Blue Wolf Mercenary Group

The Gilt-Edged Blades

The Blue Wolf Mercenary Group has existed for a very long time in some form or other, though its current structure was finalised around a thousand years ago. It is one of the most prominent Mercenary Groups in the continent of Eirinn, and one of the most wealthy. The Headquarters is located in Fuldair, which created something of a problem during the occupation of the Silver Hand from 1468 to 1478, as many of the employees were unable to re-enter or leave the city.

---

Structure

Ownership

The BWMG is owned by the Kayne lineage, with the running of the group being passed down from parent to children of the first-born of the lineage. Ownership can be transferred to another family member if desired, though it is not believed that this has ever happened. Any and all members of the Kayne lineage are shown reverence by the individuals that work for BWMG, but particular reverence is assigned to those who run the business, known as the Alphas. The current Alphas are Bevyn and Iden Kayne, sons of the former owner-leader, Ennis Kayne. Their aunt, Erin Kayne, still acts as a liason and advisor but stepped back from general operations after the death of her brother.

Management Structure

Other than the positions of High Alpha and Alpha, which are hereditary, positions of authority within the BWMG are given on merit basis, and it is rare that a person in a titled position would leave or be removed from their post.
The Beta and Gamma
While the Alphas control the overall Group, each Guildhall (also known as a Branch or Compound) is overseen by the Beta, and supported by the Gamma. These individuals make day-to-day decisions in the absense of the Alphas and are entrusted with upholding the integrity and values of the BWMG within their area of influence (city or town legislature).
Support
The Beta and Gamma are supported by a team of administrators, accountants and logistics personnel. The leadership of these includes a Buildings and Assets Manager (who is incharge of the building upkeep and maintenance), a Branch Accountant (who controls the Branch accounts), three Contract Accountants (Grades 1-3, who oversee contract payments and fulfilments), a Contracts Broker (who grades and assigns missions), and a Reception Support Administrator (who controls the front desk and mercenary support).

Mercenary Hierarchy

Anyone aged sixteen or older can join the BWMG, though under 18s are not sent out on missions until they are of age. For Species that become adults at a younger age, such as Kobolds, that age is taken into account upon application. Mercenaries are divided into three classes, depending on the level of their training.
Junior
Junior Mercenaries are considered trainees, and are rarely allowed out on missions without some kind of escort. BWMG Mercenaries spend 2 years as Juniors and must reach at least Grade 3 of their Path before automatically moving up to Standard Class. Juniors that cannot achieve such are released unless granted extenuating circumstances. Some Juniors who show exceptional talent will be allowed to take on simple jobs after their first year.
Standard
Standard Class Mercenaries have achieved at least Grade 3 of their Path and proven themselves out in the field. They are often assigned tasks to be completed in pairs or trios, and can take on a variety of jobs across the country within which they operate. They are the most commonly requrested Mercenaries of the BWMG.
Elite
Elite Mercenaries have reached at least Grade 12 of their Path and have proven themselves loyal and dedicated to the Group. The Elite are the highest-ranking mercenaries available at the Blue Wolf Mercenary Group, and many of them take on private, confidential missions for months, sometimes even years at a time.

---

Culture

Customs

Blue Wolves always carry their insignia about their person, usually upon their cloak or as a warrant. No Wolf is ever without their insignia, even when off duty. Most Wolves also wear navy blue upon their person, in homage to Coinneach Kayne and the request he received, regardless of the type of armour they usually wear. This can be something as simple as a handkerchief, or can be an article of clothing. Wolves on errands or missions will wear their official cloaks when dealing with clients, but are not required to wear them while engaging in other business.

Core Beliefs

Honour - respect the Group and your fellow Guildfolk by showing the quality of knowing and doing what is morally right
Integrity - be honest and follow the moral principles of the Group with strength and dignity
Equality - treat all your fellow Wolves with respect, regardless of origins or rank
Truth - tell no lies and rout out corruption, but be wary with your words

---

History

Early History

Prior to 342 Y6A, the group that eventually became known as the Blue Wolf Mercenary Group were simply known as "The Wolves", wandering mercenaries who seemingly turned up when needed and disappeared as soon as a job was completed, predominantly along the western coast of Eirinn. The earliest mentions of "The Wolves" as a mercenary-type entity date back to the Age of Darkness, where they were often hired as guards, investigators and trackers, however mentions of "the men of the Kaynes" and "the wandering wolf-swords" in journals predate these official records. These early references state that the leadership of the Wolves all wore full-face helms or masks shaped like wolf-heads, as well as full armour and hooded, cowled cloaks. The number of leaders varies from account to account, often anywhere between two and five, and at least two of the leadership are referred to as "brothers". These brothers are most often identified as the Kaynes, the overall leaders of the Wolves, and go by the monikers of "Alpha" and "High Alpha".
The majority of accounts of the early Wolves describe the group as "relentless but not necessarily ruthless", though some private journals of those who have encountered them as their opponents do speak of them with fear and horror. The mercenaries are described as well-trained, highly organised and exceptionally efficient, but also mysterious and highly secretive. Rumours of the age often stated that "unmasking a Wolf-leader was certain death", with some even claiming that the Kaynes had the power to kill with nothing but a glance. However, the Wolves' leadership were also observed to be highly altruistic, often arming their mercenaries with high-quality equipment and equally sharing all treasures gained amongst their people. They also did not appear to judge others based on social constructs of the era, treating all their members with equal respect and offering that same treatment to those who respected them in return.

Official Founding and Establishment

In early 342 Y6A, a group of bandits began operating in the region around the then-town of Fuldair in Curtana, also calling themselves "The Wolves". It is believed that this was an attempt to destabilise the good name of the actual Wolves in order to gain control over the area, with the Bandit Wolves dressing in a similar manner to confuse onlookers. The ploy did not last long, however, as the real Wolves were summoned to defend the town by an unknown party, who insisted that each of the real Wolves wear a blue piece of fabric under their cloaks to identify them as the real deal. Coinneach Kayne, the High Alpha of the Wolves at the time, answered the summons personally, wearing a black cloak lined in navy blue and trimmed with a wolf-fur collar while wearing the trademark full-face helm, but with no hood.
During the answering of the summons, the Bandit Wolves engaged in an assault at a nearby orchard where the leadership were all present and claiming to be the Wolves. However, the leadership were not wearing the full-face masks, but instead simply covered their faces with their hoods and cowls. It turned out that the bandits did not know the specifics of what the helms looked like, and thus thought it would simply be easier to omit them in favour of general obstruction. This proved that the Bandit Wolves were impersonating the real Wolves, and Coinneach Kayne took that as a very personal insult to his honour.
Coinneach Kayne set about tracking down the Bandit Wolves, calling in all his resources and people to assist. It became clear to the leadership of Fuldair that the Wolves were incredibly wealthy, even at this point in time, and their operations could put any Noble Guard of the time, save perhaps the Fenbrooks, to shame. After tracing the Bandit Wolves, at sundown on the 12th of Goldrise, Coinneach Kayne led the assault against bandits' encampment, taking with him 120 well-trained mercenaries. The Bandits stood no chance and were slaughtered to the man. Prisoners found within the encampment were released by the Wolves, and told of how their saviours blazed through the camp in showers of blood. They spoke of how the High Alpha himself had taken the heads of two of the three bandit leaders, and how the flames of the burning encampment seemed to shine about his helm like a blazing crown, earning Coinneach Kayne the moniker of "the Flame-Crowned Wolf King". Once the battle was over, the Wolves returned to Fuldair, bringing with them the rescued prisoners and all of the bandits' plundered belongings, which they promptly handed over to the Fuldair leadership. Initially, the corrupt leaders asked the Wolves to stay in Fuldair permanently as a form of town guard, but Coinneach Kayne instead insisted that the Wolves officially set themselves up a headquarters in Fuldair, becoming the first Mercenary Guild in the town. The first Alpha House was built quickly, with much of the town chipping in to assist, and opened its doors on the 12th of Newharvest that year. Because blue is the colour of loyalty, Coinneach Kayne officially registered the Wolves as "The Blue Wolf Mercenary Group" in honour of the request of the silent patron who had initially called the Wolves attend to the issues in the area.

Early Activities and Expansion

The choice of Fuldair, a corrupt town, as the headquarters of the new Blue Wolf Mercenary Group at first seems like an unusual choice, given that the Wolves were known for their honour and integrity. However, as time went on, many began to see the choice as something of a pragmatic one. While many of the Wolves still wandered up and down the coast as roving mercenaries for hire, those that remained in Fuldair were often hired to combat piracy within the town. After the rising of Fuldair to city status in 397, they openly supported causes for reforms, and actively inspired good causes within the city limits, which often saw individuals from outside of the city visiting in order to hire them. This led to the establishment of Guildhalls in Muriedge, the capital of Curtana, and Stonewall, the capital of Duuintriya.
The Blue Wolves quickly became one of the most highly regarded mercenary groups in the west of Eirinn, with the leader of the group being recognised as the unofficial "Mercenary King" due to their formidable leadership and combat skills. Many tried to take that title from the High Alpha over the years, but all were summarily defeated in either single combat or simply by public support of the Blue Wolves.
In 789 the Wolves supported the push of the Sailors' Guild in Fuldair to establish the Court of Sails, providing protection at the polls during the first democratic vote to establish the Court of Sails. By 803 they had managed to establish Guildhalls in all major cities, as well as many towns, within North-West, West, and South-West Eirinn, effectively controlling a large portion of the mercenary group market share throughout these western areas. In 1005 the Wolves established their first Guildhall in the Heartlands, after the Caibryn Mercenary Guild of Glyn Gwyrdd were found to be consorting with corrupt individuals to destroy the entire valley in exchange for power. The Wolves supported efforts to prevent this destruction after being called in to assist by adventurers who had encountered them in the West, and as a reward they were permitted to take up the roles left open by the now defunct Caibryn Mercenary Guild. Instead of taking over the old Guildhall of the Caibryn, which was located in a small town in a rural part of the country, the Wolves chose to locate their new Guildhall in Codiadawyr, the small capital city of Glyn Gwyrdd, as a way of building trust.

Current Operations

In 1445, the city of Sempervirentis in Curtana came under siege from various powers seeking to take control of the Schola Arcana, and the massive Weave Well upon which it was built. Many Wolves located in and around the city joined forces with the local Watch to hold back the invaders, while members of the Fuldair, Muriedge and Rivergate branches sought to support from the outside. Despite overland routes to the city being blocked by no less than three armies and multitudes of Fiendish and Unholy entities, the Wolves successfully managed to run supply lines into the besieged city while also supporting efforts to maintain the sea routes in and out of Sempervirentis. This effort was scuppered, however, when the Silver Hand attacked the city of Fuldair during a trade negotiation, annexing it and then blockading much of the sea route between Sempervirentis and the northern border of Curtana.
While the Guildhalls in Muriedge and Rivergate managed to maintain some of their secret supply lines into Sempervirentis, the Fuldair Guildhall was forced to refocus their efforts into supporting the city during its occupation. The Wolves were forced out of their Alpha House headquarters (now located in Godrey's Green, the administration quarter of the city) and into Freesingers Warehouse in the Platinum Dock when the Silver Hand siezed the building as part of their annexation efforts. The Wolves, whom the Hand wished to placate, were given the authority for some of their mercenaries to come and go from the city as they pleased, but were otherwise stuck within the walls. The leaders of the group, Bevyn and Iden, subsequently played a very long double-agent game, secretly supporting the building of the Fuldair Underground Rebellion while simultaneously running jobs for the Hand, during which they would steal information and plant distractions. Bevyn Kayne is credited as one of the "Five Generals of the Rebellion", the others being the overall leader of the Rebellion, Aelyx Everbright; the leader of the Old Watch, Ezra Carter; the Representative for the House, Lieutenant-Commander Claira Eversharp; and Representative of the Druidic Circles, Eluned Heulwen.

Honour, integrity, courage and ferocity

Founding Date

342 Y6A

Type

Guild, Fighter / Mercenary

Alternative Names

BWMG

Training Level

Elite

Veterancy Level

Veteran

Demonym

Wolves

Leader

Bevyn Kayne

Location

Fuldair

Notable Members

• Bevyn Kayne
• Iden Kayne

Related Historical Events

• 17th Firewane, 1478
  The People's Revolt of Fuldair