I have been playing for ten hours now and I'm still a mercenary for Ravenstern, I think that's a good way to go because I think my incomes would reduce drastically if I became a lord. I think I will stay this way until I have some heavy cash reserves and some more renown and honour. My companions are nice but two have left and that just sucks becuase I don't like paying six thousand for some bastard who leaves me after a week, to bad don't use the feature that's in The Eagle and The Radiant Cross where if someone tries to leave you just tell them that you hang deserters.