Post by Insano-Man on Sept 24, 2018 10:05:02 GMT -5
400 Bottles of Vodka Later
The Zadvonich Raiders are one of the largest terrestrial bandit clans in Coalition space and the most infamous in their sphere of influence. Though established on only a single planet - Melgenyavik in former Timosi territory - they command one of the highest ratios of ex-military personnel and equipment and have established numerous alliances with other bandit and pirate factions.
In the same stroke, the Zadvonich Raiders have established themselves as the posterchild of wasteland bandits; foul, crass, ruthless, disorganized, and often better equipped than their lacking training and experience seem to warrant. Despite it all, the Zadvonich clan has earned a strong reputation in infamy and many upstart bandit and raider gangs have emulated their model - with wildly varying levels of success across the board.
History
The history surrounding the foundation of the Zadvonich Raiders and their rapid ascent to the top of the bandit hierarchy on Melgenyavik is part hearsay, part wasteland legend, and only sparsely populated with genuine facts. Kept almost purely as oral tradition passed on in bars, around campfires, and on long drives to and from settlements, piecing together the Raiders' past requires as much imagination as it does curiosity.
Hard facts are mostly related to their beginnings in 2191 A.F. Between ten and twenty deserting Timosi soldiers arrived on Melgenyavik together, led by Junior Lieutenant Mitay Zadvonich, following the razing of their garrison on Priazma in the Daskovin system. The group was delivered by a civilian medical ship, the CSV Groveheart, which afforded them passage through the Praetorian Federal Navy flotilla bombarding the planet.
Originally, the group had intended to return to Timosi-held space and reintegrate into the Central Military. Instead, through a supposedly unanimous vote, they stopped at Melgenyavik and quietly deserted into the wasteland. As Melgenyavik was already a steadily-growing home to deserters, criminals, and other castaways of society, there was little to stand in the way of their disappearance.
To their misfortune, however, surviving the attempt was another story. Adapting to the harsh and treacherous life of Melgenyavik's own rise to prominence quickly took its toll on the Timosi deserters and the group soon found itself starving in the desert. They had quickly earned a reputation as little more than armed hooligans distracted with celebrating their freedom - at the expense of all others - and were shunned by the few towns they could reach on foot.
With few options, no supplies, and little more than their service rifles and combat armor to their names, Lieutenant Zadvonich pulled together his tenuous authority over the other soldiers to rally them into a nameless raider gang. Their first raid was typical for the soon-to-be Zadvonich Raiders; crazed with hunger and thirst, they descended on the small town of Volyevensk as a disorganized mob and looted whatever they could find at gunpoint.
As the raiding lifestyle stuck with the former soldiers, they steadily took on additional members from fledgling bandit and raider gangs, desperate wastelanders, and other Timosi deserters arriving on Melgenyavik. Facts surrounding their continued successes and resultant expansion are difficult to come by, but the end result is clear today. Through desperation, bravado, and no shortage of luck, the Zadvonich Raiders have become the premier role model for bandits on Melgenyavik.
The Zadvonich Raiders are one of the largest terrestrial bandit clans in Coalition space and the most infamous in their sphere of influence. Though established on only a single planet - Melgenyavik in former Timosi territory - they command one of the highest ratios of ex-military personnel and equipment and have established numerous alliances with other bandit and pirate factions.
In the same stroke, the Zadvonich Raiders have established themselves as the posterchild of wasteland bandits; foul, crass, ruthless, disorganized, and often better equipped than their lacking training and experience seem to warrant. Despite it all, the Zadvonich clan has earned a strong reputation in infamy and many upstart bandit and raider gangs have emulated their model - with wildly varying levels of success across the board.
History
The history surrounding the foundation of the Zadvonich Raiders and their rapid ascent to the top of the bandit hierarchy on Melgenyavik is part hearsay, part wasteland legend, and only sparsely populated with genuine facts. Kept almost purely as oral tradition passed on in bars, around campfires, and on long drives to and from settlements, piecing together the Raiders' past requires as much imagination as it does curiosity.
Hard facts are mostly related to their beginnings in 2191 A.F. Between ten and twenty deserting Timosi soldiers arrived on Melgenyavik together, led by Junior Lieutenant Mitay Zadvonich, following the razing of their garrison on Priazma in the Daskovin system. The group was delivered by a civilian medical ship, the CSV Groveheart, which afforded them passage through the Praetorian Federal Navy flotilla bombarding the planet.
Originally, the group had intended to return to Timosi-held space and reintegrate into the Central Military. Instead, through a supposedly unanimous vote, they stopped at Melgenyavik and quietly deserted into the wasteland. As Melgenyavik was already a steadily-growing home to deserters, criminals, and other castaways of society, there was little to stand in the way of their disappearance.
To their misfortune, however, surviving the attempt was another story. Adapting to the harsh and treacherous life of Melgenyavik's own rise to prominence quickly took its toll on the Timosi deserters and the group soon found itself starving in the desert. They had quickly earned a reputation as little more than armed hooligans distracted with celebrating their freedom - at the expense of all others - and were shunned by the few towns they could reach on foot.
With few options, no supplies, and little more than their service rifles and combat armor to their names, Lieutenant Zadvonich pulled together his tenuous authority over the other soldiers to rally them into a nameless raider gang. Their first raid was typical for the soon-to-be Zadvonich Raiders; crazed with hunger and thirst, they descended on the small town of Volyevensk as a disorganized mob and looted whatever they could find at gunpoint.
As the raiding lifestyle stuck with the former soldiers, they steadily took on additional members from fledgling bandit and raider gangs, desperate wastelanders, and other Timosi deserters arriving on Melgenyavik. Facts surrounding their continued successes and resultant expansion are difficult to come by, but the end result is clear today. Through desperation, bravado, and no shortage of luck, the Zadvonich Raiders have become the premier role model for bandits on Melgenyavik.
