Editing Kingdoms: Neutrals and Outsiders (section)

=Springtime=

In the Season of ''Springtime'', the ''Neutral Player'' goes through the following steps:
* Create new mercenaries
* Apportion boons.
* Offer contracts.
* Escape attempts.
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==Creating New Mercenaries==

A ''Mercenary Piece'' can be a ''Pawn, Knight, Rook'' or ''Bishop''.

The Neutral Player can make as many Neutral Pieces as he can afford, at the following Price List:

* Pawns - 2 Glamour.
* Knight, Bishop or Rook - 4 Glamour.

The ''Neutral Player'' writes a short paragraph describing the unit he is making (just as he would if he was a King Player building his Court) and then the ''Adjudicator'' assigns descriptors to them.

New ''Mercenaries'' are added to the ''Neutral Player's'' '''Mercenary Pool.'''

Mercenaries can be either ''Seelie'' or ''Unseelie'' in nature, at the ''Neutral Player's'' choice.
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==Apportioning Boons==

The ''Neutral Player'' can then apportion ''Boons'' to any ''Mercenaries'' in his ''Mercenary Pool.'' This works in the same way as a ''King'' apportioning boons. 
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==Offering Contracts==

The ''Neutral Player'' can then '''Offer Contracts'''. There are three ways he can choose to do this:

===Open Auction===
One or more Mercenaries is placed in a Group, along with a "term" defined by the ''Neutral Player''. This term is normally ''"till the end of Winter this year"'', but the Neutral Player can specify a longer or shorter term if he wishes. 

The ''Kings'' then have the opportunity to bid. The ''King'' with priority that year gets the privilege of making the first bid, though he can choose to pass that privilege to the enemy King on any given auction. Each ''King'' must then beat the previous bid, or concede. Once a King concedes, then the last bid wins.

If the ''Neutral Player'' wishes he can specify a minimum bid that he would accept, and bidding cannot start lower than this price.

The King with the last bid must then pay that much ''Glamour'' to the ''Neutral Player''. That King then takes control of the piece for the duration of the term.

Note that King's cannot bid more Glamour than they currently have, though their Dreaming attribute does not limit expenditures in auctions.
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===Secret Auction===
One or more Mercenaries is placed in a Group, along with a "term" defined by the ''Neutral Player''. 

The ''Kings'' then each make a ''Secret Bid'', which they tell to the ''Neutral Player''. The ''Neutral Player'' then decides which bid to accept, and the agreed price in Glamour is transferred from the ''King'' to the ''Neutral Player''.

Importantly, in a ''Secret Auction'', the price remains secret from the non-hiring ''King''.

Note that it is acceptable for the ''Neutral Player'' to go back to a ''King'' and ask him to change his bid (and he may well want to lie, claiming that the other King has outbid him). Also, the Neutral Player does not have to accept any bid at all in a ''Secret Auction''.

Once he accepts and takes the Glamour price, however, the hiring ''King'' then takes control of the piece for the duration of the term.
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===Private Deal===
One or more Mercenaries is placed in a Group, along with a "term" defined by the ''Neutral Player''. 

The ''Neutral Player'' then approaches one King, and negotiates a hire deal.

If a price is agreed the hiring ''King'' then takes control of the piece for the duration of the term.
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==Escape Attempts==

The ''Neutral Player'' rolls for '''Escape Attempts''' for any ''Mercenaries'' that have been ''Captured''.

''Mercenaries'' that escape are returned to the ''Mercenary Pool'', unless they are still under contract, in which case they return to the hiring ''King''.
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