Mercenaries
Entries
Question: Q: What does it take to join the Mercenaries' Guild?
What legal standing does a guild Merc have vs those not in the guild?
Answer: The Sellswords guild isn't known for its exacting standards. One key aspect to remember is that Arvum does not have a codified system of universal law. Laws, while they adhere in general terms to the shared morality of the Faith of the Pantheon, are completely up to individual title holders of domains to create and enforce. This is relevant because the Sellswords' guild first question is, "Are you a wanted criminal or exiled from any current domain?" Someone that is say, wanted for robbery in a random barony way off in the Oathlands definitely is not going to have that crime follow them to Arx, typically, but it certainly means they can't go back there. And any domain holder has the right to refuse anyone traveling in their domain. This means mercenary companies that recruit wanted criminals will find their entire company denied right of passage on domains, and sellsword Bob will completely screw their contracts because of it.
Thus, the Sellsword guild doesn't particularly care about hiring former criminals, or ones not wanted for crimes, but they care quite a bit about ones banned from entering domains or that currently wanted in them. Being a member of the sellsword guild is typically a sign that someone will not be arrested randomly for returning to any domain they are hired by.
Question: Q: We have two active mercenary groups that have been part of the game for some time. I am aware that the Crimson Blades are lead by a Telmar noble, and that the Valorous Few's Captain-General was a commoner until a fairly recent ennoblement. How are mercenary groups viewed by the population at large, and what sort of opinion is levelled upon a noble that chooses to form his or her own? Also, do mercenaries follow the same strict law as defined in: http://play.arxmush.org/topics/Retinues/ ? For example, would Tobias Telmar's Crimson Blades count against the number of soldiers House Telmar itself can bring, or are they viewed as a separate entity entirely?
A: Not that great. The Valorous Few is more typical of mercenary companies in that they are neither few nor valorous, and most mercenaries have a pretty unsavory reputation. The Crimson Blades was designed to be a counterpoint and more professional outfit, and the noble leadership would be seen as reflecting well on the company by commoners but poorly on the leader by the peerage, who would still see it as unseemly. And Audric being ennobled would have many commoners and peers alike imagining he might have rigged the Rose Barony award or something, and by turns be romanticised or villified depending upon the quality of his hype men and women (go go propaganda skill).
Legally, any mercenary company must register with the Iron Guard while in Arx proper, and they do count against retinue numbers. The Iron Guard generally will talk to a lord if it's clear they have over a hundred swornswords under their disposal in the city, and politely but firmly ask them to amend this.
Question: How does the compact feel about nobles choosing to work for coin as a mercenary?
Answer: It's beneath them. Working noble propriety mod and then some. Owning a mercenary company on the other hand is largely okay, but getting down into the mud and fighting for coin not so much
Question: What is the difference between the Sellsword Guild and the PC mercenary companies? Can a pc join the Sellsword Guild? Are all mercenaries guild members of the Sellsword guild?
Answer: The Guild is a coordinating force for sellswords, to be seen as legitimate to act as armed retainers within the city of Arx. It's essentially to avoid trouble with the Iron Guard, and sellswords are assumed to be members (which is mostly a matter of registration rather than active membership)