Gargoyles

Description
Gargoyles are an intelligent and sentient race which superficially resemble Daemons. They possess their own language, runic system and architecture. Gargoyles come in two forms. The bigger, winged ones have a high intellect, magic powers and strong build. The wingless ones are not as smart and smaller, but make up for this with more muscles. Gargoyles are socially much like humans, in that you can get the good with the bad. The winged are seen as superior to the unwinged, who are viewed as children in need of guidance. Only one capable of flight was able to visit the Shrine of Singularity.

The Gargoyles originally lived in the Underworld. Now they live on the Isle of Terfin, with smaller populations scattered all over Britannia (notably in Vesper). Gargoyles can also be found on Serpent Isle, where they are ruled by Lord Zhelkas.

While never fully explained, it is implied that gargoyles have only one gender and reproduce asexually. For example gargoyles only say they have a single "parent" without gender definitions. The gargoyle Kalibrus, who had befriended humans, admitted to being confused by human courting and reproduction.

Lor-wis-lem, a winged gargoyle in Ultima VI, claims to be over a thousand years old and nearing the end of his time, but still a mere youth when compared to the seer Naxatilor. This would suggest that gargoyles (or winged gargoyles, at least) have a much longer lifespan than a human.

It is unclear whether the Gargoyles that protect Lord British's Crown in Blackthorn's castle in Ultima V (and which can also be found in Hythloth) are the same Gargoyles as the ones described here. These Gargoyles, sometimes called Stone Gargoyles, look more like stone lions than Daemons. They do not resemble Sin'Vraal. They hurl stones at enemies, are very tough and split in combat as slimes do. Because of their great toughness, splitting is more powerful for these Gargoyles than it is for Slimes, since the new Slime is usually badly hurt and easily killed - not usually the case with Gargoyles. When killed they leave a pile of stone rubble. These may be the "wingless gargoyles" referred to above.

The War of the False Prophet
When the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom was stolen from the Gargoyles, and late when Lord British was rescued from Dungeon Doom, the Underworld was wracked with earthquakes and subterranean eruptions. Much of the Gargish land was destroyed and many were killed. They blamed the Avatar for these events, naming him/her An Bal Sil Fer: False Prophet. They believed the only way to save their world was to sacrificially slay the Avatar.

Following the guidance of their Book of Prophecies, they invaded Britannia and captured each of the Shrines of Virtue. The Moonstones were stolen from their resting places and bound to the shrines with magical energies. Although many knights sought to rout the Gargoyles from the shrines, none were victorious.

The Avatar was tricked by the Gargoyles, who sent a Moongate to Earth and lured him/her to the Underworld. The Avatar was rescued by Iolo, Shamino and Dupre before the sacrifice could take place, but returned later. With Beh Lem assisting the party, the Avatar made a deal with Lord Draxinusom: if the Avatar could not find a way to save the Gargoyle world within a certain period of time, return the Codex to the Gargoyles, or the Avatar would willingly be sacrificed. To seal the contract, the Avatar wore the Amulet of Submission.

The war ended when the Avatar, following the instructions of the Codex itself after being sent by the Gargoyles' own Shrine of Singularity, returned the Codex to the Void. Both Lord British and Lord Draxinusom were initially angered by this, but when they both viewed the Codex together it showed them something that has never officially been revealed. The two races made peace.

The Underworld continued to crumble, so the Gargoyles relocated to Britannia. Lord British granted them the island of Terfin to settle on, though they were welcome to live in other cities as free citizens.

The integration of the Gargoyles into Britannian society gave rise to an anti-Gargoyle organisation, known in Ultima VII as The Britannian Purity League.

Gargoyles in Serpent Isle
For as long as the knights have settled Serpent Isle, the daemons (gargoyles) have remained within Furnance. Several generations of Gargoyles had lived in the Lost City, but the place (being Ophidian by design) was old before they had ever come. Monitorians believed the ancient serpent ruins were once populated by daemons (beings with red skin and horns), and that they had the power to cause molten rock to flow. The serpent was their sign.

The ruler of the Lost City at the time of the Avatar's arrival is Zhelkas, meaning ‘iron helm’.

During the Imbalance, Gargoyles in both Britannia and Serpent Isle were afflicted by a sleeping sickness. It was only by sheer force of will that Zhelkas alone remained awake, and he tells the Avatar of a single dream, shared by all the sleeping Gargoyles. They dream of an evil trinity (the Banes of Chaos) which the Avatar would fight: One with an Evil Glow (Shamino the Anarch), one with haunting eyes that mock (Mad Iolo), one with the Serpent’s Head (Wanton Dupre). They dream of disease: dying infants of minds numbed or gone insane, beings which simply waste away due to the Imbalance. They dream of giving the Ring of the Serpent to the Avatar, which will aid against the Imbalance. The Dream also says the Hero will go to the Place of the Twin Pillars where s/he must face the ordeal of the ancients.

If the Avatar attempts to wake any of the sleeping Gargoyles in Furnace, they become hostile.

Lore
''Frequently confused with daemons, the gargoyles are a little understood race of beings. Only fragments of information have made their way back from expeditions to the underworld habitat of these creatures. We do know that there are two classes of gargoyles--a dominant, winged variety and smaller, wingless drones. The larger gargoyle is a daunting opponent, possessing very high intelligence and impressive magical powers. But, the smaller drones are not to be ignored, for their attack is deadly, despite their apparent lack of magical ability. Scholars at the Lycaeum are feverishly analyzing all incoming information regarding these perplexing creatures.''

- from "Compendium", Ultima VI

''This red-skinned creature originally comes from the subterranean domain of the gargoyles. There are two classes of gargoyles: the larger winged gargoyles that possess keen intellect and magical capability, and the smaller worker drones that possess little thinking ability but are embodied with great strength.''

- from "Fellowship", Ultima VII

Evolution in the series

 * First appearance: Ultima V (sort of)


 * Last appearance: Ultima IX

In Ultima V, we only met one winged gargoyle, Sin Vraal. At the time he was thought to be one of the Daemons (even the Daemon sprite was used). Other than Sin'Vraal, all the Gargoyles were wingless in Ultima V and possibly not even of the same species (more properly called Stone Gargoyles?). In Ultima VI, we were properly introduced to them. A major and unexplained change is that in Ultima VI wingless gargoyles do not speak, and are said to have the mental capacity of a child. However, in Ultima VII wingless gargoyles are fully intelligent and do speak.

Notable examples

 * There are many Gargoyles that are interesting, however, the most important one is obviously Lord Draxinusom. He is very important in Ultima VI, became a good friend in Ultima VII and is mentioned in Ultima Underworld II. His final fate is unclear.


 * Beh Lem joined the Avatar as a companion in Ultima VI. He had been secretly studying the Britannian language from Captain Johne, who was living in Dungeon Hythloth. Beh Lem was young and wingless when he joined the Avatar, but said he would grow wings as he matured. He believed the Gargoyles and Humans should make peace. Beh Lem is not officially seen again after Ultima VI.