Description
Since the dawn of time,
humans have steadily overpopulated the largest cities of East Asia.
The markets of Mongkok in Hong Kong, the slums surrounding Beijing, the
tenements and subways of Tokyo -- the Far East is home to some of the most
crowded and squalid places on the planet. The Changing Breeds have
always sought balance in the East, but men have destroyted it. Now
the rampant overpopulation of the human race threatens the balance between
Man and Nature more than ever before.
During the Second and Third
Ages of the Wolrd, the Nezumi worked diligently to prevent the earliest
villages from growing too fast; they stole food, wore away at the foundations
of homes, and even brought deadly diseases. Even when the Impergium
ended during the Fourth Age, the cleverest Children of Rat knew that one
day, they would have to finish the task at which the others failed.
Where the Ratkin of the Western Concordiat were persecuted, the shen ideals
of balance led the hengeyokai to think of the Nezumi as a vital yang
force.
As time passed, Rat shared his knowledge of War -- for there is no question
that such is his aspect as a totem -- with many hengeyokai, particularly
the Hakken and Nezumi. Under Rat's guidance, Eastern races developed
two very different methods of waging warfare.
The Hakken acted as the
masters of the first method, called High War. Though night-time campaigns
in the East were always brutal, warriors were expected to respect the codes
established by the bushi caste. They shed blood according
to formal and chivalrous traditions. In times of conflict, this state
existed until one side resorted to tactics that violated the Code of Bushido.
At that point, warriors abandoned their rules of engagement and honor,
and Low War began. After Hakken revealed the first assassination,
abduction or mission of espionage, shapechangers were forced to rely on
the talents of the most devious creatures in the shadows. Since the
earliest days of the samurai, the Nezumi have been masters of Low Warfare.
Unlike the honorable bushi
of the Hakken, most Nezumi lived with the eta, members of the lowest
caste of Japanese society. The Kinfolk chosen by Nezumi homids were
usually foreigners or immigrants to Japan (usually Koreans or mainland
Chinese). More generally, the eta were humans who handled
tasks regarded as unclean by civilized nihon-jin. Burial,
execution, the preparation of leather, and the infamous arts of the ninja
were eta family trades in feudal times. And even beyond Japan, the
Nezumi bred with such outcasts. Rat's children roamed freely, establishing
nests throughout Asia, from the districts of the untouchables of India
to the slums of the Philippines.
Today, Nezumi establish
their nests in the most impoverished neighborhood. Though rats have
always known how to deal with overpopulation, humans continue to multiply
at an alarming rate.
Surrounded by the sqaulor of rapidly-decaying urban metroploi, the
Nezumi have been struggling to repopulate their race.
Fortunately, the Eastern
Ratkin are breeding at a faster pace than their gaijin cousins in
the West. Though the Western Ratkin have been far more subtle about
their reemergence, Eastern Ratkin are more impatient about returning to
their ancient roles. Already, slowly increasing numbers of Rat's
Children are spreading disease, stealing food, exacting violence, causing
riots and spreading chaos. They have no regard for human law -- or,
for that matter, human life. In a world vastly overrun by humans,
a few have already begun their Low War against mankind.
Their arsenal of weapons
for Low War is growing. Terrorists are blamed for many chemical and
biological compounds cooked in laboratories, but the most exotic strains
are birthed by the Children of Rat. A knife in the dark, a satchel
of explosives in a crowded market, poison gas released in a Japanese subway
-- it's all the same. Low War depends on destroying your enemies
by any means possible. If a few hundred... or thousand... humans
die in the process, the balance of life and death in the Far East is restored
a little more.
As a result, the Hakken
and the other shen must learn the importance of upholding High War.
The billions of humans in East Asia must co-exist peacefully. If
they don't, then the alternative is depending on the tactics of the Nezumi.
If the Hakken fail, the Children of Rat are waiting to take their place.
Bright eyes watch from the darkness, and sharp teeth chitter in eager anticipation.
The increasing number of Nezumi heralds the approach of the sixth Age.
These are the End Times, and Rat's children are slowly returning to the
world.
Organization
The Ratkin are probably
the most tightly-knit of all the Changing Breeds. Out of necessity,
they learn the identities of their brethren quickly. Heightened senses
allow them to sense the thousands of variations of scent among their kind.
Whether born in the East or West, Ratkin consider all of Rat's children
to be members of one great family. As is the tradition in the West,
Children of Rat refer to each other as brothers, sisters, uncles and aunts.
Important Nezumi have three
names: a human name, a gang name, and a court name. For instance,
Yo Fa, an illustrious Knife Skulker, is also known as Poison Claw.
His court name is formed by a series of subtle screeching, whuffling and
chittering sounds.
Garou find it easy to underestimate
the number of Nezumi in a city. Among other races, such as the Kitsune
or Khan, homids are the most populous breed. For the Nezumi, the
rodens breed is the most common. For each skulking homid an outsider
may uncover, a dozen rodens breed Nezumi and a hundred rat Kinfolk may
be spawning in a nest nearby. This explains why the legends of wererat
rarity continue, even in Tokyo and Hong Kong.
Despite this, many rats
never survive the horror of the Birthing Plague, the ritual that spawns
their young. The vast majority of Nezumi die young -- they are ravaged
by disease, killed or eaten. Only hardiest... and most cunning...
survive. To prepare for war, swarms of rats continually fight skirmishes
below ground, relying on both man-made and rat-gnawed tunnels. This
also keeps the local population under cotnrol. Casualties are high
during these times of trial. but as the Sixth Age approaches, training
is essential. Occasionally, conflicts erupt on the surface, but such
displays usually involve few warriors. The evidence is quickly lost
amidst the chaos of the worst urban slums.
A Nezumi who actually lives
to be the oldest creature in the nest becomes its sensei, the leader
of the group. This wise master teaches sacred knowledge: methods
of resolving conflicts between nests, subtle methods of engagement and,
when necessary, covert methods of assassinating enemies and rivals.
Though Nezumi elders are few, some have begun visiting the local courts
of the Hakken Gour, offering to aid the Eastern Lords in Low War once again.
Traits
All Ratkin share a few common
traits: an absolute sense of direction underground, a highly- developed
spatial sense, and excellent night vision, even in human form. (By
spending a point of Gnosis, a Nezumi can even see i absolute darkness for
a full day.) When stalking underground, these rats can easily find
their way around sewer mazes and tunnel networks, even if they have never
traveled through them before. Since they also have excellent hearing,
all of their Preception rlls have a -1 difficulty.
As Ratkin grow older, they
learn other talents. Those who survive the first year of life are
able to choose an auspice. The choice is often influenced by hallucinations
during the Birthing Plague; and if the Nezumi is raised according to the
Way of Emerald Virtue, the Rite of the Opened Way decides the auspice.
There is little difference between Western and Eastern auspices; in fact,
the Nezumi gain rank using the Renown chart for the corresponding sentai
auspice (Seers gain rank as Mirrors; Skulkers as Laterns; Warriors as Fists
and Tunnel Runners as Leaves). Once Nezumi have selected their road,
they work with other Warriors, Skulkers, Runners and Seers to build, breed
and destroy.
* Seers
Beginning Rage: 1
Nezumi rites are taught
and preserved by Seers, the mystics of their family. They conduct
ceremonies that lead to the spawning of the Birthing Plague, reveal new
Sacred Plagues, and, if legends are correct, allegedly open new bolt-holes
to other realms. Seers speak of a Ratkin haven, a mystic realm where
thousands of Rat's children wait to return to the world. Whether
these fairy-tales are true remains to be seen.
* Tunnel Runners
Beginning Rage: 2
Nests of Nezumi are often
seperated by miles of urban sprawl and endless labyrinths of tunnels.
Runners act as the messengers and scouts of the race. Rats of this
auspice also have a traditional language of scraping and rattling.
By rapping on lead pipes deep underground, they can spread their messages
farther. It is rumored that they have access to ancient bolt-holes,
similar to the spirit paths of the Garou.
* Skulkers
Beginning Rage: 3
Like the legendary ninja
of feudal Japan, Skulkers are specialists in the most covert methods of
warfare. All Nezumi are stealthy, but the Skulkers are blessed with
Gifts that place them among the deadliest assassins of the supernatural
world. In any given nest, the oldest Skulker is the most likely candidate
to become the nest's sensei. Most are of the homid breed.
* Warriors
Beginning Rage: 5
Warriors of different breeds
employ vastly different tactics in Low War. Homid Nezumi are the
most common above ground, especially since they are the best at hiding
thier true form. Homid Warriors learn to fight in small packs of
two or three, conceal their deadliest weapons, hide in shadows, and above
all else, settle conflicts quickly and quietly.
Metis Nezumi chafe under
such restrictions, waiting for the time when they can take their true forms
and wild their Pain-Daggers proudly. As they tend to be impatient,
all of their Rage rolls are made at a -2 difficulty. Brute force
is their favored tactic.
Roden warriors don't mind
waiting underground to assist their homid and metis brethren. They
stalk beneath city streets in swarms, often relying on instincts to guide
them into battle. When a homid pack falls, a hundred-strong swarm
of rodens and Kinfolk may be waiting nearby to finish the job.
Breeds
* Homid
Beginning Gnosis:
1
Homid Nezumi are fiercely
independent. Mavericks find homes farther from the nest, though they
may try to establish new breeding grounds there. Warriors form rat
packs to patrol their domains. Homid Nezumi often exhibit one or
two sign of their heritage, such as bright narrow eyes, longer front teeth,
a narrow face, or even a short (concealed) prehensile tail.
* Rodens
Beginning Gnosis:
3
The vast majority of Nezumi
are of the rodens breed; thus, humans and Hakken often underestimate the
population of a nest. The swarm's "group mind" must decide on the
proper population. If they misjudge this number, the children devour
each other or wage war against each other until the balance has been restored.
As the new age approaches, however, swarms of rodens are slowly getting
larger.
* Metis
Beginning Gnosis:
5
Metis Nezumi are quite rare,
but do not carry the social stigma metis Garou suffer. Their strength
and power earns them a place of honor in warrior packs and swarms.
When two Nezumi create a metis, they typically abandon their child, but
still trust to the swarm or nest to raise her properly. Metis rarely
learn the language of homids, instead relying on chittering and scratching
to communicate with others.
Forms
Nezumi can assume three
forms. Rodens and homids revert to their breed form when killed,
although metis Nezumi always revert to rodens form upon death.
* Homid: Assuming Homid form is somewhat difficult for metis and extremely difficult for rodens; long years of hiding their numbers have acted something to the Nezumi's detriment. (Metis are +1 difficulty for taking human form; rodens are at +2.) Of course, homid Nezumi can shift to human form immediately; they also possess skills that help them blend in with the seedier elements of human society.
* Crinos: The Crinos form is reserved for the most dangerous and violent circumstances. This short, densely muscle-boud form is the strongest hidden weapon a warrior has. The Crinos resenbles nothing more than a hunched, five-foot rat standing on its hind legs; even the limbs are sometimes more ratlike than humanoid. The Crinos' teeth are long and dangerous, and a war-form Nezumi can easily chew through wood or even concrete. Unlike Western Ratkin, the Nezumi inspire full Delirioum in Asian mortals -- their actions during the Fourth Age were as bad as any Garou's in the Impergium. Humans witnessing Crinos Nezumi typically remember urban legends about the horrors of the slums, and do their best to forget what they saw. Strength +1, Dexterity +4, Stamina +1, Charisma -2, Appearance 0.
* Rodens: This form is essentially a very large rat -- some as large as housecats. Tales of rodens who are capable of fine manipulation with their paws are somewhat exaggerated... more or less. Strength -1, Dexterity +2, Stamina +2, Charisma -3, Manipulation -2.
Quote
When the sun shines,
the field of battle is yours. When it sets, you will know the talents
of my kind. You have learned to fight what you can see; soon, you
may need to fight what you cannot.