Street Rats of Niskala

You die of hunger in two ways. Either, you die from eating too little food, or you die from someone killing you over scraps. And that is if the cold of winter doesn't kill you first.

Only a few of us survive until our sixteenth birthday.

— A Street Rat

If you go to Niskala you won't fail to notice the occasional child living on the streets, begging for food and money. These children are the Street Rats, coming from both Niskala and the towns around it, all of them homeless and under the age of sixteen.

Organization

There isn't much organization inside the Street Rats, but there is a certain pecking order. Older kids are generally stronger and can easily bully the younger kids into giving them their food or cash.

With that said, there are several older kids that take younger kids under their wings, and create small gangs who all help each other survive. It usually only works until a certain point, though, as most would choose their own life over another's when food gets real scarce. Yet, being two or three sometimes makes it easier to survive due to cooperation, and the bonds made inside these gangs make it a bit easier to cope with the bleak existence of the Street Rat life.

What Does the Government Do?

Although the government has tried several times to solve the problem once and for all it hasn't really become any smaller. There is a soup kitchen, but due to periodical lack of funding, it isn't always open, staffed, or stocked. It was even attempted to keep a small house open to give these kids somewhere to sleep, but it was closed down due to near-constant fighting among the Street Rats. Hiring someone to keep watch inside the building was simply too expensive - not to mention that it was hard to find someone willing to risk their own health to stop the constant bickering.

Type

Illicit, Gang

Demonym

Street Rats

Location

Niskala

Why Only Under Sixteen?

At sixteen you're considered an adult in Inmalenor. Although not magically off the streets the day they turn sixteen, they're not considered Street Rats anymore.

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The Street Rats and the Ravenous Ravens

It's no secret that the Ravenous Ravens don't like competition, especially not when others are doing crime on their turf. However, they don't seem to be very bothered by the presence of the Street Rats. There might be several reasons for this.

# The Street Rats' petty crimes might be considered a distraction for the Ravens' larger missions. # The crimes done by the Street Rats usually limit themselves to pickpocketing and petty thefts, and are generally not seen as real competition. # Lastly, the Ravenous Ravens, always looking for new promising recruits, might find useful skills among those who grew up and survived on the streets.