Bandits

Character
The bandits are not just a bunch of thugs and petty thieves- no, they are much worse. Intelligent, ruthless and quick-witted. The most potent attributes from each of the races comprised into a single entity. An entity with no mercy, no regret and no fear. It is because of all of these things that they are what they are. Killers without peer. Striking from the dark corners with poisoned tip blades or arrows, nothing can hope to halt their power. Nothing can be done to eradicate the Bandits. For so long as there is a hope for greed- they will be there. ~ Original Lore of Aeonis

Social Hierarchy
From the notes of Dancer Lliwe Vos’eldru. '' The most striking thing one first notices about the bandit sub-race is the stark differences between tales and reality. Everyone hears tell of the bandits, as a child we are told tales of infamous murderers, thieves, highwaymen and men devoid of honour; reality appears to tell a different tale.''

''Upon reaching the bandit stronghold (a secret location, the exact placement of which I am honour-bound not to disclose) I was greeted warmly by the Bandit Lord, a strong figure by the name of Aran. It was the men’s attitude toward their lord that first struck me as interesting. One would expect a level of resentment toward a leader whom, it is told, rules with an iron fist and unquestionable judgement, as is the tradition of bandit lords (possibly stemming from the ruling style of the infamous Lord Vectus.) However, the only emotion I could detect from the bandits toward their leader was one of admiration and utmost respect.

I would have liked to have been able to comment further on the typical architecture of the bandits, but their current place of residence is very much still under construction and, despite journeying to a number of abandoned locations, there appeared to be no consistent style with their existing buildings, forts and outposts.''~ Lliwe Vos'eldru

Political structure.

The bandits seemed to lack a strict rank structure, such as employed by the Vampires, or a caste system, such as the Dwarven society. Instead they appear to be more task-orientated, responsible for an area or skill, working as a whole to reach decisions and accomplish tasks. Within any dispute the Lord’s word is law; I myself witnessed one individual be threatened with exile if he continued to dispute a matter upon which Lord Aran had made up his mind. (Here again the curious respect showed itself once more, the individual in question quickly quieted down and accepted the decision which had been made.)

If one had to compare the politics of the bandits to another race of faction, I would be tempted to say that they are most similar to the Tetragrammaton itself, in terms of rank and operation. A whole which works more similarly to a family than a series of commanders and subsidiaries.

Military style.

Again, here the bandits appear to continue their haphazard organisational structure, amazingly resulting in a well-rounded and capable military. There are no units or military ranks as such, each individual being left almost to his own devices to train in whatever method of combat suits him best, be it bow, sword or axe. This leads to a medley of skills and abilities, most suited to the tactics of guerrilla warfare than a pitched battle or extended siege. (This most likely stems from the bandit’s military history consisting mostly of raids and small attacks focusing more upon profit and material gain than upon inflicting casualties on enemy forces.)

History
-The Beginning If someone was to dwell in the grand libraries about information on the Age of Struggle you will see the name Crazus, a name lost through time. Little is known on Crazus and his origins, but what is known was his brutality and success. Some books refer to him as an assassin without peer; other texts indicate he was once a Ranger for the humans, striving to better the world. But no matter which book you read from, one conclusion can be drawn from it. He was a leader. Many ideas sprung up as to what he actually led. But it is in the book of Faem's that his true identity can be seen. It is written that in his old age he wished to pass on his skills and knowledge into the next generation. He wished that his skills would echo throughout time. And it was in this moment Crazus knew what he would do. Adopting orphans and street urchins he taught them the skills off the blade, how to move undetected, how to steal, how to live in any condition and most importantly. How to stay alive.

After a few years of teaching his student were listed as outlaws, first from the humans, then the dwarves- soon every race had heard of the murderous traits of "The Bandits", most races wished nothing to do with them. But it was never about the races. It was always about the individual- everywhere they went, there was someone who had a task that needed doing, somebody that needed killing. The Bandits only have two rules. Never betray a fellow brother. And there is no task to dangerous to accept. It was this second rule that brought the bandits reputation to the floor.

-The Task Closing the end of the Age of Struggle an unknown figure appeared to the Bandits with one request. Some texts suggest that it was a high powered demon- but what was known is the words the figure said. "There is no task to dangerous. This is why I am here- I am of needing a service. The King current King of the Human race "Throdeor" is poisoning our world. And I wish him dead. Who says they can do it for me!" Boomed the figure, as he dropped several massive bags of diamonds on the table. All of the gathered Bandits stood their ground; nobody said anything, for a very long time. An awkward silence grew between the figure and the Bandits. Until a sigh emerged from the figure as he took his bags and turned his back on the Bandits.

- The Downfall "Halt." Said the grizzly voice, with a commanding aura in it, “I shall accept your task." Calmly said Crazus calmly. A gathered intake of breathe emerged from the Bandits sitting in the room. "You are all cowards." Spat Crazus, "I have trained all of you with two simple rules, and here we are. Cowering from a task, sure it might be dangerous, but we are Bandits, we are proud and respectable, I’m not going to allow one task diminish our reputation. So demon I shall accept your task." Said the elderly Bandit leader as he turned to the figure.

The next day news reached the world that Crazus had been killed. Slain by the palace guards, but he was successful in his mission. Apparently slaying the king in cold blood, then killing eight of the twelve palace guards in his escape. - The aftermath After this event chaos sprung up- all the bandits argued over who would be the next to rule as the Bandit Lord. Everybody had a right to claim, separate divisions sprung up as brother turned upon brother. Blood ran down the streets and the Bandit reputation was darkened. And several hundred years later they still are operating silently, mostly as individuals making a living.

Until now- an unknown Bandit has claimed he is the heir of Crazus, and is uniting the bandits under one ruler. Races of all over the world are banding together under the black flag. This man is killing all opposing leaders in his path and has been recognised as the true Bandit leader. And so now here we are- in the age of unity, an age of potential peace. And yet greed still exists, and as do the Bandits. ~ Original Lore of Aeonis