Rakudans

Rakudans are a fictional ethnic group in speculative fiction and worldbuilding, used to explore nomadic culture and frontier society. The term appears in multiple works with varying spellings and backgrounds, and there is no single canonical history. In most renderings, the Rakudans inhabit a rugged highland steppe on the continent of Veridia, though exact borders shift by author. They are often described as semi-nomadic herders and caravan traders who move between portable settlements and seasonal camps. Their social structure tends to be clan-based, with elder councils and craft guilds playing key roles in governance and economy.

The Rakudani language is depicted as agglutinative, with a rich oral tradition of storytelling, songs, and proverb use. Their material culture frequently emphasizes leatherwork, metalwork, and textile crafts, produced for both domestic use and long-distance exchange. Religion among Rakudans is commonly portrayed as animist, centering on mountain and ancestral spirits, with ceremonial rites that mark seasonal cycles and major migrations.

In literature and games, Rakudans are used as a trope representing resilient, independent trader-nomads who negotiate borders between settled kingdoms. Critics note that their portrayal ranges from nuanced to stereotyped, depending on the author’s handling of mobility, economy, and gender roles. See also nomad in fiction, worldbuilding tropes, and fictional economies.