Sellswords' Bureau

Mercenary work has always been a staple of the culture of Makara. The city was founded by the use of mercenaries. It's a very common profession, so much so that the Prince has recently announced the formation of the "Sellswords' Bureau" as a way to offer support to these disparate mercenaries who, due to the nature of their profession, may not work for months at a time.

The idea of social welfare is not exactly new to Makara, as a wealthy, bustling city, it is common for some to fall down and be unable to get back up. Not wanting to see all that potential squandered, the Princes have often provided some support to these poor souls by way of housing, food, and employment.

Many common houses have been built across the city, these establishments often provide poor living quarters to those in need by way of a large, open area with many beds crammed into them. Often each bed will have a small footlocker with a cheap lock to secure the individual's personal effects.

These common houses do not provide food, though. So many of the poor who live in them will find themselves at a soup kitchen to get one of their two free meals for the day. These are not very nutritional or filling meals, but they're free. And they're just enough to keep some people going.

As for employment, the Prince often has recruiters scour the common houses and soup kitchens to find workers to build the roads and bridges of the country. Oftimes, these men and women find work in the Army, as well.

The Sellswords' Bureau provides all of these in one. The skills necessary to become a Mercenary are not to be squandered on road workers or as rank and file soldiers. Instead, these people are provided with a place to live in conditions similar to that of the average common house, but the downstairs is a tavern providing decent meals at a low price to those carrying Sellsword Cards, or low-quality free meals to those mercenaries who haven't the money even for a pint of ale.

Whenever the Prince, or other figures of note, need people to carry out a job for them, they send a note to the Sellswords' Bureau, where it will be posted on the Job Board in the Tavern. The note will show the task at hand, the duration of work, the price offered, and will have tearable slips of paper at the bottom equal to the number of mercs needed. The slips give directions to the job.

Some believe that the Bureau is a waste of the Principality's funds, while others yet see the value in such an establishment. Still, the debate goes on. Prince Markos believes that the value of such an establishment will be shown to it's full potential when war next breaks out in Makara, having such a readily reached force of combat trained mercenaries could mean the difference in dire times.