Gargoyle

Gargoyles of Grizburg    

Appearance

A towering horror of stone and sinew, the giant four-armed gargoyle dwarfs its lesser kin. Its skin is weathered rock veined with molten cracks, wings spread wide like shattered cathedral glass. With two extra arms ending in talons sharp enough to rend steel, it moves like a living avalanche. Its eyes glow with ember light, and when still, it is indistinguishable from Grizburg’s ruined statues.   ---

Origins

Legends hold that Acererak’s secret for their creation seeped into Grizburg centuries ago, whispered through the Depths. Barons and cultists alike attempted the craft, binding fragments of Zothra-Khaar’s essence into statues. What rose from their workshops were monsters, living reliquaries of stone. Though meant to guard tombs and vaults, they often broke free, hungering for battle.   ---  

Habitat

They perch atop smokestacks and spires, motionless until prey approaches. Some guard forgotten shrines in the Depths, others linger in the charred husks of chapels. Wherever faith crumbled or monuments broke, these gargoyles claimed the ruins, watching the city’s decay with unblinking eyes.   ---  

Ecology

Neither alive nor dead, they need no food, but revel in destruction. Their claws shear through iron, their wings scatter sparks, and their bite reduces flesh to ruin. When idle, they appear as cracked effigies, collecting soot and moss. When roused, they bring entire streets to collapse beneath their stone fury.   ---  

Behavior

They hunt in silence, dropping from rooftops to crush intruders beneath five thousand pounds of stone. Their four arms allow them to climb sheer walls while slashing simultaneously. In battle, they screech in voices like grinding millstones, shattering resolve. When outnumbered, they retreat into stillness, disguising themselves once more among the city’s ruin.   ---  

The Whispering Depths Connection

Some cults insist these gargoyles were carved as vessels for Zothra-Khaar’s fury. They are placed as guardians near Depths shrines, their stillness a trap for the unwary. The cults feed them offerings of blood and relics, awakening the gargoyle to defend sacred sites in brutal silence.   ---  

Use by Factions

Rust Barons tether them to vaults with chains of adamant, releasing them only during riots or coups. Rival gangs mark their symbols on gargoyle wings, claiming them as allies—though the beasts rarely obey. Some assassins even lure victims into the shadow of gargoyles, letting the monsters do their killing.   ---  

Cultural Role

Grizburg’s folklore calls them “The Stillborn Kings.” Children are told never to climb statues, for some will bite back. Old miners place iron nails at their feet to appease them. Merchants avoid markets where too many statues watch, fearing the stone might suddenly move.   ---  

Legends

The tale of the Ash Tyrant tells of a four-armed gargoyle that perched on a cathedral spire, bringing down the entire tower during its first screech. Another speaks of a gargoyle awakened during a worker’s riot, smashing chains and chimneys until the district collapsed into rubble.   ---  

Threats to the City

One gargoyle can collapse an entire street; a flight of them could shatter Grizburg itself. Their weight buckles bridges, their claws dismantle walls, and their silence makes them impossible to track. Only when their wings unfurl and their eyes burn do most realize doom is upon them.   ---  

Behavioral Oddities

Some gargoyles obsessively collect broken relics, fusing them into their stone hides. Others carve symbols into walls while at rest, glyphs that weep dust when touched. The strangest have been seen rearranging ruins, building altars of rubble as if worshipping something unseen.   ---  

Adventuring Hooks

• A gargoyle awakens in the heart of Greendocks, demolishing warehouses with its claws. • Cultists awaken a gargoyle in the Depths, setting it to guard their shrine. • A Baron hires hunters after his chained gargoyle escapes into the streets. • An ancient gargoyle carries fragments of prophecy carved across its wings.   ---  

Closing Words

The giant four-armed gargoyle is more than stone—it is Grizburg’s wrath given form. To face one is to stand against the weight of centuries, the crushing silence of ruins, and the fury of gods long dead. See full stats on D&D Beyond