Avalonian Association of Vermincatchers

The Avalonian Association of Vermincatchers
Avalon is a sprawling city with many hundreds of thousands of residents and any such jewel of civilisation invariably attracts all sort of vermin that if left unmanaged would quickly swarm through the unkempt streets of the slums, infiltrate the overburdened sewers and from them flood into the wealthier districts, where the residents are far less tolerant of their presence.

They frequently call upon the many adventurers of Avalon to deal with the more serious problems and infestations, but even their efforts make only small dents in the burgeoning vermin population. It was from this need that small groups sprung up to try to handle the problems in their areas, claiming small bounties for proof of vermin killed or jobs completed, but this was typically hit and miss, with the less scrupulous groups simply chasing the problem into a neighbours patch.

Eventually though some groups got wise to this type of behaviour and began to form a loose organisation of affiliated groups, eventually becoming known to themselves at least as the Avalonian Association of Vermincatchers, though many still refer to them as the ‘Ratcatcher’s guild’.

The guild has grown to become quite successful with representatives in most areas of the city dealing with rats, insect infestation and even offers an unofficial lost and found for items of a sensitive nature recovered in the course of duty. Exactly how they operate depends on the district of the city, with a greater emphasis on subtlety and discretion in the more noble districts and an affordable service in cheaper areas, taking on specific jobs if infestation removal is required, or offering a variable bounty on the most significant problem species.

They have also been known to work as the middle men in arranging the hiring of adventurers to solve problems that are beyond the Vermincatcher’s moderate skills.

Entry Requirements & Advancement:
Entry requirements for the Vermincatcher’s scale by district:
Among the slums, it is simply a case of finding the local Vermincatcher boss and making an agreement with him. Typically these will be worked out on a quota or per infestation basis, with preferential rates given for repeat members.
The Wharf District has a significant problem with rats, particularly those coming in or leaving on ships and in the warehouses. Membership here is still quite loosely coordinated due to the ever present requirement for new staff, but warehouse owners and ship’s captains have insisted on a minimum of taking names and addresses for those sent to work with them to protect against theft. Some have even issued workers with armbands or other identifying marks to aid in tracing potential criminals.
The Midtown and Trade Districts offer another solution to the problem, agreements have been negotiated between landlords, homeowners, merchants or the tax collectors to pay regular ‘donations’ to the Vermincatchers in return for controlling the vermin population. Membership/advancement is by application only with no guarantee of acceptance depending on the positions available and requirements sometimes tailored to dealing with specific vermin or groups.
Working in the Palisades is similar to the Midtown and Trade Districts, but requirements are more stringent, it is rare for an individual to be hired outright, they are typically elevated from those who have already proven their capability and discretion in other districts, particularly the Trade Distracts or occasionally the Wharf if they come recommended by Captains or influential warehouse owners.
The Vermincatcher’s have yet to crack the Undercity market, dominated as it is with races whose tolerance of vermin is higher, including some who eat them as a delicacy or even farm them.

Benefits:
Benefits for membership in the ‘Ratcatcher’s guild’ vary:
Economic: Members of the guild typically earn enough to support themselves living or renting in the area they work – apart from inside the palisades – with salaries varying between approximately 3,000gp to 10,000gp per year for formal posts, work in the Slums and Wharf Distract tend to be short term or informal.
Gear: Apart from membership cards and/or other identifying marks as required by the employer there is no special gear offered by the ‘guild’.
Services: The Association offers discounted infestation removals and tools of the trade for members – particularly items protecting from or treating vermin venom and the related diseases –and a first come first served internal market on unclaimed goods recovered from vermin: typically small mundane items and trinkets or items that the owner may not be concerned with or not want to claim themselves due to an embarrassing or illegal nature. They can also sell maps of tunnels to members, but these are difficult to produce and expensive.
Information: Vermincatcher’s themselves can be a wealth of information, with knowledge of how districts are connected through the sewers and potentially how someone might gain access to areas they normally couldn’t. They may also be able to offer information or observations about individuals, traders or nobles whose establishments they have worked at. Additionally, some members of the guild may also have information regarding other organisations that frequent the sewers such as The Syndicate, although this information would certainly come at a hefty priceas it is not in their interest to make enemies.
Spending an hour talking to Vermincatcher’s on a specific subject will give: a +10 circumstance bonus on Knowledge (Local & Geography) checks for their area, Or +5 Knowledge (Architecture) if they have worked in any area other than the slums, Or +5 Knowledge (Nobility) if they have worked in the Palisades.
Access: Provided an area is infested with vermin and the Association has been hired, they have access almost anywhere, but that does not mean guards will not be suspicious of them if they leave designated areas or act suspiciously. Particularly a member may be able to gain access to guarded warehouses, storage basements or the servants entrance of a minor noble provided they have the necessary proof of identity.
Status: Depending on the district status varies. Among the dockworkers they are seen as necessary and many are respected if they do their jobs well. Among the Trade District and Midtown, the guild carries respect, but the individual members do not, some see them as little more than glorified cats chasing mice, others prefer simply not to see them. In the Palisades they are unlikely to interact directly with any nobles, but would be hired by the house Steward and treated with the respect due any outside specialist, that of condescending disdain, though other servants may have a higher opinion of them.

Combat:
The Association does not actively engage in battle with other groups, though it may occasionally make reprisals against criminals or adventurers attempting to use their name in activities which may be illegal, particularly if identification was stolen from members or members were threatened and harmed to gain these items.
The greatest threat to them is the vermin they hunt and the areas they hunt them in. Broadly their members are capable of defeating routine threats and infestations, with most groups reasonably accustomed to the threats they face. Particularly capable individuals rise in the ranks to end up working the best jobs in the palisades or on difficult infestations. However, when threats arise they will quickly seek adventurers willing to deal with them. These situations are typically handled by the local officers.
Their equipment varies, but typically consists of leather armours and a mix of simple weapons, spears, nets and alchemical tools which may assist in stunning or distracting vermin.

Missions:
The Association routinely patrols the sewers and other area that they have been paid to maintain, outside of these they are frequently called upon to undertake vermin slaying missions, particularly of rats, dire rats, monstrous insects, escaped animals etc. These might take place in the sewers, docks, warehouses, cellars, houses or almost anywhere else.

Responsibilities:
Typically, if a member is available to work and participates in missions, then s/he maintains his membership. If they repeatedly do not respond when called upon, act in any way to damage the interests of the Association or are caught abusing their position by stealing, or helping others steal, they may be kicked from the Association.

Structure:
Leader: Muroidea Hamlin (Palisades)
District Heads: Maurice Black (Midtown), Moulton Kybird (Trade District), Cecil Wroxham (Wharf), Opper Easton (Slums)
Local Officers: Palisades: 1, Midtown: 3, Trade District: 5, Wharf District: 8, Slums: 12
Employed Catchers/Staff*: Between 3-10 ‘Catchers’ per Local Officer, plus 1-3 staff.
*These are only the official salaried members; there may be many more working informally or under contract, particularly in the Slums and the Wharf Districts.

NPC Reactions:
Generally, only those who have received aid or are looking for aid from the Vermincatchers will pay them particular attention, for the most part they go about their business in the style of “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” Particularly if their work involves the sewers or other less savoury places which tend to colour people’s opinions. In polite company, some offer other names for the service, pest control or extermination are often used.
Adventurers working for the Vermincatchers are unlikely to be penalised socially, their reputation is likely to be built on handling a variety of problems, not just those the Vermincatchers normally deal with, however, they may be chided for holding such a position.

Lore: Knowledge (Local)
DC 10: A large guild that hunts down vermin all over the city with local offices in almost every district.
DC 15: Location of nearest Office & whether they are hiring or offering jobs. Gather Information should provide vague information regarding the local situation with vermin, or if in the Slums, knowledge of infestations in the area.
DC 20: Knowledge of some local members or their popular haunts. Gather Information may reveal areas in the Wharf district which are suffering from infestations.
DC 25: Knowledge of leading members and/or members who may be willing to trade information or ‘recovered’ items. Gather Information may reveal locations of infestations in Midtown or Trade Districts.
Note: Gather Information checks made my members should be easier, Gather Information or Knowledge (Local) checks should not reveal information of members or infestations in the Palisade district unless the check is made by a trusted member of the Association.

Encounters:
There are any number of ways the players may encounter the Vermincatchers. They could appear as NPC’s or deceased characters at any location of vermin infestation, potentially as undead in sewers or areas. Alternatively, members of the association can potentially be useful sources of information.
The Association may also hire players to take on jobs they deem too dangerous or beyond their remit on behalf of the individual or organisation who hired them. They may on occasion hire adventurers to search for missing Catchers if they have failed to return from patrols or jobs. They may also hire adventurers to collect payment from obstinate individuals, this is rare, but the association goes out of its way to ensure agreements are respected.
The guild does not always trust adventurers however, and there has been friction in the past with adventurers abusing the guild’s trust, should players abuse guild members or should the guild believe that the player character has posed as a Vermincatcher to break the law, they will seek retribution, typically in the form of infesting the characters residence with all manner of unusual vermin until remuneration has been made.