OFFICIAL GAME ACCESSORY

Gold & Gloryby Tim Beach

Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Color Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Chapter 1: Mercenaries in the Realms . . . . . . . . . 3 Chapter 6: Retired Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Map of Mercenary Activities in the Realms . . . . . 5 Chapter 7: Recruiters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Chapter 2: Standing Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Chapter 8: Adventuring Companies . . . . . . . . . . 58

Chapter 3: Nonhuman Companies . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Chapter 9: Current Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Chapter 4: Regional Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 BATTLESYSTEM Game Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . 61Chapter 5: Specialists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Index of Mercenary Companies by Region . . . . 64

Credits

Design: Tim Beach Cartography: John KnechtEditing: R.U. Steinberg, Karen S. Boomgarden Typography: Gaye OKeefeCover Art and Color Plates: Doug Chaffee Production: Paul HanchetteArt Coordinator: Peggy Cooper Black and White Art: Karl Waller

Special Thanks: Jeff Grubb, Ed Greenwood, Karen S. Boomgarden, Dave Sutherland,Rich Baker, James M. Ward, CoastCon, David LaMulle, Douglas Niles, Dave ZenzExtra Special Thanks: Teeuwynn, Colin McComb, Wolfgang Baur

TSR, Inc.POB 756Lake GenevaWI 53147 USA

TSR Ltd.120 Church End, Cherry Hinton

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ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, SPELLJAMMER, and FORGOTTEN REALMS are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.BATTLESYSTEM and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.

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ISBN 1-56076-334-59373XXX1501

Introduction

When the call to war goes out, many peo-ple answer. Some are patriots fighting fora cause; others are professional soldierslured by the sound of gold pieces. Wheth-er they are motivated by avarice or altru-ism, all these people have a price of somekind.

Sword for hire. Sellsword. Man at arms.Myrmidon. Legionnaire. Soldier of for-tune. Hiresword. Mercenary. All thesetermsand several unprintable terms aswellidentify those men and women whohire themselves out to fight other peoplesbattles. Gold & Glory describes these pro-fessionals and the groups in which theyoperate.

The information provided applies chief-ly to the FORGOTTEN REALMS® CampaignSetting, primarily the continent of Faerun,but the basic information could be usedwith most campaigns for the AD&D®game.

Chapter 1 of Gold & Glory describesmercenary companies in general terms:their history, how they are formed, meth-ods of operation, and so forth.

Later chapters detail many of the better-known standing mercenary companies inthe Realms.

Chapter 7 offers descriptions of severalNon Player Characters (NPCs) who recruitmercenaries for specific tasks. A numberof special groups are mentioned in Chap-ters 8 and 9, which tell how adventuringcompanies and other groups sometimesinteract with mercenary companies.

The final few pages of the book offer anindex of mercenary companies andwhere in the Realms they might be found,as well as statistics that can be used inBATTLESYSTEM scenarios.

How to Use ThisInformationThere are several ways for a Dungeon Mas-ter (DM) to use mercenary companies inthe campaign. DMs should feel free to useany of the ones presented here, to make upnew ones, or to allow player characters(PCs) to start a company.

The DM could use the provided merce-nary companies as enemies or allies forthe player characters. The PCs might joina company for a timemany of the com-panies herein recruit local talent whenthey have a job in a given area. Some re-cruit through advertisement, others bycoercion.

If the PCs choose to join a mercenarycompany, they must follow the orders oftheir superiors; this gives a DM a greatmechanism for setting up adventures. Awise DM will be careful not to force toomuch on the player characters, however.

PCs should probably be treated as asquad of elite troubleshooters. The DMcan offer two or three missions for themto choose from, but might sometimes in-sist that the PCs are the only ones who canhandle a specific task.

The PCs may at some time wish to formtheir own band as well. They could recruitsoldiers and lead them into large conflicts.If their fame grows, kingdoms might tryto hire the PCs to lead armies of invasionor defense.

Mercenary companies might also beused to inspire small adventures or epicquests. Perhaps a friend to the PCs hasbeen forced to join a mercenary group;maybe a group has been infiltrated by aspy whom the PCs must capture; the pos-sibilities are almost endless.

There are also a few ideas hidden inthe following text, such as hooks to spaceadventures, the growth of lizard manpower in the south, and so forth.

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Chapter 1: Mercenaries in theRealms

Some professional soldiers are loners,choosing when and where they fight, ad-hering to individual codes of honor, andfollowing whatever clarion draws them tobattle. They might be motivated by blood-lust, desire for adventure, or a cause.Many of these lone mercenaries can befound throughout the Realms.

Some mercenaries band together, form-ing regular companies and operatingalong military or paramilitary lines. It isthese mercenary companies that are thesubject of Gold & Glory.

There are two basic types of mercenarycorps: standing and recruited. Membersof standing companies are are always to-gether, often have no other occupations,will do things that wont keep them fromleaving on short notice, and are profes-sional adventurers on the side.

In the case of recruited companies, anemployer will hire an individual or groupto go and quickly build an army.

Some companies are part standing andpart recruited, such as standing compan-ies that recruit locals wherever they go.Other companies are recruited, but al-ways from the same group of veterans,sometimes with a few new faces. Theselatter groups are essentially standing com-panies without permanent headquarters.

Within the two basic types of compan-ies, there are a number of variations.Some specialize by race, social class, typeof weapon, or type of job; others try tohave members with a variety of abilities.Some of the more versatile mercenarycompanies have wizards, thieves, rangers,and priests, in addition to fighters.

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General History

Mercenaries have existed for a very longtime, from the first time someone askedWhat do I get if I fight this war for you?Military leaders have always had to offersome kind of pay, with land, gold, glory,prestige, or power. True mercenaries trav-el to any place where there is armed con-flict, often caring little on whose side theyfight. Others have principles or standards,and will fight only on the correct side.

Mercenary forces have changed the out-come of many battles. Over the course ofthe last century or so, mercenary groupshave become more formal, choosing col-orful names and advertising their loca-tions. Like many other institutions, theyhave become a normal aspect of life in theRealms.

Mercenary Companies

Chapters later on in this book offer spe-cific details on several mercenary com-panies. It may be useful, however, tocover some general principles that applyto all or most mercenary groups.

Formation

Most mercenary groups are formed bythe actions of a single, charismatic leader,though a group of leaders is also likely.These people gather veterans of battles,train likely prospects, and organize thecompany. Some corps are formed by orfrom adventuring groups.

Recruited companies operate a little dif-ferently, as they are formed anew eachtime one is needed. The employers con-tact a recruiter or recruiting group, offer-ing a fee for an army. Word is spread forinterested parties to meet at a certainplace, at which time the recruiter reviews

the applicants and decides who may jointhe corps.

Leadership and Organization

Most mercenary corps operate along mili-tary lines, with leaders and their assistantstaking military titles. Other companieswork more informally, with the leader be-ing essentially a dictator, perhaps with afew counselors or assistants. Some com-panies are democracies in which mem-bers elect their officers, and still othersare run like a business.

Strategies and Operations

All companies choose which jobs they willaccept based on individual codes and de-sires. Most are hired for a specific task andleft to their own devices to fulfill their as-signment. Most companies are responsi-ble for their own transportation to andfrom the job.

Retiring a Company

A mercenary company stops being a mer-cenary company when certain events oc-cur. Obviously, the death of all memberswould eliminate a group. Other corpsmight break up because of age, whilesome might achieve the legitimacy of apermanent job. Several examples of re-tired companies are offered in Chapter 6.

Other Sources

Several other p r o d u c t s i n theFORGOTTEN REALMS® Campaign line of-fer information on mercenary companies.An index of sources appears on the lastpage of this book.

The Entries

Most of the following descriptions of mer-cenary companies are done in a standardformat, using these headers.

Type: A standing company is one that istogether at all times. A recruited companyis built by recruiters when the call goesout for an army. Standing/recruits indi-cates a standing company that recruits lo-cals as well. A company with recruitedveterans is one with consistent and loyalmembers, but without a permanent head-quarters, so the company must be calledtogether whenever there is a job. A fixedcompany has a permanent headquarters.A company that is roaming has either noparticular headquarters, or has several.

Base: This indicates the place (or region)that the company calls home.

Current Sphere(s) of Operation: Thislists where the group is currently active.

Leader: This lists the groups leader.Government: This indicates how the

corps operates internally.Number of Members: If a range is

given, the lowest number is the numberof people who always serve; the highestnumber is the core, plus semi-regularswho might be called in for specific jobs.This number does not include any peoplewho might be recruited locally.

General Alignment: This indicates thebasic morals and ethics of the group; indi-viduals may vary.

Larger entries have these headings aswell: History describes the groups forma-tion, composition, and past activities; Strat-egy and Tactics tells how the companychooses and completes jobs; Personality de-tails the groups motivations, code of honor,and friends and enemies; and Logistics de-scribes the groups equipment, require-ments, and price.

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Chapter 2: Standing Companies

This chapter offers details about severalof the better-known standing mercenarycorps in the Realms. Standing companiesare the standard, but in the Realms,standard can mean many things.

In most cases, standing companies havea single leader; this way, there is no ques-tion about who is in charge.

Standing companies generally have aheadquarters of some kind, whether it bea castle they have built themselves, or atown where all the members live. Stand-ing companies without permanent head-quarters will almost always have a meansof transportation, and when they arrive atthe location of their job, they usually findlodgings together or set up a large camp.

Standing companies can be worked intoan adventuring campaign in several ways.These groups might be recruiting, testingpeople who want to join by sending themon a mission. Alternately, enemies of amercenary corps might mislead a groupof PCs into raiding the mercenary compa-nys headquarters.

The Companies

Information about many of the compan-ies can be found in other sources. Theseentries provide updates on status and ac-tivities of these mercenary groups.

The map on page 5 shows where manyof the groups operate, while the index onpage 64 lists the groups by region and alsolists the other sources where informationmight be found.

The Blacktalons MercenaryCompany

Type: Standing, fixedBase: Blacktalon Citadel in IriaeborCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

Traderoutes near IriaeborLeader: Taurgosz Tenhammer KhosannGovernment: Counciled dictatorship

Number of Members: 120General Alignment: NeutralHistory: This group formed less than adecade ago, when Taurgosz Khosann-earned his Tenhammer nickname byslaying 10 people with a single swing ofhis huge warhammer, thus wresting lead-ership of his bandit gang from the formerleader. Tenhammer has led the Blackta-lons to a more legal occupation.

Tenhammer, an 11th-level fighter,stands over 7 tall and weighs about 350pounds. His size and great strength (18/94)allow him to wield some two-handedweapons with just one hand; his favoriteweapon is his great hammer, whichcauses damage as a battle axe. Tenham-mer is an absolute dictator, but has a smallcouncil of trusted aides to whom he lis-tens.

The Blacktalons consist of 80 3rd-levelfighters, both male and female. In addi-tion, there are 20 1st-level fighters and 20thieves of levels 3-6. If The CompleteThiefs Handbook is used, give the thievesthe scout and bandit kits (in approxi-mately equal numbers).

The Blacktalon sigil is a black, three-taloned claw on a blood red field. It isworn on the breast or helmet, but is neverflown from a banner.Strategies and Tactics: This group pre-fers jobs guarding caravans, but will alsoraid caravans for a price. True to theirbandit heritage, they sometimes raid un-guarded caravans to encourage them toseek protection.

They have on occasion hired themselvesout as irregular cavalry, and they act ascity defenders in times of troublewhichhelps maintain good relations with the lo-cal government.Personality: The Blacktalons are rela-tively unscrupulous, but have never beenknown to renege on a contract. They arevery vengeful when cheated.

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The Blacktalons seldom come into con-flict with other mercenary corps, thoughthey have earned the enmity of the Siroc-co, the Mindulgulph Company, and sev-eral adventuring companies.Logistics: The Blacktalons have their ownmounts, mostly medium warhorses. Theyprefer to use these mounts, but will rideanimals appropriate to the caravan theyare guarding. Since Iriaebor is known forfine mounts, the Blacktalons always havefine horses.

They wear a variety of armors and carrya variety of weapons. They often darkentheir armor with mud or paint, so they donot stand out.

The Blacktalons charge 1 gp per personper day for guard duty. A raid costs an em-ployer 300 gp, in advance.

The Bloodaxe MercenaryCompany

Type: Recruited veterans, fixedBase: Sundabar, in the NorthCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

The NorthLeader: Velkor of the Valiant Arm

MinairrGovernment: Military hierarchyNumber of Members: 60-80General Alignment: Chaotic goodHistory: The Bloodaxe Mercenary Com-pany was founded by a dwarven adven-turer, Deldagg Huldgrym, more than 40years ago. Most of its original memberswere dwarven outcasts.

Under Deldaggs leadership, the groupfought several bandit bands, an army oforcs, and raiders from Luskan. Many ofthe original members were slain, and newwarriors (mostly humans from the SwordCoast, the North, and the Vilhon Reach)were added to the ranks.

Deldagg died of black lung fever in 1331DR (1306 by Cormyrian reckoning), and

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the groups leadership fell to his second incommand, Velkor Minairr, a human fight-er (11th level). Only four of the originaldwarven Bloodaxes remain with the com-pany.

The groupmounted spearmen (30),slingers (10), and axe-men (20)is largelyinactive at present, but occasionally hirethemselves out to fight orcish hordes inthe North.

To avoid recognition, the Bloodaxes of-ten elect not to display their sigil, a grayaxe on a dark red background.Strategies and Tactics: The Bloodaxes areskilled and versatile, willing to take almostany job, from gladiators to bodyguards.Not overly prideful or crude, their strate-gies and tactics vary as widely as the typesof jobs they take.Personality: The Bloodaxes are moti-vated largely by hatred of humanoids,though they do enjoy being paid for kill-ing the creatures. They have few enemiesother than humanoids, the Blue Sigilogres, and the Chill.Logistics: Their equipment varies widely,though the battle axe is the weapon ofchoice for most. The group maintains sev-eral small bases in the North, where theycan replace equipment as needed.

The Bloodaxes may be hired at a cost ofbut 10 gp per day, since they are currentlydown on their luck.

The Company of the SingingDawn

Type: Standing, fixedBase: Arrabar in ChondathCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

The Vilhon ReachLeader: SolaraGovernment: CouncilNumber of Members: 250General Alignment: Neutral goodNote: The Company of the Singing Dawnand its components are described in I14,Swords of the Iron Legion.History: This group was formed in Chon-dath about 15 years ago, and was firstknown as Solaras Elite. Solara trained herpeople well, and eventually added moreunits to the company.

The company consists of f ive 50-member units: Solaras Elite, handpicked4th-level fighters from the Fields of Nun;the Spears of Dawn, 1st-level fighters; theForester Guards of Nun, charismatic andchivalrous 3rd-level warriors from theChondalwood; the Lightblades, 4th-levelpaladins mounted on pegasi; and the Sun-shafts, 7th-level Pegasus-riding elvenarchers.

The Elite are led by Taran, 6th-level fe-male human fighter; Randwulf Doorbane,a grizzled 8th-level fighter, leads theSpears; the Foresters are led by a 7th-levelelven ranger, Miebhailar; Justin Ironedge,a 9th-level human paladin, leads theLightblades; and the Sunshafts are led byLotharius Goldentree, a 9th-level elvenfighter. These leaders advise Solara,10th-level ranger and undisputed leader of theCompany of the Singing Dawn.

The companys most famous battle wasagainst the forces of Yrkhetep, an arcana-loth who tried to conquer Chondath andTurmish.

The companys symbol is a rose-coloredphoenix, with a green key below, to the

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right, and to the left, all on a field of silver.All members of the company wear somered, pink, or yellow, and many wear sun-burst emblems.Strategies and Tactics: The Singing Dawnprefers to fight evil and is known to docharity work, especially when it involvesfighting undead or otherwise promotesworship of the groups patron deity, La-thander. They will not take any job that isantithetical to the worship of theMorninglord.

Solara and her councilors are great tacti-cians, and they work well together coordi-nating aerial and ground assaults.Personality: The Company of the SingingDawn has a very strict code of honor andchivalry. They are motivated by a wish todo good, though they realize that theyneed gold to maintain their effectiveness.Their only enemies are the evil and un-scrupulous.Logistics: Each unit has distinctive armsand armor. The Elite uses scale mail,shields with the companys symbol, andlong swords with dusky pink stones in thehilt. The Spears wear chain mail and carrysilver-tipped spears. The Foresters wearstudded leather and carry wooden shieldsand long swords. The Lightblades wearscale mail and attack with medium lancesor long swords +1. The Sunshafts wearscale mail and attack with long bows orlong swords. Solara and the unit leaderscarry a number of magical items.

The Company of the Singing Dawn issomewhat expensive, requiring 1,000 gpper day, though they will cut that price by50-75% when asked to fight undead orcreatures from the nether planes. They al-so do some work for free, with councilmembers using personal funds to pay theregular members.

The Flaming Fist

Type: Standing, fixedBase: Baldurs GateCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

Anchorome, Tethyr Chult, Sword CoastLeader: Duke EltanGovernment: Military hierarchyNumber of Members: 1,600General Alignment: Lawful neutralNote: The Flaming Fist Mercenary Compa-ny is fully described in the FORGOTTENREALMS® Campaign Set. What follows is asummary of statistics and recent history.History: Despite recent setbacks, theFlaming Fist is the largest and most pow-erful mercenary corps in Faerun. Eltan, aDuke of Baldurs Gate, founded the groupalmost 30 years ago, building it into one ofthe most effective fighting forces in theRealms.

The Flaming Fist has been very activeduring the last few years. Recently, 300members were hired with Sembian fundsto participate in the Horde Wars. They ac-quitted themselves well and reportedback with some casualties.

At the same time as the Horde Wars, theFlaming Fist took action against the pi-rates of the Sword Coast (the same warin which the Golden Legion destroyedAkbet-Khruls forces in Amn). The Fist wasable to provide the pirates with a setbackthey will not soon forget.

Also, Duke Eltan noticed an opportunityin leaderless Tethyr. He has been cau-tiously scouting the region, hiring outsmall bands for reduced fees in Tethyr.Wise observers speculate that Eltan wish-es to be invited into Tethyr, so he may setup a puppet government.

Because of the Horde Wars and the dis-covery of Maztica, Duke Eltan has beentaken by an urge to explore. He has not yetsent an expedition to the Hordelands andKara-Tur, though he has recently funded

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expeditions to Chult and the New World.The founder of Baldurs Gate (home to

the Fist) was a sea captain called Balduran.Long ago, he sailed west past Evermeet, tothe fabled islands of Anchorome, return-ing with great wealth that was used tobuild the wall around what becameBaldurs Gate.

Eltan had always been taken by the taleof Balduran, and wondered about themans final fate. When word reachedEltan that the Golden Legion had discov-ered and conquered Maztica, Eltans curi-osity was piqued, and he decided to findAnchorome.

Eltan bought a fleet of ships and sentseveral hundred men and women acrossthe seas. The ships stopped in Lantan,where the company split, three shipsheading to Chult.

The Chult expedition (150 people led byBeluarion and Nenon) recruited an experi-enced group of six elven mercenaries toact as guides in Chult. The expedition lostroughly half of its number (including Be-luarion) in Chult, but was somewhat suc-cessful.

The Anchorome expedition was not assuccessful, however. This group consistedof four leaders (Scar, Bellan, Desedrak,and Yulimtul) and more than 500 merce-naries. The ships also carried 200 horsesand a great deal of equipment.

After the 20-ship fleet left Lantan, it wasbeset by problems ranging from diseaseto storms. The company clerics were ableto keep disease from taking more than ahandful of lives, but three ships werecompletely lost to storms with no survi-vors. Unfortunately, one of those shipshad been designated a hospital ship andwas carrying most of the priests when itwent down.

When the ships finally reached the Maz-tican port of Helmsport/Ulatos, they re-cruited to replace some of their losses,

hiring 60 Eagle Knights who wished tofight for glory and land.

Again, the expedition split, with 225heading northwest overland into the des-ert, hoping to find the fabled City of Gold.This group, led by Desedrak and Yulimtul,has not been heard from since, and all at-tempts at magical and psionic contacthave failed.

The Expeditionof

The Flaming Fist

The rest of the group (roughly 340 peo-ple and 150 horses) took 15 ships up thecoast from Maztica to explore the coast ofAnchorome. Again, the group met with di-saster.

The Flaming Fist discovered Itzcali,Realm of the Sea People, when sahuaginfrom that undersea nation attacked andwrecked a third of their ships, which layanchored several yards off shore. Somepeople were rescued, and a number ofhorses were seen swimming to shore.Scar led the Fist in a brilliant counterat-tack, driving the sahuagin forces away sothe ships could escape the area.

When the expedition moved farthernorth, they discovered a lush and fertileland devoid of civilization. Moving alongthe coast, they eventually came to the ru-ined remains of a small fort with a wood-en palisade. Broken weapons, rustedarmor, and an old ships log indicated thatthis was the probable final resting place ofBalduran and his crew.

The members of the Flaming Fist soondiscovered the likely cause of Balduransdeath when they were attacked by a tribeof savage elves sporting odd haircuts andwearing feathers and paints. At the sametimepossibly a coincidencelargewhale-like beasts attacked the companysships and sank them. The members of thecompany performed a fighting retreat un-til they escaped the territory of the sav-ages.

Less than 100 members of the expedi-tion survived the retreat; these set up Fort

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Flame at the mouth of a river that opensinto a large bay, which they have namedBaldurans Bay.

Scar and a small group of men andwomen left the encampment, and miracu-lously made it back to Helmsport, andthence to Baldurs Gate. Eltan may see fitto send reinforcements to the colony, nowunder Bellans leadership, and communi-cations have been established through ar-cane means.

The Flaming Fists main base is BaldursGate, but the company has establishedsecondary bases in Chult and Anchorome,and has an unspecified number of opera-tives in Tethyr.

Fort Flame holds its leader Bellan (a10th-level fighter), two rangers, a wizard,five clerics, three thieves (one an assassin),four 6th-level fighters, 17 5th-level fight-ers, 53 4th-level fighters, and 13 5th-levelEagle Knights (who can change into eaglesat will).

Fort Beluarian, on the northern coast ofChult, is supervised by Nenon; she over-sees a garrison of three rangers, three wiz-ards (one an assassin), seven priests, twothieves, and 80 fighters (10 6th-level, 205th-level, and 50 4th-level).

The main forces in Baldurs Gate are ledby Duke Eltan (a 22nd-level fighter), andhis assistants Moruene (a 20th-level wiz-ard) and Scar (a 16th-level fighter). Alltheir lieutenants except Koruelve (a 10th-level fighter) are dead or on semi-permanent assignment, so they haverecruited the following new unit leaders,all 9th-level fighters: Lendali Firehair, Her-culus the Hammer, Delandria, MorganRedwing, Skot-sar of Berdusk, and Kalvis-talk the Hunter.

The forces in Baldurs Gate include 10rangers, 10 wizards, 150 priests, 10 assas-sins (the best of which are a pair of elvenwizard-thieves), 15 thieves, and 1,200fighters (550 3rd-level, 400 4th-level, 150

5th-level, and 50 6th-level).The Flaming Fist seldom recruits locals

for a battle (they hardly need to!), butsometimes hires advisers or guides.

The company is organized along strictmilitary lines. Their symbol is a flamingred fist; it is worn on a white tabard.Strategies and Tactics: The Flaming Fistalways leaves part of its number to defendBaldurs Gate, but will accept almost anyjob that pays enough. They seldom disap-point their clients.

The Flaming Fist is almost unstoppableon a battlefield, and they should make anywould-be conquerors pause and consider.Personality: The Flaming Fist is moti-vated by both gold and glory, thoughDuke Eltan does prefer to stem chaosrather than promote it.

The Fist negotiates contracts wisely andadheres to them stringently; woe to theemployer who tries to cheat them.

The Flaming Fist has a number of pow-erful enemies, including other mercenarycompanies, the Zhentarim, and the Cult ofthe Dragon. Assassination attempts onEltan and the other leaders are fairly com-mon.Logistics: The Flaming Fist has spentyears collecting items both magical andmundane. Each member has two heavywarhorses, and the company owns sev-eral wagons, thousands of mules, and aplethora of magical items.

Hiring the entire Flaming Fist costs10,000 gp per day, with smaller divisionscosting a proportionate amount. The mo-bilization of the company can bankruptan area.

The Golden Legion

Type: Standing, fixedBase: Helmsport in MazticaCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

MazticaLeader: Alanza DaNosta

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Government: Military hierarchyNumber of Members: 600General Alignment: NeutralNote: The Golden Legion and its exploitsare covered in the Maztica Campaign Set;FMA1, Fires of Zatal; and the novelsIronhelm, Viperhand, and FeatheredDragon. What follows is a summary of thecompanys history.History: The Golden Legion was formedalmost two decades ago by a man namedCordell after the destruction of his pre-vious mercenary corps. Learning frompast mistakes, Cordell built slowly, devot-ing much attention to training.

The Golden Legion, consisting of unitsof crossbowmen, swordsmen, cavalry,spearmen, and longbowmen, won famealong the Sword Coast. Cordells legionbroke the power of one of the most vi-cious buccaneers of the Pirate Isles,Akbet-Khrul, who was killed by legioncrossbowmen in a great battle in Amn.This earned the gratitude of the Council ofAmn, who sponsored the Golden Legionsexpedition to Maztica.

Cordell used diplomacy, militarystrength, and magic to conquer the Nex-ala, the most powerful political entity inMaztica. Many battles took their toll onthe Legion, which was almost destroyedin this campaign.

Cordell became Governor-General ofthe area, which Amn has claimed as a col-ony. Alanza DaNosta, a greedy and unsa-vory sort, has been given command of theGolden Legion, which is now the militarygarrison in Helmsport, the center of com-merce with Faerun.

The group now consists of 100 cavalry,250 swordsmen, 100 spearmen, 100 bow-men, and 50 crossbowmen.

The Legions symbol, which is used on itsbanners, is a golden eagle outlined in blackon a field of gold. Some units, particularlycavalry, also have their own symbols.

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Strategies and Tactics: The Golden Le-gion is rapidly losing the elements thatmake it a mercenary company, instead be-coming the legitimate military force of thegovernment of New Amn. Thus, they havelittle choice in jobs, as they are required toperform guard duty, keep the natives qui-et, and so forth.

Though most of the old veterans arenow gone, the company still uses goodtactics. They will generally soften the ene-my with bows and crossbows, then attackwith swordsmen and cavalry. Some magicis used as well.Personality: Though motivated largelyby greed, the old Golden Legion had asense of family to it. As it stands now, theLegion is motivated primarily by a senseof duty toward New Amn. In general, theleadership of the group is corrupt, butmany individuals tend to be honest, seri-ous, and honorable. Most still revere Cor-dell as a great hero.

Most natives in Helmsport/Ulatos dislikethe Legion, though many elsewhere re-member the Legions activities in defend-ing both themselves and the Mazticanrefugees against the beast hordes of Nex-ala.Logistics: The Golden Legion is armedwith typical, non-magical weapons and ar-mor. Because the region is warm, mosthave abandoned any steel armor otherthan breastplates.

The Legion is on retainer to the colonialgovernment of New Amn and is paid bythem. They are usually allowed to plun-der when used in the field.

Llandrydds Steel

Type: Standing/recruits, roamingBase: The Vilhon ReachCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

The Vilhon Reach, Sea of Fallen StarsLeader: Llandrydd WyvernheartGovernment: Business

Number of Members: 233-300General Alignment: NeutralNote: Additional information on Llan-drydds group can be found in I14, Swordsof the Iron Legion.History: Llandrydd began as a recruiter,but formed a standing company after anextended period of action.

Llandrydds band has two units, theSteel (150 men led by the charismaticLlandrydd, a 6th-level fighter), and theAuxiliary (80 pike wielders led by Lonth, a4th-level fighter). Llandrydd almost al-ways recruits locals to expand his compa-nys ranks before a battle.

Each squad of 10 elects a sergeant; theseform a board that is chaired by Llandrydd(Lonth is vice-chairman). The board dis-cusses prospective jobs.

Like the Singing Dawn, Llandryddsgroup fought against Yrkhetep.

The corps sigil is a sword betweendraped sleeves on a green field.Strategies and Tactics: In battle, the Steeloften wraps around the Auxiliary, whosepikes can attack from the second or thirdrank. The group is skilled, but does notadapt well to odd situations.Personality: This corps chooses jobs byprofit and contracts for specific time peri-ods. If the job runs long, they will renego-tiate and may refuse to renew.

Llandrydds band is on good terms withthe Company of the Singing Dawn andwill not fight against them.Logistics: The men of the Steel weargreen chain mail and use both shortsword and dagger. The people of the Aux-

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iliary wear leather and carry pikes.Llandrydds band charges 500 gp per

week, half in advance.

The Mindulgulph MercenaryCompany

Type: Standing, fixedBase: Mindulgulph Castle near PriapurlCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

The Eastern Shaar and the Great RiftLeader: Gayrlana Lady BloodswordGovernment: Counciled dictatorshipNumber of Members: About 200General Alignment: NeutralHistory: The Mindulgulph Company wasformed almost 20 years ago by Gayrlana,Lady Bloodsword, a 12th-level fighterwith psionic talents, including contactand mindlink. She has dusky skin andwhite hair, and rumors persist that she ispart drow.

Gayrlana and her adventuring bandraided Mindulgulph Castle in their youthand discovered intelligent monsters in-side; rather than wiping them out, they re-cruited most of the creatures and started amercenary corps.

Most of the companys non-monstrousmembers are former adventurers whoare specialists of some type. There arecurrently 80 normal members, humanand near-human warriors of levels 2-5.

The Mindulgulph Company also hasaround 120 monster members. All haveat least low intelligence and are non-evil.None are enslaved in any way, but someunintelligent monsters (notably burbur,golems, and rust monsters) are kept asguards and pets.

The company prefers members whocan function in human society with a min-imum of disruption, though they alsohave a number of specialists.

Some notable non-humanoid units in-clude squads of blink dogs, centaurs, giff,

grippli, kenku, thri-kreen, and wemics.The Company is known to have membersfrom the following races: beholder, bela-bra, cave fisher, cildabrin, cloaker, githze-rai, hengeyokai, loxo, mimic, plasmoid,qnidar, shambling mound, shocker, sull,tabaxi, treant, and triton. Many others arepossible as well.

Human and near-human members areorganized into squads of 10, each with asergeant; the more monstrous membersanswer directly to Gayrlana.

The Mindulgulph Company is currentlyemployed by the dwarves of the Great Riftto study the likelihood of a war in theUnderdark.

Though most of the company is current-ly several hundred miles from home, itscastle is well-guarded by several of themore monstrous members.Strategies and Tactics: Gayrlanas com-pany prefers unusual, difficult jobs. Theyare capable in any environment.

Company tactics vary widely, dependingon which members are present, but al-most always involve subterfuge and am-bush if possible. Gayrlana is a tacticalgenius as well as a telepath, so is veryadept at exploiting the strengths of hertroops.Personality: The corps is trustworthy as awhole. On occasions, individual membershave caused problems, but Gayrlana takespains to set things right when such eventstranspire.

The Company is friendly with most oth-er mercenary corps, though they considerthe Blacktalons enemies.Logistics: The company possesses and us-es a wide array of equipment. They haveno standard armor or weapons.

Gayrlana uses a special whipstingsword, which does 1d6 damage and maybe used as a whip as well. She has a suit ofdress plate, but usually wears lighter ar-mor under a gown or cloak.

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A mission performed by the companycosts a minimum of 500 gp per day, moreif large numbers are required.

The Red Raven MercenaryCompany

Type: Standing, fixedBase: Arabel in CormyrCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

Cormyr, the Stonelands, AnaurochLeader: Rayanna the RoseGovernment: Democratic councilNumber of Members: 110General Alignment: Lawful neutralHistory: The Red Ravens were formed byseveral people who fought in the HordeWars. After the wars, a few of those whowould eventually lead the group pooledtheir funds to get a royal charter in Cor-myr, then asked several friends to join.

The company operates on a system ofone person, one vote. They meet annu-ally to elect an overall leader, and then tochoose sergeants for each group of 10.Rayanna the Rose has been leader for overtwo years now, and her policies are gener-ally well-received.

The group works mostly for the Cor-myrian government or for Cormyrianmerchants. They have recently worked toclean up the Stonelands, and have seensome action in Anauroch and against theZhentarim.

The companys symbol is an amuletshowing a red raven.Strategies and Tactics: The Red Ravensprefer government jobs, such as fightingbandits or goblinoids.

Their battlefield tactics are fairly simpleand straightforward, though they will en-gage in an occasional ambush.Personality: As one of the few groups inCormyr with a license to pillage, the RedRavens are very careful to not do anythingto lose their charter. They never cheat cli-ents.

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Logistics: Most Red Ravens carry swordsand wear studded leather. They charge200 gp per week.

The Renegades

Type: Standing, roamingBase: ChessentaCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

ChessentaLeader: HelyosGovernment: Military hierarchyNumber of Members: 200General Alignment: Neutral (evil)History: The Renegades are human malesfrom Akanax, city of soldiers. They choseexile from their home so they could earngold as well as glory.

The Renegades leader, Helyos, a 14th-level fighter, is considered one of thetoughest and meanest fighters in Chessen-ta. In a recent tournament, he nearly wonthe throne of Mourktar. The companycomprises 70 cavalry (3rd-level fightersled by the 10th-level Pyrimestes), 20 infan-try (2nd-level fighters led by the 7th-levelThemis), and 90 archers (1st-level fightersled by the 9th-level Hamilcar). There arealso six scouts and 10 low-level mages inthe company.Strategies and Tactics: The corps willtake any job if the price is right.

On the battlefield, the Renegades will dowhatever it takes to win. The mages andarchers generally soften the enemy be-fore the infantry engages, which allowsthe cavalry to sweep in for the kill.Personality: The Renegades are knownfor ruthlessness and excessive pillaging.They are unscrupulous and will twist thespirit of agreements with employers.They have many enemies, but are on goodterms with several pirate bands.Logistics: The infantry uses chain mail,shield, and long sword, while the archersuse leather armor, long bow, and broad-sword. Cavalry uses heavy warhorses,

plate mail, lance, and shield.The corps charges 200 gp per week.

The Sailors of the Crimson Sea

Type: Standing, roamingBase: ChessentaCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

Chessenta, ChondathLeader: Lhrek JarsynGovernment: Military hierarchyNumber of Members: 185General Alignment: Lawful neutralHistory: This groups name is a metaphor:the crimson sea is a bloody battlefield,and sailors are soldiers.

Formed only a few years ago by a mannamed Bendix, the Sailors of the CrimsonSea have seen many hardships. In the re-cent battle of Thurgabanteth in Chondath,the company lost many of its fighters, in-cluding Bendix.

After a political fight for leadership be-tween Lhrek Jarsyn (7th-level fighter) andIurnan Chall (7th-level wizard), Lhrek be-came leader, Chall his top adviser. Theyhave three lieutenants.

Chard leads the cavalry (60 2nd-levelwarriors); Masoth leads the infantry (202nd-level fighters and 60 4th-level fight-ers); and Vidad leads the archers (40 1st-level warriors).Strategies and Tactics: The Sailors preferto be on the right side of a conflict, butnever work for free.

Once in combat, the company employsgood tactics, though morale has a tenden-cy to be low because of the politics amongthe leaders.Personality: The Sailors always hold uptheir end of a bargain. They have a few en-emies, mostly evil groups. They are care-ful in forests because of a past encounterwith treants in the Chondalwood.Logistics: Cavalry uses plate mail, shield,and lance; infantry, plate or chain mail,

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shield, and long sword; and archers, leath-er armor and long bows.

The sailors ask 250 gp per week.

The Society of the Sword

Type: Standing, fixedBase: Cimbar in ChessentaCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

Chessenta, the Vilhon ReachLeader: StilmusGovernment: Military hierarchyNumber of Members: 1,020General Alignment: Lawful neutralHistory: The Society of the Sword is thelargest and oldest mercenary group inChessenta. Formed nearly a century ago,the companys leadership has passedthrough many hands.

The current leader is Stilmus, 15th-levelfighter and scarred veteran of many con-flicts. His lieutenants are Belvorides, a12th-level mage, who leads five 5th-leveland 10 3rd-level mages; Aronidas, an 8th-level elven fighter/mage, who leads thearcher unit (200 2nd-level warriors); Arte-ma, female 9th-level half-elven fighter,who leads the infantry corps (100 4th-levelfighters and 500 2nd-level fighters); andMarcellus, 8th-level fighter, who leads thecavalry unit (200 4th-level warriors).

Within each unit, each squad of 10 has asergeant, and each platoon of five squadshas a captain. These leaders are chosen byStilmus and his lieutenants from the bestleaders in each unit. The Society of theSword has gained fame for its activities inChessenta and its neighboring areas. Theyhave often been called upon to break thestrength of one pirate clan or another.Strategies and Tactics: The Society pre-fers high-prestige jobs. They will not fightagainst weak opponents.

Stilmus and his lieutenants are greattacticians, and the company is deadly onthe battlefield. Stilmus is also a fine strate-gist, and tries to engage the enemy in ad-

vantageous situations.The Society of the Sword never indulges

in looting; any individual caught doing sois permanently expelled from the compa-ny.Personality: The Society of the Sword be-lieves that good mercenaries should beworth twice the price they charge. Themembers of this group are proud war-riors, but are less interested in glory thanin doing a good job. They practice con-stantly to hone their skills, and all mem-bers specialize in the use of the longsword.

Stilmus is obsessed with honor. Once anagreement is made, he will uphold it, bothin letter and in spirit. If another party triesto cheat him or his company, he considersthis a challenge to his honor, somethinghe takes very seriously. Stilmus has foughtmany duels to defend his honor, and onoccasion has dragged his company alongon a quest for vengeance.

Stilmus hates Helyos, leader of the Rene-gades, because Helyos tried to kill him togain control of a mercenary company inwhich they both served. Stilmus looks for-ward to a time when the Society of theSword can eliminate the Renegades andHelyos.Logistics: All members of the Society car-ry long swords. Members of the cavalryand infantry units wear plate mail andcarry shields. The archers wear studdedleather and carry long bows in addition totheir long swords. The cavalry unit usesheavy warhorses.

The company charges 1,500 gp perweek, or 300 gp per day for shorter jobs.Employers are also expected to pay anyexpenses for transportation, food, and ad-ditional equipment.

The Society keeps wills for its members,paying shares to the beneficiaries of slainmembers.

The Veterans Guild of RavensBluff

Type: Standing/recruits, fixedBase: Ravens BluffCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

Sea of Fallen Stars, the VastLeader: Giovanni the DrakeGovernment: Military hierarchyNumber of Members: 300-500General Alignment: NeutralHistory: Giovanni the Drake is a human5th-level fighter/8th-level bard who start-ed a guild in Ravens Bluff for the veteransof the Horde wars.

Giovanni is assisted by a four-personstaff: Borg Doon, his second-in-command;Dag Silverbrow, tactician; Nyssa, strate-gist; and Mario the Axe, logistics officer.There are also five unit commanders whowere chosen by their units.

Standard fighting units are infantry (1001st-level warriors); archers (100 3rd-levelfighters); cavalry (50 2nd-level fighters);wizards (20 mages, levels 2-5). The fifthunit consists of 15 priests (mainly healers)and 10 bards who form a musical corps toinspire the troops before they enter battle.

The Veterans are employed mostly tokeep the free cities safe from pirates.Strategies and Tactics: The Veterans pre-fer to work for local governments andmerchants. While the Drake himself is notan expert in military matters, he has gath-ered a staff which is.Personality: This company is motivatedprimarily by a desire for enough gold tolive on. They never betray clients andhave not been in existence long enough tomake enemies.Logistics: The Veterans have a variety ofarms and equipment, though their stand-ard is scale mail and long sword.

The company charges 1 gp per personper day when on a job.

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Chapter 3: Nonhuman Companies

Though not yet standard in the Realms,nonhuman companies in general are be-coming more common as more races be-come curious about the world aroundthem.

In contrast, elven and dwarven merce-naries have existed for centuries, but arebecoming less common as the populationof those races dwindles. Most elves anddwarves would rather not be paid for end-ing their lives early.

Most nonhuman companies are madeup of ogres or goblinoids. Some groupsform spontaneously when an entire tribedecides to hire itself out as a mercenarycorps; these groups are usually led bytheir chieftains or shamans. They mightbe motivated by greed, or lack of food andother necessities may drive them to seekemployment.

Other nonhuman mercenary corps arefounded by powerful human wizards ormonstrous leaders, inspired by greed, aneed for revenge, or some similar motiva-tion. These leaders usually dominate thecompany completely, holding its mem-bers almost as slaves.

Nonhuman mercenary companies canserve as wonderful antagonists in cam-paign situations.

The Companies

Most of the entries in this section appearin a somewhat abbreviated format.

The map on page 5 shows where manyof the groups operate, while the index onpage 64 lists the groups by region and alsolists the other sources where informationmight be found.

The Blue Sigil

Type: Standing, fixedBase: Mogs Keep near LongsaddleCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

The NorthLeader: Mog the FistGovernment: DictatorshipNumber of Members: 450General Alignment: Neutral evilHistory: The Blue Sigil ogres became amercenary company about 15 years ago,when imminent starvation drove theirleader, Thorog, to find a way to supporthis tribe. Thorogs tribe had been raidedseveral times by adventurers, some withunique symbols, some paid by nearbytowns to kill ogres.

Thorog, a rather smart ogre, reasonedthat if other people could get paid to killogres, ogres could get paid to kill otherpeople. He created the companys sigil andrequired all members to wear it for unity.The symbol, a blue circle crossed by acrescent moon and a lightning strike, is al-so displayed on armor and the back of hel-mets (so the ogres know not to stab othermembers in the back).

The savage Blue Sigil had problems get-ting hired at first, but they have gained areputation for living up to their agree-ments. They charge 500 gp per week andenjoy looting.

Thorog and the leaders who followedhim (Mog is the eighth) have used some ofthe companys funds to purchase specialarms and armor for the ogres and ogress-es of the Blue Sigil. The group keeps thesein good condition.

Thorog and his successors have acceptedlone ogres into their group if they un-dergo an initiation, and the corps main-tains a fairly large population.

The Blue Sigil is enemy to the Bloodaxesand the Chill.

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The Chill

Type: Standing, fixedBase: Chill Tower in the LurkwoodCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

The NorthLeader: Ardenor CrushGovernment: Military hierarchyNumber of Members: 650General Alignment: Lawful evilHistory: Though he appears to be a nor-mal hobgoblin, Ardenor Crush is a rein-carnated evil warrior and should betreated as a 10th-level fighter. After hefound himself in a hobgoblin body, Ar-denor formed a band to exact revenge onthose who had slain him.

He found his friend Grangor (the 13th-level wizard who reincarnated him) andgathered most of the goblinoid troopswho survived the Second Battle of Urml(see I14, Swords of the Iron Legion). Withthese allies, he hunted and killed thegroup of adventurers who thought theyhad ended his evil ways.

Ardenor led his band into the North,gathering a large, well-trained force withfive units: the Frost Riders, 100 hobgob-lins armed with battle axes and mountedon heavy warhorses; the Winter Wolves,100 goblins armed with spears andmounted on winter wolves; the Cold Steel,150 orcish swordsmen; the Frigid Fists, 50ogrish shock troops; and the Icicles, 200kobold archers specializing in ambushes.The group is well-equipped and very dan-gerous. They charge 500 gp per week.

Ardenor has several magical items, in-cluding gauntlets of ogre power and anamulet that allows him to summon anightmare for up to eight hours each day.Grangor does not accompany the corpson missions, but instead usually remainsin Chill Tower to defend it. Each unit isheaded by a lieutenant of the same type,but with maximum hit points.

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The companys symbol, worn on the up-per arm, is the brand of a fist aroundwhich is the tattoo of a white nimbus.

The Chill has a number of enemies, in-cluding the Bloodaxes and the Blue Sigilogres. Though on poor terms with most ofthe orcish tribes in the region, they aresometimes hired by them.

Clan Hammerhand

Type: Standing, fixedBase: Ravens BluffCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

The Bloodstone Lands, the VastLeader: Garren HammerhandGovernment: ClanNumber of Members: 200General Alignment: Lawful goodHistory: Clan Hammerhand is a long-liveddwarven clan that was established inEarthfast and in Ravens Bluff when it wasstill Sarbreen.

After the Horde Warsin which severalHammerhands participatedthe entireclan determined to resettle in Earthfast,which would involve removing a numberof the goblinoids there. To support theclan and gain battle experience, severalHammerhands hire themselves out asmercenaries.

The mercenaries maintain offices inRavens Bluff, Tantras, and Telflamm. Todistinguish themselves, they wear beads(ranging from simple stone to jeweledgold) in their beards and hair.

All of Clan Hammerhands mercenariesare infantry, wielding a variety of weap-ons; hammers are the most popular by far,but there are a number of battle axes andfootmans picks as well. They are excel-lent at underground maneuvers and quitegood at sieges. They charge 5 gp per mem-ber per week or portion thereof.

The Claw

Type: Standing, fixedBase: The Trollmoors in the NorthCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

The North, the UnderdarkLeader: Killithor the AlhoonGovernment: DictatorshipNumber of Members: 100General Alignment: Lawful evilHistory: The Claw is a company of trolls.The members of the Claw wear no sym-bols, and are directed in battlefield actionby hidden masters, presumed by most tobe the wizards who are contacted whensomebody wishes to hire the mercenarycompany.

The real leader of the Claw is Killithorthe Alhoon, an illithilich as described inthe Menzoberranzan boxed set. Alhoonare undead, psionic mind flayers who cancast spells as 9th-level wizards. Killithorhas a council of four normal mind flayersunder his control. These in turn commu-nicate with the four human wizards whodirect commerce for the Claw, demand-ing a flat fee of 1,000 gp for any job lastingup to one month.

The Alhoon and his officers are very se-cretive and seldom seen. They participatein Claw battles, but never risk their secre-cy. Killithor has never been known to par-ticipate in a battle directly, and has beenseen only by his illithid council.

The Claw was formed to spread destruc-tion and may eventually act as a body ofshock troops for some nefarious plan ofKillithors.

The trolls of the Claw have no choice onthe jobs they take. Their tactics are verybasic, though mental commands from theleaders direct them. With their regenera-tive ability and attacks, the trolls are veryeffective troops.

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The Red Thunder MercenaryCorps

Type: Standing, roamingBase: The HordelandsCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

The HordelandsLeader: Glory Black-hoofGovernment: Military hierarchyNumber of Members: 150General Alignment: NeutralHistory: The Red Thunder was formedprimarily by centaurs from the Chondal-wood after they participated in the Battleof Five Crowns in the war against the ar-canaloth Yrkhetep (see I14, Swords of theIron Legion).

Glory Black-hoof was a minor officer inthe centaur forces; meeting and fightingaside members of other races piqued hercuriosity, as well as that of other centaurs.After the wars, she and about 30 othercentaurs formed a small mercenary com-pany.

The Red Thunder saw action in theShaar, along the Vilhon Reach, and in theBloodstone Lands. More centaurs were re-cruited into the band, which moved its op-eration into the Hordelands after theHorde Wars. There, they came in contactwith the nomadic centaurs of the steppes(see the Horde boxed set), a tribe of whichjoined the Red Thunder. Though the no-mads were not used to female leadership,they have learned that Glory is a masterfultactician.

The company consists of three units of50 archers each; one unit also carries netsand long swords, another sabres, and thethird lances. The company prefers to at-tack with bows, and will retreat to lead op-ponents into ambush.

The Red Thunder Corps works primari-ly as caravan guards, for which theycharge a reasonable fee of 150 gp perweek.

Servants of the Royal Egg

Type: Standing/recruits, roamingBase: RethildCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

Chult, TethyrLeader: Sladdis (Ghassis)Government: Military hierarchyNumber of Members: 200-500General Alignment: NeutralHistory: These spear-wielding lizardmenare unusual among mercenary corps be-cause they are slaves. This group isrented out to whomever offers the liz-ard king Ghassis sufficient gold. Thegroups normal cost is 10 sp per memberper week, to which Ghassis adds up to 1gp per slave per week for hazardous jobs(those in which he expects 25% or greatercasualties). As long as the gold is right,Ghassis has no qualms about sending thecompany on even the most dangerousmissions, but expects payment in ad-vance.

Ghassis is a shrewd, well-traveled indi-vidual. It is rumored he has connectionsto spelljamming lizard men who supplyhim with large numbers of strong and in-telligent slaves.

Wise employers provide strong leader-ship and explicit instructions for the corpsbecause the Servants show little initiative.Their field leader Sladdis is intelligent, butis trained to follow orders rather than givethem.

The Servants will follow simple, directtactical orders with single-minded deter-mination. These mercenaries are knownfor their intense sense of group identity,and few of these implacable reptiles havethe imagination to truly fear much of any-thing. If an employer is interested in hir-ing a mercenary c o m p a n y f o r adangerous, thankless, yet straightforwardtask, the Servants of the Royal Egg shouldbe considered.

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The Shard

Type: Standing, roamingBase: The Orsraun MountainsCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

UnknownLeader: Londa IronheadGovernment: ClanNumber of Members: ? (less than 50)General Alignment: Neutral evilHistory: The Shards may exist only inmemory now. Two seasons ago, a party ofadventurers stumbled upon a scene ofcarnage, noting three red dragon corpsesand a large number of charred ogrebodies with the distinctive obsidian-edgedweapons that marked members of theShard. Eagerly searching for treasure, theadventurers found only scorched groundand a few stray coins, leading them to be-lieve that at least some of the ogres had es-caped.

The Shieldbreakers

Type: Standing, fixedBase: Shieldbreaker Citadel south of the

DeepwashCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

Tethyr (?)Leader: Koranan SplitoakGovernment: Military hierarchyNumber of Members: 320General Alignment: Lawful evilHistory: The Shieldbreakers are ogresnamed for their action upon refusing tosupport their chiefs slaughter of a humanvillage. They still refuse to use shields inbattle, but instead wield two-handedweapons, especially bardiches.

Led by the veteran mercenary KorananSplitoak, the Shieldbreakers accept anyjob save one calling for the murder of un-armed foes (which they consider dishon-orable). This corps is one of the mostrespected in the Realms.

They ask 50 gp per day of action.

Silent Rain

Type: Standing, fixedBase: EvereskaCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

The North, the StonelandsLeader: NightshadeGovernment: Military hierarchyNumber of Members: 100 (?)General Alignment: Chaotic goodHistory: Little is known of this mysteriousgroup of elven archers, for few have sur-vived their deadly rain of arrows. Of thosefew, none have seen even one of the infa-mous mercenaries. The company is recog-nized by their arrows, which usered-striped black fletching and uniquelyshaped heads.

Consisting solely of elves, the Silent Rain isone of the most exclusive of mercenary

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corps. Caring little for gold and fame (theyask only 100 gp per week), Silent Rain willagree only to jobs that either promote elvencauses or involve destroying humanoids.

Prospective employers must leave writ-ten word (in elvish) near Evereska, andthe Silent Rain will send a representative ifinterested. Little is known of their leader,but she is supposedly as deadly and asbeautiful as her namesake.

The Teeth

Type: StandingBase: The StonelandsCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

The Stonelands, the Goblin MarchesLeader: Jadron the FangGovernment: DictatorshipNumber of Members: 100-200General Alignment: Chaotic evilHistory: These ogres are led by one of thecruelest mercenary captains known, Ja-dron the Fang. Jadron is utterly ruthlessand is as much feared and respected byhis own warriors as by his enemies. Overthe course of his short and bloody career,Jadron has made many enemies and nofriends. Nightshade, leader of the SilentRain, is particularly vehement in her ha-tred of Jadron and the Teeth.

To join the Teeth, an ogre must gothrough a rigorous initiation, including fil-ing all teeth to sharp points. The only wayto leave the Teeth is by dying.

The Teeth are loosely organized intounits of 19 warriors and a sergeant whoreports directly to Jadron. These units canbe employed separately or combined toform a larger force. The Teeth favorquick, decisive combat and favor strikingfrom several directions at once to confuseand frighten their foes. The Teeth are es-pecially fond of biting their opponents,leaving distinctive marks on their victims.

This company hires itself out for any jobfor 2 gp per warrior per week.

Chapter 4: Regional Companies

This chapter covers mercenary compan-ies that originated in areas other thanFaerun, or in little-known and culturallyunique areas of the continent. None of thecorps presented in the next few pages aremedieval and western European in feel.

The corps in this chapter offer DMs anopportunity to introduce other cultures toplayers, but be warned: these entries arevery brief. To give the players a real feelfor an encounter with members of an-other culture, DMs will need to do someindependent research.

One difference is especially notable inthe companies of this chapter: the motiva-tions for formation. Some companiesformed for a specific task, while othersbegan as an exploratory mission, and stillothers became mercenary groups andtraveled to Faerun because of the promiseof better conditions than they faced athome.

Whatever the reason, these companiesare generally less concerned with the pri-mary motivations of gold and glory. This isnot to say that companies from other re-gions are never inspired by such things;these samples are simply presented as acontrast to the standard companies of theRealms.

The Companies

Several of the entries in this chapter ap-pear in abbreviated format.

The map on page 5 shows where manyof the groups operate, while the index onpage 64 lists the groups by region and alsolists the other sources where informationmight be found.

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The Anaconda

Type: Standing, roamingBase: the Elven Wood near ElmwoodCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

The Dalelands and the StonelandsLeaders: Nkonzi and KwanzaGovernment: BrotherhoodNumber of Members: 90General Alignment: NeutralHistory: This company of black men andwomen is a brotherhood of warriorssworn to defend one another to the death.Membership is open only to fighting cou-ples; man and wife join at the same timeand fight in pairs. Two small rows ofdiamond-shaped ritual scars on the scalpsignify initiation.

The current leaders are Nkonzi Maru,an 11th-level ranger specialized in thespear, and her husband Kwanza Maru, a9th-level priest of the snake god that is theAnacondas patron deity. The troops aremostly 3rd-level warriors with conceal-ment and tracking skills.

The origins of the Anaconda warrior so-ciety are lost, even to Nkonzi. Their cul-ture is sophisticated but insular, and theirlanguage and rituals are never sharedwith outsiders. Their homeland is an is-land far to the southwest. Persistent ru-mors of weretigers among the Anacondaranks have never been confirmed or de-nied.

They use poison when outnumbered,but only under a strict code. Only missileweapons may be poisoned, and only onemember of a pair may use them.Strategies and Tactics: The Anacondatake any paying job, but their pay scale al-ways reflects the amount of trouble theyexpect. Rumors place them as taking jobsboth protecting and looting caravans inthe Dalelands as well as fighting both withand against the goblinoids of the Stone-lands. Their enemies claim they occasion-

ally work for the Zhentarim; as on manysubjects, they have no comment.

The Anaconda excel as irregular troopsand advance scouts, harassing and with-drawing or setting ambushes. Their am-bushes frequently take place by night andinvolve poisoned blowgun darts. Kwanzacan mix a potion that mimics infravision,allowing the Anaconda to operate atnight.

In large battles or when on caravan dutythey employ Blanka, their elephant mas-cot, as a rallying point. Nkonzi sometimeshas other animal companions as well, in-cluding a brace of hawks and a white ti-ger. The Anacondas ability to speak anobscure language makes the use of codesunnecessary in battle.Personality: The Anaconda is a closedgroup, unwilling to admit outsiders intotheir confidence. They have a calculatingapproach to their work; they resent everyloss they take, and employers who seek toplace them in unnecessary jeopardy oftenfind themselves facing a blood feud car-ried on by the entire company. However,they never back out of a contract; even ifit costs them a dozen pairs of fighters,they finish the job. As soon as their con-tract expires, however, their employerhad better have hired some new helptheAnaconda will destroy everything theyjust finished defending if their serviceswere underappreciated.Logistics: The Anaconda travels light;members use scimitars, spears, hand ax-es, and javelins, and a third of them carryblowguns. They wear hides or leather ar-mor and carry shields.

The basic cost to retain the Anaconda is120 gp per week but can go to as much as400 gp for night raids and long-range re-connaissance.

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Bushido

Type: Standing, roamingBase: ChessentaCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

ChessentaLeader: Noro AmotoGovernment: Military hierarchyNumber of Members: 181General Alignment: Lawful neutralHistory: Inspired by western contact dur-ing the Horde Wars, this corps is learningabout Realms cultures and hopes to re-port back to Kara-Tur. It contains 60 heavyinfantry, 60 medium calvary, and 60mounted archers.

The samurai Noro Amoto, a 10th-levelfighter, raised the Bushido to defend thelands of Kara-Tur against the Horde. Afterfighting well, his men kept marchingwest.

Noro is choosy about commissions andaccepts only honorable work. In battle,Noro prefers to deploy his footmen instrong set positions for foes to breakthemselves against while the archers har-ry them. The cavalry are saved for the fi-nal blow or to cover a withdrawal.Hard-riding messengers convey ordersfrom Noro to his three lieutenants.

Noro rules with a firm hand; all deci-sions are his. The company always abidesby the code of bushido. They never lootthe dead. Transient, they make few attach-ments, and are curious about both cus-toms and military skill. They have had twoinconclusive run-ins with the Renegades.

Bushido is well armed. The archers car-ry short composite bows and shortswords, and wear leather armor. The foot-men bear spears and wear brigandine ar-mor. The cavalry has katanas, lances, andbanded mail.

The cost of the corps is 700 gp a week.

The Jaguar Guard

Type: Standing, fixedBase: Myratma in TethyrCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

TethyrLeader: Miquiztl ManikGovernment: BrotherhoodNumber of Members: 72General Alignment: NeutralHistory: The Jaguar Guards are fromMaztica (see the Golden Legion entry).

Each member of the company is a Jag-uar Knight from the city-state of Kultaka.Jaguar Knights are part of an elite order, abrotherhood that served as leaders forMaztican armies. They are recognizableby their distinctive jaguar skin armor.

Kultakan warriors helped the GoldenLegion conquer the great nation of Nexal.Many of them did not realize their entirecontinent had been opened to the peopleof Faerun. Later, when things quieted abit, the leaders of Kultaka decided to learnabout the newcomers by sending a groupacross the seas to Faerun.

The decision was aided by the presenceof a merchant from Myratma, a port cityin Tethyr. This fellow, Gar Hollan, offeredtransportation to Faerun and glorious bat-tle when they arrived.

The Jaguar Guard has been active inskirmishes in Tethyr, where they have losta few men. They will probably becomemore active in the future, either as eliteskirmishers or as leaders of other militaryunits.

Each Jaguar Guard is a 5th-level warrior,except their leader, who is a 10th-levelfighter. Miquiztl Manik has hopes that heand his company can claim some land inFaerun, to which they can bring familyand friends.

The Jaguar Knight kit is fully describedin the Maztica boxed set. If that referenceis unavailable, use the following abilities

for these characters: they can transforminto jaguars at will and may cast one spellper day, talonblade, which allows them togive a stone weapon a +3 enchantmentfor a period of one hour.Strategies and Tactics: The Jaguar Guardcurrently has an exclusive contract withthe council of Myratma, and accepts al-most any combat duty. They will not en-gage in needless slaughter, and theyunderstand honor.

In battle, the Jaguar Guards often act asskirmishers, their ability to change intojaguars giving them some advantages insurprise and stealth. When not using gue-rilla tactics, the Jaguar Guard will offeropposing units the chance to become pris-oners (a compromise between their styleof battle, in which taking prisoners wasimportant, and the style of Faerun).

Miquiztl Manik (roughly translatable ashand of death) is a master tactician, asare most of his warriors. They follow or-ders explicitly.Personality: The Jaguar Guards wereraised as warriors. As Jaguar Knights,they were nobles in their homeland. InFaerun, they have not received treatmentbefitting nobles because most people re-gard them as ignorant savages. Savagesthey may be, but they are intelligent oneswith a sense of honor.

The Jaguar Guards have few enemies inFaerun, though it is only a matter of timebefore they earn the enmity of otherforces in Tethyr.Logistics: The Jaguar Guards are armedwith knife, spear, and maca (treat the lat-ter as a battle axe). They charge 50 gp perweek, plus food, lodging, and any steelweapons used by their defeated enemies.

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The Realmspace Companies

If the SPELLJAMMER® boxed set is used(or even acknowledged), the DM shouldconsider the companies detailed in SJR2,Realmspace. Though these companies actprimarily in wildspace and on the otherplanets of the Toril system, they occasion-ally interact with the peoples of Toril.

This chapter briefly discusses the fourmajor Realmspace companies and theiroperations on Toril. If the DM wishes,these companies could be used as adven-ture hooks to move the player charactersinto a wildspace adventure.

In particular, if the players happened tostumble upon a neogi or illithid slavingoperation, they may come in contact withone or more of the following groups. Al-ternatively, if someone were able to con-tact one of the groups, their servicesmight be purchasedprovided they werehired to do something basically good.

Code Helm

This large group (more than 300 people)resides near the sixth planet of the Torilsystem, Glyth. They conduct raids againstmind flayer ranches to free the human-oids held as slaves and cattle by the il-lithids.

Most members of Code Helm are pala-dins (including their leader, 21st-level Ea-sel Gifford of Amn), though many arespecialty priests of Helm. The company isruled in a military fashion.

If illithid activities increased on Toril, orif word reached Code Helm of a mind flay-er ranch in the Realms, they would verylikely arrange a large raid.

If contacted and offered both moneyand a chance to kill mind flayers, CodeHelm would probably operate much like amercenary company.

Emerald Brotherhood

This group started out as adventurers inthe Realms, operating in Amn, Tethyr, theThornwood, and the Snowflake Moun-tains. They were taken into wildspace byillithid slavers.

The Emerald Brotherhood has pledgeditself to fight neogi and mind flayers. Theymay follow individuals of these type toTorilor may be followed to Toril byneogi, who have offered a high bounty fortheir deaths. Though the Brotherhood hasonly four members, it is possible theywould recruit an army if a neogi or illithidslaving operation were discovered onToril.

The Enforcers

The Enforcers consist of 11 people whoare active against pirates and mind flayersin the Toril system. The group is led by alizard man ranger (8th level Frollth) and agood frost giant (Murray Coldstare). Thereare also mages, priests, and fighters in thecrew.

Members of the Enforcers are vigilanteswho have a tendency to ignore estab-lished laws when pursuing justice. Likethe Emerald Brotherhood, they are poten-tial mercenary recruiters.

The Gauntlet

This is another group devoted to endingneogi and illithid slaving operations. Theyconsider themselves the police force ofthe Tears of Selune, the small group of as-teroids that orbit Toril in the wake of themoon Selune.

The 14 members of the Gauntlet includehigh-level mages, priests, and paladins. Aswith the Emerald Brotherhood and theEnforcers, if a neogi or illithid operationwere discovered on Toril, the Gauntletcould become mercenary recruiters.

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The She-Wolves

Type: Standing, fixedBase: Ixinos, Vilhon ReachCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

The Vilhon Reach, the Sea of Fallen StarsLeader: Theia HeithalataGovernment: Military hierarchyNumber of Members: 240General Alignment: Lawful neutral History: The She-Wolves are female war-riors from a small island in the mouth ofthe Vilhon Reach. Their society is anamazon-style culture, and the women ofIxinos are trained for battle almost fromtheir birth.

The She-Wolves mercenary companywas formed nearly a century ago to allowamazons with wanderlust the opportuni-ty to travel while helping to support theirhomeland.

Though the membership of the She-Wolves rotates, the company always hastwo units of infantry (each with 50 3rd-level warriors), one of cavalry (50 4th-levelwarriors), and one of archers (50 5th-levelwarriors). There are also 10 scouts (rang-ers, levels 4-7), 10 sorceresses (levels 2-5),and 20 priestesses (levels 3-8). Each unithas a leader of like abilities, chosen frommembers of the unit. The groups currentoverall leader, Theia, is a 9th-level paladin.

If possible, the DM should use the ama-zon kits from The Complete FightersHandbook, The Complete Priests Hand-book, and The Complete Wizards Hand-book.Strategies and Tactics: The amazons willtake almost any military job, though theygreatly prefer to be on the good side of aconflict. They will not accept employmentfrom men who look down on women. Intimes of need, the She-Wolves also defendthe shores of Ixinos and neighboring is-lands from pirate incursions.

The She-Wolves tactics vary with the

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terrain. Since the She-Wolves have trainedall their lives to be warriors, they canwork together without the usual confu-sion inherent in battle. They have devel-oped a rapid code that allows them tochange tactics for the entire companywith only a few sharp commands. Theirshifting lines and contrasting tactics oftenthrow enough confusion into their ene-mies that these foes do not last long on thebattlefield.Personality: By nature, the She-Wolvesare a reclusive and strongly matriarchalsociety, and feel no debt to men whatso-ever. However, they will help any womanin trouble.

They also have a well-defined code ofhonor, and will not betray their contracts.Wise employers should be wary, however,of cheating the She-Wolves. If they suspectthat they are being taken advantage of insome way, their vengeance is deadly andquick.

The She-Wolves have few enemies, ex-cept for the pirates of the Fallen Stars,who cannot remember a time without theamazons. The She-Wolves have disruptedpiracy near their isles for their entire his-tory and have earned the wrath of the pi-rates.Logistics: The She-Wolves are generallywell-equipped: one infantry unit carriesshort swords, the other spears, and bothwear bronze plate mail; the cavalry wearsscale mail and carries lances andshortswords; archers, scouts, wizards,and priests carry long bows and daggers,with all but the wizards wearing leatherarmor.

The basic cost to retain the She-Wolves is500 gp per week.

The Sirocco

Type: Standing, roamingBase: AnaurochCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

AnaurochLeader: Hajima sitt-NasirGovernment: ClanNumber of Members: 80General Alignment: Neutral goodHistory: There are rumors of a land in thefar, far south, where there exist civiliza-tions of great glory and might, and wherethe people live and have always lived inpeace and prosperity.

The Sirocco claim to be from the farsouthern lands, beyond even the GreatSea south of Halruaa. Little is known oftheir past, except that they entered thenorth a dozen years ago.

After accepting mercenary jobs in theShaar and in the Old Empires, they even-tually arrived in Anauroch, where theyquickly carved a life from the hostilesands.

The Sirocco have none of the strangeprejudices that mark many of the tribes ofAnauroch; all races are welcome as longas they pay due homage to the true gods.None are turned away on their appear-ance alone. Their commander is a fiery10th-level female elven fighter, and sheleads a mixed band of human, elven, anddwarven fighters. If the Arabian Adven-tures book is available, use the DesertRider kit to define every member of theSirocco.Strategies and Tactics: The Sirocco seetheir job as protecting caravans crossingthe dangerous desert, as well as patrollingthe sands to defend against hostile crea-tures. Although they have, on occasion,been known to take jobs outside the des-ert, they do so only when absolutely nec-essary. The desert may be inhospitable,but it is their home.

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Their tactics are simple: waving theirscimitars over their heads and shriekingout a ululant war cry, they trample theirenemies into the dusty desert.

Many of their enemies have come to ex-pect the charge of the desert riders, andprepare themselves accordingly. How-ever, they often find themselves surprisedby a different maneuver, for the Siroccosscouts are legendary among the peoplesof the great desert.Personality: The members of the Siroccolive by their word. They take their oathsvery seriously, and members of theirgroup who knowingly break their word toa client are ejected, without water, into thesearing sands.

Employers, even those who break theirword with the Sirocco, can expect the des-ert riders to keep their end of the bargain.However, betrayers of oaths will earnthemselves a tireless enemy, one that willnot hesitate to offer complete and pas-sionate destruction.

The Sirocco maintain good relationswith most of the tribes of Anauroch, andhave made an enemy of the Zhentarim.However, their knowledge of desert wayshas thus far kept them from the terriblewrath of the evil ones, and with any luckthis will continue.Logistics: Members of the Sirocco arelight cavalry armed with scimitars andlight lances. Approximately 30 use shortbows to harry their opponents from a dis-tance, to fell lone scouts, or to send warn-ings to their comrades.

The cost of hiring the Sirocco is 120 gpper week. In addition, Hajima sitt-Nasir ex-pects news of the outside world, and ap-preciates a few luxury items to make lifeeasier for her people. When one considersthe dangers in crossing the treacherouswastes of Anauroch, this is a small price topay for security.

Chapter 5: Specialists

This chapter details several mercenarybands that specialize in some way, eitherby task or by weapon. These companiessometimes form when units split off fromarmies or larger corps. Others are createdby charismatic individuals who are expertat some task. Whatever the case, there areseveral specialist companies in theRealms.

Certain corps can be found on maneu-vers with larger bands that require theirservices; specialists are sometimes hiredby other mercenary corps for a given task.Some operate only independently.

Like other groups, the specialist com-panies can be used in adventures. The PCswill run across a group or one of its mem-bers, or a group might try to recruit one ofthe PCs.

The Companies

Some of the entries in this section appearin abbreviated format.

The map on page 5 shows where manyof the groups operate, while the index onpage 64 lists the groups by region and alsolists the other sources where informationmight be found.

The Company of Hunnar

Type: Standing, fixedBase: Riatavin in AmnCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

TethyrLeader: HunnarGovernment: BusinessNumber of Members: 200General Alignment: NeutralHistory: At the market in Riatavin, wherealmost anything can be bought and sold,there is a small booth where the wealthycan purchase a way past the walls of citiesand castles.

The Company of Hunnar specializes insieges and almost always works in concert

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with an army or other mercenary group.Its members are split into three units: 1000-level men-at-arms to operate siege weap-onry, such as catapults, ballistae, rams,and bores; 50 1st-level fighters and thievesadept at getting over castle walls, with lad-ders, siege towers, and other means; and50 0-level sappers who dig underneath.

The company charges by the type of job:200 gp for a keep, 500 gp for a castle, and1,000-2,000 gp for a city. For a consultingfee of 500 gp, one or two company expertswill advise castle owners and city councilson ways to protect themselves from siegewarfare.

The Dark Watch

Type: Standing, fixedBase: The Orsraun MountainsCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

The Sea of Fallen StarsLeader: Lothar PelamarGovernment: Military hierarchyNumber of Members: 20General Alignment: Neutral evilHistory: The Dark Watch is a group of hu-man archers mounted on hippogriffs.They participated on the losing side in thewars of Yrkhetep detailed in I14, Swordsof the Iron Legion. The original leader ofthe group, Lothars brother Thurindar,was slain in the Battle of Five Crowns by amember of the Sunshafts (see the Compa-ny of the Singing Dawn).

The Dark Watch is an unscrupulouscorps that earns 100 gp per day attackingpirate bands at the behest of rival pirates.

The Destroyers

Type: Standing, roamingBase: Halabar in HalruaaCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

TethyrLeader: Daltim FlamefistGovernment: Oligarchic councilNumber of Members: 50General Alignment: Lawful neutralHistory: The Destroyers are an artillerycompany that uses magic as well as nor-mal weaponry.

There are 30 wizards and psionicists(levels 2-9) in the corps, each specialized indestructive disciplines. The companysleader, Daltim Flamefist, is a 14th level firemage with wild psionic talents.

The remaining 20 members of the De-stroyers are 1st-level fighters who mancatapults and other large weapons.Strategies and Tactics: This corps usuallyacts as artillery support for other armies.They take some jobs as besiegers, but pre-fer to be in the field.

The mages and psionicists of the De-stroyers use their extranatural abilities toeliminate their foes from a distance, or tosoften them for the attacks of the mainbody.Personality: The Destroyers will honorany contract they have made. However,once the contract has expired, they havebeen known to accept contracts callingfor them to attack former employers. TheDestroyers have a special hatred for theRed Wizards of Thay, though the reasonsare not known to the public. The De-stroyers will accept any contract againstThay for as low as half-price.Logistics: The Destroyers are armed witha variety of weapons, including catapultsand ballistae. Most of their elite carry mag-ical or psionically endowed items as well.

The company charges 750 gp per day.

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The Masquerade

Type: Standing, fixedBase: WaterdeepCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

All of FaerunLeader: Aquila GerallinGovernment: Cell structure (each mem-ber knows only two others and the imme-diate superior)Number of Members: ? (100 +)General Alignment: NeutralHistory: The Masquerade is a company ofprofessional spies and infiltrators. It em-ploys a large number of informants whoremain isolated from the rest of the com-pany; the true members of the Masquer-ade work undercover. All are preventedfrom accidental exposure by mentalblocks implanted by a high-level psioni-cist.

Their leader is a doppleganger who sel-dom wears the same face twice.

Little is known about this shady group.Their workings were first uncoveredabout 25 years ago. The companys truenumbers are unknown, but they have ahand in many major events in Faerun.

Most company members are humanthieves and wizards, but there is a fair mixof every character class and race.

The members of the Masquerade have auniversal set of five (or more?) signs bywhich they may recognize one anotherwhile on jobs.Strategies and Tactics: This corps takesonly missions that require infiltration andspying. Many poisonings are attributed tothe Masquerade.

The only time they are involved in battleis to break sieges; they are expert at open-ing castles.

The members of the Masquerade go togreat lengths to protect their identities, us-ing poison or stun gas when cornered.Personality: The Masquerade are primar-

ily information gatherers, and will recordany knowledge gained. They are perhapsthe best spy ring on Toril, and will not be-tray any contract, unless they themselvesare betrayed.

The Masquerade are reasonably honor-able and seem to have no dark, hiddenmotives. They have few enemies, onlythose who have started hostilities withthem.

The Masquerade has apparently infil-trated many governments and severalother mercenary companies in prepara-tion for potential future jobs.Logistics: The services of the Masqueradecost 100 gp per day, adjusted for the diffi-culty of the mission, and are well worththe price.

The Order of the Silver Lance

Type: Standing, fixedBase: Ormath in the Shining PlainsCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

The Shining Plains, Amn, TethyrLeader: Thorivald the GreyGovernment: Military hierarchyNumber of Members: 100General Alignment: Lawful neutralHistory: The Order of the Silver Lance is acorps of medium cavalry. They carry dis-tinctive, silver-tipped lance and fly a silverbanner with a black charger on it.

The company acts independently orwith other mercenary companies, gener-ally guarding trade routes in and aroundAmn.

The Orders leader, Thorivald, is a 10th-level paladin, and most of his riders are5th-level fighters, rangers, and paladins.They are very trustworthy and will notwork for evil employers. They prefer jobswith honor and glory.

The Order charges 100 gp per day.

The Sisterhood of the Oaks

Type: Standing, fixedBase: The ChondalwoodCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

The Chondalwood, the Vilhon ReachLeader: Adriennedar ValgarienGovernment: SisterhoodNumber of Members: 60General Alignment: Neutral goodHistory: The Sisterhood is a group of 5th-level female rangers that participated inthe Yrkhetep wars detailed in I14, Swordsof the Iron Legion. These humans, elves,and half-elves are all expert trackers,scouts, and archers. They use long bowsand long swords, and all carry amethystdragon scales, or teyastones, for luck andto symbolize their love for one another.

The Sisters are vegetarians who refuseto harm fish, birds, and other children ofnature.

Adriennedar is a 7th-level ranger, as areher closest assistants, Rebecca, Jacinda,Aleesa, and Anwyn. The group lives intents in the Chondalwood. For 1 gp perperson per week, the Sisters will hirethemselves out as escorts, scouts, or a spe-cial attack force.

The Windriders

Type: Standing, fixedBase: Arrabar in ChondathCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation: NoneLeader: Bren WingbladeGovernment: Military hierarchyNumber of Members: 20General Alignment: Lawful goodHistory: This group of griffon-mountedcavalry has all but retired after travelingto Hades to fight the forces of the arcana-loth Yrkhetep. They are a distinguishedgroup, proud and honorable. They nowfight only for glory.

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The Wraith of the Inner Sea

Type: Standing, roamingBase: The Sea of Fallen StarsCurrent Sphere(s) of Operation:

The Sea of Fallen StarsLeader: Kreodo the Sea QueenGovernment: Naval hierarchyNumber of Members: 751General Alignment: NeutralNote: The Wraith and its leader are de-scribed in FR10, Old Empires. What fol-lows is an update of statistics and recenthistory.History: The Wraith of the Inner Sea is along-standing fleet of privateers. They plythe Sea of Fallen Stars in their huge dro-monds, fighting pirates or raiding ship-ping for the highest bidder.

The Wraith fleet consists of three ships:the Sea Queen, the Sea Horse, and theSeaQuest. A fourth ship, the Sea Jewel,was scuttled with the loss of all hands bythe former mercenary unit now known asthe Agency. Each ship holds 200 crewmembers, 50 marines, and seven wizards(levels 3-9). The Sea Queen is Kreodos flag-ship.

Kreodo is a half-orc 9th-level fighter