Mrikitat (Big Boss Rat) Sphere: Time Alignment: Chaotic Manifestation Power: Greater/Empyreal Level: 19 Followers' Alignment: Any, but most are Chaotic History: Mrikitat was the first wererat in the Known World. 411 AC: The first wererat awakens to intelligence and the stunning revelation that he can take human form. He calls himself Mrikitat. With his new-found powers and intelligence, he establishes a human identity (Marcus Titus, a thief) and becomes quite accomplished at thievery and skulduggery. 425 AC: Minrothad traders unwittingly introduce lycanthropy to Sind. The disease threatens to overrun every level of Sindhi society. Weretigers are especially prevalent. Other shape shifters already in Sind see this as an opportunity to unite their kind - dopplegangers and mujinas allying with lycanthropes - and seize complete control of the area. Ka the Preserver, an Immortal, fears this would irrevocably alter Sindian culture and transplants nearly half of the Sindhi population to the Hollow World before the shape shifters can effect their takeover. Ka gives false memories to those he transplants - memories of an outer world Sind once ruled by shape shifters called /chambahara/, or "deformed animals." Those left behind also receive false memories of a devastating plague that killed half the Sindhi population. They are left with many shape shifters to contend with, as Ka transported only a fraction of the shape shifting population to the Hollow World. For a while, a Sind ruled by shape shifters becomes a reality. 443 - 445 AC: Expeditions of elves and humans attempt to purge Dread Island of all lycanthropes; human population is decimated; this time is called the Silver Purge. Similar events take place in Undersea, during the Night of the Long Knives; many weresharks flee to deeper waters. Werecreatures know this time as the Great Persecution. 445 - 450 AC: Lycanthropes fleeing from the Great Persecution establish colonies on every continent. 451 AC: Mrikitat establishes a nation of wererats in the sewers beneath the City of Thyatis. When Mrikitat learns of the Immortals, he determines to attain Immortality himself. As he has already established a city of wererats beneath the streets of Thyatis, the Father of Wererats chooses the path of the Dynast to the Sphere of Time. He needs only to find an Immortal sponsor, steal a time-traveling device, and ensure his wererat line continues and prospers through time. Sindhi mages led by Maga Aditi, a name-level female magic-user, unite and overthrow the shape shifters. A brutal purge follows. Elaborate tests and carefully plotted traps expose a great many shape shifters - dopplegangers and lycanthropes alike - who are promptly executed. When the dust settles, the magic-users of Sind establish their own caste, the /Jadugeryas/, and claim themselves high-born, like the Himayas (warriors) and Rishiyas (clerics). 491 AC: Mrikitat attains Immortality in the Sphere of Time. 980 AC: Lycanthropes are again discovered in Minrothad; fear spreads that more may have escaped the Silver Purge (443-445 AC). Devil swine and wererats seem particularly numerous. Spring, 1004 AC: Thyatis city suffers an enormous riot by the poorer citizens, who have seen a steady decline in the quality and quantity of free bread passed out by the officials. This has little effect on anyone not in - or under - Thyatis city. The wererats of Thyatis participate in the riot, as they depend on the free bread almost as much as Thyatis's poor do. 1005 AC: A substantial number of weretypes live secretly in Darokin - merchants and adventurers who contracted lycanthropy while abroad. Spring, 1006 AC: The forces of Karameikos (including some werecreatures, although they try to keep that secret), Alfheim and the Five Shires march to the defense of the city of Darokin. Fall, 1009 AC: A storm of tremendous force deluges the Alphatian city of Sundsvall with rain, hail, and lightning - and drains the world of magic. For an entire week, no magic works, either on Mystara or in the Hollow World. Lycanthropes can no longer transform and are stuck in whatever form they were in when the storm struck. When magic returns, so does lycanthropy and its effects. The storm and its after-effects were caused by an Immortal artifact, the Nucleus of the Spheres, the source of the radiance, a magical power unique to Glantri. Felmont 13, 1011 AC: "Crop Blight in Thyatis": Wheat farmers throughout the Thyatian mainland begin noticing a strange blight on their crops. Some wheat kernels are rotting on their stalks, while others simply stop growing. For a few weeks, the farmers will try all the normal cures for crop blights - natural fungicides and the like - before calling for clerical help in the matter. The disease blighting Thyatis's wheat crops is not natural. It's an alchemically created form of mummy rot, spread on wheat fields throughout Thyatis by Thothian spies and saboteurs. The disease kills some plants and stunts the growth of others; crop yields will be cut in half this year. Worse, anyone eating the infected wheat will contract mummy rot. Ambyrmont 10, 1011 AC: "Riots in Thyatis": Angry at the third cut in daily bread rations this year and fueled by rumors of the Emperor's death, mobs of Thyatian citizens storm the Imperial Bakeries this morning. The riot quickly spreads throughout the city; businesses owned by wealthy Thyatians are popular targets for looting and vandalism. When the 1st and 3rd Imperial Cohorts prove insufficient to quell the rioting, Prince Eusebius orders the 1st Imperial Cohort into the streets. By noon, 12,000 troops are trying to restore order as thousands of citizens roam the streets looking for ways to vent their frustrations. By nightfall, though, most of the rioters have dispersed. Ambyrmont 17, 1011 AC: "Outbreak of Mummy Rot": Citizens of Thyatis, especially the poor, are falling ill. Patches of flesh turn an ugly greenish brown and begin to fester; all wounds heal much more slowly than usual. The disease fails to respond to most magical or nonmagical cures - only clerical /cure disease/ and /cureall/ spells and magical /heal/ spells work. The daily bread rations given to the poor citizens of Thyatis City have been baked with contaminated wheat - a result of the crop blight introduced by Thothian spies. Anyone who eats the bread must Save vs Poison or contract Mummy Rot. Thyatian clerics cannot stem the spread of the disease, even with the use of of /purify food and water/ spells. Eirmont 1, 1011 AC: "Famine in Thyatis": By now, the effects of the blight on Thyatis's wheat crops last spring are being felt throughout mainland Thyatis. Emergency grain stores - barely recovered after wartime shortages - can do little more than east the inevitable famine. The poor are the first to suffer: The Imperial Bakeries must use contaminated wheat or stop production of the daily bread rations. Eirmont 7, 1011 AC: "The Wheat Flour Massacre": As bread has grown scarce in the city - and cures for mummy rot even scarcer - some of Thyatis's criminal gangs have turned the shortages to profitable advantage. Today, two rival gangs fight for possession of stolen wheat. The fight leaves fifty dead - including many innocent bystanders - and spills broken sacks of wheat flour all over the streets. Desperate citizens descend upon the area with brooms and dust pans to sweep up what flour they can. Eirmont 16, 1011 AC: "A Plague of Wererats": Citizens of Thyatis complain of attacks by giant rats and wererats from the city's sewer systems. In the city's poorer sections, cats and dogs - and even children - have begun to disappear. Unknown to most Thyatians, there is a city of wererats far beneath the human city. These wererats live off the refuse and garbage that makes its way into the complex sewer systems. With Thyatis itself suffering from famine, its citizens have been less generous with their garbage, often eating what they would normally throw away. The wererats are getting hungry. Many have also fallen ill to mummy rot, brought into their city in the form of contaminated foodstuffs stolen from Thyatis. The Big City, as the wererats call it, stretches through a vast network of caves and ancient sewer systems. Ten thousand wererats live here with a thousand greater wererats (humans with rat lycanthropy) and thousands of giant rats. The wererats will do anything necessary to protect the secret of their existence. They mean Thyatians no harm, but Thyatis is their primary source of food and they have no intentions of starving to death just because the Thyatians don't want their pets or children eaten. Eirmont 28: "Riots Worsen" Kaldmont 1: "The Emperor Quiets the Mobs" Kaldmont 15: "Karameikos Sends Aid" Kaldmont 20: "Riot on the Wharfs" Kaldmont 28: "Thyatian Slaves Revolt" Nuwmont 1, 1012 AC: "Revolt in Thyatis" Nuwmont 15: "Rebellion Supressed" Vatermont 27: "Karameikan Ships Arrive" Flaurmont 2: "Imperial Granaries Robbed": Troops in charge of transporting grain from the Imperial Granaries to the Imperial Bakeries are mystified to discover the main granaries empty of every sack of grain. The granaries are under heavy guard (measures adopted during recent riots), but the guards claim to have seen and heard nothing. The only clues are some rat droppings and bits of fur left behind. Wererats from the Big City of wererats deep beneath Thyatis stole the grain with the help of some /silence/ spells cast by wererat shamans. The wererats are desperately hungry, as the garbage they relied upon from the city is now eaten by the famished Thyatian citizens. (PCs may be sent to investigate the theft; they could discover the new tunnel that leads to the Big City of wererats deep beneath Thyatis. The wererats will be determined to destroy the PCs before word of the Big City gets out.) Klarmont 21: "Daring Plan to Battle Plague": Breindel Tzuriel, an Alphatian mage, presents a daring plan to the Emperor. He claims to be a member of the Alphatian Center of Disease Control - a secret cadre of mages charged with the task of eliminating diseases, especially magical ones. The ACDC's facilities were well protected and may have survived the earthquake that destroyed Alphatia. Breindel suggests the Emperor authorize and fund an expedition to explore the site - now under water - to recover books and equipment. With those and the help of Thyatian mages and scholars Breindel feels he could develop a cure for mummy rot. Ambyrmont 15: "Imperial Hospilaliers Established": By decree of Emperor Eusebius of Thyatis, the mage Breindel Tzuriel is named Prefect of the new Imperial Hospitaliers in Thyatis. The Hospitaliers are charged with investigating reports of outbreaks of disease, educating the public on sanitation and other measures to prevent disease, and researching known diseases to discover causes, treatments, and cures. To that end, the Emperor assigns a number of Thyatian mages and clerics to report to Breindel Tzuriel, and allocates monies for staff and equipment. The expedition sent to the ruined Alphatian Center for Disease Control was successful - Breindel recovered a great deal of equipment and, more importantly, hundreds of volumes of research notes and reports. The Hospitaliers will use this equipment, as well as more traditional healing practices, to combat mummy rot and other diseases. Sviftmont 19, 1013 AC: A buildup of gases in the sewers of Thyatis results in a series of 14 explosions that rip apart 20 blocks of the newly rebuild residential district on the city's west side. The explosions kill more than 200 and injure a thousand more. Eirmont 7: A nest of wererats is discovered in Mirros and driven out by Karameikan soldiers and adventurers. Personality: Cunning, sneaky, and treacherous to those he considers "not-friends"; fond of pretty things, especially gems and jewelry. Allies: Vanya, Patroness of War and Conquerors and Thyatis, sponsored Mrikitat's bid for Immortality. Mrikitat has had little to do with her since then, though he would assist in the defense of the city of Thyatis were it ever threatened. Enemies: Mrikitat has few enemies, as his plans for wererats haven't yet conflicted with the plans of any other Immortals. Appearance: Usually appears in man-rat form, a slim golden circlet cocked over one ear and a bejewelled scabbard enclosing a slender sword at his side. In rat form, he has sleek black fur and bright blue eyes. His human form (Marcus Titus) likewise has jet-black hair and bright blue eyes, and is fond of jewelry and colorful clothing. Symbol: An orange wedge of cheese. DMing Notes: Mrikitat is primarily interested in furthering the power of his wererats. He continually searches for ways to grant super-genius intelligence to his wererat descendants. Greater wererats are a result of his efforts to bring new, more intelligent blood into the wererat line. But wererats are /all/ Mrikitat's interested in, so player characters aren't even likely to hear of him unless they are wererats themselves - or discover "The Big City" of wererats under Thyatis. Armor Class: -17 Hit Dice: 33******** Hit Points: 300 Move: 150' (50') Flying: 360' (120') Incorporeal: 720' (240') Attacks: 3 Damage: 3d6+7 (Punch) or special THAC0: 2 Anti-Magic: 70% Save As: IM19 XP Value: 45,500 Strength 28 +7 melee to hit, melee damage, open doors, 3x encumbrance, can use 2-handed weapons 1-handed without initiave loss, can draw crossbows with one hand and fire once/round Intelligence 39 +9 plots, aura effects, general skills Wisdom 40 +9 aura effects Dexterity 47 +10 missile and thrown to hit, -10 armor class Constitution 28 7 rounds resist poison Charisma 29 +7 reactions, 11 retainers (Morale 12+2), -7 save vs aura Power Points: 2,500 Saving Throws: Spell Attacks: 14 Physical Attacks: 8 Mental Attacks: 11 Power Attacks: 10 General Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Acting (Cha), Alertness (Dex), Animal Training: Rats (Wis), Bargaining (Cga), Blind Shooting (Dex), Caving (Wis), Cheating (Dex), Danger Sense (Wis), Deceiving (Cha), Detect Deception (Wis), Disguise (Int), Escape (Dex), Food Tasting (Con), Gambling (Wis), Intimidation (Str), Leadership (Cha), Persuasion (Cha), Planar Geography (Int), Signalling: Wererat (Int), Snares (Int), Stealth: City/Outdoors (Dex), Stealth: Indoors/Caves (Dex), Tracking (Int), Veterinary Healing: Rats (Int) Powers: Detection Suite: Detect: Traps, sliding walls, sloping corridors, new construction, hidden doors, secret doors: 1-2 on 1d6 Infravision: 60' Enhanced Reflexes: +2 surprise, +2 individual initiave Thief Special Abilities: OL 120%, FT 110%, RT 130%, CW 120%, MS 100%, HS 100%, PP 195%, HN 130% Weapon Mastery: Dagger (rn 30/45/60; M=2d6+9 dmg, +8 to-hit; H=2d4+8, +6 to-hit; Skewer (up to 15 HD) ), Normal Sword (rn 10/20/30; H=3d6+8, +8 to-hit, -3AC/4; M=3d4+8, +6 to-hit; Deflect (3), disarm (save +6) ), Bite (?), "Skilled" with all others, one extra die of damage with weapons Artifact Creation Aura Attacks: 18 beings within 60'. Communication: Knows all Multiverse languages, can communicate telepathically with any intelligent creature. Creation of Ordinary and Magical Items: 1 TP or 1 PP per 10,000 gp worth of items. Granting Power Points Improvement of Ability Scores (40 PP per point, max 75) Immunities: mortal dragon breath, aging effects, diseases, level-draining, life-trapping, attacks with weapons of +4 or less, poisons, magic. Takes minimum possible damage from mortal attacks. Need not eat, drink, or breathe. Mortal Spell Casting: 100 TP, can cast any Magical, Clerical, or Druidic spell. Immortal Spell Casting Regeneration: Heals 1d8 hp per day if resting. Can manage 9 plots with up to 99 Personal Followers. Atlas of Wererats: Alphatia: Any and all weretypes may be found in Alphatia. Broken Lands: Some werecreatures, fleeing from persecution, settled in the Broken Lands. Darokin: Darokin merchants have brought every weretype from the far corners of the Known World. Five Shires: A colony of wererats inhabits the underways of Shireton and abandoned buildings of Shireton port. Glantri: Any weretype may be found here - the subjects or results of magical experiments. Ierendi: Most werecreatures who inhabit these islands have been imported for use in the adventure parks and tourists' games. Karameikos: Wererats have been discovered in the cities - primarily Specularum, though Kelvin, Penhaligon and Threshold may harbor some as well. The Black Eagle Barony is a good source of employment for any weretype. Minrothad: Representatives of every weretype may be found on these islands and on the ships of Minrothad merchants. Wererats and devil swine are especially numerous. Northern Reaches: Other weretypes may occur in rare instances Thyatis: An enormous dominion of wererats inhabits the sewers, zealously guarding the secret of their existence. Ylaruam: Some wererats may be found in coastal towns.