School of the Rat

“*"One man from Benek swears upon his life he once saw a Witcher summoning a swarm of rats out of thin air, but that’s just ridiculous, the man was probably drunk as hell and took a trick of some travelling performer a bit too serious".*”
―- Anonymous

## General Information

### Variation(s)

Rat School
 Rats
 Rodents

## Key Personel

### Leader(s)

Ayco (?)
Corvo (?)

### Notable member(s)

Ayco (?)
Corvo (?)
Corvo "The Younger"

## Area of Activity

### Area(s) served

Continent

The **School of the Rat** is a supposed "school" of ragtag witchers who would supposedly be based in a travelling circus, named Rye Barknor which would travel around The Continent.

## History

Littleis known about the School of the Rat, all the information are considered legends, rumors at most.

Supposedly, the origin of the School of the Rat comes from a schism produced at the School of the Cat, during the time they were stationed at the Stygga Citadel.

According to rumors, their founder was **Ayco**, a witcher who belonged to the group of 20 members that would give birth to the School of the Cat. Who much later, between the years 990 and 1169, when he saw the "degeneration" of his school and how its reputation was getting worse and worse, decided to take the members who agreed with him and split up, thus giving rise to the **School of the Rat**. A more professional version of what the Cats once were. It is said that their rat-shaped head medallions are a symbol of the total opposition to the cats. Who they consider inferior, just like the other witcher schools.

Adepts of the School of the Rat are highly trained not only in combat, alchemy, sign magic and monster fighting, but also in the art of stealth and infiltration. Because of that the richest and most influential of this world often try to seek them out to offer positions of agents, spies or even assassins.

It has been rumored that only eight witchers of that School exist at the given time and only if one of them falls the new candidate is carefully searched out and taken in for the training. This has never been confirmed either.

Folk also whisper that witchers from the School of the Rat are experts in the trap making and explore occult and dark magic, but this is most likely just a rumor as well.

## Characteristics

Even if they're enemies of the School of the Cat. These share certain characteristics with this one. Such as a fighting style focusing on speed, precision, agility, in addition to stealth. They have light equipment  designed to maximize flexibility and provide the greatest possible range of motion and allow it a great infiltration capacity.

It is rumored,that also, as well as their enemies, members of the Rat School are flexible in terms of morals and politics.

#### Swords

Similar to the Viper School witchers. It is rumored that the witchers of the School of the Rat use swords with similar blades, maybe a little larger to finish off their objectives.

But, there is a quite interesting rumor / speculation about this topic, which was included in "Chronicles of the East" book published by Fabio Sachs about the year 1291.

In one of his sections,in which the witcher and the explorer's best friend, Putnam Pitch writes, mentioning the events that took place in Hannu, the following is said:

“*When I faced the unknown witcher who tried to kill the expedition, I could see for an instant how he used a small dagger, with inscriptions on what I believe was Elder Speech . I speculate, based on the rumors I later heard about the school he might belong to, that that dagger he tried to use, was a kind of initiation dagger used to kill small monsters or certain targets before using that swords similar to the swords of the vipers that he then confronted me with before he ran away.*”
―Putnam Pitch , Chronicles of the East, Chapter V, " About the events on the land of the Gods Kings "

#### Signs

It is said that due to their exploration of dark magic, rats know very powerful signs. Unknown even to the witchers of the Griffin School. But like everything else, they're just rumors.

#### Bombs

It is also said that some members travelled to the distant land of the Okami Islands and there developed new bombs, based on those used by the ninjas.

#### Medallion

It is rumored that the School of the Rat possesses a unique type of witcher medallion, which makes them invisible to the enemy's eye.

## Known members

### Witchers

* Corvo
* Ayco
* Bengel
* Dill
* Drensei
* Giku
* Adrend
* Aicoll
* Steoryull
* Ellek
* Eisbar
* Fronx
* Havoc
* Jugurtha
* Pemulwuy
* Corvo "The younger"

## Gallery

Corvo, art by CoupleofkooksDifferent versions of the medallion of the School of the Rat witchers according to rumors. Art by Alexander VorontsovDifferent versions of the armor of the School of the Rat according to different accounts. The one seen by Fabio Sachs and his expedition was the number 11. Art by Alexander VorontsovSword and dagger of the School of the Rat, according to the descriptions given by Putnam Pitch. Art by Alexander Vorontsov
## Trivia

* Corvo is a reference to a character from the Dishonored videogames.

## References

* This article is based in this idea from this reddit R/ ImaginaryWitcher