Ratkeepers

Created by Adam Tingley // Wreckerdwarf

Placeholder Giblin by Katy Smith

Disorganised, brutal and chaotic would be a good place to start with a description of the goblins that chose to enter the workplace as Ratkeepers. Their entire purpose is keep the rodent cattle in check and point them in the direction of the troughs full of flesh and bones from the previous night’s ritualistic sacrifices. The pilers gather the feed and the rodents get nice and fat. This is seen as a vital part of goblin society and without the kind souls dedicated to the cause, the camps would surely perish. Unfortunately, cleaning isn’t a part of the Ratkeepers routine. That instead is left to the runts of the goblin pack. The main duties of the keepers are to select which quality of feed the rodent cattle get to consume as well as making sure that the livestock aren't killing each other or the help too often. They also look to separate out rodents that show promising violent traits. Aiming to selectively breed all of the best traits into the rats so that they can outmatch their enemies in sheer brutality. The keepers do not care for the rodents that they look out for, nor do they care about the rest of the goblin camps which their rodents feed. Their motivation is usually one of greed. If you control the food supply, you also get first pick for dinner. This short-sighted greed has the unintentional benefit of increasing the amount of supplies available to the camps. Goblin economy also runs on a rudimentary barter system. The larger the rats on offer, the more armour, weaponry, favours and helpers can be purchased. The greed to increase the size of single rats causes inadvertent selective breeding which results in hulking masses of rats in following broods. Keepers also try to increase the violent tendencies of the creatures by spraying blood across them to work them into a frenzy. This behaviour becomes a learned one for the others of the brood and ends up transferring to the next generations. A truly despicable goblin is that of the Ratkeeper. They are largely disliked among the goblin populace but they are seen as a necessary means to an end to ensure the stability of the tribe.