Ratfolk

Their sharp teeth and tenacious demeanour send a shiver up the spine when one of these ragged scavengers is seen skulking in the back alley. Watch out… especially if they’re hungry… and you have children with you.

First Impression

Ratfolk have beady black eyes that focus like darts. They are generally ragged, clothed haphazardly (if clothed at all) in whatever they’ve managed to scavenge. They may be solitary, in pairs, working in convenient small bands, or in larger more organized tribes of scroungers and gatherers. In their lairs they’ll have piles and piles of junk they’ve hoarded over time and will guard it with their nasty gnashing teeth and their dirty claws. Their naked, pale tails are an unnerving marker of their presence as they often forget to tuck these in when hiding behind boxes or barrels.

• genetic blend of human and rat features.
• long nose, snout, stubbed nose,
• varying degrees of fur and flesh,
• whiskers of varying lengths
• invariably yellow teeth, sharp teeth, buckteeth,
• large rear haunches,
• bipedal, slouched, possibly quadrupedal,
• front hands with claws of various lengths,
• varying lengths of tail: stub, equal to body length,
• invariably dirty, smelly, flea-ridden, nasty,
  • contact can lead to infection, infestation, itchiness, rash, reactions, hives, disease, illness, nausea,
• matted fur, mud, fecal matter, rotten fruit,
• smells of urine, feces, vomit, garbage, rot,
• yellowed teeth, bloodshot eyes,
• clothes are ragged, tattered, pieced together, roped, belted or suspended,
  • bits of armour, chainmail, sewn, lashed, or strung together
  • pockets sewn everywhere, pouches, belt bags,
  • patches sewn together,
  • loom-woven rag tunics
• sharp knives, rudimentary spears, axes, cleavers, small crossbows, polearms,
  • poisoned or diseased weapons
• these human-sized creatures can actually squeeze their bodies through openings no bigger than their skulls (about the size of a soccer ball)

Environments

Preferring “behind the scenes” life, the ratfolk tend to stay out of the light. Look for them in dark corners, holes, and tunnels that they gnaw and scrape out almost anywhere.

• sewers, gutters, culvert, city catacombs, dungeons,
• dump, trash heap, garbage pile, outhouse, latrine trench,
• town fringes, edges of farms or plantations, industrial areas, prisons, slums, ghetto, red light district, underpass,
• near kitchens, inns, restaurants, taverns,
• tunneled holes around foundations
• cellars, basements, grottos,
• dragon ship, galleon, steam ship, paddle wheeler, engine room, slave quarters,
• near settlements in hills, forests, mountains, prairie,
• temples, shrines,
• cemetery, barrow, mausoleum, crypt,
• wherever they can grab scraps from other humanoid creatures: goblin caves, orc war camps, ogre hovels, dwarf mountain kingdom,

Stuff

• food scraps, detritus, refuse, waste,
• moldy bread, cake, pastry, pancake, soured milk, rancid ham, wilted lettuce, nuts, berries, bark, bones,
• mounds, piles, heaps, mountains,
• shanty, shack, hovel, hole, burrow, dumpster,
• bits of rope, pottery, jewelry, wood, bottle caps, knick knacks, glass, ivory, teeth, fur, feathers, ribbons, cockade, leather, cork, clock, clam shells, husks, nuts, acorns, dried corn cobs, chicken feet,

Developments

• A Ratfolk shapeshifter may appear very beautiful and alluring to the unwise or weary before revealing its true self.
• Many special objects (keys, jewels, rings, shrunken heads, etc.) may ultimately be in the possession of ratfolk, leading characters to one of their devious traps.
• The odd “good-natured” ratfolk may end up assisting needy adventurers, or so pretending landing them to a nasty end.

Narrative Notes

• Ratfolk can appear in almost any fantasy or steampunk or even sci-fi adventure so they are great to keep in your narrative back pocket.
• Give your ratfolk a nasty, gnashy, verminous sounding name: Gnarlers, Grimers, The Grim Ones, Kuulvot, Knurkoon, Redeyes, Dead-eaters, Soulless Nightfolk, Verminmen, The Night Teeth, and so on… anything you think has an icky connotation to it.
• Hints of the proximity of these beasts can be unnerving in narrative to characters and readers alike. Before knowing exactly where they are, their musky, earthy, acrid, rancid odour and the presence of rat-like hair, urine and fecal matter can up the suspense of a coming encounter. Evidence of their creepy, mangy scrounging might include such things as chewed bags, barrels, boxes, or matted, filthy, flea-ridden bedding areas. Nasty up your narratives!