Rat (Creature)

Rats are medium-sized rodents that are commonly found in settlements and in the wilderness.

There are many diverse species of rat but the most encountered are common black and brown rats which can grow up to 40 centimeters, or 1.3 feet in length.

Rats are known for their sharp teeth, long tails, and tendency to invade living quarters where they ransack cabinets and cupboards in search of food.

They’ve also developed a negative reputation due to their association with spreading disease through bites, scratches, urine, and scat which has even led to rats being credited as the primary source of some plagues and pandemics across the civilized regions of Hollow.

However, they are also known to be extremely social and intelligent creatures that often bond with other species leading several people to raise them as pets. Some greedier owners have even gone so far as to train their companions in the art of pickpocketing.

Rats are also a common cheap meal to many of Hollow’s native races with several eateries offering this frugal option for a mere 1 copper piece!

Domesticated rats can be purchased as pets from the Animal Menagerie in Larket while… “larger” breeds can be found a bit lower beneath the city… but perhaps that’s a better story for another time.

Wild rats are most commonly found in the Xalious Village, one of Hollow’s oldest settlements, which means the rapidly reproducing species has had plenty of time to claim their own slice of the proverbial cheese. 

The rats here have grown into a nuisance as they tend to run off with the villager’s cheese and coin, which witnesses claim to have seen many adventurers take for themselves through short but brutal combat with the small scavengers.

The locals often look the other way and consider these blatant acts of animal cruelty as a pest control service, though they have noted feeling queasy when they sometimes see these combatants devour cheese fresh out of a rodent’s mouth.