Mercenary Bands

A necessity in a world so scattered and wild, mercenaries help provide fighting strengths for communities who can't muster that force on their own. They can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but are united by one thing: money as a primary motivating factor.

Origins

The general concept of mercenary bands are as old as time, long predating the creation of Genesis. Post-Shattering, however, they've evolved slightly to suit the needs of the world. Current mercenaries don't let themselves be limited by the boundaries of their home shard; one of their defining traits is a willingness to travel between shards depending on where the work is.

Purpose

While there's not much in the way of outright war within Genesis, the world isn't a safe place and has never stopped needing those who know how to handle themselves in a fight. Mercenaries can be hired for any number of purposes, from helping provide security during the harvest or major festivals to acting as bounty hunters when a community comes under threat from bandits or marauding monsters. There's a lot of overlap between mercenaries and roving Hounds of Eihel when it comes to handling threats, but while Hounds have unique capabilities they're far less numerous and tend to wander. Mercenaries, on the other hand, can be found in pretty much any major city and are a reliable fact of life.

Leadership and Organization

Every mercenary band is different, and it's hard to find any single template that applies to them all. Some groups of mercenaries are closer to a guild and field many individual teams for higher under a larger overarching leadership, while others are simply a handful of fighters and mages who answer to nobody but themselves. Each group is distinguished by a self-chosen name, often an animal or magical creature, that helps spread their reputation.
While there's no larger authority that all mercenaries answer to to keep them in line, standards are upheld by simple pragmatism. It behooves a group to do their job efficiently and well because it grows their reputation and therefore the work available; gain a reputation for cheating clients or doing shoddy work, and a mercenary band will find themselves with little prospects... or worse yet, finding themselves the targets of a contract rather than the beneficiaries.

Typical Demographics

Mercenaries are generally tough, experienced fighters who choose a life on the road over the stability and permanence of raising a family. Most are under the age of approximately fifty due to the sheer demands of their lifestyle; mercenaries have to be at the peak of their abilities to do their job, and have no shortage of practice to keep them physically fit and ready to fight. Both men and women choose this line of work, and while a slight majority of groups are male it's common to find a mix of both genders. Humans tend to form the bulk of mercenary bands, but it's not uncommon to find younger elves or even the occasional shapeshifter among their numbers.
While swordsmen are far more common than mages in general, most groups of mercenaries will go out of their way to ensure they have at least one mage. Mages play a crucial role in supporting their fellows in combat, but also help handle the million logistical needs of a life on a road; warding campsites, keeping in communication while deep in the wilderness, magically invigorating mounts and pack animals, and helping provide light, magical silence, or sight shields. Most are well-versed in casting-specialized magic, but other specializations can vary wildly.

Known Mercenary Bands

The following is a non-exhaustive list of mercenary bands, their approximate size, and their home city.
Adria's Masques, 13 members, New Avalon (Avalon Shard)
The Hand of Altan, 6 members, Adana Amayát (Emberspurs Shard)
The Blades of Vengeance, 40 members, Lyonesse (Lyonesse Shard)
The Breaking Wave, 20 members, Varshath's Harbor (Fyrenstone Shard)
The Cat'a'mounts, 5 members, Atriam (Emberspurs Shard)
The Dusthawks, 20 members, Istanbul (Old World)
Desshàn Aiyama, 6 members, Crosswater (Darkmere Shard)
The Fistful of Silver, 7 members, Adana Amayát (Emberspurs Shard)
The Flowering Vine, 20 members, Adana Cilicia (Cilicia Shard)
The Kestrels, 6 members, Adana Cilicia (Cilicia Shard)
The Nighthawks, 6 members, Lyonesse (Lyonesse Shard)
The Mistwalkers, 12 members, Adana Amayát (Emberspurs Shard)
Pack's Fury, 6 members, Brocéliande Forest (Ys Shard)
Rian's Circle, 7 members, Ys (Ys Shard)
The Salamanders, 4 members, Estaval (Estaval Shard)
The Shadowed Hand, 50 members, New Avalon (Avalon Shard)
The Thunderbirds, 7 members, Riversmeet (Ishemin Shard)
The Woodrats, 4 members, Brightheart (Windsedge Shard)

Quick Facts

Approximate Size: 3-100 members per group
Located In: Genesis
Comprised Of: humans, elves, shapeshifters
Purpose: security