#49. Onyx

Lore

The Gargoyle

“You think you want a real gargoyle to guard your castle, but wait till you’ve had to clean up burglar.” 

– Roddrick, Castilian of Batavia


“You’d think after all the hard work I do we wouldn’t have intruders anymore, but I probably tear someone limb from limb every couple weeks!” 

– Onyx 

As the story goes...

Onyx’s escape from the Infernal Realm was grueling and perilous. When she finally emerged from the pit, she found herself in a mysterious castle without a plan, and the demons tasked with recapturing the fleeing spirit were in hot pursuit.

With the help of a haunted suit of armor, she soon discovered the secret to her salvation. Binding herself to the stone of the castle, she pledged service to the great fortress. And cosmic laws being what they are, she could not be taken from her post – even by the forces of darkness themselves.

For hundreds of years, Onyx was the Guardian and Protector of Castle Batavia. The War of the North, The Siege of a Hundred Thousand Turks, The Battle of Dragonriders – again and again her steadfast fury protected Castle Batavia from the mightiest of assailants. No castle guarded by Onyx could ever fall while she stood.

And yet the castle did fall. For hundreds of years she’d defended the castle and its inhabitants without question, but in the midst of the legendary Siege of Lions, the commander of the assailants showed her the depravity of the mad king she defended. Knowing that it meant her own return to the Abyss, she allowed the castle to fall. One of the many Valkyries swirling above the vast battlefield, seeing her sacrifice, swooped in just ahead of the demons and offered her a place in Valhalla.

Valhalla is now Onyx’s castle and she defends it with ruthless intensity. She occasionally fights in the tournaments to hone her skills and she hopes Valhalla is her eternal escape from The Pit. She also hopes she can get the book club reading done – her stony fingers have trouble with the pages. 

Connections

• (No mentions of Onyx in other legends' lore pages has yet been found)

Context

It's hard to say whether the name "Onyx" refers to the soul bound to the gargoyle, or it is a name assigned to her as a living gargoyle. In any case, the name certainly refers to a type of stone, though it is interesting that the etymology of the word "onyx" actually comes from Latin & Greek words meaning "claw" or "fingernail," because most onyx stones feature parallel bands of black & white (and apparently that looked like a fingernail to those in ancient times). Onyx stones are not always black or white, though. There can be varieties of other colors, especially red.

So, what are "gargoyles," exactly? What was the point of them? Well, first it should be clear that there is actually a bit of a misconception around the word. A "gargoyle" is technically a type of "grotesque." In architecture, a grotesque (or chimera) is a depiction of a mythical creature carved and placed for decorative purposes, especially in Gothic architecture. A gargoyle, on the other hand, is a type of grotesque that is specifically meant to not only be decorative, but also a spout to lead water away from the roof. The word "gargoyle" comes from the French word "gargouille," which means "throat" or "gullet." Therefore, because the character design of Onyx is clearly more than a head and throat, she is not technically a gargoyle in the architectural sense. Instead, she is a grotesque. Either way, it is said that grotesques built on and around the old Gothic chapels were meant to protect the building from evil spirits. One way to put it would be that they are "monsters meant to scare away even scarier monsters."

In any conversation about gargoyles & grotesques on Gothic-style buildings, especially among video game nerds, it is always important to call to attention one of the most noteworthy grotesques out there. Truly a masterpiece of the modern age: the Darth Vader "gargoyle" high on the north side of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Just click the link, and have fun. ;)

It is actually kind of crazy how perfect gauntlets & cannon are as weapons for Onyx. Any rock monster would surely use their hardened fists as weapons, but it is especially fitting knowing that the word "onyx" comes from words that mean "claw" or "fingernail." Also, Onyx's default cannon appears to be an actually gargoyle broken off from the exterior or Castle Batavia! So while Onyx is, herself, an animated grotesque, her cannon is very likely an actual gargoyle (which has been somehow repurposed for explosive combat purposes).