- If the PCs are reasonably competent in battle, the Hall of Steel and Clouds may wish to hire them. The pay is 25 gp per week, plus any treasure taken from opponents they defeat while on assignment. Should the PCs accept these terms, their first assignment is to accompany an anthropologist who is mounting an expedition to Xen’drik.
- One of the evil organizations of Khorvaire has hired a group of mercenaries from the Hall of Steel and Clouds. Though the mercenaries are not evil, their mission is to protect the mastermind of an evil plot while he travels to fulfill his nefarious designs.
Owned and operated by House Deneith, this business hires out mercenaries who specialize in air combat. Its headquarters, known as the Hall of Steel and Clouds, is located two levels beneath the docking port. Fifty fighters and ten wizards, most of whom have skymage levels, are employed here to provide services for travelers. Under normal circumstances, a group of ten 5th-level mercenaries can be hired with as little as one day’s notice. All the mercenaries in such a group are equipped with at least one magic item (such as winged boots) that grants the power of flight.
The walls in the Hall of Steel and Clouds are painted blood crimson, and its rooms and hallways are decorated with statues of armored soldiers—some of which are winged. Paintings depicting weapons, airships, and armed battles hang on the walls. But creature comforts, such as plush chairs and couches, are notably missing from most of the complex. Such fripperies can be found only in the reception area, where Captain Larinard (Male human fighter 7), the leader of the company, greets clients and conducts negotiations.
Hiring a mercenary band for a single voyage typically costs about 2,000 gp. Though the price is high, many travelers who pass through dangerous skies consider this amount a pittance when it comes to ensuring their safety. A mercenary team can also be hired here for a more extensive outing lasting weeks or even months, though the price increases accordingly. In general, the base price of 2,000 gp buys the services of a team for two weeks (one week in each direction). Each week or part thereof beyond that limit costs an additional 500 gp.
Glib characters may be able to negotiate with Captain Larinard for a slightly lower rate. In most cases, the captain begins with an indifferent attitude toward the characters. If the PCs can improve his attitude to friendly, however, he reduces the rate by 15%.
The mercenaries who belong to this organization may also be hired out individually as bodyguards. Important individuals who pass through the city are often targets for assassination, so additional protection is considered a wise move. The going rate for a single bodyguard is 200 gp for the first week and an additional 150 gp per week or part thereof after that.
The fighters employed by the Hall of Steel and Clouds typically live here, all sharing one large room filled with bunks. The wizards are required to check in on a daily basis for their assignments, but most of them maintain their own quarters in the middle levels of the tower.
Also located within the Hall of Steel and Clouds is a massive gym where the organization’s mercenaries train against one another. Since their aerial fighting techniques are just as important as routine combat maneuvers, three 30-foot-by-30-foot rooms have been equipped with specially created magic devices that create major image effects. Each device recognizes the commands of the ranking officer in the organization and creates scenarios that provide the full experience of a dangerous situation aboard an airship. The officer who created the scenario often uses a scroll or other magic item to become invisible so that he can observe the drills and debrief the mercenaries under his command after the scenario has played out.
Source: Web Supplement