Sea Nomads

The people known as Sea Nomads, or Saifumi, are
descendants of the remnants of Istar’s maritime population
and Ergothian buccaneers. Dark-skinned and born to a life
aboard ship, the Sea Nomads number in the thousands,
living on great floating family vessels, fleets of smaller
caravels, or in coastal enclaves, such as Sea Reach on the
island of Saifhum. Sea Nomad society is as volatile as the
sea; pirate kings and chieftains come and go, usually only
lasting as long as they can maintain their wealth and pay
their crews. Saifumi value their family before any larger
group, and blood feuds are common if a family member is
wronged or killed.
With their dominance of the northern oceans, Sea
Nomads come into conflict frequently with both the
Ergothians, who seek to bring the Saifumi back into their
culture, and the Minotaur Empire. Because the Saifumi
have no respect for what the minotaurs call honor, their
tactics infuriate minotaur captains, and sea battles between
the two races can be bloodthirsty and savage.
Saifumi men and women alike keep their lustrous
curly black hair cropped close to the scalp. They dress in
bright, flamboyant clothing made from silks and expensive
cloth and wear gold earrings, bracelets, and other trinkets.
When Saifumi go into battle, they often strip to the waist
and brandish a cutlass or trident; the sight of such a
fearless pirate is enough to send most opponents running.
The Sea Nomad culture includes a significant
percentage of mixed-race individuals, such as half-elves,
half-ogres, and half-kender. These Saifumi are given just
as much opportunity as their fully human kin, although
many make an effort to pass as human when consorting
with drylanders.