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Chapter 5: Past, Present, and Future...
The Book of Calibus
An ancient tome is supposed to exist which tells all of the detailed history of the Gargoyles, from the ancient Greek beginnings, through the time of the rise of Christianity, when Gargoyles suffered persecution by narrow-minded humans.
Whether this book actually exists is a point of some contention. Most Gargoyles are content to live with the legends of Calibus, and not concern themselves with the discovery of their true origins. However, there is said to be a group of Gargoyles who still live in Greece, and call themselves the Sons of Calibus. If the Book exists, it is most likely in their possession...
The Desecration
During the Dark ages, a Tremiere Vampire, whose name is not spoken among Gargoyles, attempted to employ the Gargoyle to provide protection in a war against the other clans of Vampires. To this end he used persuasion to gain their confidence. But in the end, the gargoyles he approached saw the horror that was Vampirism. They rebelled and left him in need.
Not to be defeated so easily, the Tremiere captured Gargoyles and experimented with them. From those experiments hideous creatures were created. These he called Gargoyles as well. But the true Gargoyles were outraged at this horrible crime. They attacked the Tremiere castle where the mad Vampire was conducting his experiments, and dispatched the poor creations, putting them out of his reach for all time. In the process they nearly destroyed all of the Vampires living there. By dawn, the Gargoyles were gone, the "lost ones" were destroyed, and the Tremiere clan suffered a severe depletion.
But, much of the Vampire's work was still viable. Using magic, Gargoyle blood, and "volunteers" from other clans, he managed to create a new breed of Gargoyle. These became known as the Abominations by the true Gargoyles. The war between the Gargoyles and the Vampires has never been calm since. The atrocities performed by the Tremeire has spelled almost certain doom for all of Vampire-kind for centuries. It is a feud which shows no sign of relenting to this day.
The Inquisition
Like all of the supernatural races, Gargoyles suffered greatly during the inquisition. Most who could be found were hunted and killed during the day while they slept. The more crafty ones fled to places untrod by man. There they found refuge. But the time came when even the dark places were not safe.
When the sacred hiding places of the Gargoyles were discovered, many of them decided to fight back. They began to hunt men. Soon, not even the fearless inquisitors would approach places said to be homes of sleeping Gargoyles. The rumors of Gargoyles staying awake during daylight were too harsh to be disbelieved. In time the inquisition was toppled, and Gargoyles began to emerge. From there it was a struggle for them to find any amount of acceptance.
The Reintegration
For a brief period during the middle-ages, many Gargoyles were tolerated, if not accepted. They found humans who appreciated the protection they afforded from the now Masquerading Vampires. Soon, they became common inhabitants on many churches and castles. Though they were still hunted by a few, many of the men of the day refused to even believe in their existence. Much of the records had been destroyed by the church during the Inquisition, and the Gargoyles slowly began to fade into mythology.
After a mere two centuries of acceptance, the Gargoyle population had faded to near extinction. For the next ten centuries, they conceded to living in shadows, hiding their existence from the humans who had come to dominate the world. It was whispered among the few who still believed in them that the Gargoyles had found a secret, magical place, where they could live with impunity. Some called it Avalon, but none could find it.
The Awakening
From ages past, there was always a belief among the Gargoyles of the world that their moment of glory would come again. That the circle of time would come back to a point where Gargoyles and men could co-exist in peace. A time of discovery and revelation. This prophesied time became known as The Awakening, when Man would open his eyes and realize that he was but a small part of a larger whole.
Many of the Gargoyles existing today believe that the Awakening is happening. The other supernatural races are becoming more and more visible. Man is starting to explore himself more, and is learning to accept that which is different from him. It is now a time of hope for the Gargoyles, who wish to take their rightful place among the men who were their fore-fathers.
The Heritages
As was stated earlier, when Calibus and his followers were cursed, many tried to flee Zeus' wrath. To this end they spread themselves throughout the old world. There they began to take on the characteristics of the cultures they had found a new home in.
Gothic
Gothic Gargoyles are the most common type of Gargoyle. Their appearance most often resembles demons and winged devils. The Gargoyles who would eventually be called Gothic found their way to western Europe in the early 6th century AD. There they found homes among the seacoast cliffs and rugged mountains of the lands. When humans discovered the presence of the Gargoyles, they were horrified, calling them demons. But soon, many humans came to realize their mistake, as the Gargoyles took to protecting them in spite of their persecution. They soon became known as Dark Angels, and the Christians of the day most accurately portrayed them as creatures of penance. For this reason, most found homes on churches. Many would-be pious Nobles also invited the Gargoyles to live in their castles, hoping to gain favor with the church.
For this reason, a Gothic Gargoyles has the added Practice of Inspiration. Inspiration allows a Gothic to alleviate the fear they inspire, and develop a trust with humans. To use this ability, the Gargoyle must make a Manipulation + Inspiration roll, difficulty of 6. For every success, the human is dropped lower on the following chart:
O - The human will not run right away, but will still show signs of fear.
OO - The human will stay and listen as long as the Gargoyle makes no threatening moves.
OOO - The human will stay and feel at ease with the Gargoyle, if a bit suspicious.
OOOO - The human will feel safe with the Gargoyle, and will trust him.
OOOOO+- The human will feel totally comfortable and will offer any help the Gargoyle wishes, or will be enthralled to the point of protection from human threat.
Mythic
Mythic Gargoyles are said to be the inspiration for fairy tales and mythological legends. Their appearance is usually that of a mythological beast. Mythics are most adept at the use of Magic. Any Mythic Gargoyle who takes the Magic Affinity will have 1 automatic success when casting spells or using Talismans. A Mythic without the Magic affinity, will also gain the automatic success with Talismans, but not with spells.
Kokoru Ishi
Kokoru Ishi, meaning "Spirit Stone" in Japanese, the orient, and found acceptance among the cultures there. The Oriental peoples are very spiritually attuned, consequently, so are the Kokoru Ishi.
Any Kokoru Ishi who takes the Spiritual Affinity will gain an automatic success on any rolls dealing with spirits. Those without the Spiritual Affinity gain an extra dice when dealing with Spirits of any type (including Wraiths).
Metzlian
When the Spanish came to South America, they unknowingly brought with them Gargoyles. These Gargoyles were fleeing the Inquisition, and searching for a safer home. For a time they found acceptance among the natives of the Amazon rain forests. However, when the Europeans began to rape the land and the people for the resources available, the Gargoyles took to the defense. Because of the Native's dependence on the Earth for survival, the Gargoyles felt that to best protect the humans who had befriended them, they must first protect the land.
To this end the Metzlian developed the chameleon ability to blend into their surroundings. They developed this ability to such an extent, that they can blend with any natural substance, including stone. This is a Practice called Blending, that is inherent in all Metzlian Gargoyles. To use this ability, the Gargoyle must stand completely still and make a Blending + Willpower roll. Every success adds one to the Difficulty number of anyone trying to spot the Gargoyle. If the Gargoyle is not seen, he may make a surprise attack at the beginning of combat, and during the combat, the Difficulty to hit him is raised by 2. The effect lasts for as many turns as the number of success rolled. The Gargoyle may extend this one round for each Willpower point spent.
Kemetan
Kemetan Gargoyles are found in the ancient lands of Egypt. Because of the harsh life in the desert, Kemetan Gargoyles have developed a few, small abilities, each requiring no rolls.
Sand Skin When a Kemetan sheds his stone skin in the morning, the shell does not break off in chunks, rather it explodes in a cloud of sand, and is whisked away by any amount of air current. This allows the Gargoyle presence to remain secret, a very useful ability for the hunted Gargoyle.
Burrowing All Kemetan Gargoyles have extremely large claws (+1 to damage), which allow them to burrow through sand at half of their normal movement rate. If it is attempted in any harder type of soil, the movement rate is cut to one fourth.
Find Water All Kemetan Gargoyles can sense the presence of drinkable water within a five mile radius. They can also use their Burrowing skill in tandem with this ability to find water below the surface.