>>6303931>>6304832>>6304837>>6304840Well to summarise so far,
>Why adventurers exist vs armed soldiers / professional military?Realm is overstretched, possibly fighting multiple wars, heavily indebted (cannot finance army / raise levy in time etc) Good luck getting paid afterwards
>Are the player adventurers following mission orders or their own self-motivated initiative?Brigands vs special forces etc. I think this dichotomy is interesting as it affects how you imagine their hideout / base of operations will appear (ie if they are part of an established guild or order, or actual fugitives hiding from attention of authorities etc)
I think intrinsic to the idea of hiring adventurers is this notion of RECKLESSNESS / DESPERATION, if you think about it no-one would look at a heavily-armed warband of scarred swordsmen and suspiciously attired strangers and logically think: hmmm, I should brandish my coinage at them, all my gold ducats and sovereigns, and helplessly ask these violent people I have never met for assistance whilst pleading and beseeching deploringly in all my exploitable vulnerability lol
So maybe a further roleplaying element arises, how is THE TRUST ESTABLISHED ie what needs to occur to persuade the mission/questgiver that the player adventurers are capable and worthy etc.
So this could be some past backstory deed, familial affiliation or acquaintance, social endorsement etc Maybe it is some offical mark or charter like those pirate Letters Of Marque And Reprisal for capturing galleons and prize fighting warships etc.
Pic related depicts Paul Verhoeven's Flesh and Blood 1985 film, a fictionalised account of the actual 14th century mercenary and adventurer captain Haukwode, hiring a new recruit into his warband
