the Jester
Legend
The motives of adventurers vary a lot; some do it out of a sense of duty, some to better themselves/become more powerful, some out of greed, etc.
But that's not what I'm actually chiming in for- I wanted to address OP's statement that
Yeah, that sounds about right, especially given how murderhobos tend to treat npcs and towns.
But for a very interesting take on how other people see adventurers, check out China Mieville's Perdido Street Station, an urban fantasy novel that cranks the weird up to 11. They're not the main characters, but at some point a party of adventurers gets hired to deal with a monster, and the view you get of them is fantastic- the viewpoint character who you see them through (not the employer, btw) is both pretty intimidated by them and sees them as of ow character; I think grave robbers is one of the phrases used to describe them. Anyway, if you get the chance, it's a book worth reading for that bit alone- and it's got a bunch more to offer, too.
But that's not what I'm actually chiming in for- I wanted to address OP's statement that
From any historic precedents known to me, wandering mercenaries in need of money are not the kind of people villages would put their hopes into. Instead they are the very marauders the villagers need protection from.
Yeah, that sounds about right, especially given how murderhobos tend to treat npcs and towns.
But for a very interesting take on how other people see adventurers, check out China Mieville's Perdido Street Station, an urban fantasy novel that cranks the weird up to 11. They're not the main characters, but at some point a party of adventurers gets hired to deal with a monster, and the view you get of them is fantastic- the viewpoint character who you see them through (not the employer, btw) is both pretty intimidated by them and sees them as of ow character; I think grave robbers is one of the phrases used to describe them. Anyway, if you get the chance, it's a book worth reading for that bit alone- and it's got a bunch more to offer, too.