The key to understanding the Freewalkers is understanding the principle of Pragmatic Altruism. This philosophy forms the backbone of their culture and allows them to function without organized government. Essentially, Pragmatic Altruism is the idea that sentients should look out for and help their fellows so that they can count on getting help from others when they need it. If everyone in a society does this, then there's no need for laws, or law makers, or law enforcers.

Instead, the Freewalkers police themselves. There is no such thing as a private affair; if one Freewalker sees someone taking advantage of another, they will step in to stop it. (After all, they'd want someone to step in if they were ever being taken advantage of. That's the pragmatism in Pragmatic Altruism.) This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as "the hero factor" among members of other Societies.

The other key factor that defines the Freewalkers is their centuries-old conflict with the Gatekeepers. The original Freewalkers were the first to successfully challenge the Guard's dominion over the gating community. They invented the Universal Antibody and Universal Translator that cut the legs out from under the GK "security services" empire. Many even claim that the Union of Sentients was a Freewalker creation since it drove the last nail into the coffin of Gatekeeper rule.

Because their ancestors fought so hard for the freedom to walk the Worlds as they wish, modern Freewalkers exercise that right as often as possible. Freewalker towns are far, far less common than Freewalker camps. They still see themselves as champions of freedom guarding against the return of Gatekeeper oppression. Most are fully capable of living and working alongside GKs, but very few would allow their sons or daughters to marry one. Some say this blood feud is the Freewalkers' greatest weakness. They just see it as due payment for centuries of GK supremacy.

But these are just a few common threads that run through an otherwise diverse set of cultures. Most civilizations have some kind of central leadership that stabilizes and homogenizes their cultures; Freewalkers, of course, do not. Their customs and belief systems are much like their fashions: each group develops its own styles, but all share signature FW features like weaving ribbons, figurines, and other objects into their hair, or favoring vibrant colors and chaotic patterns over more "professional" apparel. In truth, the Freewalkers are probably to most internally diverse Society in the Worlds.

The Past

The Freewalkers originated on a shattered World called Ixandria. At some time in its past, the planet had been consumed by a magical Void that left only a few hundred islands of matter huddled beneath protective, magical domes. When the Gatekeepers arrived, they made contact with an imperial civilization centered in the city of Ixandria (a name which they arrogantly applied to the entire World). With GK backing, the Ixandrians set out upon a campaign of military and economic conquest. In time, their expansion brought them to the shores of a loose federation known as the Free Isles. The anarchist nomads who lived there refused to bow down before the Ixandrians and, after a few years of pitched guerilla warfare, they drove the Ixandrians away.

Unfortunately for the Gatekeepers, the damage was already done: the nomads had learned about gating. No longer content with their own islands, they searched for a way to explore the universe without GK interference. What they found was an ancient, alien gate system unlike anything else in existence. Far from an ideal form of travel, it connected Worldz via a labyrinth of tunnels inhabited by beasts of incredible ferocity. Still, the early Freewalkers were willing to fight for their freedom, and small groups soon embarked on what would become a multi-generational campaign of exploration and research.

The nomads quickly came to understand the root of the Gatekeepers' power: only they possessed the technical knowledge to prevent inter-World plagues, and the linguistic expertise to communicate between all the species of the gating community. So, they directed their research towards finding solutions to those universal problems. Appropriately enough, the results have become known as "Universal Tech." The Universal Antibody has eliminated contagious disease in the Worlds; everyone is immune to everything from birth. The Universal Translator is a nano-molecular soup that decodes the deep patterns of naturally-evolving languages and interprets them in ways the host can understand. Whether written, spoken, or even gestured, every sentient intuitively understands every other.

The term "Freewalker" first appeared when these nomads took public credit for the release of Universal Tech into the ecosystems of hundreds of GK client Worlds. They encouraged "liberated" cultures to cut ties with the GKs and let their citizens "walk freely among the Worlds." The Guard immediately branded the Freewalkers as a terrorist organization, beginning a war that raged for centuries and lives on in the modern day as prejudice and cultural animosity.

The transition from open warfare to uneasy truce was only made possible by the formation of the Union of Sentients. The Freewalkers embraced the idea because it would take functions vital to the gating community out of Gatekeeper hands (i.e. dissemination of gating knowledge, administration of Universal Tech to new Worlds, and initiation of those Worlds into the community). The GKs embraced the idea because they thought they could influence the Union more effectively than the "disorganized" Freewalkers. Both sides where partially right and, as a result, their conflict has moved into the virtual halls and intrigue-filled forums of the Union.

The Present

Freewalkers are not known for their ability to build and maintain complex civil infrastructures like power and plumbing. So, most Worlds inhabited primary by FWs either don't have such infrastructures or already had them before they moved in. The FWs boast the highest percentage of frontier Worlds of any Society; these are the Worlds without infrastructures. Many FWs enjoy the freedom and solitude you can only get by living off the land. Some build small settlements, while others live the full nomadic lifestyle.

Worlds that join the Freewalkers during, or after, their initiation are often the result of rebellions against pre-existing governments. A few tear down their old civilizations and begin anew, but most at least attempt to keep the gears of urban life turning. Some even develop complex social contracts that provide compensation for those who wind those gears, so to speak, and these are the crown jewels of FW political propaganda. They are proof that even urbanized cultures can live and prosper with no law beyond that of Pragmatic Altruism.

The same thing goes for those FWs who work within the Union of Sentients, keeping the Worlds safe from GK oppression. Their willingness to work together and trade favors freely makes them surprisingly effective lobbyist and civil advocates. Countless jaded politicians have commented on the unique sense on camaraderie shared by Union Freewalkers.

The Nomads

Freewalkers in the City of Worlds tend to live and travel in small family or professional groups: mercenaries work in gangs, artisans gather into teams, relatives identify themselves by clan, etc. Most are centered around one or two charismatic leaders who define the group and direct their activities. As these individuals come and go, their "followers" scatter, reform, and even join other groups. Anarchy works best in small, more intimate groups, so this is often the most effective living arrangement for Freewalkers.

The Guerillas

Only slightly more efficient is living alone. This arrangement is quite popular among the more militant Freewalkers, those who continue their Society's age-old crusade against Gatekeepers, tyrants, and organized government in general. Some are datadepts who work to keep information flowing freely through the Worlds. Others are covert specialists dedicated to exposing the black ops of other Societies. Most have worked, at one time or another, as Librarians: freelance reporters and investigators who donate their results to the Grand Library... and are paid in "kick backs" whenever someone purchases republication rights to something they authored. These sentients are the modern incarnations of the Freewalkers of over three centuries ago; they're ruthless, dedicated to their causes, fanatical about covering their tracks, and revered by their fellows.

The Architects

Now comes the part where we contradict all that stuff about FWs being bad at building and maintaining infrastructure. There is a very old phenomenon in FW culture commonly called "the Architects." These are roving bands of Freewalkers who take it upon themselves to build Gates for their Society. They move into an area, stockpile raw materials, construct a Gate, and move on. Their defining trait is an uncharacteristic belief in the value of organization. They operate via a chain of command based on technical expertise, share community resources in a miniature communist system, and even submit to punishment for crimes against the group. Many Freewalkers consider them a deviant cult, but few are willing to live without the fruits of their labors.