War Lads

The War Lads are a toren subgroup notable for their generally militaristic culture, tracing their origins back to clans of mercenaries and scavengers in the Second Interstellar Period.

Culture

Unlike most torens, who consider warfare inevitably destructive to all involved, the War Lads embrace it proudly. They organize into clans which can have their own ships and territorial holdings.

Non-torens can have trouble telling War Lads clans or members apart from regular scavengers, but an educated observer will spot subtle differences in insignia, equipment, and behavior, to say nothing of the anger and arguments which erupt from unplanned encounters between the two groups.

History

The War Lads got their start during the Second Interstellar Period. Conflict between the nations of starweb space was endemic during this time, and many torens made a decent living scavenging the wreckage after battles or cleaning up and settling locations deemed uninhabitable due to the effects of war (landmines, radiation, feral drones, etc.). Some clans took this a step further and began actively involving themselves in conflicts, often hiring out as mercenaries or supplying weapons.

Becoming renowned for their resourcefulness and tenacity despite their diminutive physical size, toren mercenaries were sought after by many lesser powers of the time, who were unable to equip and train a competitive fighting force on their own. Many had headquarters in the various nations of the American Federation, and during the Interstellar Dark Ages acted as private armies and security forces.

In the present day many War Lads worry their way of life is dwindling to extinction. The Stellar Compact's facilitation of international peace, plus its statutes against mercenary activity, have led different groups of War Lads to alternately take on the paper-thin disguise of "security contractors" working in frontier areas, or change with the times and give up their old ways.

Diplomacy

War Lads have a decidedly sour reputation among most other torens. Mainstream toren scavengers see themselves as restorers, cleaning up and fixing things ruined by the folly of others, and juxtaposed against this War Lads appear as destructive chaos-cultists who seek to preserve nothing but their own profit. War Lads consider this a hypocritical attitude since scavengers often tote around just as many weapons and also seek to keep intruders from taking their claims. Rather than maintain an ideological phobia against armed conflict, the War Lads the toren species should embrace it as a way to force respect from others who consider them little more than intelligent vermin.

Encompassed species

• Toren