Post by WHISKEY on Aug 3, 2011 17:29:36 GMT -5
Gargoyles/Grotesques
Gargoyles. The rooftop water spout. Who wouldn't want to be a slab of marble with rain water pouring out of their mouths?
A Grotesque, on the other hand, are the statues you see perched on the tops of cathedrals and watchtowers. They are what myths believe to be the guardians who ward off evil. Most don't realize that there is a difference between gargoyles and grotesques. Not that it matters which is preferred since they go by both names these days.
When the portal opened inside the core of the Tree of Enlightenment and the darkness came out to do the bidding of a vengeful Native American there had to be a balance. So the darkness must be met by an equal. Light. The spiritual lights that came through split into four different groups. One of them was the Gargoyles.
The Gargoyles became the slaves of the night. Guarding the portal that was deep in the very pit of the tree, safe from the next person who tried to open it. Of course, not just anyone could open up the portal. There were chosen ones around the world who knew the proper ritual. The gargoyles themselves were clueless to how to open it up again and found themselves to be trapped in this realm and knew they must protect it.
Of the four groups, the gargoyles are categorized as the Guardians of Dusk. During the day they are forced with a curse causing them to turn into solid rock when the sun is high. Their stone, statuesque forms are contorted to look like beasts. Some look like demons with horns and claws while others have a more animalistic look to them with beaks and wings. No gargoyle is similar in their stone appearance. But once the sun sets allowing darkness to blanket the ground their figures go through a mutation. The ugly, sometimes scary demonic looking beasts change and their features become more human.
In their own realm, Galli, their days were different. It was night all but four times a year. When the sun shone in Galli it meant the changing of seasons. Their sun was a God and it would use their very life force as sacrifice in order to make the seasons change. Without the changing of the seasons their food supply would wither and deplete. When the sun would come up their skin turned hard and rigid, freezing them in a stone casing. After the changing of the seasons the sun would go back into hiding for three months until it was time to change the seasons once more. The longer they were left in the dark the stronger the gargoyles became getting their strength from the moon.
The gargoyles weren't prepared for what they faced when they came through the portal and leaving their realm. The adjustment of having a sun every day made it so they could not reach their full potential and strength. They were still stronger than any human who crossed their path, but it wasn't Galli. Some find it a curse while others think of it as a blessing. When they had three months of night they would grow so strong they would begin to believe themselves Gods. Some are still egotistical to this day believing they are the superior of the four Guardians.
They perch themselves on top of City Hall just before sunrise so they have a perfect view of the Tree of Enlightenment and wait patiently for the sun to set once more while the other Guardians take over. Their only consolation during the long day is that the other Guardians care just as much as they do about the Tree of Enlightenment.
Humans see the gargoyles and most believe they were made by the late settlers who first built City Hall. When the new City Hall was built in 1985 the statues were relocated to storage. According to word of mouth they weren't in the initial layout to be put back on top of the new building. Except on the second night of the building being completed the gargoyles were spotted perched on top of the building. It is still a mystery to who put them up there.
NOTES:
Not all Gargoyles are Guardians. The majority of them are but some have different jobs. They have their own politics with The Council. Who decide the rules and regulations as far as Gargoyles go so that they are kept in line. Some are adventurers set out to see the world, although not many are needed. Other classifications can be available.
When Gargoyles turn eighteen they're sent through a trial for adulthood that is a lot like a rite of passage. Depending on what field they choose their training is different and lasts a month. Gargoyles CAN change their field but most choose not to.
Rites of Passage:
The ritual to change a gargoyle from a child into an adult in the eyes of the others is a month long process. It is broken into three basic categories. Adventurist, Politician, Guardian.
Adventurist:
The trials a gargoyle must go through for an adventurist are the most simple of the three. The gargoyle is paired up with a partner who takes them out to camp like a human would. Setting up tents, hunting and fishing. The idea of this training is to set them out on their own to see the world and blend in with humans at night. Of course, because it is camping each experience will be different than the other. And the partner is always another gargoyle who has already experienced the adventures of the world and decided to become a scholar to the younger generations.
Politician:
When becoming a politician it is a good idea to have your wits about you. The month long training to join into the political affairs of gargoyles focuses mainly on the expansion of the gargoyle's mind. It also takes place in the woods away from human contact, but it doesn't mean it isn't a classroom environment. And they're extremely strict about the material you must learn. Answer a question wrong and be prepared to have your knuckles cracked with a ruler. By the time you come out a politician you'll likely have bloodied knuckles and a head full of laws and regulations.
Guardians:
Becoming a Guardian is the hardest of the three categories. There is no easy way to get through the training. It takes you through what can at best be described as the sort of training Army RANGERS or Navy SEALS go through. They prepare you for a worst case scenario. They've been known to use methods such as a piece of cloth over a gargoyle's face and pouring buckets of water on them to simulate drowning as their heads are tipped back or even whipping a gargoyle to the point of death. Their methods are cruel and harsh, several older Guardians acting as drill instructors and yelling every horrible thing they could into a trainee's face. Of course, gargoyles know each other quite well so they just might know that person's deepest secrets. This is the pathway that often times has the lowest turn out rate, not everyone is strong enough to call themselves a Guardian.
Gargoyles. The rooftop water spout. Who wouldn't want to be a slab of marble with rain water pouring out of their mouths?
A Grotesque, on the other hand, are the statues you see perched on the tops of cathedrals and watchtowers. They are what myths believe to be the guardians who ward off evil. Most don't realize that there is a difference between gargoyles and grotesques. Not that it matters which is preferred since they go by both names these days.
When the portal opened inside the core of the Tree of Enlightenment and the darkness came out to do the bidding of a vengeful Native American there had to be a balance. So the darkness must be met by an equal. Light. The spiritual lights that came through split into four different groups. One of them was the Gargoyles.
The Gargoyles became the slaves of the night. Guarding the portal that was deep in the very pit of the tree, safe from the next person who tried to open it. Of course, not just anyone could open up the portal. There were chosen ones around the world who knew the proper ritual. The gargoyles themselves were clueless to how to open it up again and found themselves to be trapped in this realm and knew they must protect it.
Of the four groups, the gargoyles are categorized as the Guardians of Dusk. During the day they are forced with a curse causing them to turn into solid rock when the sun is high. Their stone, statuesque forms are contorted to look like beasts. Some look like demons with horns and claws while others have a more animalistic look to them with beaks and wings. No gargoyle is similar in their stone appearance. But once the sun sets allowing darkness to blanket the ground their figures go through a mutation. The ugly, sometimes scary demonic looking beasts change and their features become more human.
In their own realm, Galli, their days were different. It was night all but four times a year. When the sun shone in Galli it meant the changing of seasons. Their sun was a God and it would use their very life force as sacrifice in order to make the seasons change. Without the changing of the seasons their food supply would wither and deplete. When the sun would come up their skin turned hard and rigid, freezing them in a stone casing. After the changing of the seasons the sun would go back into hiding for three months until it was time to change the seasons once more. The longer they were left in the dark the stronger the gargoyles became getting their strength from the moon.
The gargoyles weren't prepared for what they faced when they came through the portal and leaving their realm. The adjustment of having a sun every day made it so they could not reach their full potential and strength. They were still stronger than any human who crossed their path, but it wasn't Galli. Some find it a curse while others think of it as a blessing. When they had three months of night they would grow so strong they would begin to believe themselves Gods. Some are still egotistical to this day believing they are the superior of the four Guardians.
They perch themselves on top of City Hall just before sunrise so they have a perfect view of the Tree of Enlightenment and wait patiently for the sun to set once more while the other Guardians take over. Their only consolation during the long day is that the other Guardians care just as much as they do about the Tree of Enlightenment.
Humans see the gargoyles and most believe they were made by the late settlers who first built City Hall. When the new City Hall was built in 1985 the statues were relocated to storage. According to word of mouth they weren't in the initial layout to be put back on top of the new building. Except on the second night of the building being completed the gargoyles were spotted perched on top of the building. It is still a mystery to who put them up there.
NOTES:
Not all Gargoyles are Guardians. The majority of them are but some have different jobs. They have their own politics with The Council. Who decide the rules and regulations as far as Gargoyles go so that they are kept in line. Some are adventurers set out to see the world, although not many are needed. Other classifications can be available.
When Gargoyles turn eighteen they're sent through a trial for adulthood that is a lot like a rite of passage. Depending on what field they choose their training is different and lasts a month. Gargoyles CAN change their field but most choose not to.
Rites of Passage:
The ritual to change a gargoyle from a child into an adult in the eyes of the others is a month long process. It is broken into three basic categories. Adventurist, Politician, Guardian.
Adventurist:
The trials a gargoyle must go through for an adventurist are the most simple of the three. The gargoyle is paired up with a partner who takes them out to camp like a human would. Setting up tents, hunting and fishing. The idea of this training is to set them out on their own to see the world and blend in with humans at night. Of course, because it is camping each experience will be different than the other. And the partner is always another gargoyle who has already experienced the adventures of the world and decided to become a scholar to the younger generations.
Politician:
When becoming a politician it is a good idea to have your wits about you. The month long training to join into the political affairs of gargoyles focuses mainly on the expansion of the gargoyle's mind. It also takes place in the woods away from human contact, but it doesn't mean it isn't a classroom environment. And they're extremely strict about the material you must learn. Answer a question wrong and be prepared to have your knuckles cracked with a ruler. By the time you come out a politician you'll likely have bloodied knuckles and a head full of laws and regulations.
Guardians:
Becoming a Guardian is the hardest of the three categories. There is no easy way to get through the training. It takes you through what can at best be described as the sort of training Army RANGERS or Navy SEALS go through. They prepare you for a worst case scenario. They've been known to use methods such as a piece of cloth over a gargoyle's face and pouring buckets of water on them to simulate drowning as their heads are tipped back or even whipping a gargoyle to the point of death. Their methods are cruel and harsh, several older Guardians acting as drill instructors and yelling every horrible thing they could into a trainee's face. Of course, gargoyles know each other quite well so they just might know that person's deepest secrets. This is the pathway that often times has the lowest turn out rate, not everyone is strong enough to call themselves a Guardian.
