Les Gens Libres

I would rather die than be a slave once more.

Vampire the Requiem - Ancient Bloodlines

Those of Les Gens Libres bloodline believe in freedom above all else. Members of the bloodline are Embraced from those who were subject to a cruel or unjust exercise of authority or power. Among their ranks might be a former slave, an ex-criminal, a prisoner of war, a man who has suffered a life of poverty in the hands of a corrupt government, or a battered woman trapped in an abusive relationship. In death, those chosen to become a part of Les Gens Libres finally find freedom. The Gens Libres are a rebellious lot, and they revel in their vampiric powers, seeing their abilities as tools that can be utilized to turn the tables on their oppressors and liberate those who are still oppressed.
Members of the Gens Libres bloodline typically belong to no covenant, finding the very notion of an organized hierarchy oppressive. They operate independently of established systems, sometimes alone, but more often in groups, to further their cause. Les Gens Libres are vigilante freedom fighters — self-proclaimed defenders of those who are oppressed by authority. To Les Gens Libres, the world quivers in anticipation each night, waiting for revolution.

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

History and Culture: Bloodline historians have never been able to pinpoint who exactly was the founder of the bloodline, but it is widely believed that the line is relatively recent in the grand scheme of things. The bloodline clearly originated in Saint Domingue (modern-day Haiti), sometime shortly before or during the Haitian Revolution at the end of the 18th century. Originally, members of the bloodline were Kindred turned from Haitian slaves, still burning with unforgotten hatred remaining from their mortal lives held in bondage. As the years passed, the bloodline grew to encompass a much wider range of cultural backgrounds — any of those among the masses who have been oppressed,and who believe in freedom above all else. Freedmen often choose to belong to no covenant, wishing instead to devote themselves utterly to their cause.
With the European tradition no longer threatened by the blasphemous practices of the Kindred of the first wave, there was very little left to do in Saint Domingue but systematically destroy those who remained. According to most records, that is precisely what happened.
But the truth is far more sinister where Les Gens Libres are concerned. Rather than kill the remaining Kindred slaves, the elders of the second wave corralled those who remained and developed a means of tracking their blood and the blood of any childe they sired. They bred out the Gangrel’s troublesome tendency to grow horrific claws, and instead they purposefully developed in the line an affinity for staying hidden — at least, from anyone who didn’t know how to find them. After the bloodline cemented itself, the founders of Les Gens Libres bloodline were set loose in the world to multiply. The elders of the second wave did this so that a new, relatively weak bloodline could serve as a food source for vampires who had grown too powerful to sustain themselves on human blood. Even tonight, certain vampires know how to use the tracking method devised by the Kindred of the second wave. The information on how to find Kindred of the Gens Libres bloodline can be bought for a high price by those influential enough to acquire it. The unpleasant truth of the Freedmen’s origins has, thus far, not come to light — or at least, no Freedmen still extant seem to know this truth.
Kindred who are initiated into Les Gens Libres must show their dedication to the cause by freeing a mortal (or, in some cases, a vampire) from some oppressor. An oppressor in this sense may or may not be a person. It may be a government, an unhealthy situation, or physical bindings, such as shackles or a prison cell. The fact the some people may not want to be free is, in most cases, a concept that Les Gens Libres cannot (or do not wish to) understand. They look upon those who willingly subject themselves to servitude as utterly deluded, and sometimes choose to end their lives rather than let them continue to suffer slavery.

Major organizations

Reputation: In small numbers, Kindred with more traditional ideals generally see Les Gens Libres as nothing more than a loud and annoying nuisance. When their numbers swell, however, their strength becomes formidable, and not many are more adept at garnering support for their cause than are the Freedmen. As such, the bloodline tends to be closely monitored to ensure they remain contained and easily controlled.
For the most part, Les Gens Libres are on relatively friendly terms with the Carthians. Though their motives and methods may differ, the two groups both share a similar progressive attitude. The groups may occasionally find common ground and work together to achieve a mutual goal.

Nickname: Freedmen

Parent ethnicities

• Gangrel

Related Items

• Blood Compass

Bloodline Disciplines: Obfuscate, Animalism, Resilience, Celerity
Weakness: Members of the Gens Libres bloodline possess the weakness of their parent clan (see p. 107 of Vampire: The Requiem).
Additionally, Les Gens Libres are incapable of forming a blood bond, and vampires who drink the blood of a Freedman are never subject to The Vinculum. This suits members of the bloodline perfectly well, however, as the majority of Freedmen view The Vinculum as simply another unjust form of slavery. Members of the bloodline believe that this weakness is not a detriment at all; rather, it is a proudly-worn badge of their continued commitment to the proliferation of Freedom.
Concepts: Vigilante, jaded ex-military officer, fervent patriot, rebellious teenager, disgruntled blue-collar worker, misguided rabble-rouser, guerilla warrior, falsely-accused ex-convict, zealous visionary, charismatic politician