Thadrakos mecenas

*"Most pirates prey on the weak and defenseless of the galaxy for resources, slaves or glory. For a Thadrakos mecenas, none of those things matter. Finding art which make them grow closer to their ideal self is the one and only goal of their travels...which does not mean they will not torture, threaten, kill and enslave hundreds to achieve this objective. Aside from that, and their spotless outfits, there really is no difference between them and your common, cut-throat pirate scum"*

-Alir diplomat Ymuun'Dango, speaking of the Thadrakos families-

   In the cities and villas which cover the planets owned by the Thadrakos Families, one will always be able to find astonishing pieces of art, music, dance, intricate paintings, and statues which stand as tall as buildings seen not only adorning the walls and courtyards of high-ranking members of the Thadrakos society, but also the streets and parks of their cities.

Of course, a traveler with a keen eye will notice not all the pieces of art which surround him share the same, ultra-realistic design so favoured by Thadrakos  artists, that there are songs their vocal cords cannot physically make and sculptures of creatures and important figures not found in this race's long history. Lovers of art in all its forms, Thadrakos are famous for keeping not only their art, but also that of other races and cultures across the galaxy, to be studied and enjoyed.

However, not all the art shown has been given willingly. Known to the galaxy as **Thadrakos mecenas**, these rich (and often eccentric) individuals travel across the stars in search of art in all its forms and shapes. Hired by important and wealthy members of the families, or rich enough on their own to raise the necessary funds to get a ship and a well-equipped crew, these mecenas will look to bring back to their realm all manner of impressive pieces of art. From the most primitive works with bone and stone, to elaborate figures made of materials so fragile, a mere breeze could shatter the whole piece, mecenas will make sure to preserve the art they find and earn much glory and respect as they come back to the core worlds.

Of course, there are always people who do not wish to part with their hard work and deny the mecenas' request to hand over their art. If the artist is a primitive or a loner without support, the mecenas will just kill or enslave him before taking the piece of art to his ship. Should the art belong to a large organization however, mecenas might use other means of acquiring the art. If threatening does not work they will steal it, if that does not work either they will kidnap the owner, murder the owner, and (in some cases) invade the owners planet to obtain what they want. Some of the most wealthy or most powerful mecenas have grown rich and influential enough to create whole fleets of ships, piloted by a mixture of Thadrakos soldiers and armed slaves from other races.

Due to their illegal activities, Thadrakos mecenas are considered fair game by most bounty hunters and are seen as no better than pirates by other realms in the galaxy.

Yet, things changed after the 'Ice Royals Affair', in which the Commonwealth began openly cohorting with the privateers and even using their expertise to help better make war in the void of space.

A second chance indeed?