Raiders
General
Though they are known by many names and there are many various groups and gangs, the common term "Raider" covers them all. Raiders are endemic throughout the Shadow-Over Valley. They are small to large bands of people who prey on the livelihoods of others; at best just to survive. At worst, they do so for profit or enjoyment. Raiders commonly steal from others, murder and rape without remorse, take captives to sell into slavery, and sell home-brewed drugs to promote addiction. Raiders take the maxim of "might makes right" to the extreme, often attempting whatever atrocities they feel they can get away with. A Raider is loosely defined as one who employs large-scale theft and unprovoked assault (usually as a member of a group) as a primary means of survival or profit. This differentiates Raiders from simple thieves and participants in a drunken brawl, for example.
With no system of laws in place, it is difficult to classify an individual or group as a "criminal" or "criminal organization." It also becomes easier for some to justify the most heinous actions in the name of survival. While many settlements and communities have some concept of a criminal code or a group that enforces the local code and protects the people of their area, there are plenty of lawless areas out there, and these places are where the Raider bands thrive.
Raiders naturally have no uniform, but they tend to dress ruggedly, often in animal hides, furs, leathers and pieces of metal, often with some or all of these elements kitbashed into some type of armor. If they possess firearms, they tend to be poorly maintained. Raiders are more commonly armed with junk-crafted melee weapons such as leaf-spring swords, nail bats, saw-axes and rebar pikes. Raiders can often be spotted by their aggressively poor hygiene.
Organization
Some raider groups are nothing more than a small band of individuals, while the most dangerous are well-organized gangs with vast resources and a form of self-perpetuating hierarchy. The latter force weaker raider groups to serve them, and often direct their activities. While some gangs will attempt to legitimize themselves with so-called "codes" and systems of "ethics" in an attempt to seem honorable, these forms are often laughable at best, and usually only amount to ruling out certain activities that the gang leaders find distasteful, such as a rule that the gang will not rape children or engage in cannibalism. This may be a hollow comfort if the same gang has just killed your family and burned down your farm, or hijacked your caravan and are merely going to sell you into slavery instead of stripping the flesh from your bones to roast over a campfire.
Some raider groups will specialize in certain activities because of the skills of particular gang members or availability of specific resources. A gang with a skilled chemist might focus on making and selling drugs, while one with access to fuel might have vehicles (typically motorbikes or ATVs), allowing them to range far away from their base of operations quickly, reducing the chance for reprisal attacks.
Conflict between raider groups is uncommon, but not unheard of. They will occasionally attack each other for resources. However, people who fight a lot tend to be better at it than those who do not, so raider groups can usually put up a stiffer resistance than your average farmer or traveler. Raiders tend to prey on the weak and easy targets. They may try to cultivate a mindset of psychotic ferocity and unswerving loyalty among their members, but at their core, most Raiders are cowardly and will not exhibit traits such as individual courage or bravery, especially considering how common folk of the wastelands tend to punish captured Raiders. Raider "Bosses" may show more spine, but this is only because they are trying to set an example for their mobs.
Methods
Raiders will typically prey upon travelers encroaching on their area, but will regularly form raiding parties to attack nearby settlements for food, resources and slaves. If a group of raiders has access to vehicles or horses, they can often set up a semi-fixed base to operate from. Raider groups that travel by foot are more nomadic, and will wander far and wide looking for prey and targets. These groups rarely settle down anywhere for long; if they get too comfortable, the locals they have preyed upon are likely to form a posse to take them down.
Raiders are often outcasts, and usually find it impossible to exist within polite society. Either from strong and deep-seated antisocial behavior traits that they developed from childhood, or from indulging in the amoral raider lifestyle for too long, raiders will typically not last long in an area where there are rules to follow. As such, raider "spies" are rare; they often can't fit in and lay low long enough to be of any use.
Wasteland Justice
Because of the precedent Raiders have set and because of the widespread misery they have caused, it is customary throughout the valley to grant Raiders no quarter. It is believed that a Raider that is allowed to flee a battle will simply return one day to raid again, or will prey upon someone else. Raiders taken captive are often executed on the spot, as they tend to make poor slaves, and there is no practical means of incarcerating them and little hope (or reason) to try to rehabilitate them. This encourages poor "battlefield morale" among most Raiders, where they will often break and run rather than face capture.
The primary local commercial confederation, the River Barons, have a standing policy of refusing to do business with known Raider groups. River Captains (the commanders of individual River Baron vessels) have the authority to refuse service to people on the suspicion of engaging in Raider activities. Since Raiders pillage a lot of valuables and gear, in many markets it is customary for merchants to only offer a fraction of the value for goods or to drastically inflate prices if they suspect they are trading with a Raider or the trade goods were obtained by raiding. This discourages Raiders from attempting to interface with settlements for "legitimate" business.
Occasionally, individual Raiders or small groups will abandon their ways and try to earn a living rather than taking it. This practice is often encouraged, and people try not to hold a grudge if a former Raider is attempting to live clean again. Some communities, however, will demand some kind of tribute, usually a recognizable brand or scarification to prevent hollow claims of "Ain't like that now." These marks also identify former Raiders to current raiders, who will often see them as betrayers and will go out of their way to target them.
