Freemen of Boston

“We are not relics of the past. We are its perfection.”
— Lord-Provost Adrian Wensley, First Freeman of undefined

Legacy of the Lifted Cities

The Freemen of Boston trace their lineage not to nobility or commandos, but to civic resilience. During the middle years of the First Terran Empire, Earth’s biosphere was collapsing under the weight of geneplagues and mutagenic weapons from the First Empire's early stages. To preserve civilization’s crown jewels, entire cities were lifted from Earth and re-situated in orbit or deep space. One such city was Boston. Over time, the megahab orbiting between Pluto and Neptune flourished, becoming self-sufficient, baroque, and deeply proud. It maintained its own government, its own art and academic institutions, and—most importantly—its own naval yards. The Freemen of Boston emerged not from conquest or command, but from a continuity of culture, education, and refinement. Their Great House is one of appointment, not inheritance; one must be selected by a Freeman Council to join, though familial preference is unspokenly present.

Republic of the Refined

Despite its name, the Freemen of Boston operate more like a renaissance court than a democracy. High learning, social maneuvering, personal style, and civic virtue are held in highest esteem, and a Freeman is expected to be both an aesthete and an Engineer. Their shipyards are legendary—some of the only places in Human Space that can construct long-range deep void vessels without needing corporate subcontracts. Their university system rivals the best of Terra, Venus, and Mars, with a particular emphasis on exosociology, astroengineering, and diplomacy. All of this is cloaked in the pomp of powdered wigs, naval brocade, and polyphonic chamber concerts played over ultraband frequencies. This odd mix of refinement and function has made them deeply respected, if occasionally mocked, across Human Space. The anachronistic (even at launch) attitude initially came in their isolation during the First Empire; A period of fascistic nationalism put an enormous emphasis on various 'glory days' of Boston's past, from the Minutemen to the 26th Infantry Division to the Lunar Campaign. Even after the dictator fell and power balanced, the nationalistic focus on glory days and the effect on the culture remained stubborn. While it's more common by the Age of Convergence to see the standard Pan-Solar Consortium fashion in the corridors of Boston, a powdered wig or brocade coat isn't going to draw any extra attention. Aside from the Library of Steel, Boston also harbors the largest library of Old World texts, including a complete transfer of the Library of Congress preserved from the Collapse.

Courtiers of the Void

The Freemen of Boston are perhaps the most diplomatic of the Great Houses. While some nobles may see diplomacy as a prelude to war, the Freemen see it as art. They maintain relationships with nearly every House and corporate power and host some of the finest salons and peace summits in the Consortium. Still, they are not weak. They are the largest concentration of Voidsters in Human Space, and are a hub of activity for the space-born. Their wealth is immense, bolstered by the manufacture and sale of capital ships and sensor technology, and their Houseguard—known as the Minutemen—are equipped with some of the most advanced Cybernetics and battlesuits available outside of the ranks of Corporate Raiders. Though they rarely act with aggression, the House’s isolation from Sol proper gives them a degree of independence that makes both corporations and aristocrats wary. Their memories of rugged individuality as an ideal have led to the rise of Yute, Seneca, Lister Unified, a crowdsourcing research and development corporation that makes template blueprints for public Fabricators. No one doubts that Boston could become a nation unto itself, were it ever to sever ties with the Consortium. And they never say no with finality—only, “not yet.”