Way of the Rat

The Way of the Rat is a philosophy and sect of Peryite cultism, one that is set on spreading rot and plague to the world. Its followers, called the Rat Knights, differ from the Afflicted in that they do not spew green bile, but have instead degenerated into vile, decaying husks, riddled with disease but having developed a supernatural resistance to the pain, and lost the ability to succumb to any disease. The Rat Knights' skin is pale grey and their orifices ooze black fluid. Underneath their clothes and armour, their organs are distended and bloated, open wounds festering uninhibitedly. The Rat Knights do not mind - they view this disgusting decay as a blessing from their god, and revel in it; they have lost the ability to feel pain long since, their nerves having rotted away.

The Rat Knights are accompanied by rats wherever they go. These creatures are considered sacred by the tenets of the Way of the Rat, which teaches that rats are Peryite's gift to Nirn, born to spread disease all across the world. The Rat Knights live in synergy with the rats, with which they have a telepathic connection. The most powerful followers of the Way, dubbed Rat Lords, gather huge swarms of rats around them, having developed so much power through their extensive gifts from Peryite that they can control these swarms with their mind.

The Way of the Rat is violently opposed by the followers of the Way of the Indrik, who have defended Summerset from the Rat Knights for many ages and have prevented the Way of the Rat to gain a foothold on the island.