The ChargeReal Research team has been in the depths this month on the Zanvult Insurrection. However, as part of their work looking at Mercenaries in the world of the ChargeReal (the full post is available for the ChargeReal Researchers tier) they have managed to uncover some additional information on two of the mercenary groups that exist in the setting. Further details are available in the ChargeReal Research Report: Mercenaries

Task Force Volk, Libertalia

Recruited from former soldiers and SOF operators, Task Force Volk is an example of the mercenary groups that have thrived on Libertalia. Although not directly under the control of an Admiral of Libertalia, it is rumoured that one of the ruling council is a patron of the group, taking a percentage of their earnings in exchange for exempting them from some of the rules that the Libertalians impose on outsiders.

The reason for this is Constance Volk, a former prince of the Tsardom of Dazhbog and now resident of St Josephine, Libertalia. Volk gained a reputation for wild adventuring during his service in the Tsarist Army, rising to command a Spetsnaz detachment that was spotted in Albion during the Civil War. Once the Tsarist involvement in that war was ended, and affected by the events he experienced, Volk moved to Libertalia and started his new life, utilising similarly affected special operations personnel to offer their services to the highest bidder. Their role is not to replace standing armies, but instead to fill in the gap in special operations that smaller nations are not able to develop without great expense. Volk forces are incredibly well paid, attracting only the best of the best, as well as being highly motivated and unusually operating under a strong moral code.

In terms of equipment, Volk outfits his soldiers to be one of the best light infantry forces in the world, specialising in special operations tasks in small numbers but able to be deployed at a larger scale if required. They do however have the same limitation that all light infantry forces do, relying on partner forces for armoured vehicles and fire support.

The Samory, Libertalia

While Volk shows the most experienced and highly trained end of the forces that Liberatalia provides,The Samory is the opposite. Joseph Samory is one of the Captains of Liberatalia that are notorious for forcing captives into serving in his force, a practise long abandoned by most of the other “crews” that populate that island. His forces are responsible for a rash of piracy on the seas between Libertalia and the archipelagos of San Lorma where ships are captured by heavily armed troops in light vessels. The captured ships are ransomed back to the owners, the contents sold off on the black market and the unfortunate sailors are press-ganged into joining the ranks of the Samory. 

Most of the Samory are equipped with little more than a flak vest, an AK pattern rifle and (if they are lucky) a full set of combat-suitable clothing. However, those favoured by the boss (or those who survive more than a single battle) will receive more and more equipment as well as bonuses for confirmed kills, leading to squad leaders carrying the latest in small arms, armour and personal equipment. In fact, the unique combat situations the Samory find themselves in (as well as Joseph’s mercenary attitudes) means that the organisation has on occasion found themselves with prototype equipment. Long before the Kingdom of Alaeze revealed its bipedal automated weapons platforms to the world, arms control NGOs had published low-quality photographs and videos of Samory raids on shipping in the Gulf of Jefferson featuring several of the experimental platforms.

Samory’s pride and joy however is his armoured vehicles. Utilising the Sheridan light tank, the M113 APC and the Pandur wheeled APC, they allow the Samory to move rapidly across rough ground in a protected fashion while also delivering overwhelming firepower when required. Each vehicle is assigned to a specific crew, who upgrade and personalise each one to their specific taste. Footage of them in combat has shown vehicles covered in pin-up artwork, lurid insults and enough additional ammo boxes to endanger the vehicle’s inhabitants if they are hit.

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