[HEAVY SPOILERS] An important detail about the Lore of the game!

[[DFS] ⇚Scribble⇛]

While a lot of things about the game's lore and endings are answered, one thing- in particular, remains a mystery.

The Void Worms. What are they, and what is their purpose? I have a few theories on them, one of them being particularly scary and dark (which was my first guess).

So here they are:

A.) Moths to a Flame

Void Worms are otherworldy predators, they don't ascend you. They prey on the creatures that fall into the void, and pull them down deeper to avoid other Void Worms from stealing their prey. The Void Worm then appears to be gone, but actually poses itself completely still in order to make their prey swim towards it's "lantern" (the light. Yup, don't forget the Void Worms themselves have a huge "Sun" on their body) which is the light the characters see. Because of the Worm's inability to grab the creatures properly without slinging them around with strings, it pulls it's prey deeper down and then shows it's "Lantern" to them. Because they are confused in the dark, and can only see the light as their only indication of where they can go, they follow it like Moths to a Flame. They don't rebirth after that, and instead fuse with the creature, inside it's Sun.

B.) Guardians of the Underworld

The common theory, which is: "The Void Worm checks to see if you're worthy, then pulls you towards the light to ascend you. Guardian of the afterlife, much like the ferryboats in Japanese mythology (Shinigami?) which also are buddhist. Rain World being inspired by Buddhism a bit, it's not farfetched that Void Worms are like "Shinigami". Creatures ascend into a proper ethereal realm.

C.)Void Worms are just different Worlds

Void Worms' Suns, are actually other worlds. Different Universes.
The only reason why creatures don't rebirth in the next cycle inside of Rain World, after reaching the Void (The Void Worm's Sun?) is because they were instead transported to a different world, which also might follow cycles. This theory could be independent of the light at the ending being the Void Worm's "Sun" (mentioned in Theory A), it could also be that the light itself causes the creatures to rebirth in another Mortal Realm. These Void Worms are much like planets in a galaxy, and in a 4th Dimensional sort of way that 3-Dimensional creatures can't understand, the Rain World itself could be another Void Worm in this sea of Void Worms. Perhaps a dying Void Worm, because of the Void slowly eating away at it's world.

What do you think? It would be cool to hear more ideas. :)

[pickle]

One thing i like about the lore in this game is that its not all entirely explained, the void worms being an excellent example. I don't think the ending would be nearly as profound if you gave moon a pearl and she said "errrmmmm asctually these are called void worms and the come from the world of zorp goop" they have such an incredible heir of mystery and just absolute grandness to them that is unparalleled to anything else, i mean maybe the superstructure can compare. Although metropolis is absolutely amazing, i think not being able to go into the city really added a lot to how grand pebble's structure felt. There's only a certain scale you can achieve when actually trying to make it into a region and either way if it's left up to interpretation most of the time people will just imagine something that is cool to them and that always makes things feel awesome. Anyways yeah this has nothing to do with your post really this is just an excuse to rant about why i love rainworld

[[DFS] ⇚Scribble⇛]

Originally posted by pickle:

One thing i like about the lore in this game is that its not all entirely explained, the void worms being an excellent example. I don't think the ending would be nearly as profound if you gave moon a pearl and she said "errrmmmm asctually these are called void worms and the come from the world of zorp goop" they have such an incredible heir of mystery and just absolute grandness to them that is unparalleled to anything else, i mean maybe the superstructure can compare. Although metropolis is absolutely amazing, i think not being able to go into the city really added a lot to how grand pebble's structure felt. There's only a certain scale you can achieve when actually trying to make it into a region and either way if it's left up to interpretation most of the time people will just imagine something that is cool to them and that always makes things feel awesome. Anyways yeah this has nothing to do with your post really this is just an excuse to rant about why i love rainworld

Haha, No no. ^^ Keep going, I like to hear what you say because you honestly sound passionate! I can tell when a person just feels a lot about something they like, and honestly you nailed it. :) It is as you said, I came up with theories until eventually I was like “Oh my god, what if the Void Worms are a different a world, and Rain World is a dying world because of the Void deteriorating it?” and then went like “That’s my headcanon now”.

It sure is amazing! But I like to see and analyze theories, though I honestly find it cute how you say this, cause it seems that you enjoy seeing people come up with these cool theories and enjoying them too. <3

What is something you love a lot about Rain World? (I haven’t finished everything, but I just started my Artificer play through. I’m only sad however that she can’t properly ascend due to her karma cap affected by her violence, as I heard.

[Nen☆niN]

These guesses are cool. Not "theories", but cool guesses. It is as pickle said, Void Worms not being explained and not even having any hints/evidence as to what they really are prompted you come up with a bunch of cool hypotheses. The one nitpick I'd like to do is about the suggestion that Rain World's world is dying. It is said that the world is slowly dissolving into the void sea, but at the same time, dust accumulates on the top to build up the world at the same pace. I assume these processes are also extremely, unfathomably slow. Either way, this means that the world of Rain World isn't dying, at least not the world itself. Otherwise I don't think there's any evidence to either prove or disprove your guesses.

[telesticsummer]

Good posts in this thread. I believe that the Void Worms are holy beings. I think making the Void Worms representations of other world-systems kicks the can of ascension down the road a bit, since the point is you're leaving the world behind. But the achievement does say you've left THIS world behind, so who knows.