’s Maw mapped out in your head, the next chapters of Monster Hunter Stories 3 become far more manageable.