The Kingdom of Rats
The Rats were already here when the humans lived, and they learned a great deal by watching them. Since the disappearance of the big-bare-butts, they maintain as best they can what was left behind: neon signs, machinery, tunnels. They regard the humans as vanished demigods, and some pray every evening for their return.
Their underground network, the VRI (Vaste Réseau InterRaton), runs invisible beneath the whole world, all the way into the sewers of Cat Tree City. In exchange for a service or a small treasure, the Rats can guide Kittens from one point to another through the tunnels and the refurbished old metro trains, allowing discreet travel from Crimsonfief to Cat Tree City, from Embrasse to Corktown or Bigwheel.
The VRI sometimes takes surprising forms: a boat of tin cans in the pipes, a mechanical wagon on rusted rails, Marcel the tamed giant centipede, a cobbled-together submarine, or a supernatural toilet flush that teleports the traveller wherever they have in mind.
Notable characters
Beep and Squeek are two sewer archaeologists, recognisable by their head torches and big backpacks. Brilliant engineers, they can build anything from what they gather and find their way better than anyone in the depths.
Louis the Learned holds court atop an old broken television set. He stages plays in which animals act inside the TV to tell stories of the past, tales of the humans, thrilling adventures. All the animals nearby love to attend.