Quote Originally Posted by Zild
Thanks for that, it confirms one fear (though where on Earth do all those Mercs come from then?!)
I think the game also generates mercenaries in provinces that can normally produce them. They will then start moving about, preferentially in the direction of an ongoing war. Disbanded units only form a minority. Interesting, disbanded crusades also produce mercs: I once trashed a German crusade as the Egyptians, and found a group of Teutonic knights in the inn the next turn.