Free League
While the Free League’s a loosely based faction, it is a faction nonetheless. Indeps who choose to wear their badge proudly do so not to identify themselves, but to promote the ideas associated with the symbol - namely, acceptance, balance, and individuality. It’s also a signal to other Indeps that a potential ally’s nearby; Free Leaguers aren’t a close-knit group, but they do like to toss the chant around and look out for one another. The Free League’s likely to appeal to player characters of independent natures and those who are shy about espousing a particular philosophy.
Structure
Free Leaguers accept others for what they are, imposing no restrictions on members in terms of race, sex, alignment, or class. Anyone with an independent spirit and a questioning mind can join -just ask any Indep for admittance. He’ll throw out a few questions, lie: What do you believe in? (The answer’d better not be something concrete: if it is, the Free Leaguer steers the berk toward the appropriate faction.) What would you give up your independence for? (The answer’d better be a resounding ’Nothing!”)
Historically, the Free League did not have a vote in the Hall of Speakers. On the 4th Lady of Nihilum, 138Ha, this changed. Bria Tomay was voted in as the first Factol of the Indeps and the Free League now had an official vote.
Culture
It’s hard to be an Indep. Truly independent Free Leaguers have no preconceptions, attitudes. or viewpoints that might cloud the truth of a matter. It’s not easy playing a character who has no biases, no prejudices, no leanings one way or another. An Indep might be suspicious, but not judgmental. He doesn’t believe that any one philosophy is the be-all and end-all of the multiverse. To embrace one ideology denies independent thought, evaluation, and existence. Most Indeps, tolerant and open-minded, know how to get along with other factions. They make excellent party members, even though some other factions usually look on them with a sceptical eye, feeling that an indep’s pure neutrality makes him somewhat untrustworthy. But the Indeps’ simple attitude and forthright outlook can often act as buffers between less neutral faction members.
After all, a genuinely neutral party member shouldn’t take sides in any conflicts that arise between comrades, leaving him free to play the unbiased arbiter in disputes. Furthermore, he’s not likely to be swayed by the pleas or machinations of fellow PCs; the true Indep makes up his own mind on any given situation. Fact is, in parties made up of members from different factions, it‘s the Indep who often holds the group together. With members of the Fated, he’s quite cordial: Takers believe in looking out for themselves first and foremost, and Free Leaguers admire that independence. With all other factions save the Harmonium, an Indep’s absolutely neutral, the one who advocates a more standoffish approach in party disputes. ’Course, when a group contains both an Indep and a Hardhead, blows may result, but that makes for exciting role-playing.
This ain’t no faction, and nobody tells us what to do. Keep your options open; nobody’s got the key to the truth.
Alternative Names
Indeps
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