#oddswitch

[lightningsorm]

Based on @cottonjewels Oddswitch au ideas.

Finished playing Oddworld: Soulstorm, now playing Oddworld: New n' tasty. I can say I'm thoroughly enjoying this series more than I thought I would!

[francoisl-artblog]

After months and months, I'm finally back with concept art for the Oddswitch AU. This time, it's the Primal Sligs. So, It is said in canon that Sligs originated form swamps, before becoming Glukkons' main henchmen. In the AU, since Mudokons rule over the world, and really don't need the help of the sligs in any way, they simply left them in their swamps, seeing no primordial use in a creature with no legs (And they doesn't seems to have any culinary qualities, so they are not used for foods either). They developed some fur/moss on their skin to accommodate and is used as a camouflage. Completely aside of technology, theses sligs rely on what they have. They are still intelligent creature, and have their own languages and culture. Although there's no real signs of civilization among them, they still have tribes, and lives in community. Although they're not as hostile as their canon counterpart, they're still pretty territorial. They use their hands for walking at a very young ages, so their arms are strong enough for walking purpose without any problems. They use their tentacles to hold and lifts things. Their tails are also way longer than in canon, since it's now free to grow (Concept art in canon showed that they're restrain physically at a very young ages). This tails is mainly used as a balance for their body, and also to hold to something. Larva Sligs tends to grip on it. Sligs also have a queen, and like most queen in Oddworld, it's a giant-sized being. Not completely immobile though, they mainly live in a watery nest in the swamp where they lay their Eggs. It's rumored that queen under pressure and stress would stress eating, even her own kind. However, theses conditions might be extreme, and doesn't happen in normal circumstance. The Slig Larva are raised by other sligs. At this age, slig are completely oblivious and extremely docile, and will simply fellow their parental figure. Muds considered for a time to have larva slig as a pet, but once they knowledge the fact that Sligs were intelligent enough to, somehow, have a conversation with them, they preferred to simply not. Mudokons Scientist/Shaman are still secretly using Sligs for testing purpose, but no one knows what theses test are for. Oddworld and Mudokons (c) Oddworld Inhabitants

Concept art made by me.

Oddswitch Sligs based on @oddest-worlds and @ohfugecannada

[oddclan-askblog]

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

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

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

[ohfugecannada]

Here’s a slightly unfinished sketch thing of my take on the Oddswitch AU version of Molluck.

I based his outfit partly on @boopwyrm’s design. They made him super tall based on thier own headcanon that native/non-industrialised glukkon’s legs would keep growing as they evolved to the point where their average hight was about 13 feet tall. I wanted to see what Oddswitch!Molluck would look like with a short body similar to @francoisl-artblog’s Glukkon scrub designs.

More backstory/headcanon stuff under the cut.

I like the idea of Molluck as a wannabe glukkon saviour of sorts, mirroring Abe’s role as the mudokon messiah in canon, as suggested by @boopyworm. Since their artwork depicts him with more native clothes, I thought maybe switch!Molluck could be born/raised in isolated native glukkon society as opposed to being born into slavery. As I feel like an industrial-outsider protagonist isn’t something we’ve seen that often in canon aside from munch.

Before the events of the story, I imagine he was either a native farmer or hunter, as a callback to the stockglukk profession of his canon counterpart. The reason Molluck would go on to try and save the enslaved glukks and rebel against the Mudokons is because of his years of seeing the mudokons stealing land from nature and animals being either taken to be bred for meat and slaughtered on mass or over-hunted to extinction. Amoug… other reasons.

Plus, seeing his fellow glukkons avoiding taking action against the mudokons and instead go deeper into hiding and preserve the culture that the mudokons were continually destroying sparked a lot of anger in Molluck and drove him to want to take direct action to save his kind. This definitely created tension and resentment between Molluck and his fellow natives and high alchemists, who discouraged him from his whole quest. Saying the Glukkon tribes couldn’t risk engaging in conflict with the vastly overpowered mudokons while they were still venerable. Or as one of Mollucks colleagues warned him;

“No glukkon has ever beaten a mudokon… ever…”

[oddest-worlds]

Munch and Gabbits in Oddswitch AU ideas

So more thoughts, so it’s time to ramble on with some rough ideas for Oddswitch.It’s just recent that I remember that Gabbits also had their own moon with their foot, well fin, print on it. SO, rapid fire ideas of what their role and or position of power in the AU.

And, once again, you’re welcome to expand or do your take based on some of these ideas. Since there’s not much information on them but that’s not going to stop me.

Okay, enough babbling. It’s time to ramble:

Going through the concept art and looking back to the info that we do know about Gabbits I know what to do with The Ma'Spa. Most likely in the OddSwitch AU it’s an area where one can find the gabbits raising their young/eggs so if one were to go to Ma’Spa, one should be expected to see a couple of pods of Gabbits around (or at least spot one hopping around close by it.)

Now, being this is still an AU where even though the Mudokon are still kind, both appearance and behavior, they’re evil and have a cult. So as I sometime consider that animals can’t be evil because, well, they’re animals but Gabbits are sentient and since they were picked as their footprint was on one of the moons would mean Mudokons would have sought them out.

Most likely that they form some kind of alliance with them, so maybe they offer to make a temple. Like an underwater temple but the Mudokon can help with giving them some supplies.

Idk how to draw buildings but some example ideas of what the underwater temples may look like: 1. | 2. | 3.

In Oddswitch, there might be more variety of gabbits. Different sizes, colors, and appearance too.

 I might update this post but here’s some head/jaw shape variants:

[francoisl-artblog]

Hello! I saw you're posts about you're takes on the Oddswitch Au, how do you headcanon Abe to be in Oddswitch? I also really like you're art and keep up the good work! :)

Oh my god, I so want to show what I've done with the other character and species for the Oddswitch AU, I even made OC Mudokons that I want to show you, I think I'll simply show you the rough sketch in the end, I simply don't have time anyway to clean everything at the moment...

For Abe, @boopwyrm, @oddswitcharchive and @ohfugecannada already wrote really great thing about Oddswitch!Abe that, honestly, I couldn't write better.

To be honest, the only thing I would change is his skin colors more in red/purple rather than blue to fit with red shaman head canon , and change his name into something like "Lure the Prophet", a nod to his full name, Abraham Lure.

Once I got more time, I'll get into this again, I have way too much work on this AU to not show anything.

[francoisl-artblog]

Saw your Oddswitch posts and I like how you adapted the other species to the Mudokons being the peak race in the setting. I wanna ask, how do they see Scrabs and Paramites in this setting? Are they still revered or treated as pests/livestock for food?

Hello ! Sorry for being this late, I'm really bad at answering on Tumblr.

So ! It's slightly complex. Inside the Mudokon supremacy, there's a lot of tribes and culture inside of their society. For instance, both Mudanchee and Modomo still exist in this AU, and their preference of sacred and protected being as well. It's more a traditional thing for most Mudokons, but others vividly protect theses creatures.

In General, Scrabs and Paramite are highly valued by their respectives tribes, so... most tribes usually avoid to eat them, it would create some tension. So, Scrabs cakes and paramites pies doesn't exist. Mudokons's alimentions tends to be more on fruits anyway.

That said, it is said that some Red Shaman use Paramites and Scrabs for secrets sacrificial ritual, mainly for spiritual reason.

Other Tribes also have their sacred creatures, like Gabbits or Elums. No Vykkers and Sligs, however.

[francoisl-artblog]

We're back again on the Au where Mudokons rules over Oddworld, and we're going to focus on the Tall Mudokons and their roles in the Muds Supremacy. To resume briefly, Tall Mudokon are recognizable by their height and huge amount of feathers on their head and shoulders, they are Queens and High Shaman's guard. When they're not hired in defense and military stuff, they work in the most manual jobs, mainly as carrier most of the time. Anatomically speaking, Tall Mudokons are obviously bulkier and stronger than regulars Muds. They may seems a little bit "simple-minded", but it's simply in the look, they share the same mental and intellect capacity as the others Muds. So, most of the time, far from being "stupid". Actually, higher soldier from their classes are tactical, and can find good strategy in no time. This, and they're well equipped. Sentinel Guard are elites, and are the one who mainly protect Shamans's temple and others facilities. They're easily recognizable by their bird like mask and theirs black attire. Their bags on the back does not only contains munitions and weapons ( Similar to Abe from Soulstorm ), but it also contain Spooce, who maintain them highly actif and on their guard all the time. So, they never sleep at works. When they sleep however, it's for a long time, they often takes turns. On a sad note, spooce may reduce their lifetimes. Their guns are charged with bullet-shaped Spooceshrubs. Sentinel that are localized in woods and deserts wears a more brownish attire. "Hunters" aren't actually hunter, despite their names, since most mudokons simply sent low classed sentinels to hunts. "Hunters" are actually apart of the regular military stuff, and may sometimes be considered as mercenaries and assassins. They don't use the same arsenals as the sentinels, and use some kind of arbalest using living munitions. ( Similar to the Stranger from Stranger's Wrath ), this, and other melee weapon like Tomahawk and Spears. Most of the times, they lives apart of the big cities, and lives either as rogue, or close to smaller Muds villages. They usually let grows their facials feathers, unlike sentinels, who had to shave it. The one presented here survived an attack of Vykkers. Reminder, you usually die when you meet Vykkers. The two mask on the right corner depicts a Tomahawker and a Mudarcher's. Their mask are a fusion between wood and technology, and upgrade highly their vision. Mudarcher's mask for instance can see in the darkest night. And if they see you and you're not a mudokon, you're already dead. Oddworld and Mudokons (c) Oddworld Inhabitants Concept art made by me.