The Gangrel

Overview

The Gangrel are kindred who hold closer ties to the wild places than most of their city-bound cousins, they are also closer to the animal aspect of the Beast, and are masters of the Protean Discipline. They were one of the seven founding clans of the Camarilla, but became disillusioned with the sect in the centuries soon after, its elders eventually deciding to sever its ties and become an independent clan. However, often the Gangrel are still allies of convince for the Camarilla against a mutual foe in the Sabbat. 

History

Early History

There are many different approaches to the history of the Gangrel. The disparate nature of the Outlanders and their mostly oral recorded histories make an exact depiction of their early history difficult, but it seems certain that the Gangrel were always wanderers, who followed nomadic tribes around, sleeping in the earth to escape the sun. Although some Gangrel tell the myth of Caine and how Ennoia was cast out due to a betrayal of the Ravnos Antediluvian and forced to live with the beasts, there are many other tales. The Gangrel of Scandinavia tell tales of the Einherjar and Canarl, who was cursed by Odin, while another popular myth was that Ennoia and her twin brother Churka were demigods that warred against each other, Ennoia with the most brave warriors and Churka with the most cunning, at night, so that the other gods would not learn of their feud. After Ennoia, however, was betrayed by two of her lieutenants who left her, she and her army were driven to the East, where Ennoia left them on their own. By battling Churka's get and the demonic giants that served him, they would do penance for the betrayal of their chieftains. After a long series of battle, the Gangrel were driven into the West, in the civilizations of other Kindred. Other stories tell that Ennoia was the mother of Gypsies and both the werewolves and the Gangrel descend from them. Most among the Clan, however, do not know or care any longer about creation myths of their kind, instead focusing to survive in the present. The mystery remains.
The Gangrel shunned many of the civilizations of antiquity, instead roaming the woods and preying on tribal societies who regarded them as evil spirits that were meant to appease. They had almost nothing to do with the development of the Roman Empire, though occasionally a Brittaniac, Gaulian, or Gothic Gangrel would nose around Rome in the hopes of catching a young neonate off-guard. If there were any Gangrel in the city itself, they were likely attached to any one of the "slave" races – mainland Europeans, Africans, Middle Easterners, or even more exotic peoples. Gangrel fought on both sides of the Punic Wars, although in the end, most flocked to the Ventrue. In Scandinavia, the methuselah known as Odin, the All-High, held the northmen in a tight grip and ruled as a corporeal god, sending them down to raid the civilizations he despised in order for his warriors to earn the right of the Embrace.

Dark Ages

Clan Gangrel c. 1197-1242
The northwestern Gangrel during this period, regarded as members of the Low Clans by their high-blooded peers, were experimenting with expansionism and traveled to the four winds to far off lands to conquer, explore and trade. As paganism was on the decline and many Gangrel could not pose as normal humans due to their growing abnormality, they instead prowled the countryside, feeding from peasants and travelers. During these days, the Gangrel allied themselves with the Tzimisce against the nascent Tremere in the Omen War.
The Islamic Gangrel of the period were called Wah'Sheen, and were essentially straightforward nomads, masters of the deserts and wastelands of Arabia and North Africa. A few of the Wah'Sheen felt differently, and eventually split from the main part of the clan, calling themselves the Taifa Gangrel. These were generally more scholarly and adept with civilization than the rest of the bay't.
The Renaissance and the loss of woodland made unlife complicated for the Gangrel. The Masquerade and the heavy decline of pagan religions made hunting difficult for them without drawing notice and the growing anger of the Lupines against human encroachment found more often than not a ventil within a lone Gangrel. Many Gangrel left the Camarilla during this time, instead traveling as Autarkis, leaving Europe completely in search for untouched wilderness or receded into those few tribal societies still existing.

Victorian Age

Clan Gangrel c. 1800 to present 
In the rapid growth of cities and technology that marked the Victorian Age, very few Gangrel had any interest in staying in towns and hamlets that became industrial centers almost overnight. Additionally, though there were few documented cases of mortals possessing "true faith", the growth of religious influence made many Gangrel cringe, wary of another round of the vicious Inquisitorial practices of the Dark Ages. Only the scholar and theology debater Beckett was known to have any regular dealings with "proper" Kindred society during this period; most other clan members hiked into the wilderness to wait out this newest burst of human ingenuity and religious fervor.
Some claim that the City Gangrel began to evolve during this age, due to urbanization and the desolate situation in most fabrics.

Related Organizations

• The Camarilla and it's Present State