Unique of all the Rats living or dead, Borrox Featherpaw earned his present surname by a life of thievery, spying, and infiltration. Borrox is a thorough rogue, jaunty and playful and unpredictable. But he is still a Rat, and therefore decent, honorable, and loyal to the House of Light…after a fashion.

     The Rat’s less than sterling talents became apparent in early adolescence. The Rats began to discover that locks, traps, and safety devices throughout the Library were being picked, disarmed, and bypassed without a trace of the fiend responsible.

    An investigation soon caught the culprit in the act. Borrox calmly took responsibility, patiently explaining to his elders that the Library was far from secure. When asked why he was into other people’s things, he replied simply, "For the fun of it, of course. Is there any other reason?" Later, after he cheerfully agreed to return the stolen articles, Borrox showed no fear as he met his victims eye to eye.

    The Rats were deeply worried. Was Borrox corrupt, deranged, or even possessed? Malcolm Quickskitter, the newly elected Serenity of the Scroll, withdrew to the Library’s temple complex, vowing not to emerge until he had gained some insight from the True Gods. Malcolm remained in retreat for six days, and when he finally came out, he was unusually distracted and somber. "Borrox must be allowed to become whatever he wishes. We can only teach him the ways of the House of Light, and put our trust in them." Praying that the Serenity was right, the Rats reluctantly deferred to his judgment.

     But as Borrox reached maturity, other, more admirable traits became evident. He was adventuresome, fun-loving, and unusually level-headed. Borrox formed a close bond with Charles Sworddance, who took the younger Rat on many of his excursions and taught him how to fight. It was on one of these adventures that Borrox found his true calling, and his own expression of the nobility of his race.

    On a trip to the grand city of Orem, the two Rats came across an ugly scene in a dingy back street. A band of poor tenants was blocking the way of a sneering tax collector and his armed guard, who stood with weapons drawn. One of the townsfolk was openly accusing the official of stealing a jeweled ring...an heirloom that everyone knew was not a legal form of taxation in the city. As Charles picked his way through the crowd, ready to defend the unarmed citizen should he be attacked, he lost sight of Borrox as he made his way towards a very different target.

   Charles arrived just in time to parry a blow aimed at the poor man’s neck—and at that moment, the tax collector’s baldric fell to the street, its thick leather cleanly slit from behind. A spray of humble jewelry erupted from the severed ends of the baldric, including the ring in question. Surrounded now by an infuriated mob and fearing for their own safety, the guard had no choice but to take the official into custody.

     After the crowd dispersed, Charles could only stare at a viciously grinning Borrox, an enchanted dagger dancing between his fingers. "Case closed," the spotted Rat snickered to himself. This incident was the first to hint at the path Borrox’s life would follow.

     This most unusual Rat has remained true to this offbeat code of honor. Though a skilled thief, he refuses to use these talents for daily survival, preferring to pay his way through life through commissions from selected "patrons". Borrox’s patrons are, without exception, the clear victims of injustice, cruelty, or ill fortune. To preserve his own reputation, the Rat will bolt or even turn on his employers the moment he feels himself used—and his patrons know it.

    The Rat’s relationships to the various Thieves’ Guilds of Miren have been settled only with great difficulty. Over the course of many decades, Borrox has negotiated a variety of fees and percentages with the Guilds, granting him free rein in Guild territory on a per-contract basis.

     Between contracts, Borrox enjoys life to the full. He is a highly accomplished performer of a variety of stringed instruments, and will cheerfully give an evening’s performance for no more than a night’s food and lodging. He has a rich comedic and poetic repertoire (both clean and bawdy), and uses them both in public and private entertaining. His charm is legendary, and even well-bred ladies of human and demi-human blood soon fall under his spell. It has been said that Borrox would have made an exceptional bard, had his life taken a different turn.

     The Rat’s innate sense of honor is not lost on the powers that be. They will occasionally employ the Rat to entertain at social events, and to help arrange the security of such affairs. He has even been hired to test the defenses of castles and treasure vaults, and report the results to his employers. There has never been a loss of property reported following such a contract.

     His marriage to the volatile Cherlyndria Snowdrift, Knights Commander of the Black Unicorn, has hardly distracted either of them from their life’s work. Indeed, their talents and personalities have blended well, and their opportunities for adventure have only widened. Though barely aware of each other in their youth, a chance encounter in adulthood resulted in Borrox falling hopelessly in love with the moody, sometimes violent priestess. It was only after decades of intense soul searching and Borrox’s gentle entreaties that Sheri made a place for him in her heart.

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