Headscratchers / Underline

• So... the whole timeline seems to be based on a fallacy that just because something (in this case eight humans falling into Underground in short time one after another after no such thing happened for thousands of years) is improbable, it's automaticaly impossible. It's stated that there were approximately several centuries between each of the Fallen Children (except for Brook and Quinn), and at least thousand years between Chara and Frisk. But... there are two things that don't work with this assumption.
  • It's mentioned in Alphys' lab notes that flower that much later became Flowey grew shortly after Toriel left, before Robin (second Fallen) fell. Flowey wasn't given sentience and consciousness until after death of the seventh Fallen - meaning that... he somehow stayed alive for several centuries? How? It's explictly stated that said flower was just a mundane plant from the surface world, not a magical one. Flowers DON'T live for centuries - even decades are already very long. And no, "Asriel's essence kept it alive for so long" doesn't really work as an explanation, as it definitely wouldn't go unnoticed if that one flower somehow was still alive and well hundreds of years after all other of its species withered away (and even this scenario requires us to assume that Asgore - an experienced gardener and one of few monsters who still remember the surface - had absolutely no prior knowledge of this particular species of flower and only realised that it shouldn't be alive for so long from observation), and Alphys and Asgore definitely wouldn't be willing to use such special plant in such dangerous and important experiment, as it would risk both damaging the plant and experiment failing due to whatever is so special about that one plant interfering with results.
  • There are also items left behind by the Fallen, none of which shows any sign of centuries passing. While it's plausible with Chara's dagger and locket, as they were kept in Asgore's home all this time, it doesn't work with other, most of which were just abandoned and forgotten - and even those that did find a new owner wouldn't just stop aging. The best example here would be Torn Notebook. Have you ever had a decades old book in your hands? It's easy to accidentaly tear holes in the pages by just touching it a bit too hard. If that notebook really spent several centuries in Gerson's backpack, it would crumble to dust instantly the moment we tried to hit anything with it (and it's assuming that Gerson actually cared about it and tried to keep it at least relatively undamaged). There are also: Faded Ribbon (it might be possible for it to survive and still be wearable after so long depending on what it was made of, but it would definitely no longer be red), Though Gloves (similarly, they would no longer be pink), Old Tutu (centuries spent in a Cave Behind the Falls? It should be completely destroyed by moiture) and Burnt Pan (which, after being abandoned for so long inside a volcano, would be completely corroded). While other items are a little more resistant (with the exception of Empty Gun - however, it's empty and used to Pistol Whip enemies, so it doesn't really have to be working), there are still multiple ways they could be destroyed over the course of so many years (worst offender here would be Toy Knife: the only reason it wasn't counted among those that would be surely destroyed is the fact that plastic can actually survive for centuries if left alone - but it's also very fragile, especially cheap one used in most toys, and would only weaken over time). And it's not even counting the fact that after hundreds of years most of those items would be completely burried (as stratum tends to generate surprisingly fast in inhabited area).

Hey just one of the authors of Underline butting in!

• I would like to apologize for the confusing stuff, at most I stated that 300 years should have passed between Chara and Frisk, the reason for that is the opening of the game says that "Legends say that..(etc)", basically I'm saying there has to be a long time because it's a legend. If it were just a story kids told each other like Bloody Mary, it wouldn't be a legend. And if all the children went there in a short time, adults would start to do something about it like put up signs, fences and such.
  • The items the kids left behind, if we assume they were in good condition when left behind, could indeed be kept in good condition for a long time. Saying that old notebooks fall to pieces is a bit misleading, that perhaps only apply to books kept in crappy conditions? I myself have notebooks and such that are easily 20 years old now and they're still not deteriating. Maybe a tiny bit yellowed but that's it.
    • It's not that a decades/hundreds years old book would fall to pieces by itself, but it certainly would if used as a weapon (as it is in game).
    • Also, it's strongly implied in the intro (and all but outright stated by Asriel during playable epilogue) that whole "Those who climb the mountain never return" legend was already around back in Chara's time. As for fences and warning signs around the mountain: it would only happen if the humans in the outside world somehow joined all the missings to Mount Ebott. Now, as we know, bodies of the Fallen were never found, and it's not like a missing person carries GPS around everywhere so it's easier to locate them. For what the humans outside know, it would be "Seven children disappeared somewhere in a short time" - not "Seven children disappeared at Mount Ebott in a short time". And also, just because we don't see or hear about any signs around the mountain, it doesn't mean they aren't there. Remember: we never actually see Frisk climbing Mount Ebott. The Fallen Child we see in the intro is actually Chara.
  • But that is another interesting thing about all the items! We know that the Narrator describes the Tough Glove as pink, but the steam badge artwork is very grey. It's aged a lot! (Toby approved all the badges so we know it can be used for canon information)

Anyway, I'm very sorry for the confusion! I know my explanations can cause more confusion though...