The Small Players

The small players are groups and organizations operating one level beneath the factions. The small players operate on the level between the people and the factions and handle all sorts of things, from farworld trade and fringe bazaars to secret missions, detective work and security details.
- FREE TRADER MARKETS Markets where free traders and peddlers meet up to do business exist all across the Horizon.

FREELANCE AGENCIES

Detective work – anything from missing persons to industrial espionage – is generally managed privately and discreetly, and many detective agencies can be found through the infonet. There are a few larger freelance firms on Coriolis who sometimes hire experts for certain tasks.
- SPY NESTS Some places in the Third Horizon are more filled with lies and intrigue than others, places where the intelligence services gather to hunt for information and secrets.
- INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES The larger factions have their own intelligence agencies, both internal and external, and most large corporations have counter-espionage departments.
- COURIER MISSIONS Sending messages and information across the Horizon is a physical affair that requires a ship since no signals can pass through the portals.
- MERCENARY AGENCIES The mercenary market works similarly to the courier market.
- TRAVELERS AND SPACE CARAVANS Since the Zenithians opened the Horizon, and especially since the Church of the Icons declared the pilgrimage a sacred rite, travel has multiplied many times over.
- RESEARCH INSTITUTES Scientists and explorers often join an academy or a larger faculty to get their work funded. The colleges run by the Foundation are the most popular and have the best resources.
- CORPORATE EXPEDITIONS Some of the larger companies are always on the prowl for forgotten technology. This is done in a number of ways.

SPY NESTS

Some places in the Third Horizon are more filled with lies and intrigue than others, places where the intelligence services gather to hunt for information and secrets. The world of secrets is of course always in motion, but given the infighting in the Council of Factions and the mounting political tensions in the Horizon, some places are safe bets – the City of Foreigners on the moon of Karrmerruk, Zalos, for example. Spies, company mercenaries, correspondents and freelancers flock to the city in the hopes of finding secrets, precious cargo or valuable contracts. A new hotbed for the intelligence community is the asteroid station Djachroum in the Rimward Reach, Kua, in which the Order of the Pariah have suddenly shown a great deal of interest. The Consortium’s Special Branch also maintains a visible presence here with a high security prison, some Foundation research installations and a Legion base. To the common people, Dabaran is the capital of intrigue, with its lords, dars and emirs locked in a constant and very public dance of espionage, murder and negotiation. Freelancers are in high demand on Dabaran as the royalty can deny any knowledge of them if they are caught.