Alpha+Dragon: ..Thankyou. How's your brain, would you like to do this interview?

Kains+Son: Sure. I'd be up for it.

Alpha+Dragon grinned and sat down, placing his mobile phone out and flickering through various apps with the dull eyed slack jawed expression of the technologically inept. "So I more or less wrote these questions from the point of view of someone who does not have a good idea of what might have happened in the past..." he explained after finding and pressing the recording button. "For every loudmouth history expert in the city, there are a dozen silently unknowing fledglings...Ready to go?"

Kains+Son unbuttoned his jacket and sat down across from Alpha, reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket for his flask. He deftly unscrewed the lid, taking a sip. "I'm ready whenever you are."

Alpha+Dragon: Right. So let's get the item of nepotism out of the way first: my name is Alpha Dragon, childe of Lyric. Across from me is Kains Son, bind-partner of Lyric. This is an interview about Mercenaries and Mercenary work in Ravenblack city. Kains, let me begin by asking: to your knowledge how long has mercenary work been a thing in Ravenblack?

Kains+Son: Well, from what I understand, mercenary work began back in 2003, when the first tide of the Splinters of Dusk crashed into the city.

Alpha+Dragon: Briefly, what made them 'different' from other war-clans? Or more correctly, what made them Mercenaries?

Kains+Son: That would be that each target was based on a contracted hit. Rather than principle, those hit were determined by who was willing to pay. 

On top of which, one trademark characteristic that the Splinters had was their refusal to attack anyone else who was not a target on their list, regardless of what others did to them.

Alpha+Dragon: So mercenaries do not follow any political ideologies? For that matter, are they discouraged from it?

Kains+Son: Well, It really depends on the context of what you ask. For a job, a mercenary should leave any political ideologies at home. You're as likely to be hitting your best friend as your worst enemy, and you have to be willing to perform.

Alpha+Dragon: Let's talk a bit about the nuts and bolts of it all: without betraying any ‘trade secrets’, how does it work financially? Do mercs get paid per hit? Does the fee cover weapons, necromancers?

Kains+Son: Well, for the Void, our pricing is tailored to try and meet whatever the client needs. Our prices are designed to cover weapon cost, as well as provide comission for anyone interested in participating. We want to work in a client's budget, while still offering the best services possible. Since each contract is unique, Individual proposals can be requested with varied breakdowns, free of charge.

Alpha+Dragon: so is there generally a profit margin, or is it just an excuse to use weapon stockpiles?

Kains+Son: The Void has no hard membership. Therefore, since jobs are available to anyone interested, we strive to make sure that any potential warriors can draw profit on their work. Ultimately though, it's up to each individual on the contract to pay attention to their budgeting.

Alpha+Dragon: So all mercs in the Void are considered ‘free lance’?

Kains+Son: Well, unless you consider me. Everyone else is free to come and go as they please. The only thing that gets you barred from taking work is failure to perform on a previously accepted job.

We require at least one vial thrown on any job accepted.

Alpha+Dragon: The Void is still relatively new, but would there be any scenarios in which it would not accept a contract, or is it just an opportunity for others to throw away disposable income?

Kains+Son: I wouldn't exactly call it that, but really, I believe that one hallmark of good 'freelance' work is willingness to accept any job. The only reason I could see a contract being turned down is due to low reward.

Alpha+Dragon: Is there 'honour' in mercenary work?

Kains+Son: Well, that depends what you mean when you ask that. Honor in the most classic sense has always been beholden to whatever a given peer group decided it was. But even in a more universal sense, I for one, believe that there is honor in how one does their job.

Regardless of the task.

Alpha+Dragon: A quick google search defines honour as: ‘noun, high respect; great esteem, the quality of knowing and doing what is morally right’. This is Ravenblack city, so morals are a very contextual subject. As a verb 'honour' is defined as: ‘regard with great respect, and, fulfil an obligation or keep an agreement’. By those definitions, is there honour in Mercenary work?

Kains+Son: Thanks for the clarification. If you're going by those limitations I guess I couldn't say there is honor in mercenary work. But then I would rather ask, what is morally right, especially in a city like RavenBlack? I guarantee that while you may get overlapping answers, people's ideas vary widely from one to the next.

Alpha+Dragon: All to true, and for the sake of the subject, I agree. Let's talk a bit about you, when did you start doing this kind of work?

Kains+Son: Well, this has been in the works for a little while now, but my first contracted hit started on October 9th.

Alpha+Dragon: Was there any thought process in becoming a Mercenary other than ‘I have weapons and the will to use them, now someone gimmy coin?

I suppose that question also extends to the decision to create a mercenary organisation.

Kains+Son: Well, for me, it's about offering another option to those out there that may cause them to reconsider how they approach things. This is giving much needed stimulation to those with itchy trigger fingers. This is giving someone who may otherwise not have the means to bring down an enemy sudden, tangible assistance. And for anyone who really wants to retaliate on us, It makes for great free practice.

Alpha+Dragon: This next question reflects my own personal opinion but: Do you think that Mercenaries are a natural result of the decline in Warrior Clans and Bloodlines?

Kains+Son: I wouldn't so much say a natural progression. But I would say that mercenary groups start in scenarios where conflicts seem stagnant or irrelevant to a set warrior portion of the population.

Alpha+Dragon: Last few questions now: going back a bit, are mercenaries likely to be zeroed in the course of their contracts, and does your organisation respect the rite of Torpor?

Kains+Son: Anyone working under Void contracts should be aware that there is a real likelihood of being zeroed, possibly repeatedly. The Void makes no stance on Torpor. If a hitter wishes to respect Torpor, it is their right to do so. However, since the work is based on commission, two weeks may be a long time to wait to start collecting again.

Up to them, really.

Alpha+Dragon: Do you cop a lot of flack in the ‘papers’ for what you do and for what you have created?

Kains+Son: I'm sure it'll eventually come, but as it stands I’ve gotten insulted more for my abysmal journalism skills than this. All warranted, mind you.

Alpha+Dragon chuckled softly at that. "To your knowledge are there any other organisations like your own?"

Kains+Son: Currently? Not that I'm aware.

Alpha+Dragon: And now the plug, if anyone wants to get in contact with you for a contract, how do they do it?

Kains+Son: I'm available in person, through any of the papers, or by phone .

Kains+Son: Mhm

Alpha+Dragon: Second to last question: are you proud of being considered a merc?

Kains+Son: Well, I've always believed that in order to do good work, you need to take pride in the work you do. But am I proud of the perception? I wouldn't quite go that far.

Alpha+Dragon: Can you elaborate?

Kains+Son: I can at least say I like the work.

Alpha+Dragon: And final question: do you think that mercenary and assassination work might be a good start for the next generation of warriors in Ravenblack?

Kains+Son: I think it's a good way for anyone who may otherwise be unfamiliar to come learn the ropes, as well as anyone already seasoned as just a way to stretch their legs.

Alpha+Dragon nodded and smiled, "thanks for your candour Kains. Before signing off, is there any last thing you might like to say that hasn't been covered by my questions? Your abysmal public relation skills notwithstanding," he added with a chuckle.

Kains+Son: I think that covered just about everything.

Alpha+Dragon nodded again, "this has been Alpha Dragon talking to Kains Son about mercenaries and mercenary work in Ravenblack city. I would just like to add that Kains agreed to this interview before I had fully compiled my questions, but that he had no knowledge of what they would be. My own opinion is that Mercenary work is a good thing in Ravenblack city, but I have no current affiliation with the Void. I hope you have enjoyed this interview and found it interesting, stimulating and educational.

Alpha+Dragon stabbed the recording off button.