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77BLc9JwJGpLVARkamJx
historically, mercenary bands in medieval europe were formed by
1) joining other mercenaries/bandits that got their bands badly beaten
2) accepting young men (peasants often) that wanted to try their luck (or escape starvation or the justice of their feudal lord)
3) hiring nobles without a land (usually third sons and further down, illegitimate sons, poor knights)
4) and in the worst cases, conscripting whoever they get their hands on before the local feudal lords hear about it