F1: Mercenaries' Guildhall

This sturdy block of a building contains the headquarters of the Free City's organization of hired swordsmen and other warriors. While the guild cannot claim the membership of all mercenanes in the city, a great proportion of them make certain to pay their dues immediately upon entering the city, though at ten gp per year, these are more costly than most guild memberships in the city.

Membership in the guild gains for mercenaries several advantages. Firstly, the guildhall maintains a well-stocked bar, with drinks at no cost to members. A bunk in a community sleeping room is also offered, free, for a member who needs shelter for a few nights. Those mercenaries in town for a week or longer are expected to eventually arrange their own lodgings.

But even more importantly, the guild hall is the most commonly used employment center for mercenaries. Hired fighters who betray their employers are forever barred from guild membership. The guild requires most prospective members to pass a combat test (requiring 1st-level fighting skills). Thus one who seeks hired fighters can be fairly certain of finding skilled, reasonably loyal troops at the guildhall.

Certain mercenaries offering skills other than pure fighting knowledge, such as healing ability, magic use. horse training, or scouting skills, are often exempted from the combat test. These individuals, while still mercenaries and guild members, are referred to as "specialists."

Arms and armor may be worn in the hall, but a rigid code of discipline prevents any fighting-even fisticuffs-within the guild headquarters. Though a pair of warriors may have come here from the same battlefield where they fought against each other, all such differences must be set aside as they pass through the door of the guildhall. Fighters lacking the discipline to observe this restriction- and there are quite a few-generally have the good taste to avoid the guildhall when the potential for trouble exists. Again, violation of this tenet results in banishment from the guild.

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Fl: Mercenaries’ Guildhall. This sturdy, blocklike, two-story building is home to the Guild of Mercenaries, which is open to any dues-paying persons of any nationality,-race, sex, or religion who consider themselves warriors-for-hire. This loose phrase encompasses former soldiers, thugs, hunters, and adventurers of any alignment. Anyone with unusual skills (healing, magic use, scouting ability, horsemanship, and so on) is considered a “specialist”; the rest are “feet” (for “foot soldier”). Dues are 10 gp per year; a combat test is administered, and applicants must demonstrate the equivalent of 1st-level fighter skills.

The guild offers several particular advantages that draw many freeswords to it. First: free drinks to members. Second: a free bunk and trunk for up to a week for new arrivals, Third: great opportunities for employment, as the guildhall is the first place many prospective patrons go when looking to hire guards, armed messengers, security specialists, private officers, bodyguards, and more. Good short-term employment can be had with caravan owners, aad longer employment is often available with minor nobles, merchants, and landowners needing more sentries for their estates and homes. Adventuring groups often look for added muscle here if planrting long expeditions. Finally, the guild has many allies among the city’s smiths, and weapons and armor can be repaired for members at a discount (5—20%). Unofficially, the guildhall is one of the major rumor mills of Greyhawk, which can be valuable.

Armor and peace-bonded weapons may be worn here, but fighting is strictly banned and punished severely by the guild and the City Watch, if the latter is summoned. Some members refrain from entering here if they have enemies in residence at the time. Betrayal of a patron or breaking a contract without just cause is punished by expulsion from the guild, possibly combined with a beating, loss of all wealth, and a death threat if the guilty party ever appears in Greyhawk again. A patron who unreasonably harms his hirelings can be sued for huge amounts mn Greyhawk’s courts by the guild, which has an excellent legal staff.

The priests of a number of warrior-based religions are members of this guild. In particular are clerics of Heironeous, Kelanen, Kord, Llerg, Mayaheine, Phaulkon, St. Cuthbert, and Trithereon, with outlawed and secret cults of Erythnul and Hextor. Religion is not discussed openly. One of the few uniformly shared opinions here is a hatred for Juz and Turrosh Mak’s Orcish Empire; many mercenaries have found good employment around Safeton, manning security and warning posts near the buffer zone. Orc and other humanoid skulls decorate the walls of the guild, including the mummified head of “King Garzon,” an ogre lord of the Abbor-Alz slain with his bodyguard by mercenaries two decades ago.

DM's Notes: Some guildmembers are hired for unusual and secretive missions by nameless patrons, almost always for large sums of money meant to keep their mouths shut. One such hidden patron is Turin Deathstalker [LE hm F18; hp 88; Str 15, Cha 16; many magical items], formerly the Guildmaster of Assassins in Greyhawk. He left his adopted city to fight Iuz’s invasion of his homeland, but was forced to retreat to Admundfort Island and then back to Greyhawk. He was then made Commander of the Greyhawk Militia garrison at Safeton, where he remains today. Turin looks for the most aggressive, dangerous fighters, hiring them to make raids into the orc-held Wild Coast south of Safeton. Casualties among the raiders are high, but many enjoy these violent fights and return for several missions.

A frequent visitor to the guildhall is a 35-year-old merchant from Furyondy who rents a home just west of the guildhall: Lemajen Sterrich [NG hm R12; hp 77; Str 17, Dex 16; chain mail +3, long sword +4 defender, ring of free action]. Lemajen Sterrich is generally suspected of being more than he appears, and indeed he is. He is a Knight of the Hart (Furyondy branch), and he constantly looks for able fighters and others who might wish to join his order. He is also a superb merchant with several close friends on the Directing Oligarchy (Carmen Halmaster and Dernan Nathane), and is an associate member of the Union of Merchants and Traders. Lemajen is also eager for news of any doings by servants of luz, whom he hates. He does not trust anyone of Baklunish descent as a result of Ket’s actions during the Greyhawk Wars.