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#cotl headcanons
fleurdelait · 12 hours
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the lamb’s mother always told them ‘death is beautiful’ in order to comfort them about the reaping. Though they never understood what she meant by it, how could death have beauty?
But finally understood how beautiful death is when they saw The One Who Waits…
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rozexprince · 2 days
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COTL HEADCANOOON-
i love to think that narinder's abode (where you met him after getting beheaded) is VERY cold. especially that nari, aym and baal wear something more warm.
and the place is just filled with snow or mist (?) i dont know i think about this everyday.
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mosslingg · 3 days
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i believe that of all the bishops narinder was most kind when it came to his followers before he got imprisoned
death, after all, is kind; even when it happens in the most gruesome of ways, it gives relief from pains and troubles of the mortal world. death and life go hand in hand, so why wouldn't narinder be kind to those who, despite cherishing life, decided to devote themselves to the inevitable end?
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panoffrying · 3 months
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Leshy feels his brothers face.
I always imagined that without Leshys crown he is fully blind but he has a good sense of smell based on what we learn from when he’s turned into a follower. I imagine at some point the bishops will learn to be a family again (not the best but they are working on it) and Leshy wants to feel Narinders face to get an idea because it’s been a while. This is my gf @7moonbird idea
extra:
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awful-little-goose · 1 month
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alllgator-blood · 22 days
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I posted these on reddit a while ago and I've gotten multiple messages asking if I had any other social media? Which I didn't at the time, but after years of not bothering to post my art I think that was the boost I needed to finally re-emerge from the rock I've been living under.
ANYWAY uhhhhhh I've drawn these guys so much since I posted this that they might look a little different when I eventually post my newer art of them. Mostly because I don't bother drawing the little crosses on their heads anymore besides on leshy because frankly the antennae are really funny. If anyone has any questions about my hcs or what I intend to do with the characters, my ask box is open and I don't have anything better to do than endlessly ramble about gods that 100% would rip my head off immediately if I ever encountered them!
SPEAKING OF WHICH, the reception I got for these on reddit was way more positive than I was expecting which I am immensely grateful for, but there was definitely some miscommunication about the afab shamura headcanon so I'm just gonna dump about that below the cut if you want to hear me ramble about my nonbinary-ness for a while:
OKAY SO it's canon that the bishops were feral little animals before they found their crowns, right? Leshy and Shamura both talk about it during their follower quests. Feral animals do not have a concept of gender, only biological sex, so if they ascended to sapient godhood they would suddenly have a grasp of gender. My hc is that Shamura was a female feral spider, ascended to godhood, lost their bio sex in the process as with all the other bishops, and was just like "you know what? I don't want to be anything. This is kinda swag actually" so they just became War and Grief and Cosmic Horror incarnate. I am fucking desperate for any relatable enby representation in the media I like, so I just want to clarify me saying they were female at some point just is me going "I am living vicariously through this character who shed their mortal flesh prison to be an eldritch spider war god devoid of any sex characteristics" and not "I'm one of those numerous people who for some reason lumps this canonically agender character in with a binary sex". Anyway thank you for reading this far, here's an unfinished voidpunk shamura from a pride flag color palette thing I did of the bishops:
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minzart · 4 months
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We interrupt your gay cat and lamb schedule to post about the gay bush and yellow cat agenda
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issue-paper · 4 months
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Young God of War
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And even younger (still mortal) siblings.
A messy doodle I couldn’t get out of my head. I wonder what Shamura felt like taking care of four younger siblings. Not by blood so they must’ve found each other right? I know they’re all around 3000 years old, but what’s the specific gap? I don’t know if I’ll finish this doodle but I just had to get it out of my system
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citrenecult · 25 days
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making some late night rambles about the bishops and their animal species.
Leshy is an adult bagworm but not a moth, so that does mean that I am headcanoning him transmasc in the process, it is only natural. My only understand of bagworms is wormadam from Pokemon tho so I dunno if I'll incorporate bagworm habits into Leshy.
Heket is a bull frog, because I'd think she'd be loud like one. I once saw a picture labeled bullfrog so loud it causes vibration in the water, and that's Heket to me. Also did you about the time ravens were surgically removing the liver from frogs, causing them to explode? It's not related to the subject to hand but I thought us was intresting.
Kallamar is an humbolt squid. I've watched 50 most deadly animals in Latin america, these fucking things terrify me. Holy shit. Horrific little creatures. Humbolt's turn a bright red color when aggrivated and agressive, so in theory, when I get around to drawing comics or something, that should be fun to okay around with. Hopefully.
Shamura I'm not sure what exactly to base them on but Goliath Birdeaters and Wolf spiders are very tempting. Like, holy shit a spider bug enough to catch birds on the regular that it becomes part of their name?? Wild. Maybe I'll mix the two together to make an abomination of a spider. AA really fucked up thing.
Narinder is a black house cat because I think it's funny if the Bishops were all distinctly wild animals and Narinder was something domestic. Also because he is an asshole.
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gillanfryingpan · 1 month
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do u see the vision
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plus a little bit of Lamb lore, headcanons, design stuff, and shroomwool kiss <3
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im-not-important · 2 months
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Siblings
Also hard U turn from trolls stuff.
Cult of the lamb stole back my soul
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cult-of-a-buttercup · 4 months
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GUYS THEY’RE FINALY READY
Headcanons for each Bishop + a brief introduction to each of the mini bosses and witnesses!
Shamura:
Before their injuries, Shamura was known for being patient and powerful amongst other beings. Yet, they weren’t unapproachable: they loved answering any questions their followers and siblings could have, both to spread their wisdom and to show their own greatness. They were very caring as a sibling, usually scheduling visits to each bishop in the little free time they had. Though, they would come off as arrogant or patronizing, treating those around them as…well, stupid.
After Narinder’s betrayal, they isolated themselves completely. They often ignore their followers, and those who are too persistent are given a warning or simply become food for the more beast-like spiders in Silk Cradle. They suffer from depressive episodes and lash out at random followers for minor mistakes, earning a reputation of a merciless ruler after the imprisonment of the One who Waits. Despite this, everyone still respects them greatly- or pity them. The true reason why they’re constantly upset is because of their own loneliness. Even if they gathered all three of their younger siblings, it would simply not be the same. Narinder was the one they loved most, after all.
Shamura prefers robes and dresses before pants: fitting their stinger inside a pair is terribly awkward if not impossible.
Their favorite colors are gold and black: elegant and simple.
Sometimes they train with their soldiers to test their strength- more often than not they get carried away and exhaust them.
They spend most of their free time in their library, reading and writing documents of the Old Faith if their injuries allow them to.
Their injuries make them have terrible migraines and headaches: thanks to the crown, most of their memories are intact.
It made their powers of reading the future work less and be less precise as well.
Their favorite way of executing heretics is decapitation. They like to do it themselves, but they have too many things to attend to.
Focalor (they/them): Picked for their nimble feet amongst the caverns.
Originally a village hunter before being picked as a high priest.
They are rather quiet, and prefer to spend time with younger spiders or on their own. Shamura appreciates it and often comes to them when they need information on the wildlife. They were noticed when Shamura visited a hunting village and they had managed to bring the most amount of prey.
Vephar (she/it): Picked for her ability to identify poisons
Originally a healer before being picked as a high priestess.
She is a bit more chatty than her companions, and likes to catch up with fellow followers. She tends to Shamura’s wounds when they allow her to, changing their bandages and cleaning away the ichor. It was noticed when one of Shamura’s healers was bitten by a poisonous creature and was the first to recognize the symptoms.
Mauras (he/them): Picked for his prowess in fight pits
Originally a warrior of Shamura’s army before being picked as a high priest.
He’s rather rude and enjoys poking fun at his companions almost as much as he enjoys training and sharpening both his own and Shamura’s weapons. While doing this, the two of them sometimes talk about battle techniques and about the cult’s army. Shamura noticed him when holding an annual fight pit, with about ten warriors fighting each other, where he emerged victorious.
Allocer (she/he/them/it): Shamura’s Witness.
Originally a silk farmer before being assigned as a Witness.
Allocer witnessed Shamura’s transformation into a divine god. She was granted a life of service to them as a personal request.
Allocer is more reserved and wise, much like the god he serves. If they aren’t right by Shamura, she might be tending to the needs of their followers. Since their injuries, it tries to keep everything in order for them. Shamura noticed her when they were first traveling the land as a young god and caught their attention when showing a good amount of knowledge of the caves and villages.
Kallamar:
Before his injuries, Kallamar was known for treating himself like the king of kings. Living lavishly and vainly, the squid only accepted the best of the best and adorned himself with the finest of jewels: his high priests and witness were gifted what he wouldn’t take. As for his followers, they were also treated highly, often having quite luxurious amenities when compared to the rest of the Old Faith.
After Narinder’s betrayal, he became a paranoiac. He only trusts his high priests, and often thinks his followers are plotting against him when he can’t make out what they’re saying, and if a follower can’t answer the questions he makes (or he simply dislikes the answer), they will be used as a testing subject for new sicknesses and parasites. Deeply insecure because of his now ruined looks, he gloats and decorates himself more than ever, often taking everything rather than just the best. Because of this the amount of luxury his followers recieved has decreased, but not enough to be dethroned as the “better cult.” He has cut off most ties with his siblings, fearing they could be plotting something against him next.
Kallamar keeps anything that is remotely shiny- even unworthy gifts from followers. His collection is locked behind his treasury, and only his witness is allowed in there.
Favorite colors are cian, gold and black: they combine with him!
Spends a lot of time in healing bays, playing hard to get with followers who need healing. After a couple of praises and gifts he becomes more than willing to help.
His injuries don’t let him hear very clearly what others are saying, and sometimes make him have auditory hallucinations. His crown manages to soothe this, partially.
Though he uses experimentation as a way of punishment and execution, his official favorite way is drowning and/or suffocation (underwater and on land, depending of the species)
Saleos (he/him): Picked for his quickness in battle
Originally a farmer before being picked as a high priest.
He’s rather stubborn and straightforward with the people around him. Can be usually found patrolling the edges of the cult or checking prisoners are in the pillaries. Kallamar often asks him to bring followers to question, and first caught his attention when he caught a thief stealing from his crops.
Haborym (he/them): Picked for his magic abilities
Originally a potion maker before being picked as a high priest.
Rather quiet and a bookworm, Haborym can be found making new spells or training younger soldiers when he isn’t stuck in a book. The new spells are perfected for Kallamar to use, both in fights and experiments. He first caught the bishop’s attention when brewing a potion to make all of his army more resistant to magic.
Baalzebub (it/them): Picked for his remarkable aim
Originally a soldier before he was picked as a high priest.
A serious and hard working priest. It’s usually practicing its spells or patrolling with Saleos when Kallamar isn’t asking them to bring followers and to kill those who refuse to answer to him, right there and then. They caught his attention in a shooting practice.
Astaroth (he/it): Kallamar’s Witness
Originally a sailor before being assigned as a Witness.
Astaroth witnessed Kallamar’s transformation into a divine god. He was assigned a dutiful life of service by Shamura.
Astaroth is rather adventurous and vain, though its wishes for new things have begun to fade as they take the lead on ruling Kallamar’s army. Since his injuries, he keeps them updated on what’s happening among followers to help with his paranoia. Kallamar noticed him at first in his first sermon and as a merchant.
Narinder:
Before his imprisonment, Narinder ruled his small portion of lands under the rules of the Old Faith boringly. His hunger for more showed in every aspect of his ruling, often wishing for things he could not do without having to extend his grasp upon life, death and land, therefore breaking the rules. His lands were significantly smaller to the ones of his siblings, for Shamura feared he’d become too greedy if they showed him he could have more- this had the opposite effect, of course. When Narinder started his own faith, which never got an official name during its short duration, he was able to rule as he truly wished: his most loyal followers were promised immortality, and those who didn’t wish to die yet were able to give offerings in exchange for a longer life for themselves or their families. His lands were going to expand over oceans and over mountains, over the stars if he could reach them. Of course, all of this was cut short when Narinder was imprisoned and turned into his prophesied form: The One who Waits.
He kept part of his promises as best he could: all of his followers were granted a place in the heavens, as a way to thank them for sticking through despite being clearly at a loss. Those who converted back to the Old Faith after his imprisonment were severely punished for their betrayal and sent to purgatory. Narinder at first tried to see the positive side: he wouldn’t have to give another sermon in his life and he could do as he pleased as long as his chains didn’t pull too hard on his poor fur. This mentality worked for about a century before his hunger for more- this time revenge- kicked in again. Slowly, he lost himself in that, forgetting many things as he awaited a single lamb…
Despite his cold nature, he really enjoyed sunbathing.
His favorite colors were white, black and red. Then just black and red, after being imprisoned in the very white afterlife for many centuries.
Used to spend most of his time in cemeteries, overseeing spirits who weren’t ready to move on or who just didn’t know they died yet.
The shackles he was forced to wear have spikes inside, to not only keep him restrained but also punish him.
He never had a favorite way of execution: whatever killed the heretic quicker so he could do as he pleased in purgatory worked.
Yiaster (she/her): Picked for her keen eyes
Originally a librarian before she was picked as a high priestess.
A simple minded and honest priestess. She was able to read people very well, often being more logical than her fellow followers. She was usually reading through scrolls to help Narinder with his workload, and even helped him make important decisions. Some notes she had made along some old scrolls were what allowed her to be noticed by Narinder in the first place.
She was actually the first to see something was wrong when Narinder’s siblings came to imprison him, and was killed while trying to protect him. Now, she has a place in the heavens next to his other priests and priestesses.
Orbatia (he/him): Picked for his passionate heart
Originally a preacher of Shamura before he was assigned a new position upon Narinder’s cult.
A compromised and emotional ever since he was a young follower, Orbatia was assigned a new place as a priest by Shamura when they noticed Narinder could use a hand in taking care of his cult. His ability to preach sermons among his fellow followers was remarkable, and Shamura hoped that this would also inspire their younger brother to see the beauty of the Old Faith and its rules. It didn’t quite do the trick.
Orbatia was never fully committed to Narinder, as a result he dismissed Yaiste’s warnings about his siblings when Narinder was about to be killed and fled when faced with a fight. He converted back to the Old Faith upon Narinder’s imprisonment, and his soul remains somewhere in purgatory.
Repiuc (she/him): Picked for her wisdom in death
Originally a mortician before being picked as a high priest.
A morbid and mischievous priestess, Repiuc sorted corpses among the cult and documented the particular reasons for their demise. He was able to tell quite well, and had the most workload when Narinder was busy doing something else. He caught Narinder's attention when the bishop noticed part of his job was already done with some corpses- with the same skill he had, too.
At the time of Narinder’s imprisonment, she was killed while working with a stab to her chest- with his last breath he yelled and made everyone notice the reality of the situation. She, like Narinder’s other followers, rests in heaven.
Aixiloas (they/it): Narinder’s Witness
Originally a follower of Shamura before being assigned as a Witness.
Aixiloas witnessed Narinder’s transformation into a divine god. They requested to be assigned as his witness and were granted a life of service.
They were quite easy-going, checking on the different smaller needs of Narinder’s followers so they could relax around the land. They were first noticed slacking off during a sermon from Shamura- though the spider was offended, Narinder found it somewhat funny.
The day of Narinder’s imprisonment, they fought fiercely against three of the other witnesses, and almost came victorious if the bishops hadn’t intervened.  They hold a special place in heaven, and used to check on Narinder while in the afterlife before he became obsessed with revenge.
Heket:
Before her injuries, Heket ruled over Anura with an iron fist, for feast had to be earned through hard work. She didn’t like luxuries such as fine clothes and jewelry, and would give hers to Kallamar to wear her usual robes- which were covered in mud from crusading and tending to incredible amounts of crops. She liked doing things herself, often believing that if someone else did it for her it wouldn’t be right. Her followers were the most hard-working and the best cooks among the Old Faith- Heket was proud of this and often boasted about it.
After Narinder’s betrayal, her grip on her followers only tightened. Those who didn’t do things right at the first try were executed on the spot. Those who dared say something about how she did things were simply eaten. If you’re in her way, she’ll simply walk over you and possibly kill you anyways. She became rather cruel, often laughing at the faces of those she killed unnecessarily before continuing to go about her day, enraged. Her anger and resentment shows through her actions and way of being, and she refuses to admit it since it’d mean admitting she’s weak from still holding a grudge towards her heretical brother. She tries to spend time with Leshy, but he doesn’t seem interested in seeing her.
When she’s alone or bored, she catches flies with her tongue. Sometimes followers get in the way of a fly, but she doesn’t seem to care much about eating them along with the insect.
If you ask her, she won’t say she has a favorite color- but she likes warm tones and gold to match with her clothes and land.
Due to her injuries, she can’t croak anymore. Before that, she’d croak when she was caught off guard or when being really happy. She found it embarrassing.
Her injuries also affected her speech, which is why she uses her crown to communicate without using her voice.
Her favorite way of executing heretics is making them starve- either tied to a tree or hanging from the branches. Of course, that is if she isn’t hungry.
Gusion (he/him): Picked for his knowledge in herbs
Originally a cook before being picked as a high priest.
A rather reserved and anxious priest, Gusion tends to the kitchens of Heket’s army. Heket trusts him enough to let him oversee her cooking to strengthen all of her followers, and sometimes even listens to his advice when making new recipes. He first caught her attention when he perfectly sorted about ten different types of mushrooms after a missionary.
Eligos (she/them): Picked for their unique abilities
Originally a follower before being picked as a high priestess.
A  proud and easygoing being, Eligos was born with a set of wings. They allowed her to do a lot of things quicker and better than other followers, from collecting harvests to fighting. As such, Heket sends them to oversee the cult. She first caught the bishop's attention when effortlessly dodging her tongue.
Zepar (she/her): Picked for her knowledge in battle
Originally a soldier of Shamura’s land before being picked as a high priestess.
A stern and non-talkative ex-soldier, Zepar was raised in Silk Cradle before being transported to Anura as a request from both Shamura and Heket. She is the head of Anura’s army, and first caught Heket’s attention when the bishop was visiting Silk Cradle during a sparring practice.
Bathin (she/it): Heket’s Witness
Originally a farmer before being assigned as a Witness.
Bathin witnessed Heket’s transformation into a divine goddess. She was assigned a life of service by Narinder.
Being a common farmer, she had always worshiped Heket after it noticed the young bishop’s powers amongst its land’s harvest- when she was picked as a witness, she was more than glad to oblige. She oversees the cult’s farmers, and is also in charge of handling information given to her by the priest and priestesses.
Leshy:
Before his injuries, Leshy ruled over Darkwood with the help of Narinder and Heket. Being the bishop of chaos, his lands were overall messy, filled with both heretics and eager followers alike. His ruling was lacking in rules, but had plenty of rewards for those who followed his doctrines thoroughly- and those who followed his doctrines were usually the ones who executed others who refused to listen, along with heretics. Due to this, a lot of the time he found himself closer to his followers when compared to any of his siblings- which was frowned upon in the Old Faith.
After Narinder’s betrayal, Leshy’s ruling became even more chaotic. Without the help of Narinder, and not wanting to receive help from Heket because of how angry she always is, he was basically left alone to do whatever he wanted as long as it didn’t break the Old Faith’s doctrines. His cult lacks many things, such as an army, different temples to worship him, or a central village around his temple- but it is also the cult with the most followers, being lousy in rules and having plenty of space for anyone willing to settle down between many chaotic cultists. The closeness between him and his more chaotic followers remains, even stronger since some of them wish to bring revenge to their beloved bishop.
More often than not, he’s underground digging tunnels around the land. It allows him to somewhat check what his followers are up to, and sometimes even listen to gossip.
His favorite colors are brown and green. They remind him of his lands and of himself.
Due to his injuries, he can’t see without his crown. This, however, sharpened his hearing quite a lot.
His favorite way of executing is letting whoever he’s going to kill run through the forests of his lands while chasing them- whether he or his followers get them is part of the fun.
Amdusias (he/him): Picked for his eagerness when serving
Originally a follower before being picked as a high priest.
Being a novice addition to Leshy’s priests and priestesses, he is open to learn from the other priests and priestesses while trying his best. He first caught the bishop’s attention when he noticed how often Amdusias was tending to things of the temple, which led to Leshy giving him a place as a priest.
Valefar (she/it): Picked for her insight of the cult’s needs
Originally a follower before being picked as a high priestess.
Hard working and organized, Valefar had always kept a close eye on who her fellow followers killed, where they planted their crops and, sometimes, when they worshiped Leshy. Due to this, once she caught Leshy’s attention with her knowledge of his own lands, he trusted her with the management of the cult.
Barbatos (they/them): Picked for their brutality in battle
Originally an executor before being picked as a high priest.
A boisterous and crude creature, Barbatos enjoys punishing heretics and bringing down villages- they do so with incredible expertise and skill, leaving almost no one alive when they set their eyes on a particular place. Leshy sees in them a fire for Chaos that can’t be dissipated, and first noticed them when executing lambs.
Agares (she/them/it): Leshy’s Witness
Originally a follower of Heket before being assigned as a Witness.
Agares witnessed Leshy’s transformation into a divine god- She pleaded to Heket to become his witness, and she allowed it.
Being a follower in charge of serving Heket while she traveled between lands, when they first saw the chaos of Leshy’s lands they were incredibly drawn closer when comparing it to Anura’s strict doctrines. Now she makes sure Leshy doesn’t get too bored, mainly by bringing heretics for him to kill.
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AND THEY’RE FINALLY DOOOONEE I HOPE ALL OF YOU LIKE IT AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TELL ME ABOUT ANY THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS YOU HAVE!!! ❤️
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ane-doodles · 5 months
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I think I've accidentally started giving backstory to my Cotl headcanons...
I imagine that after so many years of having lost their people, the Lamb has begun to forget little by little. Their faces have become blurred and the vague memory of specific events barely remains... Even the memories of their own family are affected
Only the subtle memories of the last two she saw before being sacrificed survive.
Her friend (same age)
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And her older brother (who helped her escape until the last moment)
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paintpaintpaintman · 2 months
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They are gossiping..!
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Heket can't talk very well, and Kallamar can't hear very well...
Spoiler for COTL post-game
I see lots of people represent mutism for Heket since, well, her throat is ripped out. But I see less deaf representation for our dear Kallamar, who's ears have been demolished. I feel like the two both sign, and would grow closer because of it.
I love to think they gossip to one another through sign language, but mostly about Leshy who can't see them very visibly talking about him lol
Anyway, the signs for each read "stupid" and "true/correct" (Auslan).
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iridiss · 8 months
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I want a (non-canon compliant) Narinder whose gentle.
I want a Narinder who was once a kitten, newly crowned immortal, under Shamura’s careful mentorship. Who grew up the hard way, who learned you have to be rough, loud, mean, manipulative, and maniacal, you have to be bloody and violent and cruel, in order to survive in this world. In order to survive against Leshy and Heket’s brutality and Kallamar’s back-handed cunning. He learned from a family cruel and cold that love was a fool’s game, that sentiment was insignificant, that caring was weakness. So he scoffed at caring for anybody at all and learned how to break and toy with people as if they were dolls, made only for his own consumption and desire. That’s what his siblings told him, that’s what Shamura told him, that’s what his subjects and the fight to survive told him.
But he never saw his toys fit for anything more than the most necessary use, he never let them come any closer than professional arms-reach business, and he made sure to throw them away the second they were no longer strictly necessary. And he hated the cruelty of his siblings. He hated how they treated him, he hated how they made him fight for his fair share. And then he kept rebelling against the doctrine of the Old Faith. He would take the cruel, old, traditional rules of how one was supposed to act, and he would take them more as loose suggestions than anything severely concrete that you had to live by. He would start making up his own rules, or ignoring other rules that he simply didn’t like or deemed “inconvenient.”
He quickly became the black sheep of the “family.”
And then the Gods of The Old Faith betrayed him. And everything he was ever taught became a horrible lie. Everything became unjust. Everything turned into a false, corrupted kingdom that had to be torn down, that he could fix, that he could replace with something better. He tore it all down, violently lashing out against the family he had trusted, the family he had followed to the end of the road at his own expense, tearing them apart with his own two hands, because the scars he bore over the years became far too fucking loud to bear. Because everything had been a lie all along. Everything had been wrong, this whole damn time.
And they killed him for it. He screamed so loud about their lies that they simply had to smother the sound. They murdered their own brother—if he was ever a real “brother” to them at all, or nothing more than another religious heir to a crooked throne.
He was a God turned exiled heretic.
So he’d make his own fucking kingdom instead. He would undo everything, and start anew, following the doctrine he always knew was better. What he thought was superior. But problem is, it’s not that easy to shake off the entirety of one’s religious upbringing overnight. He was still clinging on. He would scream and shout about the incongruities and arrogance of The Old Faith all damn day—but then he’d keep Aym and Baal, a gift from his old mentor and oldest sibling, close to his side. He would call them fools and tyrants and wretched liars, but he’d remember the Darkwood flowers with a fondness, yearning to stand in his brother’s flower fields again someday. He would stay in the Lamb’s cult, when he could easily become a constant dissenter and leave like any other follower, when he could attack them, maybe even kill them, at any given moment. He doesn’t. He stays. He clings on to the fondness. He never fully let go of that old sentimental feeling.
I want a Narinder who doesn’t understand what love looks like, because the closest thing he’d ever known to true, honest love growing up was the scraps he’d receive from a withdrawn and uncertain Shamura. Those rare moments where Shamura was kind, warm, gentle, full of love, when he’d listen to the lullabies and the poems that they would weave to put him to sleep, when he’d be wrapped up in the blankets of their webs and their nests. When they would give him gifts.
When they gave him their final gift.
He doesn’t understand love. He was trained to view it as weakness. He still feels deeply, severely insecure about showing said weakness, he doesn’t want to face the severe and violent consequences of welcoming it. There’s a part in him deep down that understands devotion, that already internally understands what real trust, respect, loyalty, and integrity looks like. But it’s buried deep, under layers upon layers of indoctrination, manipulation, fear, insecurity, doubt, ungodly amounts of pain, and rage. He has enough of a natural moral compass to be able to tell when someone’s entire belief system is flawed or fucked up, and he has enough justice in him to want to tear the entire damn world apart from the ground up. Even if it’s just in the name of avenging the kitten in him that was forced to die all those centuries ago.
He isn’t aware of it. He doesn’t understand what’s going on inside of him. He’s never even taken an introspective glance at himself and why he feels everything that he does, he’s never even asked himself why everything hurts so much beyond the simple “my siblings betrayed me, therefore they all must die as they killed me” surface level. Frankly he’s too scared to look, so he pushed it all away and easily leans on the grinning, devilish, mean mask he always depended on before.
Then I want a Lamb that’s everything he ever needed. Literally, yes, as the vessel prophesied to save him, but also emotionally.
The Lamb had everything taken away from them by The Old Faith. They were killed and thrown away to Narinder’s feet like a broken toy. They want to destroy the doctrine of the Old Faith, they want to rip the world apart from the ground up and completely start anew. They share Narinder’s moral core, his drive for justice, his drive for revenge.
But they also learn, through their own cult, how to rule with love and mercy. They save and spare each follower individually, they marry their own followers, they cook for them, clean for them, house them, decorate for them, they love their followers. They learn that there is value and strength in utilizing the “sentiment and care” that the Bishops deemed as weakness. Literally: one of the best and most overpowered mechanics of the game is building your friendship level with your followers. You can’t live without them. You are their servant as much as they are one to you.
And when Narinder demonstrates his upbringing at its fullest by betraying Lamb and throwing them away like they were nothing more than a toy—The Lamb spares him, too.
I want to express to you how much that means, especially to him. I mean, hell, Narinder wasn’t spared by his own family. But instead, this tool, now proven Almighty God, gave him a level of grace that he wasn’t even allowed to fathom before. There couldn’t be a stronger, faster way to take a wake-up-sledgehammer to someone’s childhood manipulation. The Lamb was sent to destroy every last trace of the Old Faith, and I don’t think Narinder ever considered the extent of what that entailed.
He’d been lied to his entire childhood, being told that heart was weakness, that kindness would be his downfall, that sentiment was heresy. And yet here was a God besting him and every other deity/bishop in the land, and still cleaning up their servants’ shit with a broom. And I like to think that Narinder would undergo a massive change during his time in the cult.
He’d start off hostile and vicious and mean, because he’s still convinced that the Lamb betrayed him and “betrayal” is kind of a very emotionally heated topic for the guy right now. Even if the Lamb actually did the opposite of what his siblings did to him. He’s also terrified, confused, lost, and he certainly doesn’t trust any of the flowery, overly friendly mortals getting all touchy-feely with him.
But maybe he starts to show a little more wistfulness and nostalgia through his side-quests, maybe he’s trying to gauge how trustworthy the Lamb is by asking them to bring him special items from his childhood, and when they follow suit, he dips his toe in the water and shows just a little bit more of his heart, a tiny, itty bitty fragment. And then they don’t hurt him for it. They treat him with the same kindness they give to all of their followers.
And over time, he starts to see that the Lamb’s dominion is one of safety. All of their safety had been violently torn from them in the hunt for the last lamb, so now they do everything in their power to make their cult a home. And they welcome Narinder into that home, and Narinder is safe, and he’s loved, and he’s taken care of, and he’s respected, and he becomes one with the community. The Lamb is able to rule like this and still keep their power. And actually, their power is tripled by their bond with their people! Their kindness literally becomes a strength, and Narinder has never seen anything like it before, but they pull it off! In fact, the Lamb literally defied and beat Narinder into the ground because they weren’t willing to give up their home and their people.
I think he’d come to see The Lamb very differently over time. He’d go from seeing them only as an insignificant weapon for someone else’s use (possibly projecting a lot onto them), to bring in total awe of them, to learning that they’re trustworthy and safe, to seeing them as an equal.
I think they’d be two halves of the same whole. They understand each other in ways that no one else ever will. They’re the Gods of Death, past and future, they belong to the same power. They sit on this throne together. They teach each other everything they ever needed. They’re immortals together. Lamb once served Narinder in total devotion, then Narinder served Lamb in total devotion, and now they’re equals in every conceivable way. They have literally trusted each other with their lives. They were forged in very similar religious trauma and bloodshed, they were there at each other’s darkest time, working as a team. They’re vengeance-bonded. They saved each other. They spared each other, gave the other a second chance. They made each other better. Bonded in blood, divine vows, death, and resurrection. They are THE POWER TEAM.
As their bond grows, Narinder would end up letting his repressed soft side shine through. I can see him allowing himself to be kind for the first time, learning to recognize that not only is it safe for him to care here, it’s fully embraced and encouraged. The Lamb will punish him if he’s too mean to one of their followers. He can be gentle here, he can let his guard down and unwind. So he does, and he becomes a whole new cat. The Lamb eventually trusts him with leadership positions in the cult, until they’re ruling side by side, as they should. Narinder moves on from any desperate reach for power, because he’s secure enough in himself to know he doesn’t need to fight for it anymore. He would fight and die for Lamb as much as they would fight and die for him. They’ve given him true sanctuary, true family. True devotion.
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awful-little-goose · 13 days
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Hi Leshy, what did you felt when you met your beloved Yellow Cat for the first time?
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He’s…a little bit unhinged. But well meaning!!
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