Rustling in the bushes to either side of you grows fiercer, now you’re not so sure it’s just the breeze. From both sides comes a wave of large rats, flowing and dragging you towards a fork in the road. Standing at the centre of the fork is a lean man in motley with sharp, rat-like features. In fact, now you’re closer, you can see he does have long, wiry whiskers like a rat, pointed ears and weird eyes. At his feet is a ring of rats, their tails knotted and woven around his spindly legs.

“Aha, a traveller! You are in our kingdom, the realm of the rats, and we demand a toll of you”.

His voice is high-pitched and makes you want to scratch.

The rat king will accept any food or gold item from your knapsack, he is uninterested in anything else. If you do not wish to give him anything, or cannot, then you must make an Opposed Strength Test to force your way through the sea of rats and escape. The rats have a Strength of 3.

If you have a golden crown and give it to him the rat king will be extremely pleased and will not only let you pass but stand aside forever, remove his miniature from the tile. Otherwise leave his miniature on this tile, he will demand a toll every time you pass through.