Gargoyles

Gargoyles are monsters and mounts.

The Tale of the Gargoyles
By : As related to Chay by Lord Zir

In the days when the Immortals still roamed the lands freely and Lord Deori was still doing wondrous deeds of creation, Vagma came to Him and demanded that He be allowed to create something for the lands as well. Lord Deori, knowing the evil that lurked deeply in Vagma's heart, decided to allow him to create a race of beasts. Vagma left to begin His work. In the fullness of time, Vagma returned to Lord Deori to show Him His new creation.

They were strong like the very rocks of the foundations of the earth and ranged in size from small to huge. "They are called Gargoyles, Lord Deori", Vagma told him.

As the eons passed, the gargoyles became the guardians of the lands. Their great hearts were fierce for the care of the lands and its inhabitants and soon even the Immortals gave them care over their most prized beings and possessions. They loved to roam their mountain home of Wyrm Spine and let the sun warm their thick rocky skins. No race was more loved....or trusted.

But Vagma had other plans for them. Unknown to Lord Deori, the gargoyles had been formed from the tainted mountain rock of Vagma's home. When He deemed the time was right, He went among them in disguised form and began to whisper words of discontent. The deeply buried taint began to take root and grow in some of the gargoyles, and soon the whisperings became murmurings and grumblings. One elder gargoyle, Slate by name, began to grow angry with what He percieved as the enslavement of his race. He listened to the whisperings of Vagma telling him he should be equal with the Gods themselves. As his arrogance grew, so too did the taint in his heart. He gathered all the others who had allowed this taint to fester and began having meetings to make plans to rise up in power against the Gods. Vagma and Takara came to Slate and told him they would help him with his plans if he helped them. Slate agreed and so the pact was made between them.

Lord Deori in the meantime, unknowing what was going on in the deep mountains, grew more and more pleased with His creation and His children. He decided to gift his son Zir with the sole offspring of his Stallion, Minion Star. Minion Star was a beast of magic who had come from the stars themselves as did his son, Azyhier by name. Lord Zir loved the stallion Azynier with all the passionate nature within him. Fierce was his pride and joy in the mighty stallion and great was the love the stallion had for Zir. Vagma and Takara, the once beautiful Queen of Woodtop, plotted together to destroy Zir by destroying all that which he loved....including His very heart, for Zir loved Takara before she lost her heart to darkness and evil.

Each year the Immortals gathered with Lord Deori to discuss how the lands were proceeding. The Immortals would all arrive and leave their mounts and belongings in the care of the loyal and loved gargoyles. It was at one of these gatherings that Vagma and Takara put their plan into action. Slate, who now called himself the King of the Gargoyles, arranged it so that only his own followers tended to Lord Zir's Stallion. Midway through the meeting, a scream suddenly rang out. A scream of agony and anger both. Lord Zir recognizing Azyhier's voice, jumped up and ran for the door only to find it blocked by thousands of enraged gargoyles with blood in their eyes and death in their hearts. The Immortals battled the gargoyles and they fell in piles, dead. Suddenly a scream raged from just outside the door and in ran Azyhier. He was bloodied and his skin hung in shreds while hundreds of gargoyles clung to him with fang and claw. He fought with hoof and teeth and they fell at his right and left, hundreds upon hundreds as he raced to guard his beloved friend and Master, Zir. In a rage of fury and unfettered bloodlust, Zir slew every single gargoyle he could find. When they were all dead, He knelt by the side of His fallen friend and wept as Azyhier died in His arms. He swore a blood vengeance on every gargoyle in the lands and raced out to track down Vagma and Takara and exact revenge on them as well for their heinous plot.

Lord Deori, grieved at what had been done to his son and to his beloved creatures, also knew that punishment had to be dealt out, not only for their safety but for the safety of the other creatures of the lands. Speaking mighty words of power, he banished all the gargoyle race to the depths of Wyrm Spine Mountains and their self-proclaimed King, Slate, to an underground cavern for all time. He also took one of their greatest pleasures from them for the taking of Azyhier from Zir...He declared that they would nay ever be able to walk in the warm sun and feel its heat warm their skin. They would have only the cool of the night for their own and as the sun's rays first spread across the lands, they would treturn to the stone from which they came from. They would have only bare seconds as the sun they so loved rose, to see and feel its heat before the cold of stone overtook them again. So it would stand for all time and for all eternity.

Some there were however who had not given themselves over to the taint and evil of their brethren. Deori gave unto them the care of the others of the lands during the nighttime hours. When you look up to a building, or wander the stone gardens of the druids and see the ugly visage of a gargoyle perched there gazing down at you...know that this was one who had remained true in their heart and who even to this day watch over Deori's creatures in the darkness of night.