Gargoyles

By Peregrine Caged

Gargoyles are a species of living magical constructs originally created through unicorn magic.  They are all pony shaped, if not necessarily pony sized.  The first gargoyles were made as the result of advanced animation spells that resulted in the creation of self-sustaining behavior--it was quickly seen that this could be used to create specialized servants for ponykind.  However, a series of terrible accidents (including an unreported number of deaths) led to the outlawing of what is now known as ‘life magic’.  Therefore, disregarding the natural procreation of current gargoyles, no new species are ever to be created again.  

While there have been unverified accounts of more, only three types are generally accepted as existing--Air, Earth, and Magic.  Each type was created with a specific purpose in mind, but lack of proper controls and the allowance of breeding has led to issues over the years.  The following are the three individual entries for each subset of the species:

Nimbus Gnawer (Air Gargoyle)

MIGHT: 2/5

RARITY: 2/5

Air gargoyles (hereafter referred to as just gargoyles) are a curious subset of the species that are universally considered aspests by pegasi ponies.  Individually, a gargoyle rates as nothing more than an annoyance.  When grouped, however, gargoyles can cause terrible property damage and even nasty accidents.

They stand at only about 1’ tall, with alphas reaching 1 ½’; they are incredibly lightweight at only around 20-25 pounds.  These gargoyles resemble miniature pegasi in appearance.  They are a storm cloud gray in colouring, with pale, smoky manes and tails.  What most ponies notice first, however, are their brilliant, solid blue eyes.  Unlike a normal pegasi, a gargoyle’s teeth are slightly sharpened.  When they change to their cloud forms, they can match any shade of naturally occurring cloud--but their eyes remain the same, forcing them to keep them closed or be discovered.

Gargoyles thankfully only live for about 12-15 years--with alphas living two or three years longer, on average.  But they mature in a year and a half, after which they breed at an incredible rate if left unchecked.  Gargoyles travel in groups known as wings led by a single alpha--this can be male or female.  There is no noticeable physical difference in the genders and mating ability is still being researched.  Gargoyles do not form pair bonds; in fact, mating seems almost random--an activity that simply happens with no rhyme or reason.

Gargoyles possess latent magical abilities similar to pegasi--they can walk upon and manipulate cloud matter.  Their true magical aptitude lies in their ability to physically change their bodies into cloud in order to hide from predators--or angry pegasi victims.  In days past this was more frustrating for society, as pegasi enjoyed their cloud sculptures which gargoyles easily mimicked.  It wasn’t long before architectural changes were enforced to better assist in the location and removal of these pests.

Gargoyles are quicker and more agile than the average pegasus due to their light weight and small size.  However, where they fall short is typically in intelligence.  Though gargoyles are crafty, sly beasts, their minds are fairly straightforward in all other regards and so they can succumb to traps and ambushes easily.  They are especially vulnerable to taunting and tricks--normally they are the ones who do such things and they do not take well to the reversal.

Behavior: Gargoyles are notorious pranksters and pests.  While not sentient, they get extreme pleasure in causing frustration and annoyance in ponies--with no regards to the danger of their pranks, even to other gargoyles.  Gargoyles have little racial unity, caring only to eat, breed, and cause mischief.

Gargoyles prefer to not be noticed in their goings on and will retreat at the first sign of trouble.  They often stay out of sight completely unless joined together in a large wing.  This wing has no fear of swarming filled streets.

Habitat and Diet: Gargoyles live anywhere they find themselves undisturbed, often in large pre-storm clouds, but they have an ultimate preference for roosting in pegasi cloud cities where shelter and food is beyond abundant.  Wings will dig out a roost that can become truly cavernous as the pack expands.

Gargoyles feast upon cloud matter--and a single gargoyle can easily consume a cloud the size of a full grown pegasus in a day.  This was their original purpose--to devour unneeded clouds to control waste and clear the skies.  However, these gargoyles were never created with proper behavioral controls.  As their numbers grew, they spread to cloud cities over Equestria, devouring and damaging millions of bits worth of property.  This is how they gained their pest status.

Sentinel

MIGHT 3/5

RARITY 3/5

Land gargoyles (hereafter referred to as just gargoyles) are perhaps the only truly successful gargoyle species created.  All gargoyles of this type were created to be ever-vigilant protectors or tireless defenders; always ready and willing to follow orders as commanded.

Gargoyles were created to resemble ponykind--unicorn, pegasi, and earth pony variants are all known.  They would be placed outside a home or a treasured location where they would stand, for years at a time if need be, encased in stone on the watch for anyone they were commanded to watch for.

A gargoyle in its defensive state appears as solid stone-grey granite.  Oddly enough, though they appear to take no damage, the older a gargoyle gets the more ‘aged’ it appears--with the stone staining, fading, cracking, pitting, and generally showing the wear and tear stone shows over the years.  When in its mobile state, however, a gargoyle appears as a dull slate grey blue with a crystalline white mane.  Their eyes are a dull ruby red which appears to possess some inner glow.

A gargoyle stands as tall as an average pony but weighs far, far more--on average, a gargoyle weighs around 600 pounds.  While gargoyles were created to look male and female, it is unknown if this implies true gender--they do not breed and there are no ‘baby’ gargoyles.

It is unknown how long gargoyles live, for none have died from simply age since they were first created.  The few to be defeated in combat became solid stone permanently and could not be studied.  Currently, there are petitions to allow the creation of new gargoyles, seeing as they have been immensely successful.

Gargoyles are top class guards--they appear to never sleep or eat and are always on alert.  They will attack nopony without instructions and they never forget an order.  When roused, their weight and strength means little can stand in their way.  Furthermore, when they are in defense mode, they are indistinguishable from any regular pony statute--allowing them to be camouflaged in a variety of manners.  

Gargoyles of this type have the amazing ability to turn their bodies to stone--though some have speculated that, before death, they simply encase themselves in a layer of rock-like, dense skin.  Amazingly enough, gargoyles weigh the same when in either form.

Gargoyles are somewhat slow in either state, but they are tenacious and immensely powerful fighters.  No earth pony could match their endurance--which seems limitless--or raw physical strength.  Winged gargoyles can not fly, however.  Though they possess no magic besides that in regards to their creation and ability to turn to stone, gargoyles are incredibly magic resistant.  This resistance seems to increase as the gargoyle becomes older.

Gargoyles are absolutely loyal to their owners--ponies which possess a magical marker unique to each gargoyle.  Obedience can be granted to other ponies, however.  A gargoyle will follow its master’s orders to the letter until given new orders. They are quiet and mostly still--granting a mere nod and growl to show they have accepted orders.

Anytime a gargoyle’s ordered perimeter is broken they immediately drop their stony disguise and pursue the perpetrator until they have been defeated or are victorious.  They have a one track mind in regards to their enemies: walk the quickest and straightest path and beat the interloper senseless.  The display no anger or enjoyment, nor pain or fear--they simply follow orders and complete their task to the best of their ability.

As they are domesticated servants and not found in the wild, gargoyles possess no true habitat to speak of.  They can be found anywhere extreme defences are required--though most typically they are found in use by royalty in such places as Canterlot.  Occasionally, a gargoyle will go up for sale for use in the private sector.  This is incredibly rare and obscenely expensive, however.

Despite months of observation, no gargoyle has ever been seen to consume anything.  All foods and liquids offered to it are simply ignored, as anything the gargoyle does not consider a threat or intruder is.  It has been theorized that they feed upon those they repel--this is most likely unsubstantiated rumor.  Suggestions that they perform something akin to photosynthesis proved promising until living gargoyles were found trapped underground, away from the light--though it is possible they can live for extended periods of time on little nutrition. Studies are ongoing.

Slayshade (Magic Gargoyle)

MIGHT: 5/5

RARITY: 4/5

NOTE: Much of the following information is hearsay, gathered from secondary historical sources and the few eyewitness accounts of survivors--these creatures are far too deadly to study directly.  Though extreme effort has been applied for fact checking, it is unsure just how much of this is truth and how much is poetic embellishment.  One thing is clear, however, this creature is EXTREMELY dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.

Magic gargoyles (hereafter referred to as just gargoyles) were the last form of gargoyle made and the reason further development of gargoyle breeds was banned. The original purpose of their creation is long since lost--but what is known is what resulted from their creation: death.  These creatures are neither violent nor destructive, but regardless of their methods they are incredibly lethal to ponykind.

Eye witness accounts are vague at best, but the creatures have been described as ‘living shadows.’  They seem to be pony shaped, although much larger in size--often described as tall as Princess Celestia, yet incredibly thin.  Sometimes described as having wings, horns, or even both, it is unknown if these are details created by or truthfully the creatures themselves.

Rarely, a survivor will recount seeing a glittering onyx alicorn statue that seemed to move whenever it was not looked at.  This suggests the creatures may only be able to move when unobserved--reverting instantly to a solid onyx shape when seen.  Though peculiar, it is strongly suggested if anypony discovers such a statue to never let it leave your sight as a precaution.

It is unknown if--though considered highly unlikely--these gargoyles breed.  No two have ever been seen or reported near each other.  It is unknown if multiple reports are caused by the same gargoyle or various members of the species.  Furthermore, it is unknown how long these creatures may live or if they even age.  Many agree that, through their peculiar feeding methods, it is likely they can not die through time alone.

Abilities and Comparison: Gargoyles of this type seem to have incredibly powerful magics.  They employ this magic to either literally change reality around a victim or to at least make it seem as such to said victim.  As well, they can tap into a pony’s very life force in order to feed.  This requires no contact and leaves no wounds save an elderly corpse--it is unsure if this is done through magic or is some sort of mental ability of the gargoyle.  Drained life force/aging is, sadly, permanent.

A comparison is difficult to compile.  The few survivors have vastly different reports of what allowed them to escape and most simply sound as if the gargoyle itself lost interest--one report came from a pony who fell over a tall cliff and managed to live.  It is unsure if simply running would ever work and pegasi survivors describe how their wings vanished or some sort of obstacle appeared to keep them from flying.  Considering the incredibly powerful magic at these creatures disposal, it is surely impossible for any unicorn to hope to compete magically with them.  The few records of these creatures being defeated come from the Royal records and claim that both Princesses were required to fully destroy one.

Gargoyles are historically described as completely merciless and even wickedly malicious in their hunting of victims.  Survivors tell unnerving tales of feeling as though they were being toyed with.  Gargoyles possess powerful magic that allows them to alter reality--or at least, reality as perceived by the victim.  Often this takes place in playing on the victim’s fear and paranoia, winding them up until madness takes them.

Some common details that survivors recall are being surrounded by moving darkness, regardless of whether it was night or day.  Sounds are often described: taunting laughter, moans, screams, barely audible whispers--all things designed to unnerve the victim.  It is theorized that this creation of mental instability is what allows the gargoyle to tap into their victims’ life force and consume their ‘time’, as it has been described.

There is seemingly no rhyme or reason to the locations these creatures supposedly inhabit.  Most often, however, they are found in ancient pony ruins--usually at the sites of magical accidents or disasters.  Some have theorized these locations of highly concentrated background magic are either pleasant to them or a form of sustenance.  But these gargoyles have been discovered in such places as extreme wilderness or even in underground cavern networks.  Rumors even place one in the Canterlot sewer network, but these are completely unsubstantiated.

Records indicate these creatures feast upon pony life force, aging the victim slowly in the process.  Surprisingly, the few survivors back this information up--middle aged stallions and mares have come back looking far older than they should, only to die a few years later of old age.

Slayshade

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Earth pony will be grouped with the unicorn and pegasus