Ratskins

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Ratskins are the primitive humans that inhabit the lowest reaches of the Hive World of Necromunda, though it is possible that similar groups inhabit other hive worlds.[1]

History

Sometime after their discovery, the Inquisition conducted surveys to determine if Ratskins posed a threat to the Emperor's rule of Necromunda. Though it was determined that they strayed far from the Imperial Cult, the Inquisition judged the Ratskins to be harmless, as long as their numbers were kept in check. Though most Necromundans would prefer not to think about them, one unbalanced individual made a detailed study of the Ratskins.[13]

According to this study, the Ratkins refer to themselves as the Kuloq, which in Gothic translates as The People, and they claim to be descended from the god Ku. However the Imperium call the Kuloq Ratskins, due to their tradition of wearing the pelts of Necromundan Giant Rats. According to their history, Ku also created Necromunda, but the god despaired when he could find no living beings on the world and chose to allow his life to end. His body then began to disintegrate, which caused all manner of life to start appearing on the world. This included the Palpala, the Nonborn, who grew from the fingers of Ku's left hand and became the Ratkins' ancestors. It is because of this connection, that the Ratskins tribes believe themselves to be descended from Ku. As time went on, the Ratkins are certain their people may have grown to have as many as sixty tribes across Necromunda, but only a handful survive today. Now their lives are often short and brutal, due to the dangers of the Underhive and the Redemption Cult, as well as the threat of starvation.[13]

Culture

Unlike the raving bands of Scavvies who share the lower territories of the hive, the Ratskins are not characterised by mutation, cannibalism, or violence; Ratskins live a primitive existence completely isolated from the hustle of hive life. Living in tribal communities,[1] the roles in their society include Chiefs, High Elders, Shamans and Braves.[13] Ratskins do not interact or trade with the Hivers in any way, finding their customs and behaviours bizarre and strange. Normal Ratskin tribes do not engage in violent conduct, arguing that the soul of a slain enemy will return to seek vengeance, thus if they ever encounter the normal citizens of the hive they will quietly move the tribe to another location.[1]

Away from the Preachers of the Ecclesiarchy, the Ratskins do not share any of the same beliefs common amongst the normal citizens of the Imperium, instead they have formed an animistic form of shamanism in relation to the hive. Coming to worship the spirits of the hive they treat the city as a living ecosystem prone to moods and tempers. Therefore in living "native" they have come to respect and predict environmental conditions in the Underhive, such as hive-quakes or toxic mists.text-middle[Help] Unfortunately, this outlook on life would make the Ratskins Heretics if their tribes could be located. The hive guilds have placed bounties upon the Ratskins, and they are not welcome amongst Imperial society.[1]

Despite these troubles, the Ratskins continue their traditions and way of life. This includes a young warrior's rite of passage into manhood, which has them hunt down and kill a Necromundan Giant Rat. They must do so, while being alone and unarmed in the Underhive and then must consume the rat's heart in order to gain its strength. Upon doing so, the warrior will wear the skin of their kill around their head and shoulders, before returning to their tribe as a Brave. Of course, it is the wearing of these rat pelts, which has led the Imperium to refer to them as Ratskins.[13]

Though they live primitive, self-sufficient lives the Ratskins do consider Archaeotech to be sacred and while they do not use ancient technology, they maintain that sites containing archeotech are favoured by the spirits. Thus locations containing archaotech are often the only static territories held by the nomadic ratskins.[1]

Gods

Ratskins are known to have several gods in their culture, though, not all tribes worship the same ones.[13]

Known Gods

Language

In the Ratskins' language, the -a suffix indicates a sense of importance or tradition. An example of this is the name of the Kuloqa tribe, which translates as either The True People or perhaps The Original People. [13]

Ratskin Renegades / Badskins

Ratskin tribes are reclusive and insular by nature, and they normally avoid Hivers. Even those Ratskin tribesmen who come into contact with the Hivers are shunned, as they are considered to be "tainted by civilization."[3]

Unfortunately, due to curiosity, desperation or vengeful motivation, some Ratskins do find themselves embroiled in the matters of the Hivers. For this they are exiled by their former tribesmen and they may never return. These Tsi-na-kagaq,[13] or Badskins, often become vagrants, gamblers and troublemakers, though some do find legitimate work as guides, trappers[3] or mercenaries[13] for established hive organisations.[3] As the Ratskins' knowlege of the Underhive is second-to-none, Badskins are also highly prized as scouts by Necromunda's gangs. Though it is not uncommon for a grudge bearing Badskin to lead their gangs against the tribe that banished them.[13] However, these badskins will only ever find companionship amongst their own kind and occasionally drift together to form groups of Ratskin Renegades, becoming violent and looting and stripping hive territories dry before moving onwards.[3]

These Ratskin renegade tribes are organised much like normal Ratskin tribes, led by a Chief who is elected from amongst the warriors in the tribe, accompanied by the warriors and unexperienced braves armed with whatever they can loot or purchase from black-market dealers.[3]

Totem Warriors

The Totem Warriors are those amongst the ratskin renegades who seek to purify themselves in the sight of the hive spirits. For this they are revered by the badskins as well as the more peaceful ratskin peoples. They are seen as wandering warrior-pilgrims who spend their time on quests or in prayer-trances to the spirits of the hive.[1]

In their devotion to the spirits, the totem warriors believe that by slaying an opponent in close combat, they can absorb their enemy's soul, thereby avoiding the spiritual vengeance of their opponents as well as adding to their own power.[1]

While Totem Warriors eschew ranged combat in all cases, their purification rituals and superstitions do invest themselves in their melee weaponry. To the ratskins, these Totem Weapons are infused with the power of spirits of the hive, and when in the hands of the totem warriors they can inflict damage far beyond that of their normal type.[1]

Known tribes & warparties

Hive Primus

Notable Ratskins

Images

  • Ratskins[4]

  • Ratskins chiefs[4]

  • Ratskins shamans[4]

Triva

TriviaScrollTrans.png

The following information is not to be regarded as officially sanctioned and/ or is not written from an in-universe point of view. A detailed explanation of the term "Trivia" as used in the Lexicanum can be found here.

It’s very important not just to copy archetypes – you’ve got to get below the surface and find out what really makes them work. For example, the Ratskins aren’t just based on Red Indians. When we were developing them we looked at every example of real and fictional feral warrior we could find from Viking to Hun, Goths, Mad Max, biker gangs and everyone else who ever wore an animal pelt![6]


See also

Sources

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