Gorgons
I am a queen, heir to the great blood of Medusa. Look upon me and bask.
They are ancient and new again. They are the old and the young. They are regal and they are filthy.
Gorgons claim descent directly from the immortal gorgons, Stheno, Euryale and the infamous Medusa, the mythological monster herself. As the Gorgons tell it, Medusa an ancient vampire Embraced by the gods, such that her blood was a mix of the earthly and godly. When she perished at the hands of Perseus, her body was fed upon by her ladies-in-waiting, who were lowly, terrestrial vampires but nonetheless queens among their kind. These were the fi rst of the Gorgon bloodline of the Kindred.
In the ancient nights, before the Camarilla rose or fell, the Gorgons were monarchs among the Damned. They ruled the nighttime palaces of numerous Mediterranean cities, spreading this brilliance and authority as far as Turkey, Egypt and Iberia. For centuries they were loved, celebrated and feared among their kind.
What caused their glory to wane is unclear. Some blame the waning power of the Olympian gods. Others point to the gradual collapse the human civilizations on which Kindred society was built. Whatever the true cause, a near-extinction of the Gorgons took place as rival Roman bloodlines swept in and conquered the Gorgons’ cities. Those Gorgons who survived slipped into the earth to wait out the ages.
After the fall of the Camarilla and the Roman Empire, the Gorgons emerged again, crawling through the cracked fl oors of the Byzantine cities that had sprawled over their heads. For decades the Gorgons fl itted about among the illustrious pillars of human and Kindred society in Constantinople and throughout the Mediterranean. In time, they spread to the west, seeking out palaces and hidden havens in the empty vaults beneath the earth of what would one night be Italy, France and Spain.
It was during these nights that the Gorgons fi rst allied themselves with The Circle of the Crone, they say. These serpentine queens seemed to be a natural fi t, as the undead descendents of demigods, and soon Gorgons were fi gureheads in a handful of Acolyte domains.
But it didn’t last. Within a few decades, most of the Gorgons disappeared again. By the time of the Renaissance they had vanished from Europe. Accounts of Gorgons still haunting Kindred courts in the Near East were thought to be legend.
Where had the Gorgons gone? What had driven them off — or lured them away?
In the 19th century, Gorgons emerged once again into the glittering lights of Kindred society. But were these the same Gorgons, from the same bloodline, as those who had been ambassadors for the Acolytes hundreds of years ago? Were these the same that had ruled Kindred cities in ages past?
Modern Gorgons claim that they are, in fact, the same bloodline, suspended in places, it’s true, but unbroken yet from the day of Medusa’s death to this night. Who can say if this is true? Whether modern Gorgons are a new Medusa-idolizing family of the undead or an ancientlineage of demigod daughters, they are here now.
In the past hundred years or so, the Gorgons have taken their association with The Circle of the Crone for granted. Though many Gorgons came onto the scene in the 1800s expecting to fi nd that the Acolytes had saved their seats for them, the truth is that the modern nights have much more appeal for these Damned debutantes than the appeal of dead goddesses and hungry gods. For the Gorgons, ancient gods are old hat, after all — just a part of the family tree. As Lords by blood, Gorgons are more interested in reclaiming stature and authority, in bringing cities back under their rule.
The modern approach of these Gorgons casts a great deal of doubt on the legends of the ancient Gorgons, however. Tonight’s Gorgons seem to have little interest in genuine power and authority. Instead, many seem content to be puppets for real politicos just so long as they can keep their posh suites and sit on the thrones that they feel are rightly theirs.
The defining quality of each family is their dedication to mastering mystical physical powers of the Damned from other clans. The Stheno family learns Vigor as a matter of custom, while the Euryale line studies Celerity. Historically, Stheno is known as “the strong” and Euryale as “the wide-ranging.”
Kindred of other familial lines and clans who serve Gorgon masters (be they Princes, Regents or something else) may associate themselves with the Stheno or the Euryale “houses,” provided they can demonstrate proficiency with vampiric strength or speed, and thereby be of some use to their Gorgon leaders. In game terms, the Stheno and Euryale families may grant some characters access to City or Clan Status through their mastery of Vigor or Celerity. In this case, such characters can gain Status dots equal to their dots in Vigor or Celerity minus one, provided they promise to serve their patron family in time of need. Such service might include:
Gorgons claim descent directly from the immortal gorgons, Stheno, Euryale and the infamous Medusa, the mythological monster herself. As the Gorgons tell it, Medusa an ancient vampire Embraced by the gods, such that her blood was a mix of the earthly and godly. When she perished at the hands of Perseus, her body was fed upon by her ladies-in-waiting, who were lowly, terrestrial vampires but nonetheless queens among their kind. These were the fi rst of the Gorgon bloodline of the Kindred.
In the ancient nights, before the Camarilla rose or fell, the Gorgons were monarchs among the Damned. They ruled the nighttime palaces of numerous Mediterranean cities, spreading this brilliance and authority as far as Turkey, Egypt and Iberia. For centuries they were loved, celebrated and feared among their kind.
What caused their glory to wane is unclear. Some blame the waning power of the Olympian gods. Others point to the gradual collapse the human civilizations on which Kindred society was built. Whatever the true cause, a near-extinction of the Gorgons took place as rival Roman bloodlines swept in and conquered the Gorgons’ cities. Those Gorgons who survived slipped into the earth to wait out the ages.
After the fall of the Camarilla and the Roman Empire, the Gorgons emerged again, crawling through the cracked fl oors of the Byzantine cities that had sprawled over their heads. For decades the Gorgons fl itted about among the illustrious pillars of human and Kindred society in Constantinople and throughout the Mediterranean. In time, they spread to the west, seeking out palaces and hidden havens in the empty vaults beneath the earth of what would one night be Italy, France and Spain.
It was during these nights that the Gorgons fi rst allied themselves with The Circle of the Crone, they say. These serpentine queens seemed to be a natural fi t, as the undead descendents of demigods, and soon Gorgons were fi gureheads in a handful of Acolyte domains.
But it didn’t last. Within a few decades, most of the Gorgons disappeared again. By the time of the Renaissance they had vanished from Europe. Accounts of Gorgons still haunting Kindred courts in the Near East were thought to be legend.
Where had the Gorgons gone? What had driven them off — or lured them away?
In the 19th century, Gorgons emerged once again into the glittering lights of Kindred society. But were these the same Gorgons, from the same bloodline, as those who had been ambassadors for the Acolytes hundreds of years ago? Were these the same that had ruled Kindred cities in ages past?
Modern Gorgons claim that they are, in fact, the same bloodline, suspended in places, it’s true, but unbroken yet from the day of Medusa’s death to this night. Who can say if this is true? Whether modern Gorgons are a new Medusa-idolizing family of the undead or an ancientlineage of demigod daughters, they are here now.
In the past hundred years or so, the Gorgons have taken their association with The Circle of the Crone for granted. Though many Gorgons came onto the scene in the 1800s expecting to fi nd that the Acolytes had saved their seats for them, the truth is that the modern nights have much more appeal for these Damned debutantes than the appeal of dead goddesses and hungry gods. For the Gorgons, ancient gods are old hat, after all — just a part of the family tree. As Lords by blood, Gorgons are more interested in reclaiming stature and authority, in bringing cities back under their rule.
The modern approach of these Gorgons casts a great deal of doubt on the legends of the ancient Gorgons, however. Tonight’s Gorgons seem to have little interest in genuine power and authority. Instead, many seem content to be puppets for real politicos just so long as they can keep their posh suites and sit on the thrones that they feel are rightly theirs.
Sister Bloodlines and Houses
Two other Kindred lineages associate themselves with the Gorgon bloodline’s interpretation of their familial myth. These are not mystic bloodlines — they incur no additional weakness and unlock no unique Disciplines — but are simply Ventrue families that exalt the mythological gorgons. These two families draw their names from theimmortal sisters of Medusa, Stheno and Euryale.The defining quality of each family is their dedication to mastering mystical physical powers of the Damned from other clans. The Stheno family learns Vigor as a matter of custom, while the Euryale line studies Celerity. Historically, Stheno is known as “the strong” and Euryale as “the wide-ranging.”
Kindred of other familial lines and clans who serve Gorgon masters (be they Princes, Regents or something else) may associate themselves with the Stheno or the Euryale “houses,” provided they can demonstrate proficiency with vampiric strength or speed, and thereby be of some use to their Gorgon leaders. In game terms, the Stheno and Euryale families may grant some characters access to City or Clan Status through their mastery of Vigor or Celerity. In this case, such characters can gain Status dots equal to their dots in Vigor or Celerity minus one, provided they promise to serve their patron family in time of need. Such service might include:
- Three nights of protection (or battle) to an elder per month.
- Two tastes of Vitae for an elder.
- 300 miles of travel per year for deliveries, errands, escorts and scouting.
- 300 hours of manual labor without pay each year.
Culture
Culture and cultural heritage
Background: The majority of modern Gorgons are of Mediterranean descent, regardless of which continent they call home personally. The vast majority of Gorgons are women. These two characteristics are mistakenly thought by many to be inescapable facets of the bloodline, either because the Medusas are sexist elitists or because the mystic qualities of their blood simply won’t take effect among males or those not distantly descended from the Olympian gods. Both notions are rubbish. Gorgons may be of any race and either gender. Reports from a series of Kindred nomads in the 1990s suggested that a mix of male and female Gorgons are largely in control of the Primogen in Accra, Ghana, for example.
Gorgons also share an insatiable desire for both attention and privacy. On the one hand, when they’re out in the night playing their part in the Danse Macabre, Gorgons starve for affection and attention. Some Gorgons are disgusting Fame whores whose sole qualification for celebrity is wealth or shameless posturing. Others are elegant, dignified diplomats whose poise and measured behavior could make a bowling alley seem classy.
On the other hand, Gorgons are fiercely protective of their private spaces, where they lure their most precious vessels for fatal visits. Many Gorgons are, in fact, degenerate recluses, dwelling like asps in a pit rather than towering proudly like king cobras.
To want to join this bloodline, a person must have the desire to be a social ambassador or queen among orgiastic nobles, and yet the hidden capacity to be a filthy, monstrous hermit. Thus most modern Gorgons are indulgent, hedonistic and shallow party monsters who secretly despise those less beautiful or hip, just as they secretly despise themselves, who are so often hideous within.
Gorgons also share an insatiable desire for both attention and privacy. On the one hand, when they’re out in the night playing their part in the Danse Macabre, Gorgons starve for affection and attention. Some Gorgons are disgusting Fame whores whose sole qualification for celebrity is wealth or shameless posturing. Others are elegant, dignified diplomats whose poise and measured behavior could make a bowling alley seem classy.
On the other hand, Gorgons are fiercely protective of their private spaces, where they lure their most precious vessels for fatal visits. Many Gorgons are, in fact, degenerate recluses, dwelling like asps in a pit rather than towering proudly like king cobras.
To want to join this bloodline, a person must have the desire to be a social ambassador or queen among orgiastic nobles, and yet the hidden capacity to be a filthy, monstrous hermit. Thus most modern Gorgons are indulgent, hedonistic and shallow party monsters who secretly despise those less beautiful or hip, just as they secretly despise themselves, who are so often hideous within.
Common Dress code
Appearance: Gorgons draw their members from throughout the world. Despite what many Acolytes think, it seems that most of the world’s Gorgons come from North Africa and Persian lands, with the rest of the Mediterranean trailing behind. Gorgons throughout history have been male and female, but tonight the echoes of academic feminism keep male membership low; few try to join the lineage, fewer still are accepted.
Many Gorgons present themselves with an odd mixture of peasantry and pageantry, wealth and filth. A clean white dress gets thrown on over skin caked with mud. Precious jewelry decorates dirty hair. Though some Gorgons consider themselves masterful enchantresses and benders of mortal will, few position themselves outside the reach of “earthly souls” or common folk. They hunt where there’s dirt and relax where there’s not.
No one thinks of the Gorgon line without thinking of snakes. In practice, however, Gorgons don’t dress themselves in cobras. Instead, a single viper coils around one arm, appearing almost like jewelry, or an asp bites its own tail around a Medusa’s neck. All this supposes the Gorgon is able to find a snake worth showing off to other Kindred, and risking mortal attention for.
Wearing a snake in the hair is a privilege for elder Gorgons or Medusas with some Status in The Circle of the Crone. A young or unimportant Gorgon with a snake in her hair is liable to be labeled ignorant, an upstart or a poseur. This isn’t some familial policy, it’s custom. A Gorgon can get away with wearing a so-called serpentine crown when her peers and her betters let her do it without hassle or shame.
Many Gorgons present themselves with an odd mixture of peasantry and pageantry, wealth and filth. A clean white dress gets thrown on over skin caked with mud. Precious jewelry decorates dirty hair. Though some Gorgons consider themselves masterful enchantresses and benders of mortal will, few position themselves outside the reach of “earthly souls” or common folk. They hunt where there’s dirt and relax where there’s not.
No one thinks of the Gorgon line without thinking of snakes. In practice, however, Gorgons don’t dress themselves in cobras. Instead, a single viper coils around one arm, appearing almost like jewelry, or an asp bites its own tail around a Medusa’s neck. All this supposes the Gorgon is able to find a snake worth showing off to other Kindred, and risking mortal attention for.
Wearing a snake in the hair is a privilege for elder Gorgons or Medusas with some Status in The Circle of the Crone. A young or unimportant Gorgon with a snake in her hair is liable to be labeled ignorant, an upstart or a poseur. This isn’t some familial policy, it’s custom. A Gorgon can get away with wearing a so-called serpentine crown when her peers and her betters let her do it without hassle or shame.
Art & Architecture
Haven: Most Gorgons nest less like their monstrous namesake snake-women and more like the Ventrue they are. Secure marble rooms in cold but richly appointed penthouses are more common than caves. Still, one common thread seems to run through the spaces beloved by many Gorgons: stone. Gorgons seem to prefer the security of solid rock, whether it’s marble, cement, flagstone or brick. The seams of polished concrete condos may hide the secret doors leading to sunless crypts. The light-proof insides of renovated chimneys hide coffin-sized nests. Marble columns contain secret spiral staircases leading down to gloomy grottos.
Rumor has it that Gorgons let poisons snakes wander freely in their havens, and at least a few well-known account give credence to those tales. Whether the rumors are true because its an old Gorgon tradition or whether modern Gorgons have taken up the practice since hearing the rumors seems impossible to verify. What’s known is that Gorgon havens in dank but elegant forgotten subway stations are likely to be prowled by asps, while the constrictor snakes coiled around the cold, raw metal girders in that Gorgon’s posh loft space are probably real.
Thus, for Gorgons, Haven Security often amounts to the raw strength of stone Materials — though it might also represent the peril of encountering hidden vipers. Haven Size is important to Gorgons, who want the freedom to move about (and also hide) in their lairs. Haven Location may be important to some, but more for the prestige of residing within striking distance of coveted real estate (by Kindred reckoning). One well-known Gorgon, at least, met her Final Death by taking too much pride in the Haven she kept in a choice feeding ground in Paris — it burned with her inside in 1956.
Rumor has it that Gorgons let poisons snakes wander freely in their havens, and at least a few well-known account give credence to those tales. Whether the rumors are true because its an old Gorgon tradition or whether modern Gorgons have taken up the practice since hearing the rumors seems impossible to verify. What’s known is that Gorgon havens in dank but elegant forgotten subway stations are likely to be prowled by asps, while the constrictor snakes coiled around the cold, raw metal girders in that Gorgon’s posh loft space are probably real.
Thus, for Gorgons, Haven Security often amounts to the raw strength of stone Materials — though it might also represent the peril of encountering hidden vipers. Haven Size is important to Gorgons, who want the freedom to move about (and also hide) in their lairs. Haven Location may be important to some, but more for the prestige of residing within striking distance of coveted real estate (by Kindred reckoning). One well-known Gorgon, at least, met her Final Death by taking too much pride in the Haven she kept in a choice feeding ground in Paris — it burned with her inside in 1956.
Major organizations
Covenant: Though the Gorgon bloodline is supposedly much older than The Circle of the Crone, it owes its modern incarnation to the covenant and its members do not forget it. Gorgons, in the few cities where they do reside, are nobility among the Acolytes. Their infamous, even legendary, blood grants them a great deal of celebrity within the covenant. Often, thanks to the Gorgons’ propensity for posturing and attention getting, this celebrity extends well outside the covenant, too.
Celebrity isn’t the same as respect. Gorgons may achieve great Status within The Circle of the Crone, but they are not truly more likely to do so than any other Ventrue. What a Gorgon’s celebrity does afford her is a valuable visibility, which can be useful to any covenant. Though, typically, most Gorgons with ties to other covenants operate more as Acolyte lobbyists than actual members of other covenants, Gorgons have avoided sparking a backlash against the disloyality of individual Medusas. Noteworthy Gorgons exist in every covenant — especially The Invictus and The Ordo Dracul — from Moscow to London and Amsterdam to Cairo. Though she is the only Gorgon most of her kin can cite, one noteworthy Medusa even became a Bishop of The Lancea Sanctum in Constantinople in the 18th century. (This Medusa, if she ever truly existed, has been in Torpor since at least 1780, however.)
In the Americas, the Gorgon bloodline is not only rarer but more strict in its loyalty. Common speculation is that the distance of the Gorgon heyday in both years and miles has given American Gorgons a monumental prestige among New-World Acolytes that is too fervent to risk betraying. In North America, especially, Gorgons are seen as too emblematic of The Circle of the Crone to be allowed into the service of other covenants. Naturally, a few Gorgons still manage to mix among the glitterati of the American Invictus, either by hiding their loyalty or their lineage.
Organization: Gorgons have little organization among themselves other than a generally elitist cliquishness. Most Gorgons have a sense of entitlement stemming from their lineage that drives them to associate themselves with only the most prominent, influential or coveted Kindred. Being brought into the Gorgon bloodline is something like being welcomed into a flock of popular girls — as a Gorgon you “don’t talk to people like them” and “don’t feed from their kind.” The Gorgons are, then, like the bitchy sorority matriarchs of some domains. Elder Gorgons and richer Gorgons have a de facto power over their kin, who may be regarded as little sisters or token ugly friends.
In other domains, however, the prestige and exclusivity of the Gorgons is both genuine (in that other Kindred truly do fawn over them) and deserved. These Gorgons are at the center of high-status coteries or in positions of authority because they are extremely capable and, in turn, attract other capable monsters into their orbit. These are the real heiresses of the bloodline, the ones for home nobility is matter of action, not of association. Elder Gorgons in these groups not only have power, but are bestowed more of it through the deference of their younger sisters, who may be regarded as students or ladies in waiting.
It has not been lost on many modern Acolytes that the essence of the Gorgon’s identity is no longer based primarily on faith, but ancestry and appearances.
Celebrity isn’t the same as respect. Gorgons may achieve great Status within The Circle of the Crone, but they are not truly more likely to do so than any other Ventrue. What a Gorgon’s celebrity does afford her is a valuable visibility, which can be useful to any covenant. Though, typically, most Gorgons with ties to other covenants operate more as Acolyte lobbyists than actual members of other covenants, Gorgons have avoided sparking a backlash against the disloyality of individual Medusas. Noteworthy Gorgons exist in every covenant — especially The Invictus and The Ordo Dracul — from Moscow to London and Amsterdam to Cairo. Though she is the only Gorgon most of her kin can cite, one noteworthy Medusa even became a Bishop of The Lancea Sanctum in Constantinople in the 18th century. (This Medusa, if she ever truly existed, has been in Torpor since at least 1780, however.)
In the Americas, the Gorgon bloodline is not only rarer but more strict in its loyalty. Common speculation is that the distance of the Gorgon heyday in both years and miles has given American Gorgons a monumental prestige among New-World Acolytes that is too fervent to risk betraying. In North America, especially, Gorgons are seen as too emblematic of The Circle of the Crone to be allowed into the service of other covenants. Naturally, a few Gorgons still manage to mix among the glitterati of the American Invictus, either by hiding their loyalty or their lineage.
Organization: Gorgons have little organization among themselves other than a generally elitist cliquishness. Most Gorgons have a sense of entitlement stemming from their lineage that drives them to associate themselves with only the most prominent, influential or coveted Kindred. Being brought into the Gorgon bloodline is something like being welcomed into a flock of popular girls — as a Gorgon you “don’t talk to people like them” and “don’t feed from their kind.” The Gorgons are, then, like the bitchy sorority matriarchs of some domains. Elder Gorgons and richer Gorgons have a de facto power over their kin, who may be regarded as little sisters or token ugly friends.
In other domains, however, the prestige and exclusivity of the Gorgons is both genuine (in that other Kindred truly do fawn over them) and deserved. These Gorgons are at the center of high-status coteries or in positions of authority because they are extremely capable and, in turn, attract other capable monsters into their orbit. These are the real heiresses of the bloodline, the ones for home nobility is matter of action, not of association. Elder Gorgons in these groups not only have power, but are bestowed more of it through the deference of their younger sisters, who may be regarded as students or ladies in waiting.
It has not been lost on many modern Acolytes that the essence of the Gorgon’s identity is no longer based primarily on faith, but ancestry and appearances.
Nickname: Medusas
Character Creation: Social traits are almost always primary for a Medusa, with Mental traits a close second. Social Merits are especially valuable here. Barfly and Contacts can be excellent descriptors of a Gorgon’s widespread but shallow social relationships, while Herd describes the entourage of empty designer shirts that flit after a Gorgon’s cheap celebrity. Resources are essential to the Gorgons as well, though some Medusas weren’t born heiresses or royalty. Once accepted into the bloodline by a Gorgon Avus, however, every Medusa becomes wealthy to some extent, even if only by staying within the aura of thoughtless excess that radiates from the older Gorgons. As all Gorgons are the heiresses of Medusa, all expect to be truly wealthy one night.
Bloodline Disciplines: Amphivena, Animalism, Dominate, Resilience
Weakness: Gorgons suffer the weakness of their parent clan, the Ventrue: a –2 penalty to Humanity rolls to avoid aquiring Derangements after failing a degeneration roll. In addition, all Gorgons are unable to escape the monstrous nature of their immortal ancestor, Medusa.
Unlike their Ventrue cousins, Gorgons also experience a dependence on — and an unbreakable link to — the legendry from which they claim their power. All Gorgons suffer a unique form of the Power Fetish Obsession derangement (see p. 191 of Vampire: The Requiem). The Gorgon variant on this derangement is special in that it is mystically genuine — without a serpent in contact with her person, a Medusa suffers a –3 penalty on all Discipline dice pools and may not spend Vitae to augment Physical dice pools. This is a supernatural fact of the Gorgon Requiem and cannot be cured or bought off.
In addition, as the Vitae of a Gorgon grows closer to its ancestral state and further from its mortal origins, her physical body changes subtly. A Gorgon’s body adopts some oddly serpentine feature, usually no more than a stretch of scaly flesh, at Blood Potency 3. At this stage, the feature might be mistaken for scarification or masterful tattoo work. When her Blood Potency reaches 7, her whole body becomes dry and rough, like a snake’s, in a matter of nights. Her eyes catch the light like a cat’s, shining in the dark. Few Gorgons can bear to be seen after this transformation and retreat into hidden lairs or flee into Torpor. Those who choose to remain active feel compelled to spend time in the alternate form afforded to them by their unique Discipline (Amphivena •••••, Body of the Gorgon). When a Medusa is in her Haven or otherwise safely removed from the eyes of strangers, her player must succeed on a Resolve + Composure roll or the Medusa must activate the Body of the Gorgon power for the scene. At the Storyteller’s discretion, a Willpower point may be spent to forego the Resolve + Composure roll.
Concepts: Care-free heiress, crazy old wise-woman, exotic foreign firebrand, fearless corporate maven, high-priced elite assassin, Lady MacBeth with snakes, legendary monster behind the Prince, Mean Girl, seductive evil queen, self-important demagogue, skanky hard-drinking fashionista
If it suits the chronicle, the Stheno and the Euryale could be made into mystic bloodlines easily enough. Simply impose the Gorgon bloodline weakness on each and grant the family’s celebrated Discipline — Vigor or Celerity — as their fourth Discipline. Some individual members of the Stheno or Euryale families might even be members of these “true” bloodlines without Kindred society at large even knowing it.
Parent ethnicities
Bloodline Disciplines: Amphivena, Animalism, Dominate, Resilience
Weakness: Gorgons suffer the weakness of their parent clan, the Ventrue: a –2 penalty to Humanity rolls to avoid aquiring Derangements after failing a degeneration roll. In addition, all Gorgons are unable to escape the monstrous nature of their immortal ancestor, Medusa.
Unlike their Ventrue cousins, Gorgons also experience a dependence on — and an unbreakable link to — the legendry from which they claim their power. All Gorgons suffer a unique form of the Power Fetish Obsession derangement (see p. 191 of Vampire: The Requiem). The Gorgon variant on this derangement is special in that it is mystically genuine — without a serpent in contact with her person, a Medusa suffers a –3 penalty on all Discipline dice pools and may not spend Vitae to augment Physical dice pools. This is a supernatural fact of the Gorgon Requiem and cannot be cured or bought off.
In addition, as the Vitae of a Gorgon grows closer to its ancestral state and further from its mortal origins, her physical body changes subtly. A Gorgon’s body adopts some oddly serpentine feature, usually no more than a stretch of scaly flesh, at Blood Potency 3. At this stage, the feature might be mistaken for scarification or masterful tattoo work. When her Blood Potency reaches 7, her whole body becomes dry and rough, like a snake’s, in a matter of nights. Her eyes catch the light like a cat’s, shining in the dark. Few Gorgons can bear to be seen after this transformation and retreat into hidden lairs or flee into Torpor. Those who choose to remain active feel compelled to spend time in the alternate form afforded to them by their unique Discipline (Amphivena •••••, Body of the Gorgon). When a Medusa is in her Haven or otherwise safely removed from the eyes of strangers, her player must succeed on a Resolve + Composure roll or the Medusa must activate the Body of the Gorgon power for the scene. At the Storyteller’s discretion, a Willpower point may be spent to forego the Resolve + Composure roll.
Concepts: Care-free heiress, crazy old wise-woman, exotic foreign firebrand, fearless corporate maven, high-priced elite assassin, Lady MacBeth with snakes, legendary monster behind the Prince, Mean Girl, seductive evil queen, self-important demagogue, skanky hard-drinking fashionista