#cotl worldbuilding

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

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

Are those pentagram shapes with the converging lines Ley Lines?

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

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

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

Where Heaven and Earth meet...

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

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

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

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

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

[thedamnedlamb]

I like the idea of the Lamb and Leshy being relatively friendly with each other when they first meet. Leshy doesn’t care what his siblings think if they find out about their conversations with the Lamb. The Lamb and Leshy have a lot in common in the beginning. They are both short, both are looked down upon by others for very different things but they both understand that feeling. They both enjoy the nature of the dark woods, and the chaos that is Leshy’s element. Both are new to being a crown bearer.

And then Heket is killed. This changes their relationship permanently. It’s no longer sweet and childlike (deities and demigods age differently.) Leshy begins to feel guarded around the Lamb he considered a friend. He begins to hate the Lamb and see them as an enemy….

And then Kallamar falls, and basically makes the still very inexperienced bishop the one in charge as Shamura can’t rule on their own with the head injury given to them by Narinder. Leshy learns fast. The Lamb becomes an immortal enemy.

And then Shamura falls…. And that wretched little lamb is the only constant in Leshy’s life.

Friends, enemies, nemesis, friends again, lovers

[livelaughlambbam]

Just like any person who is sane about both Cult of the Lamb and linguistics would do, I responded to the massive monster lofi stream by using my day to turn all the random symbol's in Lamb's notebook into an alphabet for a language of the Old Gods, complete with phonology, grammar, and enough vocabulary to translate the Bee Movie intro and transcribe it onto a commandment stone. Exact translation of the text:

The edicts of flight state that a bee should not fly. Its inferior small wings cannot lift its inferior fat body. Honorably, the bee flies regardless. Why? Bees care not for our edicts.

It's pronounced: Tiirutyi ibri yatru ubribati nachyriapruip chyira yiwyuiba yitu ikri. Yitutiirua shrichyi lutlat trulru naishraubu ti pyichyi nachrik’ubu. Wratrarupru, tiichyira yiwyuiba usyapru. Riya lut? Yitutiit’ruchri yiwyuiba tuprat naubribati.

[harpyco]

Updated version of this

I’ve received sudden urge to draw darkkids. And so here is it.

I’ve seen people made darkkids either living on land or under water. So I thought why not make both?

They are cool concept. I love seeing people making their own darkkids. That makes me want to create my own version and add them to my sky world.

I already had like five darkkid ocs sitting around for months and are yet to be properly introduced. Someday probably. Someday. 👀

[lambouillet]

silly little jester !

[linkedin-offficial]

finally made refs for these two! (+ some doodles)

also some news : im tentatively taking commissions! i never fully announced it anywhere but they are open. you can find more details here!

[kat-idk]

Skykid Culture - Skykid lingo!

Disclaimer: this is for the sky au I’m building for my characters. Most of these are terms that have been floating around ingame that I put in with some original ones. If you want an actual reference for game terminology, check out this page on the Sky Wiki.

Also edit: removed “dev”, im nuking the Secret Area out of existence in my AU. My Sky Kingdom now, TGC.

See? I told you I had worldbuilding stuff coming. This has actually been sitting in my back pocket for a while, so I decided to break the silence.

yeet

Ancestor - interchangeable with Spirit, or ancestor spirit, describes the Kingdom’s original inhabitants

(the) Ark - short for Forgotten Ark, casual

(the) Aviary - short for Aviary Village, casual

Bird Statue - term for one variant of a Home shrine.

Butterfly - a young skykid, no longer a moth but not in the “teenager” phase, named as such because the next progression in appearance from the moth look is usually one of the capes from the realm spirits

Call/Honk/Chirp - the sound skykids can make that isn’t normal spoken language.

Caterpillar - word for newly landed skykids without a cape.

Candle Hunting/Candle Running/Wax Hunting - the practice of going through a realm to collect all the light in order to craft candles.

Wedges/Wings/Flaps/Cape Stars - the amount of stars that a Skykid has on their cape.

Chibi - slang for a skykid who is very short and/or wearing the Hide n’ Seek Pioneer’s mask. Origin of this term is unknown.

Closet - the places where a skykid can change their outfit and hairstyle, magical or otherwise.

Constellation - the star pattern for each Realm, can be accessed from a Constellation Table.

Friend Constellation: a skykid-only star pattern. Not an actual star pattern in the sky, just a made up one. Used by groups of friends or groups like the Theater Troupe to display members.

Constellation Table - one of the big slabs in the ground in Aviary, Home, or Orbit that allows you to view Constellations (both kinds.)

Daily Quest - The daily tasks you can get from the Home Shrine or spirits at the Aviary Cafe.

Dawn - very old slang for Isle of Dawn. Used by really old skykids (Pre-Gratitude to maybe Lightseekers) or people who want to be pretentious.

Day - very old slang for Daylight Prairie. Same usage as Dawn

Deep Call/Big Honk - yelling using the non-language Skykid noise.

Descendant - very old term for skykids. Used by Elders, some Spirits (ex. Prophecy spirits & other religious folk) and very old or pretentious skykids (same crowd as the word Dawn)

Dusk - very old slang for Golden Wasteland. Same usage as Dawn

Eden Cycle - another word for week.

Expression/emotion - the gestures skykids learn from spirits.

Faerie Ring - a ring of mushrooms that sometimes appears in the Village Islands.

Ikejou - term for conventionally attractive feminine presenting skykid. 

Ikemen - ditto to Ikejou, but masculine instead 

Jelly - short for Jellyfish

Kreb - funny way of saying Crab

Krill - Everyday term for Dark Dragon

Library - uncommon informal term for the Vault of Knowledge.

Manna - Another old term for Golden Wasteland. Part of its original name, Golden Shores of Manna. Used by some normal Spirits and pretentious skykids.

Moth/Sparrow - term for new skykids who have a cape

Night - an old term for the Vault of Knowledge. Same usage as Dawn

Point of No Return/the Eye/Stormlock - word for the part of Eden where you’re supposed to die

Rain - an old term for the Hidden Forest. Same usage as Dawn 

Realm Spirit - word equivalent to saying “base game spirit” in-game.

Recorded Memory - word for Shared Memories.

Season - a period of time that lasts 12 Eden cycles, or 3 months. Also refers to the event where a new group of Spirits appears and all attention is focused on helping them after being freed, which takes roughly 3 months 

Season Pendant - a special neck accessory awarded for helping the new spirits of a specific Season a lot.

Shores of Manna - same usage as Manna or Dusk, “Golden” part of name omitted because of the Realm’s ruined state

Shrine - can refer to a spot where offerings are made or something like a Home Shrine where you tap into the surrounding light to do something through meditation.

Small Mask - the Hide n’ Seek Pioneer’s mask, which shrinks skykids when worn. 

Social Space - the gathering spot at the beginning of a Realm.

(the) Storm - most skykids just say Eden or the Eye of Eden, but spirits and the same types who use Dawn for Isle use this word.

Sunset - Name for Valley of Triumph, same usage as Dawn

Tower - a very rarely used name for the Vault of Knowledge

Veteran - an uncommon term for an older skykid with 11-12 wedges. 

Wax/Light (in context of candles) - the material used to forge candles.

Wing Blessing - word for the winged light Spirits offer to Skykids when they give them Ascended Candles. Aka wing buff in game terminology.

Owl hair - the Rhythm Guide’s hair. Came about after a spirit compared their hair to an owl. …whatever that is.

Penguin hair - the Performance Guide’s hair. Since the Rhythm Guide’s hair got a nickname, people thought, “why not their twin too?”

[amity206]

A while ago I wanted to find some sort of reference for various skykid “skin”/shell tones… after not finding one, I decided to make my own

The ones at the bottom right are much closer to blue, so would fit the shell tones from the Rhythm pants, but in my AU they represent skykids suffering from the corruption (as their light is fading, their skin becomes less warm and more blue, as blue is the color of dying light, like spirits and darkness plants)

Feel free to use this for your art or save to your files!

[justarandomlambblog]

I was possessed by a thought

Modern-ish au but in a "thousands of years post-canon universe"

In which Lamb did not spare Narinder and when they saved the Bishops from Purgatory, actually put them to rest (aka sent them to the After) and oops, the Bishops + Narinder accidentally reincarnated while the Lamb wasn't watching

(Part 2 here)

In this life, the Bishops are still siblings and all were born with magic; Narinder became a priest, and though the other Bishops were raised in the temple alongside him they chose to pursue careers outside of the priesthood. Heket runs a restaurant (of course), Kallamar makes jewelry and sells crystals (he has healing magic so his crystals are literal healing crystals :) ), Leshy is a gardener and Shamura runs a bookshop (I'm sure you're noticing a theme here- their past lives are affecting their new ones). Their past lives' injuries have actually carried over, only instead of being injuries they're disabilities they were born with; Shamura their memory issues, Kallamar is deaf, Heket is mute, Leshy is blind, and Narinder has chronic pain (he WAS in chains for a thousand years, his muscles were ATROPHIED and his joints destROYED, and you cannot convince me otherwise). Not shown here; Narinder also uses a cane and on his really bad days a wheelchair.

Heket: Get a whole pumpkin Narinder, who can't lift more than 20 pounds:

Why do Narinder (and the Bishops) look the same and have the same name? Well. The world may have forgotten them, but the universe hasn't.

Aym and Baal are immortals from their time in the After in this world, and though at first they were resistant to helping the Lamb, eventually they saw they needed Help™ and had no idea what they were doing, and having been witness and aid to Narinder's job for centuries they knew how to help. Over the millennia they fell into the old familiar role of being the guardians of Death (Forneus is also an immortal so don't worry they're not separated again) and are in a constant state of Done With Lamb's Shit (/affectionate).

... I actually really love how Lamb turned out here. It was fun drawing them Older. And quite a flip with making them look older than Narinder. The society that's been built up is still religious but no one recognizes Lamb because they've changed so much over the last two thousand years, and the fact they're a sheep doesn't raise any red flags as sheep have migrated to the Lands from other continents. They're rare but not unheard of.

The Crown fits in by disguising as various types of pets, though no matter its form it always has one eye. This time it's a bird, and it recognized Narinder from a mile away :) The mind forgets but the soul remembers....

[bearandmoon]

Winter ideas ☃️

Inspired by the Dukha and Inuit tribes🦌🐕

[beigetiger]

On one hand, Skykids don’t really have genitals and all probably look like mannequins, meaning that there’s no reason for a theoretical trans Skykid to have surgery scars.

On the OTHER hand, it could be that kids who start out with one gender but end up picking another are supposed to scar/tattoo themselves to symbolize it, which would be fun to explore and would also mean that there’s a ceremonial-type process for it.

[thedamnedlamb]

Lamb of Chaos- you’re my bestest friend Leshy <3

Leshy (Harshly)- I want you to just DIE already

Lamb of chaos- I loooove you too! I’ll tell beloved Narinder hello for you!

Leshy (very quietly and hesitantly)- thank you, wretched beast

[many-gay-magpies]

An expansion of my headcannon of skykids being able to transform into the animals their masks are based off of! Typed versions of the image text and additional notes below the cut, because LORD do I have so much to say about this concept.

Image 1:

Bottom left text:

BODY is just the CONTAINER—Skykid soul is the LIGHT inside

Light takes shape of container at first, but has no one shape

Top right text:

Light grows used to assuming humanoid shape to fit container, but as a skykid strengthens their light, they remember/learn how to assume other shapes and gain the ability to mold their container to their will.

Image 2:

LIGHT is fluid, but the container is stiff and easily broken (at least at first). It takes a lot of slow, hard work to mold it, and MASKS are used to tell the container what shape to take/give the LIGHT a direction.

Skykids imbue their mask with their light so that when they wear it, it connects to them and allows the transformation to occur.

Change happens in increments, not all at once—learning to shape oneself takes TIME.

Small notes: "Small changes first" above the drawing of the two hands, and "Most stick to an anthropomorphic form" beside the fox skykid.

Additional Notes:

This process is also why Skykids are born wearing masks. Because light is fluid and has no single shape, the light of a newborn Skykid has not yet learned how to be humanoid, and is at risk of breaking the fragile body it inhabits, therefore: Megabird gives newborn Skykids a basic mask to “teach” their light how to maintain its shape inside the container. It takes a lot of effort to obtain the blank/“faceless” mask because it takes a lot of effort for Skykids to maintain a humanoid shape without the assistance of a mask.

Also potentially how the chibi mask works (in a world where chibis aren’t just toddlers/babies)—the mask tells the Skykid to be small.

The process of becoming a Morpho (workshopping the name) is long and arduous, and involves a lot of studying the animal one wants to take the shape of, before then making the mask that will guide the shape-change. Though most of the Skykids who take an animal form choose a more anthropomorphic default, it is possible to transform completely into the animal of choice, and this is often done for fun or stress relief.

Possible that the Eden cycle strengthens the body and makes it more malleable to change? Something to do with repeatedly dying and being reincarnated and becoming more familiar with/at home in the body you possess. Kinda like how exercising is just you tearing muscles in your body so that they grow back even stronger.

Masks can also of course be just masks. A lot of Skykids like to wear animal masks without doing any of the actual Becoming; its fun to disguise as a little creature sometimes!

Unlike human beings (and potentially ancestors?), who are all full of guts and bones and stuff, Skykids are pretty much all light in there, and the outside is just a shell. They can eat and drink and everything, and it’s fun, but it all gets burnt up instead of being digested or anything and they don’t need it to survive. Also how Krill work; they’re starved for light, and Skykids are full of it, but there’s this pesky little shell in the way, so the Krill have got to crack it to get the light out.

This is slightly inspired by the legends of the Selkie, with the masks being akin to the seal pelts that the Selkie wear to turn themselves into seals.

The body/container is what protects Skykids from having their light too badly damaged and allows them to walk the realms of Sky, but it is also what limits them in their ability to shape-change. In a hypothetical situation where a Skykid was completely unrestrained (i.e. pure light without a body, like we are in Orbit), they could potentially become any and every light creature available to them.

Essentially: Skykids = light, and light = all light creatures, so Skykids = all light creatures.

I’ll probably think of more stuff to add to this later, but for now that’s about it. I’m already thinking up possible animal forms for my singular sky OC lol (because even though I looked it up and that mask is technically a serow mask, it could very easily be any number of other things, like a dragon or a giraffe).

Bonus content: a little bird guy, and closeups of the random fox guy I made without their cape and hair (because I put way too much detail into parts of their outfit that weren’t even going to be visible). I’m for sure drawing them again <3

[harpyco]

Allow me to present you Voidkids.

Void entities that like to copy others’ appearance and behavior. Literally dragging you wherever they take you.

(Want to draw them? Sure, you can. Don’t forget to tag me.)

[bilehwit]

Hi, another ask kinda indirectly related to the Bilehwit AU

But what are some of your personal headcannons about the bishops, that may or may not be in this au but as a personal interpretation of their character?

+ Who's your fav Bishop(excluding Narinder for now) ?

Favourite has to be Kallamar - gay coward??? Me coded fr fr.

That being said, I somehow always write more about Shamura???

But headcanons!

Kallamar:

🐙My man has a skin tone for gold, and he lets it be known by wearing enough to be heard janglin' a mile away.

🐙He has never once in his life done that! (He has done it 1 billion times, but he must appear better than thou.)

🐙Scared of Shamura when they're not lucid.

🐙Once drunk Leshy under the table only to then get decimated by Heket.

🐙Many spouses, does not like sexual activity. In my eyes he's asexual but a hopeless romantic.

🐙Will stop whole processions to look at bacterial growths on the floor.

🐙East Asian - South Korean, modern day would be a K-Pop beauty influencer.

Leshy:

🌱 Is Chaotic, but not in a fun way, more in a "Oh my God 3 people are dead" way.

🌱Used to biting to show affection.

🌱Cries when he's angry.

🌱Wants Shamura to be proud (they are.)

🌱Turns spouses into Witnesses. Also doesnt know what a spouse is/is for.

🌱Is the most physically violent.

🌱Ate scraps of metal on a dare (digested with no problems.)

🌱Russian.

Heket:

🐸Hates mushrooms (shockingly).

🐸Bought a cowboy hat.

🐸Likes to garden and cook but hates washing up.

🐸Says shit like "four score and twelve moons ago" to piss off Kallamar.

🐸Likes writing on Papyrus.

🐸Egyptian and will complain about heat.

🐸Lesbiab. Lesbaen. WOMAN LIKER.

🐸Tells you to go fuck yourself if you compliment her looks.

Shamura:

🕷When lucid, talks about the good old days.

🕷Most crimes committed as a mortal.

🕷Writes nursery rhymes for their followers.

🕷Used to have dancing rituals to gather sin - now can barely twitch their legs to a beat.

🕷"Oh, thank you Leshy- sorry, Narinder." "I'm Kallamar." "That's what I said." - common occurrence even before.

🕷Wants a pet so so bad. Do not give them one.

🕷Attracted to people with long hair and excellent grammar.

🕷Once did a kickflip so bad they had to kill the elderly congregation watching them.

🕷Tanzanian and speaks swahili when angry.

Narinder:

🪦Likes to bite Kallamar ("I can't help it, cats love fish." "I AM NOT EVEN CLASSIFIED AS A FISH." "You could be.")

🪦Indian, but spent so long in Purgatory he can no longer handle flavourful foods. At least at the start.

🪦Didn't realise Bilehwit had an ACTUAL CRUSH on him and thought they were like. Just that devoted. Pious. That's why they never took a lover.

🪦Cat baths when no one looks - gotta look constantly refined.

🪦Uses his third eye to scare people, namely children.

🪦I Would Never pt, except he definitely is still doing it while you watch.

🪦Finds children hilarious (to torment).

🪦Best dancer, worst singer of the Bishops. Can play music very well though.

🪦First time in Bilehwit's tent, he paid no attention because they were arguing. Then snuck in later to actually see the place.

And that's all my headcanons!

[ink-drenched-cat]

Spirits of Sky cotl: Names and Meanings.

The Elders:

As they already have names, though it is never mentioned in game, I shall still list them here before moving onto our nameless/normal spirits.

Dawn Elder - Daleth

Meaning= Door / to lift up

Prairie Elder - Ayin

Meaning= Eye / Salvation

Forest Elder - Teth

Meaning = purity / impurity / best

Valley Elder - Sahmekh

Meaning = To support/ to lean upon / medicine

Wasteland Elder - Tsadi

Meaning = righteous / hunt

Vault Elder - Lamed

Meaning = to learn / to teach

Eden Elder / The King - Resh

Meaning = poor / evil / head

The Prince - Alef

Base spirits :

Meaning = Master / teacher / wondrous

Megabird - Chet

Meaning = Life

These names are based on my own AU.

Rejecting Voyager - Meir

Meaning = Bright one

Pointing Candlemaker - Azur

Meaning = Helper

Ushering Stargazer - Aleah

Meaning = Rising; High; Exalted

Waving Bellmaker - Panit

Meaning = Beloved

Applauding Bellmaker - Lamai

Meaning = Tender, gentle, sweet

Exhausted Dockworker - Runrot

Meaning = prosperous

Bird Whisperer - Ambhom

Meaning = Sky

Butterfly Charmer - Thanom

Meaning = cherish, conserve

Laughing Lightcatcher - Kwang

Meaning = Deer; Light; Wild

Slumbering Shipwright - Kriang Sak

Meaning = great power, warrior of the sky

Ceremonial Worshiper - Kamon

Meaning = Heart, Mind

Blushing Prospector - Chung-Ha

Meaning = clear and graceful

Dismayed Hunter - Gyeong

Meaning = respect honor

Hide and Seek Pioneer - Dan Bi

Meaning = sweet rain, red plum

Shivering Trailblazer - Seo-Hyun

Meaning = auspicious and virtuous

Apologetic Lumberjack - Yuna

Meaning = gentle and talented

Whale Whisperer - Ji-Wook

Meaning = wisdom and light, purpose, ambition

Pouty Porter - Cheol-Ho

Meaning = Iron and Tiger, wise, clever

Tearful Lightminer - Yu-jin

Meaning = precious pearl, abundant, valuable

Manta Whisperer - Altan

Meaning = golden, red dawn

Confident Sightseer - Xaela

Meaning = Mystical; Nomadic; Fierce

Proud Victor - Taiven

Meaning = peace and tranquility, great knowledge

Backflipping Champion - Taimoor

Meaning = Lion; Self-respecting; Self-reliant; Strong

Handstanding Thrillseeker - Sanal

Meaning = Sacred fire; Fiery; Thought; Desire; Aspiration

Cheerful Spectator - Maral

Meaning = A deer; Caspian red deer

Bowing Medalist - Batu

Meaning = strong and firm

Fainting Warrior - Peilun

Meaning = Order, strength, resilience

Courageous Soldier - Yunkai

Meaning = triumph, brave, heroic

Frightened Refugee - Huiying

Meaning = brave, heroic

Stealthy Survivor - Huang

Meaning = phoenix

Saluting Captain - Xiaohai

Meaning = the sea, small sea

Lookout Scout - Ying

Meaning = Eagle, jade, victorious, intellegent

Meditating Monastic - Lingxu

Meaning = dawn, spirit, void, wisdom

Levitating Adept - Lihua

Meaning = magnolia, splendid flower

Polite Scholar - Nian

Meaning = think, thoughtful, pondering

Memory Whisperer - Xing

Meaning = prosperous, walk, nature

Praying Acolyte - Yue

Meaning = moon, cross, surpass

I did as much research as I could though can't fully guarantee accuracy, so if anyone sees any mistakes, do tell me and I'll correct it.

Seasonal Spirits will be done another time.