Rat-Man (4e Race)

Rat-Men
Summary::Silent and lethal, nothing stops those born in the shadows.

Born in the shadow, the rat-men are accustomed to tough lives. Sometimes called the nezumi (a misnomer, but one that has stuck), rat-men are forced to carve a difficult life in the streets. However, they have a gift for darkness, and any rat-man with the will and drive to become greater than themselves will find a life off the streets they once stalked the shadows in.

Play a rat-man if you want...
 * to blend into the shadows.
 * to have a larcenous or villainous streak.
 * to be a member of a race that favors the assassin, sorcerer, and rogue classes.

Physical Qualities

 * Rat-men are rat/human hybrids. Short and lanky, they average only 5'6" in height and weigh around 130 pounds. Though not very strong, they are exceptionally quick, and their ability to blend effectively into the darkness makes the rat-men a difficult race to find.
 * Rat-men generally have rat-like faces, bearing an elongated skull and larger-than-average ears. They typically sport thin brown or black fur on their bodies, with the same color for hair. This hair allows them to blend into dark environments more effectively. As they grow older, this fur begins to gray. They have no tails.
 * Rat-men live long lives rivaling the elves. They mature a little more slowly, reaching full adulthood at around age 20, but they usually do not begin feeling the effects of old age until age 200. Even then, these effects are minimal. Most nezumi live to age 220, with a select few reaching 240 years.

Playing a Rat-Man

 * To be a nezumi is to forever be in darkness. They eat, sleep, and breathe darkness. In a way, this could not more accurately describe the typical rat-man. Quiet, pragmatic, dedicated, letting nothing slow them down, with no care for what light people look at them in. Rat-men usually do not make illusions of who they are and where they came from, an aspect they look at with delightful irony. They desire nothing and no one getting in their way, and are dedicated to whatever craft they pursue. Their craft just happens to be subtlety.
 * Though not privy to social interaction, rat-men have been known to display an impressive skill for entertaining other with their nimble finger. Though they may appear indifferent or unconcerned with the outside world (and sometimes, this is true), rat-men are always on their guard and keep their hands near their weapons. Superstitious people often comment that rat-men are never far from a shadow to disappear into.
 * Rat-men are somewhat odd in the races they mingle with. They find surprisingly good company in tieflings. Since both races are shunned by society, they have no difficulty finding common ground with each other. The nezumi mingle little with humans, but harbor them no ill will. They enjoy the company of halflings, but sometimes loathe their carefree and lackadaisical nature. Rat-men put up with the shadar-kai’s boasting out of pure necessity, but otherwise dislike their demeanor.

Rat-Man Characteristics: Agile, cold, cynical, dark, dedicated, humble, polite, pragmatic, quiet, reserved, silent, stern, suspicious

Male Names: Typically human names, as well as Nezumi, Fang, Claw, Knife, and Kuro

Female Names: Human names, as well as Talon, Prey, Fran, and Mouse

Rat-Man Adventurers
Three sample rat-man adventurers are described below.
 * Fang is a rat-man rogue originally from the city of Vendo. A man of few words, Fang grew up in the underworld, forced to the life of a street urchin and a pickpocket. One day, he snuck a pouch of a lieutenant of a local thieves’ guild, and his life changed. Now fully grown, Fang wishes to leave the thieves’ guild and strike out on his own.
 * Talon is a rat-woman assassin who lives in a monastery dedicated to K’tan, god of illusion. Persecuted for her race, she prefers to wear a mask at all times, to allow others to see her for what she is on the inside rather than the outside. Accepted by the other priests of K’tan despite their knowledge of her race and profession, Talon wonders if the time has come to stop hiding herself from the world. Her job leads to bloodshed, and she wishes to use her skills for pursuits other than killing.
 * Kuro is a rat-man sorcerer from Misticris, the City of Mist. Shunned by the nearby towns and cities, Kuro prefers to carve out a life for himself in the land of the halfings, a place that holds no bias or prejudice, where he can live in relative peace. He has established good relations with the halflings and helps them when needed. When reports of orcs making more daring raids in the south mainland prove true, Kuro must decide if he will join them against the pirates or go his own way.