The Rat Lord
The Rat Lord
| Other names | Mistress Akaviri |
| Alignment | Bone Pantheon |
| Opposite (Seal) | St John |
| Opposite (Sword) | Mallan |
| Holy symbol | Rat |
There is no swarm without the individual.
The individual must be preserved.
The individual needs food and shelter.
The swarm gives food.
The swarm gives shelter.
The swarm must be preserved.
The swarm needs individuals.
From “The Trials of Life” by Rutterskump of Gorse Hollow
History
The Rat Lord ascended to the Bone Pantheon in 1300. It is a close-knit church, focused on emphasising the importance of the rat, and as such is very popular among Vetch populations.
Philosophy
People would do well to take heed of the actions of the rat. Followers of the Rat Lord seek to make their lives resemble those of rats, seeing these creatures as epitomes of greatness. They are gregarious and loyal to their local ‘swarm’, making sure they move as one and that all around them are well-fed, while not neglecting their own self-interests.
Strands
Scuttlers
The Scuttlers take their emulation of rat-life to an extreme. They frequently live in great sprawling burrow networks, detached from the world above and only venturing up to the surface to gather food and acquire materials. Many followers of this strand are Vetch.
Whiskers
The Whiskers strand emphasises the cunning and pragmatic elements of the faith. Like all followers of the Rat Lord, they work together, but the Whiskers do this by working for their own independent goals in suitably practical and inventive ways. They find that this approach brings benefits for the entire swarm, in addition to great personal gains.
Attendants
The Attendant strand make sure that food is available for all. They are frequently found along busy trade roads, where they farm the nearby land and make sure that travellers passing by are well fed. Of course, the locations of their farms make them incredibly popular with passers-by, and the Attendants make sure to reap the rewards of the large numbers of grateful traders, often from far-off lands
Strictures
- Be cunning and pragmatic in all that you do.
- Share resources, so long as you have enough for yourself.
- Move with the swarm; those who move against it perish.
Domains
Primary domain: Protection
Secondary domains: Necromancy, Divination, Mind Control, Debilitation, Warding