From the introduction: Skandaharian influence has been felt by nearly all the settlements along the coasts of the Black and North Seas. Throughout the area defined by the Black Sea’s southern shores and the lands east of the Shallows, the Skandaharian raiders are collectively feared as an aggressive and savage force. Even though they have not successfully established permanent settlements of their own in these regions, many individual Skandaharians have lived among the peoples there. Sometimes accidentally left behind by invading forces, captured as prisoners during battle, or, rarely, having come of their own free will, many of these Skandaharian pariahs eventually adjusted to their new “civilized” life, becoming productive members of their new societies.