hrough the forest nights wander the lonely, nomadic Gangrel. Unlike their brethren, Gangrel spurn the trappings of civilization, preferring to roam the deep wilds in solitude. The Gangrel is a clan only in the loosest sense; its member tend to be rugged individualists, indifferent to the protocols of either mortal or vampire. They are the bestial ones, the closest to losing themselves to the wild.

Few beings know the wild places like the Gangrel do. They remember many of the ancient sites of elder magic, and have allied with (or at least know how to avoid) the few mythic beasts still dwelling near those sites. Gangrel also traffic with more mundane beasts, and most Gangrel can converse with the denizens of forest and field. Indeed, Gangrel tend to be more comfortable with such creatures than with the mortals they were or the vampires they have become.

Of all vampires, Gangrel have made the most progress toward establishing anything close to tolerable relations with the Lupines. Perhaps this is because Gangrel are themselves master shapeshifters; most tales of transforming vampires have their roots in the doings of the Gangrel. This talent, however, comes with a price - many older Gangrel lose their human form altogether, becoming more like the beasts they emulate. Many Gangrel also have lost any semblance of human behavior, and hunt and feast like wild animals.

Gangrel were once more common, but the decline of the ancient pagan cultures and the spread of human civilization (and its vampiric parasites) have forced the clan deeper and deeper into the wastes. Many Gangrel resent this, and battles have recently been fought between civilized "settlers" and Gangrel reluctant to leave their hunting grounds. Even those Gangrel who have accepted Christendom (if not necessarily Christianity) rarely venture into the more populous regions, instead wandering the back roads from hamlet to hamlet and farm to farm as the mood strikes them.

    APPEARANCE: Many Gangrel appear as, and dress in the manner of barbarian peoples. Furs, plaids, deerskin clothing and similar garb predominate. Some, emulating the Highland Picts, go about in woad and little else. Of course, those unfortunate Gangrel who have fallen prey to the Beast one too many times have a look all their own. Tufted ears, horns, coats of fur, razor talons, gleaming catlike eyes, even feathers and scales adorn (deform?) these bêtes noires, and a feral musk wafts from them.

HAVEN: The Animals almost never establish a permanent haven, but instead wander the continent in an inscrutable migratory pattern. Occasionally one will mark a "hunting territory", but even this is usually quite expansive. Gangrel rarely enter the cities, preferring deep forests, lonely moors and even peat bogs and fens. Their ability to meld into the earth often means that the world is their haven.

BACKGROUND: Many Gangrel come from pagan and barbarian civilizations: Celts, Vikings, Mongols, Lapps and the like. Those Gangrel drawn from "civilized" people tend to be chosen from foresters, yeomen and other sturdy, resourceful folk on the outer reaches of their civilization.

CHARACTER CREATION: Gangrel rarely have sociable Natures or Demeanors, though Nature and Demeanor can be dissimilar (Gangrel rarely lie, but even more rarely reveal their true agendas). Physical Attributes are almost always primary, while Talents and Skills predominate among the Abilities. Gangrel often have Allies (forest tribes, magical creatures and the like), but rarely have Influence. Most Gangrel follow the Road of the Beast, though a very few from ancient bloodlines walk the Paradox Road.

CLAN DISCIPLINES: Animalism, Fortitude, Protean

WEAKNESSES: Gangrel are closely attuned to their inner Beasts, but this carries a drawback. As Gangrel fall prey to their ravenous urges, the Beast leaves its taint on their bodies. Each time a Gangrel frenzies, she gains an animal feature (a furry coat, a tail, hooves, horns, luminous eyes, a guttural voice, etc). Every five such features reduce one of the Gangrel's Social Attributes (player's choice) by one. Ancient Gangrel often look (and sound, and smell) completely bestial.

ORGANIZATION: The clan has no formal organization to speak of. Elder Gangrel are often respected for their might and cunning, but there are also tales of ancient, monstrous Gangrel berserkers brought down by packs of outraged younglings. A Gangrel's status, on the rare occasions it comes into play, is based on the tales of that Gangrel's deeds (even if told by the Gangrel herself - similar to the Celtic boasting contests).

Thou art a valorous warrior, mortal, to have won through to this place. I shall give thee a death worthy of a champion and tell tales of thy heroism.

tereotypes

ssamites - They are valiant, honorable and seek to stop Christendom's advance. Were they not hell-bent on hunting us down and drinking our blood, they might be boon companions.  rujah - Heh! They seek to find Heaven by locking themselves and a bunch of humans in a great walled crypt? Knowing the Brujah, their perfect city would be a blood-spattered abbatoir in three nights.  appadocians - They would learn more from the songs of a cricket than from the whispers of an ancient cadaver.  ollowers of Set - These tainted spawn of Jormungandr are most honest when shrieking in their death-throes.  asombra - Treacherous churls. One worm of a Lasombra sought to ensnare me in his foul plot. For all his airs of superiority, his insides looked little different from most other vampires'.  alkavians - When a Malkavian speaks, listen. When a Malkavian acts, leave. When two Malkavians gather, run.  osferatu - A great doom follows them. Leave these wretches to their misery.  avnos - Vile, craven wastrels, the worst of our kind. They pander to the most contemptible vices and craft garish illusions to bolster their lies. When you meet one, rake your claws through its entrails to make sure it's real.  oreador - They have great gifts and could have been our kind's venerated bards. But instead of crafting stirring epics to exalt the valiant and praise virtuous, the Toreador spew vilest slander and spin gaudy webs of lies.  remere - These sorcerers must die, and may no songs be sung of their passing, but let their name be stricken from the sagas and forgotten by all worthy creatures.  zimisce - They respect the land, and that is good. Yet they harbor no corresponding respect for the land's creatures, and for that we must kill them. Still, that night must wait until the Tremere are extinguished.  entrue - He who seeks chieftainship over me must earn it.  aali - There is rot in these scholars' mouths and poison in their footprints.

THE WAYS OF