I was actually thinking of how holy orders would work in Strategus. Yes they held land, but they also have their services to anyone fighting other religions. So I thought it would be a neat idea if a small clan formed as a holy order would basically be a group of mercenaries, but their prices would be determined on what faction religion their contractors had.
If I had a chance and were actually motivated to play strat I would try it, but I'm really annoyed with the current strat.