Atlas

***Atlas*** is a main character in *Cryptid Crush*. A friendly mothman who is Robyn's childhood best friend.

## Profile

### Appearance

Atlas is a short-statured young adult mothman. Atlas has large red eyes with white sclera, thick black hair around his neck, and black antennae. His upper body and wings are silver grey. He wears a sleeveless plaid jacket over a t-shirt, and jean shorts. He does not wear shoes due to his large, taloned feet.

### Personality

Atlas is an energetic and friendly young man, maintaining a sense of optimism and excitement for what the future holds in spite of his near constant bad luck. He strives to be knowledgeable on the various subjects he is fascinated with, such as the supernatural. He can also be irresponsible and inconsiderate, leaving August's daughter home alone to go on the trip to Elkhorn radio when he promised to his housemate he would watch over her.

## Biography

### Background

As a child, Atlas grew up in the same hometown as Robyn Hart, where he would frequently fly around the city at night. He would be lured to their window due to them keeping the light on late at night, which unbeknownst to Atlas was a source of fear for Robyn, who saw only his large red eyes. Eventually, they endeavored to obtain proof of his existence and upon his next visit took a photo of him at the window. The camera's flash disoriented the young moth and he fell to the ground. Robyn opened the window out of concern for him, and the two briefly conversed, Robyn explaining why they took the photo and Atlas why he kept appearing at their window. However, the noise of Robyn's parents approaching the room compelled him to flee before they could speak further.

Soon after, he approached a distraught Robyn during the day, attempting to cheer them up by drawing a sketch of the two into the ground with one of his feet. Robyn explained that their parents had not believed the proof shown to them, as the photo of him was of poor quality. Atlas offered a feather as further proof, but Robyn insisted that they would just believe it to be a bird's feather. Before the conversation could be continued, a rustling bush causes Atlas to flee in fear of being discovered. From this point, the two's friendship would continue into their adulthood.

After reaching adulthood, he would come to be a close friend and roommate of August, living in the wolfman's attic in exchange for performing various duties around the house, which he often neglected. He would briefly be employed as a retail clerk, where he first began listening to Madhouse Mike's broadcasts and developed a deep respect for the spectre and his knowledge of the supernatural. He later lost his job after he was robbed twice and accidentally ignited an electrical fire in the building. When Robyn moved to Longhope and revealed a curse to be threatening their life, he suggested communicating with Mike in an attempt to discern the nature of the curse.

### *Chapter 0: Dead Air*

Atlas is first encountered outside the Elkhorn radio station, landing next to Robyn as they look out to the surrounding forest. They are soon joined by Jamie and enter the building in search of Madhouse. While the group explores, he chronicles the circumstances of Mike's death before being persuaded into exploring further into the building, despite fears of interrupting Mike's show. In the record room, he despairs over shattered sets of vintage records while Robyn examines the room for items of significance. Finding nothing of value, the group decides to leave, only for Mike to confront them. He offers for Atlas and Robyn to be guests on his show, which the two accept, though Mike rejects Jamie, declaring them to be a fire hazard in the recording booth.

During the interview, Mike questions Atlas about his prophetical abilities as a Mothman, though he insists he is unable to do so for Mike due to his nature as a ghost. As the interview continues, Mike grows more aggressive and dismissive of Atlas, though he seemingly relents with an offer to sample a "new flavor" of Toxic Waste Energy for an ad-break. Upon taking a sip of the drink, he rapidly becomes possessed by Mike, who after playing a final rigged game, reveals his plan to use Atlas' body as a puppet to escape the radio station. He merges with Atlas' body and attempts to kill Robyn, who attracts Jamie's attention, leading to a battle, where Atlas briefly wrests control from Mike to explain how to fight and encourages Jamie to not hold back against him.

After the combined monster's defeat, Atlas is freed from Mike's control, and after briefly being attacked by Taro, joins the group in battling Mike. Upon his second defeat, Mike attempts to steal Robyn's body, but is dissuaded and fades from the radio station. The group leave, Atlas falling asleep in the passenger's seat, until Mike reveals he hid himself away in Robyn's phone. In the ensuing chaos caused by Jamie swatting at him, Robyn is distracted from the road and collides with a fully-transformed August.

## In Battle

### Special / Other

* *Reach Out* - Try to reason with August (unique to August's boss battle, initiates the ending cutscene).

## Relationships

* **Robyn Hart:** Atlas has been Robyn's closest friend since childhood, and the two have maintained a strong friendship throughout the years due to their comparably enthusiastic personalities. Robyn tends to be more of a long term thinker in the duo, as they are quick to point out flaw's in Atlas' logic or if his newest idea is a particularly bad choice.

* **Jamie:** Atlas is also a close friend to Jamie. While they can quickly grow exasperated by Atlas' quirks and eccentricities, they are also more then willing to encourage some of his wild ideas as well. The two's bond is close enough that when Jamie is forced to fight off the possessed Atlas, they briefly break down until Atlas himself is able to encourage them not to hold back.

* **Madhouse Mike:** Before they met in person, Atlas held a deep respect for the deceased radio host, frequently tuning into his radio show. Upon meeting Mike and being subsequently demeaned and possessed by him, Atlas has grown to be uncharacteristically vitriolic toward the specter. Atlas tends to have his possessed form take over when he speaks with Mike, who proceeds to mock and belittle Mike.

## Trivia

* Atlas's name may be derived from the unincorporated community of Atlas in West Virginia, the state where rumors of the Mothman were first spread.

## Gallery

Atlas on the title screen for *The Leviathan Waltz*Promotional image for Cryptid Crush's casting call