Mercenary

Career

Qualifications

Most mercenaries are ex-military or ex-militia, but there are no qualifications necessary to be a mercenary, only a willingness to travel and an ease with killing. Having your own weapons helps.

Career Progression

Private military companies, private defence agencies, and private militia tend to be strongly hierarchical, echoing their military origins and aspirations. The methods of progression are usually similar to those in a standing army - time served, completing operations, and specialism - though few field contractors rise to administrative levels.

Payment & Reimbursement

Pay structure varies between organisations. Organisations, like the Varejãos, have a pay scale based on seniority, while looser groups like the Circle of Sisters are more similar to the Ratcatchers' guild and pay a flat rate to contractors or a percentage share to longstanding team members.
Corporations and private defence agencies will usually negotiate a contract that covers the group's operating expenses; private contractors are expected to cover their own.

Other Benefits

The life of a mercenary offers little in the way of material benefits besides money, but the money is good and the opportunity to become extremely wealthy is a strong attraction, especially for people who have a martial skillset and find themselves between wars. Most often, people are attracted to the profession by the lifestyle - the opportunities to travel and the cameraderie that they enjoyed during military service are hard to find once demobbed. Many solidiers, having become accustomed to military life, struggle to adjust to civilian life and some simply stop trying and return to a life that they know and enjoy.

Perception

Purpose

Whenever and wherever an individual requires protection, they can hire a private defence contractor or a private military company to offer it.
Mercenary work is wildly varied - protecting trading caravans from human and animal predators, guarding private individuals and their families against threats of assault, assassination or kidnapping, supplying additional force to under-strength armies, providing peacekeeping or law-keeping services in lawless areas, or defending corporate assets and profits against terrorists and industrial action.

Social Status

Outsiders by definition, all but a few mercenaries are rarely welcome at society gatherings. Leaders of well-known mercenary groups are infrequently courted by minor nobles or corporations looking to secure their services. However, the heads of several mercenary companies and private defence or military corporation are extremely wealthy, if not noble-born, are mercenaries can be found at all levels of society.

Type

Military