Anarchs

The Anarchs (more formally known as the Anarch Movement) are a Sect of vampires who reject the status quo of Kindred society. They are predominantly composed of fledglings, neonates, and other vampires that have reason to be discontent with the Elder-dominated politics of the Camarilla.

While often driven by strong revolutionary fervour, the Anarch Movement has, for most of its existence, struggled to secure a foothold amid more entrenched vampires. In the Modern Nights, though, their luck has changed, and now more than ever, the Anarchs are experiencing a surge in membership and activity. With this, though, has come a risk of constant infighting, that threatens to tear the Sect apart from the inside.

History

Early Days

While the Anarch philosophy has its roots throughout Kindred history, most notably with groups such as the various Carthage attempts, the movement was officially founded in the Fifteenth Century. Due to the neglect, misuse, and general poor treatment of the elders at the time, young Kindred all throughout Europe erupted into an event now called the Anarch Revolt. Methelusalhs were destroyed, Antediluvians were (seemingly) diablerized, and for the first time in Kindred history, the monolithic rule of the Elders was seemingly disrupted. Such success, however, was not meant to last.

Those beaten back by the revolt eventually came together and formed the Camarilla. The Camarilla, along with the unknowing support of the Inquisition who was unwittingly pointed at various Anarchs strongholds, eventually squashed the Revolt enough that peace talks were held. In the small town of Thorns, the Convention of Thorns was signed. Those present pledged that the Anarchs would submit themselves to the Camarilla, with various conditions regarding their independence in face of such. Not all Anarchs gave in, however, and those that refused to submit would become the group known as the Sabbat.

After the Convention of Thorns, Anarch history stabilized for a long while. No meaningful gain nor losses were recorded, and the peace with the Camarilla was a tense, if stable one. Both jockeyed for influence in the New World, with the Anarchs notably supporting American Independence in a bid for more freedom, as well as directing the French Revolution to their own benefit.

Turning the Tide

This began to change in the twentieth century. Revolution flared throughout all of Europe, both mortal and immortal. The Russian Revolution, for instance, planted the seeds for a non-Camarilla group of Brujah to take complete control of the fledgeling USSR. While they didn’t deign to call themselves Anarchs, the writing on the wall was clear for everyone else. This attempt at vampiric independence was short lived, however. All contact was lost with the Brujah Council running the nation in the 1990s, and it is unknown what exactly happened to them.

And then, in Los Angeles, the political makeup of Kindred society in North America changed forever. The cruel and idiotic Prince of L.A, Don Sebastian, made the mistake of pissing off a particularly influential Brujah Ancilla, Jeremy MacNeil. Working with the other Brujah and miscreants of the city, MacNeil began to quietly analyze the Camarilla for flaws and weaknesses. For months he catalogued havens, herds, ghouls, and more. Then, one night, the Anarchs struck.

Los Angeles collapsed near instantly. Forces of the Camarilla were slewn en masse by the nascent rebellion, and it is even reported that the Prince himself died in battle. The Anarchs claimed Praxis, and the sheer success story soon spread throughout all of California. If one city could fall, why couldn’t the rest? The rest of California soon followed, with almost every city except the lone bastion of San Francisco falling to the Anarch tide.

The initial momentum, however, did not last forever. The unified Revolutionary Council that coordinated the revolts soon dissolved into various squabbling factions, and each city owned by the Anarchs began to drift further and further apart. While the Free States still stood, it was nowhere as near tall as they were in their inception.

Modern Nights

Tonight, the Anarch Movement is almost as strong as it has ever been. The Free States of California still exist, albeit with less enthusiasm than they once had. Anarch enclaves exist in almost every major Camarilla city, and the Camarilla cannot afford to take action against many of them.

Uniquely, the Anarch Movement has made the most usage of technology than any other sect. They were early adopters of the internet, and used various thaumaturgic or otherwise magical seals in order to create special, vampire only internet tools. Notably, a manifesto known as “Anarchs Unbound” was published across various vampire sites, which took hold in the youth and caused widespread dissent. In it, contained the “Red Question”, simply asking “Why do you obey?”

Notably, the Anarchs are reputed to have caused the 2008 financial crisis, also known as the Great Recession. The group calling themselves the “Red Question” seemingly used their technological prowess to engineer such an event, and designed it in a way that would harm the Camarilla above all else. How exactly they did this is unknown.

Despite all of this seeming success, the future of the movement is also uncertain. The “Red Question” group also seems to have disdain for the Anarch Free States, saying that they have betrayed their own principles. This is a sentiment shared by many neonates and fledgelings, seeing the Free States as often simply the Camarilla in a shiny, red coat of paint. The Free States face both external and internal threats, and only time will tell if they can persist.

Anarchs in San Francisco

In San Francisco, the presence of the Anarchs is an uneasy one. The last bastion of the Camarilla in the sea of the Free States is obviously rather paranoid, yet a tense peace does exist. Still bound to the Convention of Thorns, Anarchs are remiss to take direct action against the Camarilla in fear of direct retribution. At least, direct action that can be demonstrably blamed on them, that is.

The system of governance in the San Francisco Anarch Movement is notably odd as well. No singular Baron exists, nor does any singular Reeve nor Emissary. Instead, a seemingly rotating group of members fill in as roles. The exact method of who will take power that night is often inconsistent, as it could be who is most liked, who can seize it, or perhaps even who was able to weasel their way in.

The territory of the movement is also similarly unclear. In the eyes of the Camarilla, the Anarchs solely hold the Anarchy Rose bar on the west side of town. In the eyes of some Anarchs, however, they hold the entire west side. In the eyes of the most ambitious, they ought to hold the entire city. Indeed, the true domain of the Anarchs is whatever they can hold and defend.

No unifying political thought exists amongst the Anarchs of San Francisco, either. While they present themselves as a hole-in-the-water Biker Bar, it is nothing but an aesthetic. Communists, anarchists, moderates, libertarians, and vampires who couldn’t give a damn about mortal labels all reside there, and none claim dominance.

In-Game

How to play an Anarch

The Anarchs are the second most powerful sect on the server, at least on paper, and yet they are the least organized. When playing an Anarch, don’t expect to be a well-oiled machine of efficiency and productivity. Instead, expect internal squabbles, debates, and jockeying for position. Just like every other sect, an Anarch is still a Kindred, no matter how hard they try to act mortal.

Anarch's characters are generally on the younger side. Fledgelings and Neonates make up the most of their numbers, with Ancillae often taking up leadership positions in the sect. Elders are substantially rare, and the ones that do exist are often not trusted very much at all. Keep this in mind if you choose to make an Elder character, as you should generally have an adequate explanation for why they’re in the movement, and why they’re allowed to stay.

In the context of the server, Anarchs should also avoid getting into open violence with the Camarilla as often as possible. Skirmishes, guerilla warfare, and general “Cold War” gambits are suggested, while outright wars on the street should be avoided. If the Anarchs get *too* Rowdy, it’s not unlikely that the Camarilla would crush them wholesale in an attempt to avoid what happened to the rest of California.

Anarchs can consist of almost any clan, though there’s many stipulations attached to this. For instance, predominantly Sabbat clans such as the Lasombra or Tzimisce are often inherently distrusted in the Movement, and have trouble rising the ranks. Hunted clans such as the Salubri and Baali also find very little refuge in the Anarchs, as the widespread propaganda against the former and the truth about the latter are most often still believed by members of the Anarchs.

Anarchs are very rarely on Paths of Enlightenments. As a whole, Anarchs typically try to stick to their humanity, and are thus mostly on Humanity. Anarchs on Paths are typically distrusted and shunned, as their inhuman nature makes them oftentimes repulsive to the more moral-minded members of the Movement.

Anarch vocabulary

• Baron - The person in charge of an Anarch domain. In the context of San Francisco, it’s a rotating group of people who seize power periodically.
• Free State - A term that could refer to the Anarch Free States as a whole, an individual Anarch domain, or an Anarch domain lacking a Baron.
• Legate - An agent of the larger Free States sent to smaller Anarch domains in order to serve as ambassadors. Often looked down upon.
• Molotov - A roving Anarch who acts as an instigator. They frequently target the Camarilla and the Sabbat in order to cause chaos, and acts as a deniable force for the wider Movement.
• Reeve - The Anarch equivalent to a Sheriff on paper. In reality, their power is far more diminished than the Sheriff, and they are more akin to a lone hound. They frequently need warrants or approvals in order to take any action.
• Rule of Law - The concept that even the Baron or other leaders are also subject to the laws of the Movement.
• Sweeper - A scout for an Anarch Domain. They frequently are sent out in order to spy on rival domains or seek out fledgelings for recruitment.
• Warlord - An informal rank for the top military figure of a Domain
• Old Volunteer - A name for the “old guard” of the Anarchs, particularly those who have proved themselves in Combat
• Emissary - A diplomat used by an Anarch Domain. They are often sent out to negotiate with the Camarilla and Sabbat, and the inherent danger in this position makes it a hardly sought after job.