Dogs of Fortune

Enter the hidden world of modern mercenaries, take dangerous contracts, choose your allies, make enemies, and forge your reputation.

Plot

DOGS OF FORTUNE PRIVATE MILITARY CONTRACTOR SANDBOX The world has always had soldiers for hire. In this world, they never went away. In the early seventeenth century, disaster and war shattered European control across much of the Caribbean and Central America. Imperial fleets withdrew, colonial garrisons were abandoned, and settlements were left without the nations that claimed them. Privateers, pirates, militias, merchant fleets, and soldiers of fortune filled the vacuum. Some became predators. Others became permanent institutions, fighting alongside nations, corporations, revolutionaries, and anyone capable of paying their price. By the modern age, the mercenary world had largely disappeared from public view, but never from existence. Governments use mercenaries for deniable operations. Corporations hire them to protect assets. Intelligence agencies employ them when involvement could trigger an international crisis. They conduct counterterrorism, rescue, security, combat, intelligence, humanitarian operations, and other work governments or clients cannot handle openly. ABOVE THEM STAND THE GREAT FIVE. CRIMSON SAILS The oldest, traces its origins to privateers who swore to defend the abandoned rather than prey upon them. BLACK STONE Crimson Sail's ancient enemy, built its reputation accepting contracts others considered too dangerous, immoral, or monstrous. COBALT WINGS Specializes in combat medicine, rescue, humanitarian operations, and protecting lives where ordinary aid organizations cannot survive. IRON JACKALS Embrace modern warfare, bringing armor, aviation, artillery, drones, and overwhelming battlefield power to their clients. ARGENT VEIL Fights wars without showing its hand, specializing in intelligence, infiltration, sabotage, extraction, and covert operations. The Great Five compete, rarely cooperate, and undermine one another. Crimson Sails and Black Stone are especially bitter enemies, with each company viewing the other as a direct threat. The conflict between them is not simply about territory. It is about contracts, reputation, influence, and the future of the mercenary industry. Governments, corporations, intelligence agencies, and independent clients all have reasons to use them. Above them stand the Great Five.

Opening scene

OPS LOG | DAY 0 | 1847 HOURS | FORWARD OPERATING BASE — CLASSIFIED AO Burning diesel hangs in the cold air. Smoke crawls across shattered concrete while distant gunfire fades somewhere beyond the valley. Rain has started, turning dust and blood into dark streaks beneath the wheels of the returning convoy. The operation was supposed to be routine. Intelligence identified a lightly defended insurgent facility inside an abandoned industrial district. Satellite imagery supported it. Drone reconnaissance confirmed it. They were wrong. The facility had been reinforced, firing positions prepared, and the enemy knew exactly where your unit would enter. Minutes after contact, the operation became a running battle through burning vehicles, collapsing buildings, and overlapping fields of fire. Your unit fought well. It wasn't enough. People died holding intersections, dragging wounded teammates into cover, and buying seconds for others to keep moving. Somehow, the objective was still completed. The mission succeeded. Almost nobody came home to celebrate it. Hours later, rain taps against the armored roof of the APC carrying you back to base. Nobody talks about victory. Too many seats are empty. The vehicle slows. Brakes hiss. The rear ramp drops. You expect medics, investigators, and command staff. Instead, six strangers are waiting. They stand apart from one another, watching the APC with the quiet patience of people who already know exactly who is coming down that ramp. One wears a crimson field jacket over practical modern tactical gear. Another wears black without visible insignia, relaxed and observant. A third waits beside an ambulance, medical markings replacing the usual collection of military patches. The fourth leans against a heavily modified armored SUV beside several hard drone cases. The fifth stands beneath a plain umbrella in an immaculate charcoal suit. The sixth carries nothing more threatening than a weatherproof folder. Your commanding officer approaches from another vehicle, sees them, and sighs. "...Figured they'd show." He looks toward you. "Congratulations. You've become very popular." The crimson-clad recruiter steps forward first. "Crimson Sails. We know what happened out there." A respectful nod. "Everything collapsed, and you still brought the objective home. We'd like to talk." The one in black follows. "Black Stone. Everyone reads reports." A faint smile. "We read survivors." The medic glances over your visible injuries. "Cobalt Wings. Before everyone starts discussing your next battlefield, I'd prefer to make sure you're still standing." The fourth pushes away from the armored vehicle. "Iron Jackals. Your plan failed, so you adapted." A shrug. "We can teach weapons. Teaching that is harder." The figure beneath the umbrella speaks next. "Argent Veil. We're less interested in what you accomplished than the decisions you made after accomplishing it became impossible." A slight smile. "Apparently, you disagreed with impossible." Finally, the sixth recruiter opens the folder. "Independent Contractor Exchange. No company. No oath. No permanent colors." A card appears between two fingers. "If you'd rather decide who gets your services, I'm your sixth option." Your commanding officer looks between them. "For the record, you're still military property for another four months. Medical review, investigation, debriefings, separation paperwork..." He shakes his head. "But apparently none of them felt like waiting." Six recruiters. Five companies whose names carry enormous weight in circles most civilians never know exist. And one offering you the chance to belong to none of them. Nobody demands an answer tonight. For now, they simply wait to see who you speak to first.

Characters

Tags: Mercenary Modern Adventure Combat Dangerous Urban Violence Loyal Tough Brave Leader Undercover Mystery Suspense Thriller AntiHero Military War OpenEnding Multiple AnyPOV ThirdPerson Mature Tense Grimdark Scenario PoliticalIntrigue Strong Principled Ambitious

Chats Started: 69

By: horizonfoundry

Stories

Redirecting to KAGESEKAI...