Baron
So long as two people exist on the earth, someone is going to have a problem with someone else. This is an undeniable fact, and when you get two blood-sucking monsters with crazy powers and a lack of all-seeing government, things can get really messy really fast.
Enter the Baron, acting as the leader of Anarch territories. Where a Prince rules by authoritarian threats and the right of "higher" blood, and an Archbishop rules via religious fervor and fealty, a Baron "rules" by keeping everything on the straight-and-narrow.
It could be a city block, it could be a whole neighborhood, a district, or a whole city, but the main job of the Baron stays the same: Keep everyone from going psycho-murder on each other and keep the right Kindred in the right places, and kick the wrong Kindred to the curb.
It isn't a glamorous job, nor is it the lap of luxury, but it's a necessary one any night and the few Kindred who can stand it earn at least the respect and recognition of those around them. Plus whatever else they can milk out of the deal if they're lucky.
Qualifications
Anarch culture is a minor meritocracy, so it should be no surprise that the only qualification for being a Baron is having the skills to handle the job and stay "alive" all the while. That being said, a Baron's primary role is a mediator, so if one wants to be a Baron, no matter how wide the territory, one should be prepared to approach things with a level head and with a mindset toward resolution.
Requirements
The only strict requirement to be a Baron is to be an Anarch because many Anarchs don't take kindly to Camarilla sock puppets telling them what to do.
Appointment
Appointment as a Baron is large a social appointment, with word passed around at gathering places, the local neighborhood, or with a prompt arrival at a messy scene for maximum drama.
Responsibilities
The key responsibility of Barony is the management of their territory. Keeping everything secure, safe, and successful while also making sure two Kindred don't take down the neighborhood by going at each other's throats. They're also responsible for making sure outside forces don't ruin their territory or find a reason to ruin it, which sometimes puts them in contact with the Camarilla. While this rarely ends well, sometimes it ends neutrally, and that's good enough at the end of the night.
Benefits
While being a Baron is not a regal position, it still garners a bit of social respect from those who are watched by the Baron. Any society needs a manager after all, and not every Kindred is selfless enough or clever enough to take on the pretty thankless task of herding the cats every night. Some Barons are also able to milk some resources, be it money, blood, or boons, from the Kindred underneath them, acting more like the landlord than anything else, but it still beats having to be under a Prince.
History
The Second Anarch Revolt in 1944 brought together hundreds of disparate Anarchs under one banner and established the Anarch Free States in California. While it wasn't labeled as such at the time, this new gathering and new structure needed leadership, and the ones who led the revolt stepped up to do just that. While the most famous among them, Jeremy MacNeil, initially used the term "Baron" in a sarcastic sense, it was the only official title that was really given, and so it stuck and in the decades since became the official title.
Type
Civic, Diplomatic
Status
Active
Creation
Jeremy MacNeil - Founder of the original Anarch Free States, former Baron of Los Angeles
Form of Address
Sir/Ma'am/Boss/Etc
Equates to
In terms of being a political figurehead, the Baron is equivalent to the Camarilla's Prince or the Sabbat's Archbishops. However, there's no real absolute authority that comes with the position, making them equal in implications only.
Source of Authority
Themselves and their community
Length of Term
As long as they can keep it
Current Holders
Related Organizations
As long as they can keep it Love it