Title for au
Creator: me aka peyton (https://www.deviantart.com/peytonproductions)
This dusttale au kinda mid ngl
The Dusty Society AU is a fascinating and deeply unsettling alternate universe that builds upon the dark themes of Undertale's Genocide route, but it takes those concepts and spins them into something even more tragic and existential. Here's a brief breakdown of how the world, characters, and themes have evolved: World-building in Dusty Society AU The Endless Cycle: The key aspect of this AU is the notion of an eternal cycle of destruction. In the original Undertale, resets allowed the player to undo their actions and start again. However, in the Dusty Society AU, the resets are no longer possible, and the monsters are cursed with the memories of every single death, every betrayal, every action they've taken in previous cycles. This creates a world where time has no meaning except as a constant loop of suffering. No one can escape the past, and everyone is haunted by the knowledge that they're just repeating the same horror over and over again.
Sans' Madness: Sans’s fall from protector to agent of chaos is central to the story. His original goal of stopping Frisk from continuing the Genocide route becomes corrupted by his own actions. As he kills off the monsters in an attempt to break the cycle, he fractures his own mind, leading to an unstable and violent ruler of the Dusty Society. This torment is compounded by the fact that he is aware of the actions he's taken, yet he's powerless to stop them, trapped in his own cycle of violence.
Kill or Be Killed: The twisted version of "Kill or Be Killed" is now the law of the land. There’s no room for mercy or redemption. The monsters have embraced this brutal philosophy as the only way to survive in a world where every monster knows they’re walking corpses and that even their allies may rise against them at any moment. In this lawless, fractured world, the only thing that matters is power—and in this case, survival is power.
No Escape: The key distinction here from the original Undertale story is the loss of the ability to reset. With no resets, the characters are stuck in a perpetual state of death and rebirth, each time carrying the weight of their memories. Sans and others who tried to break free are left grappling with their guilt, unable to escape their fate, not even by the intervention of the player.
Key Characters and Themes Sans (Dusttale): Once the hopeful, comedic skeleton, now a broken, vengeful figure, whose mind is a shadow of what it once was. His torment is both external and internal, as his desire to stop the player ultimately led him to destroy the very world he tried to save, leaving him as a tortured king of a ruined Underground. His fractured mind adds a tragic layer to his character, as he’s aware of his role in this endless cycle, yet has no way of stopping it.
The Other Monsters: The other characters, including Papyrus, Undyne, Grillby, and others, have all been changed by the cycle of violence. The loss of family bonds and the constant struggle for power has twisted their personalities. They no longer act out of loyalty or friendship but are driven by self-preservation and the brutal reality of their world. The way these characters cope with the knowledge of their endless deaths and the distrust that now defines their interactions adds a dark layer to their personalities.
Frisk (or Chara): The player is no longer the sole "force" behind the chaos. The player is now just one part of a complex web of survival, caught in a world where the monsters know what’s coming and resent them for it. The once-clear distinction between good and evil is now blurred, and Frisk (or Chara) is forced to confront the fact that their actions have irrevocably shaped the world into a place where survival trumps morality.
The Question of Free Will: A major philosophical question running throughout the AU is whether the characters, particularly the monsters, can ever escape the cycle they’re trapped in. Are they forever doomed to repeat their actions? Do they have any free will, or are they just puppets to the whims of fate, memory, and the player's choices? This existential crisis defines the psychological state of the characters, particularly Sans, who questions whether he can ever break free from his own madness.
Tone and Atmosphere The Dusty Society AU is grim, oppressive, and filled with a sense of loss and futility. The themes of memory, regret, and the consequences of violence resonate deeply throughout the world. Characters who were once full of hope, loyalty, or determination now live in constant fear and resentment, knowing that every act of kindness might lead to their inevitable betrayal or death. The environment of the Underground itself reflects this decay—where it was once a place of wonder and discovery, it is now a barren wasteland, filled with the ashes of forgotten battles and the ruins of what could have been. The world feels abandoned, broken, and haunted by the ghosts of its past. A World Without Hope Ultimately, the Dusty Society AU presents a world where hope has long since faded. There is no future, no possibility for redemption, and no escape from the cycle. The monsters are trapped in their own hellish existence, each one grappling with the reality of their own survival and the knowledge that they may be forced to kill or be killed. This world is one of perpetual darkness, a place where trust is a distant memory and survival is the only law that matters. And amidst it all, the question remains: Who will survive in a society that has forgotten hope? Summary of Dusty Society (Chapters 1–4) Chapter One: Wet Socks & War Crimes
Frisk continues their genocidal rampage through a twisted, broken Ruins, casually trudging through corpses, ruined puzzles, and freezing water. Sans has become a bitter war-scarred killer, and Chara narrates the chaos with gleeful sarcasm. A clumsy knife fight between Sans and Frisk ends in humiliation for both. Meanwhile, Toriel has snapped, leading a violent, chaotic brawl before being obliterated in a blazing showdown of fire and Gaster Blasters.
Chapter Two: The Mad Maiden
Toriel returns in full meltdown mode, raging through the Ruins with a vengeance. Frisk and Sans reluctantly team up to survive her fiery onslaught. As Toriel descends into madness, Sans slips into hallucination, attacking with the same deadly rage he once reserved for Frisk. In the chaos, Frisk escapes, Toriel is turned to ash, and Sans begins to unravel, haunted by his own reflection and growing bloodlust.
Chapter Three: The Splitting Skeleton
Alone in Snowdin, Sans confronts a mental projection of his old self. Their conversation is a brutal internal battle: Dust Sans claims he’s fixing things; Old Sans accuses him of becoming everything he hated. Their philosophical duel ends with Dust Sans sitting in the snow, broken, muttering into the void. His morality fractures further—he’s no longer a protector, just a weapon shaped by regret.
Chapter Four: Done and DUSTED
Snowdin collapses into full absurdist carnage. Papyrus unleashes a wild trap gauntlet while still clinging to a twisted sense of cheer. Monster Kid emerges as a horrifying wildcard, headbutting enemies to death and accidentally defeating Sans in a humiliating, dust-splattering finish. Frisk and Chara are horrified to realize Monster Kid is now powerful—and disturbingly enthusiastic. Snowdin burns, bodies fall, and Waterfall awaits.
Cast of Characters (Current Status: Unstable, Murderous, or Worse) Frisk – A near-silent, cold-blooded murderer walking the line between apathy and absurdity. Dead-eyed, soaked in dust, occasionally stylish (ribbons).
Chara – The sarcastic, ghostly narrator who revels in mayhem and mocks everything, including Frisk.
Sans (Dust Sans) – A genocidal version of his old self, slowly losing touch with reality, haunted by hallucinations and guilt.
Old Sans – A hallucinated version of Sans' former self, representing guilt, memory, and a sassier conscience.
Toriel – Once a motherly figure, now a fire-wielding war maiden gone berserk. Destroyed in Chapter 2.
Papyrus – Still flamboyant, but with twisted innocence and a short temper. Likely on the edge of snapping.
Napstablook/Napstadummy – A tragic casualty caught between monologues and murder attempts. Dismembered.
Whimsun – A sweet-sounding southern killer butterfly. Vaporized by a Gaster Blaster.
Monster Kid – Deranged, armless, headbutting gremlin with terrifying strength and delusions of grandeur. Accidentally killed Sans.
Grillby – Stoic flame bartender turned one-man arson squad. Quietly burning down what's left of civilization.