Nezumi Tribes

Blue Fur

  • Benefit: +1 Awareness

The Blue Fur are a small tribe that split off from a larger one at some point in the distant past. They ranged widely through the Shadowlands for generations, unable to fi nd a stable territory of their own. That changed when they discovered an abandoned Nezumi warren on the southern border of the Hiruma lands. The Hiruma were using the warren as a base for scouting the Shadowlands, and after a tense initial confrontation, a wily scrounger from the Blue Fur tribe suggested the two groups share the warren. Initial reactions on both sides were disgust and derision, but the leading Crab officer took the idea seriously, and negotiations ensued. Eventually the two groups agreed that the Hiruma could use the warren as a safe haven and call on the tribe’s scouts in exchange for supplying the Blue Fur with food. The Blue Fur are a rare example of a Nezumi tribe living in close contact with humans for an extended period of time. They tend to litter their speech with human words and even incorporate human body language into their gestures, often to the irritation of other Nezumi. Despite their close relationship with the Hiruma, the Blue Fur were happy to join the One Tribe when it formed in the mid-twelfth century, and served it loyally to the end. Tomorrow hurts them badly, and in the After Times only a few families scurry through the warren where once the Blue Fur prospered.

Broken Shinbone

  • Benefit: +1 Stamina

The Broken Shinbone are a small tribe which held territory in the northern Shadowlands for most of their history. Early in the twelfth century, during the confl ict known as the Clan War, they were driven out of their home territory and fl ed into Rokugan, wandering from one clan’s lands to the next. Through a series of accidents they wound up serving in battle under the command of the Lion war hero Matsu Gohei, who offered them food and sanctuary if they would fi ght for him. The Broken Shinbone fought against the forces of Fu Leng with such courage that the Lion warrior came to greatly admire them, and continued to provide them with supplies and shelter after the Clan War came to an end. Eventually, fate drove the Lion away from his Nezumi allies, and the tribe wandered across the northern Empire, taking shelter where they could fi nd it. In later years the Dragon Clan would discover them again and make use of their talents in protecting its borders.
The Broken Shinbone seems to be one of the few major Nezumi tribes that did not join the great One Tribe when it came together in the mid-twelfth century – perhaps because their remote territory kept them largely ignorant of the great events affecting the rest of their race. They also seem to have a certain sense of superiority toward other Nezumi tribes due to their long migrations and sufferings. Tomorrow did come upon them, for their Shamans sensed the threat like all the rest, but it struck a lighter blow on their tribe than it did on many others. Having survived such a terrible event, the Broken Shinbone face the future with less fear than most Nezumi.

Chipped Tooth

  • Benefit: +1 Agility

Many centuries ago, these Nezumi were hunters and gatherers in the southern Yasuki provinces. That changed when the notorious pirate Yasuki Fumoki needed a new crew. He took note of these odd creatures and their potential, and trained them to serve as crew on his vessels, a task the Nezumi embraced with their typical energy and resourcefulness. With their extraordinary agility, resistance to disease, and natural swimming ability the Nezumi made excellent sailors. After Fumoki’s death, the Crab learned about the great skill of these Nezumi sailors and began to make use of them throughout their navy. After a few generations the Chipped Tooth Nezumi developed webbed fi ngers to aid them in swimming. In time, Mantis ships hired Chipped Tooth crew as well, further increasing the wealth and prestige of the tribe. When Tomorrow came for the Nezumi, the Chipped Tooth were not hit nearly as hard as the rest of their race. Only a few of the Chipped Tooth went into Yume-do to face Tomorrow, and the rest of the tribe continued to serve the Crab and Mantis as sailors. In fact, they were granted ownership of the mighty vessel known as the Deathless, using it to hunt pirates and other threats in the seas to the south of Rokugan. The Chipped Tooth seem likely to continue to prosper even in the After Times.

Crippled Bone

  • Benefit: +1 Strength

This ancient and powerful tribe long made its home deep in the Shadowlands, cut off both from humanity and the rest of the Nezumi race. The dangers of their homeland changed them, making them fi erce and savage, much larger and stronger than a typical Nezumi. They became a tribe of fearless berserkers, far less likely to run from danger than a normal Nezumi – and in the lands where they made their home, there was often nowhere safe to run. In the early twelfth century, however, even the Crippled Bone Tribe was forced to retreat. Powerful new monsters called Elemental Terrors arose from the Festering Pit and turned their inhuman eyes upon the Crippled Bone. The Nezumi fought bravely but were ultimately forced to fl ee north toward the Kaiu Wall. There they encountered both humans and other Nezumi tribes. Their strength and ferocity quickly earned the Crab Clan’s respect. Though the Crippled Bone never set aside their distrust of humans, they recognized a useful ally when they saw one. Eventually, the Crippled Bone became the military backbone of the new One Tribe. Te’tik’kir, the mighty Nameseeker Shaman who fi rst conceived of a reunited One Tribe, hailed from the Crippled Bone and he drove his tribe relentlessly to unify their race. For many years the Crippled Bone stood defi antly on the front lines against the Shadowlands. They were nearly wiped out by the Stained Paw Tribe and its Tsuno masters, but the timely intervention of the Nezumi hero Ik’krt delivered jade weapons that turned the tide of the battle. When Tomorrow came for the Nezumi, most of the Crippled Bone Tribe was in their tribal holdings beyond the Kaiu Wall, fi ghting the Shadowlands as they had always done. After losing most of their warriors to Tomorrow, they came under relentless attack from hordes of goblins, and only the timely arrival of the last remnant of their old foes the Stained Paw allowed them to survive. The two remnant groups banded together, under the darkly humorous name of “Crippled Paw.” In the After Times they are the most powerful warrior tribe left among the Nezumi.

Crooked Tail

  • Benefit: +1 Intelligence

The Crooked Tail are one of three tribes that emerged from the break-up of a much larger group, the Forever Racing Tomorrow Tribe. Centuries ago this great tribe broke up after a violent and bitter encounter with a remote human village that was completely controlled by the Lying Darkness. Only a small piece of crystal allowed anyone to survive the strange faceless “humans.” Horrifi ed to encounter creatures without Name, the tribe could not decide what this meant about humans as a whole. Were they irredeemably evil, a whole race of creatures without Name? Had the Nezumi misunderstood the situation? What was the signifi cance of the crystal? Ultimately, the disagreement tore the tribe apart. One group remained where they were, becoming the Third Whisker Tribe. Another moved north to try to learn more about humans, becoming the Tattered Ear. And the third fl ed westward to a great outcropping of crystal, where they remained. They became the Crooked Tail Tribe. The Crooked Tail are the only Nezumi tribe ever to try to understand and fi ght against the Lying Darkness, a force which can consume a ratling as easily as it can anything else. They remained near their precious crystal outcropping (“Driving-Out-Darkness Rock”) throughout their history, fi ghting off assaults from both the Darkness and the Shadowlands, and maintaining a powerful sense of paranoia toward all outsiders, Nezumi or otherwise. Although they nominally joined the One Tribe when it came together in the twelfth century, they sent only a few token emissaries to its gatherings and never revealed the location of their home territory. Tragically, when the time came to face Tomorrow, the Crooked Tail paid one of the highest prices of any tribe. Their numbers were nearly all wiped out, leaving only a few lone and maddened survivors behind.

Grasping Paw

  • Benefit: +1 Reflexes

While it is true that the Nezumi race does not grasp the human concept of personal property, the members of the Grasping Paw tribe suffer an even more pathological version of their racial perception, and other tribes look upon them as consummate thieves. Although this has sometimes caused the tribe diffi culty in the past, they do simply know no other way. The Grasping Paw tribe was created by refugees fl eeing north after the Terrible Day and the destruction of the Nezumi Empire. The tribe members were ill-suited to their new lives and many perished in the early months. To save his people, the chieftain sought out a long-shunned group, Nezumi who had been exiled from their society long before Fu Leng’s fall. These unusual individuals had been cast out due to their extreme thieving habits, which caused them to even take things vitally needed by others. The chieftain offered these outcasts a superior share of food and treasure if they would join his tribe and help save his people. The outcasts readily agreed and after a short period of adjustment became extremely valuable members of the Grasping Paw Tribe.
The Grasping Paw were renowned among the Nezumi for centuries as the greatest thieves and scavengers of their race. This accolade was balanced by the reputation they have for taking from anyone, even other Nezumi. The Grasping Paw seemed to have no concept that others valued objects at all. They were also notorious for a prominent bloodline within their tribe, bred from the descendants of the original outcasts, who had little or no fur and strange colorless eyes. Although such mutations occasionally appeared in the other tribes as well, they never did so in such numbers as in the Grasping Paw. Tragically, the Grasping Paw were largely wiped out by the battle with Tomorrow, leaving only a few scattered survivors to wander alone or join other tribes.

Green-Green White

  • Benefit: +1 Perception

Following the devastation on the Terrible Day, the Nezumi scattered far and wide, but none ranged so far as the tribe then known as the Black Moonset tribe. At fi rst the tribe settled in the Shadowlands, like many others, and prospered there for generations. They were unseated in the eighth century by the assault of the Oni Lord known as the Maw. Fleeing in desperation, they went north into the Empire of men. They sought aid from their allies among the Tattered Ear, but that tribe was in dire straits itself and could only lend token assistance. Through terrible trial and diffi culty, the Black Moonset tribe moved north and fi nally reached lands unknown to all their people: the northernmost reaches of Rokugan, in the domain of the Phoenix Clan. The tribe’s new name was taken from their surroundings, the evergreen forests of Phoenix lands and their winter coat of snow. Due to the heavy losses they suffered to humans along the way, not to mention the perceived abandonment by their allies, the renamed Green-Green-White tribe underwent a signifi cant cultural change after they settled in their new home. They became highly xenophobic, isolating themselves from other tribes with both geography and deliberate policy, and engaging in open hostility with humans. Shiba bushi made frequent efforts to hunt them down and eradicate them from the northern provinces. Members of the Green-Green-White tribe were at best minor players in what passed for Nezumi society. They had little use for the other tribes, even the Tattered Ear. The creation of the Ox Clan in the early twelfth century dramatically reduced the lands available for the Green-Green-White in their annual migrations, further exacerbating their anti-human bias. Their situation did not change until the emergence of the One Tribe, when their chieftain Kan’ok’tichek became ruler of the entire unifi ed ratling race. Although this briefl y vaulted the Green-Green-White into a hugely infl uential position within Nezumi culture, it held within it the seeds of tragedy: the Green-Green-White Nezumi would also spearhead the battle against Tomorrow, and suffered accordingly. In the After Times, only a few scattered survivors can claim descent from the once-formidable tribe.

Squeaky Eyeball

  • Benefit: +1 Awareness

No Nezumi tribe was so popular with other Nezumi as the Squeaky Eyeball, revered far and wide for having the fi nest Rememberers of any known tribe. The tribe seems to have been formed by a large number of surviving scholars and historians who came together to survive after the Terrible Day, and their gifts were passed down to their descendents. Unlike many of the early Nezumi tribes, the Squeaky Eyeball did not try to reclaim their old territory from the armies of Fu Leng – they instead traveled in all directions, collecting every story and legend they could fi nd, not only within the Shadowlands and Rokugan but also to the west in the gaijin territories. They focused their attention most closely on tales of Nezumi heroes and stories of how the world began. In modern times their Rememberers are capable of recounting literally hundreds of different versions of how the world began, how it was formed, and what happened in the ancient times before the Terrible Day. Whether any of these stories are even mildly related to reality is an open question, and indeed the Rokugani would consider all of them blasphemous. Because of their wide travels, extensive knowledge, and gregarious and friendly natures, the Nezumi of the Squeaky Eyeball are welcomed by almost all other ratling tribes, even the xenophobic Green-Green-White. They also get along better with humans than many other Nezumi tribes, since they regard humans as yet another source of stories and knowledge. The Squeaky Eyeball’s home territory was in the northern Crab lands and the northern fringe of the Shadowlands, in the Mountains of Twilight. They joined the One Tribe along with almost all the other tribes, and often served as ambassadors or messengers during the great Tribe’s brief period of near-equal relations with the Empire. During Tomorrow they suffered very heavy losses, but were not wholly extinguished, and their exploratory and curious nature allowed them to recover more quickly than most.

Stained Paw

  • Benefit: +1 Stamina

The Stained Paw, like the Crippled Bone, was once a powerful tribe of savage warriors that lived deep in the Shadowlands. Their story became a tragic one in the twelfth century when an unusually virulent disease, one which even Nezumi constitutions could not wholly defeat, wiped out their Rememberers. Cut off from their traditions and past, the tribe was left helpless and alone. The sinister race known as the Tsuno learned of the Stained Paw’s fate and took cruel advantage of it. A Tsuno Soultwister disguised himself as a powerful Nezumi Shaman and seduced the Stained Paw with lies and false tales, convincing them to willingly become allies of the Dark Lord. The Tsuno turned the Stained Paw against their fellow Nezumi with vicious effect. It was the Nezumi hero known as Ik’krt who helped the Stained Paw recognize the Tsuno treachery. With his help they defeated the Tsuno and recovered their identity as Nezumi, eventually seeking to join the One Tribe. The Crippled Bone, bitter over past confl ict, opposed them at fi rst, but when Ik’krt himself stepped forward to lead the Stained Paw the Crippled Bone set the past aside. Tomorrow devastated the Stained Paw like every other tribe. Most of their great warriors, including Ik’krt, perished. But when they saw the plight of their old rivals the Crippled Bone, they rushed to their side. Side by side, the Stained Paw and Crippled Bone fought against the Shadowlands – and won, forming the new Crippled Paw tribe.

Tattered Ear Tribe

  • Benefit: +1 Awareness

For many centuries the Tattered Ear was the largest and most successful of all the Nezumi tribes. The greatest of the three tribes to emerge from the break-up of the Forever Racing Tomorrow tribe, they migrated north and made their home in the Shinomen Forest, surviving by scavenging off of humans in the surrounding territories.
The tribe was so large and successful that it eventually divided into seven semi-independent packs and ranged throughout Rokugan. The lands of the Crab, Crane, Scorpion, and Unicorn, not to mention several Minor Clans, were all at various times home to nomadic Tattered Ear packs. Each pack had a migratory circuit which required three and a half years to complete, followed by a year and a half dwelling in their ancient home in the Shinomen – which they called M-atikf’chtr-foo (“the Great Home”). A massive hollow tree in the center of their village would come to house some of the greatest treasures of the Nezumi: random shiny objects and artifacts collected over centuries of scouring the Empire’s rubbish. Because of their wide range, the Tattered Ear frequently came into contact with Nezumi in other lands. They quickly realized it was to their benefi t to befriend these tribes, trading goods and information. Because of their gregarious nature they became the unoffi cial communication network of their race. If a Nezumi behind the Kaiu Wall wished to know what was happening in the lands of the Unicorn, all he needed to do was wait for the Tattered Ear to arrive and ask them. The Tattered Ear’s fortunes changed in the early twelfth century when the Naga race began to reawaken from their long sleep. The fi rst encounters between the Naga and Nezumi were violent. Many Naga considered the Nezumi to be no more than food animals or rebellious pets. Skirmishes between the two races were frequent, and many Tattered Ear packs fl ed the Shinomen altogether. Gradually, many of the Naga came to recognize that the Nezumi were no longer the simple creatures they once knew, but an intelligent race worthy of respect and compassion. They realized the Nezumi, like themselves, were enemies of both the Shadowlands and the Lying Darkness. Though relations between the Tattered Ear and the Naga continued to be strained, they were no longer hostile, and when the Naga returned to their slumber decades later, the Tattered Ear expanded throughout the Shinomen once more. Though it was the Crippled Bone who fi rst proposed the idea of the One Tribe, it would have been impossible without the Tattered Ear. Their connections throughout the Shadowlands and the Empire allowed all the Nezumi tribes to move and act as one, and the Great Home was considered the de facto capital of the One Tribe, where the leaders of many powerful Nezumi tribes often met to decide the fate of their people. When Tomorrow ravaged the Nezumi race, the Naga understood precisely what had happened. The sleeping Naga sensed the conflict in the world of dreams and communicated the truth to their waking guardians through the bonds of the Akasha. The remaining Naga extended their hands to the surviving Nezumi in friendship. They helped the Tattered Ear to clean the Great Home, tending to the dead and organizing those who remained. Soon the other wandering packs returned, and the Tattered Ear was whole once more – if greatly diminished. In the After Times, the Tattered Ear again send forth their migrating packs, but now with a new goal: to look for survivors. The Tattered Ear made it their duty to seek out the scattered tribes left behind, to gather the orphans and widows struck down by Tomorrow’s wrath, and to bring them all back to the Great Home.

Third Whisker

  • Benefit: +1 Willpower

The Third Whisker are one of the smallest of Nezumi tribes, never numbering more than a few dozen individuals. However, they have always included a disproportionate number of prophets and Shamans and an especially strong link to the Transcendents. They are the third tribe that emerged from the centuries-old fracture of the Forever Racing Tomorrow tribe, and from their earliest origins they were beset with dire prophecies about terrible events lying in their future. Paralyzed by these visions, they remained in the Shadowlands until the eighth century, when the rise of the Maw forced them to fl ee north to the Crab lands. When the Maw was fi nally beaten back, the Third Whisker remained, living in tunnels beneath Shiro Kaiu and the newly built Kaiu Wall. There they remained, eventually forming an uneasy alliance with the Kaiu family. The Crab engineers often found the Nezumi highly annoying, but could not deny that the little creatures contributed to the Wall’s defense and upkeep – after all, it was their home too. The Third Whisker are some of the smallest of Nezumi, with an average height of only three feet. They are also among the grimmest and most stoic of ratlings, believing that the world is doomed and they are the only ones who know the truth. Although their Shamans are skilled, other tribes often regard them with trepidation due to their dour natures. The Third Whisker were one of the first tribes to join the One Tribe, believing it might offer a way to avert their prophecies. When Tomorrow came, however, they believed their visions had fi nally come true, and their handful of survivors gave in to despair. To the best the Kaiu could determine, no Third Whisker Nezumi survived the first harsh winter of the After Times.

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