Westside Anarchs

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"Santa Monica's only walkable if death is no hurdle. The air's the wrong colour. People put sunglasses on their dogs. It's a hideous place where humans are not welcome and those who stay suffer eight kinds of brain damage."

–Warren Ellis


The Westside Anarchs are the remaining refuge for Anarchs not aligned with the Free States after Hollywood's fall to the Camarilla. A haven for Thinbloods and Caitiff, it's less an organized political movement than a ragtag band of highly opinionated individuals working together because they have little other option. A motley assortment from all walks of life, the current vampiric population of Santa Monica has skewed somewhat from its original demographic of spoiled rich kids, and now includes a cross-section fairly representative of the population in general.

While the Westside Anarchs are generally tolerated by the Camarilla, the amount of cooperation between the sects varies by night to night and crisis to crisis.

Roll Call

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Active

Wasted


Coteries

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Filled Titles

Baron

The Baron's duties and privileges are similar to those of a Prince, but the Kindred who dwell in a Baron's domain don't necessarily want the same sort of dominating, overweening would-be dictator who calls the shots in a Camarilla domain. As a result, the Baron's powers are more limited than a Prince's, as the Anarchs trade some amount of authority and security for their freedom. The Baron is discussed more on pp. 25 of V20.

Like a Prince, a Baron interprets the Traditions in her domain. Unlike a Prince, a Baron doesn't have the same amount of undeniable authority that a Prince does, and she runs her domain as much through reason, populism, and force of personality as the gravity of her title. Her word is law, but it's a law established by a social contract with the other Anarchs. A Baron may render a verdict on any matter involving the Traditions of the Masquerade and Domain, but in Anarch domains, the other Traditions are up to the free Kindred themselves to resolve. An Anarch may make an appeal to a Baron to solve such an issue, but ultimately, even the Baron's input on these matters is advice, not policy. A Baron surely has earned status and respect that might inflect such counsel, but counsel is what it remains.

–V20 Companion, pg. 32

The former Baron of Santa Monica was Cheyenne Spare, a guru-like Brujah who was an aide-de-camp to and childe of the previous Baron, Farid Bekhti. After her beheading while facing off with the Sabbat in late September of 2020, the entirety of the Westside was claimed by Hollywood Baron Isaac Abrams, who supported the claim to the Barony of Santa Monica made by Christian Cruce of the Los Perdidos coterie after Christian declared it at an assembly. The development of the political landscape in Westside is ongoing.

The current Baron of Santa Monica is Jean-Jacques Thibodeaux, elected by popular vote at a recent convocation.

Reeve

The Anarch Reeve is a seeming paradox, a keeper of order in Anarch domains that typically spurn such order and authority. Still, few are the Barons who are so foolish as to allow pure anarchy in their domains, because all it takes is one shitbird Lick to blow the Masquerade and bring holy (mortal) hell down on everyone else's heads. Only the most foolish of Anarchs puts blind faith in others of his sect, and most at least reluctantly acknowledge the sometime necessity of a sanctioned asskicker to keep the less-principled in line. A Reeve is similar to a Sheriff, but often has even less accountability. Many bullies end up in the role, but brutish would-be Reeves should take heed: In an Anarch domain, a Baron may end up siding with the Kindred who decide that enough is enough and it's time to physically effect a change in the Reeve's attitude. The Baron usually declares a Reeve, but popular opinion among the Damned of the domain can just as quickly ruin him.

–V20 Companion, pg. 27

The position of Reeve of Santa Monica is currently Bricker.

Emissary

Emissaries are usually appointed by the local Baron when the need arises for negotiations with other factions. Emissaries have to meet with the leaders of other factions and convince them that it would be in their best interest to work with the Anarchs, or at very least to leave them alone. This is, naturally, a dangerous position, since there is little to no repercussion if the Emissary is slain during the talks, given how weak most Anarchs are in comparison to the Elders of other sects. These are anarchs that must carry the olive branch to the other sects, must negotiate and haggle and play the games of prestation and diplomacy if the movement is to survive. They are also called ambassadors, heralds and, by more cynical members of the sect, expendables. In most cases, Emissaries work with the Camarilla, which is agreeable, since the Anarchs have some acceptance within that sect, thanks to the original outline of the Convention of Thorns.

–VTM Guide to the Anarchs, pg. 53-54

The position of Emissary of Santa Monica is currently Zamira.

Vacant Titles

Sweeper

Anarchs tend to rankle when the idea of someone else keeping track of them comes to the fore. As such, the Sweeper of an Anarch domain tends to be an unpopular Kindred. It's the Sweeper's responsibility to know — to one degree or another — who's in the domain. For most Barons, the Sweeper simply provides enough information to prevent any unpleasant surprises. If the Baron thinks the domain is home to only a dozen rugged individual Cainites, but in reality, 40 hungry vampires are out there prowling the Rack, that's a Baron who's going to find himself spending a lot of time and effort cleaning far more messes than he thought he had on his hands. The more tyrannical Barons use the Sweeper to not only keep track of how many Kindred are in the domain, but who they are and what they're up to — and that's the sort of abuse of power that incites the Anarchs to slaughter the Sweeper and stake the Baron. Thus, the role of the Sweeper is one that lends itself to being received with suspicion, even if the Anarchs reluctantly acknowledge its necessity.

–V20 Companion, pg. 27

The current Sweeper of Westside is vacant.


Coyote

The Coyote specializes in getting Kindred in or out of domains. In most cases, the Coyote smuggles Anarch defectors into Anarch domains and out of their Camarilla or Sabbat territories. In some cases, though the Coyote is happy to earn a buck or a boon and doesn't ask too many questions about his "cargo" or her destination. After all, one of the benefits of being an Anarch is being able to choose your own creed. To hear a Kindred known as Joe Sousa tell it, "A savvy Coyote knows how to smooth talk and grease the wheels of the system, and knows how to talk his way out of a situation... or avoid them to begin with." And since Sousa's been smuggling vampires across domain lines all across the Anarch Free State and the other sects' outposts in the region for over a decade, he knows what he's talking about.

–V20 Companion, pg. 27

The position of Coyote is currently vacant.


Warden

Kindred society occasionally gives rise to Wardens, particularly in contested or tenuously-held domains. Wardens exist in some form or another in all the sects. The duty of the Warden is to beat the boundaries and patrol the borders of the domain so that "they" don't get in, whoever "they" may be. Sabbat, Anarchs, conniving Camarilla – so long as someone's trying to take the territory away from the vampires who hold sway there, a Warden has people to turn back... or destroy.

To hear the powers that be tell it, the Warden is an ugly responsibility, but someone has to do it. The Warden has the right to attack and kill unidentified or foreign Kindred in an established domain. Of course, if the Warden is overzealous and finds out that he's just killed someone granted the Prince's privilege or recognition by the archbishop, he'd better have a good alibi or a clueless patsy. In some domains, Wardens are compensated because their work is so unpleasant: Princely decree or ecumenical favor can grant an additional point of Resources, Herd, or Influence so long as the Warden remains faithful in her duties.

–V20 Companion, pg. 32

The position of Warden is currently vacant.