| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| TheIriaeban |
Posted - 06 Aug 2021 : 20:57:19
Has there been anything in canon that speaks to what happened to Gondegal's mercenaries? I found this on page 33 of the 2e Cormyr book:
"In fact, a substantial portion of Gondegal's troops merely surrendered and offered to join the Purple Dragons in return for food and shelter."
The problem I see with them being allowed to join the Purple Dragons is that these are the very same guys that were looting the countryside as they moved through Cormyr. People don't tend to forgive and forget that kinda thing. Plus, the Crown would be very suspicious of their loyalty since Gondegal escaped. I could see the Crown insist that they leave Cormyr and never come back. They would very likely be escorted West ("I don't want these people in ANY of our coastal cities.") and told that if they are found in Cormyr again, they will very likely lose their heads. |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| TheIriaeban |
Posted - 07 Aug 2021 : 18:53:30
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by TheIriaeban
Those are good points. This is looking better and better for my plans. The reason this came up is because I encountered a problem: where did the mercenaries that Bron hired to quell the fighting in Iriaebor come from? He ended up getting about 6,000 men in a short period of time. Looking in Gold and Glory, there was no indication that any of the ones listed there would work AND given their distribution, having a force or forces that large in the Western Heartlands would have thrown off what was listed there. So, I needed mercenaries that were suddenly available in the numbers needed within a reasonable distance of Iriaebor. The remains, or at least a part of the remains, of Gondegal's army fits that like a glove.
Just sayin', but were those 6K men hired in one lump sum? Numbers like that, it's likely easier to get a mix of large and small bands and individual mercs not associated with any groups.
No, not one lump but over the space of about 3 months. And I am not saying all of the hired mercs came from Gondegal's army. Just at least 50% of them.
The way I see it happening is that at the start of that year's trading season, things deteriorate rapidly into open combat (mainly because the merchants were also hiring mercs). People are begging Bron to do something (for various reasons I won't go into here). Bron contacts a merc group in the area (very likely some of Gondegal's army) to see about restoring order. Not knowing how many people he needs, he decides to hire double the number of existing membership in The Shield. The merc leader says that just won't be enough so he recommends three times as many. Being a priest of the god of peace and not knowing about relative troop strengths, Bron agrees. The merc leader starts grabbing as many of his old compatriots as possible to meet that quota in the allotted time and in 3 months time, a force of 6,000 men at Bron's command is in and around Iriaebor.
Of course, the Golden Table isn't thrilled about this but what can you do? The people of Iriaebor are hailing Bron as a great supporter of the common man AND he has 3 times as many troops as you (Bron was willing to pay more so he was able to outbid anyone else). So, they vote him in as the new High Lord of Iriaebor. Bron wasn't asking for that but he takes the job anyway (he had just been excommunicated by the Church of Eldath for using the temples money for the "immoral" purpose of hiring mercs to commit acts of violence so it isn't like he had very many other prospects at the time).
Edit: fixed typos |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 07 Aug 2021 : 17:12:46
quote:
Originally posted by TheIriaeban
Those are good points. This is looking better and better for my plans. The reason this came up is because I encountered a problem: where did the mercenaries that Bron hired to quell the fighting in Iriaebor come from? He ended up getting about 6,000 men in a short period of time. Looking in Gold and Glory, there was no indication that any of the ones listed there would work AND given their distribution, having a force or forces that large in the Western Heartlands would have thrown off what was listed there. So, I needed mercenaries that were suddenly available in the numbers needed within a reasonable distance of Iriaebor. The remains, or at least a part of the remains, of Gondegal's army fits that like a glove.
Just sayin', but were those 6K men hired in one lump sum? Numbers like that, it's likely easier to get a mix of large and small bands and individual mercs not associated with any groups. |
| TheIriaeban |
Posted - 07 Aug 2021 : 16:18:31
Those are good points. This is looking better and better for my plans. The reason this came up is because I encountered a problem: where did the mercenaries that Bron hired to quell the fighting in Iriaebor come from? He ended up getting about 6,000 men in a short period of time. Looking in Gold and Glory, there was no indication that any of the ones listed there would work AND given their distribution, having a force or forces that large in the Western Heartlands would have thrown off what was listed there. So, I needed mercenaries that were suddenly available in the numbers needed within a reasonable distance of Iriaebor. The remains, or at least a part of the remains, of Gondegal's army fits that like a glove. |
| BadCatMan |
Posted - 07 Aug 2021 : 08:05:07
It only says they "offered to join the Purple Dragons", not that they were actually accepted. They're mercenaries, they would've claimed it was just business and offered to switch sides. And I have a fair idea what Azoun would've said to that. I imagine the worst were hanged, the others arrested or banished, and maybe a few of the more reliable accepted under close watch. Otherwise, the majority of the army was slain or scattered.
Some candidates for the survivors or their sons may be the various rumoured outlaw kings called Gondegal, the Twilight Brigade in Four from Cormyr, and the Sons of Gondegal who arose around 1379 DR.
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Gondegal
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Sons_of_Gondegal |
| Brimstone |
Posted - 06 Aug 2021 : 23:06:44
Vangey probably used those Mercs as a personal Suicide Squad... |
| TheIriaeban |
Posted - 06 Aug 2021 : 21:08:30
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Sounds like a Brian Cortijo or Ed Greenwood question.
Yeah, but then they will tell me exactly what happened and that will eliminate my wiggle-room. I have need of a wondering group(s) of mercenaries around that time, in the Western Heartlands and if no one has already determined their fate, I can use them without ignoring canon. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 06 Aug 2021 : 21:00:01
Sounds like a Brian Cortijo or Ed Greenwood question. |
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