Corsars

The No-return has brought piracy back to the inner lands of America, along with all the activities it comes with. The caravaners need has brought many opportunities and preys of choice for raiders.

The advantages are legion. Money, power, respect... A parallel trading system with many clients, adventure, danger...

But nothing comes without its contrary. The problem of the social isolation comes quickly, since not any single big city accept corsars troops within their walls, except for the jail-city section. Sure, there are illegal little cities and common camps, but they miss... the real thing.

A PARALLEL ECONOMY

Raiding a caravan brings much more than making a corsar unit survive for a week. It brings goods to sell to black markets. Among the clients, there are surgeons willing to find extra ressources like body parts or old nanotechnologies, Tulars who want some material help to create a cell, rogue alchemists who need their ingredients... Also, little cities and villages are rarely connected to the major caravan's path. It is essentially because of Corsars that the majority of independant cities can give food and ressources to their citizens. The help of the Dies Irae is simply not enough or too slow for these cities to count on. Many times have judges heard : "Yes, I robbed, killed, raped, sabotaged caravan and Selfmads goods. But they were used for this village to create a school and feed the citizens. How's bad is that ?". Actually, along with criminals, many people become corsars to feed their original village.

THE MARK LETTERS

During several events, like revolutions or conflicts, powerful factions may tolerate the piracy, at the only condition of getting advantage of it. For example, during the revolution set in the beginning of the series, Jeremiah allowed some pirate groups to attack caravans or convoys which brought ressources to the enemy. In exchange for this unofficial help, the king proposed full access to the military bases, legal immunity and the possibilities of earning a nobility title. It is the case of the famous pirate Ludmila Dexa, who became baroness during the war against the Pitt.