This is part of the dossier on Altarraum that I'm putting together for the mission I'm building.
Leader: Lord Michael Quecksilber
Purpose: To locate, rescue, and protect drakes.
Not really a threat unless the players are specifically working for a GD against the Order, it is still something that should be mentioned, as any drakes within the party will certainly be approached by them. Founded shortly after Lord Michael Quecksilber was appointed the title of Lord Steward by the Queen, the Order of Free Drakes (or OFD for short) has quickly spread around the world. While only perhaps a dozen free drakes are actual “official” members of the OFD, the organization makes heavy use of shadowrunners to find drakes that have been forced into hiding, and bring them to Altarraum unharmed. Make note of that last word. Lord Quecksilber does not want the drakes hurt, and will in fact be quite furious should the runners fail in that respect.
The Lord Steward is himself a western drake of considerable strength and magical power, and applies both liberally when angered. He appears as a tall human male with black hair and deep blue eyes with silver flecks. His skin is a light golden tan, which betrays his half-Persian ethnicity. He is usually dressed in the latest Mortimer of London styles, and walks with a Trafalger gun cane (which he can use quite effectively). He walks with a pronounced limp due to an old injury, hence the cane. He has a stern, but kindly demeanor, and a playful sense of humor. He is well-educated and charismatic, and is for the most part trustworthy.
His position within the Altarraumian government also grants him diplomatic immunity in all but a select few places (the most notable exception being Aztlan, which does not formally recognize Altarraum as an independent nation). This caused quite the stir when the OFD extracted a drake right out from under Ghostwalker’s snout in the UCAS district of Denver. Ghostwalker was furious at what he saw as a theft, and Lord Quecksilber replied with a diplomatic and tactful version of “Go frag yourself. People aren't property.”. Lord Quecksilber and the King Consort are on friendly terms, having bonded over their mutual hatred of the great white wizwyrm, and the Queen trusts the Lord Steward completely. So much so, in fact, that she leaves him in charge of Altarraum’s day-to-day operations during her frequent travels.
He makes good use of his power, wealth, and influence to fund and operate the OFD. While no one is exactly certain what he offers to the drakes that are brought to him, very few have ever told him no. Those that have refused him, have still enjoyed a small measure of protection from the Order’s massive network of spies. Many of Lord Quecksilber’s “Little Birdies” are the former contacts of his late parents. While they all have their own reasons for working for the OFD, they all have the same drive to see drakes freed from the life of servitude foisted upon them by the simple misfortune of being what they are.
Rumors have begun to circulate through the shadow communities that the Lord Steward is actually building an army of free drakes in preparation for a full-scale rebellion against the great dragons. However, when informed of this rumor, Quecksilber laughed the informant out of his office. The informant was found dead in Munich, just outside of Altarraum’s northern border a few days later. The killer was never found, and Lord Quecksilber does not seem terribly motivated to solve the mystery.
