UnderWar: The Seven Virtues - Book 1 and 2 (UnderTale AU)

Book One

In the year -2941 BC, a colossal conflict unfurled between two preeminent races, both distinguished by their sagacity and grandeur: the race of Men and that of Monsters. In a bygone era, these two factions coexisted in a harmonious union, reveling in the tranquility they afforded each other. While Men wielded their expertise in the art of forging steel and other metals, Monsters, born of magic itself, boasted a longevity stemming from their mystical origins, in stark contrast to Men, creatures formed from the aqueous element.

Just as a deluge of raindrops materializes with the arrival of a cloud, the human race outnumbered the Monsters, descending upon them like an unstoppable rainstorm, capable of both ravaging and consuming with the force of an inexorable conflagration. Although Monsters, endowed with strength and size intrinsic to their nature, exhibited a fragility akin to that of human beings. Devoid of standout combat abilities due to the cumbersome structure of their anatomy, some lacking limbs and others having no need for either strength or magic, only sporadically did Monsters emerge with a physique resembling that of an anthropomorphic human. Yet, far from constituting an advantageous edge in the war, this peculiarity merely served to protract the conflict, devoid of any assured victory.

Inexplicably, humanity harbored an unpleasant disdain for Monsters, a hatred instigated by a solitary man who vehemently conveyed his aversion to his fellow humans. In that era, when Monsters held the exclusive responsibility of chronicling and preserving historical events, this man, steeped in unbridled animosity, divulged his perspective solely to his own kind. Monsters, excluded from the discourse, remained oblivious to the genesis of this groundless animus, unaware of the ominous trajectory this situation would assume.

The genesis of this discord materialized in the division of their villages. Men confined themselves to sprawling metropolises, while Monsters concentrated their influence in the woodlands. Despite this spatial demarcation, an ever-present trepidation lingered within the grandeur of the human race, cognizant of the mystical prowess that Monsters could wield—skills exclusive to those birthed from the wellspring of magic.

That formidable ability was known as "effusio," a power that bestowed upon a creature the capability to absorb the Human Soul, thereby transforming into a being endowed with colossal might. This power surpassed even the most eminent human sorcerers, unleashing an unimaginable force capable of wreaking vast devastation and annihilating entire armies. However, the exercise of such power was contingent upon the discernment of the monster; if its heart harbored purity and nobility, it lay within its prerogative to accept or reject such prodigious strength. Moreover, the creature, in its sagacity, refrained from employing such power unless its very existence hung in the balance.

This narrative, painstakingly detailed, was preserved in sundry tomes that found sanctuary in a Grand Library. With the passage of time, as monsters were banished and humans, incensed, decided to plunder the library, an act of pillage that consigned scrolls, literary works, and historical records written by the exiled creatures to the flames. Only volumes dedicated to magic and architecture were retained, relegating the Grand Library to house solely tales wrought by the pen of the Race of Men. Though humans possessed the ability to compose poetry and sublime narratives, monsters contended that such works lacked intrinsic beauty, insisting that they should resonate like a sweet and serene song, akin to a lullaby.

These traits stirred profound wrath among humans, exacerbated by a disquieting psychology and their unchecked arrogance. Their self-attributed superiority, derived from their numbers and cunning, fed their pride until it consumed them entirely. At that juncture, the human who had captivated the rest of his kind had attained senescence, ascending as the leader of the armies. Alongside six other humans, they orchestrated ranks, organized, and prepared their kin for the onset of a war destined to shape the fate of both factions.