Bible
(Weisman / 9-26-93)
(Revised: 2-5-94)
(1st Season Final: 4-22-94)
We've all seen gargoyles. Ugly, stone statues that crouch on the roofs of old buildings. But have you ever wondered what inspired men and women to carve these statues? What myths, legends and truths caused a phenomena that in one form or another is duplicated by almost every culture on the planet? That's what we're here to explore.
EVOLUTION
Probably the first thing to remember about true gargoyles is
what they are not. They are NOT magical beings. They are not
sculpted statues magically brought to life. They are a kind of animal,
as dinosaurs were, elephants are and human beings pretend not to be.
Despite the occasional and sparing use of magic, this is a fairly
Darwinistic series. in pre-historic times gargoyles evolved, perhaps out
of dinosaurs, into a nocturnal species that would hibernate during the
day by turning to stone (or at least into an organic substance that absolutely
resembles stone). Now this may sound scientifically improbable, but
consider the chameleon or the electric eel; both can accomplish miracles
of nature, objectively as remarkable as turning into stone.
And back before the iron age, turning to stone made evolutionary
sense. The gargoyle species (alert and powerful at night) were protected
during their daytime slumber from tooth, claw and primitive tools by their
stone transformation.
Around this time, gargoyle evolution divided down two tracks
(much as humans and other primates are thought to have common ancestors).
The main track evolved into sentient beings with wings. The secondary
track, commonly called Gargoyle Beasts, were far less intelligent and lacked,
real wings. Both species turn to stone during the day. (We'll discuss
Gargoyle Beasts in more detail when we get to the character of BRONX.)
For now we'll focus on the regular sentient gargoyles.
BIOLOGY
So what are gargoyles?
At night, gargoyles are flesh and blood, bone and muscle.
And brains. Their "hide" may be slightly thicker than human skin,
but it can be pierced or cut. And if it is, they bleed.
Gargoyles tend to be very strong. Because of their daytime
hibernation, they can operate at peak levels throughout the night.
All gargoyles have sharp teeth and powerful claws capable of
gouging into stone and even metal.
But gargoyles exhibit tremendous visual variety. For example,
some have hair, and some don't. Some have relatively round, humanoid
faces; some have more animalistic snouts. Most have tails, and generally,
all 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) 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).
Gargoyles cannot fly like birds or bats. They use their
wings to glide, like "flying" squirrels or paper airplanes. once in the
air, 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.
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 height and then jump.
Most gargoyle wings are also capable of clasping around a gargoyle's
chest and folding over to resemble a cloak or cape.
Gargoyles typically have pupils and irises, but when angered,
fighting or about to enter hibernation, their eyes seem to glow solidly.
(Males glow solid white; females, solid red.) Also their jaws distend downward
revealing all their sharp teeth.
Gargoyles have the potential to be as smart as humans, but their
animal instincts are stronger. Their thought processes tend to be
simpler and more direct. They are highly territorial. Highly
communal. Very loyal to and protective of their territory and community.
Gargoyles possess an intense biological clock, tied to the rising
and setting of the sun and even to seasonal changes in that process. when
the sun rises, they go into hibernation. Keeping them locked in a
dark place might allow them to temporarily fool their internal clocks,
but not for long. Keyed to the impending sunrise, a gargoyle will
begin to feel fatigued. Generally, he or she will find a high, out
of the way place and strike a frightening pose just as the sun rises over
the horizon. The transformation to stone is nearly instantaneous.
If a gargoyle were wounded during the night, the transformation
to stone would seal and heal any cuts, bruises or abrasions. if properly
set, broken bones would knit during the day. Sore muscles would be
refreshed. But a dismembered limb could not be reattached.
And if a gargoyle were to die at night, held still be dead during the day.
in fact, a nighttime gargoyle corpse would not turn to stone. (Again, it's
a biological process. when life ceases, there's nothing to activate the
process.)
During the daytime hibernation, gargoyles are in a deep coma-like
sleep. They cannot be awakened prematurely. They are unaware
of what is taking place around them.
Gargoyles do not age while in hibernation mode. Thus a
typical gargoyle life-span would be about twice that of a typical human.
However, gargoyles mature half as fast. So a thirty-eight year old
gargoyle would possess the equivalent mental, emotional and physical maturity
of a nineteen year old human. Only the quantity of his experiences
would betray his true age.
Being stone, they are protected from casual damage. But
they are not invulnerable. Take a sledgehammer to a hibernating gargoyle
and a person could maim or kill that gargoyle, could reduce it to dust.
(And again, a gargoyle that is destroyed while in hibernation will not
turn back to flesh and blood at night but will remain as stone fragments.)
Keyed to the sunset, a gargoyle's internal clock will begin the
awakening process. The gargoyle will turn back to flesh and blood
from the inside out, until all that remains is a thin layer of exoderm,
which then cracks and is shed by the gargoyle as a snake sheds its skin.
Generally, a waking gargoyle flexes, stretches and/or explodes out of the
thin exoderm of stone, leaving fragments of grit and gravel. once awake,
the gargoyle is alert, refreshed, rejuvenated, energized and healed of
any injury that might have occurred the previous night.
Gargoyles have no natural predators, (other than some humans).
But they are not prolific breeders either.
Gargoyles lay eggs, which look roughly like large stone cannonballs.
At this point, we don't know how long it takes an egg to gestate a baby
gargoyle, nor how often the eggs are laid, but we do know that as many
as forty years can pass between gargoyle generations.
Gargoyles don't like pigeons.
HABITS & HISTORY
Once there were gargoyles in every corner of the world.
Although habits differed slightly from place to place, most gargoyles lived
in and above a "Gargoyle Rookery". These rookeries were generally
natural or gargoyle-dug tunnels in the sides of a cliff or tall mountain.
(Gargoyles like being in high naturally protected areas.) Eggs would be
hidden in the tunnels. Gargoyles would spend their nights guarding
the rookery and foraging for food; their days hibernating in the open air.
When the Iron Age of Man arrived, the transformation to stone,
which had once been a natural form of protection became a liability.
Men could safely seek out gargoyles during the day and use iron weapons
to smash them to bits. Many gargoyles were destroyed, and the race
nearly perished.
One factor saved them. Men were more afraid of each other than
of gargoyles. One very wise man struck a deal with a gargoyle.
He would build his keep on top of a gargoyle rookery. During the
day, his archers could keep both humans and sleeping gargoyles safe from
enemies and harm.During the night, the gargoyles would do likewise.
It worked out great, and the idea caught on like wildfire.
Soon castles, keeps and fortresses were popping up atop every accessible
rookery. Existing castles and new castles that could not find a rookery
to co-exist with were carving fake gargoyles out of stone, to fool potential
enemies into believing that their castle was also protected by gargoyles.
This was the golden age of human-gargoyle relations. But it couldn't
last.
THE TENTH CENTURY (Our Back Story)
In the year 994 A.D. in Scotland, GOLIATH was the leader of a
Clan of gargoyles who lived alongside humans at CASTLE WYVERN, a castle
built over a Gargoyle Rookery of tunnels high atop a cliff. The castle
was protected on three sides by the sheer cliff walls that plunged into
the sea far below. That left only one fortress wall to protect: the
side that faced the steep slope that approached the castle. During
the day, human archers held the watch. At night, the gargoyles did
the same. The castle could not even be starved into, submission,
for the gargoyles could leap off the cliff-side and eventually glide back
with provisions. If trouble threatened the countryside, all the local
peasants would gather their belongings, struggle up the hill to the castle
and camp out in its courtyard, safe behind its walls until the danger had
passed. The castle was impenetrable...from without.
But within, things were not so sanguine. The humans who
had once sought out gargoyle protection now regarded the gargoyles as a
necessary evil, at best. The gargoyles were large,--frightening,
ugly, socially uneducated and not automatically respectful of the growing
class of nobility. The humans even resented their dependence on the
gargoyles, protection.
As for the gargoyles, a few (like Goliath's true love, DEMONA)
resented the increasing contempt with which the humans treated them.
But most gargoyles ignored it. They would act as gargoyles had always
acted no matter how badly the humans behaved: they would protect their
territory and community.
And that's basically how Goliath felt, but he took it a step
further. Goliath believed that there was much that was good about
humans. He had taught himself to read and write (both human inventions,
though few local humans were literate). He had one close human friend,
the CAPTAIN of the Guard, an ugly war-horse of a man, as much like a gargoyle
as a human could be. Goliath held out hope that the golden age could
return, that humans and gargoyles would both see the value in each other,
as he and the Captain did.
Then one night, Goliath was betrayed by the Captain and lured
away from his post. The castle was overrun and sacked. Most
of the gargoyle population was destroyed. (including, or so it seemed,
Demona.) Goliath and the five other surviving gargoyles were unfairly blamed,
and the MAGUS, the kingdom's sorcerer, laid a curse upon them. They
would sleep day and night, until "the castle rested in the clouds".
And of course, gargoyles only sleep one way ... as unaging stone.
And that's about it for Goliath and friends ... for 1000 years.
MEANWHILE ...
Throughout Scotland and Europe, humans were destroying gargoyles.
Even human-made gargoyle statues were being smashed into dust. No
one was prepared to take the chance that any stone gargoyle might not wake
up at nightfall. Parallel events took place everywhere gargoyles
lived. By the end of the Eleventh Century, the gargoyle race was,
for all practical purposes, extinct.
But the legends lived on. Within a couple centuries, humans
began carving stone gargoyles again. Some carved them in honor of
the once mighty race. Some with only a vague notion that a gargoyle
signified protection from evil. Some as merely decorative sculpture.
These are the gargoyles that we know from the cathedrals and castles of
the world.
PRESENT DAY...
DAVID XANATOS, a very rich and very powerful man has somehow
met up with Demona, the gargoyle that Goliath once loved. (It seems that
Demona was a party to the Captain's betrayal. Thus she escaped destruction
and somehow survived into the twentieth century.) She has told him the
true secret of the gargoyles and of the ancient Scottish castle where Goliath
and his five friends have been sleeping for 1000 years. Xanatos purchases
the castle, dismantles it stone by stone and then has it rebuilt on top
of his corporate headquarters: the EYRIE BUILDING, a glass and steel skyscraper
that dominates the skyline of Manhattan.
The first night after "the castle rests in the clouds", Goliath
wakes up, as do the other five gargoyles (soon to be named HUDSON, BROOKLYN,
LEXINGTON, BROADWAY and BRONX). Rocked by culture shock and embittered
by the Captain's betrayal, Goliath seems easy prey to Xanatos, attempts
to use him to serve his and Demona's criminal intents. But Goliath's
relationship with ELISA MAZA, a young New York City Police Detective, helps
reveal the villains, true colors and, more importantly, helps reawaken
Goliath's optimistic belief that humans and gargoyles together can rediscover
the golden age.
Once again, Goliath and the gargoyles will protect their territory
and community from enemies. But Elisa expands how Goliath defines
those concepts. Now his territory isn't simply the castle, but all
of Manhattan Island, and his community is every innocent (human and gargoyle)
that lives there. And now he knows that the worst enemies often come
from within the community.
CHARACTERS
OUR LEAD
GOLIATH
Goliath the Gargoyle was the leader of a clan of gargoyles that
lived 1000 years ago in and on a cliff-side castle in Scotland. Today,
he leads his five gargoyle companions in their mutual attempt to adapt
to, survive in and protect the often-hostile environment of 1994 Manhattan.
Not counting the 1000 year sleep, Goliath is about fifty plus
years old, which makes him the human equivalent of a guy in his mid-to-late
twenties.
Goliath is very big, very strong and surprisingly fast.
He's over seven feet tall and weighs over 300 pounds. Like all gargoyles,
he turns to stone each day, only to awaken revitalized each night.
He uses his claws to climb and fight; his wings to glide or as a cloak.
His visage in battle ' with glowing eyes and sharp teeth, is terrible to
behold. He is a mighty warrior. Even his tail is a weapon.
But Goliath is also a thinker. Maybe not a fast thinker,
but a determined one. He is neither in awe nor disdainful of the
modern world, but is constantly reconsidering aspects of it and deciding
for himself whether they are of value.
He is at heart an-optimist. He believes that some day,
humans and gargoyles will truly learn to work together as they once did.
Goliath knows from personal experience that bringing back the golden age
will not be easy. Ignorance and Prejudice will always exist.
He has largely come to terms with the great tragedy in his life (the massacre
of his clan). He will never forget, and there is an emptiness inside
him where his old life used to be. But he is determined not to live
in the past.
He is neither shallow nor complicated. He understands that
the world is not a black and white place, but his values are straightforward
and his own needs are simple. He believes in family, community, the
desire to live in peace. He is not one to start a fight and never
quick to enter one. But he is highly protective by instinct. in battle,
he is defensive by ancient training, though now he is learning that sometimes
the best defense is a good offense.
Of all the Gargoyles he's the one who's most likely to stand
erect, particularly when he's dealing with a human like Elisa. When
he's talking to the other gargoyles, he's more likely to crouch, as they
do.
He is very loyal to his friends, but capable of great compassion
to all.
He's a fairly self-aware individual. He knows that to a
modern eye, he looks like a monster, and it doesn't bother him... too much.
He has a sense of humor. He can see life's little ironies, its occasional
big jokes and the preposterousness of an eight-foot tall medieval monster
trying to squeeze into the modern world. He's not above laughing
long and loud... even at himself.
He's stoic, but not incapable of being moved by the simplest
act of kindness or the tiniest scrap of beauty.
He can read and write and loves to learn new things.
And he even has a few flaws. With enough provocation, he
can get very, very angry. He's not always patient with people, and
rarely if ever with things. He can be moody sometimes, and if he
starts thinking about the massacre, he can fall into deep despair.
At his loneliest, he's prone to send his friends away. He rarely
asks for help, even when he truly needs it. He is direct in words
and actions, sometimes to a fault. And he is prey to his surroundings:
when on the ground or in an enclosed space, his flaws may be exaggerated;
when high above the ground and in the open air, his better nature shines.
Basically, he's an all-around great guy. A noble savage.
A hero.
SUPPORTING CAST
ELISA MAZA
Elisa Maza is a plainclothes police detective working night-shift
for the N.Y.P.D. it's the family business; her father and her brother are
also cops. Among other things, Elisa is 25 years old, college educated
and single. She is 50% Native American (Sioux) on her father's side,
50% African-American on her mother's side and 100% New Yorker inside and
out. in fact, she's lived in Manhattan all her life, and she loves her
town. She is athletic, self-sufficient and hardly a damsel in distress.
Elisa is smart, but impulsive. There have probably been
no great tragedies in her life. And although she is sensitive to
the fact that others have not been as lucky as she has and that the world
can be a dark and dangerous place, her own consistent good fortune occasionally
leads her to take reckless chances. She's young enough to feel immortal.
(However, she would never do anything truly suicidal or even half-way stupid.
Remember, smart first; impulsive second.)
Her job occasionally takes her undercover, and her life sometimes
depends on her acting skills, as well as her ability to see when someone
else is being less than candid. Elisa is suspicious of surface qualities.
She's curious, inquisitive and hungry to learn. She always wants
to dig deeper and find hidden truths. (She loved reading Nancy Drew Mysteries
as a child. in fact, she's read so many mystery stories she's come to believe
that the obvious answer can never be the solution, even though occasionally,
it is.) But this ability to look beyond the surface is also one of the
main reasons she and Goliath get along so well. She is one of the
few human beings who does not see the monster, but the individual.
A real person with hopes and dreams, with deep sadness and anger, with
tenderness and gentle strength. Both of them treasure innocence and
beauty (in all its forms). Both of them dislike hypocrisy.
If Goliath is an optimist, Elisa is a downright idealist.
She offers him understanding and friendship, hope and a sense of purpose.
She reawakens him to his dream of a golden age of human/gargoyle cooperation,
and she shares that dream with him. She helps him redefine and widen
his definitions of territory and community.
Their relationship is caring, even romantic, but platonic. (They're
different species, and this is still a cartoon show.) She might put a gentle
hand on his arm; she might even give him a big hug. For his part,
he's not used to physical tenderness from any human. It's a bit intimidating.
But he's very protective of her. Very gentle. And he has to
be periodically reminded that she's not a fragile flower.
Although she's not thinking about it much right now, Elisa probably
does want a husband and family someday. But given her chosen career
and her night-shift hours, she's not meeting many eligible men. And
those she does meet have a tough act to follow in Goliath, who would be
the perfect guy for her if he were only human.
THE TRIO: BROOKLYN, LEXINGTON & BROADWAY
These three rookery-brothers all hatched at about the same time,
some 30 to 40 years before the 1000 year snooze, which makes them each
the mental, emotional and physical equivalent of a human male in his late
teens. In the tenth century, they were young warriors. inseparable friends.
Mischievous and occasionally obnoxious, but generally openand trustful
of gargoyles and even humans. Being banished from the courtyard was
the worst of punishments. And the world was a small, but wonderful
place.
Then came the massacre, and all three have had to grow up fast.
Lurking beneath the surface is a pain that none of them has truly faced
yet.
Still, it seems they've lost little of their youthful enthusiasm.
And the twentieth century has opened up a brave, new, gigantic world that
none of them can wait to explore. They're adapting even faster than
Goliath and in a hundred different ways. They're all especially enthralled
with modern technology and rarely take the time to evaluate whether a specific
item is a good thing or bad thing. it's all too cool. During a fight,
in particular, they're likely to pick up and utilize whatever's at hand.
They all think Goliath is the best. But they also believe
they're old enough to make most of their own decisions. And Elisa
is definitely NOT a mother-figure to these three. if anything, she shares
their impulsive nature. They're pals.
They love all modern food... except pizza. They hate pizza.
BROOKLYN
Although Brooklyn's in no hurry to see his hero Goliath retire,
he does dream of someday taking Goliath's place as leader of the clan.
Brooklyn is de facto leader of the trio, in that he has the most forceful
personality.
Brooklyn probably has an overly romantic idea of what being a
leader is all about. He's a big fan of mystery, adventure and battle,
etc. But he didn't necessarily understand the hardship that went
with leadership, until most of his clan was massacred. Now he wants
to prove that he can be a truly great leader. He's probably the most
pro-active of all the gargoyles, including Goliath. He has a tendency
to look for trouble. He feeds on excitement and conflict. He
tends to get in over his head, but the audience should feel that someday,
he'll make a wise leader.
Brooklyn sees that the ability to successfully interact with
humans is an important asset to a leader, so for that reason, he's the
most likely to try to act human. He might put on sunglasses (even
at night) or try to ride a motorcycle, etc. That makes human rejection
all the more painful when it happens. And it happens often.
As a warrior, he's not the strongest of the trio. But he's
the fastest and the savviest. And the most determined.
LEXINGTON
Lexington (or Lex, for short) has the least edge of our cast.
He's a bit naive and innocent, completely awed by all the cool stuff that
the twentieth century has to offer. He's a tinkerer and semi-savant.
He loves to tear things apart, and occasionally manages to put them together
again. The simplest thing can hold his attention for hours; he's
easily ,fascinated, also easily fooled. He's the most adaptive of
all. The gargoyles. A follower, not a leader, but also a wanderer
and "day"-dreamer. Still, in a time of crisis, he's a reliable gargoyle
warrior. Not the physically strongest of the trio, but probably the
most creative and acrobatic.
BROADWAY
Broadway is the hedonist of the bunch. Strong, confident,
comfortable with who and what he is and with a heart as big as the world.
He's always out for a good time first. He's kind of like Little John
(Belushi) to Brooklyn's Robin Hood. He'll follow Brooklyn on an adventure
if it sounds like fun. And he enjoys a good battle on occasion too.
Also, he's a slob. He'll gladly help Lex tear something
apart, but can't be bothered putting it back together. Oh, yeah...
he likes to eat... in bulk and often, though he would never mindlessly
follow his stomach into obvious danger.
As a warrior, he leads with his strength and his bulk.
His style is almost sumo-esque.
In one of our first-season episodes, he accidentally shot Elisa, which
makes him particularly protective of her now.
HUDSON
Before the Big Sleep, Hudson was just over 100 years old, which
makes him the equivalent of a man in his fifties. But in the dangerous
dark ages, that made him very old indeed. A war-horse, Hudson is
Goliath's mentor and oldest friend. once, he was leader of the clan, but
he stepped down to make way for the younger, fitter Goliath. Now
he's proud to be Goliath's advisor and strong right arm. But the
arm isn't as strong as it once was. His wings are torn. He's
seen better days. He compensates a bit by using ancient human weapons
(a sword or staff or mace) in combat. But he is, in fact, the least
adaptive of the gargoyles.
He's suspicious of the modern world and is completely uninterested
in exploring it. He's found two things in the twentieth century that
he likes: an old, beat-up comfortable lounge chair and an old beat-up television
set, the latter of which-he sees as a kind of living tapestry that brings
everything he could want to know about our era to him. when Goliath doesn't
need him, he's a fairly content couch potato.
He's fiercely loyal and highly protective of what remains of
his old clan, but he's not particularly familial or grandfatherly.
He respects Goliath tremendously, and they are best friends. He tries
on occasion to uphold the "Gargoyle Way" in front of the trio, but he's
neither a lecturer nor a baby-sitter. To begin with, the trio's too
old to need a baby-sitter. Besides, Goliath is their leader.
Teaching them is Goliath's responsibility, not Hudson's. (which is not
to say, he wouldn't help them if they were in trouble.) For their part,
the trio respect and love Hudson.
Hudson and Elisa get along because they understand and respect
each other, and because they each appreciate how much the other cares for
Goliath.
Hudson hates spunk.
BRONX
Unlike the rest of our gargoyles, Bronx is of a different species.
He's a Gargoyle Beast, with about the same mental capacity as a regular
dog. Think Hooch, in the Tom Hanks, film Turner & Hooch. He is
huge, sloppy and drools a lot. He's an omnivore, so he literally
eats everything in sight. He is, clearly, an opportunity for some
comic relief. But that's not all he is. Like most big dogs,
he is very loyal to his master. And that loyalty extends beyond Goliath
to include the other gargoyles and Elisa. In a fight, he is quite
literally a monster—a terror dog with powerful jaws and claws. He
is not cowardly. But he inspires cowardice in others. Think
Cujo on steroids.
Like all gargoyle beasts (of which he is probably the last),
he has only tour limbs and no wings. He can neither fly nor glide.
To make up for his lack of flying ability, he can run very fast, sometimes
loping straight up the side of a building, using his claws for traction.
Like any gargoyle, he sleeps as stone every sunrise and awakens revitalized
at sunset.
It is important to remember that Bronx is neither Scooby-Doo
nor Lassie. He cannot talk. Not even mumble-talk. He
knows a few basic commands, but you can't whisper a plan into his ear and
expect him to understand. He can innocently scratch at a door, carving
huge grooves into it. He can nudge Goliath and whimper with confusion
if his master is unconscious. He can be more fierce and frightening
than any pit bull. But he won't snicker like a human being.
And most of what's going on goes over his head.
He hates pigeons. Pigeons really drive him nuts.
He's uncontrollable around pigeons.
VILLAINS
DEMONA
Demona's life encompasses many contradictions and many mysteries.
Some will be revealed right away, others only over time, if at all.
When our story opens in the tenth century, Demona and Goliath
are in love. She is a fierce and energetic gargoyle .warrior.
She and Hudson are Goliath's most trusted friends. But she hates
to see the way Goliath and the other gargoyles are treated by the spoiled
humans of the castle. She longs for the days when gargoyles lived
alone upon their rookery.
She makes a deal with the traitorous Captain of the human guards
and with HAKON, leader of the attacking VIKINGS. She and the Captain
will convince Goliath to temporarily remove all the Gargoyles from the
castle. While they're gone, Hakon will sack it and take all the humans
away as slaves, leaving the empty castle for Demona, Goliath and the rest
of the Gargoyles. it's important to see that as misguided as Demona was,
she made her choices based on the love she had for Goliath and her clan.
Unfortunately, Goliath screws up her plan by refusing to take
all the Gargoyles away with him. Goliath leaves with only Hudson.
(The trio-and Bronx are exploring the rookery beneath the castle.) Goliath
puts Demona in charge of the castle in his absence, at least in part because
he is protective of her and believes she'll be safe there.
The Captain tries to reassure her that the plan can still succeed.
He'll sabotage his archers, and Hakon's attack can take place during the
day. He promises to protect the sleeping Gargoyles.
Demona agrees, but just before dawn, she gets nervous and flees.
And thus escapes the massacre.
And that's the last we see of her until 1994.
What's happened in between is currently a mystery, but it hasn't
helped her disposition any. We don't yet know how she survived into
the twentieth century. But we know she hasn't been sleeping for a
1000 years. Somehow, she's found a way to make herself immortal,
thus she knows a lot more about the modern world than Goliath does.
She's already familiar with modern weapons, technology and legalities,
although at first, she pretends not to be.
She hates humans more than ever and won't be satisfied until
they are totally eradicated. Her initial hope is to bring Goliath
and the others over to her way of thinking. when that fails, her love for
Goliath turns suddenly and completely to hate. She wants him dead.
The truth is she can't forgive herself for (or even acknowledge)
her own culpability in the gargoyle massacre. She still blames Goliath
for screwing up her plan. Possibly, she can't believe that Goliath
could ever forgive her either. She's sure he must hate her, and wants
to hate him first and more to escape that pain. In addition, Goliath's
continued belief that humans and gargoyles can get along seems entirely
irrational to her. She particularly hates Elisa, whom she sees as
the symbol of Goliath's weakness; she may even be jealous of the detective.
In addition, we don't yet know what kind of experiences she had after being
isolated from the clan. But they couldn't have been very positive.
Goliath can forgive her, but he can't forget what happened.
Somewhere deep inside him, he loves the gargoyle she used to be.
But the gargoyle she is now is a stranger to him. Worse... she's
his deadliest enemy.
She now despairs of *turning* Goliath and knows that Hudson would
never be disloyal to his leader. She tried to guide Brooklyn to recognize
the evil of humanity and join her cause, but her plan backfired and now
Brooklyn holds a particular grudge against her.
In battle, Demona is a fierce and passionate warrior. She's
also not afraid to use the most up-to-date human technology and weapons
to fight for her cause. She has the mentality of a terrorist.
Any method. Any means. But to what end? After the destruction
of humanity, we don't know what she has in mind. Maybe she hasn't
thought that far ahead.
No matter how she's survived into this century, she still has
the same gargoyle handicap of turning to stone during the day.
XANATOS
David Xanatos is a man of extremes. He's extremely rich,
extremely powerful, extremely arrogant. But more than that, he's
extremely smart. You may hate him, but you'd be foolish not to respect
him... in extreme amounts.
Xanatos is the CEO and majority stockholder in XANATOS ENTERPRISES,
an impossibly huge, international conglomerate, based in New York.
X.E.'s holdings include but are not limited to: SCARAB CORPORATION, a company
which specializes in the development and manufacture of robotics; GEN-U-TECH
SYSTEMS (or G-U-T-S, for short), which specializes in genetic engineering
R. & D.; and XANADU ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTIONS. Through X.E.,
Xanatos maintains tight control over many purely legitimate businesses,
many that walk the line and many that are flat out illegal.
Xanatos is not a mad dictator or a war-monger. He's not
out to destroy humanity, take over the world or bring our system-of government
and commerce crashing to the ground. Why would he want to?
His success has seen no limit under the current system.
Xanatos favorite word is "Acquire". Acquire things; acquire
people; acquire power ... anything he sets his sights on. What he can get
by legitimate purchase, he'll buy; it's easier. what he can't buy, he'll
take... by subterfuge if possible or force if necessary. What he
can't take (i.e. our gargoyles and their obedience), he might destroy,
less out of spite than to make sure it won't later be used against him.
But he hates waste, so he wouldn't make the latter decision lightly. in
Xanatos, opinion, he acquired Manhattan long ago. it's his town.
As humans go, Xanatos is a remarkable physical specimen. over
six feet tall and built like a football player or wrestler. He's
trained in most every martial art you could think of, and he's proficient
in all of them. But you might not notice any of that at first.
He's usually impeccably dressed in custom made suits. He's not afraid
to get his hands dirty, but that's usually a last resort. He's smart
enough to know he couldn't conquer in a toe to toe physical confrontation
with Goliath. And he has nothing to prove by trying. But he
might have a lot to gain by cheating. Or by using some of the technology
his companies have created to win He's particularly fond of his new Gargoyle
Battle Armor.
And he doesn't often lose. But when he does, he doesn't
throw a tantrum. He's highly confident in himself and is sure he'll
triumph eventually. He simply moves on to the next plan. There
are always contingencies.
In some episodes, Xanatos will lead his forces personally.
In others, we might not even know he was involved until an epilogue at
the end reveals it. And plenty of times he'll have no involvement
whatsoever. But you can bet, if something rotten is happening in
New York, the odds are good that Xanatos is behind it.
Demona thinks that Xanatos is a perfect example of the worst
humanity has to offer. So she's perfectly happy to use him to suit
her ends. He provides technology and raw materials, weapons etc.
Likewise, she has opened up a whole new world of knowledge to him (medieval
creatures, magic, possibly immortality), so he's perfectly happy to use
her as well. But their goals are very different, which could just
as often make them enemies. if she's figured out a way to poison every
human in Manhattan, Xanatos is NOT going to help her. In fact, he
might strike a very temporary alliance with Goliath to stop her.
Goliath and the other gargoyles know that Xanatos is a formidable
enemy, and they're learning that he can't be fought by tenth century means
alone. Elisa feels particularly frustrated that she can't seem to
ever stop him entirely. At the end of the pilot, she does arrest
him, but for the next few episodes, he operates his empire successfully
from prison. And soon enough, he's out on a reduced sentence.
OWEN
Owen Burnett is probably the only living being that Xanatos trusts
implicitly. As yet, we don't know why. He is the ultimate functionary,
efficiency personified. Capable of leading Xanatos' troops or opening
his mail. He seems to have no ambitions of his own. And he
easily fades into the woodwork. Nondescript. inscrutable. Essential.
THE STEEL CLAN
In our pilot episode, Xanatos tries to trick Goliath into loyally
serving him, but even as he attempts this, he's setting a contingency plan
in motion. He has the gargoyles steal highly classified information
from a rival company called CYBERBIOTICS. He gives this info to his
own Scarab Corp. scientists and with it, they build Steel Robot Gargoyles,
all modeled after Goliath.
Xanatos believes that these robots render real gargoyles obsolete.
They don't freeze up during the day. Instead of merely gliding, they
can fly with rocket jets. They're made of steel instead of stone
or flesh and blood. And best of .all, they are 100% obedient.
And they presented a real threat to our heroes, though their
simple attack programming allowed our guys to out-think the robots in their
first encounter. But Xanatos' never gives up. His people are
constantly improving the robots. And now with his own Gargoyle Battle Armor
he can personally lead the Steel Clan into combat. it wouldn't be wise
for the real gargoyles to get overconfident.
ZANATOS' SECURITY CHIEF/COMMANDO LEADER
The tough, no-nonsense mercenary fighter who heads up security
for XE, occasionally leads a small commando unit on covert missions of
sabotage, theft, destruction and violence on Xanatos' behalf.
THE PACIK
Xanadu Entertainment Productions (a subsidiary of Xanatos Enterprises)
owns a little company called PACKMEDIA PRODUCTIONS INC. PackMedia
owns and distributes a popular little syndicated television program featuring
a group of heroes known as THE PACK who are constantly battling "Evil Ninjas"
in choreographed fight scenes. The Pack is led by the woman known
as FOX, a brilliant strategist and martial arts expert. WOLF is the
strong man. JACKAL and HYENA are brother and sister, fraternal twins,
tt.-at the audience really loves to watch cut loose. DINGO is an
Australian weapons-master. PackMedia markets and licenses them everywhere,
and these five are heroes to kids the world over.
And of course, they also moonlight as mercenaries and enforcers.
in fact, their whole show may be nothing more than a training ground for
mercenaries and enforcers.
When we first meet them, the Pack are humans, though they are
humans who've trained to the peak of their physical potential and have
then used steroid-esque drugs to push past that mark. The sociopathic
Jackal and psychopathic Hyena are particularly vicious, and Dingo is extremely
well-armed. Their modus operandi is to isolate an enemy and then
attack him or her simultaneously, giving no quarter. Even Goliath
can be easy prey to their joint Pack attack. (And their betrayal of Lex
in their first appearance, made a bitter enemy out of him, as well.)
And every succeeding time we see the Pack, they should be a little
more dangerous. Currently, they are unaware that Xanatos is their
boss. But that could change. And with Xanatos, "help" anything
is possible. Perhaps in a subsequent appearance, XE,s Scarab Corp.
gives them CY.O.T.I. (CYber-operational Technical Intelligence).
CY.O.T.I. is a robotic head that can fasten onto multiple different robot
bodies. it also serves as the automatic pilot to any number of Pack Vehicles.
Later episodes might show G-U-T-S experimenting on wolf and changing
him into a real werewolf. Or the others being given cybernetic enhancements
to make them more powerful. Just remember that in Goliath's world,
opponents get more dangerous with each appearance. They change.
They never become familiar or ho-hum.
DRACON
Anthony Dracon is New York city's one-and-only up-and-coming
Mob-Boss-on-the-Rise, the youngest major "Wiseguy" in town. And the
only one with the guts to take on Xanatos himself. Tony's got major
confidence in himself, major attitude too. if he has any sense of fair
play, he hasn't noticed it yet. He's ruthless and cunning and not
afraid to get his hands dirty ... very dirty. when he first comes up against
the gargoyles, he's totally unprepared to face these medieval monsters.
But he won't be unprepared next time.
GLASSES
Glasses is Dracon's top enforcer -- a competent bruiser with
thick black horned-rims.
MACBETH
As yet, our cast knows very little about the mysterious Macbeth.
But there have been some clues. He seems to have an ancient grudge
against Demona and even claims to have named her. is it possible that he
is the ancient Scottish Warrior King that Shakespeare immortalized on the
stage? is it possible that he has somehow been made immortal in the flesh?
Could his immortality be tied to Demona's? Well... maybe.
We do know is that he is a remarkable fighter capable of taking
on six gargoyles simultaneously. He leans toward modernized armor,
long, duster-style coats with multiple pockets, electrified weapons, and
even the occasional disguise. He has an incredibly advanced hover
jet and an unlimited and unknown source of wealth. This guy's so
good, he even impressed Xanatos.
He's extremely polite, and he has a bizarre code of honor.
He won't attack the gargoyles during the day while they're vulnerable as
stone statues, but he has no qualms about crushing them in battle at night.
(Note: though it may be incorrect in some documents, if the name
"Macbeth" is not in all-capital letters, than the "b" should be lower case.)
COLDSTONE
Demona gathers stone pieces from a number of different dead gargoyles
(the partially destroyed head was from one of Goliath's rookery brothers).
and using technology obtained from Xanatos, cobbles these pieces together
with cybernetics. Combining science and sorcery, she manages to bring COLDSTONE,
her Frankenstein-esque creation back to a semblance of life. It's
half machine, half a multitude of miss-matched gargoyle parts. Will it
be traumatized by its new horrific appearance? Or will it be tormented
by a multitude of inner voices? Probably both.
RECURRING CAST
TENTH CENTURY CHARACTERS FOR FLASHBACK SCENES PRINCE MALCOLM Malcolm is the younger brother of King Kenneth II (who ruled Scotland from 971 - 995 A.D. Note: although Malcolm is fictional, Kenneth II was the historical king of Scotland at that time.) Kenneth gave Castle Wyvern (home of Goliath's gargoyle clan) to his younger brother to rule. The castle was small but it's location on the coast made it strategically important, and not coincidentally, prone to siege. Malcolm was a well-meaning man who valued the gargoyles, but he wasn't much of a thinker and often made rash pronouncements. We know he ruled the castle in the year 984, the year that Hudson turned over leadership of the gargoyles to Goliath. We also know that he was dead by the year 994, the year of the gargoyle massacre.
THE ARCHMAGE - The Archmage was Malcolm's court magician until-he conspired to usurp the throne in the year 984. Malcolm had him banished. But the Archmage returned and tried-to kill Malcolm. He was defeated by Goliath, Hudson and Demona and seemed to fall to his death.
PRINCESS KATHARINE - Malcolm's daughter Katharine was the young ruler of Castle Wyvern at the time of the massacre of Goliath's clan in the year 994. She begins as an immature girl who lets the gargoyle's frightening appearances influence her against them. By the end, she realizes her error and matures into a good ruler. But for the gargoyles it is too late.
THE MAGUS - Like Katharine, the magus was also young and immature, with more arrogance and magical power than wisdom. He had been apprentice to the Archmage, until the latter betrayed Prince Malcolm in 984. Then he had been promoted to court magician, probably before he was ready. In 994, he casts the spell that puts the surviving gargoyles to sleep, because he blames them for Katharine's death. But when he finds out that in fact, Goliath has saved her life, he regrets his rash actions and wants to make amends. But he cannot; his power has limits. On the plus side, he is very loyal to his princess.
THE CAPTAIN - The Captain of the Castle Guard was once Goliath's best human friend. In fact, the Captain liked Goliath and the gargoyles better than he liked people. He was disgusted by the cruelty and disdain with which all humans, even his own fighting men, treated the gargoyles who were the castle's only real protection. when he decides to betray the castle, he does it partially because the princess unjustly demoted him; partially because he was greedy for the ransom and plunder that such a betrayal would bring, and partially because he wanted the gargoyles to have the castle to themselves -- free of the humans. When his plan backfires, he does not have the strength of character to put his life on the line for the gargoyles, and thus watches their destruction. In the end, he goes over a cliff, probably falling to his death.
HAKON - Hakon was the leader of the band of Marauding Vikings that lay siege to Castle Wyvern. He was brave, tough, merciless, pragmatic. Rules his own men by intimidation. Not above lying, plundering, kidnapping, murder or genocide. Goes off the cliff with the Captain.
TOM - Tom was a peasant boy who fearlessly and innocently befriended the gargoyles, sometimes over the protestations of his less enlightened mother.
TWENTIETH CENTURY CHARACTERS
CAPTAIN MARIA CHAVEZ - Maria is Captain of Detectives in Elisa's precinct,
which makes her Elisa's immediate superior and her friend. Maria
is tough but fair. A good boss, but a bit guarded. You don't
get to her level at her relatively young age by being a sweetheart.
DETECTIVE MATT BLUESTONE - Matt is Elisa's partner on the force. He's seen the gargoyles but he doesn't know anything about them, including the fact that they're friends with Elisa. He's a solid guy and a good detective who cares about his precinct and his partner. For her part, Elisa would prefer to work alone; rendevousing with the gargoyles is a lot tougher when Matt's around, but she's learned to appreciate his sincerity. Matt is something of a conspiracy nut: he believes in UFOs, Loch Ness monsters and multiple secret societies. He doesn't attempt to hide this personality quirk, which is one of the reasons that Captain Chavez ignores his reported gargoyle sightings.
OFFICER MORGAN - Morgan is a uniform beat cop who works out of the same precinct house as Elisa. They are also friends.
DOCTOR SATO - When Elisa was shot, Dr. Sato operated on her and saved her life. If she once again needed a doctor she could trust, Sato would be the guy. of course, he's not exactly a specialist in Gargiatrics. But then again, who is?
TRAVIS MARSHALL - Travis is a news reporter for a local New York Television station. He's a journalist of the old school. Not a pretty boy. He's been an anchor man, but he was replaced by younger "talent" with higher q-scores. it's just-as well. Travis likes being the roving reporter, out on the streets getting the stories as they happen and asking the tough questions. He hates tabloid-style television and fluff pieces, so he was initially reluctant to lend any credence to reports of gargoyles in Manhattan. He thought it was an urban myth. Lately, he's seen some things that are making him rethink his position.
ELISA'S FAMILY
SERGEANT PETER MAZA - Elisa's father is a hard-nosed desk sergeant
for the N.Y.P.D. Elisa really admires him and happily followed him onto
the force. (They don't work in the same precinct.) He is extremely proud
of her as well.
DIANE MAZA - Elisa's mother is the quiet strength of their family, and in many ways Elisa takes after her. Diane is warm, empathetic, supportive and sharp.
DEREK MAZA - Elisa's younger brother was a helicopter pilot for the N.Y.P.D. To be honest, he didn't love his work. High risk for low pay wasn't making him too happy. Because of this, Xanatos was able to lure him away from the force by offering him a high-paying job as his personal pilot and bodyguard. Xanatos has big plans for Derek.
BETH MAZA - Elisa's sister is currently in Arizona. And that's all we know about her so far.
CAGNEY - Cagney is Elisa's cat. Very self-sufficient.
OTHER CHARACTERS
Whenever possible, we'd prefer to re-use existing characters,
even incidentals. If we introduce a lawyer friend of Elisa's and
then need another lawyer for a one-liner in another episode, we might as
well use that same lawyer again, &tc. Some of our audience won't
get it, but many will, and it gives them a sense of a consistent universe.
Besides, some real good stories can come from characters just glimpsed
in previous episodes. (Anyway, that's how we got Matt Morgan and Dr. Sato.)
THE ENSEMBLE
Obviously, our cast is huge and potentially unwieldy. But
remember that this isn't a super-hero team-up show with each character
having to participate equally. Goliath is our lead. The rest
are all support, a large family with diverse interests and attentions.
Hopefully, they all have qualities and quirks worth exploring, but not
simultaneously and not in every single episode. Some stories will
require all the gargoyles to face a menace together, but many will afford
the opportunity for one or two to deal with something alone. we don't have
to drag everyone and the cat along on every adventure. we'll mix it up.
Focus on one character here, another there. The bulk of the stories
should still be about Goliath or his relationship with another member or
members of our cast. But that's not a hard and fast rule either.
The large cast isn't an albatross, it's an opportunity.
SETTING
Although we might flashback occasionally to the tenth century
and CASTLE WYVERN in SCOTLAND, our series is set in contemporary Manhattan.
And most of our early episodes should not leave the island. Goliath
is not Superman, going off to fight for justice. He is a guardian.
A protector. Elisa has recently widened his definition of what he
protects, but initially, she has only been able to get him to see the island
of MANHATTAN as his territory. The idea of fighting injustice wherever
it occurs is currently beyond his scope.
But if Goliath is not Superman, neither is he Batman. He
is not on a constant mission of revenge for the death of his loved ones.
He was an adult when tragedy hit, and he has largely come to terms with
it. He is an optimist, not a grim avenger. And Goliath's Manhattan
is therefore not the grim world that Gotham is. It is a city of tremendous
contrasts. Gothic structures co-exist with steel and glass.
Danger and beauty walk hand-in-hand. Prejudice and compassion are
never far apart.
One of the main sets of our series exemplifies these contrasts.
This is the EYRIE BUILDING, a huge glass and steel skyscraper that is Xanatos'
corporate headquarters in mid-town Manhattan, and the tallest building
in view. Atop this building, Xanatos rebuilt the medieval stone Castle
where our gargoyles lived. Xanatos remodeled many of the rooms, particularly
after he returned from prison and the gargoyles were reluctantly forced
to leave. So now there are plush living quarters, and a high-tech
office, but there are also hidden passages and ancient corridors that even
Xanatos doesn't know about.
And like the castle, the city should be filled with hidden secrets.
Underground tunnels. Castles in Central Park. Squalor, splendor,
the magical and the mundane everywhere we look. A full palate, both
literally and metaphorically.
And don't forget that this series is by definition largely set
at night and high above the ground.
Eventually, Elisa finds the gargoyles a new home in the gothic
CLOCK TOWER rotunda above the Civic Center, downtown. This building
fills a city block and is the tallest in the immediate vicinity.
It has four faces, each of which serves a different purpose. There
is city hall, the local police station (where Elisa's assigned), the public
library and the local power station. Capping these is a rotunda and
clock tower where the gargoyles can hide in plain sight. Here they
keep their few possessions amid the giant gears of the old clock.
Here's a place of relative safety within the city. But leaving the
castle wasn't easy for any of them, particularly Goliath. And leaving
it to Xanatos made it all the harder.
Elisa and Cagney live in a converted loft in SoHo. One
large (for NYC) open room with high ceilings.
THEMES
Obviously, each individual episode will have its own integral
theme. However, there are a few themes that run throughout the entire
series and should be emphasized whenever possible.
The first is self-evident: "Don't judge a book by its cover."
The gargoyles look like monsters and most people treat them that way. others
like Xanatos or the Pack seem like respectable citizens or heroes and clearly
aren't. Prejudice and bias based on appearances is hard to overcome,
and even Goliath and Elisa should fall victim to it on occasion.
Goliath and the other gargoyles are "Strangers in a Strange Land".
Creatures outside their time. We should constantly be looking at
the modern world through their eyes. Never take for granted that
they're familiar with something. The simplest thing can be wondrous
to them. Remember, the trio generally embrace things immediately.
Hudson tends to reject the modern world. Only Goliath really decides,
on a case by case basis, whether something is worthwhile.
The contrasting nature of the universe is another important theme.
Treachery coexists with friendship. Destruction with harmony.
Just remember Goliath's basic optimism. He knows from experience
that the world is a dangerous place, but he truly believes it can be made
a better one, but not without a lot of good souls trying very hard to improve
it.
HUMOR
This series is predominantly a drama, but it's not designed to
be humorless. Some characters may seem more obviously comedic than
others, but don't forget that even Goliath has a wry sense of humor and
the ability to laugh at himself. Keep in mind that a well-placed
laugh sets a dramatic moment in even sharper contrast.
HEART
And we also can't be afraid to have real, honest, pure, relatable
"human" emotions. We've got a large cast that cares about each other.
They're entitled to express it. They've been through a lot together.
They are tough. They don't have to "act" tough.
MAGIC
Magic in this series should be used sparingly and never casually.
It should be looked at as an ancient lost art or science. Even by
the tenth century, its practice was rare. It takes training and paraphernalia
to enact any magical spell. The magus was dependent on a book of
spells known as the GRIMORUM ARCANORIM to work his magic. Some of
the pages were torn out and destroyed, and without those pages, the Magus
was helpless to recreate the missing spells. But the book doesn't
automatically make the reader a sorcerer. Xanatos possessed it for
a time but couldn't make any magic happen. Demona has stolen a few
pages for herself and has proven able at working magic with study. (Therefore,
she must have learned the knack sometime during her thousand years of night
life.) Now the gargoyles have the Grimorum, but they don't have any plans
or the ability to use it. They just want to keep it out of the wrong
hands. Remember, Goliath is not a magical being. He has a healthy
suspicion of all things magical. But at least he knows that magic
exists.
LANGUAGE, LITERACY AND NAMING
Humans invented spoken language. There is no known gargoyle
language. How gargoyles communicated before they learned to mimic
humans has been lost to us, but by the tenth century, Gargoyles spoke whatever
local language the humans spoke. In Goliath's case, that was English.
(And yes, we're just gonna slide past the substantial differences between
Old, Middle and Modern English.)
Of the tenth century gargoyles, only Goliath knew how to read
and write. (most humans were illiterate, as well.)
Sometime between then and now, Demona, learned out of a know-your-enemy
motivation.
Upon awakening in the twentieth century, Lex, the savant, probably
taught himself. And maybe he taught Brooklyn as well, who'd want
to learn to emulate Goliath.
But I doubt that Broadway or Hudson know how to read and write
even now, until we decide to do an episode about literacy and teach them.
But unless we plan on actually devoting time and focus to the subject,
we might just avoid the whole issue.
As language is a human trait, tenth century gargoyles looked
on naming as a peculiarly human process. They felt that naming something
limited that thing. If a gargoyle needed to address another gargoyle,
he or she would refer to each other based on their individual relationship,
i.e. "old friend", "my love" or "my leader". Goliath had a name because
he was the only gargoyle with consistent interaction with humans.
Thus the humans insisted on naming him. (And you'll notice they chose the
biblical name of a monstrous villain, which kind of reveals their opinion
of gargoyles.)
In the twentieth century, Elisa the human insists that the gargoyles
need names. Hudson tries to convince her otherwise: "Does the sky
need a name? Does the river?" She responds that the river's called
the Hudson. And with a sigh of defeat, he acquiesces to that name.
The trio are blown away that Hudson has agreed to a name.
They immediately choose their own names as well as one for Bronx.
Demona? Well, according to Macbeth, he named her.
But when and why is still a mystery.
Largely, this won't be an issue after the pilot. Their
names are their names from that point on. But if other gargoyles
were to be introduced....
OTHER GARGOYLES
At first, no other gargoyles should be introduced. We want
to milk the notion that these gargoyles are the last of their kind before
we undercut the idea by introducing more.
Eventually, however, there may be more out there. What
happened to the eggs that we briefly saw in the rookery? what do gargoyles
look like in other parts of the world? In England are they Gryphons,
Winged unicorns and Winged Lions? In China are they Dragons?
And what about the gargoyles of South America? or Alaska? Or Easter
Island? Are they good, evil, or something in between? How did
they survive to the twentieth century? were there any around during significant
events in modern human history? Did gargoyles help out during the
Battle of Britain?
Of course, there are plenty of decorative, artificial, human-sculpted
gargoyles all over the city. They range in style from traditional
Gothic to art deco. But they don't wake up at night.
THE TICKING CLOCK
Remember that every episode has a built in ticking clock.
At sunrise, our gang turns to stone. It's their kryptonite.
Some episodes will therefore take place entirely within the span of one
night. Some can't. But just because our heroes (except Elisa)
are frozen, we shouldn't automatically expect our villains (except maybe
Demona) to cease their activities. Though it can make our job harder
on occasion, it's also one of the things that makes our series unique.
And the possibilities are endless. For example, don't forget that
a hurt gargoyle is healed by the hibernation process; sometimes sunrise
can't come fast enough. And it's even possible that under certain
circumstances, sunset might come to soon. And what happens during
an eclipse?!
SECRECY & PUBLIC OPINION
The Gargoyles are not going to make much of an effort to hide
themselves in Manhattan at night. Neither are they going to hold
any press conferences. If we don't want to deal with how humans react
to gargoyles, we can set the scene on a deserted rooftop. But we
don't have to be afraid to let people see the gargoyles either. Most
will be frightened, even terrified by these monsters. Some will be
curious. Some will be sure it's a publicity stunt: they're sure they
can see the wires. Some will react like typical New Yorkers and ignore
it: if I don't bother it, it won't bother me. Some will call the
papers. Maybe one might even have a blurry picture. But the
Times doesn't publish that kind of Bigfoot garbage, so the only taker is
the DAILY TATTLER, a trashy supermarket tabloid; and once it's published
there, everyone's sure it's bull. Thus, gargoyles become another
urban myth, like alligators in the sewer. Your friend knows someone
who knows someone who's seen them.
Elisa keeps their secret. And although Xanatos wouldn't
hesitate to reveal them if he thought it necessary, he's not likely to.
If he did, everyone would want a piece of them. And Xanatos likes
to keep all the pieces for himself.
At dawn, the gargoyles do what gargoyles have always done.
They find an outdoor ledge just before sunrise and strike a pose that could
give you nightmares. And then they turn to stone. Most New
Yorkers don't look up. The few that do, might spot a gargoyle they
had never noticed before. The next day, it might be gone. And
they might wonder where it went over night. Could it have...
Yes. It could.