Brotherhood of Free Blades

IC Information

* Various documents and notes are attached to a bulletin board in a certain room in Mikona's Hang Brains Inn. *

Updates

• Brothers, I know we have all been busy with our various projects. I intend to keep the Brotherhood breathing though. I'll list current prospects for mercenary work, and I hope you'll feel free to add your own notes here. - Blake

Prospects for Work

The Bountiful North

I have contacted a large mercenary trade group in the Kurathene Empire, where the many conflicts generate much work for sell-swords. We will join their umbrella orgranization as an independent unit. More information will follow soon.

Bounty: Horn of Command

Job: Retrieve the Horn of Command from Steelhorn, a local minotaur leader.

Wage: Equal share of loot, plus a small bonus on completion. Alternately, a flat reward if the Horn is delivered, no questions asked.

Client: Blake Benneset, on behalf of the Church of Mikon.

Meeting time/place: Spur of the moment, when the time is right.

Arena of operation: M'Chek minotaurs' cave.

Legal/politcal implications: Good feelings from the Church of Mikon and the nation of M'Chek. Bad feelings from the church of Paragus.

Elysian Elemental Tower

Job: Retrieve a document from an elemental domain near Elysia.

Wage: Equal share of loot, plus a small bonus on completion.

Client: Blake Benneset, on behalf of Lord Derrington of M'Chek.

Meeting time/place: Spur of the moment, when the time is right.

Arena of operation: Elemental tower at the border of Elysia and Ferrell, and connected elemental realm.

Legal/politcal implications: Good reputation with the nation of M'Chek.

Exploration: TBA

Job: Explore another world, and look into money making opportunities there.

Wage: Equal share of loot.

Client: Blake Benneset.

Meeting time/place: Spur of the moment, when the time is right.

Arena of operation: An alternate world accessed by a magical portal.

Legal/politcal implications: None.

Roster

• Blake Benneset. Combat roles: Primary - skirmisher, light infantry; Secondary - archer. Specialties: Scouting/information gathering. (( Pacific time zone: GMT -7 ))

• Julian Montfort. Combat roles: Primary - front line or flanking, heavy infantry. Specialties: Bastard sword. (( GMT +10 ))

• Paco Di Brancaleone. (( GMT -4 ))

Past Events

• Blake's bachelor party at the Hang Brains, Raven's Loft, and Red Eye Casino.
• Work for Lord Derrington
  • Collected bounty on orc slaver's leader.
  • Retrieved a lost document from the elemental tower in Elysia.
  • Investigated a haunted chapel in Derrington Keep.
• The original advertisement
• The original recruitment poster

OOC Information

Intent

My concept for the Brotherhood is to be a mercenary guild that has the feel of both real medieval mercenary groups, as well as fantasy groups such as Fritz Leiber's Slayers' Brotherhood (see links below for reference). Aside from that, there are IC motivations for Blake Benneset to start the guild, which may or may not come up as time goes on.

All I intend this to be is a player-run guild. If, down the road, we get lots of members, meet the requirements, and find an interested DM, we could become an "offical" guild. However, I'm not actively working towards this. I plan to make our events all player-driven, and to get our hands dirty with other groups' plots when appropriate.

We'll proceed as a business alliance and trade union. Our characters can look for ways to help one another make money as mercenaries on Avlis.

Mercenaries for inspiration

• The Slayers' Brotherhood, from Fritz Leiber's Nehwon books - about half mercenary guild, half assassin guild. A bit darker than I plan for our group.

• The Free Companies, from Robert E. Howard's Conan books - though this is also like the Fury of Ra-Ghul.

• Many martial arts movies - the genre is filled with fighters, monks, and weapon masters who earn their living with their fighting skills.

• Historical - Medieval European mercenaries - see mercenaries in medieval warfare, and the White Company.