Can one become a clock-work rat king?

  1. I’m really hoping to succeed with the clock work &quotDevices and Desires&quot card if that comes up again. Does anyone know if it possible to gain a profession in making clock work toys and things, whether they attack people or not?

  2. And is there a way to befriend the rats and become a rat king at some point?
    I purchased 2 talkative rattus Fabers, and was originally thinking of going hunting for ‘big rats’ in the hope I could actually befriend the giant rodents and start working for them instead against the rat hunters, but would anyone know if that is even an option at any point or should I totally stay away from the rat hunters and their quests if I want to work with rats later?

  3. So if either of the above is possible, can someone tell me what I need to do to start the path of befriending the toy-crafting rats or just rats in general?

Thanks for reading all this and any tips or leads you can provide if able!

  1. As it stands, there are storylines relating to the clockwork devices and toys of London, but they’re not complete - we may be able to start working in that field in the future, but we just don’t know.

  2. You can definitely befriend the rats and become a minor sort of ratty leader - in fact, doing so is one way to progress through the existing clockwork mysteries. You’ll want to look for the &quotMysteries of the Plaster Face&quot storyline, which begins with &quotA night-time conference&quot and &quotA sculpted scowl&quot in the Dangerous 85 - 90 region.

If you have the basic ratty companions - the Talkative Rat, the Working Rat, the Rattus Faber Bandit-Chief and (I think) the optional Disgraced Bandit-Chief from the Troubled By Vermin story, then the night-time conference (and later stories) provide options to build up the Sympathetic To Ratly Concerns quality (which, if I remember correctly, you might want to build up to 5 or more before investigating the sculpted scowl. Working with them will then let you oppose one who exploits London’s rats, and gain some insight into the clockmakers of London in the process.

Also with the Investigating the Plaster Face you get the chance to get an Albino Rat, which can tie into the Clockwork stories due to the Albino rat having belonged to the Watchmaker’s Daughter.

There are wiki entries on how to get that storyline. Also you can attend a rat funeral at Watchmaker’s Hill at some point, although I never was able to see it.

Oh, the Plaster Face only shows in your Lodgings.

It’s funny, really - I don’t think the real-life W. Paley had a daughter.

By the way - don’t start “A Sculpted Scowl” before you do “A Night Time Conference” as that disappears:( I was waiting until I could afford the top tier Rat from the Bazaar and missed out.

[quote=Joy Phillip]Also with the Investigating the Plaster Face you get the chance to get an Albino Rat, which can tie into the Clockwork stories due to the Albino rat having belonged to the Watchmaker’s Daughter.

There are wiki entries on how to get that storyline. Also you can attend a rat funeral at Watchmaker’s Hill at some point, although I never was able to see it.

Oh, the Plaster Face only shows in your Lodgings.[/quote]

This card is solely available in Watchmaker’s Hill, I believe.
edited by Aximillio on 7/17/2013

Ah! Thanks for the leads, guys. I saw the rat funeral card once but have been unable to get it a second time. I even created a second character to try and find that but with no success…

I don’t think I’ve seen the rat funeral since I became a PoSI, despite drawing a lot of cards in Watchmaker’s Hill when I accidentally ended my Acquaintance with the Regretful Soldier, and when grinding Infernal Contracts.

Paley had four daughters, it seems. When not contemplating clockwork, he advocated progressive income tax and the right of the poor to steal. The Masters were pleased by this, I’m sure.

Fascinating! I notice that two of them have no date of death recorded. The Neath being the Neath, this presumably they’re still alive… for a given, Tomb-Colonised, Drowned, Soulless, Clay or Rubbery-Enhanced definition of “alive.”

I’ve never seen the Funeral card at all. Tried to get it, but couldn’t.

Ah yes I got the Rat Funeral this morning while grinding at Watchmaker’s hill. Though I’m new, I was hoping it would start something, but there was no test of my stats. The little rat guards just ushered me away after it was over. Oh well. I would have left some rosty gold or something on the mass grave if they’d let me… I mean, showing one’s respects is proper, you know…