Other clans have learned the hard way not to curtail Gangrel's freedom or hinder their travels; even the most territorial Tzimisce generally lets a Gangrel pass so long as some acknowledgment of domain is granted. For their part, Gangrel are indifferent to the doings of other vampires, save when those vampires attempt to use Gangrel as pawns in their schemes. A Gangrel tricked into a course of action becomes as savage as a wounded leopard and will do anything to extract revenge on the deceiver. This could be the reason that Gangrel so dislike the Ravnos...

Some Gangrel establish semipermanent territories, but even these prefer to stay deep in the wilderness, where Europe's few remaining mystic sites are. Enchanted springs, magical glens and toadstool rings often have Gangrel guardians. Gangrel know their territories intimately and often befriend the faeries, nymphs and monsters indigenous to the land. It saddens them that the Lupines are less receptive to their overtures.

The Gangrel have always walked apart from mortals, and thus hold little influence over their lives. Gangrel drift from village to village, rarely staying in one place long enough to befriend or control anyone. In any case, the Animals' bestial taint makes such interaction difficult.

It is said that in the north roam bands of nocturnal brigands led by bloodthirsty Gangrel. Occasionally stories surface of Gangrel who "protect" an isolated farm community or hamlet: sometimes altruistically, more often in exchange for tribute, with savage retribution awaiting those who do not pay up. Mainly, however, Gangrel impact humanity only as predators. Indeed, Gangrel see the power-games of the other clans as silly. Why manipulate a duke or mayor into enacting political change when you can just eviscerate the fool and end his meddling then and there?

Gangrel are strongest in those areas isolated from human habitation: the Black Forest, the Scandinavian peninsula, the Scottish Highlands and similar places. Here Gangrel often assume a sinister demeanor, becoming night-fiends and bogeymen in a desperate attempt to stop mortal incursion into the wilds.

Other vampires tread lightly around Gangrel, and for good reason: the Animals are as cunning and savage in combat as the beasts they emulate. Gangrel are equally adept at a full-tilt charge and a sudden strike from the undergrowth. Elder Gangrel are particularly deadly, for they can shapeshift into wolf and bat forms to harry prey, vanish in a wisp of smoke and resume the battle at their convenience. Gangrel also commonly make pacts with faeries, magical beasts and other wilderness denizens, and call on these allies in extremis.

Gangrel do as they will and brook no elders or princes telling them what to do. Still, Gangrel have a modicum of honor, and those Gangrel who prove themselves oathbreakers or scarelings are often culled from the clan.

Status among the Gangrel is loose and based mainly on the number and quality of tales told concerning a given Gangrel's deeds. A Gangrel renowned for protecting a mystic site, slaying a lake-wyrm or navigating a trackless waste will be accorded a wider space at the talefire than will an anonymous newcomer.

Unlike other vampires who benefit from civilization's spread, the Gangrel suffer from it. As the wilderlands shrink and city walls enclose more land, the Gangrel find their hunting grounds dwindling and themselves thrust into territorial conflicts with the Lupines. The fact that the werewolves refuse to heed the Gangrel's entreaties for an alliance frustrates the Animals even more. More and more Gangrel flee Europe for the Siberian wilds or the sub-Saharan expanses; those who stay find themselves increasingly bestial, lashing out frenziedly in all directions, like caged rats.

In Eastern Europe, the rise of the Tremere greatly disturbs the Gangrel; the fact that the Usurpers routinely leech the land's magical essence for their foul spells physically sickens the natureloving clan. Gangrel have even allied with the Tzimisce (for whom they bear little love) in an attempt to put down the Tremere once and for all.

Gangrel occasionally congregate at certain designated wilderness sites, there to celebrate the changing of the seasons. At these gatherings, the normally stoic Animals throw off all vestiges of decorum - leaping, running and howling under the moon and stars. The festivals generally culminate in a frenzied hunt and the drinking of blood tainted with distillations from hallucinogenic mushrooms and narcotic berries. Woe to the unfortunate who disturbs such a gathering!

Gangrel also hold more sedate meetings, where stories are exchanged. The laconic Gangrel can become surprisingly garrulous when presented with an audience, and all manner of elaborations and embellishments work their way into tales told at these gatherings. 

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