Farragut’s Proclamations
During most of his rule over Chicago, Prince Farragut made all of his laws known by etching them into a massive copper pillar located inside his meeting hall on Goose Island. Though the hall was never officially declared an Elysium, the Prince’s presence there had usually been enough to keep order. After Farragut dropped away from the public eye, the five Regents of the city signed the Goose Island Compact in this very same hall, swearing to cooperate in upholding these laws in his stead.
Shortly before Prince Farragut's return to the "public" eye, his Herald, Josephine Honore, somehow gained access to the dilapidated Court and renovated the entire structure, claiming to be under orders from the Prince, who she claimed was still about and watching over the city. When the Prince returned in the Summer of 2006, he did not refute Herald Honore's story. Unfortunately, the etched laws of the Prince would not remain for long. After near-constant challenges and revisions due to circumstances beyond anyone's control (such as the replacement, disappearance or destruction of several Regents), Prince Farragut made the bold descision in late 2006 to remove all laws from the Pillar, save the first. According to the Prince himself, the city is now run solely by his decree; this change has driven a rift between the Prince and more progressive elements of the city, and is seen by some as a sign of Arthur Farragut's declining sanity.
I. I am the soul of the City. When you think me absent, I am there. When you think me distracted, you have my full attention. When you think me destroyed, still I exist.
The first of Farragut’s laws is, for some, the most pressing on the mind. At the time of its writing, many thought this to be a bog-standard “thou shalt have no Prince before me” kind of statement. Over the years, however, Farragut’s uncanny intuition seemed to show truth in the first two of this law’s clauses, and the last is so particular in its wording that it is difficult if not impossible to avoid connecting it to his seeming absence from Chicago. Even tonight, the most powerful Kindred of Chicago operate under the pretense that they are merely caretakers, not usurpers, of the Prince’s authority. This law, more than most would care to admit, weighs on the mind of any Kindred seeking political power in the city.
As stated above, the first is the only one of Farragut's laws which remains etched in permanent form. The others, where possible, are still followed, though officially they are considered decrees which may change at the ruler's whim.
II. The Traditions of our kind are sacred, and any who violate these will feel their full weight, regardless of stature.
Perhaps a mere reiteration of the three great Traditions and a reminder to all that they should be followed, save that Farragut specifically adds the phrase, “regardless of stature.” The implication is that even the Prince was subject to this law—an implication he lived up to, as Farragut was never known to have destroyed or sired a Kindred, and certainly not to have jeopardized the Masquerade. When care of Chicago was passed on in the Prince’s absence, all of the Regents swore to uphold the same standard; while notable exceptions can be named, any Kindred who has flagrantly violated any Tradition has found himself on the outside of society looking in.
III. Elysium grounds are hallowed. Once created, no force will unmake the Elysium. The burden of maintenance of these traditions falls on the shoulders of all Kindred.
Farragut had always considered the tradition of Elysium as being equivalent to the Traditions of Masquerade, Progeny and Amaranth. Kindred of Chicago find it difficult to even contemplate violence within the confines of a site declared Elysium, and almost never hunt for vitae on its grounds. Though most consider this to be purely psychological in effect, every so often, rumors pop up in any city about Elysia having supernaturally compelling properties; these rumors tend to surface more often in Chicago.
IV. No Kindred will possess that which can destroy our kind en masse.
The reasoning behind this law is plan when one considers the veiwpoint of a Kindred who survived the Great Fire. Kindred who stockpile flammables or explosives are dealt with as severely as Farragut’s code allows. Over the decades, especially in the time of Regency, some have tried to poke holes in this proclamation, claiming that any Kindred who drives a car is in violation. Such strategies are typically greeted by a rolling of eyes and increased scrutiny just in case the Kindred in question is arguing semantics for a reason.
V. Buckingham Fountain will be untainted by the ravages of our kind, and thus will be safe for our kind. It will be counted among the Elysia.
The Fountain was the first Elysium created by Farragut. Being an outdoor area and a gathering place for mortals, it seemed obvious to warn off anyone who would hunt or do harm in the area surrounding it.
VI. All Kindred are welcome in this city, until they have proven themselves unworthy.
By most accounts, this is a very strange policy for a Prince to set forth. Normally, Kindred being the paranoid, xenophobic types they are, newcomers are about as welcome as a case of cholera. However, perhaps because the early Carthian Movement benefited from large numbers of misfit Kindred, or just that Farragut realized a city growing like Chicago once was could afford to feed a few more mouths, this city is different. To this night, the powers-that-be in Chicago honor the letter of this law, if not always the spirit, as evidenced by the mass eviction of the Union Stockard Kindred in the 1970s.
VII. That which some Kindred refer to “The Beast” is merely an expression of one’s own darker emotions. As such, Kindred who fall prey to this are responsible for their every action while overtaken by hunger, by fear or by rage. Any Kindred maliciously instigating such a state in another shall share in whatever punishment said other receives.
While making the somewhat obvious declaration that the beast cannot be used as an excuse for violations of city tradition, Farragut goes out of his way here to publicly decry the theory that “the Beast” even exists. Perhaps this is a peculiarity of Farragut’s own belief system; if so, the Kindred of Chicago may not ever know.
VIII. The land bordered to the west and south by the flow of the Chicago River shall be the Northern Regency.
The wording of this law left it unclear into which Regency Goose Island fell; While Farragut was active, this wasn’t an issue, as he kept peace himself. In his absence, decades later, Kindred from east of the river captured a trio of outsider Kindred attempting to vandalize Farragut’s Code. Agreeing that some action needed to be taken regarding Goose Island, the Regents met to discuss. Instead of merely sorting out a land dispute, the Regents created the Goose Island Accord, which has served the the founding document of the city’s ad hoc political structure ever since. In 2007, Farragut selected Ed X. Edison to replace Jim Milligan.
IX. The land bordered on the east by the Chicago River and on the south by Division Street shall be the Northwestern Regency.
Among the declarations of Regency, this is one of two territories that is not currently controlled by a Kindred appointed by Farragut. Whyte himself has not been seen since October of 2003. Among the Invictus, the currents of power are second nature, however; the Regency passed to Whyte’s obvious successor, Featherby.
X. The land bordered on the north by Division Street, the east by the Chicago River and the south by the First Canal shall be the Western Regency.
XI. The land bordered on the North by the First Canal, and to the East by the Chicago River and Racine Avenue shall be the Southwestern Regency
This is the second Regency controlled by someone not appointed by Arthur Farragut. In the time around 2004-2005 Bishop Pryce slowly removed himself to the suburbs generally West of the city. His departure was considered his resignation. The Regent's Council selected Abraham Gustafson as Pryce's successor; after Farragut's return, Bishop Sherman Barnes was selected by the Prince to the Regency.
XII. The land bordered to the north and west by the flow of the Chicago River shall be the Southern Regency.
XIII. Wherever the dead of Chicago are interred with proper honors, there shall be Elysium.
This blanket declaration created Elysium sites out of every graveyard and cemetery in the city. For Kindred stealthy enough to enter these, graveyards make ideal meeting places for clandestine meetings.
These proclamations followed in the wake of the 1968 riots; ambiguity in Farragut’s original declaration made it unclear which Regent was responsible for Kindred aggression during the battles in Grant Park. Milligan and East agree between themselves to use the current, obvious flow of the river to delineate a boundary between territories, and to create an Elysium out of the entirety of Grant Park. The council then convinced Farragut himself to make this the law.
XVI. No Kindred will record, visually or aurally, any other Kindred, nor permit such a recording to exist.
This, Farragut’s final proclamation, was a product of its time. Recording technology had just begun to blossom, and the Prince seemed to foresee the extent to which it would insinuate itself into the lives of mortals and Kindred. As the years tick by, however, progress has made this law harder and harder to enforce.
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.