The Anarchs of Paris
As surprising as it can appear, the french Anarchs are considered Camarilla, as per the Convention of Thorn:
... Be it known that the Anarchs will enjoin with the Camarilla as an accepted part, making it whole. Anarchs are expected to work peacefully to achieve their own ends. They must become defenders of all, and they shall receive full entitlement to all rights and privilege belonging to all Camarilla Kindred...
Villon made profit of this part to enter the Camarilla after the Convention of Thorn, even if some Ventrue suspected him to have destroyed Alexandre and Saviarre. But his ends changed from Anarch Ideals to the Toreador Dream.
... Know also that if the Anarchs are further warred upon, this open Jyhad invalidates their responsibility to maintain peace with their attacker. They may act freely without fear of reprisal from nonactive members of the Camarilla. Anarchs are guaranteed the freedom to act as they please, short of breaching the Masquerade imposed for the protection of all Kindred from the Kine...
This part was overlooked by the Anarchs, and after they were Blood Hunted in 1871, they rediscovered it. The Anarchs are guaranteed the freedom to act as they please sentence was commented. While some believed it was always true, the new Anarch Idealists (See the Authentiques) decided it was only appliable if the Anarchs are further warred upon. This is a very powerful part because it gives them the right to retaliate even by killing their adversaries, without fearing the Sixth Tradition.
... No Kindred may be sent knowingly to his death by an Elder or Sire, unless the security of Clan of Camarilla outweight the possible loss of unlife...
This sentence (and the last) convinced the parisian Anarchs that they could create their own Anarchy (some would prefer Democracy) without fearing the Camarilla as a whole. They gathered in a large domain where they pooled their influence to keep the control from the Elders. There they remained, far from the Cour and far, they think from the Clan's intrigues: Parisian Anarchs believe (officially) in no Clan ties, and, unless exception, a Kindred cannot win Anarch Prestige and Clan Prestige.
This isolationist position, coupled with the fact that some Anarchs attended Clan gatherings, or even Soirées or Salon, using Esprit and intrigues to increase unease among the Elders, is seen as dangerous by the Elders of the Camarilla.
They would like nothing more than destroy the Anarchy they believe Villon is building within them. At the very least, they would like a general consensus making the Anarchs personna non grata, and so, not even aknowledging one.
It is more difficult than most thought, because even if an Elder feel contempt for an Anarch, she will use any sensible Anarch-given information that could weaken her Elder enemy. At this game, Anarchs rarely wins Status, even if for some, Esprit becomes an addictive pleasure, but they succeed at least in enhancing the natural turmoil of the intrigue-loving Elders.
While the Anarchs didn't believe in Gehena, and in the Antediluvian the nights of 1998 will be dark enough to make them consider again their viewpoint. News from Los Angeles will, perhaps, make them realize that alone, they can nothing.
The Anarchs will divide themselves in three parts. The first will see the need for alliance ot survive the coming of the next century. They will try to bring the whole parisian Anarchs with the in the Alliance with the (Aaargh!) Toreador, the Tremere and the Ventrue. The Fugueurs will follow these.
The second group will decide the Camarilla sucks, and so, will either join the Sabbat (which seems to be right about Gehenna), thus making the parisian Sabbat more powerful or try to join the Brujah.
The third will try to keep its identity, but will suffer from their lack of engagement. In the ambiant paranoia, they will be the victim of Elder's vengeance for crimes they didn't commit. The survivors will flee and join the mysterious coteries hunting the Elders, and supposedly composed of angry Caitiffs.
Klaus' view on the french Anarch:
France has a long past of revolt and authority rejection. The Middle Ages Jacqueries, servile revolts, revolutions, resistance to the occupant. The Kindred are no exceptions to this kind of rebellion. To be Prince in France has been described as a perpetual nightmare. No matter, you would answer, there are Princes in France... Or, more precisely, there is one Prince. So yes, you can wonder what is really a french Anarch. French Kindred like the difference, and in this way, the french Anarchs are no different... *smile*. In french's history, most of the persons who changed the old way were people with minds that set them aside from the society. Marginals, paranoids (Rousseau). In the eyes of a stranger, the typical Anarch Kindred would only ally itself to an organisation or hierachy only with the aim of seeing it brought down... phagocyté. Explosé. Dispersé Typically, no one agrees with no one. But on one viewpoint. The most important viewpoint, perhaps: Every system needs a counter-power. An UNDERGROUD*. One only right way of thinking is, bluntly put, the expression of banality. Look at, for example, the sovietic Russia... So, so, so... Brujah. Philosophy's only reason of existence is to be used. If we add applied to the letter the principles of mister Montesquieu, the totalitary system that would have been such created would have reduced stalinism to the level of a peaceful village council. And of course, the Terreur... With a capital 'T'. You are telling yourself that in a dictatorial way, it was rarely outstanded, hein?
The Régicide and Noblicide was the consequence of a popular movement:
If Robespierre can be accused of something, it must be to have succeeded so much: The primary Terreur was at first a simple popular movement, and by being such, spontaneous... And would have soon degenerated. By making of the Terreur an institution, the Comité de Salut Public could control it.
You're right, the TEAM* of the Salut Public went beyond the limits... Guillotine, national sport...
Anyway, political clubs remained open and flourished. The critic was still possible. The critic should survive. The critic put an end to the Terreur... Critic beheaded it... Always an UNDERGROUND*, always, always, always...
* In english in the french version of the text!
Contents
To Be Anarch in France
History shows that the frustrated, the malcontent are the most critical of the society. Revendication and demands are most of the time tries to be recognized.
Do you see the background?
Yeah, the French Anarchs follow the movement only briefly. They stick to it by disgust, by caprice, or by need. Never forget that those youngs discover a new world, a system that ignores them at best, spoliate them anyway.
So, most of the French, and most Parisian Anarchs are what we call the very IN* circle of the Fugueurs (f-y-g-er: 'Runaways'). The Fugueurs claim they are Anarchs, and play rebellion as far as Ivan does not take offense. Ivan is called by the Anarchs the Père Fouettard. The one who punish the naughty children.
We find Fugueur from all the lower and middle Gothic punk society. Neonates from all Clans gather around the idea that Elders are pure bastards and that they are very... Wicked. The dream of an egalitarian society is not for those youngsters. They simply want their share of the apple pie...
Little Story:
The Toreador follow and, most of the time, precede the fashion (called Mode). The Elders are very proud of the realizations of the past centuries, and are prompt to gargle about it for centuries... Some Fugueurs witter than the others understood one night that Elders had some problem to adapt... So they created a new concept:
The Tendance, ou minute-fashion. By making fast and short-lived the style changes of society, and by parceling it in URBAN TRIBES* (recognizing a group by signs and behavior: Rollerbladers, Role-players, Ravers, etc.). The fashion of today and tomorrow will never be the same again. Imagine the Elders, already old and overwhelmed by happenings, to have to read each night reviews for young teenagers to keep up with each new fashion mood!
But, sometimes, the division between the Camarilla and the Fugueurs is too wide to be crossed back. Sometimes, it happens that some, by realism or by conscious choice, can't conceive anymore of unlife in the Elysium grounds and intrigues.
A Fugueur becomes, then, in most cases, an errant. a Sans-Domicile-Fixe (SDF: Homeless). To be, in the Kindred Society, a SDF signify to be victims of a deep antisocial depressive mental state (Cainite Misanthropy). The SDF is different from the Autarkis (see after) by a passive will to find someone to confide. The SDF are Caitiff makers.
Little Story:
A new Tendency was emerging: Young Cainites of all Clans were deciding to help (whatever the price) the most poor of their Kindred: The Cainithon** was born (** The Cainithon is inspired by the Genethon or Sidathon, where, for 24 hours people send money to help genetic disease research --Genethon-- or AIDS research --AIDS=SIDA: Sidathon). Ivan said no.
The Tendency was soon discarded...
In the end, sometimes, emerge some survivors. They are often seen as enemies of institutions, because their motives are not caprice or depression. They have only one aim: To reduce inequality. They are demonstration-inspiring, nursing and helping associations in defense of minorities.
They are where the poor don't say anything anymore, where they can survey the system crushing the weak. Once the breach is found, they only need to wake potentialities. They are behind syndicalists, young unemployed.
They are often cold in appearance. They never reveal anything in its entirety. They are the bugs in the computer, the sand in the gear-wheels, the wind of revolution: The Authentiques (o-t-un-tic: The Authentic).
Attention, anyway! : Don't make hierachy within the Anarchs ranks, between true and false Anarchs. All of them, whatever the subsect they belong, are spiritually evolving amid stagnation and entropy. Some are, perhaps, more active than others for The cause, but who can, in the end, judge the true or mistaken behavior against the system?
Of course, if you are priests, you will probably have the faculty to decide the good and bad attitude in this affair. I don't make moral judgements...
It's too much tendance...
* In english in the french version of the text!
Villon and the Anarchs
Everyone would want to know about the past of François Villon. Was he Anarch, in the past? Is Villon the debased Robin Hood, the Corrupted Jedi of the Anarch Movement?
It's up to you to answer this question.
But still, here is a viewpoint:
Revolt always needed bards. Poets are there to show the path to change. They are the ones who make the people die with songs on the lips. In those terms, they are very dangerous people, because they have a great power.
They have the rare quality of being able to give an ideal and energy to serious things.
Villon sang the Anarch movement. He made it a triumph. He divinised it.
Still today, the memories of the french Elders still sing some pamphlets, little songs and rimes. They remind them that with everything comes a price: Power is never forever. The Anarch movement will never die, often because of people like Villon.
Of course, Villon turned is back to his beautiful ideals. He is a betrayer in the purest sense because he now oppresses today those who were led by him in the past.
But once more, think about it. Perhaps he thought he could do better than those who came before him. Perhaps he believed he could change the things. When did he understood it was a lost cause?
Even the powerful have, deep in their soul, regrets, memories, a dream never lived, and probably most of all, bloody tears of bitterness.
You can believe what you want. I want to believe it...
Last Words:
Rebellion seems less evident than in those free cities of the Anarch Free States of California.
Criticism is very insidious, but is very constructive. To critic just for the act is nihilism. Blind violence is immature stupidity.
These two last notions are bad if we want to create a debate that could let everyone (in respect of everyone differences) express his own vision of the world, and eventually to share his secret, personal world.
Klaus Termingen, The Uncorrupted
The Fugueurs (Runaways)
They are the Neonates that want to be recognized as full members of the Kindred society. In most cases, they will come back to their Clan with the passing of the years. They form sub-cultures. The deep changes. The Fugueurs are the Anarch who are the most influencable by ideals. They are the chaos in the french Anarch society.
Ahmed; ?th Generation Brujah Iconoclast. Chris; 12th Generation Son of Cacophony. Frederic T. Moassy; 13th Generation Toreador. Gérard; 9th Generation Brujah Iconoclast. Jimmy; 13th Generation Toreador. Nadia; 9th Generation Brujah. Ron Stewart; 7th Generation Brujah Iconoclast. Le Serrurier; 8th Generation Brujah Iconoclast. Thibault-Thibault; 12th Generation Malkavian. Vivian Daremont; 12th Generation Toreador. William; ?th Generation Malkavian.
The SDF (Homeless)
They are depressive Kindred who couldn't come back. Often, they were Fugueur who didn't took the way back at the right moment. They are sad, full of pessimism, and pathetic. The Homeless are normally neutral in everything, while some of them show some traits that could make them Authentiques.
Annie; Unknown Generation, Bâtarde Catherine; Unknown Generation, Bâtarde, The Black Widow Leviathan; 10th Generation Gangrel. NirvAnna; 12th Generation Nosferatu.
The Authentiques (Authentic)
They are the Anarch, corrupter of good conscience, the makers of philosophes, they who provoke the debate and sometimes the mobmaker. The powerful now have to look at their own crimes, and the Authentiques make them look at the fundments of their power. In a way, the Authentiques makes as much to protect the french Camarilla than the institutionnalized brutality of the Masques. In some way, the Authentiques are the core of the french Anarch society. They are loyal to the Anarch way (even if they disagree about the way real meaning). They are loyal to each other.
Banshee; 9th Generation Daughter of Cacophony. Bloody Mary; 9th Generation Caitiff. Charles-Henri de Montex; 12th Generation Ventrue. L'Homme de Peu de Foi; 7th Generation Brujah. Klaus Termingen; 8th Generation Brujah. Romy; 10th Generation Nosferatu. Paercebal -- Anarch Investigator Tishiru Masumi; 9th Generation Los Angeles Anarch. Vincent; ?th Generation Brujah Iconoclast.
The Miscellaneous
No comment...
Goldwing; ?th Generation Tremere Antitribu.
Parisian Rebellion & the Voice of the Anarchs
Part of the parisian Anarchs understood that violent rebellion would lead nowhere, and would call for a terrible retaliation from the forces of Villon. And they learned, too, from the Commune that strict anarchy (i.e.: chaos) wasn't a workable system. While they still believe in the liberty of every Kindred, they understand that a minimal order must exist to ensure the Kindred survival as well as well-being. The Anarch Free States are considered by them as a political failure, even if a tactical success.
The Barons there are controlled by nothing. The firepower as well as the Kindred they have in their territories (called Baronies) are the only thing that keep the other Barons from attacking them, as even they fight each other to expand those 'Baronnies'. The parisian Anarchs believed the U.S. Anarchs have learnt nothing. They replaced Princes with Barons, changing the problem for another of the same nature. The only good thing is that one wouldn't have to change city (sometimes a risky enterprise for a young Kindred) to move to a more pleasant Barony.
In the other hand, the same parisian Anarchs are in front of the greatest failure of their life: They know that simple Anarchy can't work, they know that the Camarilla's structures are corrupted by Elders' intrigues, and they know half the Traditions should be removed, and the others written in a more egalitarian way. But still, the same structures and traditions are necessary to the survival of the Kindred. So they choose to became part of the system: They voted to unite and gather enough power to reach someday the 'Noble' Status, and be represented at the Grand Cour.
Of course, this infuriated the official Clans, already grudging against the presence of minor Bloodlines and Non-Camarilla Clan in the Grand Cour. Some say others, Villon being the first, would welcome the Anarchs. Some said it was because he believed the Anarchs would sooner enter the Camarilla and stop in their Anarch ways:
The Ancilla who never was an Anarch is an imbecile, but the Ancilla who is still an Anarch is a greater imbecile indeed! Is a favorite quote of Villon, after all...
In truth, what the other would call 'Duc', the Anarchs call Voix (Voice). The difference is great, as the Voice is elected every ten years, and can be destituted by simple decision of the two-third.
The power of the Voice are not great, as she is simply the representant of the Anarchs, and if one day the Anarch reach the Noble Status, the Voice will convey the news from the Grand Cour to the Anarch Assembly to vote a decision, or to take responsability of a decision when there isn't time enough to gather the Anarchs.
The Voice is not alone. Anarch elect, in the same way, Kindred that will help the Voice in her work. They are called Councillors, and have no real power but replace the Voice should it be needed (if there is no time for an election, etc.).
This gouvernment work is divided: The Voice is the representant of the Anarchs, and so, have the executive power. One Councillor, called the Philosoph, has the legislative power, leading discussions to create the Anarch Law system. The second, called the Judge, has the power of Justice, leading investigations and judgements. The last, called the Guardian, has the power of Police, the power to lead forces to enforce decisions of the Judge.
Note that in truth, their position is honorary at best: The greatest failure of the parisian Anarch is to create a Democracy where everyone has the power to decide for his own destiny, while joining a society and thus, surrendering some of his liberty and power. So if debates are numbers (at least within the Authentiques community), the decisions are rare indeed!
Even the Voice's position, is somewhat powerless: Some predicted even if the Anarch reached the Noble status, the Voice's vote in the Grand Cour councils would be, most of the time, neutral, as the Anarch can't reach an agreement in time (or at all...).
Anarchs Constitution
There is no real Anarch constitution, as debates are still occuring about the principles and systems that should be the basis of the ideal Anarch Society. But all agree about the importance of education and responsibility, even if arguing in secret about the little Liberty in teaching someone some principles like theorems. The Authentiques usualy divide themselves between different viewpoints:
The Fundamentalists, who try to write a code that could define what is right and what isn't (their code, copied from france's civil and criminal code, is becoming more and more complex with the years, and still isn't perfect!)
The Knights, who believe that Anarch ideals should be made as a Path of Enlightment, and Anarch status should depend largely on the enlightment of the Kindred in this path (from the Road of Chivalry: Some argue that Humanity is good enough and still does not work with the Camarilla Elders, so there is no reason that a new Path will work better!).
Anarchs & Status
As the french Anarchs are part of french Camarilla, they can win (at least in french cities) Status. But this Status is limited at best: The maximum they have reached is 2.
The Prestige is different indeed: An Anarch is cut from is Clan, and is effectively considered as an outcast until she reach maturity. While some Clans, like the Malkavian (and the Toreador, because of Villon's policies for Anarchs) accept this easily, others, like the Ventrue rarely accept back one of their members who defiled her Lineage by joining this group. The Tremere are known to take no exception, and in fact, easily move out of their way to harass a possible Tremere Anarch (Only one exception was done, and the hand of Vienna was seen behind it, so no one argue against it...).
So, an Anarch loses all Prestige from his Clan (or even from other Clans). In the same way, a Camarilla Kindred cannot win Anarch Prestige without good reason (and risking losing her own Clan Prestige!).
Anarch Prestige
- Anarch
- Anarch
- Anarch
- Councillor
- Voice
- Councillor
- Anarch
- Anarch
Note that one must have Anarch Prestige ** to have the right to vote (because of the principle of Responsibility). While it is relatively easy to become Anarch (through one must prove his conviction before entering... It is easier for some, and very much harder for others), it is hard to raise it to two if the person isn't interested in Anarch affairs.
Organization
There is no formal organization of the Anarchs in Paris, even if informal (and so, not regularly timed) reunion of the Authentiques are held in the Psaume 69 underground rooms.
Anarchs & Ivan St. Martin
While the Anarchs would like to believe they are harrassed by the Masques and by their tyranical master, Ivan, the truth is far less agressive.
It must be aknowledged that Ivan doesn't like Anarchs at all. At best, he considers them libe children in need of a good spanking, at worst like Kindred whose loyalty seem divided between the Camarilla and the Sabbat (with a preference for the last sect).
But Villon is less cruel than Ivan, and often stop the anger of his lieutenant. After all, the Anarchs are but children who are just in the middle of their teen crisis... For the Anarchs, the Tradition are less held. While Ivan would act at a blatant violation of the Tradition of the Domain from a Camarilla Kindred, he would let some space to an Anarch. But other Traditions, like the Destruction and the Progeny have no excuses (And there is no need to talk about a breach of the Masquerade for Ivan.
But in the other hand, overt violation of Traditions or Edicts are dealt a bit differently: While an Elder would suffer a loss or Status and/or Prestige, an Anarch is simply taken by the Masques, and usually dealt in a shameful (and very parental-like) way: As Kindred can suffer great damage without dying, it is not unknown to have one of them spanked (don't smile: being spanked with a whip with razor-edged metal pieces can be quite painful!), or otherwise shamefully tortured.
Removing of one's known background (usually resources, contacts or influence) for a period of one month to ten years are not unknown. Also, having to wear permanently bondage toys when among the Kindred can help someone understand he did something wrong.
The rules are simple, and an Anarch knows he had three choices: 1) Suffer the punishement. 2) Quit the city. 3) Be killed.
As Villon and Ivan are no fools, such punishement are done only when good reasons arrive: Lack of subtility in the lack of respect for an Elder (if there is subtility, it is very appreciated, and known as Esprit), minor breach of the Masquerade (like appearing in a photo in a newspaper), misconduct (use of violence, for example) in an Elysium, etc. etc..
The punishement are well chosen to divide the Anarch Community, and so start no reaction (...After all, he did ghoul the Prince's chosen Chalice...). Major Breaching of the most important tradition can lead to less lethal (but more shameful) punishement, when compared to a Camarilla (Well, he spend all the time in his house: Going out with so much latex and stainless steel on him, and with so little clothes is very shameful... Anyway, he wouldn't want to be seen by others in such a condition...)
With their own territory, and as they are left, most of the time, alone as long as they remain there and protect the Masquerade there, the Anarchs can continue to exist, with their ranks varying as Neonates join in anger and quit them to join their Elders in the Camarilla. All the while, they are free to do as they please, in the boundary of Kindred Community, or to test their Elders, and so received a fitting punishement.
So, when an Anarch crosses the border too much often, he can hope to be spanked in such a way he will think twice before risking another shameful experience, just for the fun of it.
There is a drawback, through: The Anarchs learn fast how to attack elders without risking anything, and their knowledge of the present technology can make their Esprit enough understandable to Neonates and Ancillae to provoke an Elder's confusion, as he lacks the ability to understand what in the Anarch's sentence seems so funny to others: To be insulted is already terrible, but to be seen as an idiot is even worse!
Some Elders are now considering the end of this Controlled Anarchy experience, and lobby to have the ungrateful childe be brought into the ranks or simply destroyed.
