Unique amongst kindred, the Gargoyles are not embraced. Instead, they were made through a closely guarding series of occult rituals, in which the Tremere of a bygone age would take members of clans Nosferatu, Tzimisce, and Gangrel - forcibly turning them into abominable servants and thralls. Tragically, these slaves have no memory of their past unlives. A husk of who, or what, they once were. With flesh of stone, and features akin to grotesque statues, the Rockheads acted as subservient footsoldiers and bodyguards for the Tremere in their clandestine chantries. They knew nothing else, after all: only that they were given purpose by their masters, and the Tremere did all within their power to ensure that they knew such.
Throughout Gargoyle history, several tried to escape their bondage, to little avail. Centuries ago they revolted en masse, and came close to shattering the ties that bound them to The Warlocks. The Tremere were merciless in stamping out this resistance: and yet the lust for freedom amongst the Grotesques remained. Burning like an ember in their granite bodies. Some escaped - fleeing to the Anarchs, or even rejoining the Camarilla as independents. Some formed up in bands of liberators, disrupting the Tremere wherever they could. Trying desperately to free their broodmates.
With the fall of The Pyramid in Vienna, and the collapse of the internal structure of clan Tremere, the dissidents amongst the Gargoyles saw their opportunity. A clarion call of salvation, answered in fire and brimstone. Those who could, fought. With rapturous zeal, the Runaways broke free from centuries of servitude, finally able to carve their own paths. To live without fear of punishment. Their numbers are so few, that most Licks who live for centuries never meet one in the stone. Nevertheless, in times of strife and hardship the Freemen are always willing to lend their services to shatter the foundations of oppression. When they choose to align with a movement, they do so fully. After all, they have spent their lives controlled body and mind by someone else. How could they abide by standing by and watching others suffer the same fate?
Clan Weakness - Tragically Loyal
The Gargoyles, unfortunately for them, were created by the Tremere. When the warlocks crafted them from the bodies of other licks, they used their rituals to also ensure that these amalgamations would be loyal to them no matter what. With the pyramid gone, the unfortunate compulsion to remain loyal has remained. Whenever a Gargoyle is faced with someone in a position of authority who needs their help - or a coterie member that they have grown close to asks something of them - they often find themselves unable to say no. This loyalty leads them to being easily exploited, or harmed by others, and the Gargoyle may know this but still be unable to resist following demands.
[[We encourage our Gargoyle players to keep this in mind whenever they are interacting with other kindred. The inability to resist can be recognised, and the character may well be unhappy about the request, but ultimately it is a core part of the tragedy of the Gargoyles that they are often coerced into positions of subordination at the behest of those that they trust.]]
Discplines:
Click a discpline below to learn more and read our suggested rules for each power:
Gargoyles also have access to an Amalgam:
Fortitude
Potence
Protean
