The Maidens of Mercy

The Maidens of Mercy are an all-female mercenary group, found in every outpost in Doloria. Their organisation began during the Frenzy, a small but destructive epidemic that began in Bashnya and spread to Verum and beyond. The afflicted suffered from weeping sores, frenetic scratching and hallucinations, before the disease reached its peak in a mad bloodlust that ended only on death. The source of the disease was never discovered, by it was not contagious on contact. While this may have seemed like a benefit, panic arose when the disease began surfacing in remote outposts with no apparent cause.

Led by the cleric Marien, who was the original Maiden of Mercy, a small group of Pelor’s followers ceased their efforts to heal and began to quell the epidemic by killing those who were beyond help. Their methods were met with appalled outrage by many victims’ relatives, especially when it emerged that in a small handful of cases, the Frenzy abated on its own. This led to nicknames such as the “Maidens of Death” and “The Merciless”. Although the Maiden’s methods earned them a number of enemies, they single-handedly ended the epidemic and solidified themselves as effective as any army.

Now, the members of the Maidens are often rogue clerics or ex-soldiers, looking to take the problems of the world into their own hands. Their affiliation with Pelor is in name only, and they come from any number of backgrounds. They are often hired by associations looking for more effective solutions to their problems than negotiation or compromise.

Their symbol is a pair of praying hands superimposed on a sword.