Ratkin

"Into your sanctum
You let them in
Now all your loved ones
And all your kin
Will suffer punishments beneath the wrath of God
Never to forgive
Never to forgive"
—Ghost, "Rats"

Ratkin are wererats, one of the Changing Breeds.

In the Middle Kingdom, the corresponding term is Shubei (ratlike scoundrels) or Shukuei (Rat Demons).[1]

Ratkin are still very distrustful of Garou even now, not least because one of their aspects was completely destroyed during the War of Rage - the Bards, equivalent of the Garou's Galliards. However, before the last Bards were slain, they foretold that in the final days the Ratkin would come back from their secret refuges.

Like most of the Breeds, Ratkin were given a mission by Gaia, and that mission was to control the human population by eating their food and spreading disease and pestilence. It worked until the Garou attempted to impose their dominance on the other Breeds in the so-called War of Rage, and nearly drove the Ratkin to extinction. In the aftermath of the War, the Ratkin were forced into the margins of human society; however, because of the rapid urban growth, they recovered and once again are in ascendance. Ratkin are feral and brutal creatures, mainly because they are Wyld-touched, which means that not only can they frenzy like other shapeshifters, but also hallucinate in a state called Rapture.

More than any of the other Changing Breeds, Ratkin feel the touch of the Wyld. They believe the Weaver is just as insane (and as intent on destroying the world) as the Wyrm. Because of this, wererats are as likely to strike out against manifestations of the Weaver as at the Wyrm. The other Changing Breeds are blind to the true enemy and humanity has become its main pawn. As a result, the Ratkin are very hostile to humans and see them of little worth besides breedstock. Their dislike for humans has gone so far that they focus more and more on their animal kin, forsaking any ties to their other part and becoming more and more bestial.

The Ratkins’ ties to madness can unveil hidden knowledge. One of the most profound sources of this knowledge is their mysterious Blood Memory that connects wererats to both their ancestors and, to a more limited extent, their relatives. A wererat who is in danger can utter a silent scream called "keening" that can only be heard by other Ratkin. Ratkin can only keen when threatened, but no other supernatural creatures can duplicate this sound.

Ratkin are immune to disease, thanks to the effects of the Birthing Plague. Their blood is also poisonous, making it inedible for vampires and were-spiders.

The Rat Race is a Plague of Ratkin based in North America. Most humans estimate that the brown rat first came to North America in 1775, and for its Ratkin kin, this revolutionary spirit has never left. These American Rats are crazed, deranged, and violent. They have no matriarch, instead heretically believing in a "Great Rat God" that will lead them to victory in the Apocalypse. Unsurprisingly, many North American Ratkin stay away from these extremists, although many that refer to Rat as "he" most likely half-subscribe to this philosophy.

Large number of ratkin:

• Chicago, Illinois
• Los Angeles, California
• New York City, New York
• Washington, D.C.
• San Francisco, California
• Baltimore, Maryland
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Detroit, Michigan
• Denver, Colorado

Moderate number of ratkin:

• Cleveland, Ohio
• Seattle, Washington
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• San Diego, California
• Houston, Texas

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Ratkin are responsible for the spread of covid-19

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Rat squad

The Washington State Department of Transportation
performs upkeep on one of the state’s most important bits
of infrastructure: the roads. The department’s thousands
of employees work constantly keeping the roads clear and
functioning, determining what roads and bridges need repair
and ensuring they get it.
The Regular Analysis Team, called the RAT Squad, is
a group of specialists trained to examine the more esoteric
bits of the highway system and make sure they’re in good
working order. To most people, this means the technical bits
of drawbridges, the quiet road project on I-405, the metered
on-ramps, and so on.
The RAT Squad knows better. Blood must be spilt on
the altar of order, and someone who understands that must
be the one to do it. They know that the strange is behind
the continued strength of the status quo, the orderly state of
affairs that they joined WSDOT to maintain. They accept the
honor of that burden.
RAT Squad members number in the 50s, led by Assistant
Transportation Secretary Maria Drabek. They are typically
spread out across the state, ready to step in and take over from
uninitiated employees, with a greater concentration in the
Seattle metropolitan area. Initiates always come from within
WSDOT.
Until an initiate earns the trust of the senior engineers,
the cult’s masters, she believes that she is taking care of special
projects for the US government. Completing the initiation
involves observing a senior engineer transubstantiate blood
into machinery and an introduction to the concept of the
great architect who sacrifices itself to maintain the world’s
order.

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Also found in Tacoma