Sellsword

"Shun not the mercenary, the poor sellsword without a home.
Pay fairly for their work, and kindness show so they be not alone."

— old poem, Anonymous

Whether failed adventurers, disenfranchised soldiers, cold murders, or simply the skilled poor, sellswords come from a wide variety of backgrounds to one specific career. They always operate for one purpose: money. Not all are greedy, keep in mind, but the heart of the matter is financially motivated. After all, they often say, why would they give their lives without proper compensation?

Keep to Themselves

The life of a sellsword is lonely. Most congregate for a better chance of survival. These groups stand a better chance of being hired and also surviving. They promote their talents best as a guild or agency. Though some roam looking for work, the best and most respected sellswords inhabit offices or halls in major cities. A few towns also have halls for sellswords.

Common Perception

Sellswords are often despised by soldiers as "brutish auxiliary" when incorporated into an army. They are better to be adventurers-for-hire or rent-a-guards than soldiers. They can provide security, but they are more geared towards offensive strikes than defensive protection.
Commoners see sellswords as good-for-nothings due to their encounters with the roaming types. Not all are belligerent as may seem, hence why the guilds do so much public relations to boost their image among common people. Sometimes young boys see traveling swordsmen and romanticize being one. Those unfortunate enough to go through with their plan are irrevocably changed.

Bad Image

There are some sellswords who do more damage to the professions reputation than others. One example are the Knights of Selbaca who recently have caused grievances with their clientele. These bad groups are greedy and only care about what's next. The more conservative and hierarchical sellswords see them as not just a nuisance but a threat to their livelihood. Indeed, many more are turning away due to run-ins with those like Knights of Selbaca.