Please Stop Feeding the Giant Rats

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a rat problem.

Not the regular sort of rats, mind you. The Dragon's Claw Inn does an exceptional job keeping its confines free of conventional vermin of all types. I speak of the giant rats known to inhabit the proper, the ones about the size of a small person or rather large dog.

I've repeatedly sighted packs of these creatures scurrying around and inside the Inn, beady eyes pleading and paws outstretched, evincing no fear of of humanoids whatsoever. I have also spotted more than a few persons providing the creatures with table scraps from their morning breakfast or morsels of their personal rations. This usually occurs on Sunday mornings after feast.

This ought to be terribly obvious but I'm going to say it anyway: they keep coming because you keep feeding them. Not all of us obviously, but enough that they feel it's worth the risk and effort to come back month after month.

I know that to very many of us such creatures pose a trivial danger. And that they're sort of cute in their own way. However, this is a health and public safety issue. Rats of any size present where food is prepared or consumed is unsanitary and can lead to the spread of disease. And while giant rats are usually easily dispatched by seasoned Travancians, when hostile they can pose a very real danger to newer towns-members and civilian travelers.

So, stop feeding the beasts your scraps and eventually they'll stop coming.* If you are moved to do so out of pity, remember that teaching wild animals to depend on human contact for survival isn't any good for them in the long run.

This may seem like a small problem in the grand scheme of things, but it's one we can easily solve by making smart choices.



*Exceptions for cases where doing so may be necessary to prevent loss of life or property.

I thought it timely to find this old public service posting from one of our guards.

Heed his words and do not feed the giant rats; it only causes them to keep coming back.

To our understanding, this happened in magnitude at one point last feast... Karden pulled bread out many of his pockets and fed them all.
It wasn't just him, we're just remembering selectively it would seem.

Lovely day.

Considering they've already grown accustomed to coming to the inn and walking up to people. Why not see if they can be tamed and put to a form of work? I can think of a few jobs giant rats might be good for.

In times of war rationing. We may find a use.

On my honor,

But...easy travel snacks!