When the Freelancers Guild was formed in 2147, it was the coming together of the city's five most successful, most popular, and most hunted mercenaries. Recognizing that they could not stand long against corporate retaliation independently, the five mercs formed a coalition of professionals by actively recruiting among Arcadia's unaffiliated soldiers of fortune. These founding members became what is known as "The Committee of Five", the ruling body of this rigidly structured organization. The Committee is responsible for overseeing all important aspects of the Guild, such as managing its security, maintaining its independence from corporate influence, and deciding the rankings of its members based on performance evaluations, experience, and seniority.

The Guild is built around the acquisition of contracts from sources kept in the strictest confidence. Keeping the anonymity of clients is paramount to the continued existence of the Freelancers Guild. Contracts stipulate the tasks, their duration, plus the number and ranking of the specialists to hire (though contracts can and do stipulate specific Lancers by name... sometimes reputation can exceed ranking). Contract costs are based on the Lancer ranks requested, as the Guild's payscale is also calculated off of member ranking.

The strict code of conduct was created upon the creation of the Guild in order to avoid the internal conflicts that are inevitable when a large group of independently-minded professionals must work together. The code, while perhaps brutal and cold from an early 21st century perspective, is considerably more principled than the philosophies of Arcadia's other power brokers. Lancers must pledge, for instance, to minimize collateral damage, deaths, and injuries, and also to never allow the actions that take place during business to go beyond the contract. Rather than springing from any sort of noble intentions, these requirements were instituted to protect the organization as a whole from threats both internal and external. Members of the Guild are expected to follow the rather broad confines of the code at all times, and report (or, in some cases, eliminate) those Lancers who violate it tenets.

The Committee of Five

The five original mercenary founders of the Freelancers Guild. Most have since hung up their guns to devote themselves fully to the running of the organization. The committee sees to the overall function of the Guild. They take their job very seriously, especially rating individual Freelancers. The rankings that they assign are based upon training evaluations, team exercises, and most importantly of all, performance in any previous real world contracts.

Rangers

There are those among the populace who believe that there is a better way. A return to actual civilization, a real and fair government, and true rule of law. Most people live their lives in oppression without a second thought, because they've never known any other way. The educated and quick of mind, however, realize that once the world was a very different place and that this land and its people were once part of a great democracy with basic freedoms for its citizens.

Among the Freelancers are a small and low-profile minority that refer to themselves as Rangers. As independents with considerably more freedom than most of their fellow residents, Freelancers have more time to reflect on the world, their place in it, and the information they have on the time that existed before the bombs fell. A handful of like-minded individuals came together and formed this sub-faction. Their goal is to promote a return to democracy and freedom, and an end to corruption and oppression. With the money they receive as payment for contracts, they fund their fledgling organization, using the cash to bribe security officers, purchase the release of the wrongly-accused, and bring vital necessities to those in desperate need. Their numbers are small, but they actively try to recruit new members, contacts, and informers (the latter with money rather than ideals if necessary). They use the influence and protection of the Guild to shield themselves as best they can from repurcussions.

It's not hard to see why such a view would be a direct threat to the corporations and the entire establishment. This is why the Rangers carefully maintain such a low-profile even as they try to recruit people in every walk of life, including the security force, government bureaucracy, and possibly even corporations. So while they do have some of their people in positions of minor power, they as of yet have no great sway over the city or its policies.

Peter Quinn
Age: 30 (approximate)
Ranking: 18

Rumor has it that Quinn was once a Corporate enforcer that went rogue some time in 2151, going into business for himself. He is known to have a number of cybernetic enhancements, presumably from his duration as a corporate "troubleshooter". Best estimates put him around 30 years of age, with short black hair and a penchant for sunglasses and dark trenchcoats. His most notable feature is the scar that twists its way down the right side of his face.

For seven years Quinn has been an active member of the Freelancers Guild. He's gained quite a reputation for his precise and efficient operations, not to mention being utterly cool and composed under pressure. Though known to be proficient with just about every weapon known to man, Quinn is said to value precision to the spray-and-pray tactics of many fellow lancers. Persistent rumors abound regarding his involvement in a daring raid on a CyTek weapons laboratory back in 2158. Though no alarms were tripped, someone managed to penetrate the lab in the corporate compound and steal or destroy over a dozen weapon prototypes without ever being spotted by security.

Lina Micano
Age: 29
Ranking: 16

Not much is really known about Lina's history, except that when she was young, her mother and father were gunned down by members of the Arcadia Security Force. For what crime, no one is sure of. It is supposed that her parents stumbled upon an illegal deal involving corrupt officers who wanted to eliminate any possible witnesses. The result was that Lina was left to fend for herself and it is thought that her desire to revenge her parents death led her to become a mercenary.

She spent years training herself in the art of infiltration and espionage, reportedly being capable of practically disappearing into shadows. Recently, though, she has been taking on more assassination contracts. She is filled with hatred and appears to have little pity upon any living thing, killing whomever displeases her. Because of Lina's attitude, few other Lancers care to work with her. This is fine with her, since she prefers working alone. She has been inconclusively linked to a number of famous crimes, including the assassination of many government officials.

Derek 'Dick' Kowalsky
Age: 47
Ranking: 17

Fifteen years on the street as a Regulator dealing with homicide and other brutal crimes had proved to Derek that he was worth far more than even the upgraded City Wage provided. And to the criminals who's organizations he constantly dismantled, those fifteen years proved that Derek had more luck than one person deserved.

Derek's only skills are shear good fortune, and the ability to 'solve problems' cleanly and efficiently. A grizzled face and receding hairline may have done no favours for his looks, but neither his health nor ability with small arms have deteriorated, and Derek is often employed to penetrate enemy infiltration attempts, or to organize high level missions on the streets. Deft and decisive, he is always in demand as a backup man with many of the other Guild operatives, and the essential choice for situations where the client requires trustworthiness, such as with large cash runs or data retrieval.

Derek was briefly famous for punching Security Commissioner Richard Morris in the face during a live televised report ten years previously, just before quitting the force - and as a by-product, saving the Director from a sniper's bullet. Derek Kowalsky is well known as a man of integrity by reputation, although he no longer has a well recognised face.

(Apparently the now late R. Morris was so grateful at surviving an assassination attempt, he pressed no assault charges, and even awarded Derek with a sizeable retirement payment. Three weeks later a second assassin proved more successful, at least until he was apprehended by Kowalsky himself some months afterwards.)

Ryan Kade
Age: Unknown
Ranking: 18

This mysterious Ranger is at least 30 years old, but massive cybernetic augmentation has made it almost impossible to tell his true age and whispers of an inhuman lifetime are not uncommon among the elite circle that is aware of his existence. He stands at 6 feet 7 inches, an oddity in an age where malnutrition has decimated the population, and his massive build further distinguishes him from any crowd. Despite his conspicuous bulk, he is one of the most accomplished disciplines of the hunter's art. His fellow Lancers consider him to be one of the most unusual (and skilled) guild members because of the exotic and stringent moral code that he adheres to with a diligence that approaches fanatical. Unlike other Lancers, Ryan does not pick contracts based only on the price-tag attached to them and as such he and his partner Nikee are considered the last resort of the wronged... at least those who turn to the Lancer's Guild.

Some of his more prestigious jobs include assisting in the relocation of a Roofdweller clan and mediation of the treaty that was responsible for the recent de-escalation of hostilities between the Yakamoto Corporation and the DataWalkers gang. His appearance is perhaps the most shocking aspect of this warrior. Other than height and build, no scars, features, or visible machinery have ever been observed that differentiated him from his more organic if less human brethren. His favored weapons are the dual cougar magnums that sit in his side holsters. It is known that they were rebuilt from the ground up but, much like their owner, the nature of the enhancements is unknown. On occasion he has been known to wield an IMI Tavor Assault Rifle that also shows signs of serious modification.