#but i never ended up writing it down cuz i hadn't planned to revisit the idea
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
My Soul Headcanons
There are two types of souls: Human and Monster. A Human soul is a thousand times more powerful than a Monster soul due to their naturally occuring determination. Monsters tend to be more in touch with magic as their forms are almost entirely composed of it but most Humans are able to learn how to use magic as well.
Monster souls are much different and almost never manifest a distinct trait like Humans do. It is said that Monster souls are made of love, hope, and magic. Generally, they are white and look like an upside down heart but their appearance can change if the Monster has accumulated LV.
While it is most apparent in Monsters, a soul that has accumulated too much LV becomes unstable and tends to "leak" excess magic. There doesn't seem to be a specific pattern for what a soul with high LV looks like since every soul is different. The colour and shape could change, it may appear "corrupted" from the inside, it may have a visible aura, etc. Because the soul is the culmination of one's being, an unstable soul often means an unstable individual, which leads to its own problems and makes it difficult to study.
A Human soul looks like a heart and can come in many different colours depending on their trait(s). There are seven documented Human soul traits and multiple variations of them as well. Generally, a Human will have a Primary, or dominant, trait and at least one Secondary trait. However this isn't the rule and occasionally there are Humans with only one Primary trait. They tend to be extremely powerful and many great leaders are believed to only have one trait. It's possible to have more than one Secondary trait but this is also rare.
The Primary & Secondary traits:
Determination: The drive to stick with a task or goal until a desired outcome is reached. This is an incredibly rare Primary trait to the extent that many believe there is only ever one soul with this trait at a time. Souls with this trait are bright red.
Ambition: The desire to achieve success. This is a common Secondary trait and is usually a purplish red.
Devotion: The compulsion to show deep commitment to something or someone. This is an uncommon Secondary trait and is usually is a pinkish red.
Bravery: The strength to remain bold in the face of resistance. This is a common Primary trait and most people can testify to knowing others who possess it. Souls with this trait are bright orange.
Fortitude: The mental or emotional strength to face adversity. This is a common Secondary trait and is usually a bronze colour.
Assurance: The ability to inspire confidence in others. This is an uncommon Secondary trait and is usually a soft orange.
Justice: The desire to treat everyone fairly and right wrongs. This is an uncommon Primary trait with many possessing it taking on important roles in society. Souls with this trait are a bright yellow.
Equity: The capacity to treat everyone fairly regardless of circumstances. This is a common Secondary trait and is usually a creamy yellow colour.
Sincerity: The ability to be genuine in one's actions and words. This is an uncommon Secondary trait and is usually a greenish yellow colour.
Kindness: The compulsion to help others whether they deserve it or not. This is a common Primary trait and most of the time there will be at least one in the room possessing it. Souls with this trait are bright green.
Empathy: The capacity to understand another person's feelings or emotions. This is an uncommon Secondary trait and is usually a teal colour.
Generosity: The willingness to give or share with others. This is a common Secondary trait and is usually a light green colour.
Patience: The ability to stay calm and think things through before making a decision. This is a common Primary trait although those possessing it may not stand out from the crowd so easily. Souls with this trait are cyan.
Endurance: The capacity to withstand hardship. This is a common Secondary trait and is usually a purplish blue.
Diligence: The wherewithal to carefully complete a task no matter how long it takes. This is an uncommon Secondary trait and is usually a soft blue.
Integrity: The willingness to stand for what one believes is morally right. This is an uncommon Primary trait but those who possess it tend to be well respected for their stances. Souls with this trait are dark blue.
Honesty: The desire to be honest whenever possible in life. This is a common Secondary trait and is usually a navy blue.
Loyalty: The ability to be faithful to commitments or a cause. This is an uncommon Secondary trait and is usually a grayish blue.
Perseverance: The stubbornness to stand strong in the face of adversity. This is a common Primary trait and is sometimes mistaken for Determination in those who possess it. Souls with this trait are bright purple.
Tenacity: The ability to relentlessly achieve one's goals. This is an uncommon Secondary trait and is usually a magenta colour.
Obstinance: The stubborn refusal to change an opinion or behavior. This is a common Secondary trait and is usually a soft purple.
There are also dark traits, although they are rare, and to be born with one is unheard of. They tend to be Primary traits but could be Secondary as well. Humans with dark traits have usually gone through hardships and changed as a result. These traits aren't necessarily evil but those possessing them may struggle to do the same good deeds as they could before. (This was inspired by listening to Vetrom on YouTube and I highly recommend their music, especially their Soul themes.)
Despair: The loss of hope or to be without hope. Souls with this trait are usually dull purple.
Fear: The lack of bravery or a response to danger. Souls with this trait are usually dark orange.
Vengeance: The act of repaying injustice with revenge. Souls with this trait are dark red.
Hate: The inability to show love or show kindness to another. Souls with this trait are usually black.
Apathy: The lack of emotion or motivation to accomplish something. Souls with this trait are usually gray.
Most of the time, Humans get their soul colour from their Primary trait but the Secondary trait can also contribute. Sometimes this looks like both colours combined, sometimes the colours don't mix together, sometimes only a small part of the soul has one colour, and sometimes only one colour is ever visible.
Soul traits can be passed from parent to child similar to how genes are passed along. Primary traits are more likely to get passed to the child over Secondary traits. Souls can also affect the child's appearance. For example, a person with only one Primary trait will likely have a matching eye and soul colour. This isn't limited to eye colour but is the most prevalent as the eyes are windows to the soul.
While rare in most universes, Humans and Monsters do have children together, which can lead to interesting results. Such unions rely heavily on magic and the child is almost always carried in one of the parent's souls until they are strong enough to separate on their own. (See my Monster Courting/Heats headcanon for more info.)
The hybrid child can take after either or both parents and their appearance can vary wildly depending on which is the case. The same is true for their soul. Most of the time, they will have either a Human or Monster soul but in rare cases, they could have one that is a combination of the two. In this instance, the soul could be shaped like a Human or a Monster soul and either have traits or none at all.
#raccoons headcanons#undertale#worldbuilding#lore#this is the culmination of various ideas i've had for a year or so#i originally had this idea for have some empathy dear#but i never ended up writing it down cuz i hadn't planned to revisit the idea#i had a bit of a last minute idea for chapter 8 of the nightmare of apathy though#so here we are#i think i'm going to try to have my major fics follow this from now on#what do you think?
23 notes
·
View notes