A mercenary is a warrior who bears arms for money. Mercenaries are most often hired as guards for trading expeditions and protection for trade caravans like those that ply the Salt Route, Fur Road, Silver Way, and Genin Trail. Mercenaries are also hired as temporary enforcers for any number of reasons, mostly escorts for nobility and wealthy merchants.
There have been recent meager attempts to form a Mercenary Guild but they have gained little traction. The few powerful mercenary companies (e.g., Brishold's Company, Rathbar's Raiders feel no need for the constraints that a Guild structure would impose, and the scattered handful of smaller mercenary companies lack the coordination, influence, and funds. In any case, no one yet has been able to reach agreement on the details of a guild structure for mercenaries, such as how to define ranks or overall guild organizational hierarchy.