NOTES:
This Fic originated on Archive Of Our Own, and was inspired by "The Golden Quiche" and "Ebott's Wake."
There are going to be some formatting differences between the two versions.
: - : : - : : - : : - : Marker to skip additional info (if desired)
I have a magic system for AberrantTale (inspired by The Golden Quiche (but heavily altered) and D&D).
It is posted on AO3 and will not be moved here, but all the important stuff is in the fic; the rest is just fluff and extra info/hints.
If you're interested in the shape of the continent for my AU, go to my reddit page /r/AberrantTale
I will also be posting updates for chapter progress and other art stuffs when I eventually decide to do that.
-Additional Characters:
Frisk's parents (OC), Papyrus, Sans, Alphys, Undyne, Toriel, Asgore, Undertale Monsters, and OCs galore.
-Extra tags:
Timey-Whimey shenanigans, Female Frisk, No Smut, Death, Lovecraftian Monsters, Dealing W/Trauma, Mettaton is famous, Rebuilding Society, Magic and Science, Dubious Science, Frisk's Parents are nice, Horror, Feels, Slice of Life, Some puns/Humor, Eventual Happy Ending, References to Lovecraft, Necromancy, Magic School, Background Relationships, Near Death Experiences, Mischief, Everyone Needs Therapy, Sacrifices, Dark Magic, traumatic childhood, Implied Past Child Abuse, Jerry doesn't exist, Chara is good, Chara's parents are not, Worldbuilding.
: - : : - : : - : : - : Additional info end.
The following is the history of this AU -from pre-war to war, to the barrier, and finally to the barrier breaking-, as best as it can be recalled by the remaining Elders and from surviving documents.
Inconsistencies and errors in this chapter are hereby declared as an intended story mechanic and therefore will be ignored if mentioned.
:-"PROLOGUE"-:
The Great War
In an age long past, Firma was formed by ancients long forgotten, seeded with life by another, and... abandoned. Left to their own devices, the two dominant species -Humans and Monsters- lived together in harmony. As time went on, the inhabitants of the world honed their magic. Their civilization thrived under wise leadership, and it seemed as though peace would reign through the land...
What follows now is a recounting of the Great War and the breaking of the Barrier, as described by surviving documents and word of mouth from the Elders.
The worries of this world all started with a discovery.
A small kingdom had invited a Boss Monster, from a neighbouring village, to a festival celebrating the turn of the millennia.
Sometime during the festivities, the king tripped and hit his head on a fountain. A nearby monster, part of the Boss Monster's escort, rushed to the King's aid; but it was already too late.
The King's soul was absorbed as the monster attempted to provide aid...
When word first got out, everything was fine -even hopeful-.
Some documents describe failed experiments to transfer a human soul into a new body, using a monster as a temporary host.
As time went on, however, several groups arose that were suspicious of monsters. Some groups suggested that monsters planned the king's death, to absorb his soul.
The other groups, and those who were present, spoke against them to no avail.
:-:
The unrest felt by humans and monsters grew in parallel with the gap between them.
As the unrest grew, more and more kingdoms began researching technology that did not depend on magic. They were unwilling, wisely so, to continue being dependent on magic.
At first it was just small things. Things to distract them from their problems, both perceived and real.
The thing about research, however, is that it can lead to many dangerous things...
What started off as a means of celebration, fireworks they called them, became weapons... From explosives to propellants to projectile weapons.
Vehicles were not far behind.
As they became more technologically advanced, unease began to decrease among the populace.
Those in power, however, did not feel the same. They ordered secret experiments to be pursued, none of which are fully known. The remaining documents reference some sort of laboratory, but it has yet to be found.
:-:
While humans advanced their technology, the Human Magi honed their craft.
Unwilling to fall behind the monsters in magic potential, seven of the most powerful Magi, called Sages, opened a school.
The Sanctum of the Seven Sages was open to all, but focused on human advancement. With wisdom, the Sages infused and enhanced the stone of their school; in times of disaster, it would stand tall and protect those within.
Within the Sanctum a powerful artifact was created, one that would protect those within from reality itself.
It was a masterpiece.
A perfect crystal sphere made almost entirely of small interlocking arcane patterns, filled with determination.
This Artifact, when activated, was designed to create a massive barrier that would block anything from entering or exiting it. Of course, it was also designed with a means to take said barrier down; but fate had other plans.
:-:
The Great War started in 1975 with a single human king.
Greedy for power, desperate for safety from a fictitious enemy, and impatient.
Unwilling to sit by and wait for his enemy to make a move, the king set his forces against the Monster kingdom. The smaller settlements fell swiftly, and no monster was able to send a warning.
As the troops continued in their march of death, the king spread information through the human kingdoms.
The king declared war against the monsters, claiming that monsters had begun stealing souls from humans within his kingdom.
Though fabricated, it brought old worries to the surface and made them appear valid.
Kingdoms that had already been weary of monsters armed themselves and joined the war, as with many who were undecided.
Those who saw the truth and tried to aid Monster-kind were killed. Only those in the Sages' Sanctum were safe.
:-:
Death and destruction reigned supreme during the Great War, both sides took heavy losses.
Years had passed without either side gaining any meaningful ground.
Monsters, despite their affinity for puzzles and magic, found themselves slowly running out of options.
Humans, despite their overwhelmingly large armies and superior weapons, also began to run out of options.
The human kings, however, did not care.
It had been made known, not long after the war started, that Boss Monster souls could be absorbed by humans; but the kings declared any such act as treason.
They felt that, no matter what advantage it would give them, taking a monster soul into oneself would make them no better than monsters.
The king who started the war, refusing that option, turned to the Sages for assistance.
The Sages had previously made their stance known to all, that monsters deserve to live just as much as humans; but that did not stop the greedy, desperate king.
After many attempts to persuade the Sages, they relented... or so the King believed.
The Sages proposed a way to rid him of the Monsters once for all, in a single fell swoop.
They proposed to give the Artifact to the Monsters as a false offering of peace, and use it to rid the world of monsters.
At the time, only the Sages knew the true nature of the artifact, so the king agreed to their plan.
:-:
Peace, so desperately sought, was only an illusion; but it was an illusion the King of Monsters could not see through.
He sent a messenger with his acceptance of the proposal and his terms, and received in reply a place for the now horridly historical event.
The human king, feeling impatient and overly confident, began preparations to take the Artifact to the meeting.
It is speculated that sometime during transport the Artifact was scratched or otherwise damaged in a small, unnoticed way... it is this failure that lead to disaster.
The peace negotiations went better than expected, for the humans and the monsters alike.
After the meeting was concluded the human king presented the King of Monsters with the Artifact, and convinced him to present it to his people as he made his speech for the successful negotiations; the king of monsters, of course, accepted it and agreed.
As the Monster king took the Artifact into the mountain, the Sages used their magic to watch the Artifact and waited for when it was in the best position possible.
It didn't take long for the King of all Monsters to begin his speech, and when he did the Sages began their ritual.
Pouring their magic into the Artifact, the Sages activated and powered it remotely... but chaos ensued as the barrier was forming.
Unable to stabilize, the outside of the barrier collapsed in on itself repeatedly; sending pulses of chaotic magic throughout the land.
Many of these pulses flew off into the sky, but those that didn't twisted or killed any living thing they touched.
It is unknown if any human kingdom in the west still remains, but all villages that can be safely explored have been razed.
Magic infused buildings, once sturdy and resistant to the elements, exploded as the magic within violently destabilized.
The Sanctum of the Seven Sages, however, was untouched.
The Sages, in their wisdom, prepared the school against magic attacks; after all, you can't learn magic without blowing things up eventually.
:-:
On the edge of death, the Sages used all their power to stop the Artifact from functioning; overwhelming the magic within and reducing it to nothing more than an ornate crystal sphere.
The barrier, now a one-way death trap instead of an impenetrable sanctuary, began to draw magic from the world to remain stable.
Only one Sage survived, the Red Sage.
Filled with determination, the Red Sage fought against the grasp of death and returned to their Sanctum.
Sadly, however, the Red Sage passed in the year 1993 due to incurable injuries after only a few days.
Though leaderless, the magi managed to maintain order for many decades.
:-:
Without properly trained architects to repair the Sanctum, it began to degrade as time passed and aberrant creatures attacked.
Many technological advancements were lost as well.
With no one trained in electrical engineering many conveniences degraded and ceased to function, without vehicle repair they had to return to horses, and without a proper leader order was slowly chipped away.
Some took to studying the remaining technology in hopes of learning how it functioned.
Others began clearing a path to Mt. Ebott, in hopes that Monster-kind would be able to help.
Once secured, the mountain was under almost constant surveillance.
Due to the distance, and lack of automotive transportation, it became necessary for a permanent base to be set up.
So, in 1998, a small village was founded at the foot of the mountain.
Made mostly of volunteers, the families that lived there kept the area clear of the aberrant creatures that now dominate the world.
Occasionally a few volunteers would go up the mountain to check on the barrier, those who did rarely returned.
As time passed, many of the aberrant creatures were pushed back beyond the mountain pass; the area became moderately safe.
With the way clear, and the area safer, the remaining Magi began to study the barrier.
Their research, however, proved fruitless. Without access to magic, they could not take the barrier down.
:-:
During the year 2015 a child named Chara ran away for unknown reasons, presumed dead.
Later that year, a monster descended from the mountain carrying their body; the family of the child attacked the monster, and was joined by others.
As hopeless decades passed, a few families within the village started to express their dislike for monsters; claiming that trying to save them is pointless, since they kill humans.
Without hope, and with the rising tension, many from the village began to disappear; mostly children, but a few adults as well.
Some are thought to have wandered off into the wilderness, and have likely been killed by the malignant fauna.
Others, however, made it clear that they had left for the mountain, despite the warnings.
Only one ever returned alive.
Curious and determined, Frisk went hiking up the mountain to see if the rumours were true; armed with a stick that, with enough imagination, looked vaguely like a sword. As they were exploring, they stumbled and fell while in a dark cave… what happened after that is Undertale.
The year is 2045, 52 years after the Great War; and at long last…
The barrier is broken.
NOTES:
Fair warning, this story will not be all fun and games (though there will be plenty of fun and games); I have a spread sheet with the death count and other not nice things.
This work is an exploratory telling of a story, and is subject to alteration (this is my first fan fiction, when I am done with it, I might re-write it).
This work contains quite a few references to other material, but any names used that are not intended references are merely coincidental.
Further notes (with a few exceptions) will be put on Reddit, at /r/AberrantTale/