Deck Rat

Origins:
@Deck Rat arose among the gutters and lower decks of pirate fleets. These rogues turned sabotage and stealth into an art. Crawling through ship guts, loosening keels, and striking from shadows, they became indispensable to pirate warfare.

Philosophy:
They believe victory is won not in duels but in sabotage. To strike unseen and escape alive is the highest glory.

Training:
Young @Deck Rat are raised in shadows, crawling through bilges and rope nests. They learn poisons hidden in rum bottles, and grapples that pull enemies quietly into the sea.

Role in @Aethertide :
They are infiltrators, saboteurs, and assassins, most often among the @Free Keys Confederacy . Their sabotage can end battles before they begin.

Signature Traits:

• Expertise in stealth aboard ships.

• Grappling hook and rope tools.

• Poisons hidden in food or drink.

• Strikes from shadows with surgical precision.

Notable @Deck Rat in History:

• Veyra Silentwake: Pirate lord of the @Black Nine , master saboteur.

• Kell “Ratsbane” Morric: Said to have sunk ships by sawing keels unnoticed.

• The Ghostling: A nameless assassin whose killings still haunt the @Free Keys .

Cultural Perception:

• To the @Free Keys Confederacy , they are valued cutthroats.

• To the @Veythane Empire , they are despised vermin.

• To the @Coral Regency , they are dishonorable tricksters.

• To the @Black Nine , they are prized assassins.

Sayings of the @Deck Rat :

• “The keel cracks before the mast falls.”

• “Rats live longer in shadows.”

• “One rope cut can sink a kingdom.”