Lore of Rain World

This page contains the lore and backstory of Rain World. The contents of this article should always be supported by evidence from texts and excerpts found in the game.

Please discuss potential changes on the talk page to ensure your additions are valid. The events that transpire from the start to the end of the Rain World universe are complicated and entangled. The 's journey across the world is also riddled with clues and subtle messages of the past.

A number of pieces of evidence and excerpts acquired over the course of the game's storyline offer a logical and well-supported explanation in regard to the cause of the world's current state of decay and disrepair.

The game's original timeline is separate from the events of the Downpour DLC, which is considered an official alternative universe. For this reason, all Downpour-related lore has its own comprehensive page.



The Ancients
Before the events of Rain World, there existed a people commonly referred to as the Ancients. Within their society, there existed monks who sought to escape the cycle of death and rebirth that trapped every living creature. These monks believed that there existed five natural urges, which bound every living creature to this cycle, and that if they shed each one, they could cross themselves out[*] for good. The Ancients were immersed in all things sentimental, as well as those cerebral. They created art in the form of poetry, song, and craft, and likely interested themselves in discussions, debates, and documenting their living qualia.[†] There were many strata of influence an Ancient could find themselves in, and there existed an intricate system of titles and honorifics that was present in their official communications. This was a society that proved to be spiritual, artistic, and ambitious to a fault.

Void Fluid & the Revolution
Deep below the ground, there exists a vast sea composed of Void Fluid. This fluid has multiple powerful properties: it dissolves solid material, has the ability to produce energy[‡], and can even cross out any living being immersed in it. Void Fluid’s utility was discovered by the Ancients, and they began to put it to use, making great technological bounds in the process. This event became known as the Void Fluid revolution. The Ancients were able to industrialize, likely creating organisms at this time[§] that would fulfill a variety of functions, such as production, entertainment, and many others more. These purposed organisms may have had a great ecological impact, as many of the Creatures of Rain World are said to be descendants of them.

Mass Ascension & the Iterators
One product of such industrialization was the Iterators: massive, freestanding computers imbued with great processing power. Their sole purpose was to find a way to transcend the world’s cycle of death and rebirth through means other than the shedding of one’s urges, or the immersion of oneself in Void Fluid. That issue was referred to as the Great Problem, and by the events of Rain World, it appears to remain unsolved. The water consumption of the Iterators is immense, and the exhaust of this water as vapor is equally great, so as more Iterators were constructed, the surface of the world was transformed by the rain they made. The surface became uninhabitable, so the Ancients moved their cities and settlements on top of their Iterators’ structures.

Five Pebbles & Looks to the Moon
Main Page: Iterator The Ancients are all gone, likely having decided to ascend on their own. Looks to the Moon is an Iterator built early on, when surface water had not been more evenly distributed by the Iterators’ exhaust. Five Pebbles, however, was built after positioning was no longer a concern, and was placed much closer to Looks to the Moon than was customary. At some point, after the Ancients’ disappearance, Five Pebbles became frustrated with his situation, and sought an escape. Iterators are normally unable to die or ascend, but Five Pebbles found a method to circumvent this taboo, and used a process that took both abnormally high amounts of water and intense concentration. Looks to the Moon’s proximity to Five Pebbles meant that she had begun getting adversely affected by his excess water intake, but her attempts to reach him had failed. Looks to the Moon sent Five Pebbles a forced transmission, urging him to stop. Five Pebbles, likely distracted from his processes, suffered a catastrophe, and the was formed. Looks to the Moon’s attempts to reach out were futile, as she eventually collapsed.