In a realm where loyalty is fleeting, the sellsword's blade follows coin rather than crests or causes. Your freedom comes with a price—no lands to defend, no lord to shelter you, only your reputation and steel.
Sellswords exist in the shadows of society—necessary tools discarded once bloodied. You are:
First to be hired when war looms
First to be hanged when peace returns
Always suspected, never trusted
Your worth is measured in corpses. In Heilbronn, the mercenary's grave is shallow but their purse can be deep.
Choose Contracts Wisely: The highest bidder often has the most enemies—and the loosest definition of "payment"
Maintain Neutrality: Today's enemy becomes tomorrow's employer; burn no bridges you can't rebuild
Form a Company: Lone blades break; loyal comrades watch your back when sleep claims you
Cultivate Informants: Know who's hiring, who's dying, and which lords can't pay their debts
Blade-for-Hire: Solo operator taking specialized contracts—assassination, escort, recovery
Company Soldier: Join established mercenary bands like the Iron Crows or Blackwater Brigade
Contract Captain: Lead your own band, balancing morale with mortality rates
Siege Specialist: Command premium rates for specialized skills in the engineering of death
The sellsword's freedom is both blessing and curse. No oaths bind you save those you choose, but neither do any shields protect you save those you've paid for. In Heilbronn's endless wars, the mercenary who survives is neither the strongest nor the most skilled, but the one who knows when to break contract and flee.