The Whiskerbond

The Whiskerbond is the rat colony that raised Rainclaw Foundwhiskers after a sewer flood separated him from his mother. Generations of rats have come and gone with Rainclaw the one constant, and the colony now runs as a democracy: Rainclaw is consulted to settle disputes and make plans, but the larger group decides. Under his care the rats have become fanciful. They hold weekly group tai chi and run clubs for fencing and crafts. Rats freed from The RatKEENG's network joined them after his death. Through his necklace Brad, Rainclaw can call the colony out as the Rat Militia, to shield an ally from a blow or to boil up from the drains in a cloud of soot and steam.

Inner circle

• Patch-Work is obsessed with cardboard and scrap-metal armour, and always trying to make armour and weapons "more better".
• Crumb-Seeker is young, adventurous and fashion-loving: Rainclaw's shadow.
• Tail-Twitch is the colony's alarm system. Extremely high-strung, Tail-Twitch is the first to notice changing water levels or a predator's scent.
• Iron-Tooth is sturdy, with teeth chipped from gnawing through tough barriers, and wants to focus on carpentry.
• Quick-Stitch is the combat medic: not a fighter, but incredibly fast at grooming-healing.
• Milk-Eye is the scribe, who loves journalling and stories and wants to be an author.
• Velknot loves to dance.

Signals