@ Varadin and other Merc haters : Yes we all noticed that more and more my old friends take on the armored-angel-on-a-black-background banner. As Angantyr said, do not take the actions of a few individuals for the mindset of the whole group. I was the leader of a big clan on some other games and I know how easily a good clan can end up having a few my old friends in it. Take it as a quota, all clans will have more idiots the more they have members.
And if you want someone to pay you up after a duel, be smart yourself and don't expect a raging kid to pay after he lost a duel. Use a third-party person to handle both of you guy's funds before the duel to ensure fairness. If you're not smart enough to duel correctly, don't expect your opponent to be kind enough to accept some random terms.
PS: Though I'd like Mercs to be an elitist clan again, it's always nice to have diversity in clans beyond just nationality. Having a small(er) clan made up of only the cream of the crop of c-rpg would add a little thrill to clan warfare in my opinion !