King Rat

The King Rat has not forgotten the name he was born with, but he has rejected it. Thin, pale and ugly, with long stringy black hair, a pointed nose, and a weak chin, hated by all who knew him, the King was comforted only by the rats who were his friends. He was just a misanthropic wretch on the margins of society until a large rat, Fleaback by name, found him and persuaded him to take his vengeance on the people who despised him. The King Rat did an awful, wicked thing that night and fled human civilization, but that's not the only awful, wicked thing he has since done.

The King Rat lives on the outskirts of Irish towns which supply his rats with food and shelter. They steal for him and provide him with a miserable existence. He still loves the rats, but they have fallen under the sway of Fleaback and now have only contempt for their King. They still serve him, but they also mock him. King Rat is too desperate a creature to give them up.

Since betraying Cernunnos and killing Donngal mac Dorn, King Rat has been in hiding, afraid to show his face. He thinks the other beast-masters are hunting him, but in fact the only one doing so is Pig-Rory, who has yet to find his hiding place.

Age 28 (born in 1200)

Size -1

Confidence 1 (3)

Virtues & Flaws: Animal Ken (+1), Command Animals (+3), Immunity: Plague (+1), Independent Study (+1), Puissant Stealth (+1), Summon Animals (+3); Demonic Familiar (-3), Difficult Underlings (-3), Magical Air (-1), Poor Living Conditions (-1), Small (-1), Social Handicap (-1)

Int +1, Per +1, Pre -3, Com 0, Str -1, Sta +2, Dex +2, Qik +3

Abilities: Animal Handling 3 (15) (rats), Animal Ken 3 (15) (rats), Athletics 3 (climb), Awareness 3 (tailing), Brawl 5 (evasion), Gaelic 5, Hibernia Lore 1 (towns), Legerdemain 3 (hiding things), Stealth 5+2 (sneak), Summon Animals 5 (15) (rats), Survival 3 (towns)

Combat

Grapple: Init +3, Atk +7, Def +8, Dmg -1

Dagger: Init +3, Atk +9, Def +8, Dmg +2

Evasion: Init +3, Def +9

Soak: +2 (Sta)

Wound Levels: Light (1-4), Medium (5-8), Heavy (9-12), Incapacitated (13-16), Dead (17+)

Gear: Shabby and dirty clothing, a dagger

Summoned Rats

The King Rat calls rats in truly horrifying numbers; when he uses his powers, 10,000 rats respond. He can control them by mental command and they will do anything he wishes, even performing obviously suicidal tasks. But they hate him and will turn on him given the opportunity.

Rats are Size -9. The King Rat can command a ton (literally: 2,000 pounds) of rats; the equivalent of Size +3. In combat, these are treated as 5 swarms, each of mass +1 and volume +5. Each swarm is about 2,000 rats (400 pounds of them), filling about as much volume as a hippopotamus, rhino, or small elephant. Each swarm can attack 5 people at once.

Rat Swarm

Size +5 (Mass +1, individual rat Size -9)

Cun 0, Per +1, Pre 0, Com -4, Str +2, Sta +2, Dex +2, Qik +1

Personality Traits: Fearful +3, Nocturnal +3, Loyal to King Rat -3

Virtues & Flaws: Wild Animal (-1); Improved Characteristics (+1)

Qualities: Burrower, Clawed Animal, Good Climber, Good Hearing, Good Sense of Smell

Inferiorities: Fear, Nocturnal, Quiet, Weak Eyesight

Abilities: Area Lore 3 (towns), Athletics 2 (evasion), Awareness 2, Brawl 2, Survival 4 (towns)

Sympathies: Climbing +3, Hearing +3, Smell +3, Loathsome +3, Sight -3

Combat:

Bite: Init +3, Atk +5, Def +2, Dmg +3

Evasion: Def -1

Soak: +3 (Sta +2, Fur +1)

Wound Levels: Light (1-10), Medium (11-20), Heavy (21-30), Incapacitated (31-40), Dead (41+)

Fleaback

Fleaback is King Rat's Demonic Familiar. It is not a demon in the traditional sense; rather, it is the offspring of ordinary rats, born in an Infernal aura and corrupted from the moment of its birth. Fleaback is consumed with the sin of Gluttony and hates all creatures, which it sees as either a) food, or b) something which will take food that Fleaback desires. Fleaback has not been King Rat's only familiar, but when King Rat bonds other rats, Fleaback eats them.

Fleaback understands Gaelic but cannot speak. King Rat can enter a trance which allows him to see and hear through Fleaback, but the King Rat becomes unaware of his own body when he does this. Because he does not trust his rats, he has not yet dared to close his eyes when they're around.

Fleaback

Infernal Might 7

Season Summer

Size -8

Int 0, Per 0, Pre -6, Com -3, Str -16, Sta +1, Dex +2, Qik +11

Personality Traits: Gluttonous +6, Fearful +3, Nocturnal +3

Virtues & Flaws: Wild Animal (-1); Improved Characteristics (+1), Large (+1), Lesser Infernal Power (+1), Puissant Stealth (+1); Corrupted Beast (-3)

Qualities: Burrower, Clawed Animal, Good Climber, Good Hearing, Good Sense of Smell, Stealthy

Inferiorities: Fear, Nocturnal, Quiet, Weak Eyesight

Abilities: Area Lore 4 (towns), Athletics 5 (evasion), Awareness 5 (food), Brawl 2 (bite), Stealth 5+2 (hiding), Survival 5 (towns)

Sympathies: Climbing +3, Hearing +3, Smell +3, Loathsome +3, Sight -3

Power:

Eyes of the Cat: Fleaback can see in the dark.

Combat:

Bite: Init +13, Atk +8, Def +15, Dmg -15

Evasion: Def +25

Soak: +3 (Sta +2, Fur +1)

Wound Levels: Dead (1+)

Mass Combat Notes

The King Rat's Mass Combat Modifier is 6 when he is commanding rats. This represents his natural Stamina and his tactical skill using his rats in battle.

He has a +3 bonus to Soak when attacked by someone shapeshifted into an animal form.