The Freelancer

The Freelancer is a nameless human protagonist from the video game Anthem. The Freelancer can be of either gender, but they belong to the Freelancer faction of Bastion, a nation on Planet Coda. The Freelancer is currently based in the Fort Tarsis Freelancer Enclave, from where they perform their duty of protecting the people of Bastion, outside the safety of the walled settlement, and silencing dangerous volatile Relics—mysterious artifacts left behind by the Shapers, who are the Gods that created Coda—scattered across this vicious planet.
The Freelancer starts as a nobody and raises to glory by accomplishing an incredible feat—putting an end to a violent world altering cataclysm that had devastated a whole continent for a decade. Depending on the situation, the Freelancer can be very arrogant or down to earth humble. The Freelancer is also a bit sarcastic in most circumstances, including life-threatening situations.
The female Freelancer is voiced by Sarah Elmaleh. The male Freelancer is voiced by Ray Chase. The Freelancer is referred to using the pronouns he/she in the game depending on voice selected at the beginning, but in the article, the third person singular ‘they’ is used for convenience.
==Appearance==
The Freelancer’s appearance is generic and standard to that of the people of Bastion. Regardless of their gender, they wear a white shirt, khaki pants and a gray scarf around their neck. Their shirt has the faction logo of the Freelancers and is short-sleeved only on its left side. They have 21 face presets each for females and males for the player from which to choose. The Freelancer wears a fingerless-glove hooked to a triangular attachment called a signet on their right hand; it is used to communicate with their team and collect information during their expeditions.
Unfortunately, the Freelancer is not shown in third person for lore reasons, so it is impossible to look at their face, let alone their whole body. However, during certain story-related cut scenes, the Freelancer's body can be seen. Their face is only ever shown outside the walls when they are equipping the default helmets for the Ranger, Storm, or Interceptor Javelins, or the default torso for the Colossus Javelin.
That being said, when outside the walls, the Freelancer uses their Javelins to perform their duties, making them a lancer. Lancers are pilots who fly and operate a Javelin exo-suit from within, through a connection between the suit and their minds through a system called the Gateway. Javelins have some of the most extensive cosmetic customization present in any video game, making each Javelin’s appearance unique. This ideology is called Bringing the Thunder when the Freelancer is in the Forge changing their Javelin’s appearance.
==Narrative==
The Freelancer’s place of origin is unknown. But they are a citizen of Bastion, a nation on the continent of Mirrus. Several years before the present year of 468 Legion Victorious (LV), the Freelancer, then not working for the faction, met with Owen Corley and became his friend. Just before the year 466 LV, the Freelancer had joined their faction under the mentorship of a celebrated freelancer called Haluk.
Freelancers were disgraced as a faction in the year 458 LV when their largest base in the city of Freemark was destroyed by a cruel authoritarian regime from a different continent, called the Dominion. The Dominion upset an artifact called the Cenotaph, a Shape Relic hidden beneath Freemark, with which they unleased the largest cataclysm—a world changing destructive event—ever known to the people of Bastion, that eventually ended up ruining two large cities, and wiping out 90% of the Dominion forces that invaded.
Haluk led an expedition to silence this cataclysm along with a talented Cypher called Faye, the Freelancer, who was a new recruit, and several other strike teams in 466 LV. But the mission miserably failed, killing 20 lancers and putting 3 Cyphers, who are people sensitive to the Anthem of Creation, into catatonic state. After this, each went their separate ways.
===Legend of the Heart of Rage===
Two years later, in 468 LV, the Freelancer joined hands with Owen, who had become a Cypher, and led simple expeditions contracted by the people of Fort Tarsis—a walled town which had become the new base of what little of the Freelancers faction remained in Freemark—in order to make their ends meet using a rusty old Javelin. The two were contacted by Tassyn, one of the leaders of Bastions covert organization called Corvus, to prepare to silence the Heart of Rage.
The Freelancer, during this process received compensation through Corvus in the form of resources and Javelins. While hunting for clues, the Freelancer found out that the Dominion had returned to weaponize the Cenotaph for unknown reasons with the same person who had disrupted it 10 years ago—the Monitor, an extremely powerful Cypher and Lancer. The Heart of Rage was growing stronger as each day passed. This meant that they needed more help and something more powerful to enter the cataclysm to silence the relic. The Freelancer and Owen worked out that they could enter the cataclysm with the help of the very first and the most powerful Javelin, called the Javelin of Dawn, which was lost to time, and silence the Cenotaph.
During this process, they found Haluk and Faye again, who had determined a way to locate the lost Javelin on their own accord. After settling their differences to an extent, The Freelancer, along with Owen, joined Faye and Haluk to locate the Javelin in a mobile transportation and storage unit called a Strider. In the process, they found the hidden tomb of the Legendary General Tarsis, who was the owner of the first Javelin. Using her signet to unlock a human stronghold called the Fortress of Dawn, the Freelancer found the Javelin of Dawn kept safe deep inside the fortress.
Unfortunately, because of an unexpected fall off, Owen betrayed his team and took off with the Javelin of Dawn. But Faye, being an excellent Cypher, collected the blueprints of the Javelin hidden in the fortress. It turned out that they didn’t need the whole Javelin to enter the cataclysm, but only a part, which they called the Dawn Shield. However, even after crafting the shield, it was still not working properly, as if something was missing from it. Meanwhile, Tassyn was growing impatient and was at the verge of sending in the Sentinels, the official royal guards of Bastion, to put an end to the cataclysm.
At this time, Haluk also wanted to join the Freelancer to silence the Heart of Rage. But was having trouble using his Javelin. He went back to the Fortress after a backlash with Faye, who didn’t want him to enter the cataclysm again. It turns out, Faye was the one who contacted Tassyn to recruit the Freelancer because Haluk wasn’t capable of effectively operating his javelin any longer, due to his trauma from 2 years ago. The Freelancer went after Haluk and had a heart-to-heart with him. Meanwhile, Owen, swooped in piloting the Javelin of Dawn to warn the Freelancer of the incoming Monitor’s Dominion troops towards the Fortress. Trying to amend his mistake, Owen presented the Freelancer with a piece of the first Javelin’s own Dawn Shield and went his way. After defeating the Dominion around the Fortress, the Freelancer returned to the Fort and spoke with Faye, trying to reconcile her with Haluk, and showing the piece that Owen gave them. Faye identified that the piece would make their own crafted Dawn Shield work, and ran to mend fences between herself and Haluk.
With everything prepared, before the Sentinels could reach the Cenotaph, the Freelancer, Haluk, and Faye went to the ruins of Freemark. The Freelancer was the sole lancer who entered the cataclysm. Fighting through the horde of elemental terrors that were created during the cataclysm and the Dominion soldiers, the Freelancer reached the ruins where the Cenotaph was located to see an empty Javelin. A strange device was hooked to the relic making it more volatile and shielding it from being touched, preventing its silencing. The Javelin was that of the Monitor, who had been corrupted by the Anthem of Creation to become a monumental creature that wielded powers of fire, acid, and lightning.
The Freelancer, with great difficulty and valor, defeated the monitor—a feat not to be taken lightly, given that the Monitor claimed that he was transcendent and one with the Anthem of Creation—and forced the Anthem to reject him, bringing the monstrous creature back to his human-self. The cataclysm was still raging. Haluk brought in Cypher Faye who was being consumed by the Anthem of Creation. From her telepathic Cypher abilities, she was connected to the Monitor’s mind and found the way to remove the barrier around the Cenotaph. Once she did that, the Freelancer silenced the Heart of Rage for good. However, the Anthem was swimming through Faye’s mind, she was in the process of being consumed by it. But because Haluk and the Freelancer coerced her to let go, she released herself from the Anthem’s shackles. 
Thus, the Freelancer and their team silenced one of the most destructive cataclysms that wreaked havoc in Bastion, and returned to Fort Tarsis victorious. And, with that, the people began to regain their faith in the Freelancer faction.
In the end, the Freelancer was thanked by Tassyn and another veteran Freelancer called Grandmaster Adams, who revealed a mysterious new threat—one which was thought to have vanished from Bastion nearly half a millennium ago—had returned, and they must secretly prepare while performing their duties. Whether this preparation would be beneficial, is for the Shapers and future to decide.
===Side Stories===
The Freelancer has also helped other people to investigate and finish other contracts by important figures of Fort Tarsis such as Veteran Freelancer Yarrow, Sentinel Lieutenant Brin, Reputed Arcanist Matthias, a princess from the Royal Family called Adaxia Dell, Corvus Agent Sev, and a leader of the Freelancers called Grandmaster Adams during several instances.
Each time the Freelancer is outside the walls of Fort Tarsis, they have their own adventures. They constantly patrol the wilderness, protect travelling civilians attacked by outlaws, rescue abducted by the invasive species called Scars, defeat monsters that cause havoc in research or settlement sites, and do daring feats of entering anomalies to contain them.
===Echoes of Reality===
Several months after the Heart of Rage was silenced, The Freelancer had to silence another cataclysm called Echo of Reality. Unlike the previous one which caused mindless destruction, if this one wasn’t contained, it would have changed the reality in which the people of Coda lived.
After the Monitor’s defeat, a new Dominion battalion called the Spear, started hunting down the Dominion soldiers who supported him. It turns out, the Monitor went rogue and subverted the Dominion’s plans, trying to harness the power of the Anthem for himself, instead of the task he was ordered to perform. In the process, their leader, a Dominion Valkyrie Lancer called Vara Brom, started another massive cataclysm called the Echo of Reality. The cataclysm began by causing strange weather phenomena all across the world. Eventually, before being silenced, it altered the Planet permanently in the northern parts of Bastion.
With the help of an adversary Dominion Arcanist called Doctor Harken, who was with the Monitor during the chaos of the Heart of Rage, the Freelancer found a way to enter this cataclysm without causing too much damage to themselves. But first, the doctor had to be captured while he was trying to experiment in a large Shaper Structure.
While several freelancers and lancers from other factions joined in the effort to contain the cataclysm, The Freelancer was tasked to enter the Echo of Reality and find its root cause. After finding out that the cataclysm was modifying the reality inside it, trying to spread out and replace the reality outside, Dr. Harken tasked the Freelancer to obtain parts to build a built a special device called egress. The Egress would keep the Freelancer and their Javelin in one piece for a limited time, after which, if continued to remain inside the cataclysm’s storm, their reality would be ripped apart. Once the Freelancer procured the required parts—which included fighting a new chimera called the Bristleback to obtain its quills—Harken started building the egress.
After having a conversation with the imprisoned Harken, the Freelancer found out that they must enter the cataclysm multiple times to collect mysterious argent glinting crystals, which were the key to solving the puzzle to contain the cataclysm. At the same time, the Freelancer, with Cypher Faye’s guidance, also had to defeat Vara, who was corrupted by the Anthem of Creation and Shaper Energy, and the perilous things she had created within the cataclysm, in order to to weaken it. But Vara and her creations would return every time the Freelancer entered the Echo of Reality. Though the cataclysm grew stronger and stronger, its effects began spreading out like an echo, gradually changing the parts of Northern Bastion. However, it also became easier and easier to collect crystals to study the cause.
When enough crystals were collected, Harken determined the root cause. The Freelancer also found out from the doctor, that Vara was the Monitor’s sister. They also learned that the same threat revealed by Adams had already reached the Dominion’s Northern borders, and hence, the Monitor was sent to weaponize the Cenotaph against it. But her loyalty towards the Dominion was greater than that towards her own family. 
Ultimately, the Freelancer destroyed the cause of these Echoes of Reality and defeated Vara for good. Towards the end, Vara transformed back to a human, but her body was dying from the corruption. The Freelancer showed her mercy, trying to save her from the agonizing pain she was going through, rather than putting her down for her atrocious acts. Despite the compassion, Vara mocked the Freelancer for being a puppet blind to its own strings in a grander scheme, and revealed that all of this, including the cause of the Heart of Rage, was Doctor Harken’s plan, leaving the Freelancer baffled as she withered to dust.
When the Freelancer returned to the Fort, Doctor Harken had vanished, leaving them a letter saying that Vara’s words hurt him, and he was an ally. And the next time the Freelancer needs his help, he will help them, confusing the Freelancer even more, and making them wonder what was going to happen next.
==Powers and Abilities==
Depending upon the player’s interest during an expedition outside the walls, the Freelancer has access to any of the 4 different Javelins, once they unlock it. They also have shown several intellectual skills during various missions and conversations.
===Speech Skills===
The speech skills of the Freelancers are mostly used when they are inside the walls. They can speak with various characters and determine the outcome of their problems, if any. Depending on the choices made by the Freelancer, the tone of the characters will change towards them.
===Investigative Skills===
The Freelancer has proven several times that they can investigate issues that create problems in Fort Tarsis, outside during missions, look for secrets out in the world and perform research. They even re-discovered a faction from a bygone era that was lost in darkness.
===Teamwork===
Being a part of a faction means the Freelancer has to coordinate with their all seeing, all sensing, telepathic Cypher companions who can project objects of interest around a lancer’s Javelin, their own team during the expedition, and all other people linked to their communication device (link). 
The Freelancer usually has Owen or Faye as their Cypher, and Haluk as their strider’s pilot. The team is made up of in-game non-playable characters and other real-world “Freelancers” who can join the expedition.
===Silencing Relics===
Only Freelancers are trained to silence volatile Shaper Relics, and no other type of lancer can do this job, making them a necessary faction. The Freelancer is also trained in doing this and has silenced numerous relics preventing cataclysms. They have also silenced relics that have influenced large scale world altering events.
==Javelins==
Javelins are powerful exo-suits with special capabilities that can do things that a person in regular suit of armor could not hope to achieve. They vary in design and performance. They can be personalized through cosmetics and upgraded to improve their combat prowess. Javelins are not archetypal classes because any Javelin can be modified to behave in different ways depending on its combat loadout. The Freelancer has access to 4 different Javelins. Each Javelin has access to a wide variety of hand-held guns for combat other than their own javelin-specific equipment.
===Ranger Javelin===
The Ranger is the jack of all trade Javelin with grenades, assault launchers, deploying support gears, hand-held guns, maces for melee damage, and a unique ultimate ability called Micro-Missiles, where the Freelancer can propel homing missiles at enemies while flying.
===Colossus Javelin===
The Colossus is a heavy Javelin with ordnance launchers, heavy assault launchers, unleashing heavy support gears, gloves for melee damage, and a unique ultimate ability called Siege Cannon, where the Freelancer can launch area demolishing projectiles.
===Storm Javelin===
The Storm is an elemental Javelin with blast seals, focus seals, casting support seals, strikes for melee damage, and a unique ultimate ability called Elemental Storm, where the freelancer can summon a fire/ice/lightning field under enemies and hurl elemental meteors on them.
===Interceptor Javelin===
The interceptor is a nimble Javelin with strike systems, assault systems, releasable support systems, blades for melee damage, and a unique ability called Assassins Blades, where the Freelancer can lacerate enemies through the Javelin’s blades and create a ghost that can continually do them damage.
==Gallery==
The Freelancer Defeats a Monster.png| The Freelancer Defeats a Monster
The Freelancer faces the Monitor before the Cenotaph.png| The Freelancer faces the Monitor before the Cenotaph
The Freelancer Defeats Vara.png|The Freelancer after defeating Vara Brom
==Trivia==
*According to the developers, the Freelancer is supposed to be nameless because the players themselves are considered to be performing the acts.
*From the gaming perspective, the players are both a Freelancer and The Freelancer at the same time. They are “the” Freelancer in their story and “a” Freelancer in other players’ stories.
*The Freelancer is true to the faction’s motto which is derived from a book called “The Freelancers Three”:
**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.
==See also==
*The Freelancer on Anthem Wiki
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