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[thecoolerhuntermaximoff]

The Haunting of the Holiday Household (Deltarune Analysis and Theory)

Welcome back to the Witch's Brew. We've, uh, been closed for quite a while, but, I feel as if people need to hear this. Are you still out there? Good. While you're with us, have some French toast with some strawberry shortcake. We're talking about the Holiday family in this new series counting down to the release of Chapter 5, presented under a rather corny designation; our "Deltarune Tomorrow-Fest".

The Holiday family has been a centre of tragedy and mystery. With Noelle's growing prominence, Carol's mysterious and sinister affairs, the mystery of December Holiday, the lost girl, and how the Knight factors into all of this. Today, we will be poring over popular theories and stringing together our own thesis on what will happen to the Holidays.

Rudy Holiday

OK, I hate to break it to Rudy-Knight truthers because I think the theory is genuinely cool and the evidence and foreshadowing is compelling---but if Rudy was the Knight, the hospital would have to notice him going out at midnight to aurafarm at Kris' house, and his sickly ass would have to be PRETTY DANG STRONG to carry the CAR-LIFTING Undyne in the Light World and book it to the Shelter at the same time.

So, unfortunately, Rudy can't---at least, physically---be the Knight. So what about all that foreshadowing? What the heck is up with Rudy's unexplained illness?

Well, let's take a look at the Knight for a second. The Knight glitching out at the end of their boss fight. . .doesn't make a lot of sense??? I mean, this is obviously attributed to the Knight's similarities to the Titans and their Spawn, but they start glitching out only when a quarter of their HP is depleted. And even when the Titans glitch out, they don't actively stop existing.

Think about this. When the Knight's still glitchy and vulnerable, they SWOON Susie and Ralsei, and it seems like Kris---whom they're obviously working with---is the only one spared. But Kris has most of their HP depleted as well when you check again, and the Knight seems to be back at full strength.

I think the reason the Knight glitches out is because the Knight isn't from Deltarune's world---they're not really supposed to be here. So, they need to steal the strength of Lightners so they can materialize in Deltarune's world.

And I suspect that not only did they steal Kris' strength to continue existing in Deltarune's world, but they also took Kris' original SOUL which allowed them to open Fountains.

And I'm betting that they're taking Rudy's strength, too, which is why his illness is unexplained. And it's not just Rudy, but Jockington and that weird striped bird from the library, which is why their speech has been declining, and why they're conveniently at their weakest in Chapter 4, where the Knight is at their strongest.

But most interestingly, the Knight steals Lightners' strength, the same way the ThornRing depletes the user's HP.

So, let's talk about Noelle's mom.

Carol Holiday

When it comes to Knight candidates, it's either a candidate held back by actual hard evidence (Dess or Rudy) or a candidate held back by metatextual fluff (Asriel or the Vessel). With Carol it's just both. I'm sorry, but if it turns out the spooky character introduced for 3 minutes is the Knight, would anyone be satisfied? It's not like there's even that much evidence.

Buuuut, like Lukerfuffle proved with Future Kris-Knight, any idea can be compelling with some good enough execution.

I still don't think Carol could be the Knight, tho. I don't think Rudy would let Carol make her "proceed" if it was actually killing him, especially considering their relationship is sort of rocky. The Trance effect wouldn't make sense in that respect, either.

There is the possibility she sold her SOUL, and that's why demons seemingly haunt the Holiday household, and that's why she's somehow involved in the SOUL being used for Kris instead of the Vessel, and why she's so obsessed with heart-shaped objects. But what would she even sell her SOUL for??? She's the mayor of Hometown with a happy nuclear family. You could say it was to get Dess back, but these demons have haunted the Holiday house since before she disappeared???

However, in my research, I've deduced a few things about Carol.

She's a major fraud. As in, she seems to have an obsession with Dark Worlds and the legend of DELTARUNE, having faux replicas of important doohickeys; heart-shaped pillows that evoke the SOUL (possibly bought as a result of Dark World research), the black katana that invokes the Black Knife, and it's possible she's trying to replicate the ThornRing as well.

She seems to have an obsession with preservation. Not just authentic katanas, but bronzing Noelle's childhood snowflakes. Not to mention her Dark World knowledge; Dark Worlds can revive the dead, the Roaring sets every Darkner in stone, the SOUL can RESET endlessly, she's literally related to ICE which freezes things, therefore preserving them. Oh, by the way. . .

SHE DEFINITELY HAS A THORNRING. I mean, the way she lowers the temperature in the room with her mere presence, like Snow!Kris with the ThornRing. Her obsession with the SOUL when the ThornRing is an extension of it.

We can deduce a lot of solid conclusions from Carol's character that isn't just "Carol is the Knight" or something so simplistic. And with this, we can deduce where her character is going.

Her obsession with finding her daughter and preserving things provides her a good reason to help cause the Roaring; placing her in the sacrificial villain role, and at odds with Noelle and her friends.

And speaking of the Knight. . .

December Holiday

Let's talk about the girl of the hour. I still don't believe Dess is the Knight, and that comes down to a variety of factors.

Dess has a Shelter code. And judging by its' placement, it's implied she had to really keep it hidden, which implies she went there frequently. And because Gaster seems related to the Shelter (it plays the Entry 17 noise 666x slowed down, which are both numerics related to Gaster), and Gaster and the Knight's opposing interactions with Jevil and Spamton, and the Shadow Mantle's placement in the Shelter in the minigame, it's implied the Shelter is actually anathema to the Knight. Like, Dess even possibly has a Black Shard if that creepy 1225 secret is any indication.

There's a lot of evidence to imply the Knight is a doppelganger of Dess, rather than Dess herself. The same way Ralsei is a doppelganger of Asriel, or the reanimated Gerson statue is a fake of the real deal. The same way "copies are monochrome". Or the same way "when you have a bat (Dess)", "everything (the Knight) looks like a ball".

The UNUSED speaker is strongly implied to be Dess. Unless they make it Asriel or something, the allusions to late night TV (with everything we know about Tenna) and the Sweepstakes implying Dess' situation is code-related, all imply Dess is the UNUSED speaker. How can Dess be the UNUSED speaker and the Knight at the same time? There's the explanation that the UNUSED speaker is her SOUL and the Knight is her Darkner-ified body, but if Kris is any indication, that would have to imply the Knight would still be Dess with all her memories and such??? Not to mention Dess can still BODILY sense things like the scratching noise. . .

But the thing that disproves Dess as the Knight for me is that it's too obvious.

No, I'm, like, half-joking. I mean Dess as the Knight fits too perfectly. Look, Carol is a lousy red herring if the Knight's identity is meant to be a mystery. Sure, players won't get it on their first playthrough, but if they focus just a little bit, they'll notice a missing character---a character who's identity is currently a mystery---and a ton o' connections between them---and obviously connect the dots.

Like it or not, Dess and the Knight are related in some way. But all my other evidence points to neither of them being the same person, at least not physically. But. . .I realized something about Dess.

Dess seems to have a comforting aura around her, protecting Noelle and wiping her tears, promising her to take her somewhere with shining lights.

And to King, Queen, Tenna, and even Jevil and Spamton, the Knight has that similar familiar and protective presence.

But the Knight is also a

massive

liar.

That's when it hit me. The Knight isn't Dess. They adopted her cosmetic traits through their memories, as a protective pelt to manipulate and lure their victims into doing their dirty work. They aren't her---they are a corruption of everything Dess stands for.

And that's what makes their antithesis to Susie all the more tantalizing. Because while Susie never really resembles Dess, she does have her ingenuity, her rebellious but righteous personality, which is far more Dess-like than the Knight's fraudulence could hope to be.

So, what's actually up with Dess and the Knight?

Well, there isn't just an outlier in the Shelter codes (because why would Carol or anyone entrust the code to a notoriously rebellious teenage girl?) There's also an outlier in the heroes of Prophecy. The first hero (the Vessel) and third hero (Ralsei) seem personally commissioned by Gaster, so what makes the second hero any different?

Well, what if Gaster were to kill two birds with one stone? What if he PERSONALLY gave Dess the code, inviting her to the Shelter to serve as the second hero?

What if Dess is the original girl with hope crossed on her heart? It's an idea that makes the most sense to me, and is an interesting way to explain Dess' character, and the attention to detail in Dess' room, and her blacklit doorway implies she's created a Dark World before. I mean, maybe all the heart-shaped pillows were an attempt to create the first hero for Gaster? Or close the Dark Fountains?

Also, the placement of the Shelter code in her guitar implies she used to go there frequently. Being the second hero, perhaps?

And perhaps this is how she disappeared. When asking Spamton about the Knight, a familiar voice sounding a lot like the UNUSED speaker (who I believe is Dess) begs not to be obscured. This places the Knight as being somehow responsible for her disappearance.

And consider Spamton's parallels to Dess; Dess' page on the website is a [HYPERLINK BLOCKED] site, the title of which Spamton is obsessed with. The strings on Spamton's NEO form also "feels like guitar strings" and he literally references the UNUSED code.

And now consider Dess' parallels to three characters; Spamton, Susie, and the black deer from the third Mantle minigame. What they all have in common is that soon enough, they shall have been betrayed. This could be Dess' fate; betrayed by the Roaring Knight, who took her appearance as their own!

Well, it looks like despite the Knight's relation to antlers, snow, and Asriel, we've got no solid clue on who the Knight is.

. . .Or do we?

Y'see, if you've been following our content, my personal theory posits Chara as the Knight. I mean, it fits almost perfectly with their presence in the first chapter, the Knight's similarities to them and Asriel, the Mantle minigames and a bunch of other evidence.

But you can't hinge yourself on one theory on the basis that it beats out all others, because we can't be right on everything. We'll just set ourselves up for disappointment and failure because we're biased towards one perspective, instead of considering what Toby actually wants to write.

So. . .let's look at this at another perspective.

The Knight is working with Kris.

The Knight seemingly grants wishes (giving King new purpose, supposedly helping Spamton become a Big Shot, transporting Noelle to the place with shining lights, promoting Carol's resolve of preservation through the Roaring)---at the cost of truth.

The Knight seemingly has an unexplained connection with Rudy.

The Knight is very similar to Asriel Dreemurr.

The Knight is using a ThornRing on Carol---

--Hang on. That's weird. The Knight is connected to Rudy---and is using a ThornRing on Carol. The ThornRing is seemingly a marriage allegory, and if Rudy and Carol are married, but the Knight is using a ThornRing on her. . .is the Knight being a substitute for Rudy?

And if the Knight is using Dess' pelt to manipulate others, even fulfilling Dess' promise of taking Noelle to the shining lights. . .does that make them a substitute for Dess, too?

And the Knight seems to be working with Kris and has very similar attacks to Asriel, the God of Hyperdeath himself---an Asriel sub?!

It seems that the Knight is some sort of jack of all trades; serving as the Dreemurr-Holiday's absent kin. And that. . .explains. . .why they look like an Amalgamate---

Wait. Stop.

What if that's the Roaring Knight?

As in, what if we were all wrong in finding a candidate, when in reality, there was none?

Because the Knight only, and always has been, the Roaring Knight?

THE ROARING-KNIGHT THEORY

We know the Knight is similar to the Titans and their Spawn. They share similar design elements and glitch in and out the same. Is it possible the Knight is some sort of sentient Titan? A developed Titanspawn? We know that Dark Worlds are shaped by the will of their creators. Does that apply to the Titans, too?

If so, if someone had the will. . .of a specific person, could they create a Titan in their image? Sorta like Ralsei or the Hammer of Justice? What if Carol/Kris/Asriel did just that? And what if, who propped out, was the Roaring Knight?

I imagine that when we make Kris imagine the Knight, they immediately start thinking of Jockington. Not out of protection, but rather, denial. Because, the Knight isn't exactly wearing a helmet.

They'd like to think there's someone there. They'd like to think the Knight's an actual person. A knight in shining armour who will protect them and take them on awesome adventures, like Rudy, Dess, or maybe Asriel, or someone super cool like Papyrus! But the painful reality is that there's no one there. The Knight is a hollow, heartless monster that they thought could replace the ones they'd lost.

Noelle Holiday

OK, while it sounds like the Roaring-Knight theory has cosmic aura, but it's also really funny. Just, because it would mean this one meme has actual credence;

I still think Chara could still be the Knight and they're trying to replicate the Dreemurr's family troubles from their world to motivate Noelle or Dess into becoming someone just like them; a perfect companion like Asriel or the Geno!Player. But I still think Roaring-Knight would be cool for an AU or something.

Anyway, there's one character out of the Roaring loop. Noelle Holiday, and just like her sister she seems to be the centre of attention. Why is the Weird Route about her and why is her family involved as well? What role will she play? Why does she seem so important?

Again, I don't think she's gonna become, like, the final boss who has to be stopped. I want Noelle to get positive character development, and her conflict with her mother and her relationship with Susie shows just that.

But what is happening with her? There's the theory that she's the original second hero, but. . .I feel like it would be more compelling if it were Dess. Also, Dess just makes more sense.

Let's consider one thing; like Dess, not only is she the grand McGuffin, she is also the ultimate outlier. She is the one left out of the Roaring-Knight theory loop despite the fact she was the closest to Dess. She is included in the party despite not being a hero of prophecy. She is the central figure that's involved in the Weird Route, a route that quite literally defies the Prophecy and the game itself.

She seems to be the key to defying the Prophecy. Perhaps she is the Knight's ultimate goal; the girl they were meant to protect and serve, if the pathetic, dying light could not. And the key to freeing them from a Prophecy that dictates they will lose no matter what.

I imagine Carol perhaps incites Noelle to get stronger throughout Chapter 5 as they adventure across the Dark Festival and they send out more and more bad guys, and as Rudy's near death's door, Carol will ask Noelle to join her side. But with her actual growth of will and courage, she defies Carol and that cruel and heartless Knight pretending to be her sister, and defies who she was desired to be to become her true self.

I don't think Susie alone would be enough to encourage this growth. She needs a good influence in her life.

Someone who has their own sort of unavoidable "freezing" ability. . .

. . .someone who, despite their loneliness, has relentless optimism, courage and determination, even when their sibling isn't around. . .

. . .someone who could help Noelle rizz up the huzz, if he could play matchmaker with Undyne and Alphys.

Someone who revels in the snow (main boss of Snowdin) when Noelle and her family are strongly tied to it.

Someone who will believe in Noelle even if she doesn't believe in herself.

Someone who's already a sibling like Dess, but somewhat radically different to introduce Noelle to a new perspective.

Someone who could replace the absent Undyne.

Papyrus

NYEH HEH HEH! YOU THOUGHT THIS WAS JUST A THEORY ABOUT THE HOLIDAY FAMILY?! BUT NOW, THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS HERE, TOO! NYEH HEH HEH!

But seriously. Papyrus seems like Noelle's perfect mentor. He is so drastically different from all Noelle's previous good influences (rebellious, headstrong 'bad girls'), he would be unironically perfect, and if Noelle gets closer to Susie in Chapter 2 (who is very similar to Dess, who bears a strong presence that chapter), then in Chapter 5, it's most likely that Noelle will get closer to Ralsei, who is very similar to Papyrus.

Papyrus would also be the perfect Weird Route boss; as Undyne's trainee, he would come in mind to take her place if anything happened to her, and it's implied that Undyne would get Snowgraved. When Noelle has the power to summon snow and ice, Papyrus literally lived in Snowdin and his battle sprite is more frozen than a JPEG. While we transform Noelle into a callous murderer, Papyrus would believe she's just a good person riddled with mistakes and fear.

Papyrus, too, has a sibling who isn't always around, but that hasn't stopped him from finding friends he can trust and helping the King to save Dess (hopefully to earn him some prestige and friends from the town in the process).

And neither should that stop Noelle. Her sister isn't guaranteed to come home; neither are her parents, or Susie. She can't keep waiting for someone to comfort her. She has to believe in herself, act on her own will! After all, Papyrus would believe in her!

----

OK, the last part was literal fanfiction. It would be cool fanfiction, tho.

So, my ultimate verdict on the Holiday family? While some people suggest the Holiday family's dysfunctional supernatural maladies are meant to draw parallels to the Dreemurr family's fallout in Undertale, I simply don't believe that.

For one, the Dreemurrs are already there in Deltarune, and when their family fell apart in Undertale it was more natural. But in Deltarune, the Holidays' troubles are almost supernaturally perpetrated. Rudy's weird illness, Dess' supposedly code-related disappearance, Carol's strange ice powers, and Noelle being marked as a prophecy breaking fountain maker.

It's like someone wants the Holidays to become the dysfunctional family unit of the Dreemurrs and suffer the same problems they did. I think, ultimately, that is what's up with the Holiday family. The Knight's been trying to mold them into their allies by replicating the family disasters that made Chara who they are.

. . .Of course, there are other explanations, but this, I find, is the one that fits best. See you all next time.

[thecoolerhuntermaximoff]

Predicting Deltarune's Future Chapters

Today's special promises a delicious Spanish latte, and some delicious strawberry velvet cupcakes. And with that, some more hyperfixation on Deltarune before the dust settles and the fandom enters its' short hibernation till next year.

So, let's get this out of the way. DELTARUNE IS SO FREAKING AWESOME. Chapter 1 was good, Chapter 2 was great, Chapter 3 was fantastic, and Chapter 4 was unparalleled---from the emotional and affable character writing to even the most inoffensive characters, to the aesthetic mastery in level design, character design and music, to invoking a really good mystery and drama element that makes Deltarune almost superior to Undertale.

And with Chapter 5 coming next year, it's only a matter of time until the fandom causes a Roaring of their own. But I've made my own predictions, and I've decided to take it to other lengths by predicting what other chapters will have in store. So let's not waste any time and let the hype train continue.

The King's Chariot Cannot Be Stopped

OH GOLLY, I DO WONDER WHO CHAPTER 5 IS GONNA BE ABOUT

I love how Asgore in one scene is like "oh boy I do love gardening I hope there's a tasty treat for me" and then quickly goes "no I can't afford any obstacles I must get my family back by any means possible".

Our biggest clue for Asgore's involvement is the Black Shard he bears and his desire to bring his family back together by proving he "just wanted to protect everyone". So. . .was he so GOATed he fought the Knight and survived? The way he speaks about the Black Shard suggests he's acquired it recently---so, did he fight the Knight when they were fleeing with Undyne? If that's so, guess it proves the Shelter isn't the Knight's crib because Asgore doesn't have any of the codes.

But either way, Asgore definitely fought the Knight at the tail end of Chapter 3, and he's getting close to whatever his goal is. Carol's goal, as far as we can deduce, is to bring her lost girl back home by serving the Knight, but that can't be Asgore's goal too because he fought the Knight, and I don't think he'd take the Knight too kindly for attacking his wife, whom he clearly still loves--

Wait.

What about his wife?

If he knows that in the end he'll be able to win them back, why is he so diligent in attempting to win her over with romantic propositions?

In fact, what's Toriel's role in all of this? Why would Kris endanger her own mother to the Knight? Why is she the variable enabling the black deer sprite in Chapter 3's secret boss?

And what does Dess have to do with all of this?!

Well, here's my vote. Carol and Toriel knew about Dess' antics in the Shelter and that she was eventually captured by the Knight. Instead of battling the Knight, Carol chose to bargain with it for Dess' safety, and Asgore eventually stuck his nose into this business and dueled with the Knight. It eventually got in the way of Carol's plans so he had to be canned from the force, and he became so obsessed with taking down the Knight, Toriel eventually divorced from him, sparking Asgore's obsession to prove how loyal a husband he can be. Poor guy.

So now, there are two sides to the coin. The Ice Queen, bargaining with the Knight for the fate of Dess Holiday, and the Flaming Flower King, attempting to spell the Knight's end for the fate of Dess Holiday as well. And Toriel? Well, she might've thought sealed lips would spare her children the despair. As she would.

But what does the Knight want with Toriel? Well, maybe the Knight thought about using her as bait for Asgore to join them, but then Undyne pulled up and they realized "Ah, crap, can't let anybody touch that super-important deus ex machina that could potentially end me".

Queen of Snowgrave

What about Carol, though? The swansong of Chapter 4 sees Kris' mysterious caller whining "don't forget, Kris. . .you promised. . ." and because this caller said "I'll be. . .right there" as soon as Susie got the guitar---and Carol dropped in at that exact moment, we can only assume Carol is the correspondent. So she'll definitely have a big role to play in the next chapter.

But something doesn't add up. Carol asks everyone to leave in every Route including the Weird Route, but there Kris is. . .preoccupied. . .and nowhere near the guitar, so why would Carol pull up early and ask everyone to haul ass if her secrets weren't in any imminent danger? Well, it's possible that the Knight saw Kris was. . .busy. . .they personally asked Carol to drop in herself.

Although there is something a bit. . .sus about Carol? She's extremely cold-themed, which I can't say for the rest of her family. Sure, they're all Christmas-themed but nothing distinctly cold. Furthermore, Snowgrave Kris and Carol share a lot of similarities; Noelle can't say no to them, they produce a cold and unwelcoming aura that literally drops temperature???

And Carol seems a lot calmer in the Weird Route in comparison to the normal route. Is it possible that. . .Carol is somehow related to the ThornRing? And in the normal route the voice is so ragged and desperate because she's literally losing health from the ThornRing's effects?

I don't think Carol's gonna be a totally evil villain, she sounds quite desperate and she clearly cares about her family and the Dreemurrs. I think she'll be a reluctant villain, where the Knight forces the ThornRing on her similarly to how we forced it on Noelle (oh god make that horrid vision stop) and makes her service them in exchange for her lost girl, that being Dess. Sounds kinda tragic, ngl.

Here's my theory; Carol will play a major antagonistic role in Chapter 5, but not in the Weird Route, all thanks to one simple game-changer---the ThornRing.

Asgore will be a Lancer-style main antagonist as he's the one getting in Carol's way, and Noelle's gonna be calling the shots for the most part attempting to save her mom (Susie's thinkin' the whole thing's sus) only for it to be revealed Carol's working on behalf of the Knight. Perhaps she'll manipulate Noelle into opening another Dark World, causing Susie to realize Carol's working for the Knight and it'll lead to a showdown between the kingly flames of Asgore, and the icy throngs of Carol.

Art by me

Asgore vs. Carol, everybody, let's GO! Let's go, everybody #AsgorevsCarol, make it happen! #ElementalMonarchClash!

I think Carol might bite the dust at the Knight's hands when the battle ends, and she attempts to betray them. FYI, I don't have anything against Carol, I predict she'll be a deeper, more sympathetic antagonist if what I'd finagled in this rant is true. I just think killing her would enrich the story and Noelle's arc---also, she's gone a bit too far into the dark, and her death would demonstrate what happens to those who lurk too deeply into things beyond their depth.

But what about the Weird Route? Well, Chapter 5's Weird Route will probably be heavily distinct from the original, and definitely creepier following the ramifications of Chapter 4's Weird Route (because of this I'm legally obligated to protect Noelle)---considering Noelle is really looking forward to meeting us after we've jammed an icy thorn on her hand, which is so grotesque Kris actually hates us. Sorry, bro.

OK I JUST REALIZED THORNS ARE PART OF ROSES WHICH ARE FLOWERS, AND IN CHAPTER 5 THERE'S GONNA BE A VAST GARDEN IN WHICH A FLOWER MAN IS TRAPPED IN ASYLUM, ASGORE VS CAROL EVERYBODY, TRUST

But anyway, Weird Route. I imagine the Knight starts sweet-talking Noelle telling her stuff like "you don't need yo mama, your sister, or even Kris, bro we're way cooler" and is basically Flowey during the entire time except more evil---they even kill off Carol and Dess, and even Kris, because nah--they have much stronger friends now.

I imagine Asgore and Papyrus become the final bosses in lieu of Carol because fire vs. ice, it only makes sense, and Papyrus getting Snowgraved while telling Noelle he still believes in her, breaking her out of the Snowtrance and grovelling at what a deplorable being she's become.

But we don't got time for that because the Knight invites Noelle to use Snowgrave on them so that she'd fully level up, and place the Knight's plans into motion.

I would want Ralsei to become the final boss empowered by Gaster's machinations, because it would make for a great magician vs magician fight and fulfill the trifecta of "vs. Fun Gang", considering we fight Susie in Chapter 1 and [SPOILER ALERT SPOILER]

FESTIVAL TOMORROW

The festival takes place the day after Chapter 4, so we're probably gonna have Noelle and Berdly take center stage. Berdly might undergo some more character development and try helping Noelle find her missing sister, and the whole chapter might have the revelation of what exactly happened to Dess---what with Carol's involvement and all.

I also gather he might end up screwing up a lot and get frustrated, and maybe he and Ralsei could exchange some words or two about having knowledge; Ralsei lamenting how knowledge can hurt, and Berdly boasting that knowledge is an alright pain to bear if it can help his friends which would help Ralsei realize that he shouldn't bear his burdens alone and help his friends when they need to, no matter how devastating that knowledge is.

Seriously, I want more Ralsei interactions with Noelle and Berdly. I mean with Noelle it'll be so wholesome and he could be Berdly's intellectual sparring partner.

The flower shop seems to set the stage for the Dark Worlds, but I wouldn't want the festival setting to be wasted. I imagine multiple Dark Worlds will be created similarly to Chapters 1 and 4, in different locations around the festival starting with the Flower Shop, and they'll have to travel from Dark World to Dark World through Grand Doors.

And Noelle? Well, hope we'll get some lesbian panic moments with her and Susie accompanied by Kris and Berdly, and maybe she'll become a more active character, and be inspired to heroism when she's forced to confront her mom. And because Noelle has a sick dad, missing sister and controlling mom--as well as dumb-as-nails friends---she needs a good influence in her life like Gerson was to Susie. . .maybe a cool, puzzle-loving skeleton with marvelous fashion sense?

PAPYRUS TOMORROW

WHAT IS PAPYRUS UP TO?!

Some theorize he's only a child during this time and Deltarune is actually his birthplace, where he and Sans will eventually migrate to Undertale. Or he could just be shy and introverted because Sans believes he needs friends---but Papyrus is extremely extroverted and friendly and still has no friends until we come along (technically he had one in Undyne).

But Toby has emphasized that Papyrus is busy and pre-occupied--he specifically brings it up on the Steam page so it's bound to be important, and in Sans' house you can hear the "distant trousle of bones"---Sans is also being quite suspicious himself.

So what's Papyrus up to?! Is he the Roaring Knight? There's a lot of evidence that points to him being the Man Behind the Tree---he's described as forgettable similarly to the Forgotten Man, for some reason he has an egg during his date in Undertale, and there's a piece of merch where Papyrus is hiding behind a red tree.

I didn't think this theory was too noteworthy until I realized that in the library and cathedral where Dark Worlds were borne, there were closets where a large person could fit inside. YOU KNOW WHO ELSE CAN FIT INSIDE LARGE CLOSETS? PAPYRUS, THAT'S WHO!

That explains why the Egg rooms have such tenuous accessibility! Because they're in the closet!

OK, but if this theory is false, what's actually up with Papyrus? As an avid Papyrus fan, I ponder this; what if Papyrus has been spending all his time indoors researching Dark Worlds? It's a very Papyrus thing to do, and Asgore wants to bring Dess home to get his family and his reputation back----similarly to how Papyrus wanted to capture a human to get friends and popularity back in Undertale.

It's not a stretch to think he'd spent all that time researching Dark Worlds, and boutta pull up at the festival ready to capture a Roaring Knight and help Asgore retrieve Dess. I mean, why wouldn't Asgore consider Papyrus a friend?

Art by Hunter Maximoff, wow, isn't it cool?

And the same way Gerson played mentor to Susie, I would pay money to see Papyrus mentor Noelle, and perhaps teach Noelle the art of romantic courting and friendship.

Y'know, I even had this whole theory that Dess was the second hero beckoned by Gaster, and if Gaster did mentor Dess it would be an awesome parallel if Papyrus mentored Noelle.

Just picture this. When Carol bites the dust, begging Noelle to find Dess as she bequeathes upon her a powerful artifact, the girl has to face the Knight, all alone. Her heart is completely shattered, her determination waning from the horrors of her mom's death----until Papyrus comes back in, and tells Noelle he believes in her, and he Gerson-style comes back to help thrash the Knight's ass. It would be utter cinema and I would sob like a little girl wanting to find her mommy.

PAPYRUS BELIEVERS RISE, LET'S MAKE THIS HAPPEN! #PAPYRUSTOMORROW!

Undyne: The Biggest Mystery

Yeah, sure, the Knight's identity, Gaster's role and Kris' nature are all larger mysteries in scale, but we still have next to nothing about Undyne's involvement in all this, our questions left unanswered by an entire chapter. The only clue we have is a vague sacrifice happening next week involving Undyne and the police force somehow. . .

I'm pretty sure that her involvement isn't because of the Shelter though. Because if she was needed to open the Shelter, couldn't the Knight just have asked Carol? If she was needed dead to prevent word of the Shelter, why do they need to wait a whole week?

But this sacrifice involves Kris, somehow? The best I can figure out is that Kris used to dabble in the dark arts with Catti, literally attempting to summon a demon---so do they need Kris as the practitioner of this sacrifice?

It's clear that this sacrifice isn't just to silence Undyne or stop them from getting in their way, it's something bigger, big enough to be scheduled for next week.

Wait. . .

Next week is the same time Asriel returns from college.

Does this sacrifice somehow involve Asriel?

Oh, this is making my head spin because we barely have anything! There's one thing I can glean, and it's from the third secret S-rank minigame. There's a grey variant of the blue fish that resemble Undyne, and it's much harder to kill, and once you do the lizard-monsters representing Alphys die instantaneously. So. . ."Undyne the Undying"?

And when you're engaged in battle with this fish, there's no escape other than to kill it---kinda like how the Prophecy is incomplete without a. . .tragedy.

Yeah, OK, we all know that Ralsei is gonna be the tragedy. He's a submissive boi who literally sees himself (and by extension Darkners) as disposable, lacking in history or ties to the Light World. He's absolutely the candidate for the tragedy, something devastating enough Susie is pissed off and reassures him it's not gonna happen.

BUT. . .if the Knight's prudent enough to use intermediaries like King, Queen, Tenna, and Kris to fulfill their goals---and have the mayor of Hometown under their finger---they must have a trump card to free themselves from fate.

The same way the grey fish must be sacrificed to escape the room---Undyne [the Undying?] will be sacrificed to escape the Prophecy.

Or perhaps, that's only what Carol needs.

Roaring Encore

My art

Now let's talk about the Knight. I've already explained my reasoning why Chara is potentially the Roaring Knight, and part of it is that the Knight grows stronger as Kris grows stronger. Now that they're strong enough to merely taunt the Fun Gang and summon Titans without effort, this chapter could foresee the Knight attempt to actually unleash the Roaring. (Also, I think the Knight could start talking and that would reveal the connection between Kris and the Knight.)

And yay, we're gonna have a super epic rematch! Can't wait for "Blacker Knife"!

So I don't think they need Carol or Kris to unleash the Roaring. So. . .what exactly did Kris promise Carol? If Dess is the Knight, is it to save Dess? Is it related to the Shelter? Because regardless Carol should be able to open it, she's the mayor and would naturally have access to the codes. Is it to prevent anyone from opening the Shelter? Is it assassinate anybody who has the code?

At this point the Shelter seems like a non-factor considering the Knight's already powerful enough to cause the Roaring and unleash several Titans and Fountains without effort---and the SOUL is the only way to stop them, so what use would the Shelter be to them?

Unless, of course, they actually oppose the Shelter. So that still begs the question of what they need Carol or Kris for. We might have a hunch about Kris, but if their power has become so great the Shelter will lose its' relevance. . .does that mean Carol basically has no more use?

Is that why Carol sounded so desperate to Kris on the phone?

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Ok, so before we get to the next big thing, let's overview what I predict might just happen in Chapter 5;

The festival occurs, and Susie and Noelle are very cute together, but oh no! Berdly's here and he's looking worried, because a lot of people seem to be missing

Kris insists to the group to go to the Flower Shop, and we don't really have a say in it, so they go and oh no! Noelle now knows the Dark Worlds are real!

Asgore's gonna be a main antagonist similarly to Lancer, and Carol's gonna beg Noelle to "help her and the innocent civilians!!1!1!" And Berdly and Kris insist she complies, while Susie remains sus about the whole thing---Carol's plea is what causes them to come in conflict with Asgore

The chapter's gonna go from Dark World to Dark World, going to several places around the Festival using Grand Doors---from a flower booth, to an ICE-E booth, to a mirror maze where we'll see multiple Shadow Crystals and Undertale references

Papyrus will mentor Noelle and it'll be so friggin cool

Susie would apologize to Kris for saying "you'll realize how happy your mom is without you" days ago, after seeing Toriel's drunken rapture at the dusk of Chapter 4. Kris and Susie will hug, and I'll cry

It's revealed Berdly wants to help Noelle and Carol find Dess, having realized how much he's taken Noelle for granted and wants to genuinely help this time

Kris will act a bit Snowgravey this time, being a bit more diligent without player input and fixated on the mission

OH NO! There's one more Dark World in. . .a mirror maze, perhaps? But it's locked, and to access it, they'd have to open a Dark World. But Papyrus comes in clutch once more and opens the lock by typing in every number sequentially like in Undertale

OH NO! It's revealed that Carol orchestrated the entire thing, having made Kris promise to delay Asgore as much as possible----all this, in the attempt to appease the Knight so they would return Dess to her

OH NO! The Knight can talk now as a result of the Fun Gang getting stronger, and they tell Carol to gain some balls and fight the Fun Gang, or else bye-bye to her daughter. They split up; Kris/Susie/Noelle vs. Carol, and Ralsei/Berdly vs. the Knight

Asgore will help in the battle against Carol, using his fire attacks to repel Carol's Snowgrave, and they defeat her

The Fun Gang promise the mayor they'll help her find Dess, together, and the story ends happily ever after---and OH NO! THE KNIGHT KILLS CAROL IN REVENGE FOR HER BETRAYAL!

OH NO! The Knight has gotten the better of Susie and Ralsei, and is now targeting Noelle and Berdly.

OH YES! PAPYRUS COMES IN CLUTCH AND MOTIVATES EVERYONE TO FIGHT THE KNIGHT!

The Knight is actually friggin' defeated! Yes sirree, they get cooked! With the might of Asgore's Bergentruck, Berdly's natural Berdliness, Papyrus' greatness, and Noelle's power, the Knight meets their end!

Yep, Chapter 5 will end with the Prophecy finally being fulfilled. The three heroes defeat the Knight, Jockington grows the beard, love finds its' way to Susie in the form of Noelle, and the tragedy of Carol's death unveils, completing the Delta Rune. Great ending, innit?

But. . .wait. No, no, that's not right. There are seven chapter slots. It can't end at only Chapter 5; Gerson himself claimed there was one more chapter in Lord of the Hammer, a book inspired by the Prophecy. And, why is this prophesied last chapter so ambiguous?

Well, truth be told, I don't think the Knight would've appeared in Chapter 3 if they were gonna be the ultimate final boss. Yes, they've been set up for the first two chapters and they're clearly not a pushover, but when the overarching villain appears at this point, they're setting up something far worse that has been subtly established around the same time.

But, we know the Knight. They're intelligent. They manipulated King, Queen and Tenna to carry out their dirty work and it nearly succeeded. They act so blase and careless in the Dark World boasting their inevitable defeat, even straight up laughing it off. There's no way they wouldn't find a way to circumvent the Prophecy.

Unless. . .

I stated a lot of interesting points in my "Chara Knight" theory. One of which revolves around the Angel being the same Angel of Death from Undertale's Delta Rune, Chara being that Angel of Death from the Genocide Route, who requires banishment.

I also made another of the Knight relying on Kris for power increase as they relied on intermediaries for their dirty work, but later became fully functional and capable of doing it themselves in Chapter 4. By some connection forged by Chara, Kris and the Knight are inextricably linked.

So. . .what am I saying? Chara is the Knight, and the Angel, and the final boss of Deltarune?

Yep, they're a metal one, aren't they? But that's not all I was stipulating. I think Kris will be the final boss of Deltarune.

Now before we get too far into things, let's talk about the Angel, shall we? Let's discuss the parallels between Kris and Noelle, all other possible candidates---

Whoops. It appears that's all the time we have. Farewell, folks. Hopefully at least one of my predictions I've stipulated on this blog will come true.

Next time. . .on Deltarune Predictions. . .