#Luella woodmouse

[bajingo]

Here are some more rodent ocs!

Markous and Butcher are from a rodent dnd campaign I run!

Luella is a mouse oc of mine!

Support me on Patreon!

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Sorry to bother but can we get more of the cast's personalities or some short description about it or will it be a bit of a spoiler for the story? Thank you! And keep up the great work!

You’re not a bother at all! It’s wonderful to have people interested in this story. To answer your questions…

In a world beneath our own, after the horrors of World War 1, a string of murders in the seaside city of Saltscratch force Sage Locke, a brilliant if unorthodox consulting detective, to infiltrate the Bloody Hearts, a notorious criminal gang that fights to rule the island rats have claimed for themselves. Of course, given his personal history with the leader, Padraic Regal, that’s going to be bloody difficult…

A murder mystery with dark romances, betrayal and bloodshed, gangsters and outcasts, steamy scenes and social commentary, featuring a cast of queer rodents. The sea washes away much, but not your sins…

Welcome to Ratterrock.

And as for our characters, here’s the core cast as our story begins:

Sage Locke: A brilliant and unorthodox consulting detective, Locke finds it far easier to deal with data and dangerous criminal investigations than society and sentiment. His life is his work, and he has gained both admiration and adversaries. 

Padraic Regal: The eldest sibling of the Regal family and the leader of the fearsome gang the Bloody Hearts, Padraic is determined to get the power and respect his name deserves by any means necessary. With his staggering intelligence, endless charisma and utter ruthlessness, he makes a fearsome enemy but a far more dangerous friend. 

Sorcha Regal: Like the diamonds she favors, Sorcha is dazzling, cool and always polished, her stunning beauty only matched by her cunning and charm. As the second in command of the Bloody Hearts, she has earned her reputation as the most dangerous woman on Ratterrock. 

Lorcan Regal: A born brawler, Lorcan is the rowdy and reckless muscle to the Bloody Hearts, happily obeying the commands of his eldest siblings. Ferocious in all his appetites - boxing or booze, men or women - Lorcan is all heart and endlessly loyal to his family. 

Randall Clifford: The Chief Inspector of the Saltscratch Police Force, Clifford is determined that the criminal underworld won’t escape the power of the law. He handles both his position and the unusual methods of one Sage Locke with well earned confidence and efficiency, and is a well respected figure. 

Bogdan Nightshade: The stern and stoic leader of the Night Court colony, Bogdan isn’t one for trifling distractions, keeping his time occupied with ensuring his family's safety and stability. Between helping his beloved mother and keeping his wild brother out of trouble, Bogdan doesn’t lower his grim guard for anything or anyone. 

Casimir Nightshade: An unfortunate incident with some downed wires left Casimir wildly unpredictable and deeply dangerous both to himself and others, much to the concern of his eldest brother. Utterly uninhibited, Casimir tends to bring chaos wherever he goes, whether he intends to or not. 

Marilla Mackenzie: The only child of one of Saltscratch’s most wealthy and esteemed families, Rilla is a free spirit who wants nothing more than to live life on her own terms: dancing, flirting, and fun. As one of the most beautiful and blue blooded of Saltcratch’s debutants, she’s looking at a future that doesn’t have any of that. 

Luella Woodmouse: Quiet, competent and determinedly demure, Luella works as a governess to the upper class of Saltscratch and prides herself on her calmness and courtesy. Despite her best efforts to keep out of trouble, she will often end up on “adventures” with one Miss Marilla Mackenzie. 

Brigid O’Broin: Tough, gruff and fearsome, Brig is a dockworker and boxer who has had to fight her whole life to survive. Once the best mate of one Lorcan Regal, she keeps to herself and out of trouble as best she can. 

More characters will be joining the story, and we’ll be adding character profiles on our official website when it is out of development, which will be updated as the story continues.

Thank you so much for the questions!

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Without spoiling, can you tell us what it would take to make your characters cry?

Locke: The death of his mother and a certain bitter event involving a certain rat.

Regal: The trauma of losing his father, any more harm coming to his family, and a certain bitter event involving a certain mouse.

Sorcha: The trauma of losing her father and any more harm coming to her family.

Lorcan: The trauma of losing his father, insecurity, and any more harm coming to his loved ones, especially to Rilla.

Rilla: The loss of her mother, insecurity in herself and harm coming to her loved ones, especially her beloved Lorcan.

Brig: The trauma of losing her parents and loneliness.

Luella: Insecurity in herself, loneliness, and harm coming to her loved ones.

Bogdan: Any harm coming to his family, he loves them so deeply.

Casimir: The pain of his electrical wounds when it gets too intense to handle, and any harm coming to his family - they are his lifeline.

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Part Two for Ratterrock voice claims!

An enormous thanks to @bajingoarts for putting these TikTok’s together!

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i wonder what music artists they would listen to!

i know DAMN well that Sorcha would listen to Lana del ray, Saorise would listen to chapell roan and i think that Rilla would listen to Laufey

GOODNESS, this took a while. Both Baji and I are ardent music lovers and aficionados, so music is veryimportant to us and to this story and these characters. So I wanted to make sure I got everything in order before answering these asks! 

Sorcha loves jazz and music that’s heavily influenced by soul and movement, so she loves hip-hop, pop soul, R&B, club music - stuff that’s sexy and feminine and full of confidence, like Janelle Monae, Rihanna, Beyoncé, HER, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish. 

She’s absolutely a Lana Del Rey fan, also loves Amy Winehouse, Paloma Faith, Clairy Browne, April Smith and the Great Picture Show, Laura Mvula. For more old school stuff she goes for Irma Thomas, Nina Simone, Peggy Lee, Julie London. 

Rilla loves fun energetic pop that she can dance to but also makes her feel free to - Kesha (the Rainbow album was DEEPLY important to her), Doja Cat, Dimie Cat, Sabrina Carpenter, Chapelle Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, Brittany Spears. She loves Laufey for a softer, romantic vibe, and even though she doesn’t listen to a ton of alternative she LOVES Molotov Jukebox. 

Also, girl ADORES Dolly Parton. She’s dressed up as her for Halloween, loves her endlessly. She got into Kacey Musgraves too, but Dolly has her heart. She likes some of Taylor Swift’s stuff, but she’s definitely not a die hard Swiftie. 

Lorcan unironically adores Kesha, very happy to jam with Rilla whenever their girlie’s music is on. In general he loves music that would be perfect for a barroom brawl - Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, IDLES. Loves rock in general, especially Def Leppard and AC/DC, the Clash and the Black Keys. Likes Gaelic Storm and the Beatles for softer moods. 

Brig listens to a lot of metal and punk and rock music - she and Lorcan would definitely jam to AC/DC and the Black Keys. Also loves blues music, definitely a fan of Johnny Cash. Also likes Gin Wigmore a lot. 

Luella loves soft indie core songs and groups - the Wailin’ Jennys, the Oh Hellos, the Crane Wives, the Jane Austen Argument, the Hush Sound, Brandi Carlisle, Cat Power, Paris Paloma. She and Rilla both love Laufey. She listens to Florence + the Machine and P!nk when she wants to feel empowered. 

Locke is also into soft indie, lots of underground bands no one has ever heard of but have very intense poetic lyrics - Hozier, the National, Cigarettes After Sex, Florence + the Machine, Nicole Dollanganger, the Oh Hellos. There’s a lot of overlap between him and Lu, actually! He also loves viola music, he plays it and it’s a very healing, therapeutic passion of his. 

Regal…whoo boy, his taste in music covers such a wide and diverse spectrum. He loves operas and classic musicals, very much a devotee to classical music by artists like Debussy and Puccini and Bizet. One of his absolute favorite songs is “Danse Macabre”…

He’s a virtuoso with the piano and has described himself as his own favorite musician. 

But he does like some more modern music, he’s just VERY snobby about what he wants to listen to. Marina and the Diamonds (“Bubblegum Bitch” is a favorite), Queen (he is very fond of Freddy), Voltaire, Fish in a Birdcage, the Real Tuesday Weld are some examples.  

Bogdan is even more a snob than Regal, and stays away from most modern music. He’d much rather focus on composing his own music than polluting his ears with the dreck that passes for songs nowadays. Sorcha has her work cut out with him, but she’s more than up to the task…

Casimir, sadly, probably doesn’t listen to a lot of music because of his injury - it’s too much stimulation and he suffers from horrible headaches to begin with. Not all music does it, but too much stress and sounds would very likely trigger an episode. It’s incredibly tragic because music is such an important and treasured facet of his and Bogdan’s culture…

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How would the characters react to being kissed?

Locke: Locke has zero social skills in even the most humdrum matters, so kisses in general? He would leap away as soon as someone leaned in and scramble under a table to escape. “I—I have a thing! A thing that’s happening! And that I need to get to! Goodbye!”

And that’s the polite response. The other one involves more teeth. However, if he wanted a kiss from a certain someone…well, his reaction would be quite different.

Regal: Padraic is a suave and smooth man who is very good at maintaining his composure - it takes a great deal to ruffle him. Even when taking this into account, his reaction would depend on who was trying to kiss him.

If it was a lady, he would be very gentlemanly but discourage her from such affections, unless there was something vital to him that could be gained from encouraging her attention. If a man tried, well…he might be a bit more amiable, provided he was a tasty little morsel that Pads could sink his teeth into. He’d smirk and arch a brow, his rich voice a purr. “You’re a bold one, aren’t you? That can be amusing…”

If you’re not to his liking, however, walk away when he gives you the chance to…and while you still have blood in your veins.

Sorcha: Much like her eldest brother, Sorcha is cool and collected and very much able to slip into the role of both seductress or sweetly seduced. If she can gain something from the person who kisses her, she’ll bat her lush lashes and those rose petal lips will curve oh so beguilingly. “Hmmmm, that’s one way to get my attention…now, pet, how are you going to keep it…?”

However, if she finds you tiresome, you’re getting a slap, and that’s the gentle response. Pray you don’t get the blunt one.

Lorcan: Lorcan is such a gregarious and lusty man, if you planted a kiss on him he’d happily spin you into his arms and dip you into a deep kiss that will send your shoes popping off. He’s never met a lad or lassie who he hasn’t enjoyed, and he’s charmed them both. “Ain’t y’just the finest thing on two legs, eh? You need a strapping fella like meself to keep ya company? The fee is more of those sweet kisses, love.”

Soairse: If a lovely lady asked for a kiss, she would awkwardly accept with a very adorable flush on her face. If they took one she would try very hard to lecture them on consent but still be very flustered.

If a man kissed her, she’d straight up deck them. “MY BODY MY CHOICE, AND I AIN’T CHOOSING YOU MATE!”

Rilla: She’s had kisses from lads and lassies, and she loves a sweet smooch from someone she fancies. But only as long as she liked them! Boors who force their attentions are just that, boors.

But with someone she liked, she’d blush prettily and bite her lip flirtatiously and hit them with her big dark starry eyes. “Goodness, you’re sweet! And I do have a sweet tooth…”

Brig: From a pretty lass? She’d roll her eyes and gently push them back, but smirk a bit. “Careful, missy…doncha know rats bite?”

From a man? She’d tear his lips off and keep them as a trophy.

Luella: Luella is a reserved soul, so any kind of intimate attention would startle her. After she gathered herself, though, and if the person happened to be someone she likes...

She’d lower dark lashes on flushed cheeks before chancing a soft but sultry look, licking her lips a little before she spoke. “You…you’re welcome to try that again…”

Bogdan: Bogdan has no time for petty pleasures and delicious distractions, and would firmly reprimand any party who would attempt to kiss him - he is a very busy man, and he will not let his carefully maintained reputation as the Duke of the Night Court be marred by rumors of stolen kisses.

If one Miss Sorcha Regal was the party attempting it, however…well, it’s a good thing that his study and her dressing room have such sturdy locks.

Casimir: Of he likes them and they kiss him, Casimir will bite them (playful/passionately).

If he doesn’t like them and they kiss him, Casimir will bite them (OUCH/OH GOD PLEASE LET GO PLEEEEASE).

Clifford: Clifford would calmly step back and smile very charmingly. “Aren’t you the rascal, hmm? I’m a married man, can’t have that, can I? And as a highly respected agent of the law, I’ve got a reputation to think of…”

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In reverse, what are the foods the crew LOATHES and despises?

Locke: Locke hates cheese, he hates it he hates it he hates it. When he was very young, his father forced him to eat a whole block of cheese because Baby Locke had licked it out of curiosity. To this day, the taste of cheese makes him feel super nauseous. 

Regal: Eel. It brings up bad memories. 

Sorcha: Eel. It brings up bad memories. 

Lorcan: Eel. It brings up bad memories. 

Rilla: Radishes. Poor Baby Rilla got a nasty surprise when she took a big old bite of one and found out that raw radishes were spicy. She can’t really handle spice at all. Also NOT a fan of any kind of pâté.

Brig: The thin gruel and tough burnt sausages served at the Our Lady of Mercy Orphanage. 

Luella: Anything that can be classified as offal, like hearts, kidneys, liver, tongue. The only time she would refuse her mother’s cooking is when she made steak and kidney pie. 

Bogdan: Not a fan of red meat, will only eat it if he has no alternative. Also not a fan of the insects that are found on the ground, they’re far too fatty and easy to forage for and he just finds them disgusting. 

Casimir: Honey. When he was a pup he got into a hive and got drenched in the stuff, which at first was awesome but then became incredibly sticky and annoying. And then a bee stung him on his tongue and he couldn’t close his mouth for a solid five hours. 

Clifford: Indian food. Honestly, won’t go for anything too “exotic” except maybe French or Italian. 

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I'm curious, if the cast have any hobbies they do in their free time or to relax?

(The world is too chaotic, hope they all have a peaceful day😔)

Thank you so much for sending this, the crew definitely needs those moments of relaxation and fun…

Locke loves playing his viola, playing music is very therapeutic for him, releasing the tension and giving voice to the emotions it is so very hard for him to speak about. Like the violin it’s an instrument that elicits haunting sounds and sadness, but it’s darker and richer in tone. He gets so ticked off when people mistake it for a violin. 

He likes reading nonfiction books, with the exception of a few novels, and also enjoys attending concerts where he can close his eyes and sink into the music like water…but because his work is so important to him, he doesn’t really make time for himself to do such things. 

Once upon a time, he loved playing chess with Regal. 

Regal plays the piano, a versatile instrument adept at both classic and contemporary music. Playing is very therapeutic for him, releasing tension and turmoil and allowing him a way to “speak” to the emotions so many would be horrified by. 

He loves to read a variety of different things, nonfiction and novels and plays and poetry and essays, and enjoys attending the theater as well. However, due to his work, he’s very busy and hasn’t had much time to himself. 

Once upon a time, he loved playing chess with Locke. 

Sorcha adores reading, and her absolute favorite book is “The Phantom of the Opera” - she’s very proud to have a first edition in her personal library! She is very much a patron of the arts in general, always looking for new art galleries and museums to explore, theaters and shows to attend. She also loves being wealthy enough to be able to shop at high fashion stores for all sorts of treasures to adorn herself with, and all the owners are thrilled that a beauty like her wears their wares…

Lorcan’s biggest passion is boxing, he’s an absolute legend in the ring and loves to lose himself in a good match, facing off with a worthy opponent. He also loves swimming as well but doesn’t get to do it too much, which is a shame as it really helps with his aches and pains. For quieter moments he likes to whittle and play cards. 

Rilla’s biggest passion is dancing, a love that her mother passed onto her, it is her joy and her escape from whatever weighs her down. She also LOVES designing and sketching dresses and clothing, and would love to bring her creations to life but she’s never been able to find someone to teach her how to sew. She also is known in her social circle to be a dab hand at crafting some stunning flower crowns. 

Lu loves to write, especially stories about magic and fantasy and girls finding themselves through challenges. She visits the library and bookshops whenever she can. She also enjoys watercolors, especially landscapes and flowers. 

Brig was taught to box by her father and she’s been a devoted boxer ever since, and is an absolute beast in the ring. She finds working out to be very relaxing as well, a good way to center herself and enjoy the burn of her body. 

Bogdan loves composing music, he’s very talented and likes to take his inspiration from the natural world. He’s also avid about charting the stars, and spends much of his time studying the skies.

Casimir will actually be gaining a hobby in the comic! But as for right now, he loves playing cards and gambling, especially when the stakes are high…

Clifford likes good old fashioned English hunting, shooting after crickets and beetles and birds (they aren’t sentient in this world). 

Thank you again for sending this! As we introduce more characters I’m gonna come back to this post and reblog it with their favorite hobbies, this was a wonderful character exploration exercise. And it doesn’t even touch on what the couples like to do together…

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if these characters were humans in like another universe 😭

would they be religious and what religion? do they already have a religion?

The characters definitely have relationships with religion in the comic, so I’m going to address what happens in the canon verse since it applies to their human selves (with the exception of the Nightshades). Long post ahoy!

The majority of the rodent population/society in this story is very much a reflection of human society. Because mice and rats live beneath the human world and very much live off of it, their society is essentially an echo of it. As Baji once said, “It reflects our world, but on a smaller scale.”

So man made creations are utilized by the mice/rat population for their own purposes, with their own unique takes on them. Rodents borrow/make copies of artwork and literature and music that humans have created - there’s no Mouse Vincent Van Gogh or Mouse Charlotte Brontë, but there’s mouse made copies of “Starry Night” and “Jane Eyre”, if that helps explain it. They take what they want from human society and either copy it as closely as they can, or they refashion it to suit their purposes.

This includes religion. Rodents are aware of the concept of God, a figure named Jesus, how Christianity and Judaism and other major religions work/influence the world of humans because the human world directly affects their own. They are influenced the most by the humans they had the closest contact to. The family that lives above them is Catholic? They follow Catholic traditions. If a Jewish human family had to move because of a pogrom, the mouse family under them would have to leave too.

Now, like I said, there are some twists/adaptions made. Rodents revere food above all else, and that has influenced how they view certain religious beliefs. In regards to Christianity, mice take this particular passage very literally:

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

So there’s this idea in Rodent Christianity (a term I never thought I would write) that Christ is akin to bread, or even that he literally is bread, nourishing and sustaining. So they’ve gotten “Christ” and “crust” mixed up a bit - they’ll say things like “Holy Crust!” or “Sweet Crust!”

NOW, having gotten all of that established…let’s see where our crew of characters fall in this scheme…

Regal is a staunch atheist. The Regal’s were raised Catholic, but he doesn’t have any inclination or interest towards religion of any sort - he has come to see it as a way to control people, shame them into behaving themselves so they’re easier for people in power to control. Honestly, I can’t see any of the remaining Regal family members being religious. They attended mass as children but it never was something they really connected with - Sorcha enjoyed the music, but she hates being lectured and that’s what sermons felt like for her. None of them are fans of the hypocrisy that the church holds, either, nor that their sexual preferences are seen as sinful…so yeah, I can’t see any of them wanting to go back to mass.

Locke has faith in science and justice, in facts and data, and that’s it - he and Regal definitely connected over both of them being atheists. His family went to church because it was the “proper and respectable thing to do”, but Little Locke would constantly question the pastor and freaked everyone in his Sunday school out when he told them the science behind crucifying.

Levi is Jewish, and he keeps kosher and takes part in major holidays. He’s very proud of being Jewish and I think he genuinely believes in a loving God, but I don’t think he attends temple all that often if at all since he’s never hidden that he’s a sex worker and the people there would definitely shun him because of his profession. Abraham is also very proud of being Jewish, and is very much an atheist.

Rilla attends church with her father because it’s expected of a wealthy, blue blood, but struggles with faith after her mother died. She believes in kindness and compassion and generosity, and doesn’t feel like those are solely Christian things.

Brig is also an atheist, she’s had way too much experience about the cruelty done in the name of religion. Her mother believed very strongly in the lore of fairies, the ways of the old country, and Brig still keeps that alive in her own way by celebrating Beltane and Samhain and Yule.

Luella was raised Christian and I think she identifies as one still, but she struggles with it very much. She’s very conscious of the hypocrisy and cruelty done in the name of religion, and constantly reflects on how there’s so much cruelty and unkindness and tragedy in the world…why would a loving God allow that? But at the same time, she prays almost daily and believes so deeply in giving grace and practicing selflessness and kindness. She has faith, but she struggles.

As for Bogdan and Casimir and their mother, they’re unique in that they have the only purely rodent born religion in that they revere the stars and the moon. They believe that when a bat dies, their soul sheds its mortal body to ascend as a star, safe in the eternal night with the maternal moon to watch over them. Charting the stars is not just pragmatic, but deeply spiritual. They have many fables and tales about the moon and the stars and bats who now look down on them from the sky…as humans, I think that would translate into considering astrology akin to spirituality. But that’s something we’re still exploring!

As more characters enter the story we’ll be touching on their relationship to their respective religion! Thank you so much for this question, it really let me deep sea dive into the lore of our world!

[welcome-to-ratterrock]

Random question but uh- what's Padraic and Sage's favourite meal/dish? (Maybe also the crew too? If it's alright to question it:D)

Oooh, this was fun to think about! Thank you so much for sending this!

Locke: Locke tends to forget to eat, especially when he’s in the midst of a case or an experiment. His usual meal consists of a simple egg and a cigarette. But for a meal that brings him comfort, true comfort, he has a fondness for buttered toast, eggs over easy, and black coffee with sugar, bittersweet and strong. 

Once upon a time, a certain someone would cook all sorts of things for him and he tasted heaven…but that was very long ago. 

Regal: Padraic has impeccable and discerning senses, especially when it comes to food, so when he eats he wants to relish in a dish, and while he has sampled a plethora of cuisines, he adores French and Italian the most. For French dishes, he loves a lavish coq au vin or a beautiful bouillabaisse, and for Italian…oh, nothing can compare to the carbonara his mother makes. 

Sorcha: Sorcha is a lot like Padraic, loving both French and Italian dishes, but she likes a lighter fare that’s still intensely flavorful, like a caprese salad or a salade niçoise, or an excellent fish dish. 

Lorcan: Lorcan loves his mother’s cooking, especially her spectacular lasagna. He’s also a big fan of a thick, hearty stew with fresh baked brown bread to sop it up and a big fat sizzling steak with a nice scotch.

Rilla: Rilla adores fresh fruit, especially apricots and cherries, raspberries and strawberries and blueberries. A bowl of fresh fruit with clotted cream? Heavenly. She also loves a baked sweet treat like scones! 

Brig: Nothing beats a big fat steak and the perfect glass of whiskey. She doesn’t get to have it because steak is so expensive but she had it with the Regal’s once and oh, she loved it. 

Luella: Luella loves her mother’s vegetable soup, warm and comforting, and the rosemary bread she would serve with it. Even now the smell of it brings back comforting memories. 

Bogdan: Bogdan is a bit of a health nut, and likes his food to reflect that - only the finest quality of cricket and moths for him, and lots of fresh caught fish cooked expertly over the caves fire pits, maybe drizzled with a light sauce to really set it off. 

Casimir: Casimir LOVES spicy foods, he would burn a hole through his tongue with his favorite if left to his own devices. He also enjoys the ground dwelling fatty worms he’ll claw up from the dirt, slurping them down in front of a disgusted Bog. His ideal dish would probably be a spice basted worm stew of sorts, and he would make a big show of enjoying it in front of Bogdan. 

Clifford: Clifford likes tucking into a classic full English breakfast - bacon, fried egg, sausage, mushrooms, baked beans, toast, potatoes and grilled tomatoes. Add a strong cup of coffee with a dash of milk, and he’s had a lovely start to the day. 

[welcome-to-ratterrock]

I wonder if the cast's names have any special meaning?

Oh, indeed they do! Golly but this was fun to answer…

Let’s start with Sage. In traditional Celtic lore, sage is a symbol of wisdom and immortality, and in Indigenous traditions, sage is used in rituals to clear negative energy and promote balance. We wanted to give Sage a name that touched not only on intelligence, but wisdom - you can be intelligent and not wise, and that’s very much the case with Sage. He’s going to have his eyes opened and gain new insight and wisdom in this story…

Sage leaves can be cultivated in cemeteries and sprinkled across the graves of loved ones, and the long time the leaves take to wilt symbolizes remembrance. Sage Locke is intrinsically connected to death - it is his work and he tries to understand it as best he can, and he uses his life as a way to restore justice for those who are now dead, bring balance to an unbalanced world…

As for his last name, Locke, it’s a reflection of how his mind operates- he locks onto certain things, information and theories that he becomes obsessed by. We also wanted to convey how he tries to operate, breaking things down methodically and mechanically…

For the rest of his family, Rosemary and Sorrell and Mace, we wanted to continue the theme of herb/plant names, and Baji chose some amazing ones. 

As for those in the Regal family, we wanted them to have a surname that was Irish and inspired a lot of images of power and strength and beauty. It was a wonderful surprise to learn that Regal was in fact an Irish surname!

The name Padraic comes from the Irish Gaelic name Pdraig and the Latin name Patricius, which means “patrician” or “nobleman”. It’s a name suited for a leader, someone meant for nobility and privilege and wealth. Combined with his last name, it’s very much a name for a king…

Sorcha means "bright" or "shining", and comes from the Old Irish words soirche or sorchae, which means "brightness.” Appropriate for a woman whose talent, intelligence and beauty shines like a star, a diamond. 

Lorcan means "little fierce one", and comes from the Gaelic word lorcc, which means "fierce". The name is thought to have been used as a nickname for brave warriors, making it a fitting name for someone with a fearless spirit like Lorcan.

Saoirse means "freedom" or "liberty", and became popular in Ireland in the 1920s, possibly in response to the Irish independence movement. It's also closely linked to the Irish War of Independence and the creation of Saorstát Éireann. All in all, perfect for a spitfire who works for the freedom and rights of her people and the other underprivileged. 

For the bats of the Night Court Colony, Baji chose Nadia to honor the best vampire lady of all time, Nadja from “What We Do In the Shadows.” For her sons, we wanted names that are Slavic, since their father came from the Ukraine…

Because Baji and I met through “Strange Magic”, I rather sentimentally chose Bogdan as the name of the solitary and fearsome Duke of the Night Court. Ironically, he and the Bog King have a lot in common…

Casimir means "proclaimer of peace", but it can also mean "destroyer of peace", which is true to form for the wild and often dangerous Cas. Due to his injury with the downed wire, he himself can’t find peace…

I named Rilla after Rilla Blythe from the Anne of Green Gables series, a young woman who despite being slightly frivolous and immature is still very sweet and kind, and who undergoes a lot of growth through dark times. Marilla means "shining sea”, which was a delightful surprise given a certain mythical creature Lorcan compares her to in our story! 

Baji named Luella and Brig and Clifford, and told me that while she didn’t have particular reasons for going with Lu or Brig’s, she wanted a very English sounding name for Clifford. Also, Luella’s last name, Woodmouse, was inspired by Jane Austin’s character of Emma Woodhouse.

And these are only some of the characters to come! Even more shall appear, and their names shall have meaning too, oh yes…

Thank you for this wonderful question!

[welcome-to-ratterrock]

what are all of the characters most proud of?

Regal is very arrogant and egotistical so there’s a lot he’s proud of! But his intelligence and his ability to climb and survive and thrive when society told him it was impossible are definitely at the core of it. Hell, I think how he continually and beautifully defies society in general is something he takes great pride in.

Locke, his work. He has poured himself into his work, sacrificed so much, so he’s very proud of how successful he has become as a consulting detective. He truly has made a difference with his work and has given justice to those who wouldn’t have found it, and he is very proud of that.

For Sorcha, her voice and her brilliance as a singer/musician. She’s naturally talented but has continually and consistently studied and practiced to make sure her art and her instrument soar to new uncharted heights of beauty. It’s also the one thing she believes her mother would be sincerely still proud of her for.

Lorcan, his boxing. Like Sorcha, he has a natural talent for it and he’s worked so hard with his training, and it has really paid off - he knows his body, trusts it, and is an absolute authority on how to handle himself in a fight. Having two brilliant siblings has made him feel a bit lackluster in comparison, but when it comes to boxing, he knows that he is the authority here.

Much like Lorcan, Rilla is very proud of her ability and strength as a dancer - she’s a beautiful dancer and has complete trust in her body and what it can do.

Luella would say she’s proud of living on her own and how competent she is as a childcare provider- being a governess to wealthy families is demanding but she has earned a sterling reputation. But secretly, so secretly she hasn’t told it to even herself, she’s very proud of her writing/storytelling/creativity.

Brig is proud of how she’s carved out a stable life for herself, despite all the odds being against her. She has a living space all her own, earns her own wages, keeps her hands clean, and has a reputation as a fearsome boxer, and all of this she has earned through blood and sweat and grit and steely determination.

[welcome-to-ratterrock]

What are the ages the entire crew:O?

The story begins in 1919, and the ages of the characters that the story opens with are as follows:

As for the ages of the characters, here’s what age the core cast is when the story begins:

Locke: 31

Regal: 35

Sorcha: 28

Lorcan: 24

Soairse: 22

Rilla: 19 

Brig: 24

Luella: 21

Bogdan: 45

Casimir: 35

Clifford: 33

More characters will be joining the story, of course, and once we have our official website ready to go, we’ll have a character page that has all of their profiles and information. Thank you so much for the interest!

[welcome-to-ratterrock]

how would some of the characters act if they saw a rat/mouse getting harassed for no reason? (would they help or not, etc..)

Honestly, the majority of the rat characters would probably ignore it, even if it was another rat. Bad things happen to rats who intervene…

That being said, I do think Lorcan would stop to help, and Brig would be tempted to help, even if she would grumble about it. But again, the way their world is, it is safer to duck your head down and keep to yourself. Because bad things happen to rats who interfere. Especially if they aren’t on the Rock and at the mercy of the authorities of Saltscratch…

As for the other characters…Casimir and Bogdan stay out of mice and rat affairs. Bogdan might be tempted to help because he has a noble spirit, but the less he interacts with mice and rats, the safer it is for his colony. Casimir honestly wouldn’t give a shit. The person getting harassed would have to be someone he cared about for him to intervene.

Luella and Rilla would care and want to help, but they’re young female mice and they have to be smart about intervening - it’s unfortunate but it’s the truth.

[welcome-to-ratterrock]

May we know more things about Miss Luella too:O? She's also quite adorable, does she have anyone she possibly fancies?

Awwww, the lovely Luella! She is an adorable little lady, isn’t she? As for some facts about her…

She’s the eldest child of her family.

She has three sisters and two brothers, with the next eldest sister and her being very close.

Her parents married for love but her father wasn’t the most responsible man so her mother worked extremely hard to make ends meet.

Luella helped her mother out constantly, very much took on the responsibility of caring for her siblings and taking care of the house.

She’s from the countryside, and her parents weren’t really wild about her moving away to seek work as a governess, but then figured she might meet a well to do husband if she worked for well to do families.

Luella sends them money and letters, but is very focused on her career rather than any romantic possibilities.

Luella genuinely enjoys her work as a child caregiver, but she also very much harbors a secret desire to write stories.

Baji created Luella and told me she used Fanny Price from Mansfield Park as a source of inspiration for her character.

[welcome-to-ratterrock]

Out of curiosity, how old are the main cast of characters? I know you mentioned Sage is in his early thirties and Levi being just a big older with Louis being a bit younger, but that’s all I could find for ages and I’m genuinely curious

How odd, I made a post about their ages for another ask! I just reblogged it, I hope that helps. But in case you can’t find it, here’s the ages for the crew of characters we have when the story begins:

Locke: 31

Regal: 35

Sorcha: 28

Lorcan: 24

Soairse: 22

Rilla: 19 

Brig: 24

Luella: 21

Bogdan: 45

Casimir: 35

Clifford: 33