Godherja Encyclopedia

Deraani (culture)

The native culture of Trinapaawa and the surrounding islands, the Deraani are famed across Kashirya for their naval traditions, especially for their acts of piracy. It is said that the Deraani make piracy seem like fine art, dressing extravagantly and trained to dance with their swords from the age of five. Each clan typically owns a ship for every ten members; no man or woman is fit for marriage or a holding without seizing the cargo of twenty vessels due to their strict clan hierarchies. Battles between the Deraani are common, but are usually solved as quickly as they start with large gatherings between captains known as Tyanan Rudu, where feasting and duelling dominate the long nights.

The Deraani funerary ritual for a captain is well-documented, and consists of them, and any amongst their crew willing to pass on with them, being tied to the mast of their ship and sent to drift away across the Pirate Coast. Whilst once a quaint gesture, the damage caused to the trade networks of the region has often led to the Deraani being excluded from ports to trade their wares.