Mercenary By Imperator-Zor Watch

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As long as there has been wars and coin there have been mercenaries. As there is strength in numbers both on the battlefield and on the negotiating table these warriors generally come together. Mercenaries come from many places. Some are adventurers and fortune seekers who strike out on their own, others are the remnants of broken armies and fallen nations, bandits who find that there is better prospects for looting fighting along with an army, exiles and outcasts, refugees who are taken in by companies of mercenary companies, camp followers who learn the use of arms as they go and various other ways. Regardless such men can make a admittedly rather dangerous living and sometimes even strike it rich fighting for hire. Raising an army from scratch is a time consuming and costly affair and often it is easier simply to hire out a mercenary company when needed.



According to a survey done by the Order of Keepers, in 4 IA there were some 841 active mercenary companies west of the Dragonspine mountains ranging in size from fifty to 4,200 members and an average size of about 420 people. Mercenary companies very immensely from unruly mobs of warriors armed with whatever each member liked or could get his hands on to disciplined specialized companies of swordsmen, arquebusiers, pikemen, cavalry, knights and any other viable formula of armment including combat mages and artillery crews. The lifespan of a mercenary company varies immensely. Many last only a few months before being destroyed or falling apart due to internal differences. Those that survive the first few years generally get good at surviving and (baring destruction) often last a few decades, generally until a sufficient percentage of the original leaders have died. A few have lasted for longer still, some are several hundred years old, but most of those which last so long eventually manage to win a fief and become regiment of some lord.



Most mercenary companies make use of second hand weapons and armor, including what they salvage off fallen enemies. That armor that they salvage and don't take for themselves is often sold to merchants who will often in turn sell it to other mercenaries. Mercenaries are often clad in a hodgepodge of battle-scared armor, at least for their junior ranks. As they grow and win accord, many companies will invest in better gear.



The Allergonian Empire and the Dovelian Pensula (home to the city of Venoa) produce a disproportionate number of mercenary companies. In said regions there are a strong tradition. In contrast the Kingdom of Torion and the Seraphate produce few mercenaries as the governments of said regions forbid mercenary companies from forming or recruiting in their territories, though both countries have employed mercenaries. The Drow states also hires mercenary companies to bolster their armies, though there are are a fair number of mercenary companies which refuse to do business with Dark Elves and those that do generally charge higher rates. The Coldlands was also a contributor to the world's supply of mercenaries until it was unified under the banner of Infrastructure. High Elven mercenaries are a bit more common, but are still fairly rare. Orcish mercenaries are more common than elven mercenaries, but there is less of a market for them due to prejudice against orcs. The most common non human mercenaries are Dwarves, both in all dwarf companies and alongside human mercenaries.



Among the earlier adopters of firearms were mercenaries, who had a mixture of individuals who were willing to take a risk on flashy new weapons and those who were pragmatic enough to see virtue when it established itself. Of the 831 companies that the order of keepers had documented some 363 of them made use of firearms to some degree or another and 242 of them were fully dedicated gunners (arquebusiers, pistoliers, riflemen, etc). They were also the first to adopt firearms based on Infrastructural designs and helped disseminate said designs and triggered the Rifle Wars. Ironically in doing so these mercenaries have spelled their own doom. Companies that specialized in the use of pikes or axes weapons were cut down by rifle fire, those that survived found that their now obsolete skills were at best commanding majorly reduced prices. A decent number were able to switch over to rifle use, but even those which did faced stiff competition. Mass produced flintlock rifles with bayonets (let alone more advanced weapons) have made standing armies easier to train and outfit. As such the market for even mercenaries armed with up-to-date weapons is steadily contracting. A similar survey by the order of keepers in 34 IA has found that there are now 464 active mercenary companies with every indication that this trend is continuing.

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