Me and Ethan had an idea, We want to share :)
[MAJOR SPOILERS FOR RW]
CHAT LOG:
Ethan: do you think there were prototype iterators?
I think like a really cool region could be like an iterator scrap yard or something full of a bunch of superstructure parts and puppets.
extra_ram_noodles: Maybe, But they would be limited to a very small area or even just a simulation, Probably very unstable emotionaly, And stuck offline, Not connected to any group or individual.
Ethan: prototype iterator groupchat.
RAM: Maybe, And instead of citizans they just have a bunch of slugcats in a big enclosure
Ethan: I think it would be funny that there's some group of random mentally unstable iterators that are somewhere
RAM: But they're so limited in what they can do they can't hurt wachother
Ethan: oh my god iterators that like take care of a bunch of animals on their superstructure
RAM: WAIT IDEA
five iterators and their puppets in ONE can
Ethan: that would be so chaotic lmao
RAM: Cuz they're all running on the same structure
The can would be a decent size of course
but still chaos
one in the corner, One spinning, Two bickering and the last one tired of it all
Ethan: imagine them scheming on ways to ascend in like a big huddled up group
infinite slumber party
literally this is an amazing idea lol
RAM: I mean, Why would they want to ascend? Like Gourmand, They're stupid and ignorant and have eachother and live happily because of that :D
Ethan: that is so cute lol
RAM: I am writing this down
Ethan: please do
RAM: you write it down too
Ethan: and when a slugcat crawls into their can 3 of them start cradling them like a baby and like 2 others try to stay as far away as possible
RAM: And they get all manners of gifts like clothes they've been knitting
Ethan: if you bring them something like a spear or pearl they will keep it and hang it on the wall of their can
RAM: :D
Ethan: literally next rainworld mod concept in the palm of our hands
Playing with some ideas mostly regarding gender/reproduction in RW, and slugcat colonies.
Full transcript under the cut!
Creatures in Rain World are typically simultaneous hermaphrodites but require partners to reproduce, with either individual capable of being a genetic donor or carrier. Alongside what we are familiar with, this has lead to interesting reproductive strategies such as rotating donor/carrier roles, or dual/simultaneous genetic swaps.
Rotating donor/carrier roles - A K-selection reproductive strategy. One partner carries the first child, the other partner carries the next child, and so forth. Allows each partner to recover from the demands of childbearing.
Rain Deer aren't quite monogamous, but they tend to choose the same breeding partner whenever mating season rolls around. They serve as a donor one season, then bear and raise a child the next. Calves are raised away from the rain and worm grass, in places that have less food but more safety. Calf wool is softer, not yet gunked up by the dirty rainfall. Their legs are sturdier as children, allowing them to run for cover while the parent wards off threats.
Dual/simultaneous genetic swap - An r-selection reproductive strategy. Parents fulfill the donor and carrier role for each other. The more children you make, the more likely some are to survive!
Multiple batflies lay thousands of eggs in a single "blue fruit." Several eggs congeal and become nutrient paste for the surviving eggs (and for hungry slugcats). Like some plant seeds, batfly eggs that are consumed before pupating can survive passing through the digestive system. Ew.
Ancients also fell under this umbrella. Their genders (and the genders of iterators by extension, who have no sex anyways) could have been determined by a variety of other factors, such as societal role, donor/carrier preference, or simply different categorizations of personal expression.
It's difficult to say how well their common pronouns would translate to ours, but it seems they can translate to an extent, given what Moon and Pebbles use canonically.
Slugcats, like real slugs, can have children with a partner or self-fertilize. Unlike real slugs, they are often known to adopt.
In the case of self-fertilization: children who are born from one parent may display a large amount of genetic diversity despite the circumstances. Maybe slugcats have some sort of... genetic reservoir independent of their own genetic code?
Slugcats live 20-30 years on average... if they manage to reach adulthood. Their mortality rate is sadly rather high, especially in pups. If they were to develop as a civilization, it's likely their lifespan would increase dramatically.
Slugcats in a colony are more likely to have more children, and to successfully rear those children to adulthood, than those who wander alone or in small groups. The safety and stability of a colony cannot be understated.
Colonies either have a set, cycling migration path, or wander continuously. Survivor and Monk's tree home was a nesting site that their colony frequents about once a year. So it's likely that they'll see their family again!
...also, the strength of large colonies are why scavengers are likely to become the dominant species. In the time of Saint's era, continuous migration has become more of a risk, and it has become more difficult to support large populations. Slugcat populations have shrunk back to the more forgiving equatorial zones.
Saint's tongue is pretty unusual and probably unique to them, or to a small population that they hail from. Fur (of varying thickness) is much more common.
Meanwhile, scavengers are bulkier and covered in thicker insulating fur. They:
have seemingly massive populations
have a burgeoning society (the existence of merchants, tolls, bartering, elites and leaders)
are adept at communicating (non-verbally)
manipulate their environment
can build structures (scavenger-made structures were a scrapped idea from Saint's campaign)
can create complex weapons and tools
may have agriculture behind the scenes (unsure if scout parties prioritize exploration or hunting)
I would wager on scavengers developing more quickly than slugcats, but it would be nice if there was a future where both could co-exist.
Before I get into the headcanons on each slugcat, I'm going to detail how this design works without making a huge spec bio post like I've done before:
Similar to my lizard design, slugcats share a common ancestry with them. Though they're more squishy and flexible, the lizards have gained similar traits such as mantles and powerful tails. Slugcats are slimy and at most, tough and leathery, with only small hairs called setae if you want to count that as fur. They have 4 mantles down their back and a thick patch of skin similar on their throat with four more protecting each limb. They have 4 antennae, the frontal tending to be long and slim and the rear tending to be club shaped. They lack any structure besides a chitinous "skull" underneath the extra skin on their heads where they house 3 beaks lined side by side and are covered by the extra skin to form lips. The extra skin is also used in to create false eyelids, allowing them to communicate with facial features. All slugcats may have a set size but can constrict and extend however they want, appearing larger or smaller than originally anticipated.
And now individual headcanons:
Survivor & Monk:
- both have injuries from the fall, head injury for survivor is based off a friend’s hc
Hunter:
- self injury scars from trying to remove the rot cysts (hc from a friend)
- due to formation on face, their lips cannot fully close
Gourmand:
- tiny antennae
- thick mantles
Artificer:
- extra skin behind the head becomes large explosive saliva glands (appears to be an additional mantle)
- appearance is due to being born in a toxic environment
- face injury results in unable to close lips properly, loss of frontal and rear antenna, and deformation of eye
Rivulet:
- single mantle
- tail can flatten and form a wavy texture similar to arti’s arms to create a fin
- pseudopupils
- rear antennae are limbs covered in respiratory hairs
Saint:
- leathery skin similar to that of a lizard’s, cannot close eyes due to this
- long and very flexible frontal antennae
- several pseudopupils and iridescent eyes
Spearmaster:
- long by nature, however, cannot constrict their tail that much
- extra skin on face was shrunk and beaks fused together
- pseudopupils
- spikes all over to ward off attackers, though the thinner spines are flexible
