Ok, here is my first draft about general fluff (not the specific fluff for every craft). Take a look and begin changing wathever you think should be changed:
The 40th millenium is a dark and grim age. A time in which most people meet outsiders with suspicion if not outright paranoia, traveling and trading have become a dangerous bussiness. Anyway, trade still is vital for the survival of the Empire of Man, whose merchants fleets are stretched to their limits just trying to provide the military of their needs. But even the mighty fleets of the Empire can't cope wich such an herculean task. That's the reason which paved the way for the rogue traders: independent merchants, explorers, and even sometimes conquerors, rogue traders are sponsored by the Empire but not under their direct control, a situation which benefices both sides, as rogue traders who succeed add new resources to the Imperium, while the ones who die in the darkness of space cost very little to the Imperium of Man. First of all, rogue traders can provide civilians with transport capacity, while they don't need a military scort, thus not diverting the imperial navy from its other tasks. Second, being (to a certain degree) independent from the administratum, they can commerce with aliens, independent human worlds and other heretics, bringing some of their exotic and much sought products to the Imperium, which is something the imperial fleet is banned from. Last, but not least, some rogue traders end up becoming corsairs and even conquerors. That way, the Imperium can wage war without declaring war. If the conquest goes as planned, the rogue trader will claim bounty or even conquer worlds for the Imperium, if it goes badly the Imperium can always say the rogue trader was a criminal acting on his own. So for the Imperium it's all benefices. The rogue trader, on the other hand, can even carve an empire for himself and his descendents, or can blow up in a last glorious blast, as most of them finish their careers. But human ambition tends to surpass common sense, so there are always people trying to become rogue traders.
_________________ "It would be most ilogical if i let you kick my ass" -Spork, son of Spoon son of Fork
|