Pendor has many spawns, going from huge armies to small patrols, that will spawn and interact with kingdoms, most often harassing them, whilst those kingdoms fight eachother as well. In this page, Unique Spawns, Generic Spawns, Outlawed Companies, Mercenary Companies and Warbands will be all mentioned. To see numbers or more info and with further detail about any, check their pages (in the case of armies, to their faction page).
Unique Spawns
Unique Spawns are armies that tend to be even more powerful than the generic spawns of the minor factions. They might fight eachother if their respective factions are enemies, they also attack lords, caravans and villagers of the five major factions, and sometimes, even sack cities. Sometimes a kingdom brings in a Marshal and this one will gather most lords of a kingdom to fight one of these spawns, and sometimes even lose. Unique spawns are not to be taken lightly; bring your best men, horses, and tools of war.
You may or may not be able to capture a particular unique spawn when you defeat it. If you successfully capture them, you have several options:
- Ransom them for a large pouch of Diamonds (Jatu lords do give a small CKO unlock on this option as a bonus)
- Ransom them for a Qualis Gems
- Tell them to leave Pendor forever - (won't return) - if used with these 3, they'll reward you with something unique; Aeldarian with his unique bow, Duskfall; Ithilrandir with his unique 1h/2h sword, Havathang; Maltise with her Supreme Asp Set (Supreme Asp Armor, Supreme Asp Helm, Asp Greaves, Asp Gauntlets and Asp Shield) - Secondary effect: player gains 3 honor and 5 renown
- Since 3.9: Aeldarian and Ithilrandir have each 2 of these options. One gives their unique weapon (mentioned above) and the other gives the player their Mystical Rune Plate. This option will also make them not come back again, meaning the player has to choose to either have take their unique weapon or the armor (it is suggested you do the CKO unlock before doing any of these choices)
- Kill them - (won't return) - Secondary effect: player loses 5 honor and 5 renown
- (only some, these are listed with a "Yes" in the table below) Exchange secrets of producing their unique equipment (for your CKO) for freedom - (chance they'll return)
Note that the 'hero' leaders of the unique spawn armies must have at least 15 hp in order to appear on the battlefield, if they don't fight, they can't be captured. Check their health before engaging. Eyegrim the Devourer and The Three Seers are not tagged as 'hero' units and they also have the 'fall dead' flag enabled, meaning that they can die and can't be captured. But they will drop rewards regardless, if their party gets defeated and you get a successful roll (with "capture" chances working the same way as described below). This also means that Eyegrim the Devourer and The Three Seers don't have to be alive at the start of the battle in order to get the possible rewards in the end.
The capture chance relies on your Prisoner Management skill level, increasing by 5% per level, from 40% at 0, up to a max of 90% capture chance at 10. Investing points in this skill is highly worthwhile.
As of v3.9, the capture chance of spawn leaders is predetermined, to prevent save-scumming. The way this is done is that every 5 days (120 hours), a random value between 0 and 99 gets rolled and saved, let's call it "x". The unique spawn leader will be captured if:
x + (prisoner_management_skill * 5) ≥ 60
If your men took part in that battle, then regardless of the outcome, "x" gets immediately rolled again. Otherwise, if you and your party didn't do battle, "x" remains to be rerolled only upon every 5 days.
You can also capture a unique spawn leader when two or more of them fight with each other. If however, Ithilrandir or Aeldarian is present as well, then the "x" from above is replaced with straight -100, meaning that the defeated spawn leader will always escape, no matter whose side you joined.
You can't capture a Unique spawn of a minor faction you're friendly with (positive relations). You can still attack them or by join battle against them. So if you're friendly with Adventurer Companies for example, that'll automatically exclude the possibility of capturing Oswald De Fleur, Meregan Kierlic and Kodan Ironsword.
All unique spawns except Ithilrandir, Aeldarian, Verante Kruus and Rasmus Devatica must be defeated to win the game.
1These spawns will periodically spawn patrols out of them until they get defeated
2Upon defeating the army, a capture roll will be done (calculated in the same way as for unique spawns),
- If captured (the first time):
- Eyegrim the Devourer: Doom Mace and Netherworld Shield unlocked for CKO
- The Three Seers: Doomguide Leather and Darkwood Arrows unlocked for CKO
- If captured (after the first time):
- If escapes:
- Eyegrim the Devourer: random item (item - chance):
- Demon Charger - 5%
- Dire Axe - 5%
- Small Pouch of Diamonds - 90%
- The Three Seers: random item (item - chance):
- Demonskin - 5%
- Doomguide Leather - 5%
- Doom Mace - 5%
- Darkwood Bow - 5%
- Small Pouch of Diamonds - 80%
- Eyegrim the Devourer: random item (item - chance):
To check which CKO unlocks these spawns give, check the Custom Knighthood Order Unlockable Equipment page.
Generic Spawns
Generic Spawns are large armies of the minor factions. They are overall slightly weaker than the Unique Spawns, but the main difference is that Generic Spawns don't have a leader. Any army in the list below will periodically spawn patrols nearby until the army is defeated. These include:
| Invading Armies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Army name |
Faction they belong to |
Spawn location |
Special Reward? |
| Jatu Army | Jatu | Between Valorshield Castle and Bierbuk, Falcondark Castle and Valorshield Castle (Jatu Plains) | 1 Noldor Trade Goods + 1 Small Pouch of Diamonds/Gold Bar (50/50) |
| Mystmountain Army | Mystmountain Raiders | Between Elktrin and Gosbur (Mystmountain Hideout), Stoutheart Castle and Saffrongate, Gosbur and Bazeck | 1 Various Loot + 1 Small Pouch of Diamonds/Gold Bar (50/50) |
| Vanskerry Army | Vanskerries | Between Tyra and Jayek (Vanskerry Landing), Dagon Castle and Tebandra, Odasan and Ruvar | 1 Various Loot + 1 Small Pouch of Diamonds/Gold Bar (50/50) |
| Heretic Army | Heretics | East of Ruvar towards the mountains, between Reveran and Bretven, Kelredan Castle and Mobray, Amere and Avayburg | 2 Heretic Writings |
| Inquisition Army | Inquisition | Derakhte Ghermez, Mardan, Ahda Kalam, Tismirr | 1 Heretic Writings + 1 Snake Cult Rituals |
| Snake Cult Army | Snake Cult | Between Maras Castle and Fenada (Snake Cult Shrine), Serindiar and Fedner | 2 Snake Cult Rituals |
| Peasant Revolt | Rebel Peasants | 20 possible location | 2 Various Loot |
All generic armies except the Inquisition Armies and Peasant Revolt must be defeated to win the game.
Outlawed Companies
Smaller than generic armies and unique spawns. Outlawed Companies are companies that may either spawn on their own as an independent company or will betray their faction if a monarch hires them. These do not have a leader, thus they are lead by the elite troops within the company.
| Outlawed Companies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Company |
Faction they belong to |
Spawn location |
Hireable by |
| Conquistadoros de Aventura | Barclay | Training Fields (all 5) | Koningur Valdis / Marius Imperator |
| Mercenary Company | Adventurer Companies | Near the employer (can't spawn independently) | King Ulric / King Gregory IV / Marius Imperator |
| Mettenheim Expeditionary Force | Mettenheim | Training Fields (all 5) | King Ulric |
| Freikorps Mettenheim | Mettenheim | Training Fields (all 5) | Kadan Bahadur Khan / Koningur Valdis |
| Melitine Scouting Force | Melitine Empire | Training Fields (all 5) | Only may spawn as an independent company |
| Jatu Mercenaries | Jatu | Near the employer (can't spawn independently) | Kadan Bahadur Khan / Koningur Valdis / Marius Imperator |
| Vanskerry Leiesoldat | Vanskerries | Near the employer (can't spawn independently) | King Gregory IV / Kadan Bahadur Khan / Koningur Valdis |
| Daughters of Persinoe | Veccavia | Training Fields (all 5) | Only may spawn as an independent company |
| Singalian Sellsword Company | Singalians | Singal | Only may spawn as an independent company |
| Singalian Slavers | Singalians | Singal | Kadan Bahadur Khan |
Mercenary Companies
Mercenary Companies are smaller than generic armies that can be hired by by the player when he becomes a monarch. Some can be hired by other monarchs as well. Player is the only monarch that can hire any of these, providing he meets the right to rule and other requirements. Mercenary Companies' leaders cannot be captured.
Every company has its small lore, which will be briefly told about when hiring the company and talking to them for the first time. Some more can be known in some upon dismissing the company. To know more about these dialogues, go to the pages of the Leaders of these companies.
To find the composition and number of these companies, go to the pages of the companies.
| Mercenary Companies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Company |
Leader |
Minimum right to rule |
Hireable by |
| The Freybrueder | Kapitan Gerhart | 60 | All monarchs |
| Primera Guardia Real | Velasco Perfecta Banderas Durante | 60 | All monarchs |
| The Veccavian Renegades | Toblik | 30 | All monarchs |
| Sir Timothy's Knights | Sir Timothy | 45 | Player / King Ulric / King Gregory IV |
| 1st Banneret of Marleons | Grandilon | 45 | Player(1) / King Ulric |
| The Sarno Expedition | Lydia of Sarno | 60 | All monarchs |
| Snowlion Brigade | Sir Morcas VII, Baron Verral | 45 | Player(2) / King Ulric |
| Firuz and his Singalian Slavers | Firuz the Brazen | 30 | Player / Kadan Bahadur Khan |
| The Free Company | Jarryn Maersow | 0 | All monarchs |
| Chosen of Indar | Shiruzah of the Hallowed Arrow | 30 | Player / Kadan Bahadur Khan / Koningur Valdis / Marius Imperator |
| Lothario's Brotherhood | Lothario | 0 | Player |
1Also requires positive relations with Duke Aelfwine and not at war with Sarleon or friendly ownership of Marleons
2Also requires war vs Ravenstern or Ravenstern defeated
Hiring a Company
Monarchs can hire a company that will follow them and support them in battles. Every monarch is limited to having at most one company at a time supporting them. Monarchs have a preset list of options, these including some Mercenary Companies, some Outlawed Companies and even some Unique Spawns (options differ depending on the monarch).
The player can hire a company if he becomes monarch, but he has access only to all Mercenary Companies. Most of these do have an extra requirement that has to be met in order to be able to hire the company. The player has to pay the wages of this company, as well as pay an initial 15,000 denars to hire the company. If the company gets destroyed or dismissed by the player, that company will have a 2 weeks cooldown, in which the player won't be able to hire it.
The player can give 3 orders to his mercenary company, "Follow me", "Go to..." and "Patrol around". The first is very straight forward, it'll make the mercenary company follow you (warning, normally they'll be slower, so player should wait them if planning to engage in a decisive battle). The second will allow the player to send the company to a walled fief of the kingdom. Very useful for siege defense and for getting the prisoners they have to your fief, where you can get them and sell those freely). The last one will get them to patrol around any nearby fief (no matter the faction it belongs to), and he will chase any foes that get close to that fief.
Telling the company to follow you will make them follow you fearlessly (not like lords, that may be scared and run away if they see a stronger foe). However, the other two options won't, they have a "smart" behavior, they will avoid and run away from any foe that's stronger than them, meaning that if you tell your company to defend a city that's being sieged, unless the company is stronger, the company will not be able to reach the city. So you have to send them in to the city before the siege starts or you have to help them reach the city.
Companies hired will no longer belong to their original faction, but to the faction of the monarch that hired them, meaning supporting or attacking these companies will only affect your relation with the monarch's faction. If a monarch hires an unique spawn, the player can still capture its leader.
A monarch can't hire a company / unique spawn that is already in Pendor.
Warbands
Warbands are the parties that are between Generic Armies and Patrols in terms of strength and numbers. Few minor factions have, these being:
Spawning Mechanics
When attempting to create a new spawn for a minor faction, the current faction strength (initially 120) is checked against a random number between 1-100. If the number is less than the faction strength, then a new spawn appears. As a result, spawns are more frequent when faction strength is high and left unchecked, and less frequent as those spawns are defeated.
When a new spawn is created, the faction strength is increased by a fixed value, depending on the spawn template. If an NPC defeats the spawn, the faction strength is diminished by the same amount, leaving the faction strength unchanged. However, if the player defeats the spawn, the strength is decreased by another fixed value that is slightly larger than the increase (also based on spawn template). Consequently, player involvement is necessary to reduce a minor faction's strength. This faction strength is capped at some minimum value, so a faction that has been obliterated still has a small chance of coming back over time.
Commentary by SaxonDragon: https://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php?threads/disappearing-jatus.375605/post-8950334
Surprise attack
Ethos 560 + player (1) vs 937
Being close to the city, some spawns (ex. Dread Legion or Rasmus Devatica) can lay siege to the city. Like most siges, its free exp and possibly qualis gem
Every X time (like Dawn -> Early moring) conditions cheak for starting an attack:
- City is close
- (city + nerbay lords (inc. player)) * 2* < spawn autocalc power
- Spawn action: Patrolling (not following)
- City have >300* prisioners
*approximately
TIP: If you can't see if the spawn leader is alive (>15 HP), just move away and back to the city
After win, you get -4 relationship (no matter was you in city or join afterwards)