Overview
The Gray Sword is a nomadic community of raiders and pirates who make their living preying on ships passing through the asteroid belt located between the planets Longpoint and Hecht. Their presence has made trading with the outer planets of Greatspace hazardous at best, and because of their frequent raids, the merchant groups that conduct inter-planetary shipping have been forced to invest in warships to protect their vulnerable merchant ships. Consequently, the cost of shipping goods from planet to planet has become prohibitively expensive in certain regions, and as a result the Gray Sword is considered a threat to the economic wellbeing of the entire sphere. Unfortunately, because of the vastness of wildspace and the sheer distance between planets, it is very difficult for the various planetary governments to mount an adequate military response.
Activities
The Gray Sword is a group of raiders that steal for their own benefit, and while they are considered a threat by the Citizens of Greatspace, they adhere to a very specific code of honor. They never take a life if it can be avoided, for they believe it is wrong to kill wantonly. They also do not steal purely for pleasure or for profit, and generally just take what they need to survive, and will not carry out raids unless their supplies run low.
Tactics
Because they are a rather small group of warriors, and are unable to recover quickly from combat related losses, the Gray Sword tend to rely on guerrilla tactics. They will usually not attack groups they feel they cannot defeat easily, unless they are desperate.
Base of Operations
The Gray Sword typically haunt the vast unmapped expanse that is the asteroid belt between the planets Longpoint and Hecht.
Ships
The Gray Sword own a small fleet of ten converted ocean-going vessels (equivalent to galleons) equipped with minor helms.
Relationships
Enemies
The Citizens of Greatspace consider the Gray Sword a threat to the economic well being of the entire sphere.
Members
The Gray Sword is led by a warrior named Greelon, who has 5 lieutenants, and commands a force of 150 warriors. The rest of the community consists of 300 non-combatants, mostly women, children, and the elderly.
History
About 1,400 years ago the inhabitants of the planet Hecht experienced a significant cultural shift. Previously the world had been dominated by groups of savage humans who warred with each other constantly, while the elves lived deep within their forest homes, killing anyone who dared enter their domain. However, a group dedicated to the worship of Athena, goddess of wisdom and combat, began to preach against the violence and began advocating for peace and alliances between people. Scorned at first for their perceived weakness, the followers of Athena proved to be strong and able and easily overcame the disorganized attacks made by their enemies, and as the years passed, the teaching's of Athena become more widely accepted. It is believed that the Gray Sword is made up of the descendants of those inhabitants of Hecht who refused to accept the teachings of Athena and fled their homeworld as it became more and more peaceful.