were-rat religion

[herkles]

Hello,

in Gazeteer III it states the following

Filth breeders are the holy men, deranged were-rats obsessed with disease and rot. Feared but also held in awe by their kin, the Filth breeders delight in suffering and entropy, revering all that humanity reviles. Their magic both diven and arcane taps into the power of decay, vermin and disease. They prefer maggots and mold to rats and conduct strange experiments in the warrens' wastepits. Despite their unbalanced temperament, Filth breeders are held in great esteem for their wisdom; often, their judgement guide the fate of the whole warren. Their more unseemly practices, however, disturb even their fellow wererats. Filth breeders are usually clerics/wizards. Their domains are animal, destruction, earth and evil.

Finally, de veyrines has encountered the occasional wererat who can only be described as belonging to a priest caste. These creatures are dressed in obscene regalia and wield divine magic. They also seem to hold a special place among other were-rats, for scouts and warriors alike follow their commands without question. Concerning what dark deity such creatures may worship, de Veyrines has found no evidence and seemed loath to speculate on the matter further.

However, I have little idea what their religion is called or what they actually worship or believe. Their is a wolf god for were-wolves, would their be a rat god/goddess for were-rats? anyone else have any ideas? I had thought of making one for new player week, so this would be helpful to know. I can make stuff up if there is no infomration what so ever.

-herkles

[Geiger]

They may just gain power from some belief, or siphon off vile power from dark rituals. Lots of stuff like that happens.

[Amon-Si]

I can't help but think Skaven. Worship the great horned one and be done with all your dilly-dallying!

[DM Vinculum]

I feel like this was written intentionally obscure so that DMs could make use of it for their specific campaigns as they liked.

That being said, I doubt wererats would have one world-religion and it would probably vary differently from region to region taking on various concepts, themes and trappings from the local surface-dwelling religions. Would be less like religion and more like various unconnected hedonistic or evil-aligned cults.

[Feronius]

Would be interesting if this goes into the direction of necromancy and plague a bit.
A possible alliance or some form of relationship between some wererat and undead (A)MPCs could be very promising if executed well.

[Bluebomber4evr]

I feel like this was written intentionally obscure so that DMs could make use of it for their specific campaigns as they liked.

That being said, I doubt wererats would have one world-religion and it would probably vary differently from region to region taking on various concepts, themes and trappings from the local surface-dwelling religions. Would be less like religion and more like various unconnected hedonistic or evil-aligned cults.

Yeah, it's also the first it was ever mentioned, as far as I know, unless they were in Scholar of Decay, which I've never read. Richemulot never got much detail aside from that one novel.

EDIT: I had forgotten about the 2nd ed. game book Monster Mythology, which had a god of wererats, Squerrik.

Squerrik (Lesser God)

The cowardly and physically weak Squerrik lairs in an endless series of burrows and tunnels, infested with traps, below one of the plains of Gehenna. He is a fearful creature who ever seeks protective magic, disguises, and items for keeping his enemies at bay (not that he has many; most other deities don't consider him worth bothering with).

Role-playing Notes: Squerrik feels little emotion for wererats and is uncaring about his own shamans, not sending any omens or warnings to them. Rarely, he may dispatch an avatar to lead a very large group of wererats out of their subterranean lairs to attack, loot, and pillage a surface community weakened by war, seige, or some other adversity. More often his avatars seek protective magical items for the god's use. The avatars are always cowardly and seek to escape combat if faced with a powerful enemy.

Statistics: AL le; WAL le (wererats); AoC thievery, disguise, concealment; SY rat's head with bared yellow teeth.

The Shamans

Squerrik's shamans may only memorize and use their spells in ratman form. They are not organized into any hierarchy, but lower-level shamans learn from higher-level ones and must show them respect and deference (and make offerings of treasures). Wererat shamans must be self-protective. They actively acquire protective magic and anything that aids their skills of concealment and disguise.

[Troukk]

I feel like this was written intentionally obscure so that DMs could make use of it for their specific campaigns as they liked.

That being said, I doubt wererats would have one world-religion and it would probably vary differently from region to region taking on various concepts, themes and trappings from the local surface-dwelling religions. Would be less like religion and more like various unconnected hedonistic or evil-aligned cults.

Yeah, it's also the first it was ever mentioned, as far as I know, unless they were in Scholar of Decay, which I've never read. Richemulot never got much detail aside from that one novel.

EDIT: I had forgotten about the 2nd ed. game book Monster Mythology, which had a god of wererats, Squerrik.

Squerrik (Lesser God)

The cowardly and physically weak Squerrik lairs in an endless series of burrows and tunnels, infested with traps, below one of the plains of Gehenna. He is a fearful creature who ever seeks protective magic, disguises, and items for keeping his enemies at bay (not that he has many; most other deities don't consider him worth bothering with).

Role-playing Notes: Squerrik feels little emotion for wererats and is uncaring about his own shamans, not sending any omens or warnings to them. Rarely, he may dispatch an avatar to lead a very large group of wererats out of their subterranean lairs to attack, loot, and pillage a surface community weakened by war, seige, or some other adversity. More often his avatars seek protective magical items for the god's use. The avatars are always cowardly and seek to escape combat if faced with a powerful enemy.

Statistics: AL le; WAL le (wererats); AoC thievery, disguise, concealment; SY rat's head with bared yellow teeth.

The Shamans

Squerrik's shamans may only memorize and use their spells in ratman form. They are not organized into any hierarchy, but lower-level shamans learn from higher-level ones and must show them respect and deference (and make offerings of treasures). Wererat shamans must be self-protective. They actively acquire protective magic and anything that aids their skills of concealment and disguise.

A little off topic...

Is there anything Blue doesn't know about Ravenloft?

We should start a thread in the tavern called "Stomp the Blue", but he'd probably kick our butts. 

[Bluebomber4evr]

I hardly know everything about Ravenloft. I've only read 2 of the novels and there are still some game accessories that I have not read.

[Crimson Shuriken]

Hm... Either the two I, Strahd or the first I, Strahd and Vampire in the Mists I would wager. Funny enough, those three are the ones I've read even though I do own many others somewhere. I just got scared away when the likes of Enemy Within and Tapestry of Dark Souls were labeled as non-canon and stricken from continuity so didn't feel anything ultimately useful could be gleaned and might give me misconceptions about the setting.

[Bluebomber4evr]

Hm... Either the two I, Strahd or the first I, Strahd and Vampire in the Mists I would wager. Funny enough, those three are the ones I've read even though I do own many others somewhere. I just got scared away when the likes of Enemy Within and Tapestry of Dark Souls were labeled as non-canon and stricken from continuity so didn't feel anything ultimately useful could be gleaned and might give me misconceptions about the setting.

It was the first I, Strahd and Vampire in the Mists.

And Tapestry of Dark Souls is canon. The only ones they rendered non-canon are Enemy Within for having a contradictory origin for Malken/Hiregaard and Lord of the Necropolis for defining what the Dark Powers are.

http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/FAQ/FAQ_Answers.html#whichproductsareconsiderednon-canonical

[herkles]

I feel like this was written intentionally obscure so that DMs could make use of it for their specific campaigns as they liked.

That being said, I doubt wererats would have one world-religion and it would probably vary differently from region to region taking on various concepts, themes and trappings from the local surface-dwelling religions. Would be less like religion and more like various unconnected hedonistic or evil-aligned cults.

Yea, I think you are right. Though considering that Gaz III says the main religion is Ezra. I would assume that it may be some twisted from of ezrite worship in Richemulot at least. For vallaki and New character week, I will base it off of clan pesitlince from warhammer; at least in horrific rites and acts to provide people horror!

Oh, Bluebomber, If I copy the info on were-rats from Gaz III on were-rats as well as the info on werewolves in Gaz IV, could they get added to the Monster resources to help people out?

[herkles]

Here is the info from Gaz III on were-rats, might do the info from gaz IV on were-wolves later.  Would a dm be kind enough to add this info to the MPC info

Each city in Richemulot is home to multiple warrens, colonies of related wererats numbering from several dozen to nearly a thousand lycanthropes. The territory of a given warren may extend deep into the surrounding tunnels, but the warren proper includes a nest and the adjoning waste pits. The nest is typically a cavernous chamber where the whole warren can gather to feed, breed, or hold court. The waste pits are undergrounds resrvoirs of filth, sacred places used in wererat ceremonies. Warrens are always patrolled and fortfied with lethal, devious traps.

Warrens compete violently with one another for territory, which repersents not only the privilege to hunt and gather in the area below ground, but also rights on the human prey above. Mortigny and Ste. Ronges each have several powerful warrens locked in a power struggle, as well as a smattering of lesser warrens. Pont-a-Museau is the exception: Jacqueline Renier's warren dominates the city, and no serious challengers to its supremacy have emerged.

Wererat society is divided into castes. After a wererat's first transformation, mundane divination determins its caste. Common methods include reading patterns of mold, the movements of rats, or pieces of garbage plucked from the waste pits. Wererats cannot change their caste, though Plague Kings and Queens can theoretically rise from any caste.

Tunnel Stalkers are the scouts and survivors among the lycanthropes. They are skilled at subterranean exploration and reconnaissance, valuing stealth and cunning above all else. More than nay other wererats, they understands the way of the sewers. They are also adept at moving about at street level, where they spy and commit thievery, though they are generally not comfortable around humans. Tunnel stalkers are more at ease with normal rats than with their wererat kin and may prefer the company of beetles, centipedes, and other vermin. Tunnel Stalkers with character classes are usually ranger/rogues and sometimes assassins or shadow dancers.

Daggernails are the soldiers, sadists that delight in slaughter and who perpetually twitch with the anticipation of conflict. They train diligently to master techniques of close-quarters fighting pack tactics, and wield discarded human junk that is work into gruesome lethal weapons. Misanthropic and a touch psychotic, Daggernails despise humans and would like nothing better than to rise up and butcher them all. In battle, they often display a beseker rage, tempered only by their wererat survival instincts. Other wererats respect them but also regard them as mad dogs, best kept on a frim tether and unleashed on the enemy. Daggernails are usually barbarians or fighters, sometimes with a level or two of rogue.

Filth breeders are the holy men, deranged were-rats obsessed with disease and rot. Feared but also held in awe by their kin, the Filth breeders delight in suffering and entropy, revering all that humanity reviles. Their magic both diven and arcane taps into the power of decay, vermin and disease. They prefer maggots and mold to rats and conduct strange experiments in the warrens' wastepits. Despite their unbalanced temperament, Filth breeders are held in great esteem for their wisdom; often, their judgement guide the fate of the whole warren. Their more unseemly practices, however, disturb even their fellow wererats. Filth breeders are usually clerics/wizards. Their domains are animal, destruction, earth and evil.

Skin Twisters are the infiltrators, the only werats who most often venture above among the humans. They are the nobles of wererat society, hated and feared by the other castes but obeyed without question. They alone have mastered the nuances of human society, and compared to their kin, they are regal and composed in their bearing. Relentless plotters, the skin twisters are constantly alert for opportunities and resources that may advance their warren's standing. Few Richemuloise are aware of how deeply the Skin Twisters have entrenched themselves in the human halls of power. Anywhere from one in ten to one in two nobles in a Richemuloise city is a skin twister, and aristocratic politics often have more to do with events down below than above. The great wererat families are locked in covert as well as overt struggles for power in both the market place and in the government, both among themselves and with the few humans who attempt to compete. The character class a Skin Twister purses depends on the particular human persona it has assumed, though most are aristocrats, experts, or fighters,

Plague Kings and Queens are the masters of the whole warrens. In smaller warrens, they may simply be strong wererats who bullied their way to dominance. In the greatest warrens, wererats revere their plague kings and queens as godlings who command uncharacteristic sacrifice and devotion in their subjects. Weak Plague Kings and Queens are quickly replaced through assassination, while successful rulers often serve for life atop thrones of human bone and refuse. Most plague Kings and Queens are Skin Twisters, though any wererat with the strength and will to dominate its kin might rise to the position.

[Feronius]

That sounds more than intrigueing, but to be honest.. I think it would better be suited for a large MPC group, rather than a short-lived AMPC during new char week.
That way you could fully RP out the scheming part, the potential it has to create a dynamic storyline in coordination with noble PCs and what-not.

[DM Stygian Witch]

I would love to see a group like this set up shop in the Drain.

[herkles]

I would love to see a group like this set up shop in the Drain.

If I was not so busy as Joherra, I would do this longer then just the week or two we get as new character event

[ThePwush]

Squeak!

[Ghost Mouse approves]

[Gutshank]

Worship him.

[herkles]

that your NCE aMPC were-rat gutshank? or an old character?

[Bluebomber4evr]

It's an old character, his first one. The most infamous double-crossing bastard ever to wander in from the Mists. Strahd still gives the Red Vardo Traders a hard time because of Marek.

[Blight]

Best resource I could find. Actually it's likely the best resource out there. Sorry for thread Necromancy, but as i'm taking a stab at playing a Squerrik follower, here you go!

http://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/11960811/squerrik-the-ratlord