#skillya

Days 6-9

Day 6 Queen

I WILL ALWAYS SEE SKILLYA AS A TRAILER PARK MAMA QUEEEN.

Day 7 Security

A wee boobah ready for shaping into a killing machine!

Day 8 Bones

Examples need to be made.

Day 9 Live Ammo

It's often suggested that if you want to write a good story, you should imagine the worst thing that could happen to a character, then write it. But what if one idea could be the worst thing that could happen for EVERY character? It's well known that Abe's mother Sam was supposed to be in Munch's Oddysee. She would have been held captive in Vykker's Labs, before the story pivoted just to Abe rescuing Labor Eggs. They even got as far as rendering Sam. However, it's never explained where the story would have gone after she'd been introduced. With this in mind, here's my theory/headcanon/wild speculation that Queen Sam was supposed to die at the end of M.O.

1.Sam is ancient and severely depressed. Sam has a ton of concept art, and each piece emphasizes the fact she is not doing well. Here she is smiling, but her eyes are exhausted and pained. Here she is with a hair piece resembling a halo, but imo, it also looks like a noose being lowered over her head. The official Art Of Oddworld Inhabitant books says this about Sam: "We got to portray a likeable earthy grandma quality". Abe is an adult, sure, but not so old that you'd expect his mother to be a grandma already- her elderly status seems to be the earliest design element they wanted to emphasize.

She's also shown to be exhausted and depressed, which is why we have so much cool art of the Shrinks, which are AI's designed by Vykkers Labs to serve as therapists and companions to treat her depression. Also, while looking for more info about the Shrinks, I learned that apparently they were originally called Angels. So Sam was to be surrounded by angels? Of course, this could've just been to make her seem more saintly. But aren't a lot of saints martyrs? Anyway, back on topic...

2. Sam is trapped. I find it interesting that in every piece of art, Sam is deliberately shown sitting on a raised, immobile platform. Often times, she's even in chains. Some of the concept art includes the scenery around her platform, but there's never any sign of a trolley or crane or something that the player might use to save her [or the characters could use in a cut scene to save her]. If the intention was for the player to move her, you'd think there would be concepts for how this might be done, but from what I can tell, there aren't.

Her immobility is NOT a result of her status as a queen, either. The other queens we have been shown- Skillya and Lady Margaret- have concept art displaying how they may be able to move, albeit with extreme difficulty. But still- some thought was put into these queens being able to move somewhat. Sam deliberately cannot.

So she's immobile. But couldn't this mean that Abe wasn't going to save her in Munch's Oddysee, but just meet her instead? While this is a possibility, I think it would be an Odd™ choice. For one thing, it seems like a waste of time and assets to put a complicated character like Sam in a game and not have her do anything. They could have had Abe learn about Sam through some other means, then vow to save her. Like maybe he can relay a few messages to her through the Shrinks? Or something else? But no, clearly, he was meant to meet her in the flesh. So would he have met her in person, left, THEN come back to save her? Would it have been a race against the clock for Abe, considering her advanced age and declining health? Maybe! But I don't think so, and here's why:

3.Sam has accepted her inevitable death. You'll notice that in each piece of concept art, Sam is never shown to be sad. Her eyes are kind and her expression is soft. Not only that, but in most depictions, she's shown with her arms outstretched. She is made to look placating and serene.

I think Sam knows that the end is near for her, and has made peace with this fact. Why? Because she met Abe. She knows that Abe will save their species. She knows that, by sewing his mouth shut as a baby, she succeeded in keeping him alive long enough to reach adulthood and fufill his role as savior. I think finally getting to meet Abe is a massive comfort to Sam; not only because of her believing that her species will be saved, but knowing that she has done her job and can finally pass on and rest. And I think she even tells Abe this, too. She sends him on his way warning him that she knows her time is short- but that she has accepted this- and this is the catalyst for his next adventure: Find a new queen!

4.Sam dying would be the worst thing that could happen to every character. And because of this, it would make for some incredible storytelling potential.

Abe would lose his mom. It would be absolutely devastating not being able to save her. To meet her ONCE and have her pass away shortly after? ABSOLUTELY heartbreaking. Furthermore, if her dying wish were for him to find a way to save their species- that would be some powerful incentive for him, not that I think he really needs it, but still.

The surviving mudokon scrubs would suddenly be a finite resource. It would be harder than ever for them to run away.

Some factory owners might even try to kidnap wild mudokons.

Munch would not be assisted in traveling to Ma'Spa, because his Mudokon allies have their own problems to deal with. He would have to take the gabbiar there by himself.

Vykker's Labs failed to keep Queen Sam alive... oops! This would bring to question everything else about how they operate, and I do NOT imagine vykkers take kindly to being scrutinized.

The industrialists are now cut off from their labor supply. Their ENTIRE ECONOMY is based on an endless supply of easily replaced labor. Imagine the panic. Imagine what lengths they would go to find a replacement. They would tear the whole continent apart!!! They would tear EACH OTHER apart!

Lady Margaret- who is dying herself! - now has to deal with THIS shit!!?? And since it's been said that Margaret's own grandmother is currently frozen and is only thawed out for emergencies- well, this would be one hell of an emergency! Can you imagine her fury?

As the population of worker mudokons stagnates, who would have to step in to fill the gaps? Where would the glukkons get new workers from in the mean time? Would it be the sligs? Would Queen Skillya be put into overtime laying eggs? We know she already hates doing that. Would it be some other easily exploited species? Would THEY grow to resent the mudokons?

And who would the Industrialists blame for Sam's death? Well... who do you think?