Beshilu

The Beshilu are the rat hosts, and in many ways are the opposite of the Azlu. When in their infant stage, they resemble ordinary rats. their method of camouflage is less efficient than the Azlu's; they are able to take control of a human by gnawing through the ribcage and eating their victim's heart. They retain none of the victim's memories or social skills, and their possession does not preserve the body in any way, making it a temporary method of concealment. However, the Beshilu are able to hide effectively within a city's natural rat population. When a Beshilu consumes enough other Beshilu, it bites a human and transfers its essence to the victim. This infects the victim with a cancerous disease that rapidly transforms them into a man-rat hybrid. Unlike the Azlu, the hybrid Beshilu do not continue to consume other Beshilu, but instead form primitive tribal communities. Beshilu are driven to gnaw down the gauntlet, the barrier between the spirit and material world. The holes they create in the Gauntlet inevitably become breeding grounds for disease spirits, which create plagues in the human population; because of this, the Forsaken destroy the Beshilu whenever possible. Beshilu hybrids are not nearly as powerful as an Uratha in battle, but they often can overwhelm the Uratha with sheer numbers. The Beshilu instinctively fear werewolves and will run from them if possible, but if cornered they fight with a fury born of terror.