Leadership & Composition

The Red Marsh Mercenary Company (RMMC) is led by a mated pair of ancient dragons, one blue, one bronze named Eddrasthax and Ganyethrax. Formed almost exclusively of scaled folks, the ranks main rank and file are filled with well trained and disciplined lizardfolks, commanded by dragonborns. Kobolds are found performing non-combatant duties. When asked, most members of the RMMC seem quite satisfied with their lot in life. There’s almost no bullying or mistreatment of the kobolds or lizardfolk subordinates, although there is little affection to be found as well. Dragonborn officers will not hesitate to sacrifice their troops for strategic advantage, but they are never callous or careless.

Due to the generally low inclination towards magic of lizardfolks, most units on the RMMC are simple martial companies. The dragonborn sorcerers of the RMMC tend to specialise in evocation magic to hit enemies hard on the battlefield.

Most members of the RMMC tend to be quite contemptuous of the soft skinned races, whom they perceive as weak and fragile.

The company standard

The company standard is a black flag with a red dragon claw.

Typical engagements

The RMMC is engaged when strong, resilient troops are needed in straight-forward military campaigns. Their high level of discipline and resilience mean that they rarely break in combat and can face heavy losses without a rout. They are loath to renege on a contract. They often demand rare and unique magical items for payment instead of or in addition to gold. As a whole, the RMMC has a notable hatred for giants and giant-kin, and will often charge less on contracts against such foes. The RMMC companies are also known to operate in environments that would slow or stop other companies, like the deep desert or mountainous wastelands.

Troop companies

Lizardfolk regulars

The lizardfolk troops are versatile, and do not specialise in a particular role. All frontline lizardfolks are expected to be proficient in using bows, spears, javelins, billhooks and shields. Dragonborn officers command these troops into battle. A lizardfolk company is expected to be able to provide for themselves while on campaign, and requires little in the way of logistical support. Lizardfolk companies include a host of kobolds who perform non-combat duties, such as maintaining arms and armours, making and breaking camps, hunting and cooking for the troops and officers. They’re a solid fighting force with great morale, but truly excel in environments that make other units crumble, like the deep desert or thick jungles.

Wyvern Knights

The dragonborn wyvern knights are brutal and dangerous flying force, capable of decimating normal troops or of engaging in stealth attacks at night on fortified positions. Wyvern knights are well equipped and well trained. Unique to the RMMC are Knightships, large ocean vessels that carry several squadron of Wyvern knights, and are a terrifying threat to enemy ships and cities.

Lizard Riders

These lizardfolks riding giant lizards or drakes are able to punch through even the toughest of foes, while retaining a surprising mobility and speed. Usually used for hit and run tactics, they can wreck havoc on supply lines or attack traditionally difficult to reach locations, the giant lizards being much more mobile than traditional cavalry over rough, mountainous terrain. The lizardsfolk riders are picked from the veteran ranks of the lizardfolk regulars, and are almost always well seasoned warriors with multiple campaigns behind them. With their spider climb and breath holding features, the giant lizards are often used for commando raids from unexpected directions.

Kobold Demolition Teams

Normally relegated to support roles, these specialist units of kobold engineers are experts at siege warfare and demolition. Able to quickly construct and crew all sorts of siege engines, they can provide long range support and are adept at taking their machines apart and putting them back together quickly. They’ll often carry the disassembled engines on giant lizards, making for surprisingly mobile firepower. Some engines are even mounted on special harnesses, allowing the giant lizard to act as a mobile artillery platform, although the weight and firepower for these is severely limited.

Arcane Support Squad

Mostly composed of dragonborn sorcerers and clerics of tempus, these small squads provide support to the main force of the RMMC. Often mounted on wyverns or giant lizards for improved mobility, these specialists can move around the battlefield providing support where needed most. Few in numbers and hard to train, they tend to only be deployed for significant battles, and are almost always guarded by an elite force of wyvern knights.

Locations

The RMMC has a fortress somewhere on the southern coasts of the Moonshae isles, but it is rumoured to be accessible only by the specially trained navigators of the company. They hold small offices in most major cities, although usually staffed with a handful of officers, and sometimes only with local agents not part of the company at all who act as proxies. They are known to contract with the dwarves of Mirabar to construct their ships, and are frequent buyers of new maritime construction techniques.

Their home base is rumoured to be built upon the lair of Eddrasthax and Ganyethrax, and to be an extensive complex, which includes the chronicles of the RMMC, a large library kept by a contingent of tortle clerics, as well as the company shipyards, where woods from throughout the Monshae isles and alloys from Mirabar are used to build the fast and powerful ships the RMMC are famous for. The joined treasury of Eddrasthax and Ganyethrax is also there, deep underground and through a saltwater underground lake.

Their Waterdeep office is an unassuming house in the north ward, staffed by two dragonborn, a human and a tiefling, although they do have significant holdings in the docks and warehouses of the city, these are lent out on short term contracts and available to stage company expeditions and missions if needed, an arrangement often repeated in other cities.