"Ain't that the former knight captain? Real waste what happened to him, wish there was a way to get him back on his feet. He doesn't deserve being the mess he is right now."
"I wouldn't worry about that. I can still feel a divine pull to him."
"Hold on a sec, are you saying he's part of the mischief?"
"Exactly. And we all know the Rat Queen requires ambition, or there'd be nothing left. Which means there's still a fire inside him, no matter how much he pretends otherwise."
"Shit. That means he's planning revenge. Good for him, but damn... Okay, let's think of a way to help him once that happens, he deserves that much."— Overheard conversation of a mercenary party
The Rat Queen is a pseudo-deity followed by various members of the underworld. Under some definitions she could be considered a patron saint, yet at the same time her divinity seems to be unrelated to other deities. While not at the level of a God, she definitely holds strength and as such has been classified a pseudo-deity.
Those that follow the Rat Queen, are those with dirty hands yet with morals that they will still stick to. Furthermore, they will attempt to protect these morals. An example would be an assassin who does not only refuse to kill children, but will take action to stop a child-murderer. They might take out their would-be employer, or obtain evidence to condemn them for their crimes.
The Rat Queen is present in the dreams of her followers, observing but also guiding. She absorbs knowledge from them through this exchange of dreams. As such, one of her main Tenets is to experience new things, to provide her with new dreams and concepts, that she may grow stronger and help her followers rise. This leads us to another identifying aspect of the Mischief: Ambition. For one stuck in place, cannot provide her with the newness she desires.
Some individuals are actively presented in their dreams with knowledge beyond their reach, allowing them to combine knowledge and take down even the most powerful of targets. None know exactly why this happens, but the leading theory is that it's done to avenge the Queen's followers. As such, witnesses to their crimes form a conundrum for corrupt nobles: If the witness is a follower of the Rat Queen, they may act against them, but their death may invoke the Rat Queen's wrath.
There's something about rats as secret-keepers and information brokers that just really works. I like the concept of the mischief, the ratking that ties all these disparate souls together.
Both literal and metaphorical rats fit nicely here. If I ever were to use this in a short story-bit (wrote this because I just randomly got the inspiration from The Mountain Goats - Rat Queen), I'd probably involve rat familiars or a hobo with a swarm of friendly rats somewhere.
Too low they build who build beneath the stars - Edward Young