The Gargoyle Revolt was the mid-15th century uprising that ended in 1497[1], since which the bulk of the Gargoyle slaves of clan Tremere were liberated from their masters.
Overview[]
Throughout the Dark Ages, all new Gargoyles were created by Thaumaturgical rituals enacted by Virstania in Ceoris, the Tremere clan's main chantry, which was located in Transylvania. Virstania, the Mother of Gargoyles, genuinely cared for her creations, and favored them over Kindred and kine alike — even over other members of House and Clan Tremere.
At some point, a few Gargoyles have begun to chafe under their eternal servitude, especially those who are descended from Gargoyles that were Embraced instead of created through the Gargoyle Creation Ritual. At first, no Gargoyle has openly revolted, but some small acts of rebellion, like failing to do a task as well as it could have been done, have been noted with concern by the Tremere. Rumors began to spread that one Gargoyle (known simply as the Rock Lord), escaped when its master was killed in a Tzimisce attack, and flew to the depths of the Carpathians, where it began to breed its own brood of independent childer.
During the Anarch Revolt, Virstania finally grew tired of her "children" suffering and led a revolt in Ceoris; the Gargoyles slew many Tremere, and Virstania committed diablerie on Ceoris's castellan, Curaferrum. With Ceoris damaged and compromised by the revolt, the clan was forced to move their base of operations (and Tremere's haven) to Etrius' chantry in Vienna. Within a century, Ceoris was entirely abandoned, and by the time of the modern nights nothing but ruins would remain.
During the Dark Ages, nearly all Gargoyles were sterile, unable to create ghouls or give the Embrace; additionally, they did not possess their unique Discipline of Visceratika, but were instead granted Discipline-like powers by their masters' Thaumaturgical "Gargoyle Rituals". In the modern era, these restrictions are essentially gone.
It is unclear if the bloodline's emergent ability to use its vitae to its full extent came about after or because of the Revolt, if the emergence of this ability was what allowed the Revolt to occur, or if the two are entirely unrelated.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ VTM: Rites of the Blood , p. 105
- VTDA: House of Tremere, p. 81, 87