By Timothy Crumrine

Conscript, soldier of fortune, dog of war, mercenary, sellsword; these titles and others less pleasant to the tongue all are attributed to a warrior who takes pay in exchange for his sword skill on the battlefield. But what was a mercenary in truth? Some label them in history as shiftless animals that would turn on their comrades if they thought they could make a few coins more.

Branded as thieves, looters and rapists when they breached a city or stronghold, the mercenary has been held in the darkness of Hollywood historians as much as they have raised the shining beacon of knighthood as a pure example of light. True historians and most roleplayers realize the truth of the so called 'nobility' of knighthood during the Dark and Middle Ages, and therefore one should suspect the villainous portrayal of mercenaries as well. Were they as bad as they are portrayed? The answer is the same as most in life, yes some where, others were not. Judgment of a group by the actions of a few individuals has been a common flaw among the human race and the mercenary life is no exemption. The following is a listing of some of the customs, traditions, and manners both real and devised to allow a GM to add flavor to their adventures if at any point the players become involved in a mercenary campaign. It covers many aspects of their lives as well as a few insights as to common mindsets and desires.

Becoming a Mercenary or 'Carnage 101'

A mercenary's origin is often found with a checkered past. An escaped slave or debtor trying to build enough money or goods to pay off whatever people are looking for them, criminals on the run from the law, or sometimes even bastard children of nobles trying to keep out of sight of the long arms and eyes of their parents. Just as often however is the farmer who's crops have failed for too many seasons, the wide eyed youths with their starry eyes, the early feminists who disguised themselves as boys to join (yes it really did happen, just not that often.) and of course, a lot of boys that got some girl in trouble and fled their hometowns. When a call for conscripts came in, they didn't often ask questions aside from 'Are you carrying the plague?' or 'Can you make your mark here?' The results were that most mercenaries were a motley collection of individuals ready to fight wherever they were pointed. They received little food, no weaponry, and were not paid until after the campaign was over which was a real cost cutter for the nobility since they didn't have to pay anyone who had died. Nobles often sent them into battle first to soften the lines for just this reason in fact. Some nobles promised instead of paying them, the mercenaries were allowed to loot the city and carry off as much booty as they could claim which gave seeds to the vision commonly shown of them today. After ending one campaign, the surviving mercenaries would begin to gravitate to the next area and sign on for the next battle. After a few decades of this butchery, the nobility began to see that it was far to expensive to maintain a large fighting army of men and began to hire larger groups of mercenaries only when needed. Contracts became the orders of service, and work became scarcer. Mercenaries began to band together under one banner or unit similar to an army. Like today with businesses looking for the best value for less money, units began to compete for contracts, offering to work for less or longer times in order to have work. Now we enter into the fantasy phase of mercenary companies. Mercenary units become almost private armies that can be bought and directed against neighboring foes. Never leave your keep and conquer your next title of land! The time of the mercenary armies is at hand.

Mercenary Attire or 'You grab his boots!'

Let's face it, outfitting yourself in weaponry and armor is expensive. If you take into account the numbers given for a general wage for a commoner listed in the PH and then take a look at the starting funds for most adventurers, they seem to have won some form of lottery. If a common mercenary managed to scrape together in one pile the equivalent funds of even an average roll for a character's funds they'd probably retire. Most armor and weaponry, or what they referred to as their 'kit' of a mercenary consisted of what they could scrounge or strip from the dead bodies of the battlefield. Most started out with just the clothes on their back, no armor, and a common household tool turned into a weapon such as a hatchet or perhaps a homemade bow and arrows with a hunting knife at their side. Finding a suit of armor, normally padded or worn leather, in your size or close to it would be akin to Christmas morning. Weaponry was often limited to spears, simple polearms, axes, daggers, and the occasional short sword. The higher forms of weaponry such as the longsword where normally only found in the hands of the officers or more seasoned veterans. The legendary Greatsword was rarely seen in smaller mercenary companies and only seen in larger ones sporadically due to their cost and the training needed to effectively use them. The common mercenary also kept their personal wealth in small items, jewelry if they could get it, coins, and things like precious cloth or spare weapons. Since most mercenaries started out as farmers, the discovery of a pair of boots was a godsend. Extra boots were sometimes hoarded by individuals to trade for other items within their companies. Those mercenaries who were in the upper rungs of the command ladder tended to have better equipment than their men, and often appeared as minor nobles if seen for the first time.

Mercenary Customs or 'I've got your back'

It is often thought that mercenaries had no honor, that a man that fought for pay would betray anyone. In fact, though their outlook on life was different than most, most mercenaries had a very rigid code that they stuck by. This is not to say that every mercenary was an honorable person, as in all things there are some who cannot be trusted, but as a whole there was a mercenary code that was followed. Below are some examples of customs that have been created or modified from history that help flesh out mercenary life.

Widow's Word: Probably one of the most important customs of mercenary life is that of the Widow's Word. With illiteracy prevalent among the companies, the Widow's Word served as the mercenary's last will and testament. The mercenary would gather as many men together, even officers if they were nearby, and publicly state their last wishes. The wishes were kept simple, money and goods equal to a certain amount to be sent to their widow or family, or to be buried in a certain manner. The other men would bear witness to this testament and if the mercenary died in battle they would fulfill it to the best of their abilities. It was a matter of pride and honor that no matter what was asked of them, they would try to carry out the instruction. The inclusion of several men in the Widow's Word helped insure that a dishonest man would not violate the dead man's last wishes as the others often took their own revenge against a man the soiled their honor by cheating a dead man. This custom was often invoked around the fires the night before a large battle as insurance and often became a part of Tarim's Mourning.

The Campfire: Around the campfires at night there was no fighting allowed. Partly this was for safety's sake as normally the mercenaries lived in tents and scuffles around the fire could end up in the camp becoming ablaze. Also, sergeants were required to maintain discipline among the ranks and fighting near a large light source only drew attention to the brawlers. Since most discipline from sergeants involved punishing the entire unit, it was often encouraged that if two individuals had something to settle between themselves, it should be away from the light and any unwilling witnesses to the incident. The camaraderie of the fire is often the only thing that many mercenaries have to a family and this is treasured and protected as a god given right. It is said around the campfires that a man should only spend time with those he was willing to die with, and this is a prime example of that belief.

Drumhead Trials: Justice was swift among the companies. Trials were conducted by the sergeants among their own units and then by the next higher ranking officer up to the company captain. The sergeant would sit down on a rock, log, or upturned drum and listen to the charges against an individual. Sentences were harsh, allowances for defense were short if even granted, and the sergeants would often ignore any evidence that conflicted with their preconceived notion of what really happened. Sentences often involved corporal punishment with the lash or even banishment and marked for death if they returned. The only recourse to most innocent but found guilty men was the Trial by Blade.

Trial by Blade: Mortal combat to the death. The last resort of a mercenary found guilty and sentenced to death. If a mercenary was judged guilty and they feel that they are innocent or if they want to try to escape their sentence the time honored rite of Trial by Blade can be enforced. The mercenary is given their weapon and they may challenge either their judge or less often, the one who swore damning testimony against them to melee combat. It's a no holds barred fight using any means at hand to win against your opponent and only ends when one of the fighters is dead. It hearkens back to the belief of most mercenaries that the gods would not allow an innocent man to die at the hands of a false one if the innocent has the courage to face their lies directly. While this is often not the cause, it still prevails as a seldom used, but still viable option. Only the crime of desertion is exempt from this option. Any mercenary caught after deserting from the company is hung until dead, no trial, no defense allowed.

Tarim's Mourning: An old and almost forgotten rite that grants a single day's respite to a doomed mercenary company. During this time no mercenary will attack a member of the company unless they are attacked first. This time is to be used to get any affairs in order, enact the Widow's Word, and make peace with your chosen god or goddess. The original incident is beyond reckoning, and there is not a single person who remembers who Tarim was, but the tradition remains as one of the oldest of mercenary life. A company captain who would declare Tarim's Mourning and try to use the day to launch a surprise attack would likely find himself at the hands of a mutiny.

There are several other customs and rites that mercenaries follow. They tend to be deeply religious, but only sporadically pious. As such the priests of the companies, if they exist, are often deluged with men wanting last rites or confessions the day and night before major skirmishes. Unless the mercenary is of the lowest class, the word of a mercenary is binding, and they will not break their word if they can help it. Of course, this means that getting a mercenary to give his word on something is extremely difficult.

Mercenary Life or 'It's a living'

The life of a mercenary is often difficult. A mercenary has to tend to his own weapon and armor care, as well as maintain his own clothing. Unlike a military army, there are no launderers or quartermasters leaving the mercenaries to fend for themselves. As this cannot conflict with guard duties or a skirmish it often leaves the mercenary little time to tend these tasks. Also unlike a military army, mercenaries are not awoken by horn or their commanders and can sleep until they themselves decide to get up. However if they are late for one of their duties, their punishment is almost always shared by the rest of the unit and so others of the units often provide 'encouragement' for late sleepers to awaken. Food is provided by the unit twice a day in the form of a morning and evening meal. The morning meal was normally gruel porridge of course flour and a few slices of dried apple or some other common type of fruit. If the campaign had been going on long and supplies were scarce, then the fruit was normally omitted. The evening meal was a bowl of stew comprised of any meat scrapes the officers had left from the night before and whatever root vegetables the cook could locate or dig up along with a fist sized biscuit of hardtack. If the mercenary had the time and wanted to, they were free to purchase or hunt for any additional food they could find, but often times it was more difficult to hide extra food from your comrades than not. Mercenaries served themselves at meal time with only mild supervision so if the food ran out before a man got his share then he went hungry until the next one. Officers and the captain of the units always ate better than their men and never seemed to suffer when the supply lines were thin. Sergeants ate the same as their men, but normally managed to arrive to be one of the first in line for a meal. Accusations of taking more than your fair share during a time of lean supplies often caused sergeants to have drumhead trials and floggings almost daily to keep order. A mercenary had little in personal effects that they could not carry on them. Some maintained a small strongbox with a padlock if they could afford it which they would hide in their tent, but the risk of theft made it an uncommon practice. A common company ground was often set up like a bull's-eye target. The outer ring, which is also the largest, consists of the tents of the common mercenaries. These are set up in a haphazard chaotic pattern without much in the way of orderly rows. Sporadic large fire rings dot the area in clearings normally ringed at a safe distance by tents whose owners are hoping for a little extra heat when sleeping. Sentries are stationed outside the ring in concealment with their backs to the distant fires. The next line is a small one normally constructed with a wooden cavalry breaker wall, a low wooden fence with sharp stakes pointing outward, surrounding it. Within it are the tents of the sergeants, the drilling grounds, the gallows, and whipping posts for punishment. The sergeants are kept separate from the men but nearby to respond quickly in the event of attack or a need for disciplinary action. Next come the ring in which the kitchens, smiths, horse tenders, whatever herb or vegetable gardens may exist depending on how long the campaign has lasted, and the tents of the coin lasses, referred to as such because they only deal in hard coin, no barter system. The coin lasses will sometimes barter for other services however such as laundry or mending clothes. The infirmary is also in this section as well, though medical service in a mercenary company is butchery at best. Few priests travel with a company permanently, instead using their clerical status as diplomatic immunity to travel between camps offering the last rites and confession to the men. Those that do stay with the companies are normally priests of the god of war or battle and charge steep fees for any healing. As a result, only the officers tend to have magical healing in the form of potions or spells. The common mercenary it treated with home remedies, amputation, or hopeful prayers and natural healing. The center of the camp, normally on the highest piece of ground available, is the tent of the captain and surrounding that, the tents of his or her lieutenants. This is the central hub of the company, and is guarded by mercenaries, or if the captain can afford it, by paid bodyguards. This is a perfect position for PCs to be included. They will be in a position to hear any important information the GM wishes to impart and will have almost the run of the whole camp. There is normally a small private kitchen for the officers who dine better than the men, and the officers often have access to alcohol, something prohibited, but still existent among the common mercenaries. The captain will have several lieutenants depending on the size of the company, and also will normally have an advisor of some sort though this advisor may also be one of the lieutenants. Each lieutenant will have one adjunct officer to act as their assistant and this officer will take command of the units in the event a tragedy befalls the lieutenant until the captain decides otherwise. A mercenary company seems split down the middle with the captain and the lieutenants acting in an almost military manner, and the common mercenaries with hardly any order whatsoever. The sergeants are the wire for where this division happens. Their duty is to balance out discipline and order with the rough living and manners normally associated with mercenaries. As such they tend to be gruff, no nonsense field commanders similar to Jeremy Iron's character in Starship Troopers, hard, demanding, but rewarding to the men when they can be. As was stated by Jeremy Iron's character "I expect the best, but I give the best." and that is often the philosophy of a mercenary sergeant.

The Battlefield or 'prayers in foxholes'

Battlefields are messy, scary, and at best chaotic in the extreme. The main difference between a mercenary company and a military army is that in a mercenary company everyone fights. From the captain down to the common mercenary, a portion of the time will be spent by all on the battlefield. This tends to give mercenary captains a slightly better understanding of exactly what they are dealing with, and often inspires a higher rate of loyalty among the men since their commanders fight beside them and share the danger instead of hiding behind the lines and relying only on field reports for their tactical planning. This is not to say that the captains are always on the field however, and as a result, a new invention in battlefield intelligence has slowly been evolving. Instead of doves or pigeons to deliver messages to the command camp, mercenary captains have been utilizing hawk masters and trained hawks to deliver messages. These birds, in addition to delivering their own messages, have been intercepting messages from downed doves and pigeons used by the opposing sides. A newer variation is the secret messages delivered by crows and ravens, a common sight on a battlefield and therefore less likely to attract attention and bow fire. This new practice is slow going and not very reliable as crows and ravens are harder to train but the hawk masters are confident in their eventual success.

A word about magic on the battlefield for a GM. Don't! While in a fantasy world magic is a factor that crops up on numerous occasions, it will save headaches if you limit the amount available to the barest extremes. It is fully believable that a mage or sorcerer would not wish to be in such an unsafe environment as an open battleground and that the relatively low social position of a common mercenary would restrict any personal magic save for an occasional potion, weapon or armor among a large group of individuals. Captains and lieutenants will be equipped more like PCs but on the whole magic is a scarce commodity. There are kingdoms that have battlefield mages, but they are infrequent in their existence.

Cavalry does exist in some larger companies, but small in number and barded in light to medium armor. These units were designed more for speed and mobility and tended to use sword and mace more than spear and lance.

The battle is over and luck has been on your side. What now? Well it's time to get paid. Mercenaries after the battle is over begin to loot the corpses of both sides for whatever valuables they can find. Jewelry, weapons, boots, and armor are the first to go, with stragglers often searching for gold fillings, or even a decent set of normal teeth to sell to those craftsmen who make false teeth. Clothing, both durable and valuable, is stripped from the bodies and some even cut away the hair for selling to wig makers. Any dead horses are butchered and go into the stew pots or on skewers over the fires. If the battle is close to the camp, then a detail of survivors will gather brush for a bonfire and burn the bodies to discourage scavengers and disease, otherwise the bodies are normally left for the animals to pick clean. A successful campaign is normally concluded by a fireside celebration wherein anything that can be eaten is and the officers normally let a few barrels of beer and some of the better food stores escape their notice and end up in the common mercenaries' pots. Those that are leaving because their script is up are given a rousing send off unless they were really disliked, and often the captain will travel from fire to fire and eat to drink with the men in celebration. At this time the captain will also tend to announce any new contract the company has accepted and allow the men time to decide whether they will continue to campaign under this captain or find another company to travel with.

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Well, there you have a brief overview of how a normal mercenary company is run. Next time we will look at a sample mercenary company that I have developed in my own game world called the Crimson Dragons.