The Smiling 27

Down south, close to the coastal trading cities, there is a group of mercenaries calling themselves The Smiling 27.
They showed up out of nowhere, taking on one bounty after another.
After some time, they managed to gather enough money to buy headquarters and a tavern. Even though they rarely can spend their time there, they have a place they can return to anytime they want.

Composition

Manpower

27 people of various races and unknown identities. It is unknown if they replace their members when one of them dies or they didn't lose anyone since they formed, but there was always 27 of them.
It seems like the leader of the group changes every so often, but the rule for that haven't been discovered.
When talking to each other, they use names related to nature, such as Stream, Mountain, Pebble, and Leaf.

Equipment

The first noticeable thing about the 27 is the masks they are wearing. Each one of them is different, varying in materials they are made out of, carved out details, and shapes. But all of them share one feature. All of them smile.
Other than that, no matter, if they wear armor, embroidered uniform, or robes, the backs of the outer layer of their clothing are covered with non-magical embroidery shaped like the waves and the seafoam. The rest of their clothes depends on the personal choice and changes from one member of the group to another.

Weaponry

Each of the members of the band uses a different weapon, suiting their fighting style. There are even at least two magic users.
The group works and fights in tune with each other, covering the weaknesses of others, and letting them fight to their full potential.

Another job finished

Chlorophonia was rushing through the canyons at the breakneck speed. The woman driving it was panicking. There was a bounty on her head, and apparently some professional group took it. She had to escape before they found her. She picked this canyon as almost no one ever used this way and after passing it, there would be giant plains. Completely flat land where she could see any approaching danger long before it would reach her.

As she was going forward, she could hear an explosion in front of her, and the rain of rocks started pouring down before her. She had to stop. Shee hit on the breaks.
She was lucky. The only thing that hit her was some dust and small fragments.
Still, she had to act fast. The only way forward was blocked so she had to turn back.
And then another explosion rang in the back of the canyon. Both ways were blocked. She wasn't ready for that. She unholstered her pistol.
Suddenly, a bunch of ropes fell down from the sides of the canyon. Before she could react, a small ball fell near her feet and exploded with a cloud of smoke.
She could hear people sliding down the ropes, but she couldn't see them through the smoke.
As the smoke dissipated, ten people stood before her, most with pistols and rifles pointed at her. They all had those creepy masks that smiled at her.
One of them, a Beteclaw with a mask covered with small precious stones, made a step forward.
"Meredith Zuyu or rather, Rune of the Sea, according to the wanted posters, your sentence for killing over 50 people is..."
As they stopped for a second, the other members of the group shot her, killing her as she stood.
"...Death."

The article is a reference to 27, a great person and a fellow Cookie.

Also known as:
The 27, The Smiling Band, 27 of the foam

Type

Mercenary

Overall training Level

Semi-professional

Assumed Veterancy

Experienced

Banner

The banner that they proudly carry is that of waves on the black background. The members of the group painted 27 on it later.

Tactics

The tactics used by them change both depending on the mission they are sent to do and the current leader of the group. Some prefer a stealthy approach, some a head-on assault. There's one who really loves explosions.