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gay-artificer · 1 month

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Perhaps my most controversial take is that Saint might not be a slugcat.

If we consider Survivor (and to a lesser extent Monk and even Hunter) as the quintessential example of a slugcat, we have the basis for what actually counts as one. From there we have to look at the deviants from basic form and determine how severe they deviate- which I think all others but Saint don't go to far. Spearmaster- Modified organism using a slugcat base. Stretching the definition of a normal slugcat here maybe, but more or less still resembles the rest of the group minus the obvious. Definitely not considered a member of the same species though. Artificer- Minus the weird explosion bacteria, it is a normal slugcat in terms of form Gourmand- Literally just fat and strong. Perfectly normal fella. Rivulet- Okay this is where we get interesting. Rivulet is both the first to deviate notably from the basic slugcat in terms of readable physical traits, and is also set further in the timeline. An evolutionary split from what a 'slugcat' is fully possible. However, their actual traits are rather minute. Rivulets main trait is the presence of external gills, suggesting an aquatic adaption. However in real world examples of external gills they are mostly a development of species that already had gills in some form in either their lifecycle or biology. The most obvious inspiration for rivulet's design is likely the axolotl, which is a salamander that has neotenic (juvenile) traits due to never metamorphosing. If you force metamorphosis, an axolotl looks like a normal salamander

Gills or gill-like structures can also be internal or land-modified- Spiders for example have book lungs, which are likely evolved from book gills (whereas in human evolution our gills did not evolve into lungs, and gills instead 'turned into' parts of our skull and ears) you can also have lungs and gills, as seen with certain species of lungfish. It seems perfectly reasonable to guess that the slugcat- either currently or historically- made use of a gill or gill-like system- which would set rivulet up for either a reemergence of the trait or as an alternative evolutionary path. I could easily see the rivulet 'type' of slugcat existing alongside the normal species, just isolated to coastal and other floodzones- or as one of several independent cases of the external gill trait emerging. Complicating things further- Sea slugs make use of gills in several forms, while (most) land slugs have lost their gills and created a simple lung out a hollow cavity. There is also at least one slug that completely lacks both lungs and gills and breathes entirely through their skin. Lots of variety there within a group. What we can confirm though is that at minimum- slugcats do have a nose. However the presence of the nostrils alone doesn't tell us the fine details; Frogs also have nostrils and make heavy use of them for the vast majority of their breathing, but also have permeable skin that also allows for oxygen exchange (particularly while under water). So its complicated. All this is a very complicated way of say that there's no real indication that rivulet is all that particularly unique compared to the basic slugcat, minus the gills- which are something that could be a perfectly normal trait to develop without getting too far from the traits that make a slugcat a slugcat. It would be, at minimum, its own species though. Genus you could argue about. And then we get to Saint. Saint is ages forward in the timeline for our 'basic' slugcat, to the point where even lizards have heavily shifted their evolutionary patterns and there have been notable extinctions within the window the game provides. Saint itself has a very notable deviation: Very obvious long fur (or at least, something convincingly playing the role of fur). While furry slugcats (whether that be more cat-like or fine fur like a seal) is popular in fanon works, official art has an obvious smoothness to it more indicative of bare skin (Although the quality of this skin, such as if its more mammalian or amphibian, etc- is unknown)

While the type of skin could heavily change how big of a deal this is (it would be a lot easier to develop and lose fur with the structure of mammalian skin than amphibian skin; and if we are being technical mammals are the only thing that can truly develop fur/hair) It does at least mark the development of a trait that seemingly took several generations to acquire, at least on par with the development of a fur or fur-like trait in all surviving species of 'lizards' It does seem to intend to mirror, to a degree, the evolution of mammals. Which begs the question... can you really call Saint a slugcat? When you think about what survivor is, and how removed Saint is from them in both physical features and time period... would the term be appropriate? And to be specific, its technically incorrect to say things evolve "into" other things- they split and grow into distinct things (and sometimes all but one dies off in the process). Evolutionary history is difficult to chart for a number or reasons, and its extremely complicated- but when we say something like "snakes evolved from lizards" what it really means is that at some point there was a group of something we agreed were lizards, and then something within that group began to change into something with its own distinct features and traits until we gave it a new name. In the lizard and snakes example, snakes are technically lizards. Just lizards with very specific traits we don't consider lizard traits. But you also have examples like mantodea (Mantises) and Blattodea (Roaches and Termites).

A some point there was something that was neither mantis nor roach (the roachoids, which despite being more roach-like than mantis-like we don't consider them proper roaches), that split into things that would go on to form the basis of those groups (and then termites would split from there, making termites technically a type of roach). And for the rest of history humans would argue constantly about what to do with this mess So really the question is what do we consider a slugcat, and is Saint part of an evolutionary lineage that 'slugcat' applies fully across, or does Saint mark a split into something else, that would technically go alongside "true" slugcats under a wider net. Slugcat definitely isn't a singular species and I lean towards genus but could see an argument for family or order. Lets do DNA analysis on pixels and find out they are actually a type of lantern mouse

#thinking about this gave me a headache #im on team saint isnt a slugcat this a sinister new creature #anyway taxonomy already makes my head hurt and doing it with thats that have 200 % less information #sucks a little bit #but i do just really like the idea of an iterator being like errrm technically this isnt a slugcat the newest info put it in its own clade #rw bioposting

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rivuletmansion · 7 months

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Mansion AU’s Cast: Part 1!

The first part of the colorful cast of the au, introduced in order of left to right!

Rivulet, The Mansion Owner (They/Them)

The titular character of the AU, Rivulet is the crazed and chaotic owner of the cursed mansion, who delights in throwing parties and causing chaos for its residents (and sometimes the people in the nearby town) on a daily basis. Armed with oddly friendly mannerisms and even odder whimsical desires to create fun, happy atmospheres for everyone in vicinity, this undead ex-assassin is sure to either brighten up your day… or make it very wacky- Often times, both! Just don’t piss them off (which is quite difficult), and you’ll prolly be fine- unless you’re not a fan of dark and gallows humor, which Riv loves to indulge in!

Artificer, The Mother of Six (She/Her)

The mansion’s first living visitor and inhabitant, Artificer is a fierce fighter in her own right who will fight tooth and nail to keep her family safe, and do whatever it takes to make them have the happiest lives they could ever ask for. Yet underneath this strong front lies a gentle, sensitive and surprisingly shy soul whose scarred heart is as big as the world she lives in… and as fragile as glass at her lowest moments. Her family’s previous poor living conditions was due to a terrible betrayal by those she once held dear- a part of her past that she hesitates to speak about, and has been trying to move on from. But maybe, just maybe, her heart has room for one more chance at love?

Saint, The Light Priestess (She/Her)

In this world, priestesses and monks also double duty as protectors of the living who are tasked with fending off threats against towns and cities- especially ones of the supernatural variety. Saint is no different, and thus was horrified when she first discovered the cursed mansion. Before she could do anything about it though, Rivulet found her and forced her on a tour similar to Arti’s first time, and made her swear to keep the mansion a secret. She eventually complied, first begrudingly and later happily, too curious about the mansion and the nature of its inhabitants to hold any ill will. She visits the mansion every weekends, not just to keep an eye on things but also to keep her eyes on Arti… who she has been developing feelings for! Now, Saint is, as you’d expect from her name and position, usually a dignified slugcat who uses her light magic prowess with grace. But she also has a surprisingly short temper (that Rivulet loves to stoke, resulting in many comical chase scenes), a childish sense of humor revolving around memes, and overall cares way too much about the state of her hair!

Spearmaster, SRS Riot Police Captain (He/Him)

Adorned with a fancy cape, the ability create to makeshift spears out of his tail and mastery over various weapons and firearms, Spearmaster is the iconic captain of the Seven Red Suns Riot Police Force (SRSRPF) and the paragon example for many police officers. Loyal and brave with a strong sense of justice, he’s an old friend of Arti who’s been trying to track her down so that he can do something about her poor living conditions. When he discovered Riv’s mansion and the fact that she lives there, he was quite suspicious about the mansion owner’s possible nefarious motives. While willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, Spear makes it a point to visit his old friend twice a month to catch up and keep an eye on things. It’s in his visits that he reveals himself to be something of a dork- someone who tries his best to look “cool” to Arti’s kids, only to falter hilariously due to his fear of ghosts and jumpscares, something that the mansion has no shortage of. Thus, he’s often the target for pranks courtesy of the mansion owner, much to his chagrin!

Survivor, The Silent Sister (She/Her)

The oldest of Arti’s children, Surv takes on the role of a quiet, kind and caring sister towards her younger siblings. Due to past trauma, she’s selectively mute and thus struggles to voice out her feelings vocally. That however doesn’t stop her from being very expressive- both in terms of facial expressions, and when writing out messages on a small whiteboard (that she always carry around) for others to read. She’s also very animated when she wants to be, using exaggeratedly dramatic gestures and body languages to get her messages across. Around people she’s comfortable around, Surv is actually quite sarcastic, with a sense of humor as dry as desert and a sharp wit that ensures no one wants to be on the receiving end of her ire!

Monk, The Sunshine (He/They)

Despite being the 3rd oldest child of Arti’s kids, Monk is nonetheless fussed over by his siblings and mother a lot, due to a mobility impairment that prevents him from walking on his own. He is also very physically fragile, and is more sensitive to pain than most, making injuries feel all the more awful for him. But this doesn’t stop him from being the most happy-go-lucky and positive child of the group, who often has to act as a mediator (alongside Surv) whenever arguments between siblings happen, and has an extremely friendly and social demeanor that makes him very likeable. Out of everyone here, he is the most tolerant of Riv’s antics, and is more or less amused by them most of the time- but he can still get annoyed if pushed too far, like being reminded of his inability to walk. He can also sass his family and especially Riv all day, if he feels like it, so don’t get on his bad side!

Hunter, The Fierce (She/Her)

The 2nd oldest sibling only behind Surv, Hunter used to help her mother forage for food using her agility and quick thinking to get out of dangerous situations. Now that she no longer has to do any of that after the family’s relocation, she has taken to instead training with practice weapons so that she can one day become a professional bounty hunter. Passionate and stubborn, she won’t let her blind left eye and PTSD regarding fire hinder her from becoming a world known fighter that’d make her family proud. Hunter doesn’t like accepting help, as it wounds her pride, but she’s willing to set her ego aside when it comes to her family and friends. She knows she has a long way to go before she can reach the top, and until then, she’ll keep on training hard- especially with her mother, Riv and Spear giving her fighting lessons!

Gourmand, The Innocent (He/Him)

The youngest and tiniest of Arti’s children, Gourm often gets fussed over just as much as Monk. He inherited his mother’s oversensitive nature, and this alongside his separation anxiety has caused him to be prone to crying a lot, though he’s been trying his best to work on that. For being as young as he is, Gourm is very smart for his age, and although the more mature stuff often eludes his childlike innocence still, he’s always eager to learn something new. He’s also quite knowledgable about cooking, and while he needs help when preparing the ingredients, he knows a lot of his family’s favorite recipes by heart and loves seeing his family enjoy a good meal personally made by him!

Marine, The Determined (They/Them)

Eager to please their family and even more eager to learn new things about weapons and firearms, Marine looks up to Spear as their idol and strives to one day become like him. Being the 2nd youngest sibling of Arti’s family also doesn’t stop Marine from trying to take on the role of a responsible sibling, which they succeed at very well for their age, and they can often be seen helping their mother and/or Surv at anything they can and with all the determination that a young child can muster... so long as they're not in the mood for causing mischief, that is. No matter what they’re doing, whether it be simple chores around the mansion, combat lessons taught by their idol or silly pranks they want to pull on their siblings and mother, Marine always give it their all. And if you think constant nightmares related to their insecurities and their lack of tail will slow them down, think again!

Wolf, The Wild (He/Him)

Out of all the kids living in the mansion, Wolf is the one who prefers the outdoors the most. His love for nature makes him very in tune with wildlife, and animals often flock to him whenever he gives them any attention. Wolf can often be seen tending to his personal little garden by himself, not just because he enjoys the activity, but also because he’s very self-conscious about his anger issues. He tries to limit his interactions with others for fear of snapping at them, though he’s been making steady improvements towards self-control and socializing more. Wolf is very protective regarding his family, and will not hesitate to direct his aggression towards anyone who wishes his loved ones harm, no matter who they are. He’s the first one of the family to openly show hostility towards Riv, back when the family had just relocated, and the mansion owner was so impressed by his guts that they’re currently tutoring Wolf on controlling his “inner beast”!

#rain world #rain world au #rain world downpour #rivulet mansion #rivulet's mansion

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isnt-a-blog-blog · 5 months

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Spearmaster

A manufactured slugcat with purposes now past. Spearmaster is left to find their place in the world as they're all but without any objectives

Spearmaster was originally created by SRS to deliver but a single message to a neighboring iterator, spearmaster had to go through several mishaps and trials, including losing the pearl once which lead to it having to be refabricated and secured in their chest (huge time loss) and making it to the WRONG iterator first (another huge time loss) but eventually they made the delivery...but instead of being rewarded, praised or even just a little thank you, all spearmaster was given was a NASTY injury from having the pearl ripped out and angry thrown out of the recipients vicinity...Spearmaster was devastated, their one singular purpose, failed, had Spearmaster not made so many time costing blunders this could have been avoided but no, they ruined the one thing they were made for. Spearmaster would never truly forgive themselves and lives with the burden they behold, all they could do was try to find some other purpose to have, not willing to give everything up and ascend just yet, the friends he's made has somewhat filled that void but theres still something Spearmaster cant help but think is missing...

Spearmaster, while a little pessimistic especially towards themselves at times is keen on making new friends that present themselves to them, afterall it has been making them feel better little by little, just hope you know sign language otherwise things will get frustrating for the both of you fast

likes : friends, having things that feel important to do, successfully doing said important things, yogurt dislikes : failure (the more important it was the worse it feels), living without purpose, not being understood

relationships survivor : "thank you for showing me that even those with the minimum needed to survive can still be happy" monk : "thank you for your kindness and cheer that i wish to have some day" hunter : "thank you for having skills i can aspire to and maybe achieve" nightcat : "thank you for...uh...demonstrating anyone can at least make 1 friend?" gourmand : "thank you for your generosity with providing essentials too all you come across" artificer : "thank you for being the best example of never giving up no matter how daunting a task is...i know it was killing a measurable amount of the population of another species in your case but you do you" rivulet : "thank you for always being there for me, you make me happiest the most" saint : "thank you for showing me that you can get by while using only a fraction of your power" enot : "...if i was to thank you for anything it would be making sure i have boundaries, please stay away from me"

#rw semi anthro au #rw spearmaster

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