The Lamb
The Lamb is the main protagonist and the only playable character in Cult of the Lamb.
Description
The Lamb (Sometimes referred to as Lambert) is a small sheep with white wool, dark grey face, limbs, and ears, and tiny red horns. Their large black eyes feature horizontal pupils. On top of their head is the Red Crown, an object of great power that is black in color with two pointed prongs and a crimson eye in the center. Around the lamb's neck is a black collar with a golden bell dangling from it. By default, they wear a red cape known as their "fleece", which can come in other colors such as gold, green, purple, white, blue, and pink/gray after unlocking certain requirements.
Inspired by the use of the lamb throughout religion as a symbol of the holy and noble, the player starts the game as an innocent and powerless sacrificial lamb, about to be offered to a dark and violent deity. But after being given the Red Crown, they are brought back from the dead with new powers on the stipulation that they become a cult leader. Once they gain the Red Crown's power, it is up to the player whether to make them a benevolent shepherd to their followers or a malevolent exploiter that only uses their congregation to further their own ends.
Abilities
The extent of the Lamb's abilities are not fully known before being sacrificed and revived. It is not until after this event that the player sees the full extent of Lamb's abilities. With help from The One Who Waits, the Lamb has increased health and durability, though they can still be defeated. Once defeated, however, the lamb will be resurrected with only minor penalties to faith and collected resources.
One of the most prominent traits of the Lamb is their melee combat proficiency. They are able to take down large and powerful monsters all alone, regardless of what type of weapon is being used.
Despite the Lamb not having any distinct dialogue (aside from a dedicated button that makes them bleat but has no other function), they seem to have some form of charisma due to the Lamb's ability to recruit countless followers to their cult, coupled with the fact that they can change the minds of dissenters. There are Tarot Cards the Lamb can discover which grant certain abilities or upgrades of already-existing traits. There are two categories of tarot cards the Lamb can use, and both are discovered when going on dangerous crusades.
- When coming across Clauneck on the crusades, Lamb can choose between two cards that remain active for only the duration of the crusade.
- Other cards can sometimes be found in chests that appear after completing each battle room, in the final room of each level or just sitting on the floor of a room with no enemies.
- To increase the variety of the pool of Tarot Cards, the player can purchase new ones from merchants around the map or by completing various objectives throughout the game.
Personality
Although their true personality is left up to the player, the Lamb does show some distinctive traits while growing and maintaining the cult. The Lamb's actions and nature can range from an anti-villainous visionary to a power-hungry monster. Given how the player manages the cult, both benevolent and evil actions can be performed on, or with the help of, the followers. Although the Lamb does not speak during gameplay, they are still shown to have some form of charisma when interacting with followers. The Lamb also appears to have self preservation.
Because the faith of the followers must be managed carefully, it is necessary to meet their needs. This can include making sure they are well-fed, are given the proper healthcare when they get sick, given blessings to make them happier, or by giving sermons and performing certain rituals that can improve happiness and other needs. The Lamb can also provide better living conditions by building and upgrading sleeping bags and outhouses. More malevolent acts the Lamb can perform include simply denying the needs of the followers, sacrificing a follower during a ritual, putting an innocent follower in prison (though this act is much more justified in the case of a dissenter), sending others on missions where their chance of survival is dangerously low, forcing someone to eat a bowl of excrement, other cultists, or even straight-up poison that has a high chance of killing them, screeching at them with a scary face to force them to work harder, force them to fight to the death, or even murder them on the spot (if other followers are awake to see that is).
The doctrines that the player chooses can influence what rituals are available and which actions can provide negative or positive consequences. For example, the cannibal doctrine causes all Cult members to gain the Cannibal Trait. The cannibal trait gives followers +5 Faith when eating Minced Follower Meat and removes the 75% chance of causing illness. Or, alternatively, the Grass Eater Trait, which removes all negatives effects of the Grassy Gruel meal. Selecting one will lock you out of the other, shaping the direction your cult will go in.
If the player chooses, the Lamb can also do side quests for followers, which may include gathering specific resources, rescuing a loved one during a crusade, requesting a specific meal (which for some reason includes a Bowl of Poop), or even asking the lamb to marry them. Successfully performing these side quests will greatly increase a follower's loyalty, but denying the quest altogether will diminish faith. However followers may make more malevolent requests such as asking the lamb to prank, imprison, or even kill other cultists.
Some of the Lamb's personality traits can be inferred through their body language in certain interactions, though this is up to interpretation. One example is that when the lamb is angry: their eyes will turn red and they will suddenly grow fangs and start loudly wailing. This happens when intimidating a follower, fighting the final boss, or simply being a sore loser over a game of Knucklebones. During a game of Knucklebones, the Lamb will also pout and roll their eyes (like a bratty child throwing a hissy fit) when one of their dice is eliminated.
The Lamb also has a few occasions where they can be seen crying. These instances include the moment before their execution at the start of the game, when they try and fail to save Ratau from the Fox if the player agrees to sacrifice the former to the latter, and when they are deciding whether or not to surrender the red crown to The One Who Waits, knowing that accepting means that they will die.
The Lamb is also capable of being loving towards their followers. The Lamb can show affection to followers by blessing them, inspiring them, petting them (If they're dogs), giving them gifts or money, or even marrying them and giving them kisses. The Lamb can even feed them meals that, although they typically require more resources, are higher quality and tastier than the simpler ones or even throw massive feasts for them. They can build decorations for the followers to admire, as well as high-end houses for them to sleep in. They can also build healing bays where he can nurse his ill followers back to health using Camellia flowers.
There's also a subtle indicator that they dislike when one of their followers pass away. The Lamb usually has a smile on their face and seems happy to be running the cult. However, they frown whenever they are carrying the corpse of a follower. This could be interpreted as a sad frown, or simply a frown of exertion from carrying the heavy body of a follower, as the Lamb is forced to walk slowly and is unable to run or roll when doing so.
Trivia
- The Crown is also all the weapons and tools which Lamb uses with the exception of the watering can. You can clearly see it in animations such as attacking or even sweeping. A good example of this phenomenon is seen around 24 seconds into the following trailer - Cult of the Lamb - Official Reveal Trailer.
- "Lambert" is only the name that the Lamb has been referred to by Discord followers; however, their name is never mentioned in the game itself. Community Manager Steve and Developer Julian have stated that the Lamb doesn't have any name, and probably won't.[1]
- Though ”Lamb” is a term used for a baby sheep, The Lamb is an adult and their name is instead an aesthetic reference to the Lamb of God.
- It's suggested the Lamb is neither good nor evil, as their personality and actions resolve solely off the Player's actions.
Gallery
Lamb's Idle
Lamb's Head
Lamb's Knucklebones Idle
Lamb placing a die in Knucklebones.
The Lamb rolling their eyes in frustration after their die is taken in Knucklebones.
The Lamb claiming their opponent's die in Knucklebones.
The Lamb happy that they won a game of Knucklebones.
The Lamb furious that they just lost at Knucklebones.
The Lamb sad that they just lost a game of Knucklebones.
The Lamb posted by the Official Cult of the Lamb Twitter account
Lamb Fishing Start Side
Lamb Fishing Start
Lamb Fishing Reel Side
Lamb Fishing Reel
Lamb Fishing Loop Side
Lamb Fishing Loop
Lamb Bleat
Lamb Bleat (Variation 2)
Lamb after eating a nice Meal
Lamb harvesting the meat of a Follower.
Lamb using a Hammer
Lamb Digging
Lamb Harvesting Berries
Lamb Chopping Wood
Lamb using the Pickaxe
Lamb Intimidating
The Lamb saying Yes while speaking
The Lamb squinting their eyes while speaking
Lamb Dancing
The Lamb speaking normally
The Lamb speaking angrily
The Lamb speaking... D E R P
The Lamb speaking in an Evil way
The Lamb speaking excitedly
The Lamb speaking while they are laughing
Lamb speaking happily
Lamb questioning while speaking
The Lamb speaking while they are sad
The Lamb speaking while sassily rolling their eyes
Lamb warping out
Lamb Warping in Up
Lamb Warping in Up (Alternative)
Lamb while drawing Tarot Cards
Lamb Knucklebones Win Game Loop
Lamb Eating
Lamb Cleaning
Lamb Knucklebones Win Game
Lamb Knucklebones Lose Game Loop
Lamb Catching a Critter
Lamb Gameover (Long)
Lamb Gameover (Short)
The Lamb in the Main Menu.
The Lamb vomiting after eating a bad meal. (Minced Follower Meat, Grassy Gruel, Bowl of Poop, or Deadly Dish)
Lamb kissing one of their spouses.
The Lamb at the very start of the game.
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References
es:Cordero
- ↑ Official Discord server. Messages dated: 01/09/2021 ; 20/04/2022.
