Slavers

Lore & Background

The Slavers are a criminal faction operating within the United Cities, which still openly practices slavery. They have organized into a confederation of gangs united under a single banner to maximize profit and minimize interference. Their operations are deeply entrenched in the economy of the wasteland. They do not merely raid; they maintain infrastructure, including camps where captives are held before being transported to distant buyers or work sites. This logistical capability makes them far more dangerous than typical bandits, as they can sustain long-term sieges and coordinate attacks across vast distances. Despite their power, the Slavers face constant opposition from groups like the Freedom Fighters, who dedicate themselves to liberating captives. This ideological conflict has led to numerous skirmishes in the desert, ensuring that the region remains a volatile theater of war where freedom is often sold by the pound.

In Their Own Story

The sun had long since bled out of the sky, leaving only the cold eyes of stars watching over the caravan. Iron chains clinked softly against the sand as the captives shuffled forward, their boots dragging in the dust. A Slaver Guard stood watch, his hood pulled low to hide the scarred face beneath, hand resting on the pommel of a heavy blade. He did not speak; he only counted heads. To him, these were not people with names or histories, but cargo waiting for shipment to the coast where ships waited in the fog.

Reader's Guide

The Slavers operate on a simple ideology: human beings are currency to be bought and sold for profit. Their hierarchy is rigid, led by powerful Slaver Lords who oversee regional captains and enforcers. Recruitment often involves coercion or purchasing loyalty from desperate mercenaries rather than ideological indoctrination. They maintain strict territorial control over the Slave Coast city and surrounding desert outposts, using these hubs to process captives before shipping them elsewhere. Their relationships are transactional; they trade with neutral parties for supplies but remain violently hostile to anyone threatening their supply chain, particularly Freedom Fighters or Nomads who disrupt caravans. They view law as a tool of the powerful, enforcing their own rules through fear and overwhelming force in contested zones. Equipped with heavy leather armor and spears, they prioritize crowd control over individual duels, often capturing targets alive rather than killing them outright to preserve value.

Did You Know?

• The Slavers operate out of the Slave Market, a major hub for illegal trade routes in the United Cities.
• Their members typically wear distinctive orange-brown leather armor with hoods and masks.
• Unlike raiders who kill indiscriminately, they often prefer to capture enemies alive to sell them.
• They are a criminal faction within the United Cities, which still openly practices slavery.