Mercenary Voucher

"While mercenary work is certainly never safe, it carries certain benefits that common soldiers do not enjoy. For one, mercenaries are seldom executed if taken prisoner. It's simply bad business practice to kill off potential fighters for one's next conflict."

— The Nobleman's Guide to Mercenary Work

Mercenary vouchers are a form of written authorization for an individual to carry out mercenary work. These vouchers are often issued by mercenary companies to their employees which are then signed by the client. These vouchers often contain the mercenary's duties, rights, and privileges and as such mercenaries are expected to keep their vouchers on their person at all times. Due to the value of mercenaries, particularly of Demian mercenaries in Zinruna, captured mercenaries are often released on the condition that they terminate their current contracts as all parties want to maintain access and good rapport with the mercenary community to ensure that they can hire them should the need arise. This has lead to several occasions of mercenaries lives being saved by their vouchers as enemy warlords would execute all prisoners from their rival nation, but would spare any man who could produce a mercenary voucher. This has lead to an explosion in black market demand for counterfeit mercenary vouchers, particularly among common soldiers. This, in turn, has lead to several of the more organized mercenary companies becoming ever more elaborate with their vouchers, with most Demian firms now even requiring a unique tattoo that can be used to prove their identity as a mercenary to any authorities should the need arise.

Historical Details

Term

Mercenary vouchers are generally valid for the length of a mercenary's tour, which can range from a few months to several years.

Type

Licence, Private (Letter of Marque)

Medium

Paper