#Magog Cartel

[asameera]

OddworldTober23 Day 2: Cartel.

Who's truly pulling the strings?

(I'm surprised my black marker is still alive!)

[grumpygammon]

[ohfugecannada]

Lorne Lanning on the investors of the Magog Cartel

[bosskie]

Deal

Man, how to start explaining this oddness... Welp, this was that one drawing idea I have kept to myself to this day, the one I mentioned revealing if I don't redraw it this year since the original is an unfinished drawing I haven't really shown but just Molluck. So, yeah, here it is, after about 3 years!

This is a reference to another video game's ad where the enemies much work together against a common enemy. If you could figure out the game already, I give ya ten points! And if you didn't, well, it's alright. The game is 'Crash Twinsanity'; just one game I love and especially its soundtrack (it's a capella)! So yeah, there was just speculations of how the story would continue after SoulStorm and one of them was that Molluck and Abe would work together againts the Magog Cartel. So, that's where this idea came from. I kinda wish that this was the case since it might be the only way how Molluck would achieve a good ending.

I was originally going to make this as a Mother's Day thing, as a bad joke, but welp, I did let it be... Molluck just kinda has to destroy his mother in order to save himself, so he could use Abe's help to do it and a part of that deal, he could help Abe to, well, at least see his mother. But well, cannot really make any promises from Molluck's part since he is known to be a back-stabber... (It's how he achieved his position.) So, he could just use Abe but maybe something would evoke inside him that would him genuinely let Abe be, so he wouldn't revenge the disaster Abe did to him... Or he thinks that 'revenge is a dish best served cold', like that one saying goes... So yeah, cannot know about Molluck. But I hope that he is able to work with Abe, even after getting himself saved.

Oh, and yeah, in that ad, that deal is pictured as a marriage, so that's why they got such outfits. I must say that Molluck looks very handsome in that suit! Abe's suit is just a white loincloth and a necklace-robe-something thing with OWI's logo. And yes, he is holding a bouquet. I originally did Lady Margaret to look like the original Mudokon Pop but I changed it to, well, make this less violent. I wonder if it should be called Queen Pop or Pop Queen... I'm not sure of how to draw Abe's mother, Sam, since her head is kinda varied, just like Lady Margaret's, since there ain't 'official version' out there, just these concepts... But I tried my best. I also feel like Abe might be a bit too big here but well, this is what you get when you draw on a paper; it's difficult to edit stuff, if not impossible, and you might realize things when it's too late...

I'm not sure if I should show the original WIP since it's quite unfinished and looks kinda bad but well, some improvement I guess:

I still like the way Molluck looks here, though I did fix the flaws I saw to this new sketch I did. Abe instead has much more flaws, like too human-like anatomy, so yeah, more stuff to fix... But you can probably see better the outfit design I did for Abe here. And yeah, Sam looks different here, mainly because I feel like I understood better how her head 'works'... Lady Margaret looking fine on a stick there but yeah, felt like doing the later version of the Pops to the new sketch...

Man, I'm not really sure about how to explain the things I have been thinking about Molluck recently... I just feel like it only fascinates me, all the possible dark stuff he has done. It just makes me feel interested, somehow amused too since my humour can be quite dark and twisted... It's really like one of the main reasons why I love Oddworld, all that dark stuff! Like, I have probably said this earlier, but for example, that one Lady Margaret's lung transplant concept art just makes me laugh like every time, the one where Munch is basically merged into her body. I also recently learned more about the possible dark arts Glukkons still practice, like forecasting stocks using Mudokon organs... I already got some 'bad ideas' to make it further since 'a liver' is in Finnish 'maksa' and it can also be a conjugated from a verb 'maksaa'. So, 'maksa' can mean 'Pay!' or 'maksaa' is like something costs something or someone pays something. So yeah, such a great organ for this stuff! I feel like my humour is probably one big reason why I'm kinda siding with the Gluks... It's not the same that I supported this stuff, I just enjoy stuff like this.

I also did read the newspapers from the worst ending of SoulStorm again and noticed more stuff. It's not always easy to say what is actually true there but mainly it is. There was just said that Molluck blamed declining resources in wildlife supply on his ongoing diminishing returns but the newspaper said that it wasn't true. I believe that it's true what Molluck said, that those hunted animal populations were getting thin and that's why he did that Mudokon Pops solution; just gotta get that meat from somewhere! It's interesting though how in games, we have only seen how the animals at RuptureFarms are brought from the wilds but in that movie concept, there do are (also) farm animals, like those cow-like creatures. I must say that if Molluck only uses hunted animals, his business model has indeed been quite unsustainable and I don't wonder why he got that downfall and it would actually have been inevitable, so Abe only made it quicker. Though, Molluck was rewarded with that golden medal he wears, that tie thing, so it makes me think that he must have had some other practices too or are Glukkons just into unsustainable things... If so, man, they are slowly killing themselves too. I just believe that Glukkons could practice sustainable capitalism, it would be much more wiser, and if I was with Molluck, I would do my best to get him into this kind of business model, also to save his ass... Well, he did still try to create other products too but welp, they failed... I would still try to help him to save his business.

I have also wondered more about Molluck's actual behaviour, like how bad anger issues he has in reality... It still makes me laugh when I read that 'murderous Molluck' stuff and how awful he was from those newspapers, being said to be 'a psycho'. I just don't personally see him being this awful and I bet that this stuff in exaggerated but has some truth in it. Like, I bet that when Molluck is truly angry, well, he kills. We can see that in SoulStorm, no matter which ending it is, Molluck kills, by himself or via the Sligs. So yeah, do not get on the bad side of him... I'm not really justifying his actions but the world Molluck lives in is brutal and if he fails, he is wiped out, so he must do everything to really survive and retire one day. I just feel like he has needed to harden his heart for this reason. It's just that I feel like I understand Molluck, like why he even ended up killing his Chauffeur. I also just truly love him, so it feels like no matter what is revealed related to him, I'll still love him. I just believe that there somewhere, quite deep inside of him, he still has a heart and is able to love (not just himself, luxuries, his mother, and so on...).

Yeah, dunno what else to say... Just sharing my ideas, thoughts and love for Molluck once more. Frankly, while drawing that new sketch, I still just felt like I cannot really draw well and felt depressed... But I try to just focus on what I draw, not how I drew something since I just feel like I got so much to learn to even make my stuff look good... I just feel like my stuff hasn't good quality... Well, all I can do for that is just keep drawing or just quit. I mainly just post sketches anyway, so they ain't even fully rendered and polished. It's been long since I actually finished a proper drawing... Sketching is just better since I got too many ideas to fart out...

[thecreaturecodex]

Slig

Concept art by Steven Olds, © Oddworld Inhabitants. Accessed at the Oddworld Wiki here

[Sponsored by @martyslittleusedblog. They're been trying to get me interested in monsters from platforming games for a while, and this is what hooked me. Partially because I remember Oddworld and Abe's Odyssee for the PS1. My cousin was the one with the Playstation, and he didn't like the game, but I remember poring over the manual and delighting in the concepts and the art. A dystopian game where a low level employee at a meat packing plant fights a corporate empire and becomes a reluctant Chosen One? Yes please!

The sligs are the main grunt force of said corporate empire, the Magog Cartel. Imagine if koopas carried shotguns. Apparently a slig slave revolt is a plot point in one of the later games. Good for them. If you're super worried about game balance, this is another monster, like the watchuka, that has a lot of treasure for its CR because guns and other ranged weapons are very expensive in Pathfinder 1e.]

Slig CR 4 NE Aberration This green skinned creature has a squid-like head with five finger-like feelers surrounding its mouth. It has large muscular arms and metal legs. It wears a set of red-tinted goggles and carries a large gun.

Sligs are eusocial mollusk-like creatures native to the swamps of the planet Mudos. They are most commonly found elsewhere as grunts, soldiers and assassins, as their queens have gladly sold the entire species to the Magog Cartel, a massive industrial empire. In exchange for unquestioning service, the Cartel provides sligs with greater mobility. A slig is born with strong forelimbs and stunted hind limbs, perfectly serviceable for pulling themselves between bodies of water, but good for little else. A slig in slig pants, however, can walk, jump and use its arms for carrying weapons; typically guns. Sligs love guns. Most sligs also wear goggles on a regular basis, both to protect their eyes (they are naturally nocturnal and live in foggy swamps) and because higher ups in the Magog Cartel find their beady eyes aesthetically displeasing.

Few sligs are very bright, but most of them are very cruel. Unlike many other eusocial sapient species but more similar to bumblebees and paper wasps, there is frequent infighting among sligs as they jockey for rank. The Cartel has managed to channel that into organized contests like kill counts, employee of the month bonuses and frequent games. Another privilege is the use of names—all sligs have a name, but using it publicly instead of a number and rank has to be earned by service to the Cartel. Sligs off duty are often found playing card games or sports, and those not playing are usually betting their spare income on such matches.

A slig stands about five feet tall. They are short lived, and considered adults by 2 years and ancient by 20.

Variant Sligs Sligs are naturally morphologically plastic, as they respond quickly to changes in hormone levels. In addition, different sligs may have different abilities due to different equipment and cybernetics bestowed on them by the Magog Cartel.  For example, Big Bro sligs are Large sligs who have to be equipped with special four-legged slig pants to support their weight, and are often given automatic weapons. Some sligs are given flying harnesses instead of pants—they have a fly speed of 40 feet (perfect), but no land speed. Other sligs, especially with class levels, may be equipped with heavier armor, flamethrowers, or rocket launchers.  

Slig          CR 4 XP 1,200 NE Medium aberration (aquatic) Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +6 Defense AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15(+2 Dex, +3 natural, +2 armor) hp 47 (5d8+25) Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +4 Weakness light blindness Offense Speed 30 ft., swim 20 ft. Melee 2 slams +4 (1d6+1) or heavy mace +4 (1d8+1) Ranged masterwork shotgun +6 (1d8) Statistics Str 13, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 11 Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 16 Feats Deadly Aim, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearms) (B), Gunsmithing (B), Point Blank Shot, Toughness Skills Acrobatics +8 (+12 when jumping), Craft (firearms) +2, Knowledge (engineering) +5, Perception +6, Survival +6 Languages Common, Slig SQ amphibious, slig pants, uplifted Ecology Environment any land Organization solitary, pair, squad (3-8), troop (9-24) or army (25-100) Treasure standard (veemod goggles with brown veemod, 2 batteries, masterwork shotgun with 10 pellet cartridges and 10 slug cartridges, heavy mace, other treasure) Special Abilities Slig Pants (Ex) Most sligs encountered wear slig pants, a set of robotic lower legs designed for a slig to sit in and control. These pants grant the slig a 30 foot land speed, a +2 armor bonus to AC (that doesn’t stack with worn armor) and a +4 racial bonus to Acrobatics checks. A slig without its pants on has a land speed of only 5 feet, and cannot use manufactured weapons as it needs its hands to move. A slig without pants is a CR 3 creature. A slig’s pants are destroyed when the creature is slain (and cannot be worn by anything besides a slig regardless). Uplifted (Ex) A slig gains Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearms) and Gunsmithing as bonus feats.

[demonogeny]

Sekto but as a bloodthristy pirate

I think he wouldn't be too different in this scenario. He'd be just as greedy and cruel, he would just need to be more hands-on with all the stealing and murdering along the way, and he'd be stinkier for sure. He could even still be part of a different iteration of the Magog Cartel. I had a lot of fun with this one!

Request by anon: "DRAWING REQUEST: could you draw him as a pirate boyo (pretty pwease with a cherry on top)"

[closingstraw97]

Do you think Glukkons have a shunned working/ blue collar class? Like a glukkons who forms Unions and do things like Carpentry/ Construction, Mechanical and Auto-Motive work, Electrical repair, and other things that the richer Glukkons hate to even think about.

Like yeah the Magog Cartel, the Glukkons in general, amd what have you are a stand in for the rich and upper class but it would make sense if they still had that.

[schizoideh]

I haven't been uploading it on tumblr yet as I thought it's not that interesting as my other art but I am in some sort of art block so I have to upload something anyway.

And I thought it's alright to intoduce you these two guys of mine, the mudokon boi accidentally appeared together with the slig character which was the only one I intended to create tbh (you saw him a couple of times already), but turned out their whole shtick is synergizing as one entity and keep each other up despite the differences in their personalities.

665th, the slig. Doesn't have a name as it's usually something sligs have to deserve, which, by the cartel's opinion, he didn't. Living a quiet miserable slig life like it always is, he developed the utter disgust to the ugly society he was a part of, the one that took any light and happiness from his life, even the small bits he had and cherished a lot were taken away from him one bad night. That was the moment when it was enough for him to go renegade and form the resistance. By slig's standards he is also pretty old as they usually rarely live up to 20 years, he might be still pretty young by the body but it's slowly giving up respiratory wise and it looks like he doesn't have that much time left. So, his life now is fully dedicated to completely destroy the cartel, driven by personal vendetta he doesn't talk about that openly.

Gab, the mudokon worker. Your neighbour delivery boy with a very hot temper and strong will to revolt, violently beat the strong and protect the weak. Being saved by Abe at Rupture farms gave him a great sign to be better than a ignorant punk he was. Following such a great example, Gab decided to help out with the of saving the other mudokons from the exploitative slavery and increasing the population of anti-cartel team them and 665th formed. He is usually the one going out for scouting and operations that require stealth-only approach as his natural lightness and agility allows him to be completely silent. Other than saving his brothers, Gabe also would be glad to see the Magog cartel fall so this never could happen again.

[incorrect-oddworld-quotes]

Lady Margaret, yelling at Molluck during his trial: I AM LOST FOR WORDS!

Newscaster Slig, recapping the event: Despite being lost for words, Lady Margaret continued to yell Molluck for the next ten minutes, telling him he was a disgrace to the Magog Cartel and the worst son she ever had.

[oddclan-askblog]

Molluck, Brewer, and Aslik in the oddswitch au. I drew Molluck tiny this time based on  @ohfugecannada and  francoisl-artblog ‘s head canons  on what gluks would look like without industrialization. Both envision them being short and almost like dwarfs which makes the Glukkons seem more adorable and endearing similar to mudokons in the canon lore. Initially this scene was meant to be reminiscent to the beginning of Soulstorm with Abe having escaped with a small fallowing and conversing with a shaman type figure. Here Molluck and Brewer are bickering over their next steps wearing a mix of worker and tribal garb. 

In  @ohfugecannada ‘s hc Molluck was born free and resents his fellow gluks for not fighting back, especially alchemists as they try to dissuade him from his goal. I agree with them that having  an industrial-outsider protagonist would give a different perspective on the factories and I think that would be really cool for the au. Aslik and Brewmaster could serve Alf and Toby’s roles with  Brewmaster being an alchemist Molluck convinces to join him on his journey? 

I made the symbol on the rock a flipped version of the Magog Cartel’s logo. Its slightly less threatening and meant to resemble the sun. Perhaps Glukkon’s worship the sun and their insistence on doing so only further infuriates the Mudokons? 

[spoocyshrub]

*Roxx and Daisy both entered the office of the Baron of the Magog Cartel. Daisy took a seat in front of Baron Buptkitzer’s desk while Roxx began to serve his employer a cigar. He placed one into his own mouth and Daisy lit both of their cigars with her lighter. Roxx and Oswald both took a long drag of their freshly lit cigars before the Baron finally addressed them.*

“Roxx, Daisy. I called you into my office today because I wish to discuss something with you both.”

“By the look on yer face, boss, ya got some grim news for us.” - Oswald’s glare became more intense by Roxx’s remark. He spoke once again, but in a deep growl. – “I ain’t gunna sugarcoat this. I’m about to send you both on a mission that will end in many casualties. Maybe even your own. The entire planet is in danger right now. I can’t turn a blind eye to this one as so many of my glukkon brothers and sisters are doing right now, and I’m not going to hide in some doomsday bunker vault like the rest of ‘em.

I am going to send you both to Allervale. Daisy will be in charge of a platoon of armed sligs. You will protect the village. Roxx? I want you to act as Bodyguard to my daughter, her fiancé, and my nephew Dokk. Dokk was recently injured in an attack by Sammdei.”

“Sammdei? You mean that Outcast glukkon sorcerer that Lady Margaret was gunna have executed when he stopped bein’ useful to her?”

“The very same, Daisy. I am not going to tolerate these attacks on my family. I must warn you that this is no ordinary foe. He’s apparently trying to act like a false god and plans to kill us all if he gets the chance. I understand that there is…spiritual forces at play here. The gods themselves are walking on Oddworld again and they are raging some kind of war on Oddworld.”

“A mass casualty event, eh?”

“Mass casualty, or even a mass extinction event if it gets too bad, Roxx. I am aware I might be sending you both to your deaths today. If you manage to come back alive, I will pay you a Queen’s ransom. You will be recognized as heroes of the cartel, and you will be rich.”

*Daisy and Roxx look to each other for a moment before they began to rub their hands together greedily.*

“Daisy, my sweet, we will finally be able to get that romantic candlelight dinner in the Yaymans I promised you some time back. Hell, we can get an entire vacation home in the Yaymans!”

“WE ACCEPT AND WILL HEAD OUT IMMEDIATELY, BOSS!”

[ghostmoor]

22

22: Do you have any AU ideas?

ok i don't normally do AUs but... one that has floated around in my head for years that i've never put on paper is a sort of far-future continuation of Oddworld where the current society on Mudos has collapsed following canon events, the strict hierarchy of species has been overturned, big business conglomerates like the magog cartel are dissolved etc. and everyone is rebuilding out of what's left

it's still kind of a dystopia because it doesn't have the end result of enslaved mudokons all being released to go and live w/ their free counterparts, but rather a lot of people cling to urban areas because there's food and shelter and that's what they're familiar with, and because in the new world it doesn't have to mean abject misery for everyone living there, even if a lot of places end up falling into similar traps

It would be a lot about fucked up people with good intentions trying to construct a society that works for everyone out of the remains of one that pushed greed and violence down their throats and the constant struggle not to let corporate interests consume everything again bc I think that would be very interesting to write

[asameera]

Oddworld: Code 583 - Chapter 10: Room SB.322

WARNING: VIOLENCE AHEAD!

ooOoo

Night had long since fallen when Lure opened his eyes. His mind still foggy, he sat up slightly, shaking his head to chase away the sleepiness, which proved to be more difficult than expected. He stretched his limbs, savoring their flexibility and firmness. The dish he had consumed before falling asleep had to be stuffed with some damn vitamins, he still felt the effects of it. It was very pleasant.

Finally, he jumped to his feet, arched his back for a moment, cracking his vertebrae, and approached the windows. Through the glass, in the dark night dotted with stars, he could see the gigantic white sphere that lit the way. Despite the mask that enhanced his poor eyesight, the Slig struggled to make out the shape of the craters on the round surface. If he had the chance one day, he might buy himself precision glasses, like those held by snipers. But what would be the point? He was seeing the moon for the very first time in his life, and he certainly wouldn't get another chance. During his time at Slig Barracks, the pollution was so bad that clouds of smoke hid the sky, and when he had been transferred to Gottlieb Industriz, he had to take a train in a closed compartment without any windows. When his boss had asked him to accompany him to Nolybab, his attention had been taken up by his boss's mood and he had frankly not paid attention to what was over his head. And once he'd return to the factory, he would again be confined within these walls, in this small room, with her.

It was she who had spoken of the moon, he remembered now. This celestial body seemed important to her. Maybe he could at least ask her why? He squinted more, tried to identify the dark, blurred shapes. Some kind of spider? No. Then trees? Maybe not. Then maybe... a hand? Caught in doubt, he raised his own to the round surface. The four dark peaks matched the number of fingers, but it didn't seem to quite fit either. So he lowered his hand, almost disappointed. It would have been kinda cool if it had fitted.

He then looked down to the ground and suddenly noticed a whole complex of rounded buildings, strewn with white and green lights, as well as several control towers armed with projectors scanning the sky. He could even make out several advertising panels underlined by colored neon lights, which announced the newest products in vogue with the disturbing image of a Vykker on the poster. The Slig let out a swearing in his native language, feeling uncomfortable.

A purple skin that recalled the poisons they handled. Four arms as thin as dead shrub stems, punctuated by three long black claws. Three tiny legs that supported a naturally deformed body. A small, bulging belly, a back that seemed to go too far back, pulled by a protruding spine. A huge head that seemed to plunge forward, with a cephalopod skull reminiscent of the Glukkons. Very small yellow eyes deeply sunken in their sockets and disproportionately dirty lower teeth, which could be seen on the outside even when they closed their mouths. And of course, they were often adorned with an array of pharmaceutical or medical equipment.

Lure had never understood how anyone could make a sale with a face like that, although he probably didn't have any say in the matter - but still, they looked like evil chewing gum on legs! The Vykkers might be respected scientific researchers, but they still looked like mad scientists, ready to dissect you. In fact... they truly were mad scientists who didn't care about ethics or animal suffering - why would they, when the conglomerate they belonged to, as powerful as the Magog Cartel, didn't either? To tell the truth, they even played with it, with a certain sense of humor that displeased no one. Often, in a corner of the advertising poster, one could see the image of a small furry ball with big shiny eyes, stung on all sides with huge syringes, surrounded by a catchphrase: 'Many Fuzzles have been mistreated in order to bring you this product'.

At this sight, Lure understood two things. First of all, he was particularly sensitive to this black humor and couldn't hold back a chuckle, even though he knew that there was no joke in it. Nobody could really change at core. And then, if he was able to read so well, it meant that the airship was getting closer and closer to the complex. This was to be their destination. Just below the ship, the Slig spotted an Intern on a landing floor waving at them with two glow sticks. On the platform they were heading to was marked in capital letters 'SITE S - GATE B3'.

Yes, this was their destination.

Just before he turned away, Lure looked up one last time, but the moon had vanished from his view. He hurriedly retrieved the envelope that had slipped under his bed and walked to the locked door, ready to leave. The feeling in the pit of his stomach accompanied by a thud and a slight jolt told him that the ship had finally landed. Immediately, the door opened automatically in front of him.

“Please step out into the hallway and line up.”

Lure didn't need to be told twice. Nor did any other Slig for that matter. As if they had all been rehearsing the same choreography together for weeks, they had all stepped forward with the same mechanical noise, and were now standing as straight as possible, unmoving, waiting for orders. It all came so naturally, and that meant only one thing: the training at Slig Barracks had paid off. They were all good guys, shaped just right. They were all the same, out of the same mold. It was reassuring.

A little further on, Lure heard the gangway lowered and the cold night air rushed in with the dry sand. Lure would have gladly shivered, but now his entire genetic code remembered. He was a soldier, he was compliant, he had to show it. When the shrill voice ordered them out, it was as if a single entity had moved through all the security guards. Right leg, left leg, to the martial rhythm they knew by heart. One, two, one, two... no questions, no doubts, just an order in mind and blind obedience.

Although... Lure almost broke the chain at some point, when he heard a loud noise behind him and realized that the airship was taking off again. The rhythm within him was disturbed as unnecessary questions raced through his head. Why was it taking off again? Wasn't it supposed to wait for them? How were they supposed to get back? Was this normal? But he didn't say anything, didn't show anything. He continued to move forward and passed through the heavy automatic doors that invited them to enter a pale, sanitized world of white tiles and blinding lights.

The hallway stretched for several dozen meters before leading to a tiny office where a Vykker was waiting for them, obviously more busy flipping through files than greeting them. When the first Slig reached the office and stopped, all the others did the same behind, creating a long line that almost ended on the heeliopad. The Vykker didn't even look up from his work, but held one of his four skeletal arms straight out in front of him, claws open.

“The letter, please.”

The tone of his voice was as high-pitched as the airship's announcements, and Lure felt his eardrums protest. Did all the Vykkers really sound like that? If so, he was glad he wasn't working for them. He was more used to the loud, hoarse and deep tone of the Glukkons. Fortunately, the Vykkers employed mostly Interns rather than Sligs. Fortunately.

“Room SB-31. Next! Letter.”

As he went on, Lure could see the scientist repeating the same movements over and over. One arm to grab the envelope, a second to break the seal, while the last two were busy rearranging the files. The Vykker's disgusting yellow eyes took just two seconds to read the contents on paper before returning to his work.

“Room SB-36. Next!”

And as soon as the Slig left to make room for the next one, the purple creature tore up the letter before extending its claws again.

“Letter.”

The line moved on, nothing changed in this routine. Only five more. Nothing could be heard but the rustling of pages, the high-pitched voice, the tearing of paper. Only four more. The bright red through the lenses of his mask was hurting his eyes. Three. The sounds echoed, but beyond them was an amplified deathly silence. Two. He could hear his own blood pounding in his temples. One.

“Room SB-321. (riiiiiiiip) Next!”

Lure took a step forward and held out his envelope before the scientist asked for it. A useless gesture, because the Vykker didn't even look up to see him.

“Letter” he repeated in the same monotone, raising his arm.

Lure kept himself from sighing and adjusted his position to put the envelope between the black claws. Now in the front row, he studied the Vykker's behavior, tried to understand, to discreetly take a look at the words he had carried so far. But no other clue was revealed to him. Except for a tiny movement above the scientist: a camera seemed to follow the unfolded letter with its lens, as if it was recording the writings before they were destroyed. He wondered if someone else was reading through the object at this very moment.

“Room SB-322.”

The sound of tearing paper resounded within him, but the Slig was already heading automatically down the turning corridor, following the others he could no longer see because of the curve. As he took his turn, he found himself facing a multitude of doors embedded in the walls, arranged in a staggered pattern. The Sligs he had been following a short time ago had already disappeared.

“Urgh... what a gloomy place...”

While looking for the door indicated to him, Lure took the opportunity to listen, but nothing came to him. It was as if he was absolutely alone down here. He tried not to think about it too much as he found himself facing room SB-322. The slight hesitation he had was not enough, and he entered inside.

He immediately felt the difference. The air was warmer, iron atoms were floating in the air. The white had disappeared, giving way to a light gray. Or maybe it was due to the reduced light? The floor and walls were completely covered with uniform tiles, and between them all, the joints looked strange, as if dotted with dark stains that had not been successfully removed. The same kind of stains that one struggled to remove after emptying a load of bullets on a Mudokon. On the ceiling, pipes were snaking between the tiles, ending in faucet-like devices. On the floor, several black drains contrasted with the pale ceramic.

And at the center of the room, there was nothing but a metal seat.

“Sit down.”

The voice came from the ceiling. It was different from the unpleasant tonality of the Vykkers, from the deep and threatening tone of the Glukkons, from the nasal sounds of the Sligs, from the whining of the Mudokons. It was a feminine sound, welcoming, pleasant. Motherly.

He had the feeling he had heard that voice before. It sounded like his protegee's, well, almost. There was something different about it. But he couldn't put his finger on it.

“I'm so happy to see you again. Sit down, you must be exhausted.”

The Slig complied while staring at every corner of the ceiling.

“Er... I'm fine, thanks. Do we know each other?”

There was a small crystalline laugh and Lure gulped. This time, he was sure of it. It was subtle, and if he hadn't lived with Asameera for the past few weeks, the nuance would have been completely lost on him. When she spoke or laughed, even when she was sad, Asameera's voice was warm, sincere. The laughter that was echoing in this room right now was exaggerated, superficial. It made him uncomfortable, and he decided to get up in a second.

He didn't get the chance.

A series of straps shot from the backrest and slammed into his waist and torso, pinning him to the seat. Leather handcuffs sprang up from the armrests and legs of the seat and shackled his arms and feet. Above him, a spotlight turned on, flooding him with its harsh light, blinding him halfway. Taken by surprise, he yelped, struggled, but only the same laughter filled the room, a little more real, rejoicing in his helplessness.

“Hey!” he shouted, as outraged as panicked. “What the fuck?!”

The laughter decreased a little as the stranger spoke again, the voice dripping with wicked joy.

“Don't worry, you'll have all my attention in a few seconds. I'm almost done with your brother.”

“My...? What? Hey!”

“In the meantime, let's see what your file says... '583. Responsible for arson blah blah blah significant property damage blah blah blah numerous victims blah blah high treason...' Mmmm... you have indeed outdone yourself!”

Lure couldn't believe his ears.

“Huh? But... what are you...?”

The wheels clicked into place, enough to finally understand what he was doing there. The fright made his adrenaline level rise so high that he thought his heart would give out.

“I have nothing to do with it!” he screamed. “I'm a security guard, I wasn't even there at that moment! Hey, you hear me?! It wasn't me! I was with her when it happened! I couldn't be elsewhere! Check it out!”

The invisible being royally ignored his plea.

“Ah... they are all looking for a way to blame someone else. It's unfortunate for you, but I read right here that there are many testimonies against you. And the seal and signature are authentic, so...”

“They're lying! I couldn't! It wasn't me! Gottlieb must know! He couldn't...!”

“Gottlieb judged you guilty by sending you here. I would ask you not to sue your employer, it's embarrassing.”

“B-but...”

“Silence!”

The order clashed like a whip, authoritative and implacable. The air suddenly left the distressed Slig's lungs, leaving him speechless and helpless. How did it happen? Why did it happen?

Suddenly, a whole section of the ceiling opened up and something slowly descended before Lure's terrified eyes. The scream that wanted to escape from his throat remained stuck in his paralyzed body. He had heard of them before, but never in his life had he thought he would come across one of these abominations.

The thing looked like a huge, fully mechanical spider. As a body, a white television screen covered with parasites blinked intermittently. On each side of it, there were black robotic arms with circular saws, claws, scalpels, syringes... Lure was so horrified that he couldn't count them. He could only see the blood still fresh on the instruments of torture, as well as the splatters on the screen. Above the device was a bright white halo, like an aureole, to signify that it belonged to the good side of Quarma and to make people forget about its horrific side - to no avail. The thing was held in the air by a huge mechanical arm that came out of the ceiling.

A Guardian Angel. Or, more commonly called, a Shrink.

The screen blinked faster and faster and a silhouette appeared. The outlines and features of the being were light gray while everything else remained white, making the image difficult to read. Only the cruel little eyes of the creature were piercing him with a threatening bright red. However, at that moment, Lure knew exactly who he was dealing with, his instinct told him all too well.

“Y-you're the Queen...” he stammered.

Inside the screen, the five little tentacles of the female Slig's snout twitched in a satisfied smile. A ring set with a huge glistening stone was surrounding one of them. Her little eyes were highlighted with mascara and slender eyebrows had been added with a pencil. A headband adorned with a flower was embracing the top of her bald head. Lure could only see her face, unmasked, but he could tell she was huge. Really huge. Like the monster of his nightmares.

“Uh uh!” she purred, fluttering her eyelashes, a huge fat arm readjusting her headband. “You may call me Skillya, my little one. You will forgive me for not coming to meet you in person, but my condition prevents me from moving myself. Fortunately for us, the Vykkers allow me to borrow one of their Shrink so that we can communicate. Convenient, don't you think?”

She was smiling, looking like she was having a good time, while the blood-covered robot kept levitating in front of Lure, circular saws all out and running. Slig sank into the back of his seat in a vain attempt to get away from the blades.

“Er... yes, yes, Y-your opulent Majesty, very convenient...”

“You know, I'm very happy that you and your brothers have arrived at this time. You'll be able to join me for dinner.”

“Oh I... I'm very honored, Your... er... imposing Highness but... uh... I, I ate a little while ago so I... I wouldn't want to impose myself any further...”

Once again, she gave him her crystalline laugh that sounded so fake. Lure felt as if a storm of ice had just swept into the room.

“Come on, don't be silly, kid! There's a place for everyone. Look, look!”

Her puffy face disappeared and instead a long table took its place on the screen. About thirty plates were spread out on it, and several interns were already walking around, ready to serve the first meat dishes. But there were no guests yet. The Slig blinked as one of the Interns finished seasoning the dish first and gently lifted the plate to bring it to the end of the table, to the forefront of the screen. He placed it between two hands with enormous fingers, which Lure guessed were the Queen's.

“Thank you my friend! Uh uh!”

Then the screen flashed back to Skillya's face, who was already biting into two pieces at once while making an appreciative sound.

“Mmmm, not bad! It tastes pretty good, but I'd like to think you'll outdo it.”

“Out... outdo it?”

There was something very hypnotic and disturbing about watching her gulp down her food. Lure couldn't help but remember that day in the lunchroom, when he was offered the meat cooked over a flame. The meat of his colleagues who had died in the fire. And Gottlieb's comment.

'It's some kind of tradition'.

“M-majesty... the thing you eat, it's...”

She smiled broadly at him.

“Your brother of course!”

More and more meat was served on the plates.

“You, and all the others, who had dishonored your employers, who had dishonored me and made me suffer, you will all join me.”

Suddenly the Shrink spread its multiple robotic arms and turned its circular saws to full power. Skillya's red eyes flashed with resentment and sadism.

“On my plate!”

Panic struck him as the Shrink was about to pounce on him and tear him apart alive. He pulled on his arms, wagged his tail frantically to activate his legs, put all his strength and desperation into freeing himself, but the straps only dug deeper into his flesh and ribs, the bones in his arm creaked under the thick cuffs, and the components of his mechanical prosthetics sizzled with agony. Tears of terror escaped his small eyes and flooded his face under his mask, blurring the vision of horror before him. He felt the first blade close to his muzzle and his nerves gave out completely.

“NO! NO! HELP! MOMMY HELP!”

He could barely hear the voice over his own screams and the screeching of the saws.

“Shut up! Don't call me that! Do you really think I'm going to help you because you invoke that pathetic word? Who do you think I am, you little fool? I am your Queen, and nothing else!”

“Don't say that! You can't be her! You can't!”

“Where did you think you came from? Are you stupid?”

The spinning teeth sliced into the flesh between his shoulder and his neck. Lure screamed, more in fear than in pain. A stream of hot blood spurted onto his own face, visor and muzzle. He could already feel the saw cutting painfully into his bones.

“NO MOMMY NO! PLEASE! WHAT HAVE I DONE? WHAT HAVE I DONE WRONG? I'LL FIX IT!”

“What have you done wrong? I'll tell you.”

With that, Skillya stabbed her son's prosthetic arm with the scalpel blade. A spray of sparks flew out of the cut and made the room flicker like a strobe light.

“You were born.”

She turned and turned the blade without realizing that she was chopping metal and not flesh.

“And I will never forgive you! I'll never forgive any of you!”

Lure's body began to convulse as his mother, no, his Queen plunged the saw deeper and deeper through his collarbone. There was nothing left to do. Through his empty mind, transient with pain and nothingness, he managed to see her image. She was smiling at him, her hands on his belly, softly speaking his name.

Lure.

He wanted to see her.

Lure.

He didn't want to die.

Lure.

He wanted to continue living his miserable existence, to be able to see her.

“A... Asameera!”

The desire to see her again filled his being, pressed hard on the spot the saw had not reached yet.

“Asameera!”

She was looking at him with her sad and compassionate eyes.

I would have been sad if you had been killed.

He didn't want to make her sad!

“SAM!” he screamed.

The rest happened in a flash. Literally.

There was an supernatural flash and lightning fell from the sky directly on the Guardian Angel. The screen cracked and snowed over in a cacophony of static and high-pitched screams as Skillya roared in surprise and rage. Then another bolt of lightning struck, then another, then another, still on the same target, pushing the abomination away from the half-unconscious Slig. The lights on the ceiling exploded and shards of broken glass were blown in all directions. With a long distorted bestial scream, the screen exploded and the Shrink's supporting arm gave way. The robotic device crashed to the ground with a thunderous ruckus. The last sparks lit up the room dimly as the robot's carcass began to release whistling smoke.

Just before he lost consciousness, the Slig thought he heard wings fluttering nearby, then a familiar voice calling his name. Then his head dropped completely to his chest and he heard no sound any more.

ooOoo

...

I really, really, reeeeeally hope you’ve enjoyed it!

First: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/asameera/691287639162290176?source=share

Previous: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/asameera/693472918491070464?source=share

Next: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/asameera/694116763177189376?source=share

[bosskie]

You know, ever since Soulstorm came out a question has been buzzing in my head: how would the new Molluck interact with the one from the old quintology if they were to start a chat?

Sorry for the stupid question T⁠_T

Oh, no, this ain't a stupid question! I have never thought about that since I tend to see them as the same character but just with a different design. Though yes, there are some changes to his personality 'n' stuff, like his retirement plan is different now. But those personality changes depend on which Molluck we are talking about since there are basically 3 Mollucks... I just feel like that New 'n' Tasty Molluck is different from the others and he lacks of that certain energy that the Abe's Oddysee's and Soulstorm's Mollucks have:

I have posted this earlier too but this image just gives me an impression of that these are same characters, including the Slig.

It came to my mind that it's unknown if this 'previous' Molluck tried to catch Abe after 'the disaster', at least there is no evidence of that. The only stuff that exists related to this is just that he was found alive and is going to face his mother but nothing about how he was found and such. Oh, and I see that I have actually mixed the both Molluck versions together when I'm picturing Molluck... But I guess that this could be something they would talk about, and yeah, since they are Glukkons, they probably are also trying to see which one of them is 'better Molluck'. Sadly, we haven't seen much of how Gluks interact with each other but they seem somehow competitive when interacting with each other... But it probably also depends on the situation.

Or maybe these two Mollucks would try to make a plan together to save, well, at least one of them, which could mean that one of them gets sacrificed to the Magog Cartel... If these two fought, which one would be the winner? I bet on Soulstorm Molluck.

I can see their conversation inside my head but it's difficult to get it out... But I already described the main stuff here. See, I like to create stories but whenever I try to write them down, I feel way too embarrassed to do it... I'm sorry but I'm not able to answer better than this.

~ Thank you for your interesting question! I hope that this was at least something!

[brassclaws-of-oddworld]

Continued From-->(X)

​spoocyshrub

“Excellent Mr. Ippuki! If you’d like, I can come pick you and the associates up in my personal airship. We can converse about what I managed to find out on the ride to the place.

Have you ever ridden in a royal airship before? Or any of your cartel? Once in a lifetime opportunity and you will all be my guests. Dokk and Doctor Cornelius will be there as well. I want them there in the event medical mishaps happen…or I need a medically educated associate to look over and answer some things for me. Dokk’s got a little knack for hacking and deconstructing things as well. Little tinkerer that one.

You are welcome to bring anyone that might be of assistance. They will all get an airlift to the place. really tacky joint. I’ve seen better in Nolybab strip dens when I was still a bachelor.”

*Oswald let out a laugh, but then quickly settled himself down.*

“Just give me a location to pick you and your associates up. the ship’s big enough to carry a large army. Easy to transport both your men and mine.”

“Can’t say I’ve been aboard one in years, not since I was a captain of my homeland’s navy,” Feng recalled, picking up his cigar again to roll between his fingers absent-mindedly. 

Oswald had definitely piqued his intrigue!  Feng was only familiar with what Nilijong royalty vessels looked like, and couldn’t deny that he was curious how different Magog Cartel royalty compared.

“It’d be an honor to travel as your guests, and I’m sure it’ll be quite the experience for my troop!” He grinned, even letting out another chuckle in amusement at Oswald’s remark about Wayne’s horrible taste in interior decor. “We’ll be waiting on the coast, east of Scrabania near a mountain range.  Your chauffeur should be able to spot us... I tend to stick out among the crowd on this continent,” Feng informed him, mentioning the last bit with a partial smirk on his lips.

“Just give me a call when you’re ready, and we’ll be at the pickup spot.  I’ll see if I can get the defectors from Magog Muscles for Hire to consider joining the party, or at least give us anything we need to access what can’t be hacked into.”

[demonogeny]

If Secto had to leave his hosts body for anything (maybe a lil swim or something) where do you think he would store the Steef?

Do you think he'd have back up hosts incase the other escaped? I feel like he would idk.

This will be a long answer, I tried my best to rewrite it as concisely as possible. TW for abuse under the cut.*

OKTIGI HOST STORAGE. I remember Lorne stating in one of the Discodd chat podcasts that when Oktigis attend meetings at bathouses to discuss businesss and Magog Cartel matters, they get off their hosts and basically leave them in cryogenic storage, that much is canon at least in the podcasts. So I imagine Sekto, like other wealthy Oktigis, having his own cryogenic chambers for storing hosts in a similar way rich people have those fancy big closets. I imagine these storage units being a bit diverse, it's basically just more furniture to them. Some of these units could be singular pods, some may span a whole room, some may not be cryogenic and instead opt for suspension. The usage I imagine consists of the Oktigi entering the open chamber and leaving the host in there undressed and in a dazed state, then removing themselves from the host with the help of the unit's mechanism such as simply hoping onto a waiting platform, the chamber would then close and begin a temperature descent util it reaches the cryogenic effect without killing and while monitoring vitals and helping mantain functions, it would probably need to be adjusted per species or selected from a set catalogue. You can now find a drawing of this on my blog after this post.

BACKUP HOSTS. I do indeed think that is very common, especially with wealthier Oktigis, to have more than one host to choose from or as a backup, as well as there being a market to buy them and the practice to discard them, as one would do with outfits, Oktigis can have preferences and types they search after and they probably judge and compare eachother's hosts too, maybe Mike over there looks like a wimp compared to how big and strong Dave looks with his huge chad alpha male new host, maybe Becky is jealous that Maddie's host has huge bimbo bazongas, maybe Henry wants to have a secondary host with bazongas too. I do also think that Oktigis do have favorite and main hosts whenever they have many and that they have different preferences and behaviors towards them; some Oktigis could keep their hosts well groomed and healthy while others completely neglect and maim them, some may see them as no more than mere objects, or pets or form one sided bonds with them that could go from just a little endearment like a favorite shirt to romantic and lustful feelings or all the way to making them their main victim of abuse which I will elaborate on further in the case of Sekto because I think it's probably what he did

SEKTO AND THE OLDEN STEEF HOST. Going back to Sekto I would imagine that he does have or at least has had a couple of hosts to spare at the same time, he has the means for it, however I personally think that he is one of those Oktigis that have gotten too attached to a specific host, I say this because as far as I understand he has had the Old Steef as a host for quite a long while and that poor man is in such bad condition that he even looks to be blind and dying since a while ago, even if Sekto likes the build and strenght Steef have he had an ample supply of younger more suitable and healthy ones but he chose to keep this one who is specifically referred to as old even before he was his, to me it looks like that host just hasn't had any rest from being used since the beginning...

*TW starts here*

...and judging by what little is shown about Sekto throughout his limited screentime it would seem fitting, Sekto seems intensely and needlessly cruel, sadistic, hateful and vengeful, especially against this species. I personally think that Sekto took this Steef who seems to have been the local protector or leader of his local people and posibbly the biggest symbol of hope they had and really wanted to drive that cruelty in by turning him into nothing but a helpless and pityful victim, forcing his voice and his hands to directly be part of all the orders and actions that would direct the genocide of his people and the Grubbs as well as the stealing of the water and the lands he once protected. I like this idea because it would add much more weight to both Sekto and the Steef as characters as well as their relationship and background in the story, and of course to the ending where not only the water is free but so is the Olden Steef too. To me it would seem that Sekto hasn't made much use of other hosts ever since this one because of that, I personally imagine that he has formed a very strong negative attachment like this because he just seems to be fucked up like that and clearly obsessed with Steef, let alone this little living prize of his, he probably intended to terrorize, torture and violate the Olden Steef mentally and phisically as well as symbolically until he gave his very last breath, and he was almost able to. And I love that for them honestly, that's fucked up and tragic, that adds so much more to them and I enjoy it, gives me the feelz.