Freedom

Freedom is a faction in the Zone, being the third largest community. They are commonly referred to as "anarchists" by Dutyers and free stalkers, and "stoned bastards" by the army and mercenaries. Despite this, though, Freedom will put up a good fight when provoked. This is also one of the many reasons why they are still dreaded and fairly respected in the Zone.

> I wouldn't want to mess with them if I were you, stalker. They are fanatical towards their... er... "medical boxes".
>
> -A free stalker advising the Strelok, 2012

## Svoboda

"Heeeeyy there, you cold dude and cold-blooded comrades! If you want to be appreciated and treated like family, then that's Freedom all the way! We have no chores, no brainwashing, and.no.morning.wake up drills! If you value your freedom and want to join in among others like you, join right in!"

## Overview

A group consisting primarily of anarchists and daredevils, they firmly believe that the Zone is a scientific marvel and should remain "free for everyone to enter, explore and study". They are specialists in "killing the monopolists" as well as being the main promoter for mutant preservation (except for truly serious threats like chimeras and pseudogiants). Lukash and Loki are the primary examples of this idealogy, with Lukash giving the player a mission to "pay *a certain stalker* a hearty visit for the sake of Mother Earth" and Loki's views about the Zone. Freedom is also notorious for being addicts to recreational drugs such as cannabis, with Ganja (lit. "weed" in Indian) - the former Freedom bartender back in Dark Valley '11, always ended his convos with "*Come back later. We're expecting a new supply of real high-class herbs, that will get you higher than high..."*. Their gears are also homegrown, being based on popular designs from across the Zone. An example of this is the Wind of Freedom suit. Also, due to their primary base being placed in the military warehouses, their positions are now somewhat elevated since they are responsible for keeping the Barrier intact from time to time.

This faction is collectively controlled and played by: Greyhound, Macabre and Second Mate Smiley.

## Background

Formed by a band of four free stalkers: **Chekhov, Lingov, Lukash** and **Loki**, with the aim of researching the Zone and harvesting its' fruits, artifacts and anomalies, available to the general public. Due to the core principle of Freedom being "Liberty for everyone!", it has led to its' opponents concluding that they are no more than:

> Bunch of stinky anarchists...
>
> -Colonel Skull, a "marked as deserted" Duty high-ranked member, 2012

Although they don't openly promote the usage of artifacts, members of Freedom have been recorded to had and have made use of the Zone's fruits to their own benefits, especially the ones assigned for guard duty in the Barrier region as well as long range expeditions deep inside the uncharted territories of the North.

## Infrastructure

### Overview

Being the only major faction with two bases in the Zone, Freedom is formally seperated into two groups: Lukash's Freedom which operates primarily in the south and Loki's Freedom which do the opposite. While its' members aren't obligated to follow everything their leader say, in times of conflict it's compulsory to "*to follow the command of our leader without any questions*".

### Subgroups:

* Sons of Anarchy: A group of elite Freedomers under the leadership of Klepto.

### Notable characters:

* **Leader**
	+ South: Lukash, Klepto
	+ North: Loki
* **Technician:** Screw
* **Trader:** Skinflint
* **Medic:** Solid
* **Others:**
	1. Cannabis/**Can-Abyss**: A menace to society. A legend member among the Freedom ranks.
	2. Sobek: Sneaky and snarky dealer

### Ranks:

* Seedy
* War-Dog
* Ace

### Base's locations:

* Freedom's base, Army Warehouses
* Yanov station, Jupiter

### Areas of interest:

* Cordon
* Darkscape
* Garbage
* Dark Valley
* Truck Cemetery
* Red Forest
* Radar
* Jupiter
* Zaton
* Pripyat Outskirts

## Politics and Manpower

*See:* Zone Politics and Factions' Infrastructure

## Equipment

### Overview

As forementioned, Freedom enjoys making their own gear, basing their designs off widely used suits by different factions in the Zone. Their camouflage and protection parameters are described to be the complete opposite of Duty's.

> If I have to describe Freedom's crafts in the simplest way possible, it would be "the North Pole of Duty". I'm not joking around, their suits are extremely balanced, unlike the self-proclaimed "protectors of the Earth"'s armors which are heavy as heck and only provide protection against bullets, mutant bites, blah blah blah. If you are seeking to be a good Zoner, best you pay a visit to the green boys' workshops for an actual piece of armor.
>
> -Vladimir Reznov, Loners, 2014

### Protective gears:

#### Helmets and gas masks:

* Gas masks:
	1. Respirator: Mainly used by Seedy members in conjunction with the Wind of Freedom suit.
	2. Retrofitted PBF
	3. M40
	4. Avon M50 (in limited numbers)
* Helmets:
	1. Steel helmet: Rarely used.
	2. ACH-7: "Upgrade to the steel helmet."
	3. ACH-7EX: "Some guys thought it would be funny to strap a gas mask to a helmet and call it a day."
	4. Sphere-12: Safe to assume that Freedom captured a large stock of leftover equipment back in 2011 when they captured the military warehouses. Nowadays, it would also be logical to assume that Freedom is manufacturing their own Sphere-12s too.
	5. Exohelm: A common piece of high-end gears at this point.
	6. Apocalypse helmet: "When will the apocalypse come?"
	7. Cz-M10 "Spartan": "THIS IS SPARTA!"

#### Body armors:

* Light:
	1. Freedom leather jacket: Similar to the firearm enthusiast's jacket, it features many pockets for pistol magazines with some extra padding for protection. Mainly used by freshfaces (not Seedy) and senior members on leisure time.
	2. Wind of Freedom: Freedom's first ever commissioned suit. It comprises of a light bulletproof vest with some pouches, a unique Ghille-like undersuit and hiking boots. It provides rather surprisingly high elemental protection and adequate ballistics protection for a suit of its' class, while being remaining lightweight (the suit itself is only around 3.5 kg), thanks to a special substance called "Horizon" - Freedom's homegrown coating for protective suits, being applied to it.
		1. Kombez Freedom M2: Also known as **"Wind of Freedom M2**", this version of the WoF includes a metal mesh which improves rupture and impact protection, while also upping psionic protection by a small (but rather noticable) percent.
* Medium:
	1. Watchman of Freedom: Also called unofficially as "**Freedom Warrior suit**", this medium-class armor is essentially Freedom's PSZ-9d. It features roughly the same physical protection as the forementioned suit, while the elemental parameters are amplified. Despite still regarded as having inadequate protective quality against anomalies, this is by far the most used suit among Freedom ranks.
	2. Guardian of Freedom: Called as "**Freedom Guard suit**" by a few veteran members, this armor is Freedom's take on the Berill-5M. The general design is that of the Berill, aibeit the lack of pads. The camouflage is Flecktarn while the gloves are cut instead of full and camo'd like on the Berills. First appearing in 2011, this armor proved to be a vast improvement over the Watchman of Freedom, providing nearly as double the protection against physical and elemental threats. It's usually used by Northern troopers, however.
* Heavy:
	1. Freedom NBC suit: Essentially the anarchists' version of the NBC. The elemental protection is greatly improved thanks to the usage of a special substance known as "Horizon-S". Otherwise, the physical protection and durability is as bad as ever.
	2. Pathfinder of Freedom: Sarcastically referred to as "**Smartass' suit**" due to the idea being stolen from the Ecologists, this suit is considered as some of the worst take on the prized design ever, only considered as superior to the Bandits's and Renegades's, while marginally performing better than the legacy SEVA fielded by the free stalkers. It's collectively dreaded and hated, with users of it being "binded with a curse of stucking in the Bloodsucker Village..."
	3. Warrior of Freedom: Freedom's take on the heavy armored suit. Elemental protection is improved greatly while physical protection is maintained, with the weight slightly reduced. Primarily used by Barrier's defending teams.
	4. Champion of Freedom: Also known as "Freedom's exoskeleton" or "Hippies' exoskeleton", this is Freedom's pride in engineering. Considered as one of the best and most balanced exoskeletons the Zone has to offer, it features: a lightened weight (due to the replacement of metal with carbon fiber), improved elemental protection and physical protection over the legacy exoskeleton. It's only issued to Freedom's best soldiers and VIP's bodyguards, such as Kremen or Lukash's "gang". It's also one of the most recognizable suits in the Zone, owning to its' yellow stripes and palette of color. Made by Freedom's proud artisans.
	5. Paragon of Freedom: Freedom's Nosorog, one of the best there is. Its' protectice statistics are highly balanced, while the weight is lighter compared to other Nosorogs. Only used by the best of the best among Freedom's ranks.

### Weapons:

#### Primary firearms:

* SMGs:
	1. HK MP5A2: Legendary 9mm West German submachinegun.
		1. HK MP5SD6 (in limited numbers): "Shhhhh... sleep now."
	2. PP-19 "Bizon": 9x18mm submachinegun based on the AK family with a comical 64rnd helical magazine that is known to be prone of malfunctioning.
	3. OTs-02 "Kiparis": Soviet SMG from the 1970s. Intended for security firms and law enforcement agencies at the time.
* Shotguns:
	1. Remington Model 870: Classic American shotgun, dating back from the 1950s. Known for its' reliability and low cost. A popular choice for home defense.
	2. Franchi SPAS-12 (in limited numbers): "Shit's so heavy, I don't know why people are drooling over it."
	3. Izhmash Saiga-12K: AK made for the 12-gauge buckshots. Strangely, the bolt locks back after a mag is emptied.
		1. OP-SKS: Hunting version of the SKS. It's just an SKS with a dovetail mount.
	+ Carbines:
		1. Colt M4A1: The most common AR-15 variant in the world.
			1. Freedom's M4A1: A special version of the legendary U.S, carbine, modified by Freedom's technicians for the harsh environment of the Zone. It's coated with a light green anti-corrosive paint and the internals have been taken out for tweaking. The end result was a much more durable, reliable and accurate M4A1. It's also known as "**M4A1 Bile**" or "**Drunkard's M4**" due to the paint looking like... either stomach bile or worse... a drunkard's vomit.
		2. HK G36K: Carbine version of the G36. Primarily used by Freedom's scouts.
		3. AKS-74u: Mainly used by rookies and scouts near Duty's controlled areas.
	+ Assault rifles:
		- AK-101: 5.56x45mm variant of the AK-100 series, made for export. The M4 of the Eastern European world.
		- AK-74: Is used mostly by Seedy and experienced Freedom troopers.
		- ZM LM-300ML: An AR-15 with a folding-stock, the first of its' kind. Produced by ZM Weapons from 2003 to 2007, all rights are now sold to Para USA. This interesting design is used widely by Freedom stalkers since 2011.
		- Colt M16A2: Modernization of the Vietnam-era M16A1 in the 1980s by Colt, requested by the U.S. Marine Corps. It features a new handguard, new ironsights and a thicker barrel profile. It's enjoyed by Freedom stalkers for being a highly reliable and accurate rifle.
		- L85A2: Another well used and liked rifle among Freedom's ranks.
			1. L85A2 spec. 1: Freedom's modified L85A2 for more accuracy and reliability.
			2. L85A2 spec. 2: Nicknamed "**The Londoneer's Musketeer**", this version of the L85A2 is optimized for sustain fire while the gun is coated with a special anit-corrosive flecktarn camouflage. Overall durability remains the same, but reliablity is increased greatly. A bipod has also been added for further stability. A stock pad has also been added for further comfort. It's said by a British gunsmith was responsible for this concept in the first place. He referred this rifle as "my musketeer. He never misses. He's a good musketeer." After his sudden death as a result of being a "proud defender of Mother Earth" during a fierce fight against a Monolith's offensive pre-2018, Freedom decided to name this piece after the defender's nationality. And I quote:
			> Here, on a hill nearby the great Barrier that have witnessed many of our brothers' deaths and victory cries, lies the great warrior from a foreign land, far far away from this Zone. He sacrificed himself selflessly while defending the Barrier from yet another attack by the Monolith. Another soul claimed, but will not be forgotten: The Great Londoneer, and his Musketeer.
			>
			> -a never once defiled stash in the Army Warehouses
		- FNH M16A4: Further development of the A2. Formerly the USMC's standard rifle for frontline troops, now replaced by the M27 IAR. In limited numbers as part of a "mutual relationship" with the mercenaries. It's usually seen with a broomhandle slapped onto the handguard and an ACOG.
		- FNH F2000: In limited numbers. Tactically acquired from dead Monolithians in the past as well as secret deals with the mercenaries.
		- HK G36: One of the most iconic assault rifle designs of all time, hailing from Germany. It's primarily used by veterans.
			* "*ZE GERMAN ENGINEERING IS ZE BEST IN DER WELT!*"
		- Swiss Arms SG 550: Swiss engineering, what can I say? Endorsed by many, loved among Freedom ranks.
			* "Swisses made crazy firearms back in the day. They still do today, just like their army knives and watches."
	+ Battle rifles:
		1. FNH FAL: Dubbed as the *Right Arm of the Free World,* this decades old design is still in service around the globe, mostly in the African region. Reliable, fast firing, lightweight and accurate, the Belgians really did it good (after what America pressed them to do...). Freedom troopers in the Barrier region utilize this rifle heavily. It's remarked for its' general reliability and rather fast (but quite uncontrollable) rate of fire of 700-750 rounds per minute.
		2. FNH SCAR-H (in limited numbers): A battle rifle of the 21st century. Adopted by special forces and specialized units of First World countries such as the U.S. Army Rangers. Remarked for its' controllable recoil and high modularity.
	+ DMRs and Sniper Rifles:
		1. SVD: Soviet designated marksman rifle from 1963. It's credited for incredible reliability, simplicity and good accuracy. Freedom's second sniper rifle in service.
			1. SVD "Farshooter": Originally, this variant was created and produced in limited batches in the Rostok factory by Duty weaponsmiths. However, for some unknown reason, the schematics were eventually discovered and given to Freedom by an unknown client, The "Farshooter" was the predecessor of the "Bane of Adversaries", a highly modified version of the SVD for Duty snipers and mutant hunters. It features a significantly increased accuracy and stability, increasing range of effectiveness. It also comes with a custom muzzle device that greatly reduces bullet drop, as well as a new scope based on the PSO-1, featuring an 8x magnification. It's unknown if Freedom is producing this model or not, but rumors stated that at least one model were stolen from Duty's stock, which was also the only model to ever exist.
		2. SVU: Bullpup version of the SVD, made for Russian MVD troops. It offers the same accuracy and roughly equal range of engagement as the Dragunov, while remaining smaller and easier to use in urban environments. Freedom's primary sniper rifle.
			1. SVU-A: Battle rifle version. Comes with a new fire trigger group for firing in full auto. The rate of fire is estimated at somewhere around 700 RPM. It's stated by Nimble, who mysteriously have access to this rifle, that Max - a legend among Freedom ranks back in the days (2012), made use of this model as his rifle of choice. It's unknown where Max is nowadays, though one can somewhat assume that he's either perished or simply left the Zone altogether. As for this model, it seems that this single model isn't in Freedom's possession.
		3. SR-25: In limited service, as part of the forementioned relationship with the blue boogeymen.
	+ Machine guns:
		1. FN Minimi: Belgian light machine gun, designed in the 1970s and introduced in 1980. Partook in many major wars. A few of these bad boys are used by Freedom as machine gun nests for defending strategic points, like the Barrier or (former) Duty warehouse in Jupiter.
		2. M60: Who would have thought that the legendary Vietnam-ere veteran "**The Pig**" would make its' appearance in the everlasting conflicts in the Zone? Heh, just remember that... *when you start to hear a broken Eastern European imitation of John Rambo,* **it's better to run.**
	+ Special weapons:
		1. RG-6: Freedom's not-so-secret-anymore mobile WMD. Originally, they had two units. One was lost in the Bloodsucker Village (which was later recovered by Strelok and delivered to Duty) due to Chef being a drunk fuck and one is currently being kept in the Freedom armory in the military warehouses.
		2. AS "Val": Captured from dead Military stalkers and Spetnatz forces. Rarely used by Freedom fighters. Was used by an Ace called "Kostyan" back in 2011 during the assault on the Army Warehouses.

#### Secondaries:

		1. PM: At this point, let's just all agree that all factions make use of it.
		2. Fort-12: Ukrainian Security Service's new standard pistol. Freedomers consider it as a "highly unreliable piece of crap".
	+ 9x19mm:
		1. Browning Hi-Power
		2. Beretta 92FS
		3. SIG Sauer P226
		4. Glock 17
		5. Walther P99
		> 9x19mm is the life. You can't tell me otherwise.
		>
		> -A rather happy Freedomer talking about his Glock.
	+ 45 ACP:
		1. Colt M1911: Good ol' American classic cheese for wartime use. I wonder how long it will continue serve...
		2. HK USP45: USP but 45, meaning *chonkier*. Mostly acquired from the mercenaries.
* Machine pistols:
	+ vz. 61 Skorpion: Let this explain itself to you.
	> I'm telling you, mane. Czechslovaks made good ass gun designs. Almost... ALMOST... [takes a shot]... [burps]... every... one in the Zone... use this little boy! Hah!
	>
	> - A random drunkard talking to a group of Dutyer, circa 2014

		- Freedom's Skorpion: A special version of the vz. 61. Modified to have higher durability and accuracy.

## Gallery

Wind of FreedomSentinel of FreedomFreedom's exoskeleton, also known as Paragon of Freedom.Freedom Guard suit, also known as the Guardian of Freedom.A WoF user with an SVD