pessimisticshapewithablog

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

Hi everyone,

I'm going to be away for a while due to mental health stuff. I'm not sure if or when I'll want to return. For the time being, I'll be leaving my blog up, but it won't be active.

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

A long version of Woolhelmina's 'skirt'.

I've been saving this design for later in the timeline of the story I'm writing. When my Lamb no longer needs to be the sole defender of the cult. I felt that all that wool would be hard to deal with in a fight and care for.

Looking at it now, I might use it at the beginning of the story anyway. Woolhelmina starts her "hero's journey" as an adult, so I would like her to look more mature, which I think the long skirt facilitates. As for how she maintains it...

Magic. Lots and lots of magic. But I did write about some mundane bodycare she does to keep her wool pristine.

Left: This might be what she wore when she lived with Ratau.

Middle: This is what she wore when she first founded the cult. She wears the mantle of a red cloak she owns.

Right: Something causal? Not really sure, I just like the way it looks...

The Red Cloak is going to be something Woolhelmina wore a lot growing up. It hide her identity when she had to leave the safety of Ratau's burrow. The color was meant to look like a high-ranking Old Faith cultist from a distance to deter would-be assailants. I still need to add details to it.

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

I'm working on my Lamb Oc, Woolhelmina again.

Each pass is getting truer to what I think Woolhelmina looks like. I don't really know what vibes she gives off, but I like to think it's witchy and a bit intimidating. The volume of her hair gives her an imposing prescence, maybe? It's high maintenance and hints at her having a team of stylists to maintain it or she's using magic instead.

I've been making her skirt longer and longer to the point where I'm starting to consider making it floor length. The current length is for practicality and ease of movement, plus wool is hot so less is better.

Above are two styles I've come up with. The first one keeps it just off the ground (practical), but the second one really screams elegance and a little bit fantastical. It's a tripping hazard for sure but it looks so freaking cunty lmao! The length doesn't need to be equal and might benefit from being shorter in the front than the back, which could be a long train.

I'm still undecided on what to do with Mina's wrist and boot wool. Should it remain short for utility and hygiene purposes or it be long and add to her witch vibes, but might get dirty more? Honestly she might just use magic for any manual labor that needs to get done but it's still something I like to consider.

All in all, I like how she's turning out! Maybe one day she'll be refined enough for me to get commissions done of her. I can't wait!

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

Saō Again!

I like him face.

And his wings.

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

My bug man, Sao.

Just felt like drawing him. Every time I do, his outfit changes a bit, lol.

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

A magic cloak weapon my lamb uses.

It's doubles as a prehensile tool and a bag of holding, amongst other things.

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

Creature Designs:

A moth, a male wasp, and a redesign of Sao's sister with him for scale.

Close ups for the wasp dude and Ant soldier.

I struggled with their mandibles but I think they turned out fine.

In-universe, mandibles only occur in primitive morphs. Most hymenopterans have advanced past the use of them. It's why Sao doesn't have them.

Wasps, even the social ones, still act like irl wasps and live in primitive tribes and societies. Soldier ants tend to keep most of their species more animalistic traits for fighting and intimidation.

Drones (male ants) used their mandibles the least in their lives so were the first to lose them.

And the moth cutie with their proboscis out.

Their mouths aren't that big so they're primarily liquid drinkers just like their irl counterparts.

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

Possible Eyes changes for the Buggy man!

I want to push Sao's bug-ness and better associate his little eyes with his big ones.

Here I just made his sclera darker to match his ocelli (the three smaller eyes on his head.)

Here I went with a plus shape. I noticed the worm enemies and a few other enemies have plus eyes, so I gave him some. I like how it makes Sao look more alien.

I really like these because these keep with his angular shape language and looks really unnerving, in a good way. Although I feel they might distract from his overall design🤔.

Decisions, Decisions...

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

Old Doodles of Sao being a drama queen.

His design has changed, but when I'm feeling structural, Sao's face is sort of like a mask.

His antenna are eyebrow proxies lol.

His eyes are inset and the shape of the eye holes never really changes.

So to show squinting, I show his eyelids. Usually...

I will fudge this to really push the expression, though.

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

Old Doodles of My Lamb's horns

I really liked this hairstyle, but I couldn't get the structure for where the horns would be.

This is what I settled on. Her temples are bare where her horns are rooted. Feels more organic and might be easier to draw consistently.

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

I noticed something else on the Map of the Old Faith.

Are those pentagram shapes with the converging lines Ley Lines?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ley_line

Ley lines are straight alignments drawn between various historic structures, prehistoric sites, and prominent landmarks...

...esoteric traditions have commonly believed that such ley lines demarcate "earth energies" and serve as guides for alien spacecraft.

Where Heaven and Earth meet...

It might also have something to do with Narinder's, now the Mystic Seller's, doorway.

I had a theory that because when we finally go to confront Narinder in the gateway, the lamb floats upwards, Narinder and his domain are not actually below the world, but above it. At the edge of where heaven and earth meet.

The Gateway is a point of connection to the outer spheres and/or the place between. Life, death, this world, or the next. A boundary between mortals and divinity.

This would, or could, make it a location of supernatural significance within the world of COTL. Hence, all those lay lines meeting there.

If those are Ley Lines, and judging by how many lines meet at those converging points, The Lands of the Old faith might be situated where a large amount of energy, magic, whatever, is being drawn to. That might be the very reason the Bishop's settled there, to draw on this power.

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

Character Design:

Woolhelmina, Red Crown Bearer

I've been working toward fully realizing Mina's design for a while now. This is the most current iteration. I made her thicker, and her horns larger and more prominent.

Dressed to Impress

I sketched some ideas for her crusading outfit. I liked her previous version, but it didn't fit her character...yet.

These are meant to reflect her primary sorceress/witch archetype more than her future, god queen, one.

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

A Tale of Two Sozos!

The Knight and The Alchemist

Something for @cosmica-candy!

Our Sozo's meeting!

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

My Cult of the Lamb Theories

I wanted to consolidate my COTL Worldbuilding theories. When commenting on posts I reference them a lot so why not put them all in one place. I'll update this list as needed.

Most of my theories are about how the world of COTL works and my favorite blorbos. Mainly TOWW, his sons and one-off posts about minor characters like Midas or Sozo. I also do character analysis if there's enough information to do so.

They're free to reference as that is the nature of worldbuilding. All that I ask is that some credit be given if they are used. I do NOT allow the use of my work to be used to train AI though.

(This post is always being updated so keep your eyes peeled folks!)

Theory 1 - Why does only TOWW's head transform in battle?

Theory 2 - Why TOWW becomes a follower after his defeat.

Theory 3 - Haro was a Bishop of the Old Faith.

Theory 4 - The Birth of Aym and Baal was what finally caused the Bishops to turn on Narinder.

Theory 5 - Clauneck was the person who originally foresaw the Lamb prophecy.

Theory 6 - Helob is an ant mimic. It's why he looks so different from other spiders.

Theory 7 - Sozo's followers obeyed the mushroom growing from his head, not him.

Theory 8 - Aym and Baal are Narinder's sons.

Theory 9 - TOWW needed to kill us to leave the Realm Beyond.

Theory 10 - Chemach was the one who caused the crowned gods to go extinct.

Micro Theories/Headcanons

¤The Crowns

The Divine Crowns - Possible IRL Inspiration for the Crowns.

What are the crowns? (ask) - speculation on the nature of the divine crowns.

Color and Divinity - is there a connection?

The Crowns and the Mystic Seller - symbiotic lifeforms?

¤The One Who Waits

Role of Death Gods(ask) - some headcanons on how they interacted with the world...

Narinder, God of Man - why he was imprisoned...

TOWW's size - why is he so big...

TOWW's resource(reblog) - What was TOWW's domain resource?

How are Death Gods made? - speculation on TOWW's origin as a death god

The new morgue building - it kinda looks familiar...

Patron Elder God of Death - protector of his kin...

A Wraith God? - Is TOWW a ghost in his natural state?

One Tomb... - the building housing the gate might not be a temple....

Narinder's Veil - what does it mean to him and his former followers....

¤The Bishops

Wielding death... - what is it to kill?

Lands of the New Faith... - where the Red Crown reigned supreme...

Where the Bishops and Narinder fought(reblog) - the statue outside the temple ground looks interesting.

Messy Bishops - they look unkept....

IRL Bishop animal counterparts - What creatures could the bishops be inspired from...?

The Binding Ritual (reblog)- what was the kindling for the Sacrement?

¤NPCS

Midas's Robes - They look like knockoff Bishop robes.

Midas and the Gods of Gold (request) - Who is Midas and his patron gods?

Ratoo's lover - who were they...

The Fox - A death god in the making...?

The Mystic Seller - an enigma from the stars...

¤The World Of COTL

Death In COTL (blood moon festival update) - Where do all those souls for weapons and curses come from?

Demons in COTL - my theory on what they are and how they are created...

Orcus the Demon - why is it's design everywhere.

Camellias - Why are Camellia's so important in COTL.

Cursed hearts - What is it to be cursed..

Where is the Realm Beyond? - where does it exist in the world?

¤The Gods

What are Gods in COTL - My Headcanons on the nature of gods (Relics of the old faith spoilers)

Who were the First Gods(ask)- my headcanons on the First Gods and their downfall.

The Remains of an Old God. - a corpse in plain view...

Character Analysis

BAAL, THE FIRST SON

Aym(WIP)...

The One Who Waits(WIP)....

Sozo's Corner

Alate!Sozo - my Sozo focused AU

Cause I love him your honor.

Theories

What really happened to Sozo?

Official Unused Sozo art

Sozo's interesting speech pattern.

Sozo, a chosen sacrifice?

Sozo, Patient Zero? - was Sozo being used to spread Menticide mushrooms?

COTL Ant, Bees, And Wasp sizes

Sozo's Statue - what did it mean to him?

And chance encounter - Sozo appears during a crusade...

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

My Lamb being a model lab assistant.

A close-up of Woolhelmina cause look at my girl 😍

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

Narinder's Old Domain.

I just realized something about this map.

Spoilers for the update below

There is another landmass in the upper right corner.

With Narinder's crown, larger and more defined than the others.

The character's within the comic don't know about the Lamb or their cult, they're actively looking for them within the story. TOWW has been imprisoned for centuries at this point too. So then how, and why, would there be a Red Crown on this map...?

Is this TOWW's old territory?!

I had a theory that Narinder's power as a death god made him more powerful and widely worshipped than siblings, but I thought it was strange that in-game we never see anything of this.

I chocked it up to the Bishops's getting rid of any mention of him after his imprisonment. As gods are want to do. But if that is Narinder's old stomping ground and not just a fancy map decoration, then that changes everything. The Old Faith is called "The Old Faith" because Narinder's Gospel is/was the current one!

Of course, the Bishop's wouldn't want any reminders of Narinder in their lands. The dude had a whole continent worshipping him!

I would love to see how TOWW's land has been faring without him so long. Things can't be going well if critters are constantly seeking the Lands of the Old Faith for...something.

Or...

Maybe the Bishops's are just tricking folks to come there to feed their literal human-meat-grinder, lol.

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

Portrait of Two Diplomats

The Enchantress and the Alchemist

Full Picture below.