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Chapter 6: The Clan of San Diego
The Destruction
In 1974, the Vampire Prince of Stockholm sought to rid his city of all those who opposed his ultimate rule. This included vampires, werewolves, mages, and gargoyles. Because the power bases of the respective groups was too broad and stable, the insane Prince sought to do what was within his power. This amounted to eradicating the gargoyle clan, which had few allies, and whose power was limited.
In a great assault, the vampires stormed the mansion of Sven Odinson, a wealthy merchandiser who secretly housed the gargoyles in his home. Little did he know that the Prince had many spies, who had managed to root out the location of the hated gargoyles. What ensued was, in short, a bloodbath. Sven and his entire family had been murdered. Though many vampires were rent under the claws of Clan Odinson, in the end the Clan fell.
The vampires rejoiced at a total victory, and went on a rampage of blooding. The Prince allowed many new vampires to be embraced, to fill the losses suffered at the hands of the valiant gargoyles.
When Sven's eldest son, Mark, returned from school to bury his family, he found that not all of the gargoyles with whom he had grown up were dead. In the depths of the sub-basement of the mansion, was the rookery. There, six eggs lay ready to hatch within a few weeks. Guarding them were two gargoyles who seemed not to have eaten for days. When Mark heard the tale of what happened, he knew he had to leave and to take the gargoyles with him. Working quickly, he sold all that his family had, and packed the eggs, marking them as archaeological finds. But, there remained the problem of transporting the two guards.
The youngest of the two had been dabbling in magic, and knew where to obtain a spell that would turn them to stone for the period of thirty days. The older gargoyle liked this not, and refused to go. Instead he chose to stay behind, and try to avenge the death of the former clan leader, a gargoyle named Thor. It was never know what became of the Elder.
A month later, Mark had relocated to San Diego, to study at SDSU. He moved the eggs to the basement of his home, where they were looked after by the remaining guard. When they hatched, Mark and the guard, along with the help of a Mark's new girlfriend, Michelle, were able to raise the hatchlings.
Mark became the Curator for a new wing of the San Diego Museum of Man. When the Gargoyle hatchlings were strong enough, they moved to the tower overlooking Balboa Park. The guard, now Clan Leader took the name of Beowulf. Clan Beowulf lives in relative peace with the Garou who inhabit Balboa Park, but they are constantly vigilant, lest they ever meet more vampires.
Beowulf's Clan
Beowulf- Beowulf is tall and heavily muscled. His skin is dark gray. He has long Blonde hair, which he wears in a braid. Beowulf is a natural leader, and well-read. He is the only source of information about Gargoyle ways the clan has. Having studied magic in his youth, Beowulf is a competent sorcerer.
Mara- Mara is of medium height, with a slim, athletic build, short blonde hair, and jade eyes. Her skin is the color of sand. Mara is a willful woman, who claims to be the one true love of Beowulf. Although he cares for her, he cannot fully commit himself to her. This is a major setback for her.
Bif- Bif is a large gargoyle, larger even then Beowulf. He has no hair, and purplish-gray skin. Bif is not very smart, and is the only member of the clan that cannot read on a college level. However, he is a capable warrior, and shows no weakness or fear in combat.
Pablo- Pablo is a watchdog, the K-9 version of a gargoyle. His skin is jet black. Unlike many watchdogs, Pablo actually has stunted wings. They are large enough to keep him from falling like a rock, but not enough for actual gliding. Pablo and Bif are almost inseparable.
Hector- Hector is of medium height and build, with long black hair, and dark brown skin, and a beak-like face. If Hector were human he would be part of a gang, no doubt. Constantly running afoul of Beowulf's orders, he is in constant trouble.
Raul- Almost Hector's twin, Raul is only slightly lighter, with a human-like face. Being Hector's exact opposite mentally, he constantly tries to keep his brother out of trouble. Raul is the most level-headed of the Hatchlings, and it is he who Beowulf will most likely name his second.
Selena- Selena is short and slender. The other Gargoyles call her "Mouse", due to her gray color, and lack of wings. She is also very well-read, and a skilled sorceress, rivaling Beowulf himself. She believes she is his daughter, and there is no evidence to the contrary. Although she can't glide with wings, she does occasionally use magic to fly. Selena has a magic staff which she focuses her spells through.
Mark & Michelle Rundgren (Odinson)- Marko and Michelle are in their forties, and are the only humans the Clan call friends. Both extremely intelligent, they use the fortune from Marko's family to maintain appearances as wealthy eccentrics.