Fearing for their lives, the Ratmen decided to flee off world rather than risk destruction if they were discovered. They raided less defended ships and scrap heaps in order to assemble their own fleet. Before they left, the Ratmen agreed that they could not escape and leave the other rats to their fate. Together, the Ratmen launched a raid on the laboratories where they were created, and despite heavy casualties, they escaped with the surviving test subjects. 

The fleeing Ratmen fleet found a remote and uninhabited system, where they could build a new home for themselves. Some have remained hidden on this secluded system, safe from the Battle Brothers and those like them. Others decided that they no longer wished to hide from the galaxy. Instead, these Ratmen formed into family-run clans on their ships and began to explore the stars. 

As the Ratmen clans encountered other factions, they began to recognise their own former plight in those oppressed or imprisoned by other factions. The Clans use their skills to help others escape, or otherwise sabotage those they view as oppressors, and some factions have come to view them as foes and vermin, to be actively sought out for destruction.

How will you survive in a sector that views you as vermin?

History

Test Subjects

The Ratmen’s ancestors were created in the Protectorates’ labs, as Custodians studied the Zone and tried to find ways to adapt their organism to withstand the Radiance and reach the Core. They began testing on the rodents who had stowed away in their fleet. The scientists had to rely on the rather limited number of test subjects, reusing them multiple times over a number of tests.

Side Effects

Prolonged exposure to the Radiance changed the rat population from those found on Earth; increased size, strength and reaction time became common in the total population. The Battle Brothers began to grow concerned as their subjects showed increasing signs of collaboration, tool use, and even communication. Some of these rats escaped to form feral colonies.

Creation

Within a couple generations of hiding on the world where they were created, the rat population continued to grow and mix until they had become fully fledged Ratmen. This new species had become fully sapient, but the Conduit’s followers saw them only as vermin and failed test subjects.

The Escape

Many among the Ratmen sought to escape from the clutches of the world where they were made. They began to raid less defended ships and scrap heaps to slowly put together a fleet escaping to the edge of the Zone.

Freedom

Although their fleet was nearly prepared, the Ratmen agreed that they could not escape and leave the rats to their fate. Together, the Ratmen launched a raid on the laboratories where they were created and, despite heavy casualties, they escaped with many other rats in tow.

Settlement

Wishing to stay out of reach of their creators, and faced with the difficulty of securing territory in the Sector, the Ratmen took advantage of their engineered metabolism and colonised planets on the external fringe of the Zone, because they have a higher tolerance to the Radiance compared to other species. Although it is an unstable place where travel is dangerous, they are free from interference there.

Society

The Ratmen have built up their new settlements in remote systems near the Zone. Some prefer to remain there, safely hidden from the Battle Brothers and those like them. Others did not wish to be confined to a new planet as they once were confined to the lab and were willing to risk discovery in the hope of finding new allies. These Ratmen formed into family run clans on their ships and began to explore the stars.

As the Ratmen Clans encountered other factions, they began to recognise their own former plight in those oppressed by other factions. These clans used their skills to help people escape or otherwise sabotage those who they viewed as oppressors. Some view them as foes and vermin, seeking them out for destruction.

Hidden Passages

Living on the edge of the Zone allows them access to Jumpgates that are not in use by anyone else. Over time, they have established a network of secret routes and become skilled navigators, able to use unstable Jumpgates that others would deem too risky. They have put these skills to use, becoming smugglers and spies for the highest bidder. They are the ones you need if you want to send a message across enemy lines, locate a hostage or obtain your enemies’ superweapon plans.

Beyond their colonies in the Zone, Ratmen establish tiny enclaves near major Jumpgates, often offering services like handling toxic waste, satellite maintenance and other unwanted tasks in exchange for being tolerated. It’s through this network of small communities that they stay informed about events in the Sector and potential clients.

Familial Bonds

Ratmen, though bound together by a strong sense of solidarity, are not a wholly united society. They usually fall into familial clans, which value individual freedom and personal bonds between its members. Each clan can trace its origins back to a lineage of common female ancestors or ‘Great Mothers’. These clans lack a formal hierarchy, but experience and wisdom are valued and decisions are reached through consensus.

This is what makes the Ratmen so efficient as special operators: they trust each other and are able to adapt quickly to any new situation. However, this also means that they are rarely able to mobilise large forces quickly and struggle with large-scale engagements. Inter-clan conflicts are not frequent, but they can happen. They rarely turn into all-out war, though it can happen when escalating vengeance gets out of hand.

Liberators

Ratmen still remember their origins, born inside cages as test subjects, and a a result they despise slavers and jailers. They will often go out of their way to free prisoners during missions, especially if they consider their incarceration as unjustified. This has earned them some enemies and led them to decline lucrative assignments, but has also helped them build a network of exiles, fugitives and refugees that act as informants.

Insurgent Tactics

Ratmen favour surgical attacks in battle, with the goal of completing their mission quickly and efficiently; making use of cover, surprise and the sophisticated technology they have been able to obtain over the years. They have no desire to be heroes or earn glory, although individual fighters might take risks to save their brethren or secure victory.

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