Lure Rats

Summary

Lure rats are a market scam tactic employed by merchants in Session 8 of the campaign. The scam works by merchants planting rats in their merchandise, then claiming ownership of the rats when customers discover them. Once a customer catches or handles the rat, the merchant demands payment for the creature, framing it as if the customer has now purchased the merchant's property. Cat recognizes this as a common scam when Jack the Hammock Merchant attempts to use it on Sucks Benedict.

Details

The lure rat scam operates on a simple premise: merchants place rats in their wares and wait for unsuspecting customers to find them. When a customer discovers and catches the rat, the merchant immediately claims the rat belongs to them and demands payment. The scam relies on the customer's unfamiliarity with market tactics and their surprise at the sudden transaction.

In the execution witnessed in Session 8, Jack the Hammock Merchant successfully runs this con on Sucks Benedict, charging 5 coins for a sick rat. The scam proves particularly effective because it catches the victim off-guard—by the time they realize what has happened, they've already handled the rat and the merchant has established a claim of sale. Jack later admits he sold a rat he didn't even own, suggesting some merchants run the scam opportunistically with any available rats rather than specifically planting them.

Cat's immediate recognition of the tactic ("she knows it's a lure rat") indicates this is a well-known scam among those familiar with market dealings, though newcomers like Sucks Benedict fall victim to it easily.

History

Session 8

The lure rat scam appears when Sucks Benedict encounters Jack the Hammock Merchant and catches a rat in the merchant's hammock display. When Sucks Benedict asks "Wait, what's a lure rat?", Cat recognizes the situation immediately, though Sucks Benedict remains confused. Jack successfully charges Sucks Benedict 5 coins for the sick rat, with Cat confirming the merchant's claim ("Yeah, yeah, she knows it's a lure rat. Five coins.").

Jack later reveals the full extent of the deception, admitting the rat he sold wasn't even his own rat—he simply took advantage of Sucks Benedict's unfamiliarity with the scam. The incident prompts the question "Haven't you ever been to the market before?", suggesting lure rats are common enough that regular market-goers learn to avoid them.