Freelancers

"Valor to serve the people, regardless of their station.
Courage to bring silence when the Anthem sings.
Faith to keep my word and the word of my brethren.
Trust that the free answer when called.
Strong Alone, Stronger Together."

– From "The Freelancers Three" by Fallon Dalathie

The Freelancers

The Freelancers are a small group of individuals tasked with safeguarding humanity and exploring the perilous lands outside the wall of Fort Tarsis.

Members of the Freelancers are sometimes called "lancers" as shorthand.

Overview

A standard Freelancer squad

The Freelancers are not technically a military organization. They are a ragtag group that carries on the tradition of the Legion of Dawn, protecting the people of Fort Tarsis from the dangers of the outside world. They traditionally operate in squads of four (one different Javelin per squad member). While the Sentinels stay close to Fort Tarsis, Freelancers are tasked with venturing beyond the fort to deal with more esoteric threats. They venerate Helena Tarsis.

While in the field, Freelancers are supported by cyphers, who provide them with intelligence. Every Freelancer team is given at least one cypher (sometimes more).

History

A Freelancer of old

After the death of Helena Tarsis, the Legion of Dawn splintered into three factions. The Freelancers were one of these three, alongside the Sentinels and Dominion. Using their Javelins, the Freelancers were able to safeguard humanity, who built new cities and a new civilization. The Dominion remain the ancient enemy of the Freelancers. The two groups remain in conflict.

The Freelancers were sent to shut down the Heart of Rage Cataclysm, formed in the aftermath of the Battle of Freemark. The attempt ended in disaster, and suffering heavy losses, the Freelancers were forced to retreat in disgrace. Since then, the Freelancers are no longer revered as heroes, and have been forced to scrounge a living by taking mundane contracts throughout Bastion, trying to redeem themselves. However, for all the glories of their past, their current deeds don't give them the same level of reverence they once did. In this period, they moved against the Dominion, as their attempted activation of Shaper relics was putting everyone at risk. To make matters worse, an invasive force known as Scars were also after the technology. The Freelancers are still contracted for various tasks by the factions that operate within Fort Tarsis, but they fiercely retain their independence.

Following the Dominion's resurgence two years later, one of the members of the faction, only referred to as Freelancer, decided to bring his friends Haluk and Faye back to finish what they and their comrades started: silencing the Cenotaph at the center of the Heart of Rage. While they coincidentally shared a common goal (with the latter two revealed to be on a quest for the famed Javelin of Dawn), Haluk was initially reluctant and bitter towards the Freelancer in light of their falling out in the past. Nevertheless, they were able to set aside their differences over time and worked together as in the past. The Freelancer and Haluk however, eventually reconcile for real after catching up with the latter when he is chasing down Owen who stole the Javelin of Dawn in hopes of using it as a bargaining chip to join the Dominion's cause. Although Owen managed to escape and forced to work independently due to his failure in winning The Monitor's trust (not counting that the Javelin of Dawn requires its signet to fully access its capabilities), the two nevertheless received the Javelin's shielding from their former comrade, enabling them to replicate it for their own Javelins and subsequently, stopping Dominion's plan to weaponize the Anthem, silencing the Heart of Rage once and for all, and redeeming their faction.

Gameplay

In Anthem, every player creates and uses their own Freelancer pilot.

Known Freelancers

Various Freelancers

• Adams
• Faye Navine (cypher, affiliated)
• Franlin
• Gurney
• Haluk (mechanic)
• Jani
• Jones
• Lucky Jak (record keeper)
• Prospero (forge keeper)
• Rythe
• "The Freelancer" (player character)

Former Members

• Galen Blewet
• Yarrow
• Owen Corley (cypher, affiliated, defected)

Trivia

• There is evidence that Freelancers are paid for their services; statements from Owen reference bonuses and hazard pay.

• Freelancers have been described as "part explorer and part knight."

• It was originally stated that the Freelancers were uniquely qualified to pilot Javelins.
• Despite it being solidified throughout the story that Cyphers are not allowed to pilot Javelins to any extent, Owen is able to pilot the Javelin of Dawn with absolutely no issues, aside from the Shield of Dawn, and even uses it successfully to defend and rescue Haluk, suggesting that cyphers can learn how to pilot Javelins simply by seeing the Pilots in action.
• They’re philosophically identical to The 6-4 from Titanfall: working for money, but with those they deem acceptable and moral.
• Their lore is similar to that of The Companions from The Elder Scrolls, having been founded and lead by their respective “hero of humanity” and kept relatively close to their roots of defending their people and seeking glory through battle, unlike other groups that broke off from their original faction.
• The Freelancers are fundamentally similar to The Tenno, making a living by aiding the public against newly discovered monstrous beings (Scars/Infested) and oppressive regimes (Dominion/Grineer+Corpus) while using super-powered exoskeletons (Javelins/Warframes) based on the works of ancient factions (Legion of Dawn/Orokin).