The Phoenix Talons

The Phoenix Talons are a group of mercenaries primarily operating out of the Emberwood. They are well known for their ability to be hired for any job and get it done right the first time, though most of the time this revolves around rather unsavory methods.

The Phoenix Talons were founded about fifty years ago by Lucas Dawnscar, a human soldier who deserted the Hyperion Military to form a mercenary guild primarily serving wealthy nobles as a form of bodyguard services. Lucas was tired of the rigid structure of the military, as well as the meager pay, and sought a way to make his fortune elsewhere. When he left, he brought many other unhappy soldiers with him, using them to form the backbone of the company.

While they started off with simple contracts of guarding nobles as they traveled either through the Emberwood or around the Caroquet Sea, they have since changed their methods after being bought out by the Stormgazes, a powerful noble family in Dragonpoint, just a few years after Lucas started the company. They used the Phoenix Talons as a way of securely transporting their wealth around the kingdom and empire, as well as ensuring any of their more illicit activities. They were frequently used to dispatch anyone who disagreed with the family, as well as smuggling goods that would be unpleasant for the family themselves to be found with.

After several years of this exclusivity, the family no longer needed the attention of the group as much as they once did, and the Phoenix Talons were rented out to the highest bidder as elite guards, bringing in another source of income for the Stormgazes. They became one of the most sought-after and efficient, though rather expensive, mercenary groups in the Hyperion Empire. They are instantly recognizable by the phoenix claw necklace that hangs from their neck and built into the pommels of their swords.

Due to the nature of their work, the Phoenix Talons are sworn to secrecy of any internal business, and they are well known for the privacy they grant their clients, carrying out their charges without question or moral qualm. They have a reputation for ruthlessness, efficiency, and zero tolerance for failure.

One of the more popular services that they carry out is humanoid trafficking as slavers. They are frequently hired to kidnap people from roadside inns or camping in the forest, sending them to work in the mines of Treifenburn or wherever else the workers may be needed. However, the Hyperion Empire has been largely unable to track this activity to them, allowing them to continue with impunity.