Underden (Official Blog)

Oh thank god FINALLY I have some kind of internet connection down here! Though this seems to be the only site that will load... I suppose I'll have to make do.

Hello, internet! This is Marshall Ebott-- yes, from the family the mountain and the national park was named after, let's get all that out of the way now-- and I am NOT dead! I've just been stuck in a cave system under Mt. Ebott for the past two years or so. Do not bother trying to send any rescue parties, it is literally impossible for anyone to get out of this place and it would only place more people in danger. Again, to emphasize, DO NOT SEND A RESCUE.

Anyways, while I've been down here, I have made perhaps some of the most shocking and world changing discoveries that will forever change our understanding of the natural sciences of this world. Beneath the surface of Mt. Ebott lies an extensive network of caves and tunnels, and within these caves an entirely unique ecosystem has been flourishing right under our very noses. Not only that, but but I have found conclusive proof that a physical substance that can only be described as "magic" exists, and has enabled an entirely new class of life to develop; organisms so fantastical and unlike any other creature on this planet that I still struggle to comprehend them in their totality.

Nevertheless, I have spent the most of my time here attempting to study these creatures, and have compiled a series of catalogs to document my findings, which I will be slowly posting here in addition to occasional updates on my personal life. Given how outlandish it all sounds, I'm sure many of you will not believe me, and it is completely within your right to do so, but I cannot in good conscience keep this research from seeing the light of day. If you do find yourself intrigued, however, feel free to send questions my way and I will answer them to the best of my ability.

Thank you to anyone that bothers to read this. Marshall, out!

Fel's Notes: Hoi! This is the irl author of this blog, Felvahkiir. Most of the content on this blog will be from the POV of the character of Marshall Ebott, but I'll also pop in to add some lore details and answer questions that Marshall won't know the answer to. If you want to direct an ask to me specifically, please begin your ask with "Hey Fel," or something along those lines, otherwise I'll likely answer as Marshall. You can also ask me questions on my main blog as well.

Rules:

-Don't ask me when certain characters or lore entries will be posted. I have a life outside of this and won't always update regularly; please have some patience! They'll be done when they're done.

-Please do not send me NSFW of any of the characters (or myself, while we're on the topic). I'd rather it not be made at all, but if you really can't help it then at least have the decency to keep it to yourself.

-On rare occasions I will do art requests, but don't expect it often. I will not draw any sexually explicit art. Gore/horror are fine though.

-Do not use my posts for AI. I don't care what your reason is, I don't wanna be part of it.

-If you draw/use any of the Underden character or concept designs please be sure to credit me as the original creator below the art.

Tags:

#underden (general tag)

#underden bestiary (for species/character's general data entries)

#underden datalogs (for Marshall's personal logs)

#underden d̸̗͐á̵̞t̸̞̏a̶̫͛l̵͕̅o̶̼͌g̶̦͌s̸̩̄?̷͓͂ (for ???)

#underden loreposting (for loreposting)

#underden asks (for answered asks)

#underden extras (for any little bonus things I might do)

The types of food available in the Underground is very limited compared to the surface, considering how difficult it is to grow many edible plants with low/no sunlight. Different regions have different flora and fauna available, though trade between places allows for most of the local cuisine to be consistent. The farms in Waterfall grow various mushrooms and root vegetables in large amounts, using magical lanterns to provide the crops enough light. Plenty of monsters just eat their meat and plants raw, but some others cook their meals via the use of magical fire (a select few monsters even have the ever-luxurious sparkstove, an invention by the former Royal Scientist that uses copper wire coils activated by a spark of magic to heat food without having to constantly stoke a fire). Some common dishes include

Water (duh)

Dandelion Root Coffee/Tea (roasted dandelion roots crushed into powder and brewed)

Pine Tea (crushed pine needles brewed into tea)

Golden Flower Tea (golden flower leaves brewed into tea)

Dandelion Roots (eaten like carrots)

Carrots (eaten like... carrots)

Potatoes (often cut into chunks and either roasted or boiled)

Salad (dandelion greens, potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms)

Various roasted meat dishes (bat, mouse/rat, vole, snake, lizard, and salamander are common, most other meats are rare to find; meats considered a luxury are groundhog, weasel, badger, bird, squirrel, rabbit, deer, and human)

Eggs (a luxury; very rare to find and hard to actually get, but very delicious)

Crayfish (boiled)

Cave shrimp (boiled)

Various fish dishes (often roasted in large amounts but sometimes eaten raw)

Snail (requires a lot of preparation and patience but some monsters find them worth it, though of course some monsters also just eat them raw)

Roasted centipedes (only centipedes, millipedes are toxic unless they’ve specifically evolved to resist it)

Soooo many soups (like seriously, they can and will make soup out of anything)

The only additives they really have for meals is onions and salt, though technically monster dust can be added to any recipe to spice things up. Probably wouldn’t taste super great to humans, though. 

Species Name: Juggula (Juggula juggula) Habitat: The Ruined Catacombs Average Height: ~2 ft /0.61 m Average Weight: Not measured Diet: Autotrophic (photosynthetic symbiosis) Temp. Regulation: Ectothermic Abilities: Projectile conjuration  Disposition: Docile Threat Level: 1

A strange organism that at first glance would appear to be a slimy, bulbous plant. Their egg-shaped bodies are supported by several root-like appendages that dig into the ground. Two thick pseudopods sprout from their heads, which can be swung to fend off anything trying to take a bite of them. Their green color comes from the algae stored within their bodies, and the mucus layer secreted from their bodies provides an extra layer of defense against both moisture loss and potential predators. Not sentient and completely stationary; not much of a threat at all.

_User: Marshall R. Ebott

_Logbook Name: A New Face

_Logbook Type: Written

_First Updated: 12/22/2125

_Last Updated: 12/23/2125

_Displaying Entry

It's been a good while since I've last given an update here, I know. I would apologize for the inactivity, if not for...

Well, there have been some new developments around here. For starters, in one of my recent field studies in Waterfall, I found another person. Human, to be precise; a human child. They were soaking wet and scared out of their mind, so of course I couldn't just leave them there. I suspect they may have had a run in with the resident Swamp Nymph, seeing as how they avoided the river like the plague the whole way. My drake was quite confused as to how there were now two humans in her home, but we've all been slowly warming up to each other. It's harder to find enough resources to split between us, but we've made do so far. We have to.

I still don't know much about the kid. I suspect that they can't talk, or at the very least are unwilling to. I've guessed that they can't be any older than ten, but their name, where they came from, how they managed to come this far... it's all a mystery. They seem to understand me just fine, though. Even tries to help me out from time to time. Goodness knows I need it. Part of the reason I'm even sharing these entries now is... well, to put it lightly, I'm not entirely sure if I'm up for such extensive field research anymore. I offhandedly mentioned my health issues somewhere earlier, but they've started catching up to me now.

...I should probably elaborate, shouldn't I? It's not like I'm dying or anything like that (if I am then the Reaper is taking his sweet old time), but I'm certainly feeling a lot worse off since... about a year or so now, I think. I've always had random joint issues and difficulty with too much exercise, but nothing alarming. Well, there was that one time I passed out for a few seconds for no reason, but that was probably heat illness or something; it was the height of summer, after all. I never really went to the doctor as much as I should... costs too much to be told the same few things every time, you know? Though I'm certainly paying for it now.

It is all very nice. Love what you're doing here and I have become invested in the UnderDen lore.

I also believe that I have managed to create a key to your scrambled language and I have translated everything! It's readable and understandable so I think I got it right. Then again, I was doing this in the middle of the night, so there might be some errors I missed. It was very fun to try to solve. (Not sure how you'll feel about said information being shared, so I'll keep it secret for now unless you clearly state that you're fine with it being out there. I also don't really want to take the fun away from others who want to solve it themselves, but at the same time I also know that others may not want to put forth the effort of solving it themselves. Idk)

I hope you have a wonderful day or night wherever you are. And keep creating wonderful things! ((o(^∇^)o)) You’re amazing and your doing great!

(Also not really sure if this was good to ask on this blog or if it would have been better to send it to you on your main. Sorry if you would have preferred for me to send this to your main, and sorry of this is too long.)

Fel's Notes: Heya! Glad you've gotten so invested! I didn’t expect anyone to actually translate those entries lol. Good work!

Unfortunately... I do have plans to actually change the scrambled language because I'm slowly finding a more pronouncable way to decode it. So, as not to put all your hard work to waste, once the entries change I'll post the new key myself to help with translation (unless you want to do it all again? idk if that'd be fun for you lol). The content/message in the entries themselves won't change at all, just the look of the language. As for whether the translation should be shared, go right ahead! I don't think anyone else is going to go through quite as much effort for it lol.

However, I wanted y'all to help me decide how to go about working on these. See, I was going to post them all in numerical order (aka from the first possible monster encounter to the last) but several of those entries are really hard to actually draw, and in order to get to all of the main characters we'd have to make it through several filler characters/enemies that I know barely anyone cares about. So! I've come up with a few different ways to maybe mix it up; I can keep doing encounter/numerical order, I can go from most relevant to least relevant, I can go from easiest to hardest, or I can spin a wheel to randomly decide which entry to do next.

I have spent almost three years down here now. Sounds insane, thinking back on it. The only reason I have any inkling of the passage of time is via the calendar on this logbook recorder. I’ll forever be grateful that I’m using an older model, one that doesn’t require charging in order to work. Well, I would be able to charge it now, but that would mean almost two and a half years worth of research would be left in the dust. How I have electricity and incredibly weak internet down here now is a very different and very long story, and I’m getting off topic enough as it is.

Having spent so long down here, I’ve become quite familiar with the ins and outs of this unique ecosystem, and today I had an epiphany that finally pulls together a wider theory I’ve been constructing on one of the natural processes of this place; the circulation of raw magic.

Raw magic, in of itself, is a compound that I’ve been unable to fully understand, but it’s the backbone of almost everything down here. I’m not a chemist, so I cannot break down what exactly raw magic is or what exact chemical reactions are occurring regarding it, but it is essential for many of the biological processes that the USOs perform. In the present day, raw magic is most easily found condensed in pools of the stuff scattered all throughout these underground caverns. The vast majority of them are located in Waterfall and Hotland; the deepest regions you would be able to find here. Still, if this were the only source of such an essential compound, magical life would only be able to sustain itself within the vicinity of those pools, and as this is clearly not the case there must be some other form of residual raw magic present in the other areas. I have spent a bit of time trying to narrow down where it is settling in these other areas, and can only conclude that it is, in fact, everywhere. Traces of it can be found in the soil, in the water, in the plants that grow here, even in the very air. But, how? How can it travel so far, especially with the pressure within this barrier-sealed mountain forcing it to condense into liquid?

It was today, a few weeks after posting the first Poltergeist entry and rereading it with fresh eyes, that I had my realization. Poltergeists have always been quite the enigma to me. A creature that does not eat and cannot be eaten, which has no body to decompose when it perishes, and has no method of reproduction; what niche could such a creature possibly fill? What purpose could they possibly serve to the greater environment of this strange and resource-hungry world? Well, Poltergeist’s are the only creature to frequent the raw magic pools, returning to them day after day to replenish their misty, incorporeal bodies. It is these very incorporeal bodies that allow raw magic to spread throughout the underground, with the Poltergeists leaving traces of it behind in their wanderings. The raw magic then floats about in the air, settles on the ground or in the water after some time, then seeps through the earth to eventually find its way back to the pools, or perhaps form a new one should the concentration become high enough. USOs recycle this raw magic in their own way too; via respiration, digestion, and the small amount of magic they do not reabsorb after casting their refined “spells”. It is in this way that Poltergeists, once considered pointless wisps with no ecological niche, are revealed to be one of the most critical species for the health and development of Mt. Ebott’s environment.

…There is something else I have theorized, however. Something perhaps a bit more… concerning. You see, I’m quite sure that raw magic does not exist anywhere else in the world. However, there is no indication that this mountain specifically is what cultivated the primordial creation of raw magic, considering also that many magical species have evolutionary remnants of adaptations meant for life in the forests, oceans, deserts, and mountains of the surface world. Taking into consideration the magical barrier that surrounds this place, which almost certainly was not always present here, the question becomes thus: how did all of the world’s magic (and magic-based creatures) end up under this specific mountain in the eastern United States? And was it always distributed in the way that was described above?

My hypothesis is no, it was not. Over time, the pressure buildup would have been what caused the current state of raw magic distribution, but I believe that in the past (perhaps when this strange barrier was first formed), all of the world’s magic was sealed away in this very place, which would have been an absolute nightmare. Raw magic swirling about every corner in its gaseous form, blanketing every nook and cranny in a white mist ready to explode at even the slightest disturbance. Any form of casting would obviously be too dangerous to even attempt, and the air would be thick and much more saturated than it is currently, making it much harder for USOs to breathe. This would be a more extreme environment for the many USO species that would have existed at the time, perhaps driving some of them to extinction? And as for water-based life, like plants, animals, and humans, it would be… inhospitable, to put it lightly. I have spent my fair share of time around raw magic pools, and I can say from experience that too much exposure to the substance is not very good for one’s health. I’ve certainly learned my lesson about getting too close, though perhaps not soon enough. The effects of prolonged exposure are still uncertain, though I can say some of the long-term effects have included a weakened respiratory system and some sort of adverse effect on the circulatory system. I am not a doctor, so I cannot exactly diagnose myself with anything or figure out what exactly it has been doing to me, but needless to say I am not exactly the picture of health right now. Not to worry, though! I’m sure I’ll be fine. I just… have to get out of here sooner rather than later.

PLEASE

I HAVE TO MAKE REALISTIC MONSTER SPECIES FOR ALL OF THEM

This time, enchanting!

MCPD = Magi-Circulatory Processing Disorder

There are three types of MCPD, each varying in presentation and severity.

Type 1: MCPD-1 is when a monster’s soul develops incompletely, causing it to become malformed in some way. This often (but not always) changes the shape of the affected soul and decreases the amount of magic the affected monster can safely release before reaching a critical state. The affected monster can still refine their magic in the same way a normal monster would, but certain effects may apply to their magic, such as;

Dramatically reduced effect (pitiful damage, smaller size/radius, minimally effective healing, etc.)

Delayed casting (takes longer to cast, effect may not be immediate)

Physical side effects during or after casting (such as tremors, lightheadedness, fatigue, headache, nausea, shortness of breath, muscle weakness, temporary blurred vision)

Poor reabsorption (takes longer to passively absorb magic via sleep and respiration, only reabsorbs 60-75% of magic after casting recall instead of 90%)

(oh yeah, and "casting recall" is just what happens when a spell dissipates, most of the magic used to create the spell is reabsorbed back into the monster's soul)

MCPD-1 is often comorbid with other physical disorders such as chronic pain, chronic fatigue, insomnia, asthma, POTS, magi-circulatory irregularities, physical deformities and other birth defects. In rare cases, the soul malformation can be severe enough to cause neonatal death.

Type 2: MCPD-2 is when the link between a monster’s soul and their magi-circulatory system is unstable or inconsistent. This makes it incredibly dangerous for the affected monster to cast magic, as while technically possible most of the time there is a severe risk of the following occurring rather than the intended cast:

Dramatically reduced effect (pitiful damage, smaller size/radius, minimally effective healing, etc.)

Delayed casting (takes longer to cast, effect may not be immediate)

Failure to recall (magic cannot be reabsorbed)

Magi-circulatory failure

Raw magic explosion (external)

Raw magic explosion (internal)

As well as causing other unpleasant side effects that affect quality of life, such as:

Physical side effects during/after/instead of casting (such as tremors, lightheadedness, fatigue, migraine, fainting, nausea, trouble breathing, muscle pain and/or weakness, and in extreme cases straight-up organ failure)

Poor reabsorption (takes longer to passively absorb magic via sleep and respiration, does not absorb any magic after casting recall)

This type only occurs in otherwise unimpaired souls, as for those with MCPD-1 or other soul malformations having any instability between this magi-circulatory link will progress it to MCPD-3. It is currently unknown why MCPD-2 occurs, but can be both inherited and acquired. When present at birth, MCPD-2 is often comorbid with other physical disorders such as chronic pain, chronic fatigue, insomnia, asthma, POTS, and other magi-circulatory irregularities.

Monster souls are made out of raw magic, and serve many important functions in a monster’s body; it pumps magic through a monster’s body like a heart pumps blood, acts as a secondary emotion center in tandem with the brain, contains a lot of genetic information, and also acts as a reservoir to pull magic from. This makes it arguably the most important organ in a monster’s body. Were a monster’s soul to be removed, they would die instantly, and when a monster dies their soul is destroyed along with them, making it nearly impossible to obtain one intact. As a monster grows older, their soul becomes less efficient at absorbing and distributing magic throughout the body, causing the effects of aging and eventual death. When a monster is hurt, the magic pours out of their injury in a pinkish-white mist, so any sufficiently deep wound can empty out all of a monster’s magic if not resealed. There is a non-zero chance that the sudden release of raw magic when a monster is killed will cause their body to explode.

Some monsters can be born with two souls. This genetic mutation is rare in most species but common in others, such as Chimaera, Dragons and Kitsune. This second soul is connected to the first soul but not connected to the rest of the body. Thus, it will not instantly disappear upon its host’s death, but is still unstable and will explode after a few seconds. Monsters born with two souls are called Boss Monsters. Having two souls dramatically extends a monster’s lifespan and grants them incredible magical power, but can lead to quite a few complications, including but not limited to:

Increased risk of magi-circulatory irregularities or failure (similar to heart conditions/heart attacks)

Increased risk of developing magi-circulatory processing disorders (conditions that make it unsafe or physically impossible to use magic)

Increased risk of developing mood disorders (depression, bipolar, and disruptive-mood-dysregulation disorder)

Physical deformities

Plurality (in rare cases)

Species Name: Hivecrawler (Inuctus copiae) Habitat: The Ruined Catacombs Average Height: ~1 ft /~0.30 m Average Weight: Not measured Diet: Roots, ferns, flowering plants, lichen Temp. Regulation: Ectothermic Abilities: Capacity for speech (limited), hivemind, prehensile forelimbs Disposition: Confrontational Threat Level: 3

An insect-like organism with a large brown carapace that resembles that of a pillbug. Their faces are slightly humanoid and they are often bipedal, standing up on their deceptively flimsy-looking back legs as a defensive stance to ward off predators. The species is sexually dimorphic, with the females being much larger than the males and sporting two pairs of translucent beetle-like wings. The males have small pincers on their frontmost legs, vertical white pupils, and tan antennae, while the females sport black antennae, horizontal pupils, and face markings that remind me somewhat of clown makeup. Rather harmless alone, but can be dangerous in groups.

Species Name: Salad Demon (Radix verma and Radix serpens) Habitat: The Ruined Catacombs Average Height: A- ~1 ft/0.30 m, B- ~2 ft/0.61 m (fully extended) Average Weight: Not measured Diet: Insects, arachnids, gastropods, small mammals, carrion Temp. Regulation: Ectothermic Abilities: Capacity for speech (limited), chlorokinesis, burrowing Disposition: Confrontational Threat Level: 1

USO-07A: An organism resembling a carrot or similar root vegetable. They have slanted black eyes with no pupils and a V-shaped mouth at the center of their bodies. Their coloration is usually various shades of orange or brown, with green leaf-like appendages sprouting from their heads that they can extend to crawl around. Not a danger so long as they are not consumed.

USO-07A is a parasitic organism that mimics a common food source of the Underground in order to be purposefully eaten. It reproduces asexually, with split-off chunks of it developing into individual larvae within an organism’s stomach or digestive tract and feeding off of the nutrients said organism consumes. Once USO-07A larvae grow to a large enough size, they will begin to eat through the digestive system’s protective lining until the creature either regurgitates them or dies via a number of unpleasant ways. They become ambush hunters upon maturity,  their food-like disguise pulling double-duty as a lure for unsuspecting prey. I will admit that I fell for this ruse upon first discovering them, though luckily I did not get to consume it. The specimen I encountered seemed to decide that I was food and attacked me, which is odd considering that I am almost 5x bigger than its usual prey. Safe to say it did not succeed in its hunt. 

USO-07B: An organism that resembles USO-07A very strongly, with the leaf-like appendages replaced by snake-like pseudopods instead. Each pseudopod has markings that resemble eyes and a gaping mouth with four needle-thin fangs. Still not much of a threat, but avoid it if possible.