Renden
Renden is a nation of seafarers that brutally raid coastal towns and cities along the Inner Sea. Originally, the people of Renden shared much of their culture with Fjordenhavian, Noord, and Teivosi society, but over the generations, the people of Renden lost all shred of morality.
Known as the terrors of the Inner Sea, the Renden do not discriminate between any town or seafaring vessel of any nation. They will raid anything, leaving boats and buildings in burning ruins and leaving sailors and townsfolk to rend their clothes and beg for mercy.
Aristocratic and Political.
Renden is administered by the Circle of Matriarchs. These are elder Renden women with a deep connection to the Primal Source. Capable of calming great sea storms, they rule from their enormous vessel, the Ravager, which often has several smaller boats and wide, flat barges lashed to it or anchored nearby.
While the Circle of Matriarchs make legislative decisions for their nation, the Kings of the Sea enforce these laws and conduct raids. Each captain of a coastal longship or a deep- sea pirate ship is considered a King of the Sea.
Mercantile and Trade.
Renden do not trade with other nations, for they never willingly give anything to those who are not their own. Rather, they plunder and pillage whenever they need to supplement their internal economy.
Militant.
The Renden are competent sailors and vicious coastal fighters. Their longships are narrow, quiet, fast, and low to the ground. This allows them to quickly come upon a coastal town and catch any watchguards by surprise. Renden deep sea vessels, like the Ravager, are much larger and slower.
Religious.
The Renden have no religion. They live and die by the iron in their hands, the blood in their veins, and the salt air in their lungs.
The Ravager
The Ravager is a twelve-masted boat of tremendous size. Covered in living vegetation grown by the magical hands of the Circle of Matriarchs, it could be mistaken at a distance for a small island. The Ravager contains an entire marketplace, two inns and taverns, and a council chamber where the Circle of Matriarchs make decisions for their nation.
Several large Renden barges often float nearby, housing stolen goods and additional taverns and marketplaces aboard their wooden decks.
The Islands
The Renden are more at home on sea than land, but they have many hidden coves and obscure islands in the Inner Sea where they stash their wares or occasionally go for leisurely hunting expeditions.
Nachtstrond
The Renden will, at all costs and on pain of death, avoid Nachtstrond, or the Black Coast. This stretch of woodland appears to be in a constant state of blighted decay, and an enormous but withered world-tree stretches its thorny boughs over the expanse of craggy forbidden shores. The Renden believe that the area is haunted by the souls of all humanoids killed violently. Needless to say, if this is true, then any Renden that sets foot on the shore will be torn apart by vengeful ghosts in a matter of moments.
Quest Ideas
• The heroes must guide a merchant vessel through the Inner Sea and protect them from Renden attacks.
• A coastal town has heard rumor that the Renden are coming and the mayor asks the heroes to protect the town.
• The heroes, in fleeing from a Renden sea vessel, have shipwrecked on Nachtstrond. Now they must venture back into the sea and face the Renden, or press deeper into the haunted forest.