Mercenaries
Under construction - names subject to change
In Felarya, privately contracted military units have been doing a lot of the fighting, treasure hunting and expanding and in some extreme cases recruiting the larger life to their ranks. Some are only in it for the cash, some for principle, but whatever the reason mercenary forces run the gamut from some of the most disreputable to the most elite troops around. Many mercenary companies, or their constituents, do not survive their first steps on Felaryan soil, but dozens have gone on to become successful, trusted units that form key parts of their employers' Interest.
The mercenary business
The Magiocrats personal security force and fighting arm, The Isolon fist, originally used to regulate mercenary contracts through their Mercenary review board, the IFMRB.
However this was replaced by the Negav Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission which is jointly administered by the Vishmitals , other city factions and mercenary representatives after its establishment in 2032AU. Registration with and regulation through the IFMRB and its successor, the NMRBC, is mandatory for a given mercenary group in order to be considered legitimate, otherwise it is usually regarded as bandits. This gives the IFMRB/NMRBC and their rating system an uncontested monopoly over establishing a given unit's reputation, and the power to arbitrate alleged breaches of contract and even declare a unit rogue.
The longtime overall center of the mercenary business used to be the Galaxiea Bizarre market in Negav's Lower Tier, then known as a premier Mercenary's Center. It was gradually eclipsed in this role by The Kensha Hussars new head establishment 'Fortunes Keep' after 2005 AU until the latter was devastated by a fire which passed through the area, causing most the area near it to be demolished, the damage caused by the fire was too great for just repairs alone. The cause of the fire remains unknown but many speculate it had something to do with mercenary activity. The recruitment of these mercenaries is not limited to Negav alone; at any given time a various number of other towns/settlements and even several worlds connected to Negav feature notable Hiring Centers for mercenaries, some more reputable than others.
Quite a few among the vast number of mercenaries stand out; owing to their special history, outlook or connections. The 51st Estronge Black Horse Regiment, for example, is one of those that take pride in being a remnant from the fabled RNDF (Royal Negavian Defense Force) while being the biggest unit around. Others, like Kensha Hussars or C’tal Irregulars, have their own agenda besides their mercenary business. Some units such as the Battle Magics are not truly independent, but are affiliated with one particular party or faction; others are tied to a specific landhold, like Jason’s horde, often patrolling The Toshmehal forest.
Some mercenary forces are mutinous regular forces who abandoned their original masters. Conversely, others are tied to a single employer through long-time contracts, and occasionally become regular forces of that employer. McCall’s Armored Furies is now considered to be a legitimate part of the Vishmital army and Team Celestial Casters is rumored to have been absorbed by the Isolon Fists owing to their contract with the Ps'isol Magiocrats.
Although uncommon to practice, mercenaries take quite a trend in trying to recruit local Predators or other creatures to add to their ranks. Often sending the most socially adept and charismatic of their personal to try and negotiate. Off course most often the result ends up with the negotiators being eaten. Some that are successful use the predators to scout around the area they are working in and to 'up' their presence. It has even been documented that some units would intentionally steal a predator egg or wager goods to expected mothers to try and raise the infants as their own; most often as killing machines or to act as an ambassador with that specific race for future dealings. Although this makes some employers uneasy and skeptical to hire a unit actively practicing such activity.
The distinction between regular armed forces, mercenaries, private security forces, privateers and outright pirates is often blurred. A mercenary unit can be classed as "rogue" by the IFMRB/NMRBC breach of contract or war crimes. Others descend into piracy for need of spare parts or while fleeing from obliteration. (The Privacy Store action; known jokingly by local mercs as “Dickwad storing” is a deliberate effort by employers to bring mercenaries near bankruptcy to gain absolute control over them. This a frequent cause for discord and may force units to either renege on their contracts or face absorption by their employer.) Conversely, Some pirates are occasionally hired out as mercenary troops, though this is seen as illegal by the IFMRB/NMRBC.
Arguably the most famous mercenary units are Kensha Hussars, the 51st Estronge Black Horse regiment, (I will leave open slots for a chance of those that can use their creativity to make famous/infamous Units and to better flesh out the topic for canon or fun. Of course that’s if you can beat my imagination, which would be a fun case. Though I will let you meddle with the ones above on my consent First. ) can demand virtually any price they wish for their services.
Islon Fist Mercenary Review Board
The NMRBC and its predecessor, the IFMRB, functions as a mercenary guild, brokering and arbitrating mercenary contracts to eager employers throughout the land of known Felarya while also conducting business with off world connections. If a mercenary unit is not registered with the IFMRB/NMRBC then it is not usually considered to be a legitimate mercenary and is therefore a nothing but a group of bandits or pirates. Such groups are illegal and at the full mercy of the law. Although units who do not conduct business within Negav operate outside the IFMRB/NMRBC's jurisdiction; there are rumors however that some mercenary groups use false claims so they can work outside of the IFMRB/NMRBC and escape prosecution.
Apart from registering mercenaries and providing a ranking system to gauge performance and reliability, the IFMRB/NMRBC also serves as a court of arbitration in contract disputes for both employers and mercenaries.
Arbitration of contracts by the Isolon Fist Mercenary Review Board, under direction from their Magiocrat masters, provided a valuable safeguard as any unit failing to perform contracted services after vowing to do so found itself unable to evade the Magiocrat's almost universal reach over Negav. The Isolon Fists with the assistance of the Investigators would inform other potential employers of a rogue unit's actions and had the power to threaten an interdiction against any faction or group employing such a unit. To ensure fair dealings on the part of employers as well as those they hired, the IFMRB provided for a panel of administrators to hear claims concerning breaches of faith and to judge the veracity of complaints. Upon reaching a verdict, the panel would report back the Isolon Fists where further action would be taken depending on the judgment reached. As the reputations of mercenary units and their employers have a bearing on subsequent negotiations involving other units or Factions, violating contractual terms offered little profit to any concerned.
History
Formed not long after the Magiocrat's ascension to power, the Isolon Fist Mercenary Review Board was established as a way to allow trusted Isolon Fist commanders to serve as brokers for all mercenaries and their employers in the Negav. The market place of the Galaxiea Bizarre with its numerous Hiring Centers became the "Mercenary's Hall", the greatest center of the mercenary trade in the City where mercenaries could train, rest, repair and negotiate their contracts.
While publicly accepted as a means to ensure neutral dealings for all parties, the Magiocrats in truth developed the IFMRB as a clandestine means to monitor and control mercenary forces dealing in, out and through the city.
Fortunes Keep
The first real change in the mercenary business in Decades came in small steps, and did not affect the Mercenary Review Board as such. Kensha Hussars were granted a decent sized private owned property in the Lower Tier of Negav for their services, to start a business. Naming it of ‘Fortunes Keep’ in 2005 AU and began to establish it as a new Hiring Center. The center of Negav's mercenary business gradually shifted from Galaxia Bizarre to Fortunes Keep; The Bizarre remained a major mercenary center, and several other, minor Hiring Centers exist elsewhere.
The end of the Islon Fist Mercenary Review Board
The existence of the IFMRB created a Magiocrat controlled monopoly on mercenary organizations and activities. As the Vishmitals became a more prominant political force within Negav, their need for mercenaries grew as their forces grew increasingly stretched due to near constant covert attacks by the Investigator's Metropolitian Security Division who saw the Vishmitals as a threat to the Magiocrats. The Vishmitals were in a no win situation as their efforts to hire legal mercenary groups were constantly blocked; the use of illegal groups gave the MSD all the more reasons to attack them. Yet the mercenaries were also unhappy at the situation; they were losing valuable business under the Magiocrat monopoly, while IFMRB rules prevented them from doing otherwise. This general discontent felt around Negav eventually led to political change and concessions of power; the Magiocrats ending their total control of Negav's security, this included the IFMRB. The influential Kensha Hussars announced the IFMRB dissolved and for a brief moment became the main authority concerning mercenaries.
The Negav Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission
To replace the defunct IFMRB, the major factions within the city agreed to have the Board re-form as a jointly administered committee made up of representatives from each major influential factions. The Magiocrats, through the Isolon Fists, and the Vishmitals both maintain a permanent seat; another seat was granted to Kensha Hussars, arguably the most famous mercenary unit on the continent. Fortunes Keep, the permanent headquarters of the Kensha Hussars and premier Hiring Center, was chosen as the official home of the new Negav Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission (NMRBC) which formed in 2032 AU.
The NMRBC essentially continues the IFMRB's business. In reference to Kensha Hussars, who represent the mercenary trade, the quality ratings for mercenary units established by the NMRBC became colloquially known as "Hussar Rating".
Following the massive destruction inflicted on Fortunes Keep in a mysterious fire, the NMRBC moved back to the market place of the Galaxiea Bizarre, where they had previously only maintained a subsidiary bureau.
- Credits to Ravaging-Vixens for many ideas to develop mercenaries.
