More credible Reavers

[Scarecrow]

I was watching a documentary on Custer's last stand last night and I thought, wouldn't it be great to have 'Indians' in my game. Now this has allready been done as Reavers in Firefly/Serenity and I like the way that, whilst Native Americans were portrayed as violent, psychopathic and vicious by the press, Whedon made his 'Injuns' genuinely feral.
I like the idea of a race in my setting like the Reavers - but my problem is that they are too feral. I've never really bought the fact that beings so utterly deranged and agressive could even pilot let alone maintain a starship.
So it set me thinking of a race still intelligent enough to have interstellar travel but with a culture based around violence like the 2300 Kafer. Maybe an extremist secular government with issues against the other races (that might be a bit too topical, not to mention dodgy politically). Maybe (and currently my favourite) a once great stellar Empire now reduced to scavenging and raiding in tribes. Of course, they don't have to be utterly irredeemable. Much like the Native Americans they could be simply reacting to being persecuted, demonised by the popular media.

Whichever way, I want an area of space that is dangerous to travel through for fear of raids from vicious and merciless attackers.

Any thoughts?

 

[spinwardpirate]

The Badlands... makes for interesting gaming, that's for sure.

An area of intense civil war, in which both sides have battered each other into a state of semi-savagery? Stealing ships for parts is the best method of resupply? Spacers willing to join are enlisted? Those reluctant are pushed out of the airlock?

A super-soldier nano-plague has turned this area of space into a restricted zone? Those who are infected still maintain most of their mental faculties, but the plague affects the minds in such a way that anyone who is not in "the unit" is considered an enemy combatant?

A disease from the players' world/system/polity has destroyed most of the population of this region? The survivors now scavenge among the stars, and look on any outsiders as dangerous, disease carrying foes who cannot be dealt with in any way but destruction?

 

[kafka47]

When I did my write up for the Verge Sector, I postulated the existance of minor race called: the Greed. This was a pocket empire formed entirely from looting and slavery through the possession of late 2nd Imperium Tech. especially weaponry which allowed them to subigate most of the neighbours in record time.

 

[Ran Targas]

Just a thought ... when the Ancients transplanted a human off-shoot to a distant world, they found that the humans needed a symbiotic bacteria to allow them to survive in the extremely toxic, heavy metal environment of the planet. The bacteria safely resides throughout the human's tissues, binding the heavy metals into compounds that render them inert and easily disposed by the body. But to do it's magic, the bacteria requires something in the planet's environment to survive as well, perhaps a particular flavor of solar radiation, a specific isotope, or maybe just something in the water.

So when these humans started leaving their planet, they took the bacteria with them as well as their heavy metal environment. There were few problems as long as the humans stayed near home or limited their travels to a few weeks. But as they wandered far away from their planetary system, the bacteria couldn't survive without that special environmental condition that allowed them to flourish. So as the symbiotes died off in individuals, the heavy metals built up and poisoning occurred. The poor victims slowly lost their minds, leaving them to their baser instincts.

As it happened, the population pressures of this planet encouraged large scale emigration and massive colony ships were built and dispatched to likely inhabitable worlds. Some of these ships never reached their primary destination and still wander normal space waiting to make planetfall; who knows what condition their crews or cargo are in.

 

[atpollard]

Among Tribal Cultures (like parts of Africa even today) it is common for clans to test each other’s strength regularly (often a prerequisite for manhood). Fights typically end in a minor act of theft (which will be retaliated against in kind) or a an injury. When a death results (as happens occasionally) ‘Elders’ tend to broker a ‘fair’ settlement between the two groups (which the majority in each group coerce a reluctant minority to accept) to avoid escalation and open war.

A culture unfamiliar with the ‘rules’ would be viewed as vicious. Possibly attacking ‘neutrals’, retaliating out of proportion, and refusing to parley (or even killing the ‘elders’). Such a people would be the enemy of all of the ‘tribes’ and ‘clans’, without honor, and fit only to be attacked like a rabid animal – on sight, without mercy and for the protection of all.

Look at some Native American cultures, the Franks, or Mongols for similar historic ‘ethics’. It is the fault of the Imperium that the ‘natives’ attack on sight – the Imperium is guilty of war crimes against the clans.

I found a link HERE.

 

[mike wightman]

Try looking at the history of the English/Scots border wars and the border reivers - plenty of scope there for technologically adept savages.

 

[epicenter00]

I'm sort of partial to Ran's idea just because it's different from what you mostly hear.

I think the three reasons listed below sum up why this sort of stuff would happen:

Displaced Persons. Traditionally a lot of is viewed as "reaving" or "raiding" groups arise from displaced groups. The Native Americans raiders that you're describing, Norseman raiders, and the barbarian invasions of Europe are all commonly attributed to people who have been displaced in some way.

Desperation. Shortages of basic goods can drive people to desperate measures. Most of us (at least I hope most of us) would think, "Well, why can't they share?" The truth of the matter is that when we're kids we're all taught to share. When we become adults, human nature teaches us not to share - at least not without some sort of compensation. From there, it's a short road to some other group deciding instead of the "humiliation" of paying or earning something, they can just take it because they're stronger.

Criminals and Banditry. Undesirables and "freedom lovers" leave civilized areas and strike out for the wilds so they can live as they please and do as they please. This can also include remnant fleets of some defeated Empire still doing "resistance" until that ultimately becomes so meaningless they're just criminals.

There's more exotic explanations though (like Ran's). Because it's so fun, I'd like to add my own exotic explanation:

Your life is a lie

A technologically advanced but minor alien race suffers horribly at the hands of humans. When there's some respite, the aliens decide they just want to be left alone. They go to the effort of cloning a few thousand male humans and through the use of sophisticated techniques of holograms, hypnotism, and humaniform robots raise these men into a (supposedly ancient) culture that emphasizes machismo and violence. Things like compromise or paying for something is considered effete - only what is earned through violence and force is truly earned. Interest in literacy or learning are also considered deeply "un-manly" - cause enough for vicious hazing usually resulting in death. Captaincy onboard a ship is maintained through "blood brothers" - a captain and his closest friends and those linked via pacts of brotherhood, and that power should only be held by the strong - it is seen as sacred that a weak or ineffectual captain is removed from power.

To direct all this virile viciousness, the aliens set up a religion to hold these men together as a culture - with suitably distant objects of veneration which won't threaten the machismo of these men, yet which encourages all of their base male instincts. The aliens are seen as servants of the gods, unknowable, inviolate, yet never a competitor in their male society since they're outside of it. Though the aliens might be at TL14 or TL15 or something, the ships they provide the reavers are a very reliable T12 ships, which can be made in a very "black box" way by the alien sponsors, yet the TL12 ships would still be a threat if skillfully used even against TL14 or TL15 vessels. However, the aliens would ensure there's never really enough of them to fear an invasion by their human tools.

The ships land at "temples" which are really shipyards. The captains bring home loot sacrifice/gift some percentage of it to the gods. If the sacrifice is deemed "sufficient" the ships are repaired and refurbished, ammunition is restocked, battle dress and weapons replaced, and the ship is reproivisioned. If the sacrifice is considered "pleasing" perhaps a new ship is offered, more and better weapons and armor offered. Such things are never offered to the crew directly, of course, only to the captain who can be as open-handed with his gifts as he desires. If the sacrifice is "insufficient" or "displeasing" the ship might not be repaired, leading to a "night of long knives" amongst the crew or defections of the crew to other ships. Shipless men are considered the worst wretches, and the fact that they're often armed means seizures of ships by desperate, armed men stuck on temple-planets is celebrated for their audacity (as well as feared).

These men raid into outlying areas, and when that's lean, they raid each other. There's obviously some captains who aren't so pious and perhaps have their own technician-thralls, but they're still vicious, violent men because of their surroundings. Most of them have their own Reaver-Holds on planets, separate from the Temple-Worlds which are considered inviolate and places of awe and reverence when the men show up to them. The Imperium pulls back due to constant and annoying raids that they can't really stamp out. The Reavers limited by their numbers, technology, and ignorance from going further. The cloning and elaborate education of the first generation isn't necessary, the men perpetuate the culture themselves, and reproduce via harems of captured slave-wives.

And the aliens? The aliens not only get their revenge on humans, but they also get to be left alone.

 

[Spinward Scout]

Maybe (and currently my favourite) a once great stellar Empire now reduced to scavenging and raiding in tribes. Of course, they don't have to be utterly irredeemable. Much like the Native Americans they could be simply reacting to being persecuted, demonised by the popular media.

Whichever way, I want an area of space that is dangerous to travel through for fear of raids from vicious and merciless attackers.

Any thoughts?

Feral? Yet able to fly starships? Sounds like the Vargr. If they haven't had their distemper shots or catch Space Rabies, that could be your ticket...

:rofl:

 

[epicenter00]

Feral? Yet able to fly starships? Sounds like the Vargr. If they haven't had their distemper shots or catch Space Rabies, that could be your ticket...

:rofl:

You realize that could have a very serious and interesting game effect...

Werewolves!

(Werevargr would be more accurate, but doesn't sound as impressive)

Throughout the Imperium facing closest to the Vargr Extents come rumors and terrified Vargr refugees fleeing into the safety of the Imperium. Many are terrified to the point of being unable to rationally speak about what they saw. However, from what Imperium's various intelligence organs and charitable foundations are able to learn, it seems that somewhere in the Vargr extents, there was arisen a sort of "Super Vargr" - much larger, vastly stronger, apparently immune to pain, nearly supernaturally fast and tough. Vicious and domineering, they have begun extensive purges of the "lesser" Vargr populations and into a murderous near-animal rage upon scenting humans.

During the Ancient War, when various factions were fighting, one of the factions introduced a lurking, latent gene strand within Vargr genes. When exposed to some sort of stimuli, perhaps a specific tailored virus/prion or something similar, the Vargr transforms into some hulking 2.5-3m tall creature designed to hunt and kill others of its kind as well as humans. It was originally designed as a terror weapon to demoralize populations of humans and Vargr during the Ancient War.

The transformation wouldn't be instant - actually occurring painfully over the period of some weeks. It would start with a ravenous, nearly instinctual hunger. Then the Vargr would fall into a delirious, feverish state of great pain while accelerated growth would warp the body and mind into a new state. The resulting "Super Vargr" would have instantly commanded fear and submission from Vargr instantly in the time of the Ancients, however, in the thousands of years since, genetic drift and evolving culture has made many Vargr immune to that aspect and what these "werewolves" can't control, they destroy. They would be nearly single-minded driven by the desire to hunt and kill and raid. While they could use weapons and pilot starships (and even effect repairs) that would not be their primary passion - they would tend to want to simply "use up" a starship until it's no longer good then capture a new one.

Perhaps genetic drift has caused the gene not to activate properly in some Vargr populations, killing them or twisting them into drooling things, writhing mis-shapen and useless limbs and mindless from constant pain. However, many Vargr populations remain receptive and Vargr explorers disturbing some Ancient site were infected by the virus either by accident or by some defense mechanism.

 

[BlackBat242]

This can also include remnant fleets of some defeated Empire still doing "resistance" until that ultimately becomes so meaningless they're just criminals.

See CJ Cherryh's "Alliance-Union" novels...

The first successful FTL probe using newly developed jump technology is launched in 2248. Earth takes advantage of the breakthrough to try to re-assert its authority among the colonists. With a poor understanding of stationers and merchanters alike, its clumsy attempts backfire, provoking first unrest, then occasional armed clashes, and eventually rebellion. As the situation spirals out of control, the Earth Company builds 50 military carriers, the "Company Fleet", under the command of Conrad Mazian, to enforce its orders.

The situation culminates in 2300 with the declaration of an independent Union by the colonists centered at the Cyteen system, another habitable planet and space station at Lalande 46650, precipitating outright war. The Union augments its population and armed forces with genetically engineered and psychologically conditioned human clones, called Azi, which are seen as an abomination back on Earth.

Fighting between the Fleet and Union forces is fierce during the ensuing "Company War". The stations closest to Earth, disturbed by the Azi and other developments on the Union side, remain loyal to Earth; several of these are destroyed by Union action. With ever diminishing support from Earth, the Fleet gradually begins to lose a war of attrition to Union.

Caught in the middle are the merchanter families as well as Pell Station, which serves as the primary transit point between Earth and Union space. The conflict comes to a head at Pell Station in late 2352 and early 2353, as described in the novel Downbelow Station.

Faced with the increasingly dangerous situation, many of the merchanter families finally band together to form the Merchanter's Alliance, creating a third, neutral power. This alliance soon rules commerce on both sides of the Alliance-Union boundary and wields the power to shut down stations simply by withholding trade. Because both Earth and Union are dependent upon merchanter shipping, the new Alliance is able to broker a peace treaty and Pell Station becomes its de facto home base. The stations' respect for the merchanters is illustrated by the fact that ship-law and not station-law is applicable to station docks and sleep-overs.

The ambitious Mazian stubbornly refuses to recognize the peace and continues to fight. Signy Mallory, one of his most senior captains, defects to the new Alliance out of disgust with his actions, but the remainder of the Fleet remains loyal to Mazian, becoming renegades and pirates out of necessity.