“If you have the courage to change the world, and the strength to do it…to move like the wind, without a sound…think of the Wind and Silence.”

    — Found on fliers posted throughout Naldin City, Tarnath, and some parts of the Region of Jowea during the early days of the month of Dollano, SP~5,021

Wind and Silence Exposed!

— Odo Wellobra, Naldrin City News, winner of the Aydilly Award for Excellence in Reporting

Naldrin City, Dollano 45, SP~5,021 — We at the Naldrin City News have written frequently about the organization known as “Wind and Silence” (W&S).  Readers may recall the strong evidence we presented linking W&S to the Dwarf Clan Disputes and the Invasion of the Undying Lands in SP~5,009:  W&S was apparently working for most, if not all, of the dwarf clans in uncovering the military capabilities and strategies of each of the other clans.  It was notable that W&S was able to unearth the most intimate details from each clan.  Perhaps more notable was their ability to then sell those secrets to every other clan, thus getting quite a bit more than “double duty” for each of their efforts.

Our publication went on record as claiming that this was basically a money-making enterprise by Wind and Silence, keeping the warring parties on more or less equal footing, so that this terrible conflict continues to this very day. A number of smaller dwarf clans from the area have countered that claim, stating that W&S has kept them alive in their struggle to be free.  In spite of this backlash from the southern dwarf clans (and the pronounced lack of interest from our readers in any news from the southern half of our Continent!), we stand by our original story.

In this same spirit of revealing the truth, we at NCN have discovered that Wind & Silence is working closely with the dwarven Council Member Druwakk Akkarrn, one of the wealthiest citizens of Naldrin City, for unknown purposes.  Though she denies it to our reporters, it is clear that Councilor Akkarrn covets the position of leader of the Council of Drawnwyn.  We ask our readers: can Akkarn’s purposes, in support of her enormous ambitions, be anything other than nefarious?

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Stay tuned to these pages over the next weeks as we reveal more of the dark underpinnings that surround this story.

Welcome To Open Hand Bootcamp

Naldrin City, Tasz 16, SP~5,022

I had the pleasure of reporting on the first day of basic training for the Open Hand organization.  I decided that the best way to inform the readers of what Open Hand is all about is to transcribe the speech below from none other than Elstrog Vorman, Master of First Year Recruits.  She gives this speech verbatim every year, with identical pace and inflection. Vorman is a tall, lithe, but muscular ishiri (I’m proud to say — one of my own kind!) with blood-red streaks of ruby running along her whole body like hundreds of old battle scars.  Though she is not a Channel, she is respected by comrades and feared by foes for her skill in battle and her unwavering commitment to her missions.

— Odo Wellobra, Naldrin City News, winner of the Aydilly Award for Excellence in Reporting

Salutations, recruits!  Welcome to the first day of the rest of your lives.  Up to this day you may have thought your life had meaning, purpose, or direction. Or perhaps you have wandered through life aimlessly only to find yourself here.  However you got here, whatever convictions you entered with, they are all insignificant.  From this point forward you pledge your life to a greater purpose. 

When it comes down to it the Open Hand are protectors.  We are renowned for our unyielding commitment to our clients who pay a hefty fee to get the best.  We are bodyguards for royalty, we are escorts for priceless treasures, we are guides on dangerous expeditions, we are the impenetrable wall around the village against which hordes of Scarecrows shatter, and we are the last one standing when the enemy finally overwhelms the keep, giving our clients enough time to escape.  

Over the next 6 weeks we will train your mind, body, and soul. At the end of this time, you will become an Initiate.  While a large part of this training will be focused on your physical fitness, strength alone will not keep you alive. We will send you on missions where your survival will depend also on your wit, social skills, historical knowledge, and force of will.  There may come a time when the mission’s success will require you to throw caution to the wind, put your life on the line, and hope for the best.  I can count the number of times that I have been willing to make that sacrifice by counting the lines that cover my body. I would not give up a single line.  Yes, there will be glory; there will be rewards; there will be times of of great joy and prosperity; but this all comes second to your commitment to the cause.

Why listen to me?  Because I am one voice, but I speak on behalf of many.  I speak for Isthar Kassir, the first Master of the Open Hand.  Isthar died a proud crawn, surrounded by 100 dead foes — but the family he was charged to protect remained unharmed.  He was succeeded by Tralwai the Green, a kamari woman with bright green foliage.  When she laughed and her leaves shook all would smile and forget war, but her battle cry would make the fiercest foe flee in fear.  She died old and content, in the great woods of the West, with a flawless record of service.  

Since then, thousands have joined the cause, and now here you stand, the next to join the ranks.  Again I say: however you got here, whatever convictions you entered with, they are insignificant.  From this point forward you pledge your life to a greater purpose, and I tell you from my own experience, it is worth every mark that scores my skin a thousandfold.

Naldrin City, Tasz 16, SP~5,022

I’ve reported in past articles about various organizations that are known and work across the entire Continent of Tamarra. Of course there are even more local organizations, but that is a story for another day and another column.

In today’s column I will present some of the basic facts about the well-known Mercenaries Guild, or Mercenaries Confederation depending on what part of the Continent you hail from. Here in Naldrin City we use the old, original name, Mercenaries Confederation.

Please read on about this famous, and infamous group.

— Odo Wellobra, Naldrin City News, winner of the Aydilly Award for Excellence in Reporting

There are many soldiers on the continent of Tamarra. Many owe their allegiance to a nation; some are dedicated to a principle or higher cause; and some fight for the sole purpose of improving their skill. But there are also plenty of soldiers of fortune, and the Mercenaries’ Guild (aka the Mercenaries’ Confederation) of Tamarra gives them organization and access to jobs.

Hiring Mercenaries Through the Confederation

The hiring process is simple. First, prospective employers submit a job to the Confederation’s headquarters in Naldrin City. These jobs can require armies to put down rebellions or fight a war, or a few soldiers to perform simple guard duty for caravans. The Confederation also has non-combat specialists, such as stealth specialists, medics, and Energy wielders for every occasion.

After receiving the request, the Confederation sends blink bats to its various locations across the continent. Nearly every major city on the continent has one — except in The Kingdom of Szaskar Crawn. The crawn there do not look fondly upon the idea of fighting for money.  Different mercenaries then bid on the job, and the Confederation selects the best few candidates. The employer, whose identity is kept confidential throughout this process, makes the final choice.

This can take a few weeks to several months. However, if speed is required you can simply head to the your local Confederation headquarters and inquire about mercenaries currently in the city.

The Best of the Best

It is well known that the Confederation will accept any serious request, regardless of its moral implications. But while it may operate in an ethical gray zone, there is one area in which the Mercenaries’ Confederation does not compromise: quality. Anyone hiring a mercenary through the Confederation will get the best that their money can buy. This is probably the sole reason the Confederation is as welcomed as it is — it is useful to so many people.

Membership

To become a member of the Mercenaries’ Confederation, you must pay a small annual membership fee¹ which makes you eligible to bid on any assignment. This is more of a formality to make a clear distinction between members and non-members than a fee to feed the organization’s coffers.

There is nothing to say that a mercenary has to join the Confederation, and there is no ill will toward those who do not. Non-members can still find plenty of work by building a reputation for themselves. There are many people who don’t want their requests going through formal channels, even if those channels are confidential and morally lax. The Confederation, after all, does not accept illegal requests — it needs the cooperation of the states of Tamarra to survive.

The membership of the Confederation has a unique feature: it sometimes includes creatures that are not members of the Ten Races, including scarecrows, goblins, gandrihva, and gurv.  There is even a rumor that the Confederation counts a Chik Chik amongst its ranks, though anyone with sense dismisses this rumor. While these creatures are few and far between, their status as part of the Confederation helps to make them socially acceptable. Well, relatively.

Organization

The Confederation has its headquarters in Naldrin, where the controlling body is fairly unremarkable. For all of Naldrin’s typical bureaucracy weighing them down, they have a pretty good turnaround time — and copious, highly detailed records. These records require highly powerful security at Confederation headquarters: someone with access to all the mercenary requests for the past 150+ years could do a lot of harm (if they understood the filing system well enough to find what they were looking for).