Song of the Gangrel

By Adrien Ladouceur (pumpuii@tbaytel.net)

Prelude

"David?" called the strangely familiar voice. "Where are you?"

The night air was cool, and had the frost tint of winter lingering on moist soil: the smell of the forest in Autumn. A bright, lustrous, not-quite-full moon hung powerfully above the tree tops. He was drunk with these sensations, these and more that the forest had provided. Nothing else seemed to matter to him now. Nothing but a strange hunger, a burning thirst, that throbbed within his chest.

Briefly, a flash of human reason overtook him. It wondered who the familiar voice was. 'David,' the voice had said; that name meant something. But reason made the hunger into a burning fire, and so it retreated, leaving only the Beast.

"David?..." the voice seemed nearer now.

The Beast followed its instinct, hunting the voice. Swiftly it moved, like a wolf's shadow, til the prey was in sight. A woman with light hair, trembling from the night's chill, stood by a small campfire gazing into the darkness between the trees. The Beast stepped out into the light.

"David!" cried the woman, both in surprise and relief. "Where were you? You were gone so long that . . ." The woman felt the gaze a predator gives to its prey. "David?" the woman meekly pleaded.

But David could not hear, could not show mercy, as much as he would have wanted to. David was no longer as he had become the Beast . . . .

Introduction

Widely misunderstood, the Gangrel have a unique place in Kindred society. Shunning the great cities, the Gangrel tend to live in wild and remote places. As well, they seem to embody and understand the Beast more than any other clan. "We are the Beast" seems more than just a motto among the clan, it is a recognition of their primordial nature.

This text is an exploration of some of the ways of the Gangrel. It is an exploration as much as explanation, and the author has taken many liberties and creative licence to create this work. It is not an official work sanctioned by White Wolf Game Studios, but borrows many terms and subject matter from their World of Darkness. Any use of copyright terms mentioned here is not a challenge to their ownership.

As always, take what is useful and enriching to your story, and discard the rest.

Lexicon

Though Clan culture on the whole is difficult to pin down, certain terms have been handed down and have common usage among many Gangrel. Some of these terms were borrowed (and slightly redefined in some cases) from Clanbook: Ravnos.

Amria (AHM-ree-uh): A Gypsy curse

Kris (KREASE): A Gangrel "trial by combat."

Anri'uthya (AHN-rhee ooth-YA): A term of Kinship within the Clan.

Anri'galla (AHN-rhee GALA): A "friend of the Gangrel," human, kindred, lupine, or other.

Anri'bete (AHN-rhee BET): An animal friend (normally a ghoul).

The Beast: More than just the darker "urges" of a kindred, the Gangrel also see the Beast as a source of strength and connection to the wild.

Gangrel Culture

It is difficult to pin down the actual culture of the Gangrel, as the clan is so dispersed throughout many cultures. Their common lineage with the gypsies and the werewolves is well known, but unlike those two groups, Gangrel tend to be more solitary. "Lone wolves" is an ironic yet accurate term to describe the members of the clan. Still, there are certain traditions and customs that have spread among the clan, though not all know or bother to follow them.

As a clan, the Gangrel are fierce in battle, and are known for their honesty (even when given at the most inconvenient times). They hold a kinship with the mortal gypsies, and the lupines. All of this, and more are well known about the clan.

The Gangrel are a clan who feel the power of the wilderness, and have realized their connection with it (whether this is conscious or not on the part of the character). They are the way they are not because of choice, but because of this primordial connection that Gangrel's blood has instilled in his childer. Even the lost neonate, most urbane before the embrace, suddenly feels the call of the wild in such a way that it cannot be ignored (although many still try...). An interesting note, a Gangrel does not then attempt to hold on to his Humanity by asserting his human nature over his Beast, but by harmonizing both sides of his psyche and bringing out the best traits of each. This is mostly just semantics as far as the actual rules governing Humanity go (or the Road of the Beast if such rules are employed for the character), but it may have an effect on the story.

Their customs, what few there are, have the resonance of Gypsy and Native American spirituality and mysticism; of course this is at best an inaccurate generalization considering the vast number of different cultures the clan has embraced. At the core of it all, however, is the call of the wild. It is simply, "in the blood."

Like any other Clan, the Gangrel do have their secrets.

Moon Kenning

Kenn Lunus (or commonly "Moon Kenning")is the primary method the Clan uses to keep in touch. It is what could be described as a primordial internet -- the members of the clan interact with it by attuning themselves to the wilderness. Some do this by howling, squawking, or hissing, while others do it silently. Their words and responses are carried by the animals, and even by the spirits of the wilderness. Through this, the Clan stays in contact with each other, even when thousands of miles, and sometimes oceans, separate them. An interesting note, the Lupines share this internet. Kenn Lunus is not instantaneous, and is very visceral. More often, emotions are communicated more than words. However, experienced Clan members can actually communicate complex ideas and statements, encoding them into what they consider a more primal, and therefore superior form, of communication.

To "access" Kenn Lunus, a Gangrel need have Auspex or Animalism rated or higher, and be skilled enough to understand the messages being communicated with the Primal Urge talent. Even at lower levels, Gangrel can have an almost silent dialogue among themselves that many outside the Clan mistake for telepathy. (Garou characters need only the Primal Urge Talent)

Kris

A term borrowed from the Rom, a Kris is the method by which the Gangrel govern themselves in the exceedingly rare instance when it is considered necessary to do so. It is a trial by combat, where it is believed that the victor is the most just. The trial begins with the staredown (Willpower vs. Willpower -- using Dread Gaze is considered dishonorable). Not only does this staredown serve to end many disputes quickly, it also serves to "psyche up" the participants, pushing them toward Frenzy should the next stage, physical combat, be progressed to (i.e., if no decisive victor is found - +4 successes or more).

The actual details of the Kris is left up to the Storyteller. Once a Kris has begun (any Gangrel witnessing it "knows" it by feel), no one is permitted to interfere.

Animal Thaumaturgy

Many Gangrel have not totally forgotten their connection with the animal spirits of the Lupines. While vampires cannot learn the ways of the Garou directly, a few Gangrel have developed Thaumaturgical paths that approach them. See Animal Thaumaturgy for more information.

Traits of the Beast

It is well known that the Gangrel's Clan Weakness brings them closer and closer to truly becoming the Beast with each Frenzy. In spite of this, very few Gangrel exist (or at least are known to exist) who are in such a state that they can no longer pass for human. Individuals outside the clan whisper that this is because the Clan destroys their own when this occurs.

The Truth, if there really is one, if far from this.

Normally, a Gangrel identifies with a particular animal as he or she continues down their path (wolf is most common, but raven, fox, bear, and even snake-Gangrel are known to exist). When a Gangrel enters Frenzy, he "becomes" the Beast; when the Frenzy ends, the Beast leaves a little more of itself behind. Elder Gangrel have found ways, however, to placate the Beast to the point that its passing does not leave its mark on the Gangrel. To do this, a Gangrel would roll Stamina + Primal Urge when entering a Frenzy (Difficulty 9); even one success "avoids" gaining a trait after the Frenzy ends, but a botch drains a dot from the Gangrel's Self-Control.

These are things like pointed ears, pointed nails, wolf's eyes, et al. Sometimes the compounding of these traits will have an effect on the character's stats. In general, whenever a Gangrel loses a social trait, he may gain a dot in her physical (sometimes even in Perception) traits. There is no absolute rules for this and, as always, the details are left to the Storyteller.

Often overlooked is the ways that the Beast alters the characters Mental State; these traits are much like derangements, but feral in nature.

Moon-Bound: Like your Lupine brethren, you are tied to and influenced by the cycle of the moon. Under a full moon, your Self Control rolls are at +1 (every two times this trait is taken, so +1 on the second, forth, etc), showing a greater connection with the Beast within (as a bonus, your Primal Urge rolls are lowered by the same).

Urban-phobic: You become unnerved by the sights and sounds of the city, and require a Willpower roll to remain there for any length of time.

Earthly Slumber: You refuse to sleep anywhere but in the Earth (requires Protean ).

Sort of a "catch all" category, for Gangrel that begin to show the strangest traits . . . .

Trumpet the Beasts: The Gangrel's presence is noted by all animals in an area. (Unless the Gangrel has the disciplines to quiet them, sneaking around is going to become quite difficult).

Forced Transformation: The Gangrel, under the light of the full moon, is forced to transform into beast form (requires Protean or higher).

Blood of the Beast: Your blood sends any non-Gangrel drinking it (on failed Self-Control roll, lupines not affected) into frenzy.

Silver's Bane: Like your Lupine brethren, silver causes discomfort, and weapons made from this cause aggravated damage (though you may soak normally)

Gangrel Powers

Well known are the Gangrel for their powers of Fortitude, shapeshifting and influence over beasts. As well, many Gangrel develop affinity for Auspex, and even several "unique" paths of Thaumaturgy. Gangrel Thaumaturgy differs from Tremere Thaumaturgy in theory and methodology, but is statistically the same. That means that Gangrel are ultimately uninterested in learning the Tremere's Paths, and should one gain the desire, and opportunity to do so, learns it as if it were his first in Thaumaturgy (rituals are not so limited, but may take time to translate).

Animalism: Conquer the Beast is listed as a Level Seven power in the Player's Manual. I thought that this power was a wee bit lacking for a level seven power. Gangrel may gain this at level five in lieu of Drawing out the Beast.

Thaumaturgy: See Animal Thaumaturgy

Abilities

Primal Urge: This skill is from Werewolf: The Apocalypse, and represents the character's connection with her "wild side." The Storyteller may rule that characters with this skill may find it easier to control themselves within a Frenzy.

Lupine Lore: Not a new skill, but with one additional note from the author: you know that the Lupines call themselves "Garou." That means if you don't have at least one dot in Lupine Lore (and you haven't encountered any werewolves in your chronicle) you still call the fuzzies: lupines, not garou.