Free company

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Landsnechts

Whatever the original meaning of "landsnecht" it has come to refer to a particularly Temeshwari flavour of Free Company. Once Varushkan, Temeshwar is now a gateway for trade to the north, dealing in fur, wood, and hard-bitten mercenaries. Many of the original landsnechts originated in Varushka, and came to Temeshwar as exiles. They come from a hard country, where those whose presence is no longer tolerable are invited to leave. These exiles were for the most part wastrels, although many were petty thieves, or held unpopular views. Some of those exiled die in the forests, but some finished their journey in the city of Temeshwar and the strongest among them become landsnechts.

Their military heritage harks back to the Schlacta, the warrior bands of their homeland. Hardened in defense, and resolute in attack, the Schlacta are trained to fight supernatural as well as mundane enemies in the defence of their lords. They favour heavy weapons such as the broadsword and bardiche, but centuries of fighting with the League has modified the favoured tactics of the landsnechts slightly. Long spears are now common in Landsnecht line infantry, although the most skilled may well carry huge two-handed swords or a polearm with a cutting blade instead to guard the flanks of their speak-blocks. Many also wear a shortsword for close work, but they tend to leave their hands free, eschewing shields. Regardless, they tend to operate on the battlefield as solid units, staying close together in a defensive, but deadly-efficient, block.

Observers unaware of their heritage might be surprised to discover that the Landsnechts hail from originally Varushkan stock. Like many Free Companies they are famous for their magnificent attire. They avoid uniforms as such, but there is likely to be a commonality of design to their clothing. Slashed and particoloured, puffed and dagged, their clothes are an unmistakable badge of the Landsnecht. A common story says that this style of clothing originated with a habit of making clothing out of the banners of defeated enemies, but now their flamboyance is a badge of honour, a means of standing out and declaring their identity.

While a Landsnecht company will usually wear an assortment of armour, picked up from fallen foes, many appear not to be wearing a helmet. Instead they favour a large hat, floppy-brimmed and occasionally feathered, with a skullcap helm worn underneath. More serious generals might sniff at these gaudy peacocks, but nobody who has seen them fight should doubt their ability.

The Landsnechts hire themselves out wherever there's a need for disciplined soldiers who are largelly unconcerned about moral issues. They send their most senior out to negotiate terms, and then join an Imperial army on campaign. Often, they'll follow a League general simply because of the financial might of the League, but as with all Free Companies they are generally happy to follow where profit leads.

Landsnechts are widely considered to be among the most brutal of the Free Companies. They are notorious for doing whatever needs to be done to win, even in a country where a ruthless commitment to achievement is commonplace. This tends to make them unpopular with the more high-minded Nations, and they rarely find employment in Highguard or Urizen.

History is littered with stories of landsnechts who have gone too far and paid the price - the most well-known is the tale of Antek of Temeshwar, and his Company of the Iron Jawed, who after a number of inconclusive engagements with the Yellow Hand orcs used a number of Dawnish civillians as a lure to draw a large barbarian force into a prepared battlefield. His tactics resulted in the death of most of the orcs and all of the civillians. The Company of the Iron Jawed followed the straggling barbarians back to their settlement, and butchered every single one of them - including all their children - implaing their bodies on stakes as a warning to other orcs. To this day, the battlefield and the orc settlement are said to be haunted by the spirits of the tortured and the betrayed. With the support of the Synod, the outraged Dawnish denounced Antek for his brutality. He was ultimately executed for treason and the Company of the Iron Jawed disbanded, but on his way to his execution, Antek is said to have shrugged and said simply "There will be more Dawnish. but there will be no more Yellow Hand orcs."