Kroty

Nobody fully understands what they actually do until they try to dig somewhere the Kroty have already claimed.

The Kroty control the physical space of District 5 itself. They are excavators, builders, and territorial guardians of the deepest tunnel layers: the parts of the Underpass that are not on any map because the Kroty built them, or because the Kroty sealed them. Their business model is straightforward: they dig, they maintain, they charge rent. They build the rooms where contraband is stored and the tunnels through which it travels.

The Troika leads the organization: Rodik oversees excavation and expansion, Kolya manages territorial defense, and Babulya handles finances and external relations.

Cultural Identity

Reinforced overalls, headlamps, thick gloves, steel-toed boots, scarves pulled over mouths against tunnel dust. The only shared identifier is a small iron mole pin worn on the left breast pocket, always tarnished. A communal drinking culture built around a homebrew tunnel spirit called кротовуха, and a deeply fatalistic sense of humor about living underground.

The Pack

• Diggers (25-30 active): Core labor force. Excavate, reinforce, maintain.
• Gatekeepers (15-20 active): Access controllers at key junctions. Verify credentials, collect tolls, redirect unauthorized visitors.
• Sweepers (10-12 active): Combat specialists trained exclusively for tunnel fighting.
• Masons (8-10 active): Build permanent installations. Petya leads this tier.

Known Relationships

• Saracens Imperium: Primary client. Roughly 30% of Saracen routes run through Kroty-maintained infrastructure.
• Luipaarden: Functional coexistence. The Kroty build the spaces. The Luipaarden guard.
• Păianjenii: Rodik has noticed the Spiders use passages that predate Kroty excavation. He has said nothing about this outside the Troika.
• Werkbund: Werkbund purchases deep-excavation Materials from the Kroty through intermediaries. Neither party documents the arrangement in detail.
• Lara Opus: Rodik has noticed she navigates passages that predate Kroty excavation. He cannot find all of her routes.
• The Salary Man: Absolute avoidance. Standing orders: do not engage, seal the nearest three junctions, wait for confirmed departure.