In the Beginning..

  My name is Ronin. As a human, I was born and raised in the lands of the Ancient Celts, not far from modern day Belfast. I had a strong, beautiful woman who bore me strong children in those days, but their names and faces are lost to me. One night, my clan sent me out for more food, and lumber for our fires. It had been a harsh winter, and our survival was in jeopardy. So I went out into the forest and hills, searching for suitable game. It was then that I saw it, a great beast the like of which I had never seen before. I crouched down behind a massive Oakwood tree and readied my spears. When I slowly crawled forward to get a better view of it, it was gone. I sat still and listened, trying to determine where it had gone. I heard a faint rustling to my right, and I turned to look. 

  Suddenly, there it was, standing on two legs. "What manner of beast is this, that it stands as if it were a man?" I thought to myself. But then all thoughts fled from my mind as it began to charge! I jumped up and tried to bring my spear into its path, but it bowled into me and flung my spear aside. As I sprawled on my back, trying to wrestle this monstrous creature off of me, it began to...laugh? at me. I thought myself mad, no animal can actually laugh like humans. Then, it spoke. "Yes, that's it, fight me. Do your best, pathetic human." I did as I was commanded, and managed to wrap my hand around the battered spearhead laying near my chest. I drove it into the creature's arm, and was satisfied to hear it howl in pain and surprise. "Whatever you are, I will kill you, monster!" 

  And then it bit me. Blood poured out my neck, and the creature greedily drank most of it. I knew I was nearly dead. "Finish it, devil. You..have bested me." Then the creature took my spear and opened the wound on his arm further with it. "No. I won't be killing you. Here, have a drink, lad." And he shoved his bleeding arm into my face, smothering me. My mouth opened out of reflex, and his blood began dripping into my mouth. The taste was tenfold sweeter than anything I had ever known, including my clan's best Mead. The more I drank, the stronger I felt. My wounds healed, and I did not as though I was close to death any longer. "What..what did you do to me!?" "I killed you. And then brought you back as one of Us." "You..killed me? Am I some sort of shade now?" "Oh don't be such a fool. You are now a Gangrel. Come, you have much to learn." 

   And with that, my unlife as a Gangrel began. It was one moon's turn past my 30th name day. My name was Alban.