The island of Atia is in many ways extremely lax when it comes to laws. While the basics such as stealing or violence against a person or property are covered, the Natives have never seen in point in outlawing things like weapons or drugs. The only limitation in these areas, in fact, is that it's illegal to traffic in drugs created to do harm without a license granted by the island's council. However as there are legitimate markets for such drugs (ranging from exports to medicinal use) such licenses are quite possible to obtain if one follows the proper procedure and guidelines.
These lax laws, however, do have other consequences: namely, that Atia's port is a popular location to unload, obtain, or trade in goods that are illegal or regulated in other parts of the world. As long as any appropriate fees and taxes are paid, the Natives don't particularly trouble themselves over what may or may not be against the law in other countries, nor what the origin or destination of such cargoes may be. But by that same token, most of the Natives by and large eschew being a party to any such illicit dealings. This has nothing to do with any sense of legality or moral compunctions, so much as a combination of disliking to deal with the unsavory types such business usually is run by as well as looking down on such outsiders as being unworthy of any particular attention.
This means that the trafficking of questionable goods through Atia's ports is largely unregulated, and while popular, lacks any particular efficiency or organization beyond what individual cartels have established for themselves. Collared attempting to learn more about these dealings will have to wade through a quagmire of ever-changing arrangements and associations that lack any sort of structure or common protocol. Of course, should one have the patience, savvy, and lack of scruples to sort out who's who and trafficking in what, it could potentially provide interesting new business possibilities. However, anyone doing so must always keep in mind that the outsiders they're dealing with often have no more respect for Atian traditions and laws than the Collared themselves, and may respond accordingly if their displeasure is roused.
Atian Laws and the Black Market
These lax laws, however, do have other consequences: namely, that Atia's port is a popular location to unload, obtain, or trade in goods that are illegal or regulated in other parts of the world. As long as any appropriate fees and taxes are paid, the Natives don't particularly trouble themselves over what may or may not be against the law in other countries, nor what the origin or destination of such cargoes may be. But by that same token, most of the Natives by and large eschew being a party to any such illicit dealings. This has nothing to do with any sense of legality or moral compunctions, so much as a combination of disliking to deal with the unsavory types such business usually is run by as well as looking down on such outsiders as being unworthy of any particular attention.
This means that the trafficking of questionable goods through Atia's ports is largely unregulated, and while popular, lacks any particular efficiency or organization beyond what individual cartels have established for themselves. Collared attempting to learn more about these dealings will have to wade through a quagmire of ever-changing arrangements and associations that lack any sort of structure or common protocol. Of course, should one have the patience, savvy, and lack of scruples to sort out who's who and trafficking in what, it could potentially provide interesting new business possibilities. However, anyone doing so must always keep in mind that the outsiders they're dealing with often have no more respect for Atian traditions and laws than the Collared themselves, and may respond accordingly if their displeasure is roused.