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Todd Jensen writes...

Something that I've recently been wondering about Demona's genocide attempt in "Hunter's Moon". The plague that she used the Fulfillment Spell and Sevarius's carrier virus to create would have wiped out all of humanity if released, and the entire gargoyle race as well were it not for the protection of the Praying Gargoyle. Since humans and gargoyles are clearly not very closely related from a biological standpoint, a plague capable of wiping out both species must be very far-reaching in its range. So, if Demona had released her plague, would other species (say, most mammals) have been killed by it as well? Or did it only work on sentient species?

Greg responds...

I think it was limited to sentience. How that would have effected chimpanzees, gargoyle beasts, dolphins, whales, etc. I'm not sure. Hard to say what a combination of science and sorcery would consider sentient. But I think rats, cats, dogs etc. were safe.

Response recorded on February 03, 2000

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Aris Katsaris writes...

This is more of a comment/correction rather than a question. I think that you've miscalculated a date. In a previous Ask Greg question you had said that you had once calculated that the gargs both in Avalon and in the real world will lay eggs at 2008. I think that must have been a mistake on your part: I believe that gargoyles lay egg in their 50th or 49th year (biological 25). That would mean that in Avalon-time 50*24=1200 years. The gargs at avalon should lay their eggs only 1200 real-world years after they were hatched. That in turn means that if they were hatched around somewhere around year 1040, they shouldn't lay eggs until 2240 or something like that...

Anyway thought I should mention this...

Greg responds...

No, that's not right.

God knows it's been years since I did this math, however I think you are operating on faulty assumptions.

Yes, the Avalon eggs hatched in 1044.

Thus by 1995, Angela, Gabriel, Ophelia, et al. would all be biologically twenty years old. That's way past Gargoyle puberty in my book. So what remains is for their internal clocks to be in sync, so to speak, with the natural rhythms of the Earth that would put the females "in heat" (for lack of a better term). That would next occur sometime in late 2007 or early 2008.

That easily puts, say, Ophelia in synch with Angela and Obsidiana out in the real world. The difference comes twenty years later in 2028, when the latter two might again lay eggs. But to Ophelia she would have only just laid her first egg a mere 20 months ago. I don't know whether that's enough recovery time for her, enough time for her own internal cycle -- but in any case her first egg certainly wouldn't have hatched yet.

It's also worth considering whether Ophelia and Angela might have been "in heat" in Avalon in 1988? Maybe they were, and maybe Katharine was preaching abstinence in a major way.

Suddenly, I feel like this is Christine's show. :) [No, I haven't read her fan-fiction, but boy have I heard rumors.]

In any case, for those of you with dirty minds, I think Angela was a virgin even at the time of "The Journey". (Broadway too for that matter.) Not so sure about Ophelia.

Response recorded on February 02, 2000

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Andrea "Elisa Maza" Ivanovs writes...

Hi Greg,
Hope you're alright and survived the GWT well. ;)
Here's my question: it's about the aging of Gargoyles. We all know they live longer than humans, but e.g. in "Awakening", the whole Clan Wyvern is seen, but there's no Gargoyles as old as Goliath and Angela look in "Grief". Do they die fighting before they get that old, or do they never after all?
Thank you for your time!

Greg responds...

In the Dark Ages, it was rare that a gargoyle lived into old age. It was a violent time. But also, lets remember that Wyvern had a clan of about 40 gargoyles and beasts. We didn't get to see them all. We barely saw a quarter of them.

Response recorded on February 01, 2000

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Celano writes...

Are (or were) there more kinds of Gargoyle beasts than just dog-types?

Greg responds...

I don't think that the Beasts are nearly as dog-like physically as you seem to think. But if you mean garg beasts who are more cat-like (for example) in attitude? I suppose that's possible for an individual beast. I have one cat who thinks he's a dog. And I have a friend who has a dog who acts like he's a cat. So anything's possible.

But why do I feel like I don't understand your question?

Response recorded on January 10, 2000

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Rolling Calf writes...

Hi Mr. Weisman .

Are the gargoyle's appearance related to their location ?
If so , does this also apply to their sleeping form ? For instance , if there were Arctic gargoyles (where there is little stone ), would there sleeping forms appear to be of grey rock as the clans you have shown ? Or would they take on a more snow like appearance ?

Greg responds...

Interesting question.

Further camoflage might evolve over time.

Hmmmm...

Response recorded on January 10, 2000

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Anonymous writes...

How long is the lifespan of a Gargoyle beast? Is it about the same as an actual dogs, only doubled? meaning Bronx will live to be between 30 and 40, or is it longer (or shorter?)

Greg responds...

Longer.

Dogs and dog-like creatures should live longer. So in my Universe, they do. (At least the Garg beasts do.)

Response recorded on January 10, 2000

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Aris Katsaris writes...

So... is there faster-than-light travel or faster-than-light communications in the Gargoyles Universe? :-)

Greg responds...

Again, the phrasing of the question makes it difficult to answer.

If you're asking me whether a species exists anywhere in the Gargoyles Universe that can get from point A to point B faster than light could conventionally travel the distance between those points, then the answer is yes.

For example... ever hear of the Phoenix Gate?

Response recorded on January 07, 2000

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nautilus writes...

Hi Greg,
The big event here on next wednsday (11.08.1999), made me wonder:
Will Gargoyles break out of their stone shell during a full solar eclipse? (My bet would be 'No', but you're the boss ; )
That actually gives me another question: What makes the Gargoyles turn to stone? It isn't the rays of the sun, and I guess it won't be something magical, because it affects a complete race. (And they use magic to prevent them turning to stone)

I hope you find the time to answer.
Thanks a lot in advance.

Greg responds...

As I've said before, Gargoyles operate on an internal biological clock that is in tune with the rising and setting of the sun.

That would suggest that an eclipse would have ZERO effect on them. But I must admit I've been toying with an eclipse story for some time. I haven't quite cracked it. But someday...

Response recorded on December 30, 1999

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Airwalker writes...

Is Gargoyle evolution from Dinosaurs a strong possibility in your mind?

Greg responds...

See an earlier answer (posted today) to a similar question.

Response recorded on December 30, 1999

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Siren writes...

I keep thinking of more things...
On Garg evolution...I think the most likely would evolve from dinosaurs.Birds also evolved too, from what I believe. They just took 2 different ends of the spectrum. Birds becoming smaller and more lightweight, gaining feathers and loosing scales. Gargs get are smaller dinosaurs, just not as small as birds. They are built with more muscle and kept
the pteridacyl wings ('scuse my spelling). Brooklyn is obviously evolved from one of them thingies I can't spell. Plus you have the South American Clan, they deffinetly look reptilian. And Ophelia, she looks much like a triceratops and any other horned/crested dino (which I absolutly love on her!!!!)
But also into consideration, the Britian Clan...Where did they come from? Are they too evolved
from dinosaurs???? Doubtful. They are set so far apart from the others, more mammilian. Are they
more evolved mammals? Is Griff just an evolved eagle that looks like a griffon or an evolved griffon? Is Leo an evolved Lion?
And is that Una's real horn or jewlry? Is she an evolved horse or unicorn?
Which brings something else to mind about gargoyles...How do their babies eat? Are gargoyles
mammals? I would deffinetly say, warm blooded. And they do seem very mammilian. So does that
mean, that if Demona had the chance to raise Angela, she'd be fed on breastmilk? If so, how did
Cathryn, Magus, Tom, and his mother feed 36 hatchlings?

Greg responds...

Uh. It would have helped if you had numbered your questions....

In my head, Gargoyles are a separate classification which (in the past) I've nicknamed "Gargates". Both Gargoyles and Gargoyle Beasts evolved from this grouping, just as Primates include both humans and various apes. The Gargate-ancestor species go back to the time of the dinosaurs, so to answer your first set of questions, I'd have to ask you how you are defining the word "Dinosaur"? Colloquially, i.e. to include all species that existed during what we popularly think of as the age of dinosaurs, or are you using the term in a scientific sense, which would leave out a number of species that we generally think of as dinosaurs?

As for the various clans, appearances are superficial and can be deceiving. Leo has much more in common biologically with Goliath than he does with a Lion. Zafiro has much more in common with Griff, Leo, Una and Goliath, etc. then he does with a snake. All are Gargates. None are Mammals or Reptiles or Marsupials or Birds, though they may share a few characteristics with one or more of those groups. They are, I believe, warm-blooded, for example.

Una's horn is her horn. It's not jewelry. Though it was decorated.

Garg babies generally would drink milk from clan-mother breasts.

And yes, that did present Tom, Katharine and the Magus with a problem. Fortunately, they were on Avalon. And Avalon provided. Some trial and error was probably involved, but a replacement for breast milk was found...

Response recorded on December 30, 1999


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