Overview
Originally a construction project that collapsed, it became the breeding ground for rats that call the city home. This was also the site of a sealed-in domus acting as a tomb, that contained traces of what is called the plague. Though the carrier rats that were infested it are gone from this pit, it is still dangerous to the ill-prepared. Those wishing to test their skills against a number of quick opponents often come here to train, but you may be easily overwhelmed by numbers.
Directions - walk to colosseum, w, se, e x 2, down x 2
Difficulty - Low Tier (300+ Combat Ranks)
Hostiles
Within the main area of the Rat Pits, you'll find a wide variety of rats. Most of them are relatively harmless, so long as you have some armor on and know a fair amount of blocks and dodges. However, some pose a minor level of danger as noted below.
a sickly yellow rat, a plump brown rat, a gaunt grey rat, a pale white rat with crimson white splotches - These are the most common varieties of rats present in the main Pits area. They pose little danger, using only basic attacks with their teeth or claws and are easily dispatched.
a mottled wiry rat - This type of rat will attack quickly, often getting in two strikes for every one of yours. You can mitigate the danger of this rat by equipping appropriate armor or training your dodges up to higher ranks.
a mangy looking rat (rare) - This rat is one of the disease carrying variety that could potentially cause your wounds to become infected. It will attempt to leap up at you with its disease bearing claws and attack your face. However, it is no more agile or dangerous than the other rats in this area.
a ragged looking rat (rare/dangerous) - This rat is similar to the mangy looking rat in that it will leap at your face with disease covered teeth and claws, however, this rat is particularly dextrous (auto-5's). If you spot one of these walking in, kill it quickly!
huge, massive, or oversized rats (rare) - You may encounter 'boss' variety rats from time to time, though these show up infrequently. They do not appear to be any more dangerous than their smaller cousins.
Notable Loot
Rat Stomachs - The stomach's from the various rats located in the Iridine pits have a chance of containing gems which can be sold to any jeweler in the gameworld. Using the command "Skin stomach from rat" while holding a bladed weapon will remove the stomach which will have approximately a 1 in 4 chance of containing one of the following gems;
- Tiny dull gray stone (Flint Pebble)
- Tiny dark green stone with deep red spots (Bloodstone)
- Tiny shiny brown-black stone (Micha Pebble)
- Tiny piece of amber (Amber)
- Tiny flaky pale green mineral (Malachite)
Rat Pelts - In addition to gems, rat heads and pelts can also be skinned from the rats and Caprarius at the North Side Carcass Buyer will purchase them at varying prices depending on their quality. Quality can be increased by obtaining the "Hunting" skill and ranking up in basic skinning, intermediate skinning, and advanced skinning. If your character does not know the basic skinning skill, you will have a high chance of failure for pelts only. Any failed skinning attempts will result in pelts being destroyed in the process.
Notable Dangers
Swarms - One of the best parts of this hunting ground is that the enemies spawn quickly, so you'll always have a steady stream of rats to kill. However, lesser skilled warriors can quickly become swarmed by a large number of rats if they can not kill them quickly enough. Retreat back up the ladder if you feel that you are in danger!
Disease (Gangrene) - If you do not take precautions such as bandaging and cleaning your wounds or bathing with soap after hunting here, you run the risk of developing an infected (gangrene) wound. If you notice a wounded area turning a greyish looking color and smelling unpleasantly, seek a medic's help as soon as possible. A medic can treat this by cleaning the wound with antiseptic and bandaging it, but the patient will also need to consume a vial of blood tonic. Rest is recommended after treatment.
Disease (Plague) - While no recent cases of plague have been reported, this area is well known to be one of the main sources of plague. If you are prone to sickness or disease, use caution here!
Aralex Pits - The entrance to the much more difficult and deadly Aralex pits is located at the southwestern edge of the rat pits. A warning sign will warn those unprepared to venture no further, heed it if you are still new to combat or you will most certainly be hurt or killed!
Areas of Interest
Aralex Pits - As noted before, the entrance to the Aralex pits is located within the Rat Pits. Follow the trail within to the southwest and you'll find your way down from there.
The Underground Domus and beyond - An ancient underground domus lies to the southeast of the main part of the Rat Pits. The domus has been opened in recent years and new areas are now available for exploration, however, all that the intrepid adventurer might find are swarms of plague-ridden rats (A diseased rat missing one eye, a sickly rat covered with sores) and long abandoned bits of ancient history.
Miscellaneous Tips
Lighting - No torches are needed in the main part of the pits during daylight hours as enough light filters in through the cracks in the ceiling to see without them. However, you will need a torch or lantern to fight there during the night.
Skinning Training - This is an excellent place to supplement your hunting and skinning training due to the high volume of skinnable enemies that spawn here.
Map
