Red Coin

A mercenary group with the original purpose of providing protection to merchants and traders on the road, the Red Coin has since expanded their purpose as a loose organization to set-up bounties for particularly hostile creatures, and provide novice-level training for those wishing to pursue an independent, martial career.

History
The Guild registers of Zykar report that the Red Coin was founded in the eighth year of the 4th era, some twenty-three years after the Witch and Goblin War, four years after the Kingdom of Ibarant was absorbed into Barce, though there are records that mercenary bands under the banner of the Red Coin existed some fifty years prior to this.

Symbol
The banner of the Red Coin consists of a red disk emblazoned on a blue shield, typically against a background of white with a spear, axe, and sword crossed behind it.

Bounties

 * Goblin Ears - 5 sp per pair
 * Bugbear nose - 1 gp each
 * Hobgoblin hand (left) - 1gp 3 sp each
 * Gnoll scalp - 8 sp each
 * Ogre thumbs - 5 gp per pair

Organization
The Red Coin has various lodges throughout Tal'Ria, with most small cities having a lodge either within the city limits or placed near a main road leading to the city. Each lodge is headed by a Soldat Castorum, who coordinates with the local nobility to trade rumors and produce contracts for bandit leaders or hostile creatures who are causing trouble. The Castorum takes their cut for arranging the contract, with most of the recovered funds used to maintain the lodge and keep the lodge members warm and fed between contacts, and the rest is paid directly to the agents who completed the contract.

Each lodge may have around eighty to one hundred members, though membership is somewhat unofficial until one of the Red Coin rises to the rank of Castorum. Members who often participate or rely on the contracts from the Red Coin often refer to themselves or each as Soldat.

Annual Contracts
The Red Coin has generally had positive relationships with the various traders and royalty of Barce, with an annual contract renewed from the King of Barce to hunt down goblinoids and provide safety to merchants on the road. Merchants of good standing in the law and who pay their taxes to the king are usually given a brooch with of a red disk behind a golden-headed lion as proof that they are under the protection of the king, and mercenaries of the Red Coin will usually jump to the chance to earn some easy, if a bit boring, money.