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The Gangrel:The city is not our home. It is simply where we are forced to reside. The outlands are where we belong. Our people have become ill and deranged because we have lived in this purgatory too long. We have grown dependent on the polluted blood of mortals
The Gangrel are wanderers, rarely remaining in one place for any significant period of time. In this, they are very different from most Kindred, who find a haven and jealously guard it. There is no record of who the eldest in the Gangrel line is, and the clan has no established leaders. On the whole, Gangrel are unconcerned with such things. They are known for being withdrawn, quiet and solemn. They certainly keep their cards close to their chests. The Gangrel is a clan of survivors - vampires who are capable of making it on their own. They do not despise civilization or the society of their Kindred; they simply do not require it. They are known for their lack of concern about crossing the lands of the Lupines (werewolves); indeed, it is said they have friends among them. Gangrel always pick their progeny-to-be very carefully, seeking survivors who are capable of existing on their own. Once they Embrace these mortals, they abandon them, leaving their victims to make their own way through the world. Though they may watch their progeny from a distance, sires rarely interfere. When they feel the childer are ready, Gangrel sires present themselves and teach the childer the true ways of the line. The Gangrel are very capable shapeshifters, which may explain their ability to cross wild areas unmolested. There are no reports of them being able to transform into anything other than wolves and bats, but there are old tales of a Gangrel elder being able to achieve mist form. Perhaps because of this shapechanging power, Gangrel often have features distinctly resembling those of animals. Each time they frenzy, Gangrel gain another animal feature. If stories are to be believed, the Gypsies are the mortal descendants of the mysterious Antediluvian who stands at the head of the Gangrel line. They are under his protection, and any Kindred who harms or Embraces a Gypsy will answer to him (or her). Regardless of whether this is true or not, Kindred are loathe to harm Gypsies. Members of the Gangrel clan are expected, through long-standing clan tradition, to aid Gypsies whenever necessary. In turn, Gangrel have also been known to receive aid from Gypsies. Certain members of the clan have adopted much from Gypsy culture, including mannerisms, linguistic elements and even dress.
Disciplines: Animalism, Fortitude, Protean
Clan Advantage: Gangrel rarely allow themselves to be tied down to one place for long, except when they feel there is some task or goal they must accomplish before moving on. As a result, few princes enforce laws of Presentation upon the nomadic Gangrel. This is not to say that they cannot be told to leave by a prince, but they rarely worry about seeking out the prince of every domain where they wander.
Furthermore, when Gangrel deal with werewolves, they do not show a taint of the Wyrm because of early generation. Only Gangrel who have three or more Beast Traits will bear the scent of the Wyrm. This is of great advantage when dealing with the already unpredictable Garou, the werewolves with whom the Gangrel share the wild places in our world.
Clan Disadvantage: Each time the Beast (in the form of a frenzy provoked by a Beast Trait) washes over a member of the Gangrel Bloodline, it leaves a mark of its passing in its wake. These marks take the form of animalistic features, like a hairy mane, pointed ears or slitted pupils. The player should record those on her character sheet and include them in her description. For every three of these features she possesses, the character must take either the Bestial or Repugnant Negative Social Trait. These traits can and probably will be taken multiple times as the Kindred becomes more and more animalistic.
Organization: The Gangrel do not really consider themselves a clan, at least in the sense that the other clans do. They never have clan meetings and rarely attend Camarilla councils. Nonetheless, they do tend to enjoy one another’s company, at least more than that of other vampires, and they can often be found together.
Aditional:"The Gangrel are wanderers, rarely staying in one place for any length of time. In this, they differ greatly from most Kindred, who tend to find a haven and cling to it. There are no established leaders of the clan; on the whole, Gangrel are unconcerned with such things. Withdrawn, quiet and solemn, they certainly keep their cards close to their chests. This is a clan of survivors - vampires capable of making it on their own. They do not despise civilisation or the society of other Kindred - they simply do not require it. They are known for their lack of concern when crossing the lands of the Lupines (werewolves), for it is said they have friends among the shapechangers.
The Gangrel are themselves very capable shapeshifters, which may explain their ability to cross the wild areas unmolested. There are no reports of them being able to transform into anything other than wolves and bats, but there are old tales of Gangrel elders who could achieve a mist form. Perhaps because of this Protean discipline, their features often resemble those of animals; indeed, some of the oldest Gangrel barely resemble human beings anymore. The Gangrel are closely affiliated with the Gypsies, in fact, if the stories are to be believed, the Gypsies are the mortal descendants of the Antediluvian who founded the Gangrel line. They are under his protection, and any Kindred who harms or Embraces one of them will answer to him. Regardless of whether this is true or not, Kindred are loath to harm Gypsies. Members of the Gangrel clan are expected, through long-standing tradition, to aid the Gypsies whenever necessary. It has been known for Gangrel to be aided by the Gypsies as well. Certain Gangrel have adopted much from the Gypsy culture, including mannerisms, linguistic elements and even dress." (Vampire: The Masquerade 2nd Edition)
Merits and Flaws for Gangrel
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