saltysaltdog

[saltysaltdog]

I wanted to add my own spice to a “modern day” au.

If I did this again I’d give Kallamar a cooler outfit. But I’ll let him off the hook today. You can definitely tell which ones I drew first, getting back into art is rough.

Sorry to spider fans, I ran outta space.

#cult of the lamb #cotl leshy #cotl lamb #cotl narinder #cotl heket #cotl kallamar #Feel free to bug me about this I have IDEAS #modern au #cotl fanart #add it to the list #salty art

[saltysaltdog]

THE WORM KING

@modulettll you did this to me, all I know is draw Leshy with worm-on-a-string dress 🎷🐛

This came out better than I expected (or better than it was supposed to). I feel like through doing heavy detailed shitposts I've improved a lot in my art

#cult of the lamb #cotl leshy #worm on a string #!!!!!

[saltysaltdog]

I've officially given up on trying to stylise my cult of the lamb designs lol. Im going to stick to my normal style from now on; should've done this earlier, this is my most normal-looking Heket drawing (even if it says nothing about her personality... maybe that'll evolve naturally in the designs though)

Side note, does anyone have any good inspiration sources for outfits?? I'm really bad at designing outfits, been stumped on how to dress Heket

Bonus side view sketch

#Heket cotl #cult of the lamb #actually really love the small detail of the second set of eyes being further back on the head #also i'd reccomend clothes with long trails/trains. in her ingame sprite she has her bandages as a long scarf #my main go-to for fashion is runway photos. devil wears prada is right. 2015 runway has made it to my town 10 years later #if it worked for sailormoon and jojo it works for me

[saltysaltdog]

bap bap bap bap bap bap bap bap bap bap

For boop day, but I got a little overboard lol

Get booped idiot

#cult of the lamb #cotl narinder #cotl aym #cotl baal #boop #demons #theyre so cute

[saltysaltdog]

Y'know, I'm surprised it's taken me this long to make a cotl stained glass piece but I DID IT AND IT ONLY TOOK 3 HOURS ON MY PHONE I'M CRACKED

bonus under cut: without effects and sketch

Also yes I nicked the hands straight from my "Vessel." piece, if it ain't broke don't fix it y'know?

#cult of the lamb #cotl lamb #oh wow!!!

[saltysaltdog]

Vibes of these two ships in my head:

#narilamb #leshy x yellow cat #cult of the lamb #cotl leshy #cotl lamb #cotl narinder #cotl yellow cat #video #memes

[saltysaltdog]

Found out Cult of the Lamb added babies and that I could marry Leshy so I finally won it for the first time

#cult of the lamb #cotl leshy #leshy x lamb #cotl lamb

[saltysaltdog]

chomp

#leshy x lamb #cotl leshy #cotl lamb #cotl heket #cult of the lamb

[saltysaltdog]

my yellow cat is chaotic neutral

#cult of the lamb #leshy x yellow cat #colt leshy #cotl

[saltysaltdog]

Family (a cotl comic)

I like to think that the Lamb lost most memories after becoming a vessel, but sometimes they’d have visions or nightmares about who they used to be.

At first, they thought they were getting memories of some stranger, before realizing that the people he saw were his friends and family. But after eons of bloodshed and sins, his old self could truly be a stranger.

#cult of the lamb #cotl lamb #neat! #comics

[saltysaltdog]

Cult of the lambs AU!

#cotl leshy #cult of the lamb #i like spring leshy so cute and vibrant!

[saltysaltdog]

Some of the Amnesia trope spin off of TROD AU I drew in stream the other day, Narinder version (idk I'll come up with an actual name for it or just keep calling it the 'trod amnesia au' lmao)

Still not quite used to Clip Studio Paint, the brushes feel stiffer to use and I think it shows but alas

#cult of the lamb #narilamb #cotl narinder

[saltysaltdog]

REPOSTED FROM INSTA, MY FAV LEBSIANS EVER

#cult of the lamb #cotl narinder #narilamb #cute

[saltysaltdog]

Who Betrayed Who? A Cult of the Lamb analysis/theory.

The Bishops and TOWW give the Lamb conflicting accounts of the events leading up to the schism. So what actually happened? Who betrayed who? And why? I have a theory.

Let’s start with what they each say regarding the schism and the decision to imprison TOWW.

According to Shamura:

“Our brother, The One Who Waits. Back then he was known by the name Narinder. But as millennia wore on, he grew discontent with his role. He began to question. He was gluttonous in his ambition. And in my imprudence I loved him. For it, I lost my mind. For it, he lost his freedom. Can you fathom such betrayal, Lamb? Of your own turned against you? Would you like to find out?”

“The blame hangs heavy 'round my neck. I introduced him to ideas of change; for my domain is knowledge, and it is ever evolving. An organic state of being for myself, but for him... most unnatural. Death cannot flow backward. It was I who had him chained.”

According to Heket:

"It was not so long ago that we cast out the Red Crown. A mere thousand or so years. The heresy it preached could not be tolerated. Such noxious ideals... it could not be allowed. For this most damning of sins, the retribution must be slow and painful...And with greed and ambition unchecked, it drew Godly blood."

According to Kallamar:

“Please know, it was not my idea to cast out the Red Crown! The other Bishops, my siblings, the blame lies with them.”

And finally, according to The One Who Waits:

“You see me here in chains, reduced to nothing. But it has not always been thus. I was bound to this wretched place by the Bishops of the Old Faith. They betrayed me and left me to rot. Each of the four chains that bind me are guarded by one of the Bishops.”

All of them are vague about what exactly went down. The only other hint we have comes from the monument by the gates: “Here godly blood was spilled. Here Death no longer wished to wait.”

So: what actually happened?

Haro has some answers. He gives us some insight to TOWW prior to the split:

"He was unalike the rest of his kin. While others dealt with flux; chaos, famine, pestilence, war. Things in which their constancy must transpose. And yet he was the inevitable; the obstinate and irresistible. The one who waits. Truly peculiar, 'twould then seem, has appetency to invite the novel and the new, break ancient vow and primordial bond alike. Traditions stagnate and appetites augment, nonetheless. Doubt tears faith asunder."

Along with:

"Bonds of familial duty, turned instead to chains. Most voracious of appetites, curbed and contained. Most infectious of ideas cut off and cauterised before given chance to rot and spread. Cruel, verily. Alas, what other recourse was given? How does one kill Death? ... Alas. One cannot."

Haro is, as far as we know, an impartial observer to what happened. (I think based on his dialogue and seemingly intimate knowledge of the conflict, he witnessed it— but that’s a whole different post.) So his account is the closest thing we have to a neutral perspective.

From Haro we learn two key things, both of which are confirmed by Shamura and Heket’s dialogue:

1. Narinder was dissatisfied with his role amongst the Bishops. He was naturally curious and ambitious, while his domain was the only “static” one among them. In essence— he was bored, restless, and potentially feeling undervalued.

2. He was imprisoned to prevent a heresy from spreading. Which heresy? The monument and Shamura’s comments make it clear: “Here Death no longer wished to wait.” “Death cannot flow backward.” Resurrection was the unforgivable heresy.

Narinder realized that each of his siblings, whether they recognized it or not, had dual domains. Kallamar’s followers prayed for protection from pestilence, Heket’s prayed for protection from famine. They could presumably give health/fertile fields as well as inflict the opposite on heretics. Leshy's chaos could have become order, but as a "young" god, he hadn't yet reached that point. Shamura has two separate domains entirely, wisdom and war.

Narinder just had death. Static, never-changing, and irritating for someone who enjoyed the “novel and new.” I think the fact he’s a cat reinforces this. There’s even a colloquialism about it: “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.”

After serving his role, he became restless. Shamura then encouraged him to experiment with his domain, by their own admission. Perhaps they didn’t actually think Narinder would succeed, or perhaps they felt bad he was stuck in a static domain when it didn’t suit his personality. The result was catastrophic in the eyes of the Bishops: Narinder gained power over both life and death.

Why was this such a damnable heresy that it destroyed their family? A few reasons: the ✨Prophecy✨ Shamura (presumably) received, the implications of resurrection in the world of CotL, and what I think might be pre-existing divides within their family. This is where we start to delve into personal headcanons and theories, so hang in there for a second:

Narinder is the most powerful of his siblings. Full stop.

He is the hardest boss fight by far, even though he’s been chained for a millennia. You could argue that he’s empowered by the Lamb’s/cult’s devotion, but there’s a key flaw there: he imprisons the cult during the final battle, and blatantly turns against the Lamb. All devotion from the cult vanishes in that moment because the followers are very clearly pulling for the one fighting to save them: the Lamb.

So, Narinder was powerful. The most powerful. Perhaps he became the God of Death because he was instrumental in killing other gods prior to their ascension. He had a clear interest in necromancy and the world beyond, if we can assume the necromantic weapons are his. (Which they are strongly implied to be by their item descriptions.) So when they ascended, he had a fascination with death and was probably very, very good at killing— so Death initially made sense as his domain. However, Narinder was curious and creative and restless. He eventually got bored and likely began to resent his family. The most powerful of the Bishops, not capable of doing anything but waiting.

Then there was the family dynamic. Kallamar was afraid of Narinder. Heket seems antagonistic towards him. Leshy didn’t seem to have much of a relationship with him. So it’s entirely possible that resentment could have eventually led to a betrayal on Narinder’s part. But one thing held him back: Shamura.

I think Narinder was beginning to drift from his family, but turned to his eldest sibling because he still had great love for them. Shamura encouraged him to experiment, which was ultimately successful— one can presume he was intensely proud of discovering resurrection. He saw it as his crowning achievement and his way of finally leveling the scales between the five of them.

His siblings saw it differently. In the world of CotL, willing and unwilling sacrifices directly feed a god's power. Resurrection, perhaps in their minds, cheapened or weakened this power. Or, if we go with the theory that Narinder was the objective strongest, resurrection made him so powerful it scared them. If he can essentially grant eternal life to his followers, what’s to stop him from usurping our worship entirely? What's to stop a god of life and death from doing away with the others?

I think the prophecy was Shamura’s attempt to calm Heket, Kallamar, and Leshy’s fears regarding the discovery. Perhaps they had a way of divining the future— and received the aforementioned ✨Prophecy✨.

In turn, it convinced Shamura that the only way to preserve the majority of their family would be to get rid of Narinder. Haro’s dialogue strongly implies they discussed outright killing him, but realized given his domain it would be impossible. Imprisoning him was the only alternative, the only way to keep word of resurrection from spreading.

So. Who pulled the trigger first? Did Narinder actually plan to usurp his siblings, and the Bishops stopped him before he could? Or did Shamura completely blindside their brother?

I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I believe a betrayal was inevitable. Had the Bishops forbid resurrection and then left Narinder to his own devices, his resentment and pride probably would have eventually won out. Most of the affection they had for each other as mortals was beginning to wane, in part because they already seemed to look at him as a threat. If you treat someone like a loaded weapon, eventually they’ll decide to become one.

But I think at the true moment of the betrayal, it was Shamura.

They admit to being the one who made the final call, and also the one who encouraged him to experiment resurrection to begin with. Narinder was the closest to them in personality, and they seem to be the closest out of the five. (Some have even pointed out that TOWW chose not to watch Shamura fall to the Lamb— his dialogue as a follower implies he doesn’t know what their last moments were like, though he happily watched the others fall through the Crown.)

The most damning piece of evidence in my mind of Shamura being the true betrayer is the nature of their injury: Narinder split his favorite sibling’s skull.

The only one who outright says they loved him deeply. Because Narinder loved them, too, and in the moment of betrayal the worst of his pain and rage was directed at them. The one sibling he never thought would be capable of doing that to him. The one sibling who encouraged him to take this path, then brutally punished him for it.

As Shamura says, the two of them paid the heaviest price. The blame hangs heavy around their neck, because Shamura — the eldest and wisest of their family — set them all on the path of complete destruction.

Narinder, to me, is an excellent Lucifer allegory. Some will look at his very clear pride and say he deserved it— others will point out his true crime was challenging the existing status quo and trusting the person he loved most to listen.

#cult of the lamb #cotl narinder #cotl shamura #cotl bishops #i see i didn't realise nari didn't watch shamura fall #neat! #add it to the list

[saltysaltdog]

My heart needs only Ratau. Heal me rat boy.

#cotl lamb #cult of the lamb #cotl narinder #cotl ratau #cute! #i like that you kept their white pupil eye stylisation from the game #and i like the tiny sheep fangs

[saltysaltdog]

I think trait of his is part of the reason Kallamar was "afraid" of Narinder and perhaps the person who most strongly advocated against his experiments.

For those who are very sick, death is a mercy. Kallamar should be the person least afraid of death. Sickness is its own unique suffering that many pet owners know well. Death is a kindness that hurts all the same.

But what if death wasn't the end? If anyone could be perfectly revived in good health? What does that mean?

He relies on artisans of all sorts and of many people wishing for heath. If they could just die and fix it, he'd be useless. what would he have to do just to not fall?

He could have teamed up with Narinder for a solution. Imagine a death plague (zombies and vampires) they could have been a terrorising team and created a reason to fear both death and illness.

But that's just a temporary solution. If the dead could be killed again and revived, it means no one would fear death. If death isn't something to be feared, then what will they fear next?

Sickness.

Kallamar saw how his sibling was treated and couldn't risk turning that onto himself.

Death needed to be permanent. Or at least, the illnesses and wounds did. It would be painfully ironic if the research Kallamar put into his work to ensure he wouldn't be useless was the same thing used against his siblings to disable them even after being revived.

Kallamar the Coward

Thinking about Kallamar in Cult of the Lamb, with how the lore and even his own siblings taunt him for being a coward and he even tries to bargain and sway you away from getting your revenge and killing him, even ready to throw Shamura under the bus to save himself, but then when you finally push him into a corner and he's forced to fight he not only busts out a bunch of weapons and starts quad-wielding them but he was once regarded by the fandom as being among the hardest bosses of the base game.

It got me thinking, was he always like this? Narinder certainly thinks so, but there's bias there. It's easy to just write him off as always being a mess like this...

But there's no denying he's the second in power after Shamura, Anchordeep is known for its beauty, he takes personal pride in the way he took care of his cult/area, and when in Purgatory out of all the bishops he's notably the most lucid/aware of where he is.

So I present this: After Narinder's sealing, Shamura was in no state to lead or give orders. The Bishops all had massive injuries that refused to heal. Who out of the 4 would immediately be assumed to be the one to take a leadership role? Who had comparatively more "manageable" injuries to take care of the other 3? And who would you assume is most likely to have medical experience to at least try to lessen the impact of all of their wounds?

Kallamar, Pestilence and Cure.

Early on after The One Who Waits was sealed away, Kallamar would have had to effectively take over the Old Faith while also caring for a broken beyond repair older sibling, who had always been the "Wise" one that the others blindly followed, yet was now barely even there at the best of times, and two younger siblings, one who was now permanently blind (and young/weak enough that they couldn't even muster a single Curse towards the Lamb before being crushed within days of their resurrection even years after the sealing, so just imagine how new to godhood they were back when this all started), and another who had had her throat torn out, all while downplaying his own wounds.

What if, then, at some point, he simply broke?

He resents Shamura, even potentially sincerely blames them for causing the entire thing (which Shamura confesses to), both leading them to turn on Narinder and also for leading everyone to killing the Lambs. He's still fond of Leshy, but from how quick to take charge Heket is, it's clear that after he proved unable to take the stress of it all, she was next in line as the "leader" of The Old Faith. There's gotta be some resentment there on both ends because of that, particularly with how quick he is to criticize how she took care of her territory.

And then compare how he is as a bishop to how he is as a follower. I think it's very very interesting that he goes from a dirty coward and absolute pathetic mess of anxiety and fear, to pleading directly to his own executioner for help, to being almost perfectly happy and content to simply be a Follower of the Lamb's cult. The others (minus Shamura, due to their condition) are resentful and quick to give sharp words to the Lamb, but Kallamar? It's like all his anxiety is gone with his godhood. He has nothing to fear anymore, and is almost ridiculously quick to be friendly to the Lamb and share his tastes in decor and pride in appearances with them. Not even in the "kissing up" way, he talks like they're equals. Is this what Kallamar was like, before everything? Is he actually HAPPIER as a Mortal now that all of the responsibility and fear of death is gone? Even secretly grateful?

There's no denying his cowardice. There's no denying it crossed a line when he was ready to betray Shamura when his nerves reached their limit. There's no denying that as much as he'd like to believe that he is absolved of guilt for The Old Faith's sins simply because he was just doing what Shamura told him to even if he claims he thought it was a bad idea.

But you also have to wonder what caused that cowardice to form, and what other feelings motivate his actions besides fear.

(tldr: sad squid was not ready to become the responsible one, especially not after going deaf and being traumatized. Has a mental breakdown halfway through raising the others due to not being able to actually deal with going deaf or being traumatized because it turns out being the god of physical health is different from mental health. Little sister ends up having to step up and be the mom now. Their relationship never recovered because of it, and he now blames the eldest for failing them and also for his own failures to cope. As a bonus developed an attachment to his own killer out of some weird warped perception of them "rescuing" him from his stress and then from death itself.)

#Cult of the Lamb #cotl kallamar #cotl narinder #add it to the list #character analysis #of course this assumes death has the most responsibilities and daily duties

[saltysaltdog]

Idea for Swap Au: Mystic seller should be swap with the fox

First of all, holy shit this is my first ask/submission here on Tumblr- Thank you!

I was only considering this Swap at first! Then when I tried making some sketches, I REALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS IDEA

Since the Mystic Seller isn't rly an animal, I thought they should be 2 mismatched eyes under a robe, where you can't really identify what species they even are. So the Fox was already a great candidate for the Swap. Then I started sketching him next and in the middle of it I remembered the Kitsune from Japanese folklore and gave him 9 tails immediately

This is just a first sketch btw, I might make a colored version another time + I want to draw the Swap Fox silhouette a bit more triangular and add their Disciples

#cult of the lamb #cotl mystic seller #cotl fox #oooh #pretty