Rat

Overcrowding and limited sanitation options are the perfect breeding ground for rats, and the streets of Palimpsest are crawling with them. These tiny furry creatures are generally shunned for being numerous, unclean and a bit scabby, and their sapient animalfolk counterpart, Ratfolk, have unjustifiably had similar connotations attached to them by the higher levels of the city.

Variations

The noble Ratrider Family, who were responsible for the Palimpsest Cavalry before the Humans arrived at Court, bred a larger speciman, the Dire Rat, to be large and obedient enough for goblins to ride, as a cheaper and more plentiful alternative to the Gnomish Pygmy War Rhino. Even with training, Dire Rats are not very obedient, and swarm rather than charge. Since the cavalry was disbanded in favour of enslaved Spirits, the Dire Rats have been left to roam the lower levels of the city, and through interbreeding, the variation in rat-size has developed so it now ranges from merely a few inches long on the small end, all the way up to the size of a small dog.

In Mythology

The Rat is the favoured animal of the Beggar Man, due to its dexterity, stealth and cunning. One of the Beggar Man's domains of interest is Vermin, and he seems to value more unlikely heros who use their wits and luck to thrive, much as the Rat does.