The Captives and Their Rescuers

The Clan’s encounter with imprisoned ordinary Rats tests its ethics and changes a rescue into a confrontation with the city’s organized cruelty.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

A Survivor in a Box

A Living Clue An unexpected arrival The Changelings find a local Rat alive in a trap, surrounded by dangers and showing signs of having survived by eating another Rat. A choice of care Rather than abandon her, the Clan offers food and protection, treating a stranger as a creature worthy of consideration.

A Trail of Traps

A City Made Hostile Evidence of systematic killing The squads discover poisons, set traps, and Rat remains in tunnels that ought to support a local population. A disturbing absence The lack of living local Rats suggests deliberate capture or extermination, not a natural disappearance.

Cages Behind the Cellar

Captivity Revealed A mass of Rats The explorers find wire cages crowded with living Rats, some forced to survive by feeding on their dead companions. Horror becomes conflict Hamnpork’s rage and the Clan’s shock turn a mystery about stolen food into a crisis of rescue and survival.

The Captives’ Panic

A Rescue Interrupted Human violence The Rat-catchers assault Malicia and Keith, while the captive Rats’ terror surges through the room. The Clan scatters Spider’s influence compounds the panic, causing the Changelings to lose their speech and flee before they can free the captives.

A Route to Freedom

The Doors Open A renewed rescue effort After the rat king is defeated, the Clan works with Keith and Malicia to reach and open the cages. Freedom requires care The Rats are not simply released into danger; the rescuers first feed and shelter them, allowing them to recover before the piper’s performance.

During the first tunnel exploration

As Darktan’s squads explore the underground town

After the hidden passage is opened

When the Rat-catchers return to the cage room

During the final assault on Spider’s cellar