The Gargoyle

Llian Aarchim

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The Gargoyle

« on: 23 October 2002, 00:49:00 »

Basic Overview of the Beast
The Gargoyle has always been a symbol of both fear and protection, used for eons to guard temples, perched on rooftops and scowling at all who would dare draw near. Some say that when needed these creatures would shake free of the stone encasing their bodies to fly down and alight upon those who meant ill for those within it's master's house. Still others believed that these stone statues were not carved, but rather that the creature who came to rest on the rooftop is only sleeping in a stasis of stone for instance, striking a fierce pose to act as a warning to those who would try to remove them or enter the building they guard. Whether naturally born, or created by magic, the origins of these beautiful, frightening monsters is still a mystery, perhaps never to be solved. However there is unknown truth behind these mysterious creatures and if truth be told the commoners would not believe there own words.

Gargoyles are probably the most strangest and mysterious beasts in the world. When seen on churches, temples and rooftops many common folk think they were crafted for a ornament or protection and so on. But these creatures are not sculptures made from stone but creatures that are in stasis or hibernation, mostly during the day. They are very much nocturnal beasts that hide in there thick shell of stone until night fall and then shed there stone skin the a bird cracking from and egg to reveal there true self and launch themselves from there home in search of food and such. When dawn approaches these flying beasts perch themselves on there original ledge and some how, magically one gathers, coat themselves in there thick stone like skin and once again falls to sleep making the common folk believe they are only works of art created by a sculpture. Although impossible to imagine, it is true. However, even though these frightening looking beasts look deadly and horrific there are one of the most docile monsters in all of the world that are so loyal to there masters (The owner of the home or building) that it guards there establishment even in hibernation.

Appearance
Although these creatures are very friendly and docile beasts, they look very horrific, frightening and even demonic, almost like a demon. There are many shapes, sizes and looks to the Gargoyle depending on the size of the establishment that they reside, but the least common of all is named the "Gerannom" and if anything is the most frightening of all because they are the biggest and most horrific looking.

Mainly this species of Gargoyle are very dark gray and makes its home on the large buildings such as temples and cathedrals Gerannom at full height stand an amazing 2 peds high ( 6 feet) almost the size of your average man. And there body when rid of there stone shells are quite muscular. There wingspan when fully extended are estimated to be 10 and a quarter peds with the same bone structure as bird wings only without the feathers and much,much larger. This particular species of Gargoyle have large horns (not shown when in here hibernation stone skin) that stand each at half a ped turning into a sharp spike at the end.

The shape of there heads is that of a man, however they have very thin, pale gray skin making there head look almost like a skeleton. They have no lips at all exposing a very sharp and full set of uneven teeth sometimes growing the length of about 3 Nailsbreadths at standard, sometime they grow longer,sometimes shorter and razor sharp however long they are. There eyes are almost like slits showing no pupil or eyes at all (But do have them) and sometimes they are seen glowing a dim red this usurly means they have seen something, prey or an enemy.

There ears are much the same as a elf only there are about a Nailsbreadth longer in size and it is said these beasts when awake can hear up to a 1000 peds (often dismissed as old wife's tails)...whether it true is another story. The length of there limbs again are much like a mans in size and looks. The only difference being the hands and feet which are considerably larger than the humanoid and only have 4 toes along with razor sharp claws that could quite literally cut through most if not every animal in the Santhrian kingdom. The weight of these beats vary and at the least weight a incredible 4 dippers in weight.

All in all these beasts are much the same looking as a Demon.

Special Abilities
The only special ability this creature has other than to hunt expertly like a giant bird is to return to its ledge on its home building and turn itself back into stone to hibernate the day away until night fall returns where they shed the stone of like a bird cracking an egg and go back to there hunting...how they grow there skin is a total mystery as no one as ever seem them do it.

Territory
These creatures as said 'live' on the edges on (depending on the species of the Gargoyle) Town buildings such as houses, temples, cathedrals and most stone built buildings, the smaller the building the smaller the species of Gargoyle living there. They mostly enjoy living in towns and cities to nest perch on high buildings,but at night when awake will fly from the city or town and hunt in the wilderness.They don't really care where they live, it should be a snowy city or a warm city,weather doesn't affect them due to there thick skin. But again as these creatures wake deep into the night, not many people have seen them and some don't even know they even exist.

Habitat/Behavior
These creatures are one if not the most docile creature in the Santhrian lands despite it looking very horrific and frightening, there looks are only there to scare off any people wishing to hurt its home (in stone form). Gargoyles are very lonely creatures and if seen 'at all' are often alone and hunting at night in the wilderness hardly seen however to tell clearly what they do at night other than hunt for food.

Diet
Gargoyles eat pretty much anything from small animals to large animals such as deer and horses it all depends really and what they catch or spot in the wilderness.

Mating
To be perfectly honest no one really knows quite for sure how these beasts mate but there have been theories to the people that know they exist that they go out at night and mate like birds would do,and hatch from eggs such as the likes as Dragons do. However there is another theory that could also be true and that is a stone smith when sculpturing these beats puts his heart and soul into this magnificent works of art, and it is said once a artist puts his heart into making these stone beats they become alive....ether one could be true no one knows for sure.

Myth/Lore/Origin
When originally made these creatures were placed on buildings such as temples, houses and churches to ward off evil and scare them away just by there looks and possibly even magic but over time these creatures were thought to be actually living, breathing creatures,some wish not to belive these horrific creatures are flying in the sky, some love there protection over there house. Its really hard to explain explain a creature that most of the population of the world thinknot to exist...but frankly...they do.

Note: I know its a bit sketchy in places but if you point them out ill fix them (If any), i triedgoing foramore mysterios type theme to explain this creature trying to push that there a very secritive type of creature.I will be adding in future many other types of Gargoyle so stay turned

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Edited by: Llian Aarchim at: 10/22/02 9:49:13 pm


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Lamertu Kthaen

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Re: The Gargoyle

« Reply #1 on: 23 October 2002, 05:13:00 »

quite an interesting description

. You should use their in stead of there in a number of places, and I do not know whether it's spelled secrEtive ofr secrItive... Maybe you should ask some english members

...

anyway, I really do like the idea of a sculptor putting his soul (not sole, it's the thing below your shoe

) into a creator and thus changing it into a living being.


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the Akorn

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Re: The Gargoyle

« Reply #2 on: 23 October 2002, 10:33:00 »

What about changing that old woman tale to: Their ears are much the same as a elf only there are about a Nailsbreadth longer in size and it is said these beasts when awake can hear your heart beat at a distance up to a 1000 peds (often dismissed as old wife's tales)...whether it true is another story. Then add it to special abilities.
+ a few spelling mistakes.

Besides that, it looks ok.

Edited by: the Akorn at: 10/22/02 5:35:55 pm


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Llian Aarchim

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Re: The Gargoyle

« Reply #3 on: 23 October 2002, 14:52:00 »

•I have corrected the mistakes and such thank you

• I would in myopinion rather keep the hearning where it is i really dont class it as a ability in that respect is a dogor cat can hear quite far also, but its not classed as a ability, if Arti or somone says it is..ill change it, but thanks for the info

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Bard Judith

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Re: The Gargoyle

« Reply #4 on: 27 October 2002, 09:04:00 »

Llian:

To be frank, I have difficulty with the overall concept of this creature. Please do not take offense, but listen to a few of my reasons why - and feel free to respond and defend your creation or disagree with my points!

First: Diet. The gargoyle can run up to six feet tall, fairly large for a 'beast', and you have described it as a carnivore. We have already an overbalance of large carnivores such as the hunting cats, so Sorren simply cannot support more meateaters for the area of ground/land/plain/forest that it has in ratio to the deer and cattle and so on.

Second: Territory. These beasts move (go hunting) at night to keep themselves fed. Something with such a respectively large wingspan would surely be noticed as it sailed out regularly, and cities remain active at night, even 'medieval'-era cities. Also, their role as guardians is thus rendered ineffective, since they are not on the estate at the prime time for thieves and assassins to come prowling.

Third: Physiology. Why does a silicon-based lifeform (of which we have a few already designed) need to support itself on protein, a carbon-base? How is that protein transmuted or digested? Why does it even need to feed/move/reproduce at all?

Fourth and most importantly: Believability. This is another 'magical' rather than 'natural' beast, which depends on a lot of suspension of belief and reason to make it possible. There simply should not be so many around, just as every RPGer who wanders along can't have an enchanted sword of power. Magical things, while certainly possible and necessary to a world of fantasy, cannot be common.

Your computer, for example, although to Shakespeare it would be a thing of magical power and knowledge, its advanced technology indistinguishable from magic to him, is to you an everyday tool, which most people can have around the house. Just as other beastmakers are restricting their more 'fantastic' creations to special areas or treating them as possible myth (say the unicorn, pegasi, or fae), so too should any beast which does not fit into the established pattern of the Santharian bestiary and the Ae're'chan ecosystem be restricted or downplayed.

A few of these stone carvings, animated by a hard-working magician or mysteriously brought to life by a passionate artist, would be a creative addition to our legends - but your proposal to develop and create even more types of these strikes me as being oddly close to making a new 'race', and at the very least incongruous.

Many beast-creators are fond of describing their particular creation as "the most wonderful/ magical/ special / unique / powerful /mysterious/etc." thing in Sorren so far. Well, they can't ALL be the most wonderful/ magical/ special / unique / powerful /mysterious/etc." so when I see such a claim yet again, I begin to become jaded.

Other opinions and comments? Beastmaster Tarquet? SpellLord Xarl? I don't wish to be harsh, but this creature seems to me to be unnecessary and hastily thought-out.

Surely there are many aspects of Santharia in which your talents and creativity could be utilized, Lian? I have enjoyed some of your other creations, and would like to encourage you to try developing some of the areas where there is a need for more information and detail.

Bard Judith


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"Give me a land of boughs in leaf / a land of trees that stand; / where trees are fallen there is grief; / I love no leafless land." --A.E. Housman

Lamertu Kthaen

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Re: The Gargoyle

« Reply #5 on: 27 October 2002, 09:44:00 »

Judith, maybe you really do have a point... But the medieval bestiaries included pegasi, unicorns, etcetera. So maybe it is an option to rework the description into a kind of myth?
just a thought


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Llian Aarchim

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Re: The Gargoyle

« Reply #6 on: 27 October 2002, 15:47:00 »

No,no its okay. If this creature does not fit the Santh beasts then it shall be left out.

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Edited by: Llian Aarchim at: 10/26/02 11:09:30 pm


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Koldar Mondrakken

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Re: The Gargoyle

« Reply #7 on: 28 October 2002, 02:22:00 »

Maybe make it less a beast but more a tradition. In my entry about Queprur I mentioned that the priests of Queprur attach sculptures of demons and other Queprur-related beasts to their temples and bless them to protect their temples against any harm.
In a smaller version Gargoyles might be stone sculptures blessed by any god or goddess the house owner seeks to protect his house.... hmmm, though I already thought about something similar for the Santerrans on Nybelmar.

Maybe reserve this entirely for the temples or very wealthy people and leave it as a mythical beast?

Just some thougts...

Koldar Mondrakken, Knight of the Moonlight
--Santharian Master of Disaster--
One day I'll be the greatest of all Jedi!!


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Bard Judith

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Re: The Gargoyle

« Reply #8 on: 28 October 2002, 10:41:00 »

Oh yes, that would work well, and the concept of the gargoyle then need not be wasted, as I suggested above, not to mention all of Llian's effort...

It's simply that I wouldn't want to see hordes of these rocky monsters flapping across the countryside like hungry bats every evening. But to make them mythical monsters or rare magical creations is a far different proposition than having them as 'animals' or beasts. Like the pegasi, en masse they would trample our current concepts and worldview, but in restricted numbers.

Perhaps you could just suggest that, Llian, and then spend a bit of time writing a legend for the Myths section which recounts the creation of one such gargoyle? I'm sure that would make a fascinating tale! And we have a number of mages and magic-users whose names you could borrow (for example, Artimidor's Master Minich - see my tale of the magician's cat for more detail) and attach to the legend...

Regards,
Bard
Judith


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"Give me a land of boughs in leaf / a land of trees that stand; / where trees are fallen there is grief; / I love no leafless land." --A.E. Housman

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The Gargoyle