The Slave Trade (V)
History
Possibly even before the fall of The Empire of Tarif, the slave trade has been an unfortunate fact of life in Bedouar. In the early days after The Tear, Slaves would be taken from rival villages as the various tribes and clans fought amongst themselves in constant state of warfare. Spoils of war, slaves were used as trophies and occasionally bartered goods. For the most part, however, slaves were generally kept by their captors or only moved locally. While pirates and raiders would occasionally kidnap sailors or people living along the Ar Mor Bras slavery was generally localized.
The first truly organized international slave trade is thought to have begun during the Empire. Imperial policy while capturing new regions was to enslave prisoners of war and occasionally civilians of resisting villages, transporting them across the Empire into lives of servitude. This served the double purpose of both suppressing rebellion and maintaining the opulent lifestyle that the citizens of Remus had become accustomed to. The trade was incredibly lucrative, building the fortunes of families and cities off of the backs of this trafficking. As centuries progressed after the conquest, the practice would continue with criminals, revolutionaries and debtors, slowing to a trickle until the reign of Magnus Maximus as the last vestiges of formal Imperial rule disappeared from the region.
As warlords like Conan Meriadoc took control of large swaths of Imperial territory, once stable regions descended into chaos once more as petty kingdoms emerged to fight for dominance. Slavery once again rose in prominence and with it the slave trade. Gone was the centralized operation of the Empire, replaced by industrious individuals who captured and traded along the old Imperial network from the icy lands of Fjallkonan to the fabled city of Iram of the Pillars.
The Slave Trade experienced its most significant shift around this time with the Tearing of the Great Veil. The market revitalized with new, even more profitable targets: The creatures of Faerie. Drawing on rumors of great wealth or wishes that was disposed on those who captured them, raiding parties against solitary Fae became popular. The unique abilities of the Alfr, Korrigan and Sidhe made them exceptionally prized, but they proved difficult to capture or contain on a wide scale.
Other creatures, such as the Nathair, the Marie-Morgane and Centaurs have become popular targets, as have Milliget in recent times.
Execution
The organization and execution of the capture, transport and sale of slaves ranges from haphazard gangs of drunkards to the wealthy slave traders of Iram of the Pillars. It is common for roving gangs of slavers to operate at the fringes of society, targeting orphans and criminals. These gangs are especially prevalent in large port cities, operating as part of a larger networks of thieves, assassins and cutpurses.
Most slaves are taken, by logistical necessity rather than choice, from coastal regions, stretching from the Lost Peninsula to the Graves. Slaves are taken from coastal villages, port cities and ships seized at sea.
Participants
Targets of the Slave Trade
Centaurs, long thought wiped out in the early days of the Bleed, have seen a resurgence in their numbers in recent years, and their unique abilities and low numbers have made them prized slaves for companions, caravan members, soldiers and farm labourers. They are spread throughout all of Bedouar, lacking legal protections or larger societal protections.
Djinn are reserved for two classes of buyers; the powerful and those foolish enough to think they are powerful. Dangerous, scheming and clever, Djinn rarely take well to their captivity and twist the words of their captors with malicious intent. They are most often found in Iram, but can be found in much smaller numbers elsewhere. Usually bound to objects, this makes them easy to contain and transport, but not control. .
Bediz (Human) - Slavery and trafficking of humans (specifically the Faithful) is officially banned by the Church and many kingdoms, but still continues. Many serfs, bound to the lands of nobles, operate in a state of slavery, although are nominally free. There is no such prohibitions of owns humans of other religions and for some creatures, like the Nathair, slavery is actively encouraged by the Church. Human slavery is largely directed towards the fringes of society, with orphans, criminals, and plague survivors considered the easiest targets. The capture and impression of sailors to the great galleys and cogs the sail the waters of Bedouar is also common. The largest slave population is found in Iram of the Pillars.
The Marie-Morgane are another noteworthy magical race that attracts the attention of Slavers. The beautiful aquatic maidens are sold to the rich and powerful in places like Iram, where they are kept in large aquariums or pools. Difficult to capture and harder to transport, they are exceptionally expensive, and their capture often triggers fierce reprisals from their kin, often on unrelated ships or coastal settlements. Slavers that are captured by the mermaids are seen as unforgivable and subjected to the worst punishments of Ys-Below-The-Waves. The Marie-Morgane do not discriminate in their hatred of Slavers, even if their own kind are not affected. They will often attack slave ships, welcoming the prisoners into their kingdom or setting them adrift towards shore and brutally removing their captors.
Milliget are viewed as a lesser version of true Fae, and thus are commonly sold into slavery at more modest prices than their Sidhe equivalents. Often ostracized, there capture by slavers is more likely to be overlooked by civil or ecclesiastic authorities.
The snake-like Nathair, condemned by the Southern Church and driven out from their homes, are frequent targets of slavers, renowned for their beauty, flexibility and human-like temperament. They are often sent to Iram, but being kept elsewhere is not unheard of. It is safe to assume that a Nathair operating freely in a human settlement is or was a slave at some point in their lives.
The Re Vihan are often targeted by less successful slavers, usually with disastrous effects. Confusing the mischievous Korrigan with their similarly statured cousins, the gold-hoarding leprechauns, usually ends in tragedy, with the Korrigan released after their pranks caused nothing but misery to their would-be owners. Several industrious Korrigan established an extortion racket, intentionally getting captured by slavers and holding contests to see which of them can achieve the fastest or most valuable "ransom" paid by the owners to rid themselves of their troublesome "servants". A group of Korrigan in Gwitreg has even gone as far to create their own "slaver company" of Cavi et Emptor which is dedicated to providing buyers with the worst possible servants imaginable to see the results, such as other Korrigan, Marie-Morgane, Formorrians and other "problematic" groups.
One of the more helpful kinds of Korrigan, the Boudics, make excellent servants, but cannot not be removed from their chosen households, making traditional trade impossible. Instead, homes containing Boudics would be sold as such.
Selkies, with their precious sealskin cloaks serving as collateral, are exceptionally popular targets for slavers. They are sold as entertainers, wives, servants and into prostitution. As long as their pelts are safely hidden or threatened, the Selkies are powerless to escape, making them ideal for forced servitude.
The Sidhe - High Sidhe, such at the Tuatha de Danann, are seen as exceptionally valuable to slavers, but the unique attributes that make them such prizes also make them difficult to capture, transport or control. Solitary Sidhe are targeted almost exclusively, as any action against the Courts in certain to draw a full and brutal reprisal from the Queens of Summer and Winter. Many Fae are tied to specific locations, and weaken greatly or die when any attempt is made to move them.
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