Dishonored Lore: The Rat Plague
These hideous creatures the subject of years of tests…
to no avail
I. Introduction
Welcome to my second Dishonored lore article. In the first, you read all about the dominant religious and political force in the city of Dunwall, their motives, practices, and superstitions. In this article, however, you will hear about their greatest fear--the Rat Plague. In this short piece I hope to outline the origins, effects, and mysteries surrounding the Plague. This article will have more quotes than my first, as I believe the easiest way to learn about this is through primary sources.
WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for Dishonored
II. Origins
The rat plague, the bane of the city of Dunwall, was originally believed to have come from another Isle, or perhaps the Pandyssian continent. Doctors and physicians believed it to have been carried on one of these ships (there are occasional expeditions to Pandyssia, which would allow this hypothesis), and deposited on the docks. This was only partially true. The plague did come from Pandyssia, and it was transmitted from the special species of rat that originated there, the Pandyssian Bull Rat. However, the arrival of the rat plague was no accident. In an audiograph confession, Lord Regent Hiram Burrows states:
“...it was a simple plan – bring the disease bearing rats from the Pandyssian continent, and let them take care of the poor for us. The plan worked perfectly. At first. But the rats – it was if they sought to undo me. They hid from the catchers, and bred at a sickening rate. Soon it didn’t matter, rich, poor, all were falling sick.”
This quote shows the true origins of the plague--Hiram Burrows was going to use it as a method of “cleansing” his city, and thus eliminating crime and poverty. However, his Rat Catchers (citizens who took up the job, they were paid by the total weight of all the rats they had killed) were used to the comparatively lazy and weak Dunwall rats. This meant that, when the Pandyssian variety arrived, they were unable to catch them, as Pandyssian rats were: “Meaner, bigger, and a little quicker,” said Lena, a Rat Catcher. She goes on to tell about the dangers of the plague rats, “If you got cornered, they'd turn and the swarm would come back at you. I barely got away with my skin a few times...” In an effort to encourage the continued hunting of these beasts (creatures is too clean a word for them), the City Watch offered more and more coin for each dead rat. But the fact that they could eat a man to the bone in only a few seconds discouraged any citizens from even nearing the rats.
Though this classist conspiracy was well-hidden, some were able to figure out, or at least hypothesize about, its origin. One natural philosopher’s observations of rat viscera led him to this conclusion:
“The rats collected in the poorest parts of town, in the slums, exhibit the oldest strains of the plague. While those found near the docks - where the foreign, plague-bearing rats would presumably have entered our city - exhibit a younger strain of plague...Could this mean that the rats were transported to the slums in some way that is not obvious?”
This natural philosopher’s notes show the truth from a second source--the plague began in the poorer districts of town, and then moved on to the other parts of town slowly (this explains why most of the weepers appear to be in plainer, poorer clothes).
III. Avoiding and Contracting the Plague
Though it may seem impossible to avoid the clutches of the hideous disease, it is actually not too difficult, if the correct precautions are taken. The government of Dunwall recommends these few things: “Avoid contact with the infected. Consume your ration of elixir daily, preferably in the morning. And report anyone suspected of carrying the plague.”
Possibly the most important part of this equation is the ingestion of elixir. The most commonly used is Sokolov’s Elixir. While it functions as a health potion in-game, in the lore it is the last resort against the plague, protecting the body from the contraction, though it will not protect from the vicious bites of the plague rats, which can still kill a man in seconds.
However, Sokolov’s competition may be even more effective than his seemingly perfect potion. Piero, the Loyalist tinker and natural philosopher, asserts that:
“...while it is true that Piero's Remedy and Sokolov's Elixir are known to protect the body against the plague equally, my own has properties...For you see, Sokolov's Elixir, with its emphasis on the brute, animal body, is a cross goo better suited for livestock. The subtle and secret variance in the key ingredients making up Piero's Remedy ensure that it works on the higher functions…”
IV. Influence of the Rat Plague
The Rat Plague’s destructive tendencies have influenced everything on Dunwall. Whole districts of the city are partly or mostly abandoned, and often the only people still inhabiting these parts are gangs. The Abbey of the Everyman, the supreme religious authority of Dunwall, was given almost totalitarian control over of the city. They are allowed to take citizens that have been merely accused of being a plague victims, torture them, and then dispose of them. They also imbed their own forces, the Overseers, into City Watch patrols, in order to ensure the Lord Regent’s will is being carried out.
The plague also influenced the people of Dunwall. Besides the fact that it has destroyed families and emptied sections of the city, it also brings up much superstition:
“Much of the public still harbors false beliefs related to the plague. It is NOT true that the bile from river krusts will protect against contraction of the disease. Nor is it true that crushed Morley orchids act as a remedy...Not only is it ineffective to burn two hagfish and a cat together, inhaling vapors while chanting the names of the plague-dead, but it is also considered heresy by the Overseer…”
This quote, taken from a government handbook on plague safety, shows the amount of fear circulating the disease. People are even willing to kill hagfish, which can devour a man instantly, solely so that they can be burned wishfully. This also shows the inability of the government to deal with the plague, as instead of widely circulating such manuals (there are two instances of the book Avoiding the Rat Plague in-game), they instead persecute their desperate citizenry (this goes back to the Lord Regent uses the plague to get rid of the poor instead of helping them economically).
V. Bibliography
A Second Solution (Book)
Avoiding the Rat Plague (Book)
The Rat Plague (Book)
Pandyssian Bull Rat Study (Book)
Rat Behavior and Extermination (Book)
Rat Plague (Wiki)
Galvani's Speculation (Book)
The Lord Regent's Confession (Audiograph)
VI. Closing Thoughts
Thanks for reading, and I hope this helped you learn even more about the world of Dishonored, as well as the plague that ravages it. If I missed anything, or there’s another piece you would like me to cover, tell me below.
PCTY Out.
Dishonored Lore: The Rat Plague
These hideous creatures the subject of years of tests…
to no avail
I. Introduction
Welcome to my second Dishonored lore article. In the first, you read all about the dominant religious and political force in the city of Dunwall, their motives, practices, and superstitions. In this article, however, you will hear about their greatest fear--the Rat Plague. In this short piece I hope to outline the origins, effects, and mysteries surrounding the Plague. This article will have more quotes than my first, as I believe the easiest way to learn about this is through primary sources.
WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for Dishonored
II. Origins
The rat plague, the bane of the city of Dunwall, was originally believed to have come from another Isle, or perhaps the Pandyssian continent. Doctors and physicians believed it to have been carried on one of these ships (there are occasional expeditions to Pandyssia, which would allow this hypothesis), and deposited on the docks. This was only partially true. The plague did come from Pandyssia, and it was transmitted from the special species of rat that originated there, the Pandyssian Bull Rat. However, the arrival of the rat plague was no accident. In an audiograph confession, Lord Regent Hiram Burrows states:
“...it was a simple plan – bring the disease bearing rats from the Pandyssian continent, and let them take care of the poor for us. The plan worked perfectly. At first. But the rats – it was if they sought to undo me. They hid from the catchers, and bred at a sickening rate. Soon it didn’t matter, rich, poor, all were falling sick.”
This quote shows the true origins of the plague--Hiram Burrows was going to use it as a method of “cleansing” his city, and thus eliminating crime and poverty. However, his Rat Catchers (citizens who took up the job, they were paid by the total weight of all the rats they had killed) were used to the comparatively lazy and weak Dunwall rats. This meant that, when the Pandyssian variety arrived, they were unable to catch them, as Pandyssian rats were: “Meaner, bigger, and a little quicker,” said Lena, a Rat Catcher. She goes on to tell about the dangers of the plague rats, “If you got cornered, they'd turn and the swarm would come back at you. I barely got away with my skin a few times...” In an effort to encourage the continued hunting of these beasts (creatures is too clean a word for them), the City Watch offered more and more coin for each dead rat. But the fact that they could eat a man to the bone in only a few seconds discouraged any citizens from even nearing the rats.
Though this classist conspiracy was well-hidden, some were able to figure out, or at least hypothesize about, its origin. One natural philosopher’s observations of rat viscera led him to this conclusion:
“The rats collected in the poorest parts of town, in the slums, exhibit the oldest strains of the plague. While those found near the docks - where the foreign, plague-bearing rats would presumably have entered our city - exhibit a younger strain of plague...Could this mean that the rats were transported to the slums in some way that is not obvious?”
This natural philosopher’s notes show the truth from a second source--the plague began in the poorer districts of town, and then moved on to the other parts of town slowly (this explains why most of the weepers appear to be in plainer, poorer clothes).
III. Avoiding and Contracting the Plague
Though it may seem impossible to avoid the clutches of the hideous disease, it is actually not too difficult, if the correct precautions are taken. The government of Dunwall recommends these few things: “Avoid contact with the infected. Consume your ration of elixir daily, preferably in the morning. And report anyone suspected of carrying the plague.”
Possibly the most important part of this equation is the ingestion of elixir. The most commonly used is Sokolov’s Elixir. While it functions as a health potion in-game, in the lore it is the last resort against the plague, protecting the body from the contraction, though it will not protect from the vicious bites of the plague rats, which can still kill a man in seconds.
However, Sokolov’s competition may be even more effective than his seemingly perfect potion. Piero, the Loyalist tinker and natural philosopher, asserts that:
“...while it is true that Piero's Remedy and Sokolov's Elixir are known to protect the body against the plague equally, my own has properties...For you see, Sokolov's Elixir, with its emphasis on the brute, animal body, is a cross goo better suited for livestock. The subtle and secret variance in the key ingredients making up Piero's Remedy ensure that it works on the higher functions…”
IV. Influence of the Rat Plague
The Rat Plague’s destructive tendencies have influenced everything on Dunwall. Whole districts of the city are partly or mostly abandoned, and often the only people still inhabiting these parts are gangs. The Abbey of the Everyman, the supreme religious authority of Dunwall, was given almost totalitarian control over of the city. They are allowed to take citizens that have been merely accused of being a plague victims, torture them, and then dispose of them. They also imbed their own forces, the Overseers, into City Watch patrols, in order to ensure the Lord Regent’s will is being carried out.
The plague also influenced the people of Dunwall. Besides the fact that it has destroyed families and emptied sections of the city, it also brings up much superstition:
“Much of the public still harbors false beliefs related to the plague. It is NOT true that the bile from river krusts will protect against contraction of the disease. Nor is it true that crushed Morley orchids act as a remedy...Not only is it ineffective to burn two hagfish and a cat together, inhaling vapors while chanting the names of the plague-dead, but it is also considered heresy by the Overseer…”
This quote, taken from a government handbook on plague safety, shows the amount of fear circulating the disease. People are even willing to kill hagfish, which can devour a man instantly, solely so that they can be burned wishfully. This also shows the inability of the government to deal with the plague, as instead of widely circulating such manuals (there are two instances of the book Avoiding the Rat Plague in-game), they instead persecute their desperate citizenry (this goes back to the Lord Regent uses the plague to get rid of the poor instead of helping them economically).
V. Bibliography
A Second Solution (Book)
Avoiding the Rat Plague (Book)
The Rat Plague (Book)
Pandyssian Bull Rat Study (Book)
Rat Behavior and Extermination (Book)
Rat Plague (Wiki)
Galvani's Speculation (Book)
The Lord Regent's Confession (Audiograph)
VI. Closing Thoughts
Thanks for reading, and I hope this helped you learn even more about the world of Dishonored, as well as the plague that ravages it. If I missed anything, or there’s another piece you would like me to cover, tell me below.
PCTY Out.
so that is pretty damn sweet 