Arthur Farragut

It is best not to weld in haste.

—Arthur Farragut

I'm a girl yo!

—Arthur Farragut

To speak of known Chicago history is to speak of Prince Farragut. When Kindred came to Chicago after the Great Fire, Farragut was here, and no other claimed to have existed in the city prior to this disaster. From that point until his disappearance, Farragut ruled lightly, seeming disinterested in most of the petty politics that occupied so much of other Kindreds’ Requiems, but never once tolerating a direct threat to his rule. He kept to his own devices, and for the most part, allowed others to keep to theirs. More so than many Princes, Farragut’s court managed the city’s affairs. As a result, these officers and the leaders of various Covenants developed both an independence and a level of responsibility not normally found in cities that maintain the position of Prince.

All of this continued from the time of the Fire until some point in the early 1990s. Without any amount of ceremony or circumstance, Farragut simply dropped off the radar for most Kindred. Many of his officials remember their last meeting with the Prince vividly, but it is hard to cut through the rumors and myths to determine exactly who saw him last. Kindred searched and scoured, physically, through intermediaries and supernaturally, though no clues were discovered as to his whereabouts, his fate or (as would confirm the most obvious suspicion) the location of his slumbering corpse. In time, the Kindred of Chicago returned to their nightly routines.

In the years since this disappearance, no Kindred has attempted to claim Farragut’s Princely title. Over a century of self-reliance and tradition has left these Kindred fully confident in their ability to keep the domain together without need for the constant presence of a central authority. Also, anyone who is in a favorable position to claim the title is secretly worried that, should they broach the subject of Princedom, someone else may be motivated or capable enough to take it for themselves. For these Kindred, a domain with no Prince is preferable to a domain with a potentially-hostile Prince, and so it remains.

One thing that has changed since Farragut’s disappearance has been the frequency of social gatherings among Kindred. While the Prince reigned, few open assemblies were ever held. Smaller gatherings did happen, but covenant or clan leaders generally organized these, so attendance was limited at best. As a result, very few Kindred in Chicago feel at all confident that they know of all the other Kindred. While many assume Farragut kept up-to-date on these matters, since his departure, efforts have been made to host more regular gatherings in order for the Kindred to get a better idea of who they share territory with. The Elysia defined by Prince Farragut have been held sacred since his disappearance, perhaps even respected more now than before because of these increased gatherings.

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