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WPLeatherWood2316 Captain
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 Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 9:37 pm
Ennoia
Our Founder
The following excerpt is a shorter narration of the legend of Ennoia, Mother of Clan Gangrel. There exists several different myths about Her origin and this one is a merge of the most common and widely "accepted" ones:
According to the Book of Nod Caine, Our Father, learned his disciplines and was Awakened by Lilith.
When Yahweh created Adam, he also made a woman out of the same clay as he made the first Man.
Lilith refused to obey her husband, insisting on having a will of her own, and when Adam complained to Yahweh, she was cast out of the Garden of Eden. When she travelled out in the wilderness, she was already pregnant, and out there Lilith gave birth to a daughter, whom we name Ennoia. Ennoia was raised by the wolves that had attended her birth and when she was grown, she took a mate from the pack, bearing him children. Some were in the shape of their father, running like wolves and other were like her, wearing the form of man. But they all carried their parents seed within them, and it is from them that the Lupines trace their ancestry.
After many years, being immortal like her parents, she wandered the world and finally came to the First City, Enoch.
There are many stories about her time in Enoch, but most of them are lost nowadays. She left the city in disgust, but Irad, Childe of Caine, the warrior of the 2nd Generation, convinced her to return, and Embracing her, he became her lover.
And it is from Ennoia, lover of Irad, grand Childe of Caine, we of Clan gangrel are descended.
From her we learn the tongues of beasts, and how to assume thier forms. It is like her we are, when we wander the world freely. And it is with the Lupines that we share a common mother.
As you see, there are two names associated with the founder of our Clan: Gangrel and Ennoia.
In my opinion, Gangrel is a classical example of "title-turned-name". Another example is the name of the Scandinavian Goddess, Freyja. From the beginning it is a title meaning "Lady", which later became her name.
Gangrel is Old Scots (and to some extent present in older N English dialects) simply meaning "wanderer" or "vagrant". It is derived from the Old Norse word "gangr", and later Old Saxon/Old English "gang", meaning walking, motion, course. It is still used for instance in the word "berserkergang".
Book of Nod
These are the words of Ennoia to us, Her Childer, as passed down in the Chronicle of Shadows:
"Lo my Children, you will walk the earth,
wander far and carry these Words.
Move one step before
those who see by the Moon.
Never abide weakness.
Keep your children loyal.
Walk with your head high.
let the beast rule you.
Mark where you hunt, so that
your brothers and sisters will know
and not intrude.
Take all you need, but be mindful
that the hunter can become the hunted
and there are those who find us
no matter how we flee
Should you become confused
go and eat only of animals
for a moon
sleep in the earth
and drink in sweet water
You will hear my voice in your ears
like a distant bird's cry
or lion's roar. And you will know
what to do.
Let no one say that the House of
Gangrel
is a dishonorable one
Let no one say that we are not brave.
Let no one say that we are not fair.
You, a child of the Beast, a child of
Darkness,
are first among Kindred."
There is an old proverb in the Book of Nod, saying that "Watch Gangrel, and when they are uneasy, leave". Aristotle de Laurent writes in his comments: "For my part, the Gangrel are the most observant of all the Kindred, perhaps even more so than the Nosferatu. I follow this dictum quite rigorously, and its inherent common sense never failed me. Gangrel are often willing to help you escape if it seems that you are listening to their common sense."
A wise ol' Methuselah (or Elder?), that one. It's a pity more Leeches don't listen to what we know, nach eil, lads & lassies?
There are two passages in the Book of Nod regarding the Garou. Unfortunately, I have only been able to lay my paws on fragmented copies of them:
from the Chronicle of Shadows
"...they are the Oldest of all,
before my Father
they roamed the lands.
Tarry not in...
...of one kind,
and they another.
Beware their sacred ground,
walk softly through their
(...)
Their bite is..."
from the Chronicle of Secrets
"...Moon-Beasts who
hunt us, Father?
There will (...), in
the last days,
when the Moon-Beasts will grow uneasy
and they will be ...
...fight rather than die sick
and so they will find us
and they will kill us.
mark ye well, the Clan of the Beast! (Gangrel?)
For they will hold the key
they will make the way of ..."
Gangrel Culture
Well, we are wanderers, and from many different cultures, united only in name and the heritage of the Beast. Thus we have few but simple rules for our Clan.
These are some that I personally feel is important:
When meeting a Kindred of our Clan, it is proper to introduce one self. State your Sire, if you know her/his name. Show no disrespect if your kinsman doesn't. It is a common occurence, based on our Tradition of leaving our cubs to fend for themselves.
Also, when entering a Gangrel's camp, assume the same form as him/her (if able to). It is a polite thing to do.
Respect the Wandering and Territory equally!
If you're passing through another Gangrel's territory, make your presence and intentions known. Do not tarry, if asked to travel on. Never overstay your welcome. I've always been fond of the Danish proverb: "After three days, both fish and guests begin to smell."
If you hold territory, let Wandering kinsmen pass through. Welcome them if you are able to, for it is a good thing to share tales and gossip. State your boundaries and be explicit about the limitations of their stay. Be frank but not severe.
NEVER reveal the location of another Gangrel to outsiders or Gangrels you are not certain are not treacherous nor anti-tribu (i.e. Sabbat).
Lupines
Be careful with what you know, and especially heard about our furry cousins. There is A LOT of misinformation and outright fairy-tales.
What I've personally found out, I've sworn not to pass on, so I won't, OK?
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Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:32 pm
Caine
In the beginning there was only Caine.
Caine who murdered his brother out of anger.
Caine who was cast out.
Caine who was cursed forever with immortality.
Caine who was cursed with the lust for blood.
It is Caine from whom we all come,
Our Sire's Sire.
For the passing of an age he lived in solitude,
In loneliness and suffering.
For an eon he remained alone.
But the passing of memory drowned his sorrow.
And so he returned to the world of mortals,
To the world his brother and his brother's children had created.
He returned and was made welcome.
The people saw his power and worshipped him.
Making him King of their great City,
The First City, a place by the name of Enoch.
Though he became the ruler of a mighty nation, he was still alone,
For none were as he. His sorrow grew again.
Then he committed another great sin, for he begat Progeny,
Of which there were only three.
But from them came more Progeny, his grandchildren,
And then Caine said "An end to this crime. There shall be no more."
And as Caine's word was the law, his Brood obeyed him.
The city stood for many ages,
And became the center of a mighty Empire.
But then came the Deluge, a great Flood that washed over the world.
The City was destroyed.
And its people along with it.
Again Caine fell into great sorrow and went into solitude,
Becoming as a dog amidst the wastes,
And leaving his Progeny to their own ends.
They came to him and begged him to return,
To help them rebuild the City.
But he would not come with them,
Saying the Flood has been sent as punishment
For his having returned to the world of life
And subverting the true law.
So they returned alone to what mortals were left
And announced that they were the new rulers.
Each created a Brood,
In order to claim the glory of Caine,
Yet they did not have his wisdom or restraint.
A great war was waged, the Elders against their Children,
And the Children slew their parents.
The rebels then built a new city
And brought to it 13 tribes.
It was a beautiful city and its people worshipped them as gods.
They created new Progeny of their own,
The fourth generation of Cainites.
But they feared the Jyhad,
And it was forbidden for those Children
To create others of their kind.
This power the Elders kept for themselves.
When a Childe was created, it was hunted down and killed,
And its Sire with it.
Though this city was as great as Caine's, eventually it grew old.
As do all living things, it slowly began to die.
The gods at first did not see the truth,
And when they at last looked about them it was too late.
Their city was destroyed and their power extinguished,
And they were forced to flee, their Progeny with them.
But many were killed in flight, for they had grown weak.
With their authority gone, all were free to create their own Broods,
And soon there were many new Kindred,
Who ruled across the face of the Earth.
But this could not last.
Over time, there came to be too many of the Kindred,
And then there was war once again.
The Elders were already deep in hiding,
For they had learned caution.
But their Children had founded their own cities and Broods,
And it is they who were killed in the great wave of war.
There was war so total, that there are none of that Generation
To speak of themselves any longer.
Waves of mortal flesh were sent across continents
In order to crush and burn the cities of the Kindred.
Mortals thought they were fighting their own wars,
But it is for us that they spilt their blood.
Once this was was over,
All of the Kindred hid from one another
And from the humans that surrounded them.
In hiding we remain today,
For the Jyhad continues still.
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WPLeatherWood2316 Captain
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