RATKIN OVERVIEW
Global Presence. Ratkin are one of the more ubiquitous races in the Western Hemisphere of Terminus. Nearly every continent has at least one colony, from Kinsgreach down to Whitethaw, with several having multiple colonies in multiple regions. As diverse as environments are, so are the types of Ratkin that inhabit them.
Ratkin are experts at resourcefulness and survival. The race excels at acquisition of goods and materials, and has a reputation for bizarrely repurposing items pilfered from more developed civilizations. Here morality is curved for Ratkin, as stealing from other races is regarded more closely to harvesting than theft. Yet to take from another Ratkin within one's own colony is an egregious crime, which may lead to the offender being cut off from the colony entirely. Abandoned and alone, most Ratkin lose their instincts to adapt and survive, and perish.
As for proof of survivability, more than a few dominant races have attempted a genocidal cleansing against Ratkin colonies, but with marginal success. More efficient means of population control are pressed military service and outright slavery.
Ratkin revere old age, in part because so few survive to achieve it. Older members of the colony, called Eldi, lead the group. Beneath them are Noka, who are both capable melee or ranged fighters and established members of the colony.
Food over Family. Ratkin are highly sensitive to the rate of growth and consumption of their colonies. Taking their instincts of resourcefulness and protectionism to the extreme, colonies will periodically eject a minority percentage of their colony without warning. Known as "vermin mania", this harsh but pervasive instinct strikes when the acquisition of resources will over time be outpaced by the growth of the colony. Though studied to a degree, little is known about what informs vermin mania apart from a pure, animalistic sensing, as Ratkin have nothing like an advanced accounting or mathematics systems.
When this occurs the ejected Ratkin are treated as intruders and even enemies. Ratkin staying with the parent colony will group and fight the smaller child group, denying them even scraps of food or access to belongings. Vermin mania is so strong that some scholars believe Ratkin are able to predict famine and drought years in advance, while others consider this a myth that simply aligns with normal Ratkin practices.
Free Screech. Ratkin have no written language or long term means of reliably documenting information. Most of their communication exists as pictographs or surprisingly intricate claw markings, which - while limited to short term expression - do an excellent job communicating within the colony. They may also use scents, paints, carvings, their own excrement, or collections of materials such as stone or bone to direct their kin.
It is worth noting that some Ratkin have shown an ability to comprehend more advanced languages, though that understanding is limited to the ear. There is debate as to whether Ratkin are unable to speak common languages simply because their tongues are unable to form words used in most spoken languages. This has only added to their reputation as shameless thieves and ignorant wretches, which is not always accurate to individual Ratkin - or colonies.
Nomads of Idolatry. Ratkin have no unifying pantheon. Instead, colonies will often assimilate into a primitive form of devotion to deities from other races in the region. This is due to: 1) The transient nature of Ratkin colonies results in a systemic shallowness of their cultural and religious roots. 2) While Ratkin do have a patron deity far in their past, colonies have so frequently moved physical and spiritual homes over thousands of years that they have lost all connections to that ancient tradition. 3) Ratkin penchant for acquisition and assimilation means they often worship whatever idol, trinket, robe or statue that they acquire from other races.
It would not be unlikely to encounter a Ratkin colony under Steppes of Ru'lun worshipping an entirely different deity than a colony in the Roans. Nor should an adventurer tracing the steps of his father 30 years later be surprised to find the devotions of the same colony his father found have shifted over that time to another god.
The Drawn. Within certain Ratkin sleeps a devious bloodborne disease most commonly confused with rabies. Called the "Drawn Sickness", a name which comes from the term "drawn from the blood" and also their reputation for being drawn to strong mana fields.
The Drawn mutation gives infected Ratkin unnatural strength, extreme ferocity and a diminished length of life. Yet the sickness may lie dormant in a Ratkin for their entire life, as it often needs specific external or internal activators to begin the transformation process. Documented internal activators include: a life-threatening illness; sustained periods of extreme stress or lack of sleep; bites or similar fluid transfer from other infected Ratkin (high volume). External activators include: highly concentrated or consistent exposure to Celestium crystals or mana fields; spells of hexxing, etc; ingestion of potions or fungi that react in the blood stream.
Drawn are a menace to any people group nearby, including their parent Ratkin colonies. Their brute power and swift stealth or strike abilities make them a threat to even capable adventurers. Additionally, once the process of transformation is complete there are no remembrances of a former life or allegiances thereof.
While Drawn are unsuitable as warriors or slaves, some nefarious entities have sought to use Drawn Ratkin as untethered watchdogs, or even to use the sickness for their own means. Note: the 'Duskfiend' of Human lore is often dismissed as "merely" a Drawn Ratkin.