In the Wizard Era, Gargoyles and Vampires were thought to be closely related. Both looked like giant bats, slept by day and emerged at night, were evil by nature, and craved flesh and blood.
Over time, though, Vampires came to be seen as a race as evil as devils but intelligent and bound by order. Gargoyles, being little different from beasts and consorting with demons, were classed among wild species like Gnolls and Kobolds.
After landing, they could briefly petrify themselves into statues nearly impossible to damage. With their habit of gathering in swarms, they had long been, like Banshees, a death knell for human towns.
For people back then, nothing was more terrifying than waking to find the misty morning streets, eaves, and windowsills covered in petrified Gargoyles.
Even today, some ancient powers erected Gargoyle statues on the eaves of cemeteries and other places to symbolize death and eternal rest.
As airborne creatures, Gargoyles had a natural advantage over those on the ground. Apart from Rangers and Mages, almost nothing could deal with them effectively.
Magic Muskets happened to be among the few weapons that could counter Gargoyles. Their vaunted numbers meant even less against thousands of muskets and hundreds of cannons.
The Reconnaissance Airship moved away from the fleet to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
The swarm of Gargoyles approaching the fleet began to dive, then suddenly climbed when it was still two or three hundred meters above the sea, rippling through the sky like a wave.
The Cavalry on deck held their nerve and waited patiently for the Legion Commander's order.
Their feint had failed to draw the humans' fire. The Gargoyles had no choice but to attack in earnest, diving with a chorus of shrieks through the air.
"Fire!"
Bang!
Boom!
The sea, quiet a