Anatolian outlaws

**Anatolian outlaws** (or simply outlaws or bandits) refer to many various bands of criminal elements that inhabit and operate in ERR-Order occupied Anatolia. The term is used to describe all types of people who exploit lawless and chaotic situation of region that was recently conquered and scarred by war. Rather than operating as one unified entity, there are many multitudes of diverse outlaw groups, ranging from small several men crews of illicit good traffickers, to large marauding companies of bandits and looters.

## Background

The outbreak of mass crime and banditry in rural occupied Anatolia began near the end of war as the invading ERR and their allies reached inner Aegean and Central Anatolian regions. Back then many small villages and towns were pillaged by marauding FC militants and passing Roman army divisions. Many inhabitants choose to run into woods and mountains of the provinces where they could hide in safety from most of harm. Yet, even before war these areas were hotbeds of organized crime that were flourishing in Turkey under ineffective government which failed to mitigate the effects of failing economy. Some mobsters managed to gather many men that fled the chaos of war and recruit them into their crime mobs.

While the majority of native population hated the invading Romans and their allies with great fury, most understood that joining the fledgling resistance is not an option. Food and provision shortages were rampart and the mob leaders had the ability to provide for their men all that's required and even more - such as drugs and women. Lots of young native men, driven by hunger and instincts, instead chose to become bandits rather than members of resistance. For many, fighting for their homeland was no good choice as it was already lost.

The first large bandit bands were soon joined by various foreign outlaws that despite the raging war arrived to feed on bleeding carcass of Anatolia. Deserters from both sides of conflict soon also joined the fray and the land turned into a lawless wasteland.

## After the war

First real attempts to install order under new government control were launched just after ceasefire. Roman legions were sent to stop the marauders from causing anymore damage and win acceptance of their new citizens by providing protection. Many bandits were neutralized, but this was not enough. Outlaws quickly fragmented and branched out, forming numberless groups with various goals - some were continuing to raid and loot more rural and less guarded settlements, while others started trafficking drugs and contraband across the land. Their activities, however, cause them to conflict with other groups, such as Turkish resistance. Overall, as the occupied Anatolia is being slowly pacified as ERR and Order forces are solidifying their rule, and other groups are too choosing to fight them, numbers of outlaws are quickly diminishing. They still, however, present a considerable threat.

ERR police and army soldiers nowadays patrol the so called "frontier" and hunt outlaws who dare to venture too far from their rural territories. In Order held Attaleia, the outlaw activity was severely handicapped due to their extremely ruthless methods, causing many to migrate north where they have better chance of survival and ease of operation.

## Goals and activities

Outlaw groups are many and their motivations are even more plentiful. The majority of outlaws are simple criminals who seek to get rich by profit from post-war land, while others are desperate individuals who were pushed to the brink of banditry to survive. Purely marauding bands of outlaws are now rare as most were either destroyed during pacification campaigns or disbanded.

Currently, these are the main activities of most active outlaw groups:

**Looting** - stealing and gaining resources from local populace or weakly guarded military posts. Increased awareness of ERR law enforcement forces make this type of activity risky, though some looters still cause considerable problems in more rural areas.

**Contraband smuggling** - depopulated lands and rough terrain make it easy to move illegal cargo such as drugs, cigarettes, alcohol and even military hardware. Traffickers often bribe officials to make their job easier. The work of these criminals caused a very large smuggling network to form that is likely to persist.

**Illegal mercenary work** - the most dangerous and well armed outlaws that are willing to do even the most risky job for money or goods. This includes not just rival gangs, but even ERR and Order. Usually well established in rural provinces and armed with best gear they can have access to.

**Escort services** - not many travelers are brave enough to travel long distances there, so it's mainly the pilgrims en route to Attaleia who often use the services of these guides and guards for hire to protect them on their way.

## Relations with other local groups

**ERR** - The nature and goals of outlaws are incompatible with no sovereign power. ERR seeks to reinstate full order in their newly acquired lands and will not stop until every last band of criminals are either dead or imprisoned.

**Divine Order of Christ's Blood** - Similar to ERR, Order will never tolerate any transgressions of law in their territory. Order is not shy of using very brutal methods to punish those who break their state of order, and such most outlaws simply avoid Attaleia as the risk of getting caught and slaughtered on spot without trial is high. Those who dare to smuggle or distribute narcotics in Order's territory are ought to receive the most horrible punishments if they are unlucky enough.

**Other outlaw groups** - Many outlaw bands are rival to each other, though some are allied and will pursue their goals together.

**Anatolian Liberation Campaign** - Men and women who still faithfully fight for their occupied homeland often see outlaws as enemies that ravage the lands of their motherland. Yet, some resistance cells are known to cooperate with some outlaws to gain provisions or even attack ERR or Order together.

**Anatolian Mujaheddin Front** - Extremist Muslim fighters only care about slaughtering kaffirs and bringing back Anatolia under Muslim power. The motivations of outlaws are usually conflicting with their goals of jihad, though all of jihadists require weapons, supplies and even narcotics that only outlaws can provide, so the relationship between these two groups is very situational.