While every covenant has grogs and shield grogs, some covenants go the extra step of hiring professional soldiers—either as temporary mercenaries or as a long-term standing army. The notes here outline some of the most well-known professional soldiers in the Order, with a focus on those whom the magi and companions of Castrum Viribus have personal knowledge of.
The covenant's primary source of information on the Almogavars is Alvaro, who is an Almogavar himself. The Almogavars are mercenaries originally from Spain. They are lightly armed and equipped, wearing only sheepskin and an open helmet, wielding their traditional spear, the azcona, and sometimes a small shield. But they are fearless, proud, and highly regarded as warriors, specializing in ambushes and stealth. The Vibora Company is a unit of Almogavars who have a history of working for the Order of Hermes; branches of this company exist in many kingdoms, including Britain, where they are known as the Red Wyverns. See Alvaro’s character sheet for an example of a 30-year veteran; they are not all as good as Alvaro is! A unit of Almogavars costs £1 per soldier per year; sometimes, they negotiate to be paid in vis instead.
The Black Cloaks are the elite shield grogs of House Tremere. Gergo, who comes from the Transylvanian Tribunal, has seen them, and Orban has fought alongside them. They are peerless warriors modeled on the Spartans of legend, though most are Bulgarian or Hungarian; they wield enormous round shields and long spears, and typically wear heavy armor. Black Cloaks are indoctrinated to obey their wizards in all things; however, they are fiercely proud of their status and look down on other grogs. Black Cloaks are not for sale; the only way to get one is to be Tremere, or convince House Tremere to lend you some. You can see stats for the Black Cloaks here.
The Gallowglass are mercenaries of mixed Gaelic and Norse heritage, and their homes are in the northwest of Scotland. A single Gallowglass is well-armored with a mail shirt, steel helm, and two-handed long axe; they also carry swords, javelins, or bows. Each Gallowglass is accompanied by two men; one is a mere servant, but the other is a “kern,” a young man in training who tends weapons and can also fight. All of this is very expensive; a Gallowglass is paid £5 a year, which includes quarterly gifts of horses or armor, weapon maintenance, and upkeep for the servant and kern. Gallowglasses do not have a history of working with the Order; they may be hard to recruit, but they are highly respected fighters.
Tereysa saw these men in action when she was in Scotland for tribunal meeting. They are bold Scottish lowlanders with a history of working for magi that goes back to the Spider War; many covenants in Scotland employ them as grogs. Redesdale men are not mercenaries in the traditional sense; the covenant would not need to pay them additional money, they would simply be recruited to the covenant as grogs. An individual Redesdale man fights with a short sword or spear and wears a leather jerkin reinforced with metal rings or scales. They are capable warriors, but they are not professional soldiers like the other men detailed above.