The Colony
Wix
Despite his small stature, Wix is one of the best scavengers in the colony. He is deceptively fast and can avoid traps and poison better than any other mouse, but his overconfidence and impatience can get him into trouble at times.
During a mission, Wix is all business, thoroughly searching every crack and crevice until he finds something of value. He insists that anything found goes back to the colony, keeping nothing for himself. He doesn't need it. To him, the search is its own reward. He's at his happiest when digging through an old house in search of loot.
Because of this, he tends to be a loner and is generally aloof when it comes to affairs of the colony, though he enjoys raiding with Umf and occasionally annoying Pict.
Wix has become impatient with the elders for only sending him to the nearby houses, as they have been thoroughly searched and looted many times. He yearns to join the scouts searching far from the colony for new targets to scavenge, but the elders are reluctant to send the brash young mouse too far, preferring the older, more experienced mice for scouting.
Pict
Pict is a spirited and intelligent mouse being groomed by her father Orim to lead the colony when he is gone. A natural leader taught the finer points of diplomacy by her father, she has become a powerful voice in council meetings, though her temper can flair when dealing with those she sees as corrupt.
Like many in the colony, she is worried that the elders are being overly cautious with their wait-and-see approach to the current crisis, but her solution is seen by most as too extreme, if not outright ridiculous.
Though she dutifully cares for her aging father and works to lead the colony, she often feels imprisoned by her obligations and wishes she could leave the colony house to explore the outside world like the scavengers she organizes. She also worries that this lack of experience is seen as a weakness.
Umf
Generally, rats and mice do not get along, but Umf is a good-natured exception.
According to Umf, he became tired of life in the city and wandered into the neighborhood by chance. Initially regarded with suspicion by the mice, his friendly disposition and guilelessness won them over. Now he is a welcome member of the colony, and is eager to help by scavenging, though some complain that he eats more than his fair share. He became close friends with Wix after a particularly hairy scavenging run, and the two have been partners ever since.
Umf is quite large, even for a rat, and is often seen as clumsy and foolish. Many are surprised he has survived this long, but Umf always manages to make it out of any jam.
Orim
Master Orim is the leader of the mice and father of Pict, and is regarded by nearly everyone as wise and fair. Ancient by mouse standards, Orim has led the mice through many difficult years, but even he may be ill equipped to handle the current crisis. Some have whispered that he has become too cautious in his old age, but Orim still has the support of the other elders.
After the humans left, it was Orim who unified the neighborhood nests of panicked mice into one colony. He organized scavenging raids and established storerooms for food and medicine for the whole colony. Though stores are now running dangerously low, without his leadership the mice would have ran out of food months ago and the colony would be shattered.
Pict is Orim's youngest and only surviving child, and he is extremely protective of her. He is pleased that she has decided to follow in his footsteps, but worries that there won't be a colony left to lead if things don't change soon.
Kessel
Kessel is Orim's right hand and captain of the scouts and guards. He has worked tirelessly to safeguard the colony since it was created, and leads the most important scouting missions personally. He has a great fondness for Pict, though he has doubts that she is capable of leading the colony.
Kessel is exceptionally tall for a mouse, almost resembling a rat. He has a slender frame and moves with a natural grace and agility, and thus avoids predators with amazing ease. Many of the colony mice are envious of his ability, but admire him nonetheless. Still, some complain that the guards have become lax and even abusive recently under his watch, leading to rumors that he doesn't have as much control over them as he likes to think.
Resher
Resher is the head of a western nest of mice who reluctantly joined the colony after a fire destroyed their home. Resher was not born into power, coming from a lowly family in their rigid society, but rapidly moved up the ranks using flattery, bribery, or intimidation, the latter due to his large size and gang of henchmice at his command. He is an extremely ambitious and power hungry mouse, and is adept at gaining followers and resources.
A mouse of action, Resher views the Council of Elders as ineffectual and has been pressuring them to abandon their suburban neighborhood and move to the city, which he believes is still occupied by humans and will provide the lifestyle they are accustomed to. In Resher’s mind, only he can lead the colony to prosperity, and is taking steps to undermine the elders and take control. He will stop at nothing to make sure that the colony follows him to the city.
Akama
Akama is not technically a member of the colony. In fact, she isn’t a mouse. She is an emissary of the Shade Run rats, a mysterious and reclusive group of rats who control the northern end of the neighborhood.
It is said that long ago the ancestors of the Shade Run rats controlled the entire neighborhood, until a poison outbreak nearly wiped them out. The survivors retreated to the northern houses, and largely avoided the mice that arrived in their absence.
After the humans left, Orim approached the rats and offered them a place in the colony, to the shock of both the rats and mice, who historically did not get along. Though the rats were struggling as much as the mice, they refused to move to the colony and share supplies. However, they were impressed by the wise mouse and agreed to work with them to find a solution to the problems facing both groups. The secretive rats are not known for sharing information with outsiders, but they have thus far been very helpful with coordinating scavenging missions and sharing information about predators in the area.
Akama was chosen as the rats’ ambassador to the colony. She is intelligent and shrewd even by Shade Run standards, but unlike most of her fellow rats, she is more diplomatic and open to working closely with the mice. She is very curious about mouse society, and has taken a particular interest in Pict, who Akama believes is well suited for leadership over the colony. Thus she supports the little white mouse in council meetings and offers advice, but only Akama knows if she is doing it for the good of the colony or because of some hidden agenda of the Shade Run.
Utt
Utt is the vain and corrupt overseer of the storerooms. Besides gorging on more than his share of the food supplies, he also sneaks larger rations to Resher and his followers, who he views as the savior of the colony. He isn’t terribly bright, but wants what’s best for the colony, if only for his own survival. Resher was able to exploit his fear and vanity to gain his support, and now has free reign of the colony’s supplies, which he uses to bribe others.
The Elder Council
The Elder Council is made up of the original leaders of the first five nests that formed the colony, with Master Orim as its head. They do not wield absolute power, but are greatly respected and hold much influence over the colony, so their decisions are usually treated as law. Though the elders are revered and have wisely governed, their grasp may be slipping as the crisis worsens.
The Elder Council is currently made up of Tamba, Ghanm, Orim, and Fostag. A 5th member, Akrit, is recently deceased.
Mottle
Mottle is a young orphan mouse who spends most of her time rummaging through the storeroom looking for tasty bits to eat. She is too young to leave the colony house, but dreams of becoming a scavenger or scout one day like her hero, Wix (who brings her special treats if he finds any.) She is too naive to be concerned with the plight of the colony, and has a silly, carefree attitude most of the time.
Skek
Skek is Resher's number one henchman. Cantankerous and foul smelling even by mouse standards, he spends his time away from the others, usually skulking in the colony house's basement until Resher needs him for something. No job is too low for Skek, and he can be counted on only as long as the bribes keep coming.