Anarch/Politics

Anarchs and the Camarilla

Those anarchs who actually manage to obtain something in the way of status in the Camarilla itself - not the chameleons specifically, but simply those who have succeeded at playing the political game in hopes of changing the sect - are subject to their own particular Faustian temptations. Some of the most power-hungry up-and-comers in the Camarilla are former anarchs who have abandoned the movement to line their own nest, as it were. Anarchs hate these turncoats with a passion, but they also exhibit a tendency to blame the Camarilla itself for their fall, rather than their own lack of will. Just another reason the system has to be changed; it corrupts even those who go into it with the best of intentions.

This love/hate relationship with the Ivory Tower creates an interesting dichotomy in the anarch attitudes. Mention any given facet of the Camarilla, and you'll receive a veritable barrage of scorn, vitriol and mockery. Yet when the shit hits the fan and the Camarilla is menaced by threats from without, such as the recent Sabbat offensive on the East Coast, the anarchs are always among the first on the front lines, fighting back the enemies of the sect.

What this means is that the anarchs are more than willing to grant their respect to a Camarilla prince, but he's got to earn it, not demand it. A prince who handles his domain well, who's concerned about the welfare of the Kindred who dwell within, who refuses to put his own advancement and the game of prestation over the good of his city, earns the accolades of an entire anarch community.

Most princes, of course, fall into the "selfish, power-hungry monster" category, and the anarchs have long since grown disillusioned.

Anarchs and the Sabbat

There was a time, not really all that long ago, in the scheme of things, when the anarchs and the Sabbat seemed tailor-made for each other. The anarchs espoused freedom from the oppression of the Camarilla elders, and the Sabbat offered just such an escape in the form of the bond-breaking Vaulderie. Both sects were far more openly violent than the Camarilla, and both seemed willing to acknowledge their inhuman natures.

Then the anarchs got a really good look at what the Sabbat is.

They don't offer freedom at all, just a new form of enslavement. The Vaulderie might allow a bit more room to roam than the blood bond, but ultimately, it's still just another leash. Forced devotion to a fanatic ideal isn't any better than bondage to an ancient monster, not when that fanatic ideal seems to be nothing less than the glorification of the worst parts of Kindred nature. The don't just "acknowledge" their inhumanity, they venerate it, treating mortals like less than chattel. Sure, even the Camarilla Kindred refer to the mortals as kine, but at least the don't make a practice of glorifying mass murder. How could the anarchs justify claiming equality with Kindred more powerful than they, if they treated their inferiors - even mortals - in ways they'd never accept from their own elders?

This isn't to say that the Anarch Movement doesn't have some nonviolent contact with the Sabbat. A small anarch population exists in quite a few Sabbat cities. They do tend to keep their heads down much of the time, since they'd rather not draw attention. Some actively work against the Black Hand, trying to sabotage the Sabbat from within their own territory. Most, however, are far less brave (or foolhardy...) and dwell in Sabbat domains primarily because they have nowhere else to go.