Hi-res Mortasheen, concept notes and design materials: Salivite and Salibite

A double addition to Mortasheen, chosen by popular pick on the kickstarter from over 20 new monster sketches!

Salivite is a pure healer with no major damaging attacks, seen as an ally by default to almost all other monsters.

For its design, I wanted it to look very alien but also very dopey and innocent looking. I drew inspiration from the Loch Ness Monster, inflatable pool toys, sea slugs, echinoderms, coral and lichens. Resemblance to Leucochloridium parasites was actually kind of accidental, with the concentric green and tan rings drawing mainly from the lichen aspect!

This makes me think maybe the leucochloridium-style wormbrains are actually imitating this monster's color patterns as a lure. Should I retroactively declare that? It feels too narrow and specific. I'm wondering if, instead, the same color pattern could feature in an in-universe fungus or fruit pod that's desirable enough for both wormbrains and Salivite to imitate as an attractant.

The predatory mimic, Salibite, started with a clawed, bony humanoid body hidden under the disguise, but that ultimately felt boring. I do often like simple humanoid ghouls because then their weirder aspects and abilities stand out more, but this was a monster that needed to be weirder all the way through, so I went with an otyugh-like sedentary beast.

On Kickstarter and tumblr I mention that I intended five visual hints that would give away Salibite's camouflage. There are:


-Salibite's antennae end in ocelli (simple eyes) rather than sonar-emitting cups.

-Salibite has sharp, stiff claws on its tail rather than Salivite's soft tentacles.

-Salibite is missing the facial tentacles.

-Salibite lacks the five-pronged vein.

-This was initially subtler in my first version of the artwork (still visible on the kickstarter's updates) but Salibite only has "spots" on its skin to imitate the Salivite's chemosensory tissue patches.

I also intended the markings to evoke another "face" above Salibite's jaws, though I don't know if this is unique to the "specimen" illustrated or varies between individuals. I might declare a sixth difference in that the markings on Salibite are more symmetrical and predictable like this.