an almost helminthic feeling

Digital illustration of the Spearmaster, a thin purple slugcat with rows of holes along their body and tail. They are curled in a fetal position, though their head is turned in the other direction. They glance upwards, tired and crying. Their chest has been opened and bleeds slightly, the dark red pearl being held there. There are 6 red dots to the right, one of which is unlit.

drawn on the 21st of December 2023, mirrored here on the 3rd of September 2025

Fanart of the Spearmaster from Rain World: Downpour. I've always found myself drawn to themes of parasitism in art. There is this idea here of the dark red pearl as an endoparasite; Seven Red Suns as another kind of parasite? forming their own host; and, of course, the Spearmaster as both an endo- and ectoparasite. Something that writhes through iterators' bodies and drinks your insides from the outside.

'Helminthic' is of or pertaining to helminths, parasitic worms. Once again, parasites of parasites. Mostly chosen because it's a great word, although I mostly modelled Spearmaster off a leech (segments, receptor organs, tail shape)... so perhaps this should be titled 'an almost hirudinean feeling'?

Returning to parasitism, the (lack of) choice is part of what fascinates me. A flea didn't ask for this, nor does a tapeworm, and certainly this slugcat never chose to be formed this way (see the expression; tears, resignation). You know who made the choice? Seven Red Suns. Even when it becomes a houseslug, I can't imagine Spear's feelings towards them are entirely positive (which IME is a fairly common idea in the fandom). So that was the overall idea behind this: I'm in pain, I'm serving my niche, you're who I can thank for existing, why did you do this, what is wrong with you.

Thinking back to the tears, those actually look like the dark blood. Not intentional, but also I wouldn't be surprised if they were the same substance - that slug's anatomy must be fucked up.

Did you notice the lack of spikes? There's three reasons for that! 1: Hungry, wide open hollows, never truly satisfied (revisited this idea in RW Art Month 2025). 2: Unwilling to strike, vulnerable. 3: I didn't want to draw them.

The background doesn't mean much, but the red circles, of course, signify Seven Red Suns (the other two red suns are their eyes, not pictured here). The piece could be placed in the context of Five Pebbles ripping Spearmaster's pearl out - "oh shit, is this really what I was made for, OW FUCK OW" - but honestly the intention was all about the SRS-Spear connection. And shapes. Did you notice the shapes? That was the real purpose all along.

This drawing also has a timelapse.