Gargoyle

Gargoyles were vicious predators imbued with magic.

Description
Gargoyles appeared to be winged statues of demon-like humanoids. These creatures could stand motionless for long periods of time, which added to the façade of their statue-like appearance.

Personality
Their original nature as statues aided them in that they are adept at appearing perfectly still, as if they are still made of stone, and their hides were rough and thick, similar to stone as well. They favored surprising their opponents, either by moving suddenly from their motionless state or by suddenly swooping down on their prey from a height.

Gargoyles were ferocious creatures, often attacking any creature they detected, and loved to inflict pain. They would torture any victims they could hold helpless, going so far as eating them just to hear their screams even though they required no food to survive, and so they much preferred intelligent races over anything else.

Kapoacinth
Kapoacinths were gargoyles that lived underwater; their wings were used to aid in their swimming. Other than their habitat, they were the same as their land-dwelling kin, preferring shallow waters and undersea caves. Kapoacinths were known for loving torture, and a number of them lived in lairs beneath the city of Ascarle near the Purple Rocks.

Margoyle
Even more vicious than normal gargoyles, margoyles preferred living underground and were sometimes found leading a group of normal gargoyles. Their skin was much harder and they were more difficult to spot against stone.

History
Originally, gargoyles were simply decorative stone statues and water spouts placed on buildings to help prevent the erosion and staining of the walls by deflecting rainwater. At some point, however, an unknown mage gave life to these statues, creating the monsters that went on to stalk the worlds.

Four gargoyles served Imgig Zu, defending his tower north of Waterdeep in the Year of the Prince, 1357 DR. They attacked a City Guard patrol that investigated the tower. Later, they snatched up Cybriana, Priam Agrivar, Vajra Valmeyjar, Timoth Eyesbright, and Onyx the Invincible, carrying them into the tower, but were slain.

A number of gargoyles, alongside flying kenkus, were attendants to the one who waits in the Nine Hells. Later in 1357 DR, when the Great Door appeared in the Hells, the gargoyles and kenkus flew through and emerged first in the skies over Waterdeep. They were met in battle by Vajra Valmeyjar and Timoth Eyesbright, before the City Guard and Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun arrived to defend the city. Later, when the exit of the gate was restored to its location in a pit outside the city, the same flying creatures assaulted Parwyyd Hanifar, Dunstanny, Onyx the Invincible, and Cybriana, before they ended the threat of the Great Door and the one who waits.

Society
A tribe of gargoyles was known as a "nastiness", the plural of which was "nastinesses".

Homelands
Gargoyles could often be found lairing underground or in ruins with small groups of their kind.

In the Abyss, gargoyles guarded the gates of Ungorth Reddik, Demogorgon's fortress that rose from the fetid bogs of the Gaping Maw.

Relationships
Sometimes gargoyles worked for evil masters in exchange for some small amount of treasure, though their primary payment was the opportunity to attack intruders.

Usage
Gargoyle horns were often used as an ingredient in the brewing of potions of invulnerability and potions of flying.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * The Shattered Statue • Curse of the Azure Bonds • Dungeon #20, "The Ship Of Night" • The Ruins of Undermountain II: The Deep Levels • Dungeon #66, "Operation Manta Ray" • Dungeon #67, "Witches' Brew" • The Accursed Tower • Pool of Radiance: Attack on Myth Drannor • Shadowdale: The Scouring of the Land • Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
 * Novels
 * Darkwalker on Moonshae • Escape from Undermountain • Condemnation • Promise of the Witch-King
 * Star of Cursrah • The Glass Prison
 * Comic Books
 * Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (#1, #3, #18) • Legends of Baldur's Gate (#1, #2)
 * Video Games
 * Curse of the Azure Bonds • Secret of the Silver Blades • Dungeon Hack • Blood & Magic • Descent to Undermountain • Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance • Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor • Neverwinter Nights • Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford • Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer • Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir • Neverwinter • Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms
 * Card Games
 * AD&D Trading Cards
 * Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
 * Mayhem in the Earthspur Mines • The Howling Void • Black Heart of Vengeance • Boltsmelter's Book • Chelimber's Descent • The Ark of the Mountains • Stardock Under Siege • Xanathar's Wrath
 * Mayhem in the Earthspur Mines • The Howling Void • Black Heart of Vengeance • Boltsmelter's Book • Chelimber's Descent • The Ark of the Mountains • Stardock Under Siege • Xanathar's Wrath