“You show me a capitalist, and I’ll show you a bloodsucker.”-Malcolm X
The Status Perfectus:
We, the Kindred of the Free State, do hereby declare that we and our progeny, and all Kindred who choose freedom over oppression and liberty over tyranny, of all clans and generations, have as an inherent part of their being the spiritual substance called libertas, or Free Will. We further declare that, as we have freed ourselves from the bonds of mortality, so must we free ourselves from the forces that would rob us of our libertas. Not only must we continue to struggle on our own behalf, but on behalf of our brothers and sisters who continue to be robbed of their libertas by oppression, ignorance and fear.
The Anarch Free State is the political expression of that struggle. In choosing to free ourselves from political tyranny, we have also chose to embrace our own libertas and that of our brother and sister Kindred everywhere.
For these reasons we, the Kindred of the Anarch Free State, meeting this night in solemn convocation, do hereby pledge ourselves to the following principles:
We declare ourselves to be free and independent, owing allegiance to no creature and no organization.
We declare our ability to rule ourselves, with no prince, no primogen and no other ruler other than that we choose for ourselves.
We declare our kinship with oppressed Kindred everywhere and offer a home to all Kindred of all generations and clans who will agree to dwell in harmony with us.
We further accept our responsibility to our oppressed brothers and sisters everywhere and pledge to assist them at all times and in all places in their own struggle for the freedom that we declare to be the birthright of all Kindred, from now until the end of time.
We recognize our responsibility to maintain the Masquerade, and we pledge to protect and defend it.
We establish this Status Perfectus and recognize its duty to all Kindred.
The Anarch Movement and Prestation:
The Camarilla will acknowledge boons owed by and to members of the Anarch Movement. While in theory the Ivory Tower would also acknowledge boons registered between Anarchs, that is a de facto admission of membership in the Camarilla and a bridge too far for most true Anarchs.
Anarchs follow the traditional system of prestation (trivial, major, minor, life), but the curiously anachronistic solemnizing of boons with a blood oath has recently become fashionable in the Movement. In lieu of written ledgers and other old-fashioned methods of recordkeeping, Anarchs often keep spreadsheets or other digital recordings of owed favors. The unlucky Kindred who ends up fingered as their domain’s Sweeper is usually also responsible for tracking prestation for the Baron.
Boons are one of the few ways of enforcing order among L.A.’s feudal barons, as a boon issued in one domain will be honored in another, as long as proof of prestation can be provided.
Anarch Positions:
Unlike the Camarilla, Anarchs pay little mind to thin-bloods or Caitiff.
Rat-Catcher (Negative Status): The Anarchs aren’t so cruel to those who don’t embrace their vampiric nature as the Sabbat nor so dismissive as the Camarilla, but past a certain point every Kindred has to toughen up. An Anarch who isn’t willing to get their hands a little dirty is one who can’t be trusted when the backs are to the wall. (V20 Companion pg. 33)
Coyote (Status 1): Much like humans who fulfil a similar job, Coyotes specialize in moving Kindred, and by extension other supplies. This tends to make them very influential, as they have the influence to get Anarchs out of tight spots, and into places where they can strike blows for the movement. They are sometimes solicited by members of other sects for their expertise, who pay them well.
Mystic (Status 1): Anarchs who make a true study of blood sorcery or other esoteric disciplines are rare. When they do appear, the Barons place a high value on them. (V20 Companion pg. 32)
Reeve (Status 1): Reeves are the Baron’s bully-boys and enforcers. Less investigators and more charged with busting heads until truculent Anarchs fall into line, the Reeves are often also the Baron’s closest allies and supporters.
Historian (Status 1): Anarchs have little patience for doomsaying eschatologists, but someone knowledgeable about the Kindred and their history can command respect from a group that has little knowledge of either. (This is the Anarch version of an Eschatologist, V20 Companion pg. 32)
Sweeper (Status 2): The census-taker in anarch domains, the Sweeper is usually not a popular Kindred, and they have a hard job. Sweepers are also usually saddled with keeping tabs on Anarch prestation.
Warden (Status 2): A slightly jumped-up version of the Reeve, wardens produced by the Anarch movement tend to be a result of pressure put on domains by outsiders, as Anarchs begin to patrol their borders in order to keep intruders out.
Headhunter (Status 2): When weird things arise in Anarch domains, somebody’s got to take out the garbage, and that’s when Headhunters tend to spontaneously appear in the sect. These Anarchs tend to have to learn a lot of things on the fly, and may not have the most complete knowledge of their prey – but if it bleeds, and sometimes if it don’t, they can kill it. (V20 Companion pg. 33)
Transcendant (Status 3): Un-life is rough, especially among the anarchs. A guru of the Path of Humanity often becomes a touchstone and spiritual leader Anarchs draw on to avoid falling to the Beast. (V20 Companion pg. 32)
Consul (Status 3): A Consul picked by the Anarchs is in an interesting position. They have to be tough enough not to be pushed around by the Camarilla or the Sabbat, but also silver-tongued enough to get the arrogant vampires of both sects to listen. The Consuls tend to be true Anarch exemplars or slick operators who the Baron mistrusts and wants to rid themselves of by putting them in harm’s way.
Warlord (Status 3): When threats to Anarch domains step up, Warlords are called upon to rally the sect and lead its forces against the enemy. A warlord doesn’t claim the authority to enforce the first and second traditions that a Baron would, their role is purely martial; nor do all warlords aspire to the title of Baron. For instance, at the end of the War for Los Angeles, Nines Rodriguez could have united the Anarchs and claimed dominion over the entirety of L.A. as its dominant Baron, but declined to do so.
Baron (Status 4): Roughly analagous to a Prince in responsibility and authority, though Barons lack the institutional authority of the Camarilla; they rise and fall based entirely on their own force of personality – or just plain naked force. A large city like Los Angeles can have several Barons who divide things up into fiefdoms. The Anarchs traditionally only enforce the traditions of the Masquerade and Domain, and let the others go hang. That said, overpopulation is becoming a problem even the most idealistic Baron can’t ignore…