Gargouilles (Fem. Grotesques, Gargouillus pluvius) are a species of sentinel Chimera.
.anatomy
Gargouilles have a somewhat mammalian body plan, reaching ~14 m in length. They are quadrupeds, along with a pair of large wings. Their bodies are covered in a thick, mineralised hide, resembling stone to the touch. Their heads are bat-like in appearance, having short snouts with pronounced nasal cavities, and a pair of large, ear-like horns. Their wings are significantly larger than the rest of their limbs, so much so that they’re used as primary front limbs when walking. Their tails are also significantly longer than their body, with a large fin going its entire length.
Grotesques are smaller, having a stockier build, reaching ~7 m. Their features are generally less pronounced, with their wings and tail more proportionate to their body. The colour of both genders’ Phlogiston is blue.
.behaviour
Both Gargouilles and Grotesques are mostly sedentary creatures. Their lifestyle involves entering long periods of brumation, resuming activity when the right conditions are met. Their hides can often become weathered from these long periods, and other lifeforms such as algae or moss can develop with ease.
Gargouilles will spend most of their lifetime solitary, guarding fixed territories their entire lives, attacking any creature that may appear as a threat and guarding those that it deems part of its territory. Grotesques form large colonies, living in underground cave systems. This is because compared to the hide of a Gargouille, a Grotesque hide is thicker, dries out faster and thus requires a much higher ambient humidity, without which it would turn brittle and cause painful gashes.
.abilities
Gargouilles have a specialised sack in their throat used to store water, which they use during Pyrokinesis to transform into hyper-pressurised jets, composed of both Phlogiston and boiling water, capable of reaching ~500.000 PSI. They use this jet both as a ranged attack and to excavate large chunks of rock. Their throats also possess a series of holes, through which the Gargouille can shoot out steam to whistle, using it as a primary method of communication.
The wings of a Gargouille hold the remaining majority of their node density. By using the stored water, Gargouilles can reach great flying speeds by using steam propulsion. Their tail feature a specialised set of gills extending its entire length, which, when submerged in water, will pump it directly into their throat sack, along with their hide, which has microscopic grooves which channel all water directly into their sack through capillary action.
Grotesques lack this throat sack and all adaptations relating to it. They are incapable of sustained flight, using their wings to glide short distances. They are, however, much stronger physically than Gargouilles, using their limbs to dig through solid rock with ease. They can use Pyrokinesis to expel a sticky, burning mucus from their mouths.
.reproduction
Gargouilles reproduce sexually. They don’t have fixed mating seasons, instead relying on the weather, preferring rain. Gargouilles display lekking behaviour, with Grotesques selecting based on overall size and fitness. Gargouilles will then help with expansion of the cave and with bringing food to their Grotesque mates, leaving after the young hatch. Grotesques lay 1-2 eggs/clutch. As side effect of the brumation, the average Gargouille life span is ~300 years.
.diet
Gargouilles are omnivores, a large majority of their diet being comprised of plant matter and fish, along with cultivated cave flora and fungi.