Okay I NEED to talk more about this because Crackers is absolutely the love of my life rn. As we previously discussed, Aizawa’s D&D character is a dwelf paladin named Soup. Obviously. And, since it’s Aizawa, Soup persistently tries to befriend local wildlife especially when even though it wants to kill him. But all his rolls are terrible and the party is constantly saving him from the various apex predators he’s trying to hug pacify.
After a few sessions, even Mic gently tries to discourage him when he starts in with “I approach the direwolf.” Meanwhile Kayama is already queueing up fireballs. But Aizawa never gives up. Once the entire campaign got put on pause for two sessions so Mic and Kayama could track down some antivenom after he tried to tame a giant cobra.
UNTIL ONE DAY the party is traipsing through the sewers under a city and they encounter a swarm of oversized rats. Kayama is ready to fry them but Mic holds up a hand and asks Aizawa (who hadn’t rolled above a 7 all session) to try to befriend the Rat King. He even lends Aizawa his dice “for luck”
Sidenote: Mic has almost unbelievable good luck with his rolls. Tensei has made him change dice six times, and he still rolls above a 15 most of the time.
Aizawa knows he’s having a bad night and doesn’t even want to try, but Mic is giving him that just do what I tell you for once in your life look so he kind of rolls half-heartedly. A natural 20, the second one he’s EVER gotten.
Tensei, knowing that sometimes it’s important to embrace the absurd, proclaims that the rat, upon seeing Soup’s bedraggled appearance, assumed he was the Rat God of legend, and immediately runs over to nuzzle his leg. Aizawa names him Crackers and loves him instantly.
Now, it’s important to me that you understand that this is not a sweet, fluffy rat with bright eyes and a good nature. This is a horrifying creature, with patchy, matted fur and hate in his heart. He has a scar across one eye (in honor of Nedzu) and Tensei secretly adds a point to all Aizawa’s intimidation rolls, because he’s usually cuddling this disgusting, probably rabid monster.
Aizawa is very protective of Crackers, which is very useful for Tensei. Whenever he needs to move encounters along, he just has an NPC threaten the rat, because he knows Aizawa will immediately be like “Sorry Mic, the time for Charisma is over” even as he’s drawing his great-axe. Meanwhile Crackers looks like he could fight a wolf and win. Once, after a series of incredibly bad rolls from Aizawa, Crackers hurts his paw slightly, and the entire quest ground to a halt because Aizawa used Lay on Hands to heal him and then needed to rest for the night.
Mic’s character, Present Ukulele, suggests that the rat needs a collar, and then buys him a pink one, “So Crackers will feel beautiful!!” Mic also gifts Aizawa a stuffed rat, which becomes their group’s mascot and has its own pink collar, with rhinestones. It’s not very good quality, but Aizawa loves Plush Crackers almost as much as he loves in-game Crackers, and only lets other people hold it if he’s in a generous mood.
Aizawa gets so attached to Crackers that the protection of this diseased sewer-rat becomes the party’s number one priority. At one point, Tensei considers making Crackers the game’s Main Villain, but is forced to scrap the idea when he realizes that the party would immediately turn to evil and support him in his quest for world domination. Present Ukulele once clubbed an orc over the head with his precious enchanted lute to save Crackers. The instrument was destroyed, but Soup gifted him a new one, claiming “Crackers wanted you to have this. As a thank you.” Mic cried.
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