Ranh

The Halflings in the Nimpo Marshes live a mostly nomadic and isolated life. Most reside on family houseboats, sprawling floating barges hosting multiple generations of Halfling. Only a few permanent structures exist in the marshes, with Ranh being the largest cluster of them. It exists on the northern edge of the swamp, acting as a go between the Routot and the Halflings themselves. Living alongside the Halflings is a community of outcasts and exiles from the human lands, each seeking to hide amid the lonely swamp for their own safety or sanity. Ranh sits in the shadow of Mount Nui, a dormant volcano on a spur of the Malada mountains. Geothermal vents warm the waters near the town providing a lush amount of fauna, especially considering the bleakness of the rest of the marsh.

Politics

Politically, the Halflings in the Marshes are practically non-existent. The eastern Routot kingdoms lay claim to the swamps, but have little means or need to project any power over them. The Halfling families generally govern themselves according to their own rules and traditions, bickering and fighting with one another as they have since their creation. Each family acts as its own political unit, their boats floating fiefdoms unto themselves. In Ranh itself, there is no real central authority, with each denizen going about their own business without interference from the others. This sort of anarchy has encouraged outcasts and outlaws to take refuge in the swamp, hiding from their troubles at the edge of the world. This has made Ranh somewhat of a lawless place in the past, with bandits finding little resistance to their own schemes of dominance. The community that has formed in the town makes themselves relatively tight knit, relying on each other to fend off threats and to survive in the harsh lands. Occasionally, patrols from the Routot lands will sweep through Ranh, looking for outlaws and dragging away any they find. Beyond this, the Marshes exist in their own little world.

Groups

Landmarks

Personalities

Morud Gamhna, Wise Woman of Ranh

Morud is perhaps the oldest Halfling in the world, and certainly in the Nimpo Marshes. She resides in her hut near Ranh, giving advice and acting as a seer of sorts for the people there. Travellers come from across the marsh, and beyond, to seek an audience with her, looking for wisdom, advice or something more. A skilled herbalist, she provides remedies for any who can pay her. Her prices are often unusual, either requesting certain items or random trinkets in return for help. Rumoured to be a witch, Morud is treated with both respect and fear by many who buy into her legend. For those nearer to her, however, she can act almost grandmotherly. She truly is ancient, although she is still surprisingly sharp and spry for her age. Shorter than most Halflings, she rarely ventures far from her hovel, attended to by a few apprentices. She has grey hair and dark, weathered skin. Her eyes squint with age, and she can seem to hunch over nearly double.