Mudokon

Mudokons are a frail, shamanistic race of people inhabiting Oddworld, with origins in the land of Mudos.

Biology
Mudokons are frail, sickly-looking beings with green or blue skin. Their features include large, bulbous eyes, feather-like hair protruding from their heads, and three to four fingers. Their bodies are very thin and skeletal, and their skin is often wrinkled and sagged. They are said to have evolved from birds, and their faces possess a beak-like protrusion and no nose to speak of. All Mudokons share the same lineage, with each one hatching from eggs laid by the Mudokon Queen, Sam. It has been observed that a Mudokon's skin may change in hue depending on his or her mood.

Abilities
Though very frail, the Mudokons possess incredible abilities that surpass many other Oddworld inhabitants. They are an incredibly shamanistic people, with the ability to chant and possess the bodies of living (and in some cases, inanimate) beings, serve as magical healers, and in the case of the Messiah, transform into the avatar Shrykull.

History
For centuries, Mudokons were the greatest species of the planet Oddworld. They reigned supreme over all other creatures, particularly those of their home world of Mudos. A cultured people, the Mudokons enjoyed great prowess in art, religion, architecture, and maintained an intricate political system with a functional army. One day, a great moon appeared in the skies above Mudos, and was proclaimed by the Mudokons as the Mudokon Moon. Bearing a large crater in the shape of an average Mudokon hand, the moon was seen by the Mudokons as a sign and shortly thereafter the people proclaimed themselves as the "Chosen Race." This, however, angered the Glukkons, another race inhabiting Mudos, and so an event known as the Schism began. During the Age of Alchemy, the Glukkons took to hiding indoors, away from the moon that disgraced their breed, and became an isolated society. They eventually abandoned their spiritual ways, formed an industrialized nation, and became the most powerful race on the planet. This led them to eventually enslave the Mudokons; almost their entire race was put to work in the Glukkon factories, until the Mudokon Messiah, Abe, freed them all. After the fall of the Glukkons, many Mudokons reformed into their tribal societies and attempted to regain their lost heritage, becoming shamans and medicine men with the help of the highly respected Big Face.

Death and Spirituality
Non-enslaved Mudokons that have passed away are normally buried in sacred grounds such as the Mudomo and Mudanchee Vaults and Necrum. These graves have unfortunately been desecrated by the Mudokons themselves, who, after being enslaved, had their eyes stitched closed by the Glukkons and made to unknowingly mine their own ancestor's bones for use in SoulStorm Brew. Mudokons, or perhaps just their top shamans, appear to survive in the afterlife, as spirits who can communicate with the living. Their ghostly appearances appear to be the way they looked when they died; if a Mudokon was missing a limb upon his death, his spirit will be missing one as well. Mudokons worship their god, Shrykull, and see the Scrabs and Paramites, two creatures who inhabit Mudos, as sacred creatures, despite the fact that they are predators to the Mudokons. While not particularly worshiped, The Almighty Raisin is a giant, ancient being that is highly respected by the Mudokons and often sought out for advice.

Notable Mudokons
Perhaps the most famous Mudokon, besides the Queen herself, is Abe, the Mudokon who single-handedly brought down the Glukkon industrialists and freed the Mudokons from slavery. He earned the power to transform into the avatar Shrykull and was named the Messiah and savior of all Mudokons. Big Face, one of the top Mudokon shamans, was also particularly respected across Mudos, and helped Abe in his journey. Sam is the Queen of the Mudokons, and is the progenitor to all living Mudokons.