Editing Atropal (section)

==Origins==
While the idea of them being unfinished godlike beings works, there are hints that there is a more sinister reason for their existence. It's been repeatedly hinted in multiple settings that Atropals share some connection to [[Atropus|a certain World Born Dead]] beyond similar names - most notably, them sharing a resemblance to non-Aspect avatars of Atropus. Thus several theories alternative to the mainstream "failed attempt at godlikes" arose in-universe around this connection.

One such theory is that Atropus is simply the first, largest, and most powerful Atropal . The mainstream theory ''could'' still hold if that is the case, though why one Atropal is ''fucking moon-sized'' would have to be explained. It does match the part though - its surface is partially composed of amniotic fluid, which is associated with childbirth (and thus the ugly baby motif of most Atropal renditions) and it only seeks to bring death and destruction to the worlds of the Material Plane.

However, other theories place Atropus as the creator of this race of undead abominations. Instead of being created after the gods and left unfinished, they were created by the Elder Evil itself in its image, probably as a means of creating powerful emissaries of its will to spread death. This was either actively done, possibly with its Aspect shaping each Atropal from the moonlet's flesh and soil, or passively by Atropals being formed by material being cast off of its surface by impacts and the like.

There's also the unreleated theory of Atropals just being miscarried or aborted gods. Though its not as intriguing as the others, it does make sense, considering both in-universe and in IRL mythology [[/d/|there's plenty of god-babymaking happening]].