308 – The Straggletag

There has always been a Straggletag. There will always be a Straggletag. When an urchin becomes the Straggletag, he abandons his name and past. From that day onward, he is only the Straggletag. The Straggletag serves no Swarmlord nor swears any oath. Not even the Garbage Council holds any authority over the Straggletag, who comes and goes by his own leave.

The Straggletag’s gender is unknown, but for ease and by general urchinfinder scholarly consensus he is referenced in literature by male pronouns.
The Straggletag has the gift of esoteric prophesy, but he speaks in riddles that only make sense after the fact.

Urchins treat the Straggletage with cautious respect for he is in communication with forces beyond urchin ken. A captured urchin named Long Tall David (Subject #438) relayed the following story during interrogation:

In 1929, the Straggletag was mudlarking on the night soil shores of the Potomac, as was his custom, when he was hailed by a great voice from across the waters.

“Straggletag,” boomed the voice, “Are you there?”

“Yes,” said the Straggletag.

“Go forth and tell the urchins of the world that the great god Rapscallius us dead.”

The Straggletag did not have much inquiry into the ways of gods, but he did as he was bade. Since then, it has been known to all urchins that we live alone.

Urchin scholars are still unsure about the significance of The Death of Rapscallius; it’s generally regarded as a propaganda story invented by apologists of the Cult of the Unseen Mother, which has sought to displace traditional urchin Rapscallius worship. Despite reports of Rapscallius’ death, backalley urchin shrines dedicated to his worship still showed evidence recent activity — including regular ritualistic squirrel and pigeon sacrifice — into the 1940s.

The Straggletag has not as of yet been adequately categorized according to the Reinhoffer-Ootz system.