Homebrew Gargate Species Details

Gargonels are bipedal Gargates, and are generally more physically powerful than humans. And though greatly varying in physical prowess, even Gargonels with frail or lanky build have both shown being able to lift full-grown humans over their heads with ease, and are also very agile, since Gargonels as large and physically imposing as a Goliath have been seen capable of side-stepping, with surprising agility, away from strikes that are too fast for the human eye to follow. They are related to Gargonels, much as humans are related to apes. Being nocturnal, Gargonels are very adept at concealing themselves within shadows, perfectly camouflaging themselves in the dark for ambushes, or simply to get around stealthily. In fact, apart from their inherent strength and beastly features, the cover of the night is generally a Gargonel's strongest weapon against their adversaries.

Gargonels exhibit tremendous visual variety, which presumably helps in them identifying each other since they, particularly in days of yore, generally do not take names for that. For example, some have hair and some don't. Most Gargonels have crests on their foreheads in addition to horns, but some Gargonels lack one, the other, or sometimes even both. Some have relatively round, humanoid faces; some have more animalistic snouts, whilst there are those bearing features that are near-human. Most have prehensile tails possibly to provide aerodynamic balance as they glide airborne, many have six limbs (not including their tail) with four digits per limb: usually two arms (each with three fingers and an opposable thumb), two legs (each with three forward toes and a back claw) that have curving spurs extending from where the knees and elbows are. Their lower body portions are usually analogous between human and quadrupedal lower limbs and corresponding appendages (allowing a Gargonel to drop down on all fours and run quicker that way) in that they stand on their toes, making a Gargonel appear taller that he or she actually is, and two wings (where the four digits are often divided between ribbing for the wings and/or finger-like grasping claws at the wings apex), though among Mayan Gargonels it is not uncommon to have a snake tail instead of legs, and the Loch Ness Gargonels presumably have dolphin-like tails instead of legs.

All Gargonels are shown to have a pair of wings that vary in appearance. Most of the Gargonels featured in the series had mammalian wings resembling a bat's, containing a variety of different digit-combinations, while others such as the London Clan, and some of the Mayan Clan, had avian wings, resembling a birds. The rarest wing variation are those stretching between his arms and legs, rather than extending from the back as with other Gargonels, somewhat resembling a flying squirrel. These wings are used for gliding as they are incapable of flight, most likely stemming from the Gargonel's highly-developed musculature and dense bone structure. Once in the air, or even on a high place, they are adept at using up-drafts and down-drafts to simulate flight, and momentum to generate speed. But they need height to take off and must usually first allow themselves to fall off an elevated terrain before or after unfurling their wings in order to glide. They cannot flap their wings to power them into the air from ground level. They cannot take a running start to achieve flight. They cannot hover. If they're on the ground, there's only one way to get into the air: they must climb with their claws to a sufficient and elevated height and then jump. They are quite prehensile, able to fold around their bodies in a cape-like manner.

Gargonels turn to stone, or an organic stone-like substance and surmise-able as a brief form of continually reversible bodily calcification, at sunrise and will remain as such until nightfall, at which point everything will revert back to normal mobility; but the surface layer will crack and flake away, though a Gargonel would generally have to burst itself free from the thin stone covering upon awakening, revealing flesh and blood underneath. Gargonels generally refer to this as "sleeping". During this period (daytime) the stone form is absolute, and they are effectively indistinguishable from statues. Even overall bodily scent is altered, making them less likely to be preyed upon by natural predators while in stone form. This is not triggered by direct sunlight, since a Gargonel kept in a dark and secluded place will still turn to stone when the Sun rises, and more due to the Gargonel's "internal clock" as dictated by his or her circadian rhythms.

While in stone form, all physiological functions of the Gargonel in question are stopped, with the exception of their natural recuperative processes, which seems to be even augmented in exchange for the other bodily attributes halted throughout the duration of stone sleep. Because of this, a Gargonel can stay submerged in deep water while in stone state, with later danger to his or her somatic systems and functions, such as breathing and circulation. However, a measure of cognitive activity must remain, since Gargonels are said to be capable of dreaming while asleep this way.

Supposedly, a Gargonel stores up some form energy while dormant during the day in stone form, without of which they would lack the ability to not only glide with their wings but also with any other strenuous activity that they practice whilst awake. This is presumably internal bio-energy, similar to the kind that certain mammals accrue when they are in hibernation in order to last long winters and then awaken thereafter, though some speculate the energy Gargonels amass to be drawn from the Sun's rays. This would explain why most Gargonels prefer to greet daytime as stone after securing for themselves a high foundation from where to roost as they sleep in stone, despite the fact that this practice leaves them exposed and vulnerable while out in the open like this. 

Male Gargonels' eyes glow white when in an excited stage, and females' eyes glow red, signaling an adrenal response. Gargonels lay eggs, which look roughly like large stone Griffon eggs. Female Gargonels will become fertile on the autumnal equinox every twentieth year, and will lay a single egg on the following spring equinox. All of the eggs will be stored together in the clan's rookery, and the communal hatching occurs ten years later. Although Gargonels are neither mammals nor reptiles, they display traits that are found in birds, most reptiles, and monotremes (egg-laying mammals) in terms of their method of reproduction. An exclusively mammalian trait found in Gargonels is that females grow human-like breasts, which of course produce milk, which they lactate to feed their newly-hatched offspring. Although Gargonels don't keep track of who their biological parents are, Gargonels (and gargoyles) who are related have scent markers that discourage them from breeding with one another.

While not inherently immortal, Gargonels can be extremely long-lived, a result of stone sleep which seemingly slows or halts their aging process to an absolute still (possibly a state of suspended animation) until they wake again the following night. Even in old age they are not as frail and incapacitated as other creatures. Because they spend half their day asleep as stone, they age at half the rate of a human, thus living twice as long. And given stone form's ever-healing and senility-dampening nature, it is very likely that a Gargonel cannot die a natural death (i.e. advanced age and sustained disease) whilst he or she is in stone.

Gargate Traits

Gargonels are the inherently protective and good twins to the dreaded Gargoyles.

Darkvision

Darkvision. Accustomed to life during the dark of night, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Glide

Glide. If a Gargonel is at least 30 ft up the Gargonel can leap from an edge to begin gliding. while gliding a Gargonel can use an action to ascend 20 feet by making a DC 15 Athletics (Strength) check. While Gliding, Gargonel has a fly speed of 30 but descends 5 ft. They cannot achieve this flight without a ledge or cliff to leap from. 

Natural Athlete

You have proficiency in the Athletics skill.

Claws

You can able to climb with the speed of 20 feet and this speed is just because of your claws. Additionally, Your claws are natural weapons and with those weapons you can make unarmed strikes. If you hit those Claws you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier.

Stone Hibernation

 The Gargonel suffers from the Petrified condition for the duration of the day while the sun is out. During this time the Gargonel's body becomes covered in stone and they gain an armor class of 17 and resistance to Slashing and Piercing damage. They also become vulnerable to Bludgeoning damage. Any disease or poison in the Gargonel's body are washed away during this time in which they benefit from a long rest and they regain all of their hit dice back instead of half. There is no avoiding the Stone Hibernation and if they take enough damage to bring them to 0 hit points, they die. 

Ability Score increase

Gargates are all physically very strong and are observant which grants them a +2 to their Strength Score and a +1 to their Wisdom Score.