Extermination

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Veknironth
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Extermination

Unread post by Veknironth »

Well, we're starting a campaign in the Western Empire so I went back to look at that book. It's great. But I saw that many of the cities have problems with subterranean creatures like Ratling and Rattons. Why wouldn't they just hire a few warlocks to summon a couple of lesser elementals and tell them to kill every ratling/ratton they find? The elementals could be invisible, they would be immune to anything but magic, and they have a lot of health. It would take maybe a week to clear those places out.

-Vek
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kiralon
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Re: Extermination

Unread post by kiralon »

The world is 35 seconds old so someone hasn't done it yet. Its an issue with a lot of the things that would have been done but haven't yet.
or
There is something down there summoning/generating them.
or
There is a big population of them nearbyish, and food pressure and high reproductive rate makes them move into the emptier places where people keep sending down things to clear them out, but they keep on coming in because they want food.
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Kraynic
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Re: Extermination

Unread post by Kraynic »

A couple things come to mind from parts of the description of ratlings. These are from the Monsters and Animals book (pg 126).

To be honest, even the Western Empire has no idea how many of these nocturnal. subterranean creatures exist under their cities. They have conducted purges that have slaughtered tens of thousands annually and have enslaved over 250,000, but fear that there could be as many as two million free, living under their nation (there are easily two or three times as many).


Magic is a major fascination for Ratlings. There are numerous low level wizards and warlocks found among them. as well as practitioners of the more frightening arts of Diabolism and Summoning. However, these impetuous creatures frequently attempt to control powers far beyond their abilities. While this may result in massive death and destruction, it is only a temporary setback in the steady growth of the Ratling population.


So, the Western Empire has been doing things and the Ratlings aren't totally helpless in the face of magic. They may very well counter elemental assaults with other elementals or by summoning things they can't control, which can be a danger to the surface as much as to the Ratlings.
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glitterboy2098
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Re: Extermination

Unread post by glitterboy2098 »

i can think a few reasons: elementals aren't terribly aware of how things work in the material world, so getting them to identify only the desirred enemies might be tricky. after all there would also be relatively harmless human Toshers and grubbers in those sewers and catacombs as well, not to mention maintenance crews and the like. also elementals aren't usually going to comprehend things like 'collateral damage' and "loadbearing foundations", so will need constant supervision to ensure that in cleaning out all those unwanted intruders they don't literally cause the ground to fall out under the feet of the city dwellers.

plus it is a lot cheaper to just hire some mercenaries or post a bounty whenever things get bad than to recruit and fund enough mages to summon what are high end magical creatures, and then do it every few months to ensure the place stays clean. especially since the recruitment of so many mages by a city may well appear to be an attempt to raise an army to make an attempt to attack the Emperor.
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kiralon
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Re: Extermination

Unread post by kiralon »

and with governments its often more important to look like you are doing something than actually doing it.
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ShadowLogan
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Re: Extermination

Unread post by ShadowLogan »

Veknironth wrote:Well, we're starting a campaign in the Western Empire so I went back to look at that book. It's great. But I saw that many of the cities have problems with subterranean creatures like Ratling and Rattons. Why wouldn't they just hire a few warlocks to summon a couple of lesser elementals and tell them to kill every ratling/ratton they find? The elementals could be invisible, they would be immune to anything but magic, and they have a lot of health. It would take maybe a week to clear those places out.

-Vek
"I see, you Smiling_Bandit, stealing my bit."

Because the Ratling/ratton pay their taxes on time and in full? Even if not recognized as official citizens.

Rifts Conversion Book 1 Revised (pg171-2) says this about them in the Palladium World "Their existence and large numbers are kept secret by the government, so very few city dwellers are aware of them, and those who do discover Ratlings assume they are of little consequence and leave them for the rulers of the Western Empire to deal with."

Why the govt. chooses to keep them secret could be any number of reasons like they perform some necessary service (upkeep of the underground, act as a buffer to keep out something even less desirable, etc) either by formal or informal treaty or possibly they have blackmail on the rulers, govt. infiltration.
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glitterboy2098
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Re: Extermination

Unread post by glitterboy2098 »

also a fair point. i wouldn't be surprised if the Ratlings and such aren't being hired as spies and saboteurs in the intra-house politics.
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The Dark Elf
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Re: Extermination

Unread post by The Dark Elf »

Veknironth wrote:Well, we're starting a campaign in the Western Empire so I went back to look at that book. It's great. But I saw that many of the cities have problems with subterranean creatures like Ratling and Rattons. Why wouldn't they just hire a few warlocks to summon a couple of lesser elementals and tell them to kill every ratling/ratton they find? The elementals could be invisible, they would be immune to anything but magic, and they have a lot of health. It would take maybe a week to clear those places out.

-Vek
"I see, you Smiling_Bandit, stealing my bit."

Because the writer didnt think of that at the time...
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