River Rat
CW: ghosts, death, conspiracy
The Legend
The Legend
You hear it before you see it. And by the time it appears in the fog, it's too late
by ArtbreederThe River Rat first appeared on the Silk River in 1960. The stories from that time mostly claim that it only sailed up and down the river for several weeks. It would travel in one direction, and then be seen days later coming back the other way. Most accounts describe a lone figure aboard. But the boat never seemed to stop. It just traveled up and down the river, as might a ghost, looking for something it lost in life.
The boat disappeared for several months, and then returned. And over the course of the next two years, the stories about it evolved. Now, it is often said to appear suddenly from a ghostly fog. Sometimes, the lone figure vanishes, as if the ship truly is piloted by a ghost, but other stories describe boats being attacked by the River Rat herself, along with her vicious crew.
What is most notable is the shift in who has been telling these stories. While early stories often came from ordinary citizens in the area, these new, violent tales are usually told by military sailors and other important officials, especially those of the Crashwine province. Some sailors claim that the River Rat and her captain (also called the River Rat) are the remnants of a ship that was lost in the fog many years ago. Skeptics claim it is an actual person, probably from a competing province, who uses scare tactics to make their raids easier.
Regardless of the truth, many of the townsfolk who live along the river have taken to speaking of the River Rat in hushed tones, as one might speak of meeting a god. And rather than fearing the boat, many describe it as a blessing and compare it to The Silk River Crow who is believed to protect the same waters.
Stop here if you want to bask in the mystery of the myth or do not want to read spoilers for The Faraday Five series. Otherwise, click below to learn...
The Origin
The River Rat is neither a ghost ship nor captained by a ghost. Rather, it's captained by Jo Lumo, who sensed something suspicious about the death of her mother in 1959 and sought out further answers. Her search brought her to several families along the Silk River, whose children, like her mother, had died suddenly and been quickly cremated rather than given proper burial rights. In the summer of 1960, she bought the River Rat and collected information from anyone willing to talk to her. Suspecting her father, Don Lumo, leader of the Crashwine province, to be covering up the cause of these deaths, she also took to attacking his sailors and others who worked alongside him. By 1961, she had grown an underground organization whose goal to uncover the reason for these mysterious deaths. The organization is funded both by donation from affected families and by the River Rat's raids. She has also used her resources as a student at Faraday Academy of Magic to conduct research, though she has a protegee who runs the River Rat while she is away.
by Artbreeder
The River Rat first appeared on the Silk River in 1960. The stories from that time mostly claim that it only sailed up and down the river for several weeks. It would travel in one direction, and then be seen days later coming back the other way. Most accounts describe a lone figure aboard. But the boat never seemed to stop. It just traveled up and down the river, as might a ghost, looking for something it lost in life.
The boat disappeared for several months, and then returned. And over the course of the next two years, the stories about it evolved. Now, it is often said to appear suddenly from a ghostly fog. Sometimes, the lone figure vanishes, as if the ship truly is piloted by a ghost, but other stories describe boats being attacked by the River Rat herself, along with her vicious crew.
What is most notable is the shift in who has been telling these stories. While early stories often came from ordinary citizens in the area, these new, violent tales are usually told by military sailors and other important officials, especially those of the Crashwine province. Some sailors claim that the River Rat and her captain (also called the River Rat) are the remnants of a ship that was lost in the fog many years ago. Skeptics claim it is an actual person, probably from a competing province, who uses scare tactics to make their raids easier.
Regardless of the truth, many of the townsfolk who live along the river have taken to speaking of the River Rat in hushed tones, as one might speak of meeting a god. And rather than fearing the boat, many describe it as a blessing and compare it to The Silk River Crow who is believed to protect the same waters.
The River Rat is neither a ghost ship nor captained by a ghost. Rather, it's captained by Jo Lumo, who sensed something suspicious about the death of her mother in 1959 and sought out further answers. Her search brought her to several families along the Silk River, whose children, like her mother, had died suddenly and been quickly cremated rather than given proper burial rights. In the summer of 1960, she bought the River Rat and collected information from anyone willing to talk to her. Suspecting her father, Don Lumo, leader of the Crashwine province, to be covering up the cause of these deaths, she also took to attacking his sailors and others who worked alongside him. By 1961, she had grown an underground organization whose goal to uncover the reason for these mysterious deaths. The organization is funded both by donation from affected families and by the River Rat's raids. She has also used her resources as a student at Faraday Academy of Magic to conduct research, though she has a protegee who runs the River Rat while she is away.
I love both the legend of the River Rat and the truth. There's almost something romantic about the idea of a ghost ship on the river.
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Once Jo realized she was the source of ghost stories, she definitely did everything she could to feed those myths.