Eig
| Eig | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Alignment | Unknown |
| Appears in | Rayman 2, Rayman Revolution |
| Sex | Male |
| Species | Unknown |
| Status | Background character |
Eig, also known as the Swamp Monster, is a mysterious, green-skinned aquatic creature from Rayman 2. From the back of his head protrude two antennae, each with a glowing orb on its end; these are used to attract bait, like the lure of an anglerfish. According to the Knowledge of the World, he is a creation of Polokus, and he spends his time getting drunk on the fermented swamp-waters of the Marshes of Awakening. Eig appeared in some concept artwork for Rayman 2: The Great Escape, but not in the original N64 and PC releases of the game. He may have been scrapped from these versions due to time constraints. However, Eig was restored in the Dreamcast version of the game, as well as the PlayStation 2 remake, Rayman Revolution.
In addition to the two regular eyes on the front of his face, Eig has two glowing orbs which reside on stalks protruding from the back of his head. The glowing orbs can often be seen peering out of the water when the rest of Eig is submerged. In Rayman Revolution, he can move very quickly through the Marshes of Awakening with nothing but his glowing orbs visible above the surface, as if he were using them to navigate. In this version he repeatedly speeds ahead of Rayman and Sssssam before rising out of the water and partially obstructing their path. While touching him causes Rayman to lose hold of Sssssam's scarf and drown, it is unclear if Eig is actually attempting to hinder Rayman's passage or if he is merely observing him.
In the Dreamcast version of Rayman 2, Eig can be seen for a split second as Rayman enters the second area of the Marshes of Awakening, and he sometimes appears in the swampy area near the beginning of the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava (though it is unknown how to make him appear, or if the player's actions even have anything to do with it). When Eig does appear here, his luminous orbs can be seen rising out of the swamp water on their stalks as Rayman helicopters down to the next area after collecting the level's second Green Lum. If Rayman approaches to investigate these glowing lights, Eig rises out of the water, as if the orbs were being used as bait to attract prey. Rayman can approach him by walking across the branch which floats on the swamp. It is possible for Rayman to jump and helicopter forwards into Eig's mouth; as Rayman enters his mouth, he gets wafted up slightly as if by an air current. This allows him to hover in the mouth for longer than would normally be possible. As Rayman continues to helicopter inside Eig's mouth, blue sparkles similar to those produced by Spiral Doors appear. They seem to be rushing towards Rayman from all directions. Then Eig closes his mouth and sinks back into the water, presumably swallowing Rayman. It is unclear if the blue sparks are intentional on the part of the developers, or the result of some kind of strange glitch.