Alars (subculture)

Alars, also known as Aspemardan, are a global subculture centred around vintage Patokian motorbikes, gang culture and the strict systems of parallel laws which they often employ. Alars typically organise themselves into officialised motorcycle clubs and have a reputation for engaging in criminal activity, but this is not always the case. Many Alar gangs exist purely as fraternal organisatons, many of which are made up of veterans of the armed forces. Militant Alars are a subsection of the subculture who are violently opposed to other subcultures, as well as the authorities of their country, and regularly engaging in criminal activity and violence.

Motorcycle clubs have existed across Ostrovia since at least the 1930s, but Alars have grown to be the largest and most influential form of biker culture. Every single country in Ostrovia has at least one Alar motorcycle club, if not multiple competing clubs. Alars typically wear safety gear associated with motorcycling such as leather jackets and hobnail boots, most style them in a fashion which is reminiscent of Alar horsemen, or Aspemardan as they are known in the Alar language. The aim of the subculture is to capture the sense of freedom, camaradery, honour and fierceness the ancient Alars are percieved to have had.

Alar culture formed in the 1960s amongst the Alar immigrant community of Slowoksku. Many Alars had served as part of the Free Army of Patok in order to attain Patokian citizenship and as such had ready access to army surplus gear, including army issue motorbikes. Many would form cultural associations once their service had ended, including motocycle clubs. These would naturally take on a culturally Alar character, eventually embracing the tropes of Alar horsemen. Due to their status as veterans, the authorities elected not to interfere with their activities and the clubs would eventually begin to grow and attract veterans outside of the ethnic Alar community, as well as some civillians. The 1973 meeting of the Ostrovian Motorcycling Convention in Rivro would expose many foreign motorcycle clubs to the emerging Alar clubs, leading to some foreign clubs embracing the looks and ethos of those clubs due to their rebellious appeal. As the '70s rolled into the early '80s, increasing violence with rival subcultures, violence at OMC meetings and an increasing involvement of Alar gangs in criminal activities marred the cultures reputation andprompted the OMC to expell the worst offenders, leading to a split in the culture with a so called militant faction forming. These militant gangs would go on to form major components in modern organsied crime and terrorist activity across Ostrovia.