Canonfire! Forums-viewtopic-Mercenary company

Thu Jan 21, 2010 4:20 am Mercenary company - where would it fit the best?

Hi all, I'm new here. I'm writing an adventure about renegade army company from Sterich, that flee from the March.

I'm just trying to figure out where one hundred renegade halberdiers would go? It's a bit sizeable force, and only someone with money and (thirst of) power would require such force. I'm thinking about different choices, and for me the best option so far is this:

Men are smuggled down the Javan river by the Scarlet Brotherhood and they join forces with Brotherhood to wage war in Hold of the Sea Princes.

Thu Jan 21, 2010 5:59 am

From your initial supposition, I assume you have it in mind that the leadership of this group, if not all/most of the rank/file fighters are evil alignment?

If so, your initial thoughts could be applicable.

There's also the possibility regardless of alignment that they might not be interested in fighting. In this case, any sizeable city looking to bolster it's militia could possibly hire them on. You'd still have to figure out a way to get them out of the country first though.

Maybe a cushy job guarding a wall somewhere unlikely to see any major action is the leadership's end goal and the SB is simply a means to an end?

Thu Jan 21, 2010 6:38 am

I little more info would be helpful. Are they evil? Good? Somewhere in the middle but fleeing for a good reason? How large/long/extensive is the adventure? Why are they leaving? Are they supposed to be tracked down/thwarted/saved?

I can think of several scenarios if I just knew where to aim...

Thu Jan 21, 2010 12:04 pm

Thu Jan 21, 2010 12:19 pm

Another option might be trying to get to Bissel through crossing the mountains into Geoff and then skirting the northern edge of the Dim Forest. Sure it's full of giants and humanoids, but its also pretty disorganized. Bissel is an attractive destination because they're still rebuilding the Border Companies. The Yeomanry wouldn't take kindly to a trespassing company of deserters and they're pretty well organized to deal with something like that, so going south seems a bad option. Going down the Javan sounds pretty dicey too since that would take them back into well settled lands.

Thu Jan 21, 2010 2:31 pm

Seems to me the obvious options are to flee into either Geoff or the Yeomanry, but in both cases the halbardiers would have to mind their manners or else incur the wrath of the natives.

If you're only writing a short adventure you might not want to go even that far, instead having them hole up in a cave/abandoned mine/monster lair until the PCs show up to bring them to justice - but of course, that's been done to death.

If you want a longer, campaign-style adventure I should think they would likely head for the Sea Princes, perhaps taking ship from there to Sasserine to find work as mercenaries or enforcers. As seasoned veterans they should have little difficulty foraging for food on their journey, and if it lasts long enough they might even become elite soldiers, perhaps with certain individuals developing special skills.

Sat Jan 23, 2010 1:32 am

Have you ever heard of the 30 Year's War? It happened in the 17th century in the Holy Roman Empire, or present day Germany. It was one of the darker chapters of European history. What happened was that there were too many mercenaries and not enough wars to fight, and too little money to pay them. So, the mercenaries started to pillage, loot and burn the countryside.

Anyways... that part of the Flanaess is pretty messed up and an enterprising band of ambitious, armed and dangerous men could cause quite a bit of havoc. Especially if you decide that the political power in that area is diffused and the rulers ineffectual. It is possible that under a charismatic leader, the local peasantry would revolt, some of them possibly even joining the mercenaries.

Perhaps after another sortie against humanoids, the mercenaries find a powerful magical item and decide that they can rule the land better than the existing lords.

Hope that helps!
The Grey Mouser

'I drank what?' - Socrates[/i]

Mon Jan 25, 2010 6:50 am

What about the mercenaries getting a good offer from your PCs to join up?

That would be seen as a pretty decent job... travel with skilled adventurers, do some odd support combat duty and provide camp security while the big boys are crawling about the ruins.

All you'd really need is for the new leader of the mercenaries and his/her few 2nd in commands to be swayed.