Eagle Brigade

The Eagle Brigade, also written Eagle’s Brigade and often simply called the Eagles, is a mercenary guild of Vansreik led by its high commander, Donald Whent. It is one of the most prominent mercenary guilds in the city and attracts new recruits every day.¹

Founding

The guild was founded by a former knight and watch captain of the Reik Storms. Donald had been a successful captain in charge of Vansreik’s defences and a strong supporter of sending the Reik Storms into the Deep Pit to secure some layers of the old city of Mortenox, believing that pushing the city’s borders into the pit would let Vansreik prosper. His fellow commanders mocked his ambitions, so he left the Reik Storms and built a mercenary guild of his own, convinced that his goal needed adventurers and swords for hire rather than soldiers who wanted only quiet, paid days.¹

Donald put all his savings into founding the Eagle’s Brigade and took on an enormous debt to the Imperial Bank. For the first few years recruits were hard to find, since success is what fills a guild’s ranks and the Brigade had none. By pulling strings and asking favours of the city’s noble houses, Donald obtained the guild’s first ticket into the Deep Pit.²

Seven members went down the hatch; three weeks later four of them came back up, carrying chests of magic items, long-lost works of art and tomes of arcane secrets. Matias Cain was one of the seven, and after the mission he became Donald’s second in command and head advisor. The expedition made the Eagle’s Brigade one of the most famous mercenary guilds in the city.³

Reputation and wealth

The Eagle Brigade is often dismissed as a gathering of would-be knights and a mockery of a proper mercenary organisation, but the reality is different. Because Donald takes an active part in the most dangerous contracts the guild accepts, the company has earned the respect of many military leaders and nobles, and with it many boons and gratitude payments from the nobility and the wealthy bourgeoisie.⁴⁵

Its close ties with the noble houses of Vansreik give the guild a large number of tickets into the Deep Pit, and trading them alone brings significant sums into its coffers. The construction of its new headquarters, the Stone Nest Caravansary in the city centre, has drained much of those funds; the building has only recently opened its doors.⁴

Ways of the guild

The Brigade seeks to enlist noble adventurers and sellswords with ties to the Empire. Nationalism runs through the organisation, and going to church on Sundays counts in a recruit’s favour. Its members show a deep understanding of duty, order and hierarchy, and each is loyal, devout or a seasoned warrior.⁴

The Eagles are numerous and varied, but their ranks are filled above all with heavily armoured fighters wielding martial weapons. Few arcane spellcasters choose to join because of the strong military influence, while the guild’s close association with the Church of Vansreik brings many divine spellcasters into its ranks.⁶⁵

Members

The guild’s roster includes Donald Whent, Matias Cain, Zardrak Throneguard, Percival Mill, Archibald the Flametamer, Holden Fain, Xaman and Nessa Sevenembers.⁷

• Matias Cain, the Brigade’s second man, joined when he learned of Donald’s goals and still serves as the head chaplain of the Eagles.⁸
• Percival Mill used his connections in the Church of Vansreik to propose a joint hunt for a vampire that held sway over a noble house, sharing the bounty with the Eagles. Their raid freed the house with few casualties, and Percival and the Brigade were honoured with a medal of distinction. The partnership lasted for years, the Eagles calling on his knowledge of the undead, until Percival formally joined the guild and settled in Vansreik.⁹
• Xaman left the Scarlet Spears and came to Vansreik to join the Brigade; he now serves as its envoy to a nearby high elven outpost, which lets the Eagles accept missions from the elves.¹⁰
• Zardrak Throneguard found his way to Vansreik and joined the Eagles, Holden Fain was accepted by Donald on the strength of his promise as a young wizard, and Archibald the Flametamer won his place by presenting himself as a novice adventurer, his loyalty to the Empire and knowledge of military tactics easing his way in.¹¹
• Nessa Sevenembers is still inexperienced next to the other members, but she shows great potential and martial skill.¹²

Not everyone accepts the Brigade’s offer. Augustus Brightblade politely turned down Donald’s attempt to recruit him; he judged that the Eagles would suit someone with his skills, but that his own journey was meant to be made alone.¹³

Feud with the Warmongers

The Warmongers say that an Eagle killed one of their members in the city and stole the victim’s belongings. They are planning revenge and preparing for war, and Warmonger parties hunt members of the Eagle Brigade without mercy. The legal organisations and the city guard have doubled their numbers in the streets to prevent clashes, while less lawful groups see the conflict as a chance to strengthen their ties or remove rivals.¹⁴

The war is bad for business elsewhere too: The Black Veil is troubled by the mood in the city, as the fighting between the Eagles and the Warmongers harms its trade.¹⁵

Spoiler: What lies behind the feudRevealSpoils: Mercenary Compendium · Say what you have read

The feud did not begin with an Eagle killing a Warmonger, as the Warmongers believe. Donald and his men are gathering evidence that the first attack was arranged by a member of the Shortstack Stranglers, who framed the Eagle Brigade for it.⁴

Turnip Bellwater, leader of the Shortstack Stranglers, is tricking the two guilds into fighting each other in the hope of profiting from their war. Meanwhile Jogard Di and Majeek of the Warmongers are plotting to assassinate Donald Whent.¹⁶