Straytale

## Summary

Straytale is an AU where monster SOULs are missing pieces due to humans ripping them to take their magic. These missing pieces, however, grew back with some strange magic they called "Shadows". They retreated to the Underground and sealed themselves away with this new magic to keep themselves safe from the humans, fearing they'd come after the Shadows too. Over time, as they got adjusted to life, the monsters learned to live with the Shadows. They could only see Shadows if they believed the Shadows were real and not just magic. Gradually as the population grew, weaker SOULs developed and resulted in the Decayed. The Decayed were often taken away for testing or to be executed. This treatment of ill monsters led to there being feuds which drove the monarchy to fail when monsters took their frustrations out on the Royal Family for believing in these creatures.

## Main Locations

#### The Ruins

   The Ruins are large and maze-like here. This place has a population of 2, those monsters being, the Keepers of the Ruins, Toriel and Asriel. The area is mostly made of long halls of purple coloured bricks with large windows and various fauna lining the walls and floor. This place is broken and abandoned due to monsters fleeing from it many many years ago during the Soul War. There are unstable traps and caving floors within here so it is best to be careful or you may get lost. Many who tend to visit here also have of leaving very quickly due to the fear of humans and their ghosts possibly wandering the halls.

#### Snowdin City

Snowdin City is a heavily expanded variant of Snowdin Town, as the name suggests it is a city. The architecture resembles a medieval esque style, while also simultaneously being advanced in technology. It has a few river and ocean sides while having a sizeable population around 100,000 - 750,000 people. The people of the City have a particular distaste towards the Royalty along with their Royal Guardsman. A good example would be Roam. Regardless of his friendly behaviour some Snowdin City folk (usually Decayed) dub him “Warden” as an insult, but Roam takes that title wholeheartedly and interprets it as a compliment (even with the knowledge of the context).

#### Riverbend

    Riverbend is a large city within the Waterfall section of the Underground. This city also happens to be the biggest one with a population of 1,000,000 - 10,000,000, . Everything has water features to it. The Buildings run waterfalls and the main mode of transportation is by boat in the river. Other places in the city are covered by echoflowers and bridges. This area also holds the labs within the Underground. Riverbend is a constantly busy city and is a little expensive to live in. A lot of travelling monsters tend to reside here either on Tourism from other AUs or permanently moving here. A lot of people in Riverbend tend to be spiteful to the scientists in distaste for experimenting on the Decayed. Stray primarily getting the most hate due to him being Royal Scientist and Lead Researcher for the Dust Project.

#### Scoria

Scoria is an industrial city that mostly compromised of the working class, which is mostly made of the Decayed (unlike the Strong Souled Monsters). It’s also a powerhouse of a city in the literal sense by providing most (f not, all) the power throughout the lands. The population is around 1,000,000 - 5,000,000. The population here, despite it being filled with the Decayed, is quite low due to frequent accidents and Decayed dusting while on the job. Scoria is also home to the Stronghold (a much larger and powerful version of the Core). Getting a job withing the Stronghold is conceived as a Death Wish in which most do not return after entering for unknown reasons.

#### Capital City

    The Capital City has most advanced infrastructures that the Monsters can present, with the newest of trends being born there along with being eye catching for all visitors (especially ones from other realities). The population is around 100,000 - 500,000, the city is one of the biggest economical powerhouses within the entirety of Brokenverse, playing an integral part of the Multiversal Economic, word has been spread around about the richest planning go establish a Multiversal Currency in that same city, from the Illustrious Cipherists to influential independent entrepreneurs. Most soul Monster variants (not including foreigners) are allowed in, but the Decayed have a disliking towards it due to their hatred for the Monarchy (which they reside in the Capital City).