Night of the Rat

[Nyarlathotep]

An account of a recent adventure in Selgaunt...from the monster's perspective

Deep into the dark he ran away from his mother and her "dates". Away from the pimps and thugs who wanted to use him to make their coin. Away from the memory of his father, the drunken pirate who drowned in a pool of his own vomit. Away from the other children, his personal tormentors, and their endless taunts and bullying as they lashed out to soothe their own endless pain. Deeper and deeper he went escaping the cruelties of the city by burrowing through its offal. Finally when he was deep enough that the smells of man and beast where replaced by the stench of their refuse he stopped. Locating a small island he huddled alone in a world of shit waiting for whatever doom sought him out. It was not long before one of the denizens of this kingdom of waste found him. Submerged beneath the river of sewage a creature peered up with beady, hungry eyes at the exiled boy. Raising itself out of the muck it struck.

A madly chittering mass of fur and fangs hurled itself at the young exile. A pair of wicked incisors tore into his flesh, mixing the boys blood with the things tainted salvia. Then it was gone, disappearing as suddenly as it had appeared, back into the muck and filth that had birthed it. Strangely the boy found that the wounds did not hurt as much as he would have thought. Within two days they had closed completely and he found himself adjusting to his new life. The rats proved to be far better companions and family than any on the surface had ever been.

[Nyarlathotep]

As the years past the boy found that his life upon the surface had faded to a hazy dream, an uncomfortable nightmare from which he had long since awoken. The pipes and drains of the sewers were his home now, here he was not Yago the Whoreson but rather he was the rat king. He occasionally slipped back onto the streets of Selgaunt at night to grab a quick meal and once he snuck back into his mother’s and greeted her and her new boyfriend. He did not need to feed again for over a week after that visit, for once he had left his mother’s house with a full stomach. However at times he found himself growing lonely, the rats were like family to him but they did not make very good conversationalists. Occasionally he would track down one of his old playmates and bring them down into his home but they proved to be surprisingly fragile, nothing like the iron fisted tormentors he dimly recalled from his boyhood. So he remained alone in his nest, with only his family for company.

[Nyarlathotep]

Years later a man stumbled into his nest clutching a shiny silvery dagger, startled the rat king bit him and attempted to drown him in the muck and eat him later. Desperate the man plunged his dagger deep into the rat king’s shoulder and fled through the tunnels and out onto the surface. Hissing in pain and anger Yago attempted to follow the interloper but was surprised by the fact that his wound did not heal like they usually did. Instead it burned and he felt sick. For the first time since he had left the streets. Blood flowed freely from the wound and he was scared. Sniffing the air he creeped cautiously after the invader but halted when the trail led to the surface. Injured and frightened he was not ready to follow this one out so instead he fled even deeper into the dark and began to construct a new nest. He did think to ask some of his subject to follow the man and his awful dagger though. No one took any notice of another rat crawling about the street and it was able to track the man with the horrible blade to his lair. It was crawl within the domicile’s walls and spy upon its target quite easily, aside from the man growing somewhat agitated by the sounds within his walls as the rat was joined by dozens of his cousins. They were witness to a remarkable occurrence, as the moon rose within the sky the next night man became rat.

Yago was entranced by the transformation the hurtful man had undergone, never before had he heard of anything so wonderful. Just like him he had gone from a disgusting hairless ape into a sleek beautiful creature. He had his subjects watch this child of his for several nights but was saddened to learn it turned back into an ape when the sun burned in the sky. The next two nights the man transformed again but then the miracle stopped abruptly. Still convalescing Yago crept out of the sewers at night to spy upon the man, he was somewhat difficult to track as he often seemed agitated and scared. Finally when the moon again showed its full face the man transfigured again and Yago introduced himself. He took the man down into the nest with him and called him Oogie.

At first Oogie was a delight a welcome addition to the nest but when the moon set and the sun rose he changed back into a naked ape and forgot how to communicate properly. Oogie, who only the night before had been a wondrous companion, now screamed and flailed about like a madman. His screams reached an intolerable level when he glimpsed their night’s repast. Reminding himself that in truth Oogie was in many ways a child he forced himself to take on the shape of his hideous birth, and once again confront that once he had been confined in the shape of a hairless ape as well. Though it was disgusting to communicate with Oogie in the soft mushy tongue of the apes it did prove illuminating. Yago learned from Oogie that it was his bite that had triggered the miracle within Oogie and that this miracle only occurred when they moon shone her full face down upon the world. Furthermore that Yago could trigger this transformation in others through his bite and that Oogie could as well. Yago was overjoyed he no longer needed to be alone, others would join his nest. Of course the first step of business was to get Oogie properly trained.

The next full moon Oogie and Yago traveled throughout the city biting some and letting them go on their way scared and confused but whole while others they dragged deep within the sewers to become an active member of the nest. For a time Yago was satisfied, his loneliness alleviated and plenty of subject both above and below the city. However Yago was a creature of great depth and mercy and could not bear the thought of al those teeming masses suffering needlessly…not when he could help them. Thus he decided to help them transcend their limits and become whole. When the moon next shone full he would extend his blessing over all the people of Selgaunt.

[Nyarlathotep]

Jaya cursed, how was she supposed to get any work done with all that noise? The incessant scratching and scurrying was driving her mad…that the enclave was infested with rats was intolerable. That their wards had been breached by vermin was just another example as why she should be heading the enclave and not that fool necromancer and his corpse buggering cronies. What kind of fool was Ferrek to fail to ward all means of entrance regardless of how small? Now because of that oversight a veritable plague of the creatures were loose in the enclave. Leaving her study she headed towards the room of the apprentice Kric, let him and that odd gnome of his dispose of the rats. As she neared his quarters a flash a movement caught her attention as one of the rodents darted across the hall, her nerves already frazzled beyond repair she hurled a ball flame at the unlucky creature. Unfortunately as the ball of fire exploded the apprentice Kric found himself engulfed by it flames. Badly burned and in desperate need of healing the apprentice rolled about on the floor in an attempt to extinguish the parts of his robe which were still aflame. Frowning Jaya used on of her potions of healing upon him, if he spent the next few weeks convalescing from the burns she inflicted upon him, he would not be dealing with the rodent problem. That settled she ordered him to deal with the problem and tried to master the irrational panic that was gripping her.

[Nyarlathotep]

Yago sent his younger and brothers and sister ahead to herald his gift to the city. Hundreds of thousands boiled up from beneath the city’s streets to bedevil Selgaunt’s citizenry in anticipation of the transfiguration to come.

[Nyarlathotep]

Melvin grinned broadly as he patted the large bundle of rat tails that hung from his belt, there were enough to keep him in drink nearly for a month straight. This rodent invasion may be vexing for most of the populace but for Melvin, a professional rat catcher, they were a veritable goldmine. Engrossed in his fantasies of how he would squander his newly found success he failed to see the glittering eyes that stared out at him from a nearby alley.

[Nyarlathotep]

Oogie looked down upon the mangled corpse of the murderer as the small ones flowed in to take their due from the slain killer. Deep within his soul the part of Oogie that still called itself Veron Curnheller quavered in horror as to what he had become but for the most part Oogie was undisturbed by the taste of the rat catcher’s flesh upon his tongue or by the site of dozens of rats swarming to devour the corpse, aside from a faint feeling at satisfaction at bring the malefactor to justice. Hearing voices coming from within The Black Stagg Oogie slipped back into the alley with his nestmates.

They watched as three people came out and examined the corpse of the killer. Three they were a man wearing red robes, a gnome with green hair, and a cloaked figure who seemed to stay close to the shadows…like a wisp of smoke. Chittering to the others he ordered them to grant Yago’s blessing to these three, to make them part of the nest. Stalking he waited until they had moved to a quieter street to launch the attack, Yago had warned the others that they would likely resist at first in their ignorance. At his signal the nest launched their crusade confident in the knowledge that similar conversions were taking place throughout the city. For his part Oogie hid in the shadows focusing his attention upon the red robed one.
The conversion went no where near as well as Oogie had anticipated. The gnome proved a fierce fighter and none of the others could get past his blade to land a bite, the one in the shadows launched arrows that bit deeply into the flesh and killed and injured his nestmates. Finally the one in the red robes hurled spells that maimed and killed. Chittering loudly Oogie summoned up more members of the nest and launched his own attack. One look at Oogie’s fearsome determination was too much for the red one and he fled in the face of his furious charge. Forgetting the others and the raging battle he chased after the red one. Again and again they circled the block, the wizard running like the wind with Oggie nipping at his heels. He tried to calm the fleeing red mage calling out “Join us” and chanting “One of us…One of us” over and over but nothing seemed to work. Finally their chase led them back to the site of the battle. Oogie skidded to a stop as a great horror greeted him, the nest lay slaughtered in the street and both of the hairless ones stood triumphant…though the gnome nursed a bleeding arm. Pain burst through his skull as one of those wicked arrows drove itself through his eye and lodged itself into his brain. Then only darkness.

[Nyarlathotep]

Margaret huddled deep within the alley. She had ignored Oogie’s call to battle and it had spared her life. Unlike the others some of her humanity still remained, enough that she could recognize what they faced. She was not beast enough to face one who bore the markings of Thay. Instead she followed them while wearing the form of one of the smaller cousins. She was secretly pleased to learn that the gnome had received a bite, less pleased to learn that they sought to cure it. Despair stained what yet remained of her soul when she realized that a cure was possible and she suffered needlessly.

She followed them into a temple of Oghma, no one taking notice of one more rat. It pained her to see the High Priest purge the gnome of any lingering taint…though for some reason the gnome seemed to have developed a craving for cheese. Her hate replaced by despair she fled deep into the sewers, mad with grief over her fate.

[Nyarlathotep]

Yago chittered in anger. This was not going well at all. The apes were resisting far more effectively than he had anticipated, far too many of them had access to the burning metal.
Even now the one called Miradorn with his flaming sword was planning to bring the battle to him in the sewers. In his own words he would, “…bury this rat king in his kingdom of dung.” Now the wicked knight sat in council with the three who had killed Oogie, oh how they would pay for that, and one other. What they did not know was that Yago had gathered the remnants of his nest and burrowed into one of the unused portions of the Merchant’s Council building. Even know over a dozen of his fellows awaited his word to launch the attack. Twisting his tongue so it could pronounce the mushy human word he spat, “Attack”

[Nyarlathotep]

Yago stumbled out into the main council chamber in a daze of madness and despair, somehow the apes had killed all of his nestmates and now he was alone. Again. The wicked hairless ones closed in around him with their burning blades and killing spells. Then the Red One began to speak, he offered Yago the opportunity to join his nest. Despite their murderous ways Yago could not bear to be alone again so he agreed to join the Red One’s nest. Then the wicked red one revealed the name of his nest…death. Yago tried to run, to escape and build a new nest but he was not fast enough. Bolts of sorcerous energy blasted into his back and with his death the short lived Reign of the Rat King came to an end.

[Lafter]

dam .. I was rootin fer em to

[Riotnrrd]

Great story!

Poor little rats.

[Mikayla]

Poor little rat? Thats what he gets for eating his mom.

[EyeOfMyrkul]

Great Story ... shame the Red One killed em. I rather take him in and have him spread his "gift" to potentials to serve my cause.

[fade]

*shrugs* He tried to bite me, that will learn 'em!