“The rat pack? What? Oh! You mean my little monsters. Right. Well, this is like a social experiment, but then it’s also a charity foundation. Whatever you want to call it, it’s one of those things where we all win and then we get to walk home feeling like a jar full of lightning bugs. No? OK. Bathtub full of gasoline. Still? I give up. Moving on.”
“Why do they worship a rat? Good question. I guess it was just one of those cause and effect things. The first kid I saved was lonely. One day I came back with another kid I saved, and we found the first kid hanging out with a statue of this half-human, half-rodent character, carrying on a one-sided conversation.”
“So I left the second one there with him. Over time, I sent more to join them. Before I knew it, they were worshiping some kind of ancient rat god. No name, they just call him the Rat. I suppose it’s all harmless fun, right? After all, the Rat had some pretty good rules, like ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ and… I’m pretty sure there were other ones too. Anyways, the kids seem to love him so… why not?”
The Rat Pack. A tribe of young rapscallions orphaned by the often cruel world that we live in. It’s unclear who or what led to this state of affairs, but make no mistake – this ragtag band of upstarts owns the City of Nemo. This city is known as the Orphan City in some circles, but if you were to ask any of the Rat Pack where they live, well, they probably wouldn’t tell you since you’re an adult. But that aside, they refer to their home as Nemo.
As for their moniker, well… you could probably say they’ve lost it, all things considered. The Rat Pack adhere to a cult-like religion that worships the Rat King. Nobody from outside Nemo has ever seen the Rat King, but then again, most people don’t go out of their way to visit Nemo unless they’re desperate to find a lost child. Most that do visit don’t make their way home, though. The Rat Pack are a protective group and while their small stature may not be very intimidating, they more than make up for it with their childlike creativity and fearlessness.
andante 