It had to be a group effort, and the latest group headed to Newhaunt includes one of its original inhabitants.
A monster called Undyne. The rumors around her are endless. The most common one and the only one with any solid proof behind it is she was one of the first. Her name and description matches the one and only monster who was arrested as soon they emerged.
Even so, anyone less conspiracy inclined writes it off as a coincidence. The monsters emerged ages ago, and even with some monsters long life spans, she can't possibly be the same person. Besides, who knows if those articles are even real? Everyone knows the monsters were peaceful and their time migrating across the world was easy and without incident. Why would one have been arrested? The articles for it are few and buried, probably just a handful of journalists trying to get a cash grab with false news.
Undyne herself is quiet, reserved. Expressionless most of the time. She does her part in the group wordlessly, moving items and helping secure the small boat. When asked why she wants to go to a place like Newhaunt, not seeming the type for curiosity for curiosities sake, her reply is most often, "I need to see."
Well... I did mention talking more about my own aus instead of hoarding them a while ago so might as well start with the one that my current icon was made for oh so long ago
They call it Newhaunt
It was ages ago when and out pour of monsters came to the surface, all coming from Ebbot Island and its mountain. monsters spread out all over the world. Politics happened quickly and quietly, the public fascinated with a new species, and governments interested in the magic. It was a fairly easy transition, or at least that's how people talk about it now.
Years ago half of Ebott island disappeared under the water after being wracked with earthquakes.
News reports say there were no survivors, human or monster. They say there's a type of magic radiation emanating from it, unpredictably dangerous. The entire surrounding what's left of the island has been cordoned from the public, nothing in and nothing out.
But where there's a Will there's a way. Anyone tangled up in urban exploring and conspiracy circles calls the magic radiation claims a crock of bullshit. Groups sneak in, most come back.
Those who come back swear the place is haunted. They never have evidence, they never stay long enough to get any, and are always written off as proof of the magic radiation, their loved ones waiting for them to start wasting away. When someone does go missing, no one seems to think on it long.
The most common types to set out for this place are ghost hunters and conspiracy theorists. It's not unusual for relatives of the people who once lived there to go looking for answers either. There's been talk of scouts for companies wanting to find some resources there, and there is of course, the occasional stow away.
Small oneshot i wrote back in 2022 of the horrortale brothers in Newhaunt, shortly before the story would begin, along with their type and game mechanic
A dim ball of swirling dust hovers low to the ground by the tree line, waiting for his companion. Mercury conserves his energy not bothering to fully form a body. The need for food had long been dispelled, replaced instead with an ever present fatigue, not that he minded. Sure he wasn’t able to get as much done as others, but it’d been longer since he bothered anyways. Besides, it was a far lesser torture than the hunger.
On the other side of the woods facing the coastline, a wailing pitches through the night as the monster soul of Splint shoots through the dark, orbited by several weaker souls, monster and human alike. Splint comes to an abrupt halt next to a skeleton monster, nearly completely solid, though a faint cloud of dust still hovers around him. The soul materializes a similar shape, slightly taller than the other, a stronger cloud of dust around him like a permanent fog. The orbiting souls settle around him, calming down and taking shelter behind him. He shares his report first.
“The East coastline is stable tonight, but no sign of the stolen bodies.” The more solid of the two’s sharpened scowl deepens, causing a few of the lesser souls to shudder and whimper behind Splint.
“Fine Splint, I’ll do a second scan of the area and take over from here.”
Stretching his spine, Splint pops and creaks, before reverting back to his soul form. He dashed off, this time to the edge of the woods, not bothering to take the other’s attitude personally. The monster left behind makes to retrace the ground Splint covered.
Splint spots his brother waiting for him, and rounds and swerves trees on the way, not in any hurry.
“Ry! I haven't seen you all say! My rounds have ended.”
Mercury is snapped awake, his form flickers over his soul settling on a faint and vague coud of his corporal self.
“Nice, how’d that go?”
“We couldn’t find the missing souls, again.” His orbiters wail, feeling his worry and unease.
“Huh, too bad. Are we ready to go?”
“In a moment.” Splint turns back to the woods, looking for something. Standing still in silence for a moment too long, the more vengeful of the souls flare up, a screech tearing through the air.
“Those guys flaring up again?” Mercury leans around him to see the soul scrap Splint does his best to soothe.
“You know how they get when there’s nothing to distract them from….” A few specks of light appear, more small souls finding their way to him, hovering to his eye level. They ring out tones and notes, in a conversing manner. Splint nods, “Good job, I’ll report that in the morning.” They settle and dim, Splint turns to Mercury, “all right, we can go now.”
The two drift on, side by side, in no hurry to their destination.
Splint sigh, “Still no sign of the missing.”
“But?”
Splints soul sweeps circles around Mercury’s, pacing around him in thought as they continue forward. Much easier with more fluid forms.
“But Basil saw lights under the water.”
“Oh.”
“Not ‘oh’ Ry, they were different colours, soul colours.”
Mercury ‘s soul stutters in the air, Splint continuing off ahead of him.
“Huh.” Mercury shakes off his own piqued feelings and carries on, Splint doubling back for him. “Maybe we should keep an eye on that.”
Character overviews:
HT!Sans/Mercury nickname Ry:
Without a solid body, there’s no hunger for him to feel though it has left him with a stronger and chronic fatigue.
Having mellowed out over the years, he can still be antagonistic and teasing in his creepy way, but there’s no real bite to much of what he says.
Considering this to be the best time of his existence by being on the surface with no hunger, is generally uninterested in fixing anything that’s happened. Though… he won't admit it, but he thinks he’s getting bored.
Type: Bored Observer - Can see whats going on and can predict minor events
HT!Papyrus/Splint (name is a joke on bone splint, named himself because he felt he was helping his underground)
Though the hunger has passed and his form is stable, scraps of the souls of flesh and dust he ate linger around him, attached to him. All are a varying degree of angry, sad, or just scared but they all work with him as he’s now their only anchor in this world and is the only one who can communicate with them.
Going from being the hero of the underground for keeping everyone fed to just another soul, being another Papyrus in a crowd of them took a hit to his pride all those years ago but he’s found himself a place with time.
While he’s similar to his classic counterpart, he’s pushier, more open about disregarding others' decisions, and more argumentative with his friends and brother. Though his puzzles have all lost their fatal flares, they still manage to concern people with their designs.
Type: Stubborn patrol [Clear Avenue]. - Often patrolling, it is hard to dissuade him to leave his post for anything other then emergencies. Never alone. - Cannot be caught by surprise, soul scraps will warn him.
Pallet bed is slowly coming together. Still gotta add lights to the bottom of it, but it looks and feels amazing so far! #diy #palletbed #blackandrederrthang #workinprogress #newhaunt #roomdecor
