Your companions are stronger too.

First things first, you focus on first Ratty, then Jitter to see how their level-ups have gone. They’re both listed as Level 3 Felidae Guttersnipes—apparently, Jitter had gotten enough EXP to skip straight to level 3, so that was a nice little turn of events. This would hopefully make your group's progression to "maybe not going to die immediately"You try to look a little harder to get their full character sheets.

Level 3 Felidae Guttersnipe—”Ratty”
[Monster, Beastfolk, Feline, Explicit]
Experience to Level Up: 200

Attributes:

Strength: 27 (-5), Dexterity: 30 (-5), Endurance: 16 (-5)
Charisma: 20, Manipulation: 25, Appearance: 18 (-7)
Perception: 34, Intelligence: 20, Wits: 35

Skills:

Athleticism: 23
Brawl: 30
Larceny: 25
Stealth: 25
Survival: 7

Feats:

Pitiful Appearance: You look like you're at ****'s door. Upon Social checks [CHA/MAN/APP], +15 to PCs and NPCs with the Merciful trait.

Pack Tactics: Hit chance, crit chance, and dodging are buffed when at least two others are fighting the same opponent as you. Buff scales with additional fighters.

Feline Agility [Racial Trait]: Your body is limber and agile, like a cat writ large. Acrobatic actions are significantly easier for you, falling damage reduced by 75%, slight dodge increase.

Feline Flexibility [Racial Trait]: Your body is lithe and flexible, like a cat writ large. You can fit through extremely tight places and contort your body to an unusual degree.

Cat's Eyes [Racial Trait]: You have High Night Vision in non-supernatural dark and dim conditions. Your eyes glow subtly in the dark.

Cat's Claws [Racial Trait]: Your fingers are tipped with sharp retractable claws. +5 cutting damage to Unarmed Attacks while unobstructed.

Wanted (Ondell): The Ondell City Guard knows your face—default hostile reactions from Ondell City Guard NPCs and allied PC factions.

Burns (Tail) [Persistent Injury]: A severe burn in your past left your (Tail) heavily scarred and hairless. Permanent -10% to Appearance.

Starving: You need to eat, and badly. -5 to all physical attributes, -5 to Appearance, -20% HP. Disappears after 5 consecutive days with the Well-Fed status.

So Ratty was a good bit stronger and had a higher endurance now, that was good. She’s definitely the best fighter of the three of you, between that strength and her Brawling skill, and you got the distinct feeling you’ll be needing a bruiser in the future. Now for Jitter...

Level 3 Felidae Guttersnipe—”Jitter”
[Monster, Beastfolk, Feline, Explicit]
Experience to Level Up: 220

Attributes:

Strength: 18 (-5), Dexterity: 34 (-13), Endurance: 14 (-5)
Charisma: 20 (-5), Manipulation: 25, Appearance: 18 (-5)
Perception: 36 , Intelligence: 24, Wits: 38

Skills:

Athleticism: 15
Awareness: 20
Larceny: 26
Stealth: 30
Survival: 7

Feats:

Pitiful Appearance: You look like you're at ****'s door. Upon Social checks [CHA/MAN/APP], +15 to PCs and NPCs with the Merciful trait.

Pack Tactics: Hit chance, crit chance, and dodging are buffed when at least two others are fighting the same opponent as you. Buff scales with additional fighters.

Feline Agility [Racial Trait]: Your body is limber and agile, like a cat writ large. Acrobatic actions are significantly easier for you, falling damage reduced by 75%, slight dodge increase.

Feline Flexibility [Racial Trait]: Your body is lithe and flexible, like a cat writ large. You can fit through extremely tight places and contort your body to an unusual degree.

Cat's Eyes [Racial Trait]: You have High Night Vision in non-supernatural dark and dim conditions. Your eyes glow subtly in the dark.

Cat's Claws [Racial Trait]: Your fingers are tipped with sharp retractable claws. +5 cutting damage to Unarmed Attacks while unobstructed.

Wanted (Ondell): The Ondell City Guard knows your face—default hostile reactions from Ondell City Guard NPCs and allied PC factions.

Tremors [Persistent Injury]: A major head injury in your past has left you suffering frequent and severe tremors. Permanent -25% to Dexterity.

Stutter [Condition]: A major head injury in your past has left you with a noticeable stutter when you speak. -5 to Charisma.

Starving: You need to eat, and badly. -5 to all physical attributes, -5 to Appearance, -20% HP. Disappears after 5 consecutive days with the Well-Fed status.

So Jitter was still certainly the weakest, but he was the most perceptive, best thief, and easily the stealthiest; if you had to do anything and not be caught, he was going to be the best bet. He’s also apparently the best-looking of you all, not that that was worth particularly much in your crew.

Nodding at the information, you exit out of their character sheets. The second you close the sheets, however, your vision is filled by a strange popup that you’ve never seen before.

Invite monster(s) into your lair as minions?

[Felidae Guttersnipe (x2)]

Yes/No

You blink, stunned. This is new. It must have been from the Microboss perk—it does say you’re a leader of monsters, so does that mean you can recruit?

“What?” Ratty asks. She looks at you, impatiently. “Damn cave still looks the same, Milky. This _did _do something, right?”

“It… yeah. Yeah, it definitely did something. Uh... apparently I’m a microboss now.”

The two look stunned, first looking at you, then each other, then back at you. And then they laugh harder than you think you’ve ever heard before. Ratty is doubled over and almost collapses on the floor, and Jitter is wiping tears out of his eyes as he asks, “You’re a b-boss? You? Really?”

Irritated, you respond “Microboss. It’s barely anything, shut up!”

Instead of heeding you, they keep laughing for a good bit. “Sorry, Milky, it’s just… that’s just really funny, you know? You’re... well, you’re a one-eyed sewer cat, who’d lose at arm wrestling to a dead man. And now you’re a boss.”

Ratty always knows just what to say to cheer you up, huh.

“Look, one of us has to own this place, technically, and I guess since that’s me it makes me a microboss. It doesn’t matter—except, uh…” you pause, not sure how to word things, “it’s asking me if you two want to be my minions.”