The Liao-Mercenary Accord
The Jade Accord: House Liao’s Pact of Steel and Shadows
Beset by internal dissent, territorial loss, and dwindling trust from its vassals in the early years of the Succession Wars, House Liao teetered on the brink of irrelevance. The Capellan Confederation, long known for its ruthless centralization and uncompromising control, stretched thin—its armies overcommitted, its nobles restless, and its reputation for stability undermined by rebellion and espionage. Chancellor Maximilian Liao did what few expected in this crisis: he turned outward.
What followed was the signing of a radical and controversial policy initiative known as The Jade Accord—a sweeping alliance between House Liao and a collection of independent mercenary companies, many of whom were previously barred from operating within the Confederation’s tightly controlled borders. These were not minor bands of sellswords, but elite outfits wielding arcane war engines, spellbound siege constructs, and blood-bound warriors bound by ancient contracts and grim resolve.
The Accord was presented not to the people, but to the shadowed courts and guild halls of Sian. It offered unprecedented concessions: full logistical support, freedom of movement across Capellan territory, magical enhancement contracts, and even localized command authority during joint campaigns. In return, the mercenary companies pledged loyalty—not to the Confederation itself—but to the Chancellor personally.
Though many traditionalists within the Confederation viewed the move as reckless—an affront to the self-reliant strength of the Capellan military machine—the results were immediate and brutal. Within a year of the Accord, House Liao’s warfronts stabilized. Raiding forces from House Marik and Davion were repelled or ambushed by mercenary-led counterstrikes. Rebel provinces were subdued by mercenaries with no scruples about collateral damage. Entire campaigns were redirected with uncanny flexibility as Liao war planners learned to wield unpredictability as a weapon.
Among the most infamous mercenary companies to rise under the Accord:
The Ghost Vultures, masters of shadow magic and silent killing.
The Red Ledger, blood-debt enforcers led by a cursed warlock known only as Thass.
The Oathmarked, a disciplined company of ex-paladins turned mercenary-knights, bound by twisted codes of service.
The Third Gale Regiment, elemental battlemages who struck like storms and vanished before retaliation.
Over time, many of these companies became woven into the Confederation’s military tapestry, operating in the gray space between official units and covert operations. Some were absorbed outright into Liao command structures. Others retained their independence but answered directly to the Maskirovka, House Liao’s feared intelligence directorate.
The Jade Accord had long-reaching consequences. House Liao’s enemies were forced to adapt to the new, ever-shifting battlefield conditions, never certain whether they faced a traditional Liao battalion or a free company of mercenaries with their own rules and tactics. The Accord also deepened House Liao’s reputation for calculated ruthlessness and pragmatic control—a realm where ideology served the throne, but results ruled the field.
Yet whispers remain that some of these mercenary groups made dark pacts to secure their contracts. The Maskirovka intentionally turned some companies against internal enemies. The Jade Accord was not merely a military pact but the first phase of a longer plan—to erase the distinction between hired blade and loyal soldier entirely.
“You may not trust a mercenary to love the Confederation,” Chancellor Maximilian Liao is said to have remarked, “but you can trust them to hate your enemies. That is enough.”
The Jade Accord reshaped the way House Liao wages war—and ensured that behind every Liao campaign stands not just an army, but a coin-pursed shadow, waiting to strike.
