The Rhennee

One of the most unusual features of the Nyr Dyv is its people.  These folk make their homes on great barges anchored along the shores.  They conduct much of the day-to-day conveyance of trade along them.  These are the Rhennee, gypsy waterfolk who are mostly thieves and occasionally pirates. 

Each Rhennee barge is crewed by a “lord” who shares his cabin with his family, and “cousins” (who may or may not be related by blood) who find living space on or below deck.  A typical barge contains some 15-20 souls.  The Rhennee have both a special cant of their own and a subtle communication system using flags and lanterns. 

The Rhennee are gypsy folk who ply their barges along the Selintan River, and across the Nyr Dyv to all ports of call beyond.  Their “barges” are large, sturdy vessels well capable of negotiating the Lake of Unknown Depths, and the Rhennee are expert sailors and navigators.  Along rivers, Rhennee barges usually travel in groups of 7-12. 

Rhennee are strong, dexterous people, with skin tones ranging from tan to olive.  They have black curly hair and a typically wiry build, although they are not tall (males average 5’6”). 

Their society is one with very strictly observed customs, which can be highly confusing to outsiders.  For a start, they have their own language, a variety of the Thieves’ Cant, although they can speak the common tongue also.  A non-Rhennee Thief can readily have a basic conversation with a Rhennee, or pick up a fragment of Rhennee Cant, but anything complex or lengthy requires a successful Intelligence check for the thief to understand correctly what is being said.  All Rhennee have thieving ability; even children have such proficiency, and even an adult Rhennee who does not practice the thieving profession still has the abilities of a low-level thief. 

Rhennee are extremely loyal to each other so far as outsiders are concerned.  Any threat given, or harm inflicted, to a Rhennee by an outsider will arouse the wrath even of Rhennee who are hostile to the injured party, unless truly exceptional circumstances prevail.  The leaders of Rhennee society are called “lords” or “nobles.”  These titles may have originally adopted in mockery of true aristocrats, but the nobles are the Rhennee’s major decision-makers, together with their wise women.  It is the nobles who are the most knowledgeable about tides, winds and currents, and they know the secret bays and sites where Rhennee meet in large numbers or take shelter during winter, when severe winds make travel difficult for them.  A Rhennee noble is considered to be the equal of both a higher-level fighter and thief. 

Below the nobles are the bargewrights—the men who own the barges the Rhennee travel on.  Each bargewright is responsible for, and protects, the people on his barge.  Each of these men is both a mid-level fighter and thief.  The Rhennee on each barge are more or les an extended family, although several barges together may often be an even larger “family” under the leadership of a noble traveling with the group.  A Rhennee barge has a variable number of people on board, depending on the size of the craft: 2-4 guards (all male), 13-24 ordinary folk (half males, half females), plus 7-12 children and a wise woman. 

The wise woman is a symbol of the odd role of women in Rhennee society.  A wise women is between 35-85 years old, which maker her a major source of advice and comfort to the superstitious Rhennee folk. 

Wise women have skill in herbalism and healing as well as minor access to healing spells.  They can read tea lives and perform similar actions, to predict the future (augury spell).  A small number of wise women can use Legend Lore once per week, with a %50 chance of success. 

Finally, wise women can predict, in general terms, what the weather will be for the next 12 hours, with a large chance to be exactly correct.  If not, they are usually correct within reasonable limits.  For instance, if a wise woman says "It will rain in six hours," she may be absolutely correct; she may be off by an hour or two in either direction or she ma be completely wrong- but she's at least partly right often enough so that people keep on trusting her predictions. 

Wise women are the real power in Rhennee society, for even a Rhennee noble will not knowingly contradict their word.  They do not use this power for leadership, however.  They suggest, insinuate, and use cryptic prophecy to influence their men, whom (basically) they can twist around their little fingers. 

On the other hand, other females (save the one or two who attend the wise woman) are treated as helpmates and with some respect by their men folk, but basically they are regarded as chattel.  There is no formal marriage rite among the Rhennee, and nobles and bargewrights have as many cohabitating females as they can afford to keep. 

This chauvinism, and the macho behavior of Rhennee males in general, often leads to embarrassing disputes.  A Rhennee male may challenge any other (usually non-Rhennee) male who looks at his female in the wrong manner, as he sees it.  Further, if his female looks at another male in an interested way, he will issue a challenge.  The challenge is for immediate combat, with whatever weapons one has at hand.  Declining to fight is regarded as shameful, and the use of underhanded means such as magic or poison will bring down the wrath of all Rhennee in the area on the offender. 

While in towns, the Rhennee usually live on board their barges, conducting their business of trading and selling in nearby wharf areas.  Rhennee males visit taverns often, but usually stay in or near the harbor district.  A wise woman with a suitable entourage of handmaidens and male escorts also visits the city to tell fortunes and such for additional income. 

In citied, the Rhennee are very careful about using their thieving skills.  They very rarely pick the pockets of natives or burgle them.  They know the importance of not angering the people who live in places where they ply much of their trade.  However, they are nowhere near so scrupulous when it comes to foreigners in the city.  They will appear to be friendly and helpful, but will scheme, cheat and lie as it suits them.  Local thieves and ne’er-do-wells leave the Rhennee alone, knowing that stealing from, or assaulting, one of them will ensure that a large group will come looking for the culprit, and with their thieving skills and powers of persuasion they will usually find whom they are looking for. 

However, the Rhennee are always ready to smuggle people into cities who want to enter unheralded, and this has led some of the more unscrupulous Rhennee into dangerous territories at times.  Conversely, the Rhennee’s willingness to ferry anyone in or out has proved useful to those who have to exit cities in a hurry. 

In addition to trade and transport, Rhennee make some little money from craftwork (sail making and repair, cloth making, etc) and fishing. 

On rare occasions, outsiders who perform some important service for the Rhennee, or who have valuable skills and gain an exceptional reaction from them, may be treated as “honorary Rhennee” and given some token of this fact.  Future interaction with any Rhennee will be enhanced—how much depends on the nature of the service, the status of the Rhennee for whom the service was performed, etc.