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Dagamur Freewater Private Forces

The Dagamuir Freewater Private Forces are an Unathi-founded private military contractor based primarily on Ouerea. They serve as mercenaries, bodyguards and bounty hunters across Izweski space - and beyond, in recent years. Though the modern-day iteration of Freewater was founded fairly recently, being established in 2461, the history of Dagamuir dates back centuries, to the days before the Izweski Hegemony’s rise.

The emblem of Dagamuir is a red-and-gold Unathi eye on a green field - representing the eye of Sk’akh’s Aspect of the Warrior. Emblazoned beneath it - officially in Sinta’Unathi, but traditionally in Sinta’Azaziba - are the ancient yet simple words of the Freewater Company: “Ever-ready, ever-vigilant, ever-victorious”.

History

The Dagamuir Kingdom was a small nation, about a week’s journey on foot from the eastern edge of the Zazalai Mountains. Though it was never of particular global relevance, the line of Dagamuir ruled over it for centuries, managing to remain afloat, if not powerful, amongst its neighbors. As the Sarakus Hegemony fell and the Izweski rose, the reigning King Dagamuir chose to pledge himself to the Izweski, in the hopes of rising alongside them. During the war that broke out, however, the kingdoms of the Honored Alliance captured Dagamuir, leaving its ruling clan’s survivors to flee across the mountains, in the hopes of finding shelter in the newly-proclaimed Izweski Hegemony.

Leadership of the clan fell to the young Korza Dagamuir - son of the previous king, though he did not claim his father’s title - instead referring to himself simply as a lord, albeit a landless one. The few survivors traveled through the Izweski Hegemony’s lands for years, seeking to restore their fortunes and reclaim their kingdom with the aid of other nobility - leading to Korza receiving the unflattering nickname of ‘The Beggar King’.

The survivors of Dagamuir did not have much - their wealth, their lands and their ancestral home were gone. What Korza did have at his command, however, were the veteran warriors that had escorted him to Izweski land. Instead of choosing to try and join with the warriors of an existing mercenary company - a choice he is reported to have believed as beneath him - he abandoned hope of reclaiming Dagamuir, instead making a deal with a minor lord of the Southlands - an exchange of his warriors’ protection for land to call their own. The lord granted Korza and his men a small portion of land, near where one of the region’s major rivers flowed into the Moghresian Sea.

The Dagamuir Kingdom was truly dead and gone - but in that moment, Korza had a new opportunity, and a chance to carve his own destiny. He set to work immediately, renting the services of his warriors to local nobles and wealthy guildsmen - founding what would be known as the Freewater Company. Over time, he hired more warriors, constructing a small keep on the lands he was granted, and allowing the operation to expand until his death in 2099 CE.

Following Korza’s death, the Freewater Company continued to operate for centuries, in various forms - gaining a reputation as honourless mercenaries to some, fostered by their rivals in other companies and guilds. Their reputation was that of a force composed of the dregs of society, who could not make it as true warriors - but nevertheless, they managed to persist. Though the Dagamuir would lose and regain leadership of the company several times throughout the centuries, they have always remained highly involved at the highest levels of its organization - which persists to this day.

Dagamuir Today

The forces of the Freewater Company profited from the Contact War - with nearly every fighting man of the Izweski Hegemony on the front lines, the mercenary group was able to sell their services to lords across the nation to keep order - and although this was often done brutally, they did achieve the paid-for results. It was when the War came to an end, however, that the mercenaries of the Freewater Company truly found a golden opportunity - seeing the chance to not just sell their services on one planet, but to seize an entire universe of prospective customers before their rivals fully understood what was happening.

It was the company’s current leader, Akzazik Voizur, who made the move that would cement Freewater’s place - choosing to move the vast majority of the mercenary company’s operation to Ouerea, at enormous expense. His logic, simply put, was that though Moghes was the homeworld of the Unathi species, Ouerea was its connection to the stars - with the Solarian Alliance, Nralakk Federation and various megacorporations all having a presence there.

The Freewater Company worked on Ouerea for some time, and with the Months of Blood and subsequent arrival of Hephaestus Industries, they found success - with the human megacorporation often hiring them for additional security, leading to many of the locals having a low opinion of the company’s work. During the Ouerean Rebellion, the warriors of Freewater remained neutral - defending their holdings when called for, but not fighting without payment. Following the partial victory of the revolutionaries in 2460, the company needed to consider its next move carefully.

In early 2461, the company’s leadership met at Voizur’s command. With the aid of the young Ahkna Dagamuir, as well as a former Hephaestus security chief named Francis Bradford, they planned a complete restructure of the company to adjust to the interstellar market for mercenaries. Voizur had the warriors’ loyalty, Dagamuir had the name that would tie the company to its roots and the political knowledge to navigate the fragile Ouerean society, and Bradford had the in-depth knowledge of interstellar security contracting.

The ancient Freewater Company was dissolved, and the Dagamuir Freewater Private Forces were formed. With Voizur still at the wheel, the organization rapidly expanded - in order to compete with the fledgling Fighters’ Lodge, they distinguished themselves by embracing the cosmopolitan culture of Ouerea - contrasting themselves against the traditional ways of the Guild by hiring anyone - alien or Sinta. Though initially only Unathi, humans and Skrell were members, the arrival of the K’lax and the discovery of Dionae has led to no small number of Vaurca Warriors and a few gestalts joining Freewater’s forces.

This allowed for rapid expansion on Ouerea, and throughout the Hegemony at large - but the break they were looking for would come in 2463, with the formation of the Private Military Contracting Group. The Private Forces were quick to see the value in this, gaining ties to the corporations of the SCC and being able to massively expand their business offworld. In their new role as a PMCG contractor, Dagamuir ships mercenaries across the Spur in the pay of the SCC’s corporations - and at least for now, business is booming. Though Hephaestus may no longer rely on the mercenaries of Freewater as much following their incorporation of the Fighters’ Lodge, Dagamuir has business contracts across the stars now - and the wealth of these contracts shows no sign of slowing down.

Notable Locations

Freewater Keep, Moghes

The oldest outpost of the company, Freewater Keep lies on the southern shoreline of the Moghresian Sea, at the mouth of one of the many rivers of the Southlands. As more and more of the PMC’s operations have moved to Ouerea, Freewater Keep has become increasingly less relevant - though the company still maintains it as a historic site and training ground in the modern day.

Dagamuir Tower, Ouerea

The corporate headquarters of the Private Forces, Dagamuir Tower is an intimidating skyscraper in central New Skalamar, formerly the personal residence of one of the planet’s noble administrators. Following the Rebellion of 2460, Dagamuir purchased the tower from the newly formed government at a low price, and has since used the tower as their primary center of operations across the Spur.

Camp Integrity, Moghes

Due to the lawlessness of the Wasteland, the Hegemony will frequently hire bounty hunters to traverse the burning sands, hunting criminals, raiders and holdouts of the former Traditionalist Coalition. The Private Forces maintain an office at Camp Integrity - both for recruitment from the Wastelanders who make their way there, and contracting its mercenaries as guards, bounty hunters, and whatever other services may be needed.

Fort Liberty, Ouerea

Formerly a refueling outpost for ships of the Sol Alliance, the base now known as Fort Liberty has been abandoned, captured, bought, and sold over the years. When the Alliance left Ouerea, the first Synod of Scales moved forces into the fort, only to lose it during the Months of Blood. During the Rebellion, the garrison of Yiztek troops there were defeated by revolutionary forces, and the base was largely left abandoned as the Rebellion came to an end. Following the end of the conflict, the Private Forces moved in, purchasing the fort from the Synod and using it as a training ground and shuttle port. Most of the company’s mercenaries undergo their training either here or at Freewater Keep, and it is a center of the company’s military operations.

Mukari’s Shield Outpost, Iroue

The isolation of Iroue and current difficulties facing the Izweski Navy have led the reigning lord to turn to many allies in protecting his colony from pirates, warlords and other ne’er-do-wells. To this end, he has hired a contingent of Dagamuir mercenaries, who have supplemented the planet’s meager defenses. Iroue is generally a posting for the more experienced mercenaries of the Private Forces, as they will frequently see battle against pirates and the remnants of Solarian warlord-states. Dagamuir runs an office in the central habitation dome of Iroue, officially named “Mukari’s Shield” after the Aspect of the Warrior.

Aside from the locations above, the company has many outposts across Ouerea, and its mercenaries can be seen as far afield as the Corporate Reconstruction Zone. While it has offices in Tau Ceti, these are largely designed for liasing with the bureaucracy of the PMCG, and have very few active staff.

Notable Members

Akzazik Voizur - “The Old Tyrant”

An elderly Unathi, Voizur has led Freewater for decades, assuming command following the passing of his predecessor, Zakax Dagamuir, shortly before the Contact War began. He is known to be a ruthless and cunning individual, but one with a brilliant eye for both the business and military sides of mercenary work - which has earned him the steadfast loyalty of many of Freewater’s veteran warriors. Though his advanced age is beginning to slow him, he is still said to have the ferocity of the beast that spawned his nickname.

Ahkna Dagamuir - “The Heir-Apparent”

Daughter of Zakax Dagamuir, Ahkna has been heavily involved in the modernisation of the Freewater Company, with a common assumption being that the restructuring of the organization was largely her doing. Whether or not this is true, it is known as a fact that the open recruiting policies of the Private Forces are her brainchild, having successfully pushed to expand the mercenaries hired beyond the relatively small recruiting pool of Unathi men. Though not a warrior herself, she is an undoubtedly influential figure in the modern structure of the company - and though it may upset some of the more traditional Unathi of Freewater, Ahkna may well be the company’s next leader whan Voizur can no longer hold the reins.

Francis Bradford - “The Consultant”

Born on Xanu Prime, Francis Alexander Bradford has had a long career in private security, having first been hired by Hephaestus as a security officer in the summer of 2423. After working on various installations of the megacorporation, he was eventually placed as the head of security on an Ouerean shuttle port, where he worked for several years. Following the Rebellion, he parted ways with Hephaestus, having nearly lost his life in an attack on the facility he oversaw. Ahkna Dagamuir approached him shortly after this, recognising a long experience with the work of mercenaries in the wider Spur, and brought him on to oversee the reorganisation of the Freewater Company. The modern PMC structure of the Private Forces is largely his doing, inspired by work with various security contractors in the past. He is reported to be a jovial man, who enjoys the tropical climate of Ouerea immensely. Though still part of the company’s leadership, he spends most of his time in his home a short distance outside of K’rath.

Qrquu Xuqzix - “The Outsider”

A recent addition to Dagamuir’s leadership, Xuqzix is a figure shrouded in mystery, with few available records of their life or career prior to joining the Private Forces. Records have been able to discern that the Xiialt Skrell was once part of the staff at the Sahhat Geographical Research Complex, presumably in a security role based on their new career choice - but what their specific duties were, or what they did in the Federation prior to their arrival on Ouerea, remains uncertain. They began working in a primarily investigative role with the company shortly after its reorganization, and have rapidly risen through the ranks, being promoted to the head of Internal Affairs in late 2464. Due to their enigmatic personal life and rapid ascent, outlandish rumors have spread like wildfire about them, naming Xuqzix as everything from a former Tupkala assassin to the leader of a Federation resistance group. Personally, they are reported to be rather serious in their work, but quite pleasant outside of business matters, having a particular enthusiasm for the spectacle of Unathi sport such as the Zandiziite Games.

Relations

Hephaestus Industries

The Private Forces and Hephaestus have worked together in the past, with the megacorporation frequently hiring Freewater mercenaries to supplement its own security forces. Following the Hephaestus purchase of the Fighters’ Lodge, this has slowed somewhat - though Dagamuir have used their PMCG connections to liaise as a subcontractor, helping guildsmen of the Lodge to find work with non-Hephaestus corporations across the Spur.

K’lax Hive

The Private Forces have a good working relationship with the K’lax - hiring Warriors and the occasional Worker for their operations. One source of tension, however, is the hiring of Queenless K’lax groups - a policy which Dagamuir continues, despite K’lax disapproval. For now, the issue has not been forced, however - and the Hive continues to sell the services of its Warriors to Freewater.

Aut’akh

Though its frequent contracting for the Hegemony and Hephaestus is distasteful to the Aut’akh communes of Moghes and Ouerea, Dagamuir does still hire from among their number - though usually, Aut’akh mercenaries will be assigned postings far away from known communes, and unaffiliated with Hephaestus or the Hegemony.

Kataphracts

There is a mutual distaste between the Kataphracts and Freewater - with the Kataphract warriors tending to view Freewater as dishonorable, greedy, and cowardly mercenaries. Dagamuir members, meanwhile, view this distaste as hypocritical - the Kataphracts spend most of their time fighting for credits as well, after all. This dislike is further spurred by a not insignificant number of the Private Forces’ recruits being former Kataphract-Hopefuls, washed out or grown tired of waiting to be named a full Saa’Izweski.