Hello and welcome to my Cult of the Lamb blog! The title of this blog might change, but you can call me Justa.
Don't be afraid to send me asks or dms! I don't bite and I love rambling about stories, AUs, situations(hips) and What-Ifs.
I don't have a schedule- I don't update or upload on a schedule and I can’t even promise regularly. I have a full time job and go to school part time, and in August will be in school full time and working part time, so what I do is in my free time. That being said, if you do message me, be patient please- I'm usually either at work or at school.
You can find me on AO3 under JustaWrites! I write pretty much just as much as I draw. Please don't mind the inconsistency in my art, I'm still trying to settle into an art style and figure out how to draw these mfers in a way that I'm happy with. I haven't drawn in YEARS and I was a traditional realism landscape artist when I did, so this is a learning curve for me. I am also still figuring out names for the Lamb and Yellow Cat so you'll see their names change between AUs as I look for names I like.
Now, I am not a One Story Gal. I get an idea and I play with it, which even tho I have been involved in Cult of the Lamb for like... less than a month, means I have a lot of AUs already. They're mostly canon-divergent or twisted in some way, but I build a lot on worldbuilding and culture.
Something to know for basically all canon-divergent/adjacent fics: Narinder's region, through the doorways behind the Gateway, is called Sleeping Hollow. It is blocked off from the rest of the world and has been isolated for a thousand years, so it has remained untouched by the Bishops' devolving madness.
Now for the part this post is for; the AUs.
Death's Beck and Call: The Lamb never killed Narinder, meaning Narinder did not lose his status as god of Death; instead, Lamb became a god of gods, the god of Life, when they chose to spare Narinder. Unfortunately, this also means Shamura's prophecy... was never completed. Five became four became three became two became one... and one still remains. The Lamb drags Narinder along on a journey to "reverse the prophecy"- to turn one into five again.
This fic contains: Canon typical violence and death, OCs, Narilamb and Leshycat
The Lamb: Their name is Azri and they use they/them pronouns
Yellow Cat: Their name is Tati and they use they/them pronouns
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Dreams of Absolution: Modern-ish AU mixing modern day culture with a more traditional religious culture found in-game. Narinder is a single dad to Aym and Baal, coparenting with Forneus, and Lamb is new in town, Aym and Baal's new teacher. Lamb is smitten with the cute barista at Mystic Coffee House, and Narinder is just trying to avoid his estranged family.
This fic contains: Past violence and death, (fictional) religion, family drama, Narilamb and Leshycat, dad!Narinder, past Narinder/Forneus (Narineus? Forinder?), not-evil Bishops
The Lamb: Simply goes by Lamb, their real name is unknown. They/Them
Yellow Cat: Their name is Tati, they/them.
Art: Narilamb, Single Dad Narinder, Lamb is Lost, Tati and Leshy, Narinder and Lamb
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Second Chances [name will change when I think of something better]: In which Narinder wakes up after dying to find himself in the After again, and thinking it's Purgatory, just gives up. Then Aym and Baal arrive, and he decides- Purgatory or not, he'll play the game differently this time. Revenge didn't work and he will never be free, but... this time, these kits will be his children, not his guardians. Now, Vessels are not for wreaking havoc and seeking vengeance on his siblings, but for providing the twins with the mortal luxuries that he cannot. But... how, exactly, did time rewind itself? Well, the Lamb and the Bishops might have answers....
Or: Turns out in a world that relies on gods, killing them all is a bad idea.
This story contains: this is a lighthearted AU, mostly, with mild angst, dad!Narinder, Bishops as a family, trying to undo damage, etc. There is definitely a pre-relationship Narilamb angle here, but it is not a core part of the story.
Lamb: They are mostly just called Lamb, they/them
Art: The First Vessel
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Song of the Eternal: In which fallen gods will eventually hear a song beckoning them to the Eternal Land. Narinder and Leshy hear the song and know they have to leave, something they're torn about as their family is only still recovering.
This fic includes: It's a heavy story, including themes of loss and regret, and what it means to find peace. Feelings-realized-too-late, Leshycat, onesided/requited-too-late Narilamb
Lamb: Just called Lamb, they/them
Yellow Cat: Called Mer, they/them
Art: A Hard Conversation (wip)
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Memories like a Photograph Faded: After saving the Bishops, Narinder is given to the Lamb... only, Narinder does not remember the last several thousand years.
This fic contains: Amnesia, existentialism (to an extent), family bonding, hints of Narilamb and implied Leshycat
Lamb: Just called Lamb, they/them
Yellow Cat: Called Mer, they/them
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Unnamed: In which no one realizes Narinder is immortal, so Lamb offers him a golden skull which he rejects, expressing a desire to live as mortals do- have a family and grow old and die, all the things he could never do before. The Bishops protest this, as they've only just started healing, but ultimately let it be. Unfortunately for Narinder, he will never live this life.
This story contains: Narinder/OC, Narinder offspring, pining Lamb, Leshycat, Bishops family, family bonding, angst
Lamb: Just called Lamb, they/them
Yellow Cat: Unnamed thus far, they/them
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Reincarnation AU: Modern-ish, post-canon, not-spared Narinder and properly-put-to-rest Bishops. Lamb has been the god of Death for 2,000 years now, and their cult has grown into a full blown society stretching throughout the entirety of what was once the Old Faith's Lands. The Bishops' true names and faces have been forgotten, lost to ancient history as nothing more than the monsters the Blessed Lamb had defeated... yet the world may have forgotten, but the universe never will. Lamb took their eyes off of the After long enough for the Bishops' souls to reincarnate, and now Lamb is trying to keep an eye on the family as they just live their lives, always ready for the shoe to drop.
This story contains: Eventual NariLamb (is it breaking vows if it's the god the priest worships?), LeshyCat, and maybe Heket will get a girlfriend she deserves it, Bishops family (less angst more fluff), magic, reincarnation tropes/issues (memories of past lives/past lives carrying over into the present, accepting that Narinder and his family are and are not the Bishops all at the same time, do crimes in your past life carry over into your new one? etcetc), cultural worldbuilding and religious themes, technically a role reversal in that Lamb is now the ancient god and Narinder is now the mortal who is more than he seems
The Lamb is simply called Lamb, they/them
Yellow Cat's name is undecided, them/them
Art: A New Crusade, Meeting the Family?, the reason Priest!Narinder doesn't recognize the Lamb...., The Lamb (previous drawing colorized)
Okay for now this is all I have time for, I will add to this and make it better later when I don't need to go to work <3
OK I've made the decision to switch over to a new main account so I can actually interact with and follow people orz
I didn't expect cotl to become my new hyperfocus, if I'd known it would consume my every waking thought I would have made a main account from the start hhhh
I'm in the process of making this new account so bear with me, I'm gonna do a lot of reblogging on it from this account first before I worry about what it looks like
Anyway new account will be @justawrites , same name as my ao3. It is a work in progress but it will be worth it for me to be able to curate a dashboard that isn't my hyperfocus from 10 years ago lol
Anyway, I'm sick and spent way too long on this but I have finished and now I am going to sleep thanks
This is specifically about Narinder in my God in a Godless Land story (thus the earring(s)), just some things he gets called throughout the story. Also me playing with his hairstyle a bit, I love long-haired Nari and I want to do him justice 😔
Lamb: "Try to get along! And remember, if you hurt them- I'll make you wish you were still in Purgatory."
When you bring the Bishops back but know they need keepers- I mean... friends! and need to remind them that there are, in fact, fates worse than death.
Also when the Lamb asks you to keep an eye on the former very-much-still-magically-inclined god of Chaos without any idea you're looking at your future husband
Two new ideas I have that I'm just gonna put together in the same post and then not expand on as I have to get ready for work in like 5 minutes-
I'm an anthro/archaeology major, so... archaeologist!Lamb AU in which Lamb discovers the lost tomb of the Bishops, who once ruled over that region of the world with an iron fist. Ofc the Bishops are still alive and not actually dead, and Narinder is sealed away within it (with Aym and Baal as the tomb's keepers), and I have no other details beyond this. Something something museum curator Shamura mayhaps?
Anyway, the second idea; six bishops. And when Narinder begins to explore the idea of resurrection, Shamura, Kallamar, Heket and Leshy actually agree, yeah, Death is your domain, and actually this could be very very useful for us too! .... And then the sixth Bishop schemes and attacks the four to use their blood/ichor to chain Narinder away in the After like in canon, but after realizing the four intend to break his cursed chains as soon as they're recovered enough to do so, chains them away in their own temples too.
The first time in a thousand years the four see each other again is when the Sixth lets them out of their temple to witness a private execution (attended only by the most faithful and devout of the Sixth's following, so those still loyal to the other four do not witness their gods bound in chains); the Lamb who Shamura foresaw would be the savior of Narinder, and in extension themselves. And after the last Lamb is executed, they're returned to their temples with what remained of their spirit broken.
The only reason the Sixth doesn't kill them and become the last god? Because they realize, reuniting those five even (or especially in) death would be dangerous.
The Lamb is sent not to kill the four, but to free them.
"I am the prophet with the answers you seek- time, I've unlocked it, I see past and future running free..."
Okay yeah it was way too fun and felt way too good drawing her again, everyone meet my girl Kilyin, I created her uhhhhh in 2008? Which is probably why she looks so much better than anyone else in this image, I've been drawing her for 16 years now. I need to learn to treat the cotl characters like OCs I think, if I do that they'll be easier for me to draw...
She's a prophet/seer/oracle/minor deity/whatever you want to call her living in the godless lands. The Lamb, Narinder and the Bishops seek her out during their journey. She bears no relation to Clauneck, Chemach, Kudaai or Haro, having been a mortal with a high amount of magic who happened to be born long after Chemach stopped making and giving crowns. She managed to figure out how time works, allowing herself to kinda just... step outside of it. Because of this she does not age, but she also gets visions of what was, is and what could be.
They find her in a cavern, waterfalls cascading down into the pond around. She uses the water to share her visions, which can be a... horrifying, terrifying sight. Her cavern is a series of small islands connected by narrow bridges, and there are paths behind the waterfalls as well.
Is this technically spoilers? I mean ig, you know now that Narinder joins the Lamb and Bishops on a journey through the godless lands- though his reason is different from theirs...
Will you include goat in your aus or maybe future ones, also poly nari, lamb and goat👀
I am considering how I could! I think I could squeeze them into the coffeeshop AU without any problems, but a lot of the other AUs (especially God in a Godless Land) are already pretty much outlined and I don't want to do gymnastics to try and figure out how to add them without messing up the flow of the story
As for future AUs, absolutely <3 I am already thinking of potential stories (and as someone who HATES love triangles, I promise none of them contain love triangles. At least no love triangles that don't get resolved with two hands-)
Yep yep as a poly myself I LOVE poly ships, I know they're not the most popular ships but I for one love them 👀 Just a lotta love going 'round ya know?
I need to figure out how my Goat will be characterized and I wanna see if we'll get any Goat lore (or if they're just gonna be There™) like if they're the new god of War or if they're an alternative universe's god of Death or like a fuckin' shadow being or something before making any solid plans, but right now I am very much eyeing a polyship with these three 👀
In unrelated news the name "Goatfrey" keeps coming to mind when I think of possible names for the Goat lol
Already, I can see people making excuses not to ship Lamb x Goat in order to preserve narilamb.
Think i'm over-exaggerating? People are already claiming that Lamb and Goat are basically the same person or essentially siblings.
We've got a real contender against narilamb, folks!
Short and to the point- starting Lamb and the Bishops' side; while Narinder is starting a new life, so is the Lamb...
After Narinder runs away, the Lamb reluctantly step into the role of the new god of Death- the last god of the Faithful Lands, an incredibly lonely fate. Their followers rejoice and worship them, and their form begins to change- starting with their horns. Upsetting at first, the Lamb learns to accept that they will one day no longer look like the sheep they used to be.
Then, a few decades after Narinder ran away, the Lamb is met by the Mystic Seller- who, of course, demands the Lamb put the Bishops to rest. The Lamb accepts this new crusade.
At first, the Lamb intends to kill the Bishops for a final time, but when they see Leshy on the ground, small and mortal(ish) and helpless, their conviction wavers. Not out of pity (they have no pity for the Bishops) or forgiveness (there are things that cannot be forgiven)- but because they realize something then.
They are the last god in the lands of Faith, but the Bishops used to be gods. They know what it means and how it feels to be gods among mortals, to watch the people around them- people they care about despite everything- grow old without them, to have an entire civilization resting on their shoulders, to make the hardest choices that any person can make so that no one else has to make them. And, without Narinder there as the Lamb had intended him to be, they are the closest thing they will ever get to having companions on equal ground- the only people they can turn to for advice on this god thing, as horribly, cruelly ironic as that is.
So they spare the Bishops, but their mercy is not freedom; it is a shackle. And, unlike Narinder, the Lamb won't let them run away. They have no choice but to kneel.
I just wanted to say that I love your work and every single au you make I just can't get enough your talent is amazing I wish that I had at least half of your creativity. What I want to say is that I really admire what you do and I can't wait for more❤️
Ps. I'm sorry if it's written weird or if it has errors English isn't my first language
!!! Ohhh thank you so much!!! This has absolutely made my day <3 If you ever have any questions about any of my AUs feel free to ask, I love talking about them- I'm definitely looking forward to sharing more!!!
Again thank you so much I'm really happy to know someone out there is enjoying my self indulgent stories and AUs <3
