Born of Estranged Blood
One of the first major splits between the Gargoyles exploring their freedom and the ones content to stay in the shadow of the Tremere came during the migration of Kindred to the Americas . The Victorian era , in particular , highlighted the changing world for many of us . The free Gargoyles migrated to the Americas in small trickles here and there , but this was an age of expansion of the Camarilla . When Tremere decided to strike out for the New World , sometimes they took their Gargoyles to assist in rebuilding new havens and chantries . However , many ended up freed in Europe , abandoned by their masters . These Gargoyles were left to their own devices and didn ’ t last long out in the cold , cruel world of Kindred politics . It was like forcing a beloved pet out into the wilderness and expecting it to survive . A last bit of cruelty for a life submerged in it .
London became something of a gathering point for the bloodline . Most cities are lucky to have one Gargoyle in its secret history . London ’ s been home to multiple Gargoyles , including a notable gang of what I might now call Anarchs . The London of the early 20th century was home to the Sixpence Pinch . This all-Gargoyle coterie was led by a Kindred named Rooker . This gang proved to be a thorn in the side of the Camarilla , pushing against the Ventrue ’ s attempts to consolidate power . The only known surviving member of the gang , Handsome Dan , fled to the Anarch Free State a few years ago when mix of Tremere and Ventrue Kindred killed the other five members of the gang .
These days , we don ’ t spend a lot of time worrying about categorizing ourselves . Whether we were born via Embrace or ritual , we are rare enough that when we do come together , we spend little time discussing our origins . To the outsider , however , knowing why we were made and how our old masters classified us can give a little insight to our outlook and the roles we serve in modern society .
Born of Estranged Blood
Virstania first found success with Gangrel vitae . Their mastery of the protean forms allowed them to do many things other Kindred could not , like turn to mist and take different animal shapes . Their solitary nature also made them excellent targets for Tremere hunting parties . If a Gangrel disappeared from the outskirts of a domain , few Kindred noticed or cared enough to investigate where they went . Even then , the Tremere had to hunt carefully . Losing two or three of their own to capture a lone Kindred was a poor trade , even for the desperate Tremere . The captured Gangrel were usually ones that somehow made it back to a solitary haven wounded in a larger battle .
The Scout Gargoyles descended from these creations . They were created to allow quick , quiet transport of information between Chantries as well as reports of enemy movements . The Scouts were one of the reasons the Tremere were able to stave off many assaults from Cainites upset with their sudden ascension as a Clan . What was often ascribed to mysterious thaumaturgy or some gift for seeing the future was instead well-timed communication and coordination using Scout Gargoyles to carry information between their outposts . They were the Gargoyles that first mastered flight .
Our creation was clearly inspired by the war ghouls of the Tzimisce . The Vozhd did their part to crush many nascent chantries to keep the secrets of blood magic to themselves . Virstania took inspiration and blood from the voivodes that fell during the Long Night . The need to sleep surrounded by earth fascinated the Tremere . The addition of grave dirt to the alchemical process of our creation likely came from these experiments . Gargoyles carry the earth with them as part of their stony skin . They don ’ t just sleep in a reminder of what they once were ; they live in one .
Gargoyles of this type are commonly known as Warriors . These soldiers fight on the front lines , focusing their development of their inhuman strength as a way to smash the armies of those who would oppose the Tremere . Beyond their strength , the Warrior also developed the most brutal , fearful looks of all the Gargoyles . They were built to win battles through fear , intimidation , and physical punishment . They might lack the terrible beauty of the handmade creations of the Tzimisce , but their brutal efficiency kept the Tremere from falling during its first decades in existence .
The final Clan that contributed much to our bloodline were the Nosferatu . These poor wretches were often unable or unwilling to fight , dropped into the alchemical mix because they stumbled upon a secret that the Tremere didn ’ t want getting out . For many years , the secret was the Gargoyle process itself . Nosferatu who discovered how we were made often ended up chopped up in the vat for the next batch . The Tremere tried to pass off Gargoyle sightings as machinations of the Nosferatu for many years . It kept the Gargoyles secret longer and , in some cases , got Clans to target somebody else instead of the Usurpers for a while .
The Gargoyles that drew heavily from this blood are called Sentinels . They turned the strength of their Nosferatu forbearers into their own resilience , which made them excellent choices to protect havens and chantries . We were given menial tasks to keep things clean and functioning around the building . These Gargoyles tend to embody the strong , silent type . Some do so out of a lack of wit . Others develop a sense of politeness and manner befitting a butler .
32 GARGOYLES