The Silversheen Mercenary Company is one of Shdustu’s more curious features. An elite unit with a considerable history, they defy many of the commonalities of mercenary work by performing with unexpected capability and professionalism, closer to a proper army for hire than the thuggish armed bands more commonly found in the region. Mercenaries are a common sight in Shdustu. The serve as caravan guards, bandit hunters, fortress garrisons, and often in a support role for larger Kharal and Nikkad operations by harassing border regions to minimize military consolidation. Most of these groups are small, independent operations with less than fifty combatants and their loyalty aligned behind a single experienced officer. They generally demand to be hired in their entirety as one unit and will carefully specify in their contracts just what sort of fighting they are willing to undertake. They utilize simple weapons and armor, mostly spears, swords, and crossbows, and can almost never afford cavalry. At any one time there are likely some thousands of mercenaries wandering Shdustu, but they are widespread and scattered.
None of these traits apply to the Silversheens. They are a potent, highly professional force numbering some six hundred dedicated fighters plus several hundred more kept in training. These warriors may be hired in units ranging from small ten soldier squads to full companies of one hundred. They have cavalry, skilled crossbowmen, and a force of heavily armored infantry armed with deadly greatswords. These are all a match for Kharal, Nikkad, or even Sanid Empire elite soldiers. Their base of operations is a fortified plateau roughly equidistant between Snushgud and Shnudidishgu. It is a well-maintained and provisioned fortification that is generally considered utterly impervious to attack. It is also a potent mine and the source of their exceptional weapons and armor.
Outsiders are not welcome there, but any perspective recruit will spend several years training in the fortress, perhaps even their entire childhood, until they are able to meet the standards of the company. It is claimed that most recruits do not survive this trial, though I am skeptical of such claims. The Silversheens do not possess the haunted look of those who have suffered such brutality, and I suspect those who fail to earn their armor are simply transitioned into supporting roles. The company treats loyalty as paramount, placing it above everything. To maintain this, they recruit only orphans and forbid all claims of ethnic identity. While most Silversheens can speak both Kharal and Nikkad, they use neither language among themselves. Instead, their primary tongue is Sairn, though it possesses a strong and unplaceable accent and utilizes numerous archaic terms and phrases. Though the company will not speak of their origins to outsiders, it is all but certain that some rogue soldiers from the Sanid Empire are behind the formation of this group. My guess is that garrison troops left here by the Tunan Dynasty founded this group after the empire abandoned them. The design of their crossbow triggers, which are practically identical to the imperial mechanisms from that period, are notably suggestive of this origin.
Time has, however, changed the company into very much its own creation. They consume a mixture of Kharal and Nikkad foods and dress in the long felted robes of the steppe when not armored for battle. On the road they spend their days gambling and carousing much as other warriors for hire. Their excellent reputation means their contracts demand a premium, and are very carefully negotiated, for the Silversheens will always hold to their terms, even to the point of terrible tragedy. Such catastrophes are rare, and generally occur only if there is some drastic reversal by much larger forces. No army in Shdustu, not the most ferocious Kharal warband or most treacherous Nikkad assassin cadre, wishes to face down a Silversheen force on anything close to even numbers. In small group combat, for which they are especially trained, they are a match for any force I have ever seen, even the mystically enhanced thralls of the Obsidian Order.
The Silversheen Company deploys three types of soldiers: sword and spear cavalry, crossbowmen, and greatsword infantry. This division is somewhat deceptive, for all their members train in all three methods, allowing them to shift roles and fill gaps in formations at need. The crossbowmen are straightforward, lightly armored shooters with powerful weapons possessing great range. Cavalry are similar. They wield spears and long slightly curved swords and strong armor noted for its mail collar that protects the neck and upper chest. Their horses are mixed breeds, larger than the steppe ponies of the Kharal, but not a match for the heavy warhorses of the Sanid Empire’s cavalry formations. The heavy infantry is the most interesting case, for they are unlike any other warriors I have seen. They wield long greatswords, using two hands to deliver swift, shifting strikes, and wear armor with a base of mail that is topped by plated protection over the chest, shoulders, waist, forearms, and lower legs. Such protective plating is, to my understanding, extraordinarily difficult to forge properly in iron, and while it can be done using bronze, this metal is both rare and slightly weaker. Silversheen armor plating possesses a distinctive pale silver shade, and does not appear to be bronze, or, more accurately, any form of bronze known to me. It, and I spoke to the Nikkad alchemists at length on this subject, is almost certainly a unique blend of copper, tin, and other materials that requires mystic procedures to process. Rumor speaks of the Silver Armorer, a legendary figure who resides in their plateau fortress and knows the secret process used to craft these valuable plates. The Silversheens deny this tale and claim their armor acquires its properties through the special nature of the ore they use. Possibly both halves of the tale are true.
In observation, this unique armor is no stronger than bronze or steel, but it is lighter, very durable, and does not rust. Female members of the company, and the Silversheen Company recruits women as well as men, have no difficulty bearing its weight. The great benefit of this armor seems to be that it precludes the need for a shield, allowing for the use of greatswords without the vulnerability attached to lightly armored fighters such as Bahab warriors who use similar weapons. The greatswords are capable of martial forms long polearms cannot easily match and are suitable weapons for such elite soldiers. As a result, these silver warriors, a curious label as the livery of other company members is black, are very capable and counter well against both Kharal cavalry and Nikkad streetfighters. I suspect their armature and fighting style were developed specifically to fulfill this dual purpose.
In Shdustu, most mercenary forces are considered weak, unsuited for pitched battles or sieges and employed primarily by merchants. This view appears generally broadly true, for even the under-equipped Bahab and Rutar regularly embarrass and overcome mercenary units in combat, but the Silversheens are a noted exception. They are a proper match for both Kharal and Nikkad forces and have a combat record, which the members can recite from memory, to prove it. However, they generally avoid contracting to fight major battles, as this is politically strained and the wrath of the khagans is not something they desire to face. The continued existence of the company is sustained by respect, but should they press too hard this would transform into fury. This reputation carried much weight with other, lesser entities. Despite the desperate nature of the times and the lengthy seventy-five-day journey, with a guard of fifty from the company, the Dragon Expedition faced no attacks. According to Lieutenant Kail’s recollection, this is a common outcome. The company faces little opposition while escorting merchants and in order to keep its combat edge sharp regularly contracts to eliminate bandits, cultists, and other threats.
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Insularity is a notable feature of the Silversheens, who are used to communicating with outsiders only through their officers. They are also, I noticed personally, far too confident that speaking in accented Sairn keeps their conversations private. Many merchants and mercenaries are well practiced in the imperial tongue, and all mystics at least comprehend it in order to read key scholarly treatises of their arts. I overheard many nighttime conversations that were highly disparaging of the Kharal, Nikkad, and the alchemists they escorted. I heard my own name disparaged as ‘a coward who didn’t have the courage to die fighting.’ This I felt was an unfair representation of events, but I let it pass. However, when I similarly overhead aspersions cast upon the Lady Indili I went to the lieutenant and told him that if such remarks continued, I would be honor bound to inform the Master Sorceress of this and could not be responsible for the consequences.
In due credit to the professionalism of the company, the lieutenant reacted immediately, punishing those who had spoken out by forcing them through a series of exhausting patrols and extremely demeaning camp duties. I do not know what message he delivered privately to the soldiers, it was handled among their own as it ought to be, but there were no further complaints of this kind, and I extended my thanks to the lieutenant. I confess, it probably would have been more satisfying to allow them to face the black mist sharks, but that would be beneath the empire’s dignity.
Behavior of this kind, though frustrating, is not surprising. Loyalty is always at issue among those who fight for money. Most military treatises in the libraries of Crisremon warn against placing trust in mercenaries, and this teaching is widely acknowledged in Shdustu as well. For small forces the charisma of a single officer may suffice to provide control, especially when as the service of caravan guards ties their survival and pay to the success of the caravan itself, but the Silversheens operate at greater scale. To protect their secrets, defend their fortress, and prevent fragmentation they must hold themselves apart from others. Otherwise, every newly victorious officer would be a threat to form his own splinter force. The company has retained solidarity across more than two centuries, though I am uncertain as to what purpose lies behind such moves, if any.
I made several efforts to probe the history of the company, both through speaking to Lieutenant Kail, listening in to conversations, asking those scholars I could reach, and exploring such archives as I was allowed to access. No one would speak on the matter until shortly before the expedition reached Snushgud. This was during the late summer, a period of time when the Kharal tribes ride out to assemble in traditional summer gatherings, a vast festival of sport and artistry I never had the privilege to witness. During this time, we halted among the depleted members of a local clan, mostly the very young and old who could not travel far, during the weekly observance of services. I spent most of that day speaking with an elderly shaman, one too weakened by bone disease to ride more than very short distances. He perceived, somehow, that I had been changed by the dragon and wished to hear my description of the creature, for he knew the chance to see such a being would not be obtained during this turn of the cycle. Perhaps he noticed how I had lost much sensitivity to temperature and did not sweat despite the heat of the summer day.
Believing that this elder would not betray my trust, and I do not think he ever spoke of this to others, I related the encounter as best I could, though words remained just as insufficient to the task spoken as written. In return, he answered many questions. This included the tale of the Silversheens, as known among the shamans of the Kharal.
He said that, long ago, in a time when soldiers still came from the west, one among them fell in love with a beautiful Nikkad alchemist despite rules against fraternization with the local people and relations with mystics. This soldier deserted his post to be with his lover, and they made their home atop the Dushtumun Plateau, which no one lived nearby. Digging in the earth there, most likely for cinnabar used in alchemy, they discovered the strange ore and formula used to produce Silversheen plate. This suggests that the deserter was a smith, not an officer, though the Kharal tale does not specify.
As this couple, of course, could not have children of their own, they adopted war orphans and for a time lived happily. However, an unprotected alchemist is a prize for the unscrupulous and it seems she was eventually captured by the Sunfire Cult, for those heretics sought to claim the plateau for themselves. The soldier, seeking to free his love, went to leaders of the Bahab, Kharal, Nikkad, and even Rutar, but all aid was denied. However, in his search the Divines took pity upon him and one of the orphans, the shaman said it was a young girl, explaining why the company accepts female recruits, discovered a vast trove of wealth in an ancient burial mound. With this hoard, which is always described as primarily silver, the deserter armed and armored his orphans and hired a horde of mercenaries. The marched on the plateau, met the cultists in battle, and slaughtered them to the last. The alchemist, regrettably, did not survive to be rescued.
After this, the deserter walked out onto the steppe, never to be seen again. He left behind the orphans, the plateau, the alloy formula, and an abundance of military knowledge. He also gave them a prohibition. As no people had helped them, no others would have their service. Only silver, which had offered deliverance, if too late, would command them. From this the Silversheen Company was born. Ever since, they have prospered, and no others have ever earned their allegiance.
It is, in my reflection, an unexpectedly probable story. Parts are certainly overly convenient, I suspect the plateau was already inhabited and the practice of adopting war orphans only begun later, but the interaction of alchemist and smith to produce the armor makes sense, as does the forbidden love story. Many Sairn men find Nikkad women extremely attractive, something I observed many times during the expedition. Such an affair is quite plausible. The shaman provided no names, referring to these characters only as the deserter and the alchemist, but this is common in Kharal tales.
Support for a Sairn origin of the Silversheens seems very strong. In addition to language and fighting techniques, there are numerous other hints ranging from eating habits to saddle design to weaving patterns that all tie them to the empire rather than Shdustu. The mercenaries themselves, curiously, do not believe this. By blood most are Kharal or Nikkad and they know little to nothing of lands beyond Shdustu. None of them recognized any of the tales of the Sanid Empire I related, and most struggled to believe in a landscape not dominated by grass. I do not believe that the empire will ever be able to reclaim this lost fragment of its military legacy. A pity, for they would be a valuable asset, especially the secrets of their armor.
By the time of our arrival in Snushgud the mercenaries too were tired and worn down by the long journey. Dust coated their armor, their uniforms were much patched, and weariness and complaint affected their actions. Their incredible reputation, burnished by polish and presentation, had eroded considerably due to prolonged proximity. Though they were cunning fighters, they were ultimately no different from anyone else. Still, professionalism is a most valuable trait in guards, and I would have gladly continued on with such soldiers as an escort. I fully understood why Erun Nassah had wished to hire them from the start, and I cannot help but feel that had he succeeded there would never have been a cruel betrayal, and the fate of the expedition would have been very different. Strange as it seems to say it of mercenaries, these are honorable soldiers. Regrettably, there are never enough of them. A common refrain regarding good things in Shdustu. Silver, after all, may tarnish, but it can always be polished again. Iron rusts away to nothing.