The Grey Wolves Mercantile Co.

Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Base of Operations: The city of Mulmaster, near the Moonsea, with outposts in Hillsfar and Phlan.
Symbol: A stylized wolf’s head in profile, gray with a single piercing white eye, set against a black shield.

History

Founded three decades ago by Commander Varik Ironhand, a battle-scarred human who fled the Zhentarim after a betrayal left his unit slaughtered, the Grey Wolves Mercantile Company rose from the ashes of his disillusionment. Varik, a man who saw the world in shades of survival rather than good or evil, built the Company on a simple creed: loyalty to the brotherhood, honor the contract, and survive at all costs. He led them through brutal campaigns, earning a reputation for taking the dirtiest jobs—guarding slavers, hunting down rebels, or breaking sieges for tyrants—as long as the pay was good and the contract clear. Varik died in a bloody ambush by Thayan forces, passing leadership to Kael Draven, a human warlock whose grim pragmatism and occult ties have only deepened the Company’s shadowy reputation.

The Grey Wolves earned their name during a desperate winter siege in Mulmaster, where they held the city against an orc horde, their tattered cloaks blending into the ash and snow as they fought with a ruthless, pack-like ferocity, leaving behind a field of frozen corpses. The locals whispered of wolves that hunted through the gray dawn, and the name stuck.

The Grey Wolves Mercantile Company is a hardened, pragmatic mercenary band operating across the Moonsea and beyond in Faerûn. They embody Lawful Neutrality through their unyielding commitment to contracts and their internal code, caring little for morality—good or evil—beyond what keeps the Company alive. Their reputation for reliability, grim efficiency, and a willingness to take on the darkest jobs makes them a go-to force for despots, merchants, and anyone willing to pay, though their loyalty is to the brotherhood above all else.

Organization and Structure

The Grey Wolves operate with a rigid, militaristic hierarchy, their structure a grim mirror of a family bound by blood and steel:

• Commander: Kael Draven, a human warlock whose cold pragmatism and eldritch pacts guide the Company through its darkest days.
• Captains: Four captains lead specialized units, each a hardened veteran:
• Blood Pack: Heavy infantry, clad in spiked chainmail, wielding bastard swords and shields, known for breaking enemy lines with brutal charges.
• Shade Pack: Scouts and assassins, masters of stealth and sabotage, often striking from the shadows with poisoned daggers.
• Hex Pack: A small cadre of warlocks and sorcerers, their magic drawn from shadowy pacts, focusing on curses and battlefield control.
• Fang Pack: Elite skirmishers, a mix of rangers and rogues, used for ambushes and high-risk extractions.
• Wolves: The rank-and-file mercenaries, bound by a blood oath to the Company, their loyalty forged in shared hardship.
• Cubs: Recruits, often desperate outcasts, who must survive a grueling initiation—usually a suicide mission—to earn their place.

The Company numbers around 180 members, their ranks a mix of humans, half-orcs, tieflings, and a few dark-hearted elves, all united by survival and the code rather than ideals. A network of spies and black-market contacts keeps them supplied, often dealing in stolen goods or forbidden magic.

Operations and Services

The Grey Wolves take on contracts that others shy away from, provided the pay is upfront and the terms are clear:

• Caravan Escorts: Guarding slavers or black-market caravans through treacherous regions like the Stonelands or the Trade Way.
• Siege Breakers: Smashing through enemy lines for whichever warlord pays best, as seen in their brutal defense of Hillsfar against a rival mercenary band.
• Assassinations: Eliminating key targets—rebel leaders, rogue mages, or even nobles—without questions, as long as collateral damage is within contract terms.
• Relic Recovery: Retrieving artifacts of dark power, often for clients like the Red Wizards, knowing full well the items might unleash horrors—they don’t care, as long as they’re paid.

They refuse contracts that risk the Company’s survival, such as fighting demon lords or betraying a client mid-job, not out of honor but pragmatism. They’ll work for anyone—Zhentarim, Red Wizards, even cults—if the gold is good, but their true loyalty lies with the brotherhood, a bond forged in blood and shared scars.

The Company’s code, carved into a blackened iron slab in their Mulmaster stronghold, is their lifeline:

• The Contract Is Iron: Honor the deal, no matter the cost. Break it, and you’re out—or dead.
• The Brotherhood Endures: The Company is your family. Betray it, and you’ll beg for death.
• Survive: Do what it takes to live another day. Mercy is for the weak.
• No Debts, No Promises: Payment upfront, or no deal. The Wolves don’t work on hope.
• Keep the Secrets: What happens in the Company stays in the Company.

Breaking the code means exile at best, a dagger in the dark at worst. This brutal structure ensures loyalty but paints the Grey Wolves as a cold, merciless machine to outsiders.

Tactics and Equipment

The Grey Wolves fight like a pack of predators, their tactics honed for survival in a cruel world. They favor ambushes, night raids, and psychological warfare—leaving one survivor to spread fear. Most wear light armor for mobility, except the Blood Pack, who don spiked chainmail to intimidate. Their tattered gray cloaks, stained with blood and ash, are enchanted with minor shadow-weaving charms, letting them blend into darkness, a grim gift from a Sharran priestess they once served.

Weapons are practical and brutal: bastard swords, crossbows, and daggers, often coated with poison by the Shade Pack. The Hex Pack uses wands and talismans, casting spells like darkness, hex, and fear to sow chaos rather than flashy destruction. Each Wolf carries an iron token stamped with the Company’s symbol, often stained with their own blood from the oath-taking ritual, a grim reminder of their bond.

Reputation and Relationships

The Grey Wolves are feared more than respected. Their willingness to take on the darkest jobs makes them valuable to the ruthless, but their cold neutrality alienates those with ideals. Adventurers see them as a necessary evil—reliable when hired, but untrustworthy if your goals don’t align with their contract.

• Allies: The Grey Wolves have uneasy ties with Mulmaster’s underworld, the Zhentarim (for shared pragmatism), and certain Sharran cells.
• Rivals: They butt heads with the Red Plumes of Hillsfar, who view them as a threat to their control, and rival mercenaries like the Flaming Fist, who despise their amorality.
• Enemies: Chaotic forces like the Cult of the Dragon or Thayan renegades hate them for their role in disrupting their plans, often targeting them for revenge.

Notable Figures

• Commander Kael Draven: A human warlock whose grim demeanor and shadowy pacts keep the Company alive, wielding a blade that whispers with dark magic.
• Captain Gringo Ironscar: A grizzled human that commands the Blood Pack, a tough as nails brute whose loyalty to Kael is unshakable, his face a map of scars.
• Ventriss Nightshade: A dark elf heading the Shade Pack, her stealth and cruelty unmatched, rumored to have once killed a target with a single whisper.
• Malakar Vex: A tiefling leader of the Hex Pack, his infernal magic a double-edged sword that sometimes backfires, leaving him with a permanent limp.