I have been attempting to establish sides, and then will use these smaller groups to create an atmosphere of distrust and confusion, lending power to us. My goal is to have the NMR accept the aid of the mercenaries, then encourage the ISC to buy them off for information and letting in assasins. I will inform the NMR that the mercenaries are sending information, telling them that feeding false information will aid them rather than punishing or letting go of the merc. I will not, however, tell them of the assasination plans.
The more even each side is, the more deaths there will be, and so I have been encouraging the neutral groups to choose one side or another.