M - Highwayman Pistolier

  "While most of the danger in Alwaus lurks beyond the sight of the The Imperial Highway, bandits and highwaymen are still routiney chased off by local garrisons and highway patrols. But when hard times force the local lords to send their soldiers elsewhere... while then the bandit with a pistol can make more in a tenday than most other men make in a year."

  Bandits and outlaws still infest every corner of civilized society, despite the best intentions of [The Eternal Empire to round them up for the hangman's noose. While many desperate men and women turn to the life of an outlaw out of sheer desperation - in the end all pick up the unlawful profession in hopes of gaining easy silver in times where honest work is hard to come by. Mostly travelling in small groups, one or two of the highwayman will approach travellers on the road and demand a small tribute in order to ensure safe passage - while the others lay in wait in case they need to draw steel or notch a bow. The trick is to demand an amount of silver that passing merchants and travellers will pay without considering reaching for an arming sword - but not so little that their blatant robbery is not worth the risk. 

  In more industrialized regions of the empire, it is not uncommon for the highwaymen to be startingly well equipped, either from the direct proceeds of their robbery or through arms and armour stolen from military surplus. While most highwaymen who carry a pistol in their belt are unlikely to be much of shot with it - the effect of a loaded pistol pointed at a man's head does tend to persuade him to empty his coin purse all the bit faster.  






None.

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Weapons
Shortsword : Melee - Light; Damage 5 (Slashing Critical 3; Range [Engaged]; Accurate 1
Standard Pistol : Gunnery: Damage 4 (Piercing Critical 4; Range [Medium]; Inaccurate 1, Loud, Powerful
    Armour & Gear
Heavy Clothing : Medium Armor: Soak +1; Defense +0;   Potential Sundries
10 Silver Standards
Ammunition - Pistol X 1 Rations X 2
Spyglass     

 

Roleplaying Suggestions

General Behaviors

Highwaymen can be found on any path or road in Alwaus (despite their name). They typically set up a camp in secluded areas that overlook well-travelled highways where they can identify and isolate targets for extortion from a safe distance. Once stopped, they will intercept their quarry and demand payment for safe passage. The amount demanded varies largely depending on the region and relative appearance of the victims being targeted - but anything under ten silver a person is reasonable for most circumstances. Remember - the highwaymen do not actually want to fight. They want their victims to give up as much silver as they think they will turn over without resorting to outright resistance. Should the highwaymen feel they have a dominant position, however, they will not hesitate to strip a lone traveller of all their possessions before either sending them marching back into town naked - or simply tossing their corpse in the brush for carrion. 

   

Combat Behaviors

Cowards and opportunists at heart, highwaymen are after silver - not blood - and will only force a fight if they feel certain they can win without too much risk to their own safety. Should the fight clearly begin to go against them, most will break and run even if that means leaving their accomplices to face the wrath of their would-be victims alone.

  Should a fight break out, however, a Highwayman Pistolier will normally attempt to engage their target at a safe range from a position of cover - targeting those who appear to be the largest threat. Should they be pressed by an advancing enemy - the pistoleer will attempt to keep their distance before engaging with the shortsword once melee combat becomes inevitable. Not significant fighters by any measure, they instead rely on outnumbering and intimidating their opponents into submission. Laslty, a highwayman knows that a noose awaits them should they ever be identified and captured - so most will fight to the death if cornered.