reluctant_gargoyle: (full elisa)
[personal profile] reluctant_gargoyle
This time, I'd like to share some basic information on Gargoyles, as well as talk about some of the other Gargoyle Clans around the world.

Like humans, no two Gargoyles look exactly alike.  In addition, just like humans, there are so pretty identifable regional differences when it comes to us.



Una (leader of the Clan), Griff, and Leo here are part of a Clan that lives in London.  English Gargoyles seem to have been the inspiration for heraldic animals, and these three are pretty representative of the major types.  Unlike Scottish Gargoyles and a few others, the wings of English Gargoyles are feathery, rather than leathery.  This doesn't seem to dimmish their ability to glide, though they do require a bit more grooming.







Japanese Gargoyles, from a Clan that lives in Ishimura, Japan.  Lead by Yama (the Gargoyle in the foreground), the others are Yama and Sora.  Unlike most Gargoyle Clans, these guys live in harmony with the humans around them.  It's the kind of acceptance--albeit on a small scale--that we'd like to have some day.  Japanese Gargoyles typically seem to have elaborate horns, and were probably the inpiration for the Tengu legends.  This Clan also turns inward, rather than grimacing outward, as the sun rises, in a show of respect to the humans who watch them during the day.




Guatemalan Gargoyles, protectors of the rainforest.  Their distinguishing feature seems to be reptillian characteristics.  From left to right: Zaphiro, Obsidian, Jade, and Turquoisia.  These four are all that remains of their Clan.  They've got a few special tricks up their sleeves...  But it's also nothing I'm going to talk about here.  I won't violate that trust.



Scottish Gargoyles are one of the most diverse groups as can be seen by the gang here, sporting a variety of facial structures.  Some have hair, some don't.  Some have horns, some have beaks, and some like Lex...



Have an entirely different wing structure.  Lex's wings actually run along his sides, like a flying squirrel.  While that means he can't carry as much in the air, he's also the most manuverable and fastest in a pinch.  Scottish Gargoyles also seem to have the most variation in size.  Goliath is nearly seven feet tall, while Lex is smaller than most humans.




And there's me.  The one and only Manhattan Gargoyle.  But I'm reasonably typical of what the rest of Manhattan looked like when they were under Puck's spell.  Mostly noticable for lacking anything like horns or really unusual features.   Pointed ears and a lack of eyebrows are the most noticable aspects.




Boudica and Bronx (whom I've shown you before) are Gargoyle Beasts, a subspecies of Gargoyle related to us in the same way that humans are related to chimps.  Though not quite as intelliegent as a Gargoyle or human, they're still quite intelligent.  They're also considered to be full members of whatever Clan they belong to, and are not pets.  Like Gargoyles, they turn to stone during the day.  Of the Clans we've met, only mine, the Avalon Clan, and the Ishimura Clan have beasts.  Whether this is regional, or something else, I don't know.

There are also two other Clans.  The Avalon Clan, who lives on that mystic island cut loose from the natural flow of time, are the next generation of the Wyvern Clan that the guys are from.  As such, they're typical Scottish Gargoyles.  There is one more Clan, that we met on our World Tour, but I've been sworn to secrecy about them beyond that.


***




Even though it looks like we can fly, Gargoyles are much to heavy for that.  Instead, what we can do is use our wings to glide on even the slightest current on wind.  New York, with all its buildings, and thus plenty of heat, updrafts, and channels for wind, is a perfect city for gliding over and around.  Since all we can do is glide, we need height in order to get anywhere, and cannot just take off from ground level.



Fortunately, are claws are strong enough to puncture steel and concrete.  Makes climbing buildings a breeze.




Gargoyles have only four fingers on each hand.  We also only have three toes on each foot, and a heel spur.  We're just as good at running on all fours as we are on two, if not quicker over short distances.



Gargoyle eyes glow when we're taken by surprise, or are especially shocked or angry.  Females glow red, males glow white.

As one might be able to guess from basically nocturnal creatures, all of our senses are much sharper than those of humans.  Eyesight, hearing, and smell especially.  While we're not bloodhounds or anything of quite that sensative nature, we do have some ability to recognize people by scent.



Gargoyles are many, many times stronger than humans.  Even Lex can easily lift a couple hundred pounds without breaking a sweat.  We can also use our tails as weapons, like whips or clubs and while not as good as an ape's, are prehensile.  However, we aren't bulletproof or even knifeproof.  You stab us, we bleed.  We're harder to kill, yes, but we're hardly invunerable.



And the big one.  Gargoyles turn to stone when the sun rises.  Actual sunlight has no effect on it; we'd change even in a windlowless room.  Are bodies' internal clocks are simply very synced to the natural world.  While stone, we can't move and have no awareness.  Smash us, we die.  But stone sleep will also heal most injuries, cure all poisons, and rejuvenate us fully.  When the sun sets, we turn back to flesh from the inside out, leaving a last layer that we break out of with a roar.

Date: 2007-02-28 06:27 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dragon-paragon.livejournal.com
Big Bad Kakyoin: You're right, Elisa, I didn't have my life taken away from me when I changed because it was already gone! This just became the damn cement block around my feet! My purpose is to climb out of the damn hole I've dug myself into, and it's just getting deeper and deeper.

The lives I've touched? Let me tell you a little about the lives I've touched. The lives I touch have a disturbing tendency to end in painful ways. I'm still suffering from the karmic drawback of the whole-sale slaughter a vampire made me do when he took over my mind. And that's not even the worst of it. Yeah, ok, you guys have come along, probably are the only thing keeping me from putting a damn bullet through my head, but I've got the damn grim reaper of skeletons in my closet and someday, it's going to come back, and I'll have to leave or it'll kill all of you like it will me. *BBKakyoin's in tears at this point.* What I've got is gonna be taken away like everything else.

Date: 2007-02-28 03:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elisa-garg.livejournal.com
"I..."

"Kaykyoin. I'm sorry."

Date: 2007-03-01 04:36 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dragon-paragon.livejournal.com
Big Bad Kakyoin: ...Just leave me alone.

I guess you'll want me to move out now, seeing as I'm Death's personal fishing line. *BBKakyoin rises to his feet, taking pains to avoid having Elisa see the tears streaming from his eyes.*

Date: 2007-03-01 02:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elisa-garg.livejournal.com
"What kind of person do you think I am? You think I'm going to just leave one of my friends to face God knows what alone? We've fought everything from the Archmage to death-god avatars to Oberon himself. If something's after you, we'll fight that too."

Date: 2007-03-02 09:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dragon-paragon.livejournal.com
Big Bad Kakyoin: Elisa, you don't understand. this thing attacks while you're asleep, in your dreams. And it gets worse every time. Even if you kill it, it just comes back later... It'll get me, some day. I hope to God it can't when I'm in a different universe or the Nexus, but I don't want to involve any of you.

Date: 2007-03-03 01:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elisa-garg.livejournal.com
"Everything can be beaten, it's just a matter of finding out how, Freddy Krugger wanna-be or not. If it comes after you here, we'll find a way. I won't leave a friend of mine to face something like that alone."

Date: 2007-03-05 03:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dragon-paragon.livejournal.com
Big Bad Kakyoin: *BBKakyoi's eyes seem glued to the floor, an he is still rather uncharacteristically depressed. He doesn't seem to believe Elisa.* I don't like thinking about it.

...I'm sorry for yelling back there. It's still a bit of a sore spot.

Date: 2007-03-05 04:03 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elisa-garg.livejournal.com
"It's all right. I shouldn't have pushed like that. Never did know when to quit."

Date: 2007-03-07 12:46 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dragon-paragon.livejournal.com
Big Bad Kakyoin: I'll say. The most ironic thing about all this is that you're the one whose like a dog with a bone. *BBKakyoin seems to be back to his old self.*

Date: 2007-03-07 12:58 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elisa-garg.livejournal.com
And Elisa's relieved for that.

"What can I say? Old habits die hard."

Date: 2007-03-08 07:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dragon-paragon.livejournal.com
Big Bad Kakyoin: As the saying goes, you can't teach an old dog new tricks. *Maybe it's a little too soon.*

Date: 2007-03-08 01:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elisa-garg.livejournal.com
Elisa lets a mock-groan out. "Why, why must you punish me like this?"

Date: 2007-03-11 09:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dragon-paragon.livejournal.com
Big Bad Kakyoin: *BBKakyoin puts a hand to his heart and assumes a patriotic stance.* Because I swore an oath on the Declaration of Indepundence!

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Elisa Maza

February 2011

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