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If you were a freeman in the Fading Suns Universe, if you had to choose a noble house to live under, which would you choose and why?

I guess it's more like a survey since I'm asking why...

If "I" was me (background, training, experience, etc.) I would probably go for House al-Malik. They're (sort of) liberal-ish, open-minded, sophisticated, and always interesting, even though they are dangerous, half-mad, and snobish.

However, for most freemen of the Phoenix Empire, I'd expect a life under the Hawkwood banner would be advantageous. On the other hand, a career military would find career advancement the easiest with the Hazat.

I'd probably go AL-Malik or Hawkwood.

I'm not military enough for Hazat.

I'd have to go with House Juandaastas, even though it's a minor house I'd fit in best with them.

That's tough. As a serf, it's easy. Hawkwood and Li Halan are both known for treating their serfs much better than the others. Hazat and Decados treat their serfs poorly. Al-Malik, for all their talk, aren't especially good to their serfs.

But as a freeman... well, you're free. Your main issues would involve not pissing off the guilds (particularly the Muster) and obviously not pissing off any nobles (of any house). (I am assuming here that you mean "Yeoman" since technically I believe Guild members are themselves counted as freemen.) So you'd want to go with the nobles least likely to get pissed off by you, and/or have worlds where the Muster is particularly weak. I think the al-Malik or Hawkwood sound like the least likely to get cheesed at some random freeman and have you thrown in jail on trumped-up charges. The Li Halan probably have the least Muster influence. I'm sure these factors vary wildly from world to world even within a house.

How does that analysis sound? I haven't played Fading Suns in years so this is part of my warm-up process.

-- 77IM

I'd say it's a tie between the Hawkwoods and the al-Malik.

I would choose the Li - Halan. Ronin for hire

Hawkwood. Because I know they never will force me to be subject of some odd experience, specially if I live in Delphi or Ravenna

Are you implying most freemen have that much of a choice?