Financiers in the Commonwealth convince the Genius Loci (the legislative body) to grant them rights to establish a colony in a particular place on the frontier. The majority stakeholders in that colony get the right to regulate trade in the colonized territory and do various other things associated with government. The colony is typically a location that has other people living in it, humans or demihumans or assorted fantasy creatures. Those creatures object to the encroachment and attack the colonists, and the Trade Wardens of that colony put bounties on them. Thugs go out and slaughter the creatures to claim the bounty. They don't discriminate between the ones causing trouble and the ones that just happen to be the same species.
When it works the way it's supposed to, the offending people (and monsters, and monster people) are exterminated or chased out of the area the Trade Wardens want to develop. When it goes bad, the scalphunters start a war between the colony and a peer-level civilization. The colonies are supposed to be commercial enterprises and there's no guarantee the Commonwealth will send troops to bail them out on the taxpayer's dime. The Little Depths colony was wiped out in the first year when mercenaries picked a fight with the neighboring Lords of the Abyss. It took deft diplomacy and a lot of bribes to steer Brazenkragg away from war with the See of Trees.
The bounty scheme also lets Trade Wardens sell protection to
creatures that don't want to be exterminated. If the threat of roving
adventurers is scary enough, the Wardens can demand payment of tribute
in whatever form they desire. Raw materials and trade goods that can't
be found in the Commonwealth are always a popular choice, but demanding
payment in currency more effectively chains the extortion victims to the
colony's economy.
Scalphunter is a generic term, the proof-of-work varies from creature to creature. Most bounties on humanoids are for ears, but in case of earless creatures like lizardmen they ask for the whole heads.
Famous bands of scalphunters include...
THE GIANT CORPS
Name often given as The Giant Corpse. Half and quarter-giants from the ruins of the Giant Kingdoms. Tasks assigned based on height, with the smallest mercenaries sent into tight spaces to flush targets out for the heavy hitters to squash. Some members inherit elemental resistances (fire, cold, electricity) or water breathing from their giant parents.
IRON HAND
Militant arm of the Commonwealth's second largest religious corporation (after the Grain Goddess). Ubiquitous mercenaries following the collapse of the monarchy. Expensive and thorough. Start with a large NPC adventuring party, add dogs, giant ferrets and giant weasels. Well equipped but stingy. Makes extensive use of gunpowder weapons.
ONE EAR
Orcs, Bugbears, Hobgoblins and other species normally hunted by Scalphunters, serving the Trade Wardens for a chance to be on the winning side for once. Initiation rite is cutting off an ear (which the bounty is then claimed on) and assuming a new name. Heralded by Goblin Wolf Riders, who act as scouts for the unit.
MODUS OPERANDI
Scalphunters enter the dungeon, kill everything in their path, grab all the loot in line of sight and leave. Combat is their forte, they're stopped by puzzles or hazards they can't brute force. They'll clear out a half finished floor, then leave to sell the treasure and monster corpses without bothering to check out the floor below. They completely fuck up any relationships the player characters have with the dungeon creatures, anyone who survives their rampage is hostile to outsiders.
The arrival of these mercenaries is usually visible a good distance away. If the players have friendly NPCs in the dungeon they don't want slaughtered, they can warn them to hide, evacuate them from the underworld, or fight alongside them against the mercenaries. This is a viable option, but they had better kill everyone who could identify them. Negotiation is unlikely to work, unless the players are intimidating or have a good plan.
Once they know it's an option, the players might want to do some Scalphunting of their own. It's a vile thing to do, but if they're already indiscriminately murdering everything they encounter they'll jump at the opportunity to get paid. It could be a good diegetic way to explain any XP rewards for monster slaying. But they had better watch out when they return to civilization to claim their reward. The other mercenary outfits would be happy to relieve them of any "receipts" they collected, along with their treasure and their lives. What goes around comes around...
No comments:
Post a Comment