The Crimson Coils

When there's no military, there's no reinforcements. You have to rely on whoever you have, no matter how awful they are.

— -Commander Harkin

Although Frosthold relies on a well-organized militia to maintain order in and around the city, anything further out, including Redoubt has to settle for adventurers and mercenaries in order to keep the peace and expand the influence of humans in The Far Reaches. Many of those freelancers are honorable, or at least willing to do the right thing for a price. Others revel in darker methods.

The Serpents' Birth

Like many mercenaries, the Coils began as a company in the Frosthold Garrison. Though their skills in battle were undeniable, they chafed under the rules of the militia. When their contract with the Garrison ended, they traveled south in order to seek their fortune with the treasure hunters of Redoubt. Since their arrival, they have continued to distinguish themselves as highly effective combatants, but their methods have, at times, caused more problems than they have solved.

A Troubled Path

While the militia has regularly utilized the Coils to defend travelers and caravans, Commander Harkin has recently pulled back on their contracts as conflicts with the Elves of The Verdant Maw have become more commonplace. It seems that Vraketh Shin, the leader of the Coils, has decided to declare a crusade against the Elves. He has placed a bounty for Elf ears, and while the militia has condemned the practice, and trade in Elf ears is now a crime, it continues to happen, and the Coils pay well. This has only exacerbated the troubles with the Elves and caused more raids.

With Dark Purpose

Rumors abound that Shin's true purpose in creating the bounty and in antagonizing the Elves at all is that he wants a war. If the Coils, and other outfits who share their beliefs, can force the militia of Redoubt and the Elves into an all-out conflict, they will have the excuse they are looking for to wipe out the latter. Perhaps Shin and his mercenaries believe that wiping out the Elves is the best way to guarantee unfettered human expansion in the Reaches, or perhaps they simply delight in death and chaos. Either way, their goals seem clear enough. Along the way, they seem willing and eager to antagonize anyone and everyone they can.