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Monster of the Month

GARGOYLES

These monsters are ferocious predators of a magical nature, typically found amid ruins or dwelling in underground caverns. They have their own guttural language. Gargoyles attack anything they detect, regardless of whether it is good or evil. They love best to torture prey to death when it is helpless.

These winged creatures are excellent fighters using their claws, bites, and horns in combination to inflict massive damage, while their naturally tough hide protects them from victim's attacks. Gargoyles favor two types of attack: surprise and swooping. Counting on their appearance as sculptures of some sort, gargoyles sit motionless around the rooftop of a building, waiting for prey to approach. Alternatively, a gargoyle may pose in a fountain, or a pair of the horrid beasts sit on either side of a doorway. When the victim is close enough, the gargoyles suddenly strike out, attempting only to injure the victim rather than to kill it all at once. (To a gargoyle, inflicting a slow, painful death is best.)When on the move, gargoyles sometimes use a "swoop" attack, dropping down suddenly from the sky to make their attacks in an aerial ambush using two claws and a horn. To make all of their attacks, they must land.

Gargoyles live in small groups with others of their kind, interested in little more than finding other creatures to hurt. Smaller animals are scarcely worth the trouble to these hideous monsters, who prefer to attack humans or other intelligent creatures. Gargoyles often collect treasure from human victims. Individuals usually have a handful of gold pieces among them, with the bulk of their treasure hidden carefully at their lair, usually buried or under a large stone.

Originally, gargoyles were carved roof spouts, representing grotesque human and animal figures. They were designed in such a way that water flowing down gutters would be thrown away from the wall, so as to prevent stains and erosion. Later, some unknown mage used a powerful enchantment to bring these horrid sculptures to life. The race of gargoyles has flourished, spreading throughout the world.

Gargoyles do not need to eat or drink, so they can stand motionless for as long as they wish almost anywhere. The damage they do to other creatures is not for sustenance, but only for their distorted sense of pleasure. Because they are fairly intelligent and evil, they will sometimes serve an evil master of some sort. In this case, the gargoyles usually act as guards or messengers; besides some gold or a few gems, their unsavory payment is the enjoyment they get from attacking unwanted visitors.

The horn of the gargoyle is the more common active ingredient for a potion of invulnerability and can also be used in a potion of flying.

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