The River Rats are a loosely organized gang that operates along the Alandor River and its tributaries, enforcing their own toll system and skimming profits from the trade that floats between Shatar, Crimmor, and the Sea of Swords. Not quite pirates and not quite mercenaries, the River Rats straddle the line between organized crime and freelance protection racket. Some merchants call them a menace, others call them insurance—either way, they get paid.
Their numbers swell and shrink depending on the season, but at any given time, between 30 and 40 members are active. Many of them have ties to villages like Ideepton and Minsor Vale, splitting time between farmwork and river crime. Their headquarters is a half-hidden camp upriver, surrounded by palisades, with hidden docks and sheds used for extortion, smuggling, and storage.
The River Rats are led by Captain Verek Renn, a charismatic and calculating man who mixes charm with threats. He is not always present at operations—delegation falls to his lieutenants, each commanding their own crew of 10–12 members. After the death of Bruul, only two remain: Orlin “the Hook” and Telma Dross.
Renn’s system rewards results and punishes failure, which has created a mix of loyalty and fear among his men. Lieutenants manage their crews like captains, with autonomy over tolls, targets, and tactics—so long as they tithe a cut back to Renn.
The River Rats claim to offer “safe passage” in exchange for coin. Barges that pay the toll pass unbothered. Those that refuse may lose cargo, vessels, or crew. Occasionally, they involve themselves in smuggling operations, running protected goods under the noses of Crimmor’s inspectors.
They rarely kill unless provoked or crossed, preferring intimidation, sabotage, or robbery. Still, every merchant on the river knows someone who didn’t pay—and didn’t make it.
Primary Activities: River tolls, smuggling protection, intimidation, minor piracy
Key Territory: Northern Alandor River (from Shatar to Crimmor), Minsor Vale, Ideepton
Known Assets: A fortified riverside camp, hidden docks, stashed boats, caches of weapons and bribe money
The River Rats maintain a careful balance: rough enough to command fear, measured enough to avoid full military response. They know which merchants will pay and which can be pushed. Many riverfolk despise them, but just as many quietly pay the toll, shrugging it off as part of doing business.
They’re known to mark protected crates with two red chalk slashes and favor fast-moving boats that can maneuver in narrow waters. Their gear is mismatched, salvaged, or stolen—but functional. Reputation, not uniforms, keeps them in power.
The River Rats are not ideologues. They want control of the Alandor’s flow—both the river and the money. Captain Renn dreams of something larger: a recognized power with permanent territory and a say in inland trade.
Primary Goal: Maintain control over river toll collection and smuggling access
Secondary Goal: Expand influence south past Purskul and east toward the Cloud Peaks
Long-term Ambition: Transition from gang to recognized river authority with influence in Crimmor
Captain Verek Renn – The gang’s leader, smooth-talking and ruthless when needed
Orlin “the Hook” – Surviving lieutenant, known for crippling foes instead of killing them
Telma Dross – Second lieutenant, handles smuggling and bribes in Crimmor’s shadows
Dorian Grantham – Pays their tolls regularly, but deeply resents them
The Thaeldorn – Officially ignores the River Rats, but the détente is fragile
The Shadow Thieves – No formal ties, but the River Rats avoid interfering in their business