Overview

The Rats Guild is one of Neverwinter's most notorious thieves' guilds, operating from the city's extensive sewer systems and abandoned underground passages. Known for their cunning, stealth, and ability to "acquire" items that others cannot, the guild has carved out a significant presence in the city's criminal underworld.

Public Reputation

Most law-abiding citizens of Neverwinter speak of the Rats Guild in hushed tones, if at all. While feared for their criminal activities, they've earned a grudging respect for their professionalism and their unwritten code of avoiding unnecessary violence. Unlike common cutthroats, the Rats are known for their precision and planning.

Criminal Activities

• Burglary and Theft: Specializing in breaking into homes, shops, and warehouses throughout the city
• Smuggling Operations: Moving contraband through Neverwinter's underground networks
• Fencing Stolen Goods: Operating discrete markets for items of questionable origin
• Protection Rackets: Offering "insurance" to businesses in exchange for regular payments
• Information Trading: Selling secrets, blackmail material, and intelligence to the highest bidder

Territory and Operations

The guild operates primarily in Neverwinter's lower districts, with particular influence in:

• Docks District, facilitating smuggling operations
• The extensive sewer system beneath the city

Relationship with Authorities

The city watch actively pursues known guild members, though catching them proves challenging given their knowledge of the city's hidden passages. Corruption within the guard ranks occasionally provides the guild with advance warning of raids, though this protection is neither guaranteed nor cheap.

Guild Services

Despite their criminal nature, the Rats Guild sometimes provides services to those willing to pay and ask no questions:

• Retrieving stolen items (for a substantial fee)
• Gathering information on rivals or enemies
• Discrete delivery of messages or small packages
• Access to black market goods
• Protection services

Rumors and Street Talk

• Some say the guild has tunnels connecting to every major building in Neverwinter
• Whispers suggest they maintain detailed records of the city's wealthy residents and their security measures
• Local criminals speak of a hidden thieves' market that moves location nightly
• Guards warn that guild members can seemingly vanish into thin air when cornered

"Like their namesakes, they multiply in the dark places, and where you see one, there are always more watching from the shadows." - Lieutenant Hedrik of the Neverwinter Watch