TheNexusProject/BlackCoinMercenaryGroup
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The Black Coin Mercenary Group
- "Eminently useful, and yet... unpleasant, in the worst sense of the word."
- - A merchant of Nexus (who wished to remain anonymous) in reference to the Black Coin Mercenary Group
- "Silly silly, where is the, where have I put the, where have you hidden the, silver, silver, silver coins? Black coins, silver coins, black coins, corroded coins, ring, ring, ringing into coffers- for every coin in the coffers doth ring, to an hour of darkness doth the Black Coins spring!"
- - Soul of Snow, leader of the Black Coin Mercenaries, rambling in his characteristic manner
Perhaps best known for their continuous job as the guards of Black Obol Finance, the Black Coin Mercenary Group can also be traced, faintly, to various "jobs" around Nexus - notably, the killing of Jyagariz The Claw, a powerful street-lord. Shadowy and enigmatic, the Black Coins are known throughout the Nexus underworld (that is, the entire city) as uncanny warriors, reliable and honest with their contracts in a city where such contracts are often a bill of trickery.
The Black Coin Mercenary Group must have some sort of home base, but none have ever seen such a staging area. They can be contacted only at certain times in certain places, though their spies, Nexians say, are everywhere: they can be contacted at the corner of Pyrapeva Lane and Serpentskirt Ramp, where an ancient idol lies broken in the intersection; at the fence of the Tomb Of Shouting Gods at sunrise; in the kitchen of any inn with a name containing the word "Shadow"; at midnight by the Rainbow Spire; or at any time in the lobby of Black Obol Finance. At these places one can find, if one knows where to look, their spies, and speak to them. The spies, palms greased, direct the asker to another location, generally an inconvenient one, and there, the asker encounters Soul of Snow, the insane leader of the Black Coins.
Soul of Snow, like all Black Coins, is small, muscular, and dresses in a patchy cloak of brown, black, and red over a skintight silk uniform of iridescent black. He carries, like his soldiers, a heavy straight sword with a golden hilt and pommel. Like all his soldiers, he wears a masked helm of black iron which reveals nothing of his face. The only thing separating him from any other Black Coin Mercenary is his stuttering, insane speech, rife with rhyme, singsong chanting, and uncertain and random non sequiteurs, all of which blend together to form something strangely coherent. He demands, always, a heavy payment based on his system of Mercenary Degrees (about Resources 1 for each Degree, though the Degrees don't matter - Soul of Snow makes them up), and in addition, a roasted chicken, which he devours on the spot. Wise buyers will bring one with them, but the unprepared are often allowed four or five minutes on Soul of Snow's impatient clock to procure one.
The Black Coins prefer contracts that allow them to utilize darkness, night, and secrecy. In addition, jobs that give them the chance to work together (they work best in groups) are favored.
All the Black Coins dress exactly like Soul of Snow, but they never speak. They never laugh; they never mumble or sneeze or cough. They make nary a sound, moving like whispers through the Black Obol Finance or the dark hallways of their mark's home.
The Black Coins have a singular ability - they possess the power which Soul of Snow calls Blind Blanket. They can call up the shadows of the environment around them and make them cling to them like a Night Caste Solar, obfuscating their presence, giving them moments of unnoticed stealth with which to implement their bladework. They appear as if from nowhere in black places, fading into existence from crawling gloom or detaching from the shadows where the moon does not shine. They are particularly effective in black places (such as the Black Obol Finance). In fact, the clerk of the Black Obol Finance has been known to use some faculty of the structure to deactivate the light crystals during attempted thefts, allowing the Black Coins unfailing darkness with which to defend the assets of the Finance.
Black Coins that are slain decay within minutes, leaving only a single black coin remaining.
Rumors
- The Black Coin Mercenary Group is often said to be composed entirely of shadow demons; they must be paid in human hearts and blood. Soul of Snow is said to be their master Anathema.
- The Black Coin's hideout is often rumored to be located on the tiny, swampy Tsuruta Island just visible from the Nexus Docks.
Secret
- Soul of Snow is not human (patently). He is actually one of the Lesser Elemental Dragons of Air, manifested in human form on whims which none can understand. He speaks in his enigmatic fashion due to a powerful curse put on him by a First Age Solar. The Solar was insulted by a remark of Soul of Snow, and thus cursed him never to be able to speak again (though this curse has eroded somewhat). Soul of Snow thus has a strong grudge and a vested interest in the defeat or destruction of Solars, though he has had little chance to fight one.
