Battling the Chosen. A Defensive Manual. Egon Rosenqvist, Bard and Lurue's Servant

The Chosen. Were-rats of the sewers, most likely of gnomish descent, they are aggressive, merciless and cunning. They continue to infest more areas of the sewers and Machine, and are repeatedly raiding Lower. It is imperative that any citizen knows how to fight or escape these beasts.

Now, I'm a bard, not a soldier, but I've fought these foul creatures with bow and spell, and even held them back at knifepoint when I had to. I've joined teams assaulting their lairs, hunted them in the sewers and in the Machine. I've learned a few things of them. If you want to survive an encounter, best to do the same.

Chapter One: The Nature of the Beast

The average Chosen is a tall beast with the head of the rat and a wiry humanoid body. They are fast, agile and posess viciously sharp claws. .

There is however an even more dangerous variant of Chosen, that of the flying, were-bat ilk. Even if used to dealing with "normal" Chosen, these are a most deadly foe. They are fast and often magically inclined. As lycanthropes, both types are nigh-invulnerable to mundane attacks, unless precisely placed on a critical point

The Chosen's unnatural toughness does not extend to silvered weapons, which are inmical to their nature and burn them as if from cold. They are also vulnerable to magically enhanced weaponry and elemental attacks.

Since arrows cannot be boosted with a charm, it is recommended that bowmen only engage Chosen if equipped with silvered, flaming or similar arrows, unless they are precise enough to aim for the eyes or vital organs. Crossbowmen should use silvered bolts, or acquire enchanted ones. Of particular use are svirf-made electrobolts, as such weapons can harm and stun several in one shot.

In desperate cases, Alchemist's Fire can be used to give a normal weapon a chance of damaging them, and any weapon enchanted to deal elemental damage will deliver that, if not any physical harm from the strike. I have killed one or two with a charged svirfneblin dagger when I had nothing else.

Chosen are additionally damaged by offensive spells, although mages should ensure that they can cast sufficient weapon enhancements to be able to spare power for offence.

As evil creatures, mind-wards are effective in defending against them.

Chapter Two: Chosen Stratagems and known counters

The Chosen swarm like the rats they resemble, and favour horde tactics. Wherever possible, use doorways and barricades to reduce the effect of their numbers. Lay down any area-effect impediments you posess in front of their advance.

Before closing with a foe, they generally throw a barrage of firebombs, choking dust and caltrops to cause injury and disruption. If any mages posess wind spells, these can be used to disperse the clouds. Otherwise, it is best to fall back and force the Chosen to fight within the cloud themselves, while you position youselves on the edges. Should you recover any of their offensive devices, they are useful to employ against their former owners.

Mages are known to favour streams of fire and acid. Such things have a short range, but are devastating if a party is not well spaced out.

Chosen do use traps. They do not litter their lairs with them, but prefer smaller numbers of highly devastating devices such as electrical weapons. Do not advance in the lairs without a spotter, and allow them to disarm such at a distance, so that if they are tripped, you are not all caught in the blast.

Although their senses are acute, they cannot typically detect invisible creatures, so a potion of invisibility can get you clear of them.

Chapter Three: Known Locations of Chosen Activity.

Thus far in Sanctuary, I have encountered Chosen in the following locations: The Bowels of the Machine. Lower.. [Previous locations are crossed out, and replaced simply with "Lower"]

If travelling in any of these areas, caution and the use of the tactics above is advised.

Chapter Four: Further Notes The Chosen are known to worship a being or power known as the Appetite, though the nature of this is not precisely clear. It may be connected to the flaming rat idols that accompany a Chosen presence.

If you even encounter Chosen while unprepared, let your weapon of first resort be your feet. Without protection and enhancement it is always best to fall back behind a door that will hold for a while, and use the time to deploy charms.

If you ever have to face the rat-men, may the Unicorn go with you, and may this advice serve you well.

-Egon