The Iron Horsemen are a faction of Kindred known for their unyielding restlessness and relentless pursuit of freedom, embodying the untamed spirit of drifters and rebels. Unlike many factions bound by city politics, the Iron Horsemen transcend such constraints, carving out a legacy that dates back to the 1800s. This era, when railroads symbolized true freedom, saw the Iron Horsemen rise as the true barons of the rails, guiding nomadic workers through the vast, uncharted lands. Though the Ventrue financed these iron pathways, it was the Iron Horsemen who truly ruled them, marking safe territories and establishing a network of freedom seekers.
As times evolved, so did the Iron Horsemen. The rise of automobiles and air travel shifted their methods, leading many to embrace the life of biker gangs, truckers, and other forms of modern drifters. Despite the modern challenges posed by the Beckoning and the Second Inquisition, which have disrupted many Kindred networks, the Iron Horsemen remain adaptable. They now establish mobile Baronies, constantly moving to maintain their legacy of exploration and independence in the world of Darkness Emergent.
In the grand narrative of Vampire the Masquerade, the Iron Horsemen are often associated with clans that value freedom, mobility, and rebellion. The Brujah clan, with its rebellious streak and disdain for authority, aligns naturally with the Iron Horsemen’s values. Similarly, the Gangrel clan, known for its close ties to the wilderness and preference for solitude, also finds a kinship with the Iron Horsemen. Both clans contribute to the faction’s ethos, with the Brujah bringing their fiery spirit and the Gangrel their primal connection to the untamed world.
The Iron Horsemen continue to defy the odds, embodying the spirit of freedom and resilience that has defined them for centuries. Their story is one of adaptation and survival, navigating the dangers of a world that constantly seeks to bind them.
Chicago – The Iron Horsemen
Ask any Gangrel or Ravnos, and they’ll tell you there’s always been drifters among our kind, kindred whose restless Beasts drive them to cross the horizon. It’s not just them though; even the crustiest among us ache for freedom, pining for the open road. Sure, some may hear it louder than others, but we all yearn for a certain measure of freedom, to roam unfettered by the morass of city politics where licks blind you into thinking the only mobility that matters is up and down their social ladder. Thing is, we’re not all suicidal enough to go roaming the hills and forests naked where werewolves roam and shelter’s a roll of the dice. All of that changed in the 1800s. America pioneered the first true freedom for kindred, laying down tracks for iron horses. The Ventrue may have paid for the railroads, but we were its true barons, our herds traveling with us in boxcar buffets and building ever further west at our direction. We taught them signs to mark safe territory and places to avoid, making them scouts for our growing network. By the early 20th century, hundreds of thousands of transient workers, human nomads, passed through Chicago alone, seeking freedom, adventure, and possibilities, and we moved with them. Times change. Between Henry Ford’s Model T, developments in farm machinery, and even air travel, humanity moved us away from the rails and reduced the need for the migratory laborers that we moved among. We changed too. Many nomads, like the Free Spirits, established themselves as biker gangs or truckers. We’ve got those too, dating back as far as ’35, but Chicago makes a special case. It’s the only place in America where all six of the major railroads meet. We’re where the rubber of the road meets iron track, and as the Cammies lock down their glass fiefdoms, more of us establish mobile Baronies. The Beckoning and the Second Inquisition have affected us just as much as it has the city licks. They created holes in our network and the networks of those who oppose us, no less so in Chicago. The Windy City was always a hub for us, a place for safehouses and moving smuggled cargo. It’s time for us to return there, shore up what remains and possibly even stake new claims.
Points of View: The Iron Horsemen
As an Iron Horseman, let me give you the lowdown—freedom’s in our blood. Ask any Gangrel or Ravnos, they’ll tell you about the drifters among us, the kindred with restless Beasts driving them to chase the horizon. But it ain’t just them; deep down, we all crave that freedom, the kind that gets stifled by city politics where everyone’s scrambling up the social ladder. Back in the 1800s, America laid the tracks for the first real kindred freedom with those iron horses—the railroads. Sure, the Ventrue might’ve funded ’em, but it was us, the true rail barons, who ruled. We moved with transient workers, setting up signs for safe spots and marking territories to avoid. Times have evolved since then. Cars, planes, and modern machinery shifted humanity away from the rails, but we adapted. Many of us turned into bikers or truckers. Here in Chicago, we’ve got a unique spot—it’s the crossroads for all six major railroads. It’s where road meets rail, and as the Camarilla locks down their shiny high-rises, we’re out here, establishing mobile Baronies. The Beckoning and the Second Inquisition hit us hard, tearing holes in our networks and those against us, especially here in Chicago. This city’s always been our hub, a place for our safehouses and for moving what needs to be moved under the radar. Now, it’s time to come back, bolster what’s left, and maybe even claim new ground. The road’s calling, and the Iron Horsemen are answering. Are you in?