Mercenaries' Guild

Official Name:  Mercenary Guild

Location:  Foreign Quarter, City of Greyhawk.

Base of Operations:  Mercenary Guild Hall

Leader:  Pratham the Pricey

Members:  Professional soldiers and specialists for hire

Membership Requirements:  monthly dues, pass combat test.

Membership
Guild membership is relatively easy to obtain, though more expensive than most. The guild does not descrimate based on gender, race, or religion. A prospective guild member needs to pay monthly dues and pass a combat test equivalent to a 1st level fighter. If the prospective member is not a fighter, the test may be waived. Such as in the case of a mercenary wizard or the like. fighter types are called feet, for foot soldier, whereas spellcasters and other non-traditional mercenaries are called specialists.

Once one has gained membership they are expected to uphold any contract they take, and failure to do so will result in expulsion from the guild, removal of all wealth, a beating, and promises of death should the individual return to the city of Greyhawk.

Though this may seem like a lot to ask, the guild is also proactive in protecting its members, and can and has sued employers who have mistreated members in their service for large sums of gold in the Greyhawk legal system, and the guild keeps a superb legal staff.

Lastly the guild offers several other benefits: All of this without mentioning that the guild is a superb resource for gaining employment, as it is typically the first place a person goes when seeking to hire swords and specialists. Because of the mixture of people, and free drinks, it is also a fabulous place to find rumors of the goings on in the city.
 * Free drinks to members.
 * Free bunk and trunk for up to a week for members newly arrived in town.
 * 5-20% off weapon and armor repair due to the guilds relationship with many of the city’s smiths.

Notable Members
Pratham the Pricey: Leader of the Merc Guild. Pratham was the most expensive mercenary of his era but his employers would tell you he was well worth the cost. He never once lost a shipment or a person he guarded. Eventually he retired and took over running the Mercenary Guild. Mostly he ensures that his mercs are paid a fair wage and on time. He is not above picking his two-handed sword (a Storm Giant’s short sword actually) to make a point in front of a patron reluctant to pay for services rendered. Since Pratham has taken over the guild, hiring fees for mercenaries in the city has increased by 25%.

Logan the Logician: Nearsighted and unimposing Logan was educated at the Grey College where he returns to teach a class on logic every once in a while. He did a brief stint as an adventure where he delved into Castle Greyhawk. He returned (via teleport) with a headband of Intellect +4, a spellbook full of new spells, and no companions remaining. Logan then dedicated himself to the cause of adventures, believing they should be treated well and fairly in the city since they won’t be out in the field. He works as the head of the Mercenary Guild’s legal department. Making sure that no adventurer or mercenary is abused by Greyhawk’s legal system.

Stanwrin: An Elven student of the sword more than an actual mercenary. He was training young nobles in the arts of war when he was hired by Pratham to give combat tests new members in the guild. He can also be hired by members to give weapon training for a modest fee.

History
The city of Greyhawk has historically relied on farmer militias and mercenaries for defense, so it should be of little surprise that such a guild exists in the city today. Though now the city is better defended and the need for mercenaries by the city is reduced, it is by no means a sign that mercenaries have no value to its citizens, quite the opposite. Be it nobles in search of guards for their estates, or trader caravans wanting some hire muscle to deter bandits, a mercenary of skill can always find work in Greyhawk.