Rain World Iterator - Blog Posts
How do Iterators work in your AU? Sorry if you have explained it already!
I actually haven't, they only have like... One paragraph about them in the masterdoc that will be expanded upon.
Iterators are pretty close to the original game when it comes to what they do and how they treat Slugcats, the thing that differs most is how Slugcats react to that. (scug centered content creator there, ahh).
(small sneak peek of a thing I'm working on right now as a bonus illustration)
They all still kinda live in their own world, one which is day by day crumbling apart more and more, with communications failing and more Iterators collapsing. There's a big gap between Iterators and Slugcats, mostly because Slugcats, more often than not, treat them like authorities or god-like figures since they were the closest to the Ones Before.
That reputation is slowly confronted with the facts and experiences of Messengers and Scugs who stumbled upon Iterators independently, making them realize that they are neither the smartest and most divine beings alive, nor are they tyrannical rulers who think too highly of themselves - they are also flawed creatures, ones that aren't exactly comfortable that their time in the cycle is coming to an end.
Reminder that this AU has a discord server for anyone interested ->(CLICK)
Bugs in a maze, the Iterators!!! I might try to push their shapes a bit more in future drawings, but for now I'm very happy with the fellas
FINALLY done with the gals of the Eternal Glaciers local group, Victory Over Evolution and Fading Echo! (plus some sketches of the lads and their strange cat)
gave in to the urges and redesigned Distant Thunderclouds and Ten Open Passages again (bonus gay robots)
since I FINALLY finished a proper ref of Thunderclouds, I thought it would be time to properly introduce him, so, here's this guy's lore:
Distant Thunderclouds is the fourth oldest member of the Eternal Glaciers Local Group (or, the second oldest if we only count the inner group), as he was built not long after Fading Echo was finished. The whole group was built on a tundra, but Thunderclouds specifically was built on the flatter areas as his can was built next to a large void fluid processing facility. He was created to oversee the operations at this facility as well as in his city.
For this reason, his creator, an ancient by the name of Twisted Spine, All Promises Kept (a total douchebag), wanted to make him as efficient as possible. But after the authority in charge of the creation of iterators refused to let Spine alter Thunderclouds's systems officially, Spine became frustrated that his project wasn't going according to his plan. So, instead of going through official channels to modify Thunderclouds's systems to become more efficient (efficiency basically meant a lack of empathy and free will, and the inability to commit any sins to Spine, because he was still a pretty firm believer in the old ancient philosophies and religion), he decided to do the modifications himself in secret. This, however, messed up Thunderclouds's systems pretty bad, as he had already developed the sentience that his creator didn't want him to have, and even attempting to modify it caused Thunderclouds a large amount of pain. After a while, Spine grew more frustrated about the whole situation and started taking his anger out on Thunderclouds, who, at this time, still saw Spine as a father figure, but was slowly starting to dislike not only Spine, but ancients as a whole.
Thunderclouds was also really reserved, and only spoke to most of his local group out of necessity. The only exception to this was Solemn Contemplation, the outer group's senior, who became kind of a mentor/almost a mother figure to Thunderclouds. He eventually managed to find a friend outside of his local group as well, an iterator by the name of Marble Blood, who aided him in finding ways to bypass his city's security protocols, which he would later use.
Still, his relationship with his creator only worsened, to the point where he'd be punished for simply talking to other iterators, as Spine still only cared about him as a tool, and slowly, Thunderclouds became frustrated by his situation, and grew hateful of the ancients inhabiting his city. And when a huge snowstorm disabled his communications for dozens of cycles, and he was blamed for being unable to call for assistance, he decided he had enough. He turned his city's security systems against its inhabitants, which resulted in the death of most of his can's population, including Spine. After the storm cleared, and the ancients of the other iterators' cities realized what happened, Thunderclouds was declared a hazard to the ancients, and his systems were disabled (he basically got his power shut off, causing him to go into a kind of coma).
A long time after all of this, and after the ancients all ascended, was when he finally got reactivated using a neuron that Ten Open Passages created, that he sent using a genetically modified slugcat (the icebound).
(And that's basically all his backstory, cause I don't have anything written down after that, so, that's it for now)
the eternal glaciers local group in their full glory (they got really pixelated for some reason hhhhhhh) (og pic under the cut)
+ some memes about them that probably ony I will find funny
have at ye, rainworld oc lore
[PRIVATE COMMUNICATION, ETERNAL GLACIERS LOCAL GROUP]
[PARTICIPANTS: TEN OPEN PASSAGES, DISTANT THUNDERCLOUDS]
DTC: You’re here. I must admit, I’ve been looking forward to speaking with you again.
TOP: Oh, me too! I mean, it’s been quite a few cycles since we last spoke haha. Anyway, how have you been holding up? Being awake again after being dormant for so many cycles must be quite jarring. It would definitely be jarring to me, that’s for sure!
DTC: My systems have mostly been stable ever since I awoke, I would count that as alright.
TOP: Glad to hear that! I’ve been holding up well, too. And how’s your little saviour?
DTC: You just told me that you are holding up well, so-
TOP: Oh, that’s flattering, really, but I meant to ask about the little messenger I sent the neuron with! I must admit I’ve grown quite attached to the creature, and I’m a bit worried about its wellbeing.
DTC: Do not fret, the messenger is fine. But you’re the one I want to thank for restoring me. I can’t even begin to imagine just how much work it must have taken.
TOP: Really, it wasn’t that much! But thank you for thanking me.
DTC: It was much. It was everything to me.
TOP: Really, I’m not the one you should thank! I’m not even the one who created the little messenger. Well, I mean, I did create it, but I got the genetic blueprint from Evo! I barely even modified it, just rewired some neural functions, and-
DTC: I don’t care. You were still the only one who took the incentive to help me. And quite honestly, I still find it baffling why you helped.
TOP: I- I couldn’t just sit by and let you suffer like that. I know the ancients locked you away for penance, or security, or whatever but still. What you did was-
DTC: Horrible and inexcusable. Everyone knows that much. And it’s not a topic I enjoy talking about.
TOP: I’m sorry for bringing it up…
DTC: Don’t be. I have much to thank you for, and the amount of apologies I owe way outnumber yours.
DTC: And thank you again, for everything.
[END OF CONVERSATION]
(I really don't like how the art turned out, but I guess I'll just have to live with it lol. these idiots have been on my brain for a VERY long time now, so I think its about time I put them out in the world)