Let's design an Abnormal!
This guide has some tips on designing these unique MYOs.
The Starter and Story MYO guides focus on making creative solutions to limited design options, but when designing an Abnormal you might run into the opposite problem. Once you get an Abnormal MYO, lots of new traits and mutations are available and you may not know where to begin! This guide gives some brief suggestions on approaching the Abnormal design process. As always, remember to read the relevant info pages in the species guide before getting started — it is important to understand the Abnormals lore before creating one.
The Starter and Story MYO guides focus on making creative solutions to limited design options, but when designing an Abnormal you might run into the opposite problem. Once you get an Abnormal MYO, lots of new traits and mutations are available and you may not know where to begin! This guide gives some brief suggestions on approaching the Abnormal design process. As always, remember to read the relevant info pages in the species guide before getting started — it is important to understand the Abnormals lore before creating one.
Staying within the species.
Understanding the mutation rules is essential before starting the design process, but it's also very helpful to revisit the basics and make sure your concept is rooted in the species concept. There are some basic species ground rules that even Abnormals must adhere to.
We would like to see lots of exploration with the Abnormals and encourage players to design new mutations and abilities for these unusual characters. Keep in mind that the term "mutations" in this context refers to anomalies in their energy structure, not literal mutations that occur genetically. You are not limited to using mutations that affect anatomy alone--using dynamic mutations like ravaging growth is welcome!
Understanding the mutation rules is essential before starting the design process, but it's also very helpful to revisit the basics and make sure your concept is rooted in the species concept. There are some basic species ground rules that even Abnormals must adhere to.
We would like to see lots of exploration with the Abnormals and encourage players to design new mutations and abilities for these unusual characters. Keep in mind that the term "mutations" in this context refers to anomalies in their energy structure, not literal mutations that occur genetically. You are not limited to using mutations that affect anatomy alone--using dynamic mutations like ravaging growth is welcome!
Basic guidance for Abnormals:
- Less is more. You have the option of using as many mutations as you like, but most Abnormals tend to have four or fewer in order to strike the right balance of creatively taking the new species to new limits while maintaining a cohesive appearance that fits within the aesthetic of the species and lore.
- Please take the lore into account. Abnormals are a special part of the collaborative lore because they provide a lot of design freedom that can push the envelope with the species. The intention behind this freedom is to allow players to contribute to the growing canon; keeping the backstory of the character and game lore in mind will make these contributions exceptionally valuable to the game's shared story.
Abnormals retain part of their original form.
If you are redesigning an existing esk character, you will need to include evidence of who they once were. Similarly, Abnormals that were transformed from objects or other non-human, non-animal sources must retain some features or references to what they were before transformation.
For esk that receive a second transformation:
For esk that are created from objects, plants, etc:
Some examples of second transformations on existing esk:
If you are redesigning an existing esk character, you will need to include evidence of who they once were. Similarly, Abnormals that were transformed from objects or other non-human, non-animal sources must retain some features or references to what they were before transformation.
For esk that receive a second transformation:
- Anatomy: You can change their body type significantly if you choose.
- Modifications: Their form can be greatly altered but none of their nature features, enchantments, accessories, or familiars will be removed — they just get re-interpreted to fit their new boundary/biome or their new origin. You may change the appearance or effects of enchantments if you like. An esk's elemental may change appearance, but its type must stay the same.
- Nature features and familiars: Nature features and familiars: Species of plants and familiars can change to suit the new biome. The new species should be analogous to the old ones. For example: You can change a grass species into another grass species, or change a black cat into a white cat, but you cannot change grass into a tree, or a cat into a dog. If you do not wish to change the esk's original nature features, new nature features should be added that suit the new biome and the new place of transformation.
- Markings: Markings can be altered as long as there is still a reference to the original character design. For example: you can keep the same arrangement of markings but change some of the colors, or you can take markings from what was originally a small part of the body and have them spread out all over.
- Morph: You are welcome to use this as an opportunity to change your esk's morph as long as the redesign meets the morph requirements. For example: you cannot redesign an esk into an Ocean Morph unless you are changing it into a Marine Biome esk.
For esk that are created from objects, plants, etc:
- Anatomy: You must have some allusion to what they once were. If they were a plant you must include elements of that plant as their nature feature or integrated into their anatomy, if they were once an object you can use elements of the object integrated into their form without having to treat it as an accessory. Be creative!
- Modifications, nature features, familiars, etc: These are esk that are created from scratch and not redesigned so you will not have any modifications or existing design material to re-interpret. These mods will have to be purchased in the Energy Exchange.
- Fragmentation: The Abnormals page has information about these types of esk. They have an unstable, fragmented energy and this can be reflected in their design in the form of oddities, absences, or other strange features.
Some examples of second transformations on existing esk:
My Fresh Waters Esk has a pond Boundary and wishes to be an Arid Esk. She travels to the Arid Biome and meets a normal Esk with a desert Boundary who is willing to transform her into an Abnormal. My Fresh Waters Esk receives the transformation in the desert and becomes an Abnormal with a desert Boundary and is re-assigned to the Arid Biome.
Her pond reeds dry out and rattle in the wind, her fish familiars turn into little skeletons. She gains small horns as a mutation.
My Trespasser Esk with a dark forest Boundary has gone through many internal changes and wishes to change his origin. He sends out a telepathic plea asking for any Esk within the range of his Boundary to come help him change his form. A normal Esk with an overlapping Boundary (forest floor) accepts his request. They both sit on the dark forest floor and he receives his transformation. He becomes an Abnormal Traveler and retains his dark forest Boundary.
His twisted, broken branches are restored into giant, leaf-filled boughs, his cursing enchantment is changed into a good luck charm. He gains a third eye as a mutation.
My Mountain Esk is weary of her home and wishes to live in the sea. She travels out into the ocean and meets an Abnormal Esk. This Abnormal is not from the Marine Biome, but is willing to help. My Mountain Esk receives the transformation in the ocean and becomes an Abnormal with a deep sea Boundary and is re-assigned to the Marine Biome.
Her body changes from a heavy, shaggy form into an Ocean Morph with sleek fur and a wedge-shaped tail. She gains a dorsal fin as a mutation.
My Traveler Esk from the Developed Biome has completely lost his way — he no longer feels at home there and feels his soul purpose has changed completely. He flees to the wilderness and meets an NPC out in the Plains Biome. The NPC agrees to do his transformation, so they meet up in a grassland and he is transformed into an Abnormal Trespasser with a grassland Boundary and is re-assigned to the Plains Biome.
His markings become stark and menacing, his perfectly pruned hedge features become wild and unruly thorn bushes, his black cat familiar changes into a savanna cat. He gains the thorn mutation.
Some examples of Abnormals created from non-humans or non-animals:
My Abnormal was once a vase of flowers. His design includes leaves of that plant as a nature feature but also has shards of his old vase floating in the air around him. He has the Absence mutation, his eyes have been removed and replaced by roses.
My Abnormal was once a large boulder. She is an immense esk with a body that is stone in some areas and normal in others. She has ferns as a nature feature that sprout all over the rocky surfaces. She has the Fragmented Form mutation that allows parts of her body to pull apart and float or come back together at will.
Premades and custom Abnormals.
If you obtain an Abnormal premade from Witherlings or other guest artists you can design their original form without having to use up a MYO slot! Just follow the guidelines here in reverse.
Adding modifications to Abnormals.
You can purchase mods from the Energy Exchange for an Abnormal just like any other esk, plus you have the option of adding more mutations if you like. Abnormals still follow the same guidelines when adding modifications. Nature features and familiars still need to be appropriate for the Abnormal's biome. Even though they have the ability to roam anywhere they can only acquire new features from the biome they currently resonate with.
Have fun designing your Abnormals!
The TWWM team is always here to help if you run into any snags, thank you!
If you obtain an Abnormal premade from Witherlings or other guest artists you can design their original form without having to use up a MYO slot! Just follow the guidelines here in reverse.
Adding modifications to Abnormals.
You can purchase mods from the Energy Exchange for an Abnormal just like any other esk, plus you have the option of adding more mutations if you like. Abnormals still follow the same guidelines when adding modifications. Nature features and familiars still need to be appropriate for the Abnormal's biome. Even though they have the ability to roam anywhere they can only acquire new features from the biome they currently resonate with.
Have fun designing your Abnormals!
The TWWM team is always here to help if you run into any snags, thank you!
