Runnel Rats (North Merchant Cities)

Posted on November 20, 2024 in Steel-Realms

The Runnel Rats in the North Merchant Cities is less an official sect and more of a tradition. It is not a formal institution, nor does it have any universally recognized authority or hierarchy. About 20% of the independent magi in the region participate in, usually the ones with association of the criminal elements. The river rat is the symbol of cunning and capability, and they are the giants among their own kind. This symbolism is what its members present. Without a formal institution or organization to back them up, the tradition serves to augment their powers to make them competitive, but keep them free of high visibility political entanglements.

Control: Many die seeking it out. The mighty Beyne River has remnants of the Sea King experiments dwelling in it – giant water rats in this case. These beasts are favored by the rat spirit of Irrigi as top level predators in their environments. They are survivors and have a reputation with their presence along the river – especially partnering with smugglers that move goods along its length. They are known to be able to lead rats to sever ropes, move packages, spoil goods, and other ‘tricks’ that infuriate inhabitants.

Joining: The area around Karolak has the most ‘followers’ of this tradition. Priests of the rat god seek out their initial training by adopting a colony and learning to use them to survive – often killing existing followers and usurping their colony. The prospective follower of Irrigi enters into a river nest or into the sewers of one of the cities on the river that they are assured to be found in. With an open wound, they find a giant rat, capture it, and mix their blood into their own open wounds. The disease and infection kills many, but those who survive the ritual can call themselves Runnel Rats (of Irrigi). The wound will scar to roughly shape like a rat, known simply as the ‘rat mark’. Irrigi is not known as a truly attentive principal, and looks to the survival of the strongest as a guiding principle. Those who survive are often seen as having a multitude of rats as pets and watchers.

It is said that most of the leaders of the Mud Vipers in Richfield are Runnel Rats. They have some affiliation with the sect of Irrigi – The Grasper of the Found Baubles.

Runnel Rat Presence

• Dock District of Karolak
• Richfield, Barony of Dunstrand
• Ruary (the City of Festivals)
• Ser-Caynth Prinzdom (North Merchant Cities)
• The Beyne River
• The Salt Shore (Rhyl)

Mud Vipers (criminal order of Richfield)

Posted on August 3, 2023 in Steel-Realms

The Mud Vipers are a known “gang” of Richfield – so they are perceived, not as a large criminal organization. Really, the gang is just a cover for an expanding larger organization that is rumored to have ties from West River Run to Bar-Innis. They are specialized, and specifically known to be masters at finding their way along The Black Shore of Dwindor Swamp and having routes in and out of Tarmysia. With this, they have a reputation for being masterful trap makers. They secure their smuggling stashes and hideouts with sophisticated traps instead of man-power. They are even known to have water and mud traps that can easily grab and drown a victim. They have a motto that’s basically “one good trap is worth three bad men”.

They promote the knowledge they are centered in Richfield – this makes an impression that they are smaller than they actually are. They have a smuggling network from Karolak of the North Merchant Cities, through Cabella, Tarmysia, West River Run, and Bar-Innis of Dunstrand. They have been severely rebuffed by the halflings of Loamwold and Umbakian authorities.

It is said that most of the leaders of the Mud Vipers in Richfield are Runel Rats.