Stoneborn

This article is about the gargoyles from Revendreth. For the gargoyles from Northrend, see gargoyle. For the stoneborn from Pandaria, see terracotta warrior.

Stoneborn
Different variants of stoneborn
Faction/Affiliation	The Stone Legion, Darkwing, Venthyr Covenant
Racial leader(s)	General Kaal (Stone Legion) General Grashaal (Stone Legion) General Draven (Darkwing)
Area(s)	Revendreth, Shadowlands

The stoneborn, also known as gargoyles, are winged stone constructs who serve the venthyr of Revendreth as soldiers and guards.

Background

A stoneborn in stone form.

As their name implies, stoneborn are carved from stone and then awakened by being infused with anima. When deprived of anima or when their services are no longer required, they return to their natural stone form but can be reawakened at a later date. It is implied that they are fully conscious while in this state.

Stoneborn serve their venthyr masters with a sense of infallible loyalty forged over a lifetime of fighting side by side. Most stoneborn serve Sire Denathrius as members of the Stone Legion under the command of the Stone Legion Generals and are responsible for protecting Revendreth, keeping order in each of the Wards, and purging manifestations. The Darkwing have instead sided with Prince Renathal's rebellion under General Draven. The first stoneborn were created by the Stonewright. She sees each one as her "stonechild", and the stoneborn, in turn, view her as their mother. Prince Renathal remembers when the first stoneborn were made by the Stonewright. Stoneborn refer to male members of their own kind as "stonebrother".

The venthyr carve stoneborn into different shapes because diversity in form allows for diversity in strategy; their different shapes give them different purpose. The most common humanoid type is called stoneborn brutes. In battle, brutes bludgeon their enemies with an array of martial weapon skills or use their unparalleled mobility to outflank them. A larger, unnamed type resemble felbats and move on all fours while on the ground. A third type is the gravewings (somewhat confusingly also called "stoneborn brutes" by one source), which act as flying mounts for the venthyr. Gravewings are fearless and nearly indestructible and were reawakened by the Stonewright after anima began flowing again in Sinfall.

Stone fiends, gargon, and dredbats are made in the same way as stoneborn, but gargons and dredbats lack the stoneborn's intelligence. Stone fiends are sometimes considered stoneborn.

Known

Named Stone Legion

•   General Grashaal
•   General Kaal
•   First Talon Syndaal
•   Second Talon Eviscera
•   Third Talon Vartox <Fist of The Tithelord>
•   Drezgruda <The Fifth Talon>
•   Echelon
•   Shriekwing

Named Darkwing

•   General Draven
•   Second Talon Shenraa <Mistress of Shadows>
•   Chelra the Bladewall <Princeguard Commander>
•   Broken Gatecrasher
•   Watchmaster Boromod <Security>
•   Clemency Enforcer Traal
•   Ironwing Fraado
•   Navrataal <Bearer of the Stonewright>

Generic

•  Darkwing Assassin
•  Darkwing Aggressor
•  Darkwing Gargoyle
•  Darkwing Legionnaire
•  Reserve Enforcer
•  Reserve Counterspy
•  Sinfall Counterspy

As a mount

All gravewing mounts are exclusive to members of the Venthyr Covenant.

•  [Mastercraft Gravewing] is rewarded from  [60] Gravewing Crystal, which starts from  [Gravewing Crystal], a rare drop from the Stygian Stonecrusher vignette in Korthia.
•  [Obsidian Gravewing] can be purchased from Chachi the Artiste for 7500 after reaching Renown 70 with the Venthyr.
•  [Pale Gravewing] can be purchased from Duchess Mynx for 1000 after reaching exalted reputation with Death's Advance and earning  [On the Offensive].
•  [Sinfall Gravewing] is rewarded upon reaching Renown 45 with the Venthyr.

Notes and trivia

• Concept art refers to them as Revendreth gargoyles.
• Castle Nathria has a giant gargoyle statue atop it.
• Male stoneborn use Metamorphosis animations, while females use high arakkoa animations.
• Early in development, the artists weren't sure if the stoneborn would wear armor at all or if they would just use a stone form for protection, as well as whether their arms and wings should be separate from each other. Both of the latter ideas made their way into the final design, with the bulkier males having wings and separate arms while the smaller females have wing-like attachments on their arms.
• The Fourth Talon is currently unknown.
• The stoneborn's design may be inspired by the 1990s cartoon series Gargoyles, which—like the 1996 Disney film The Hunchback of Notre Dame—is based on older French folklore about the gargoyles present in many Gothic cathedrals coming to life. Male stoneborn heavily resemble Goliath, the main character of Gargoyles.
• Some stoneborn write poetry.
• Multiple stoneborn, such as General Draven and Chelra the Bladewall, use the phrase "Ray'tal" as a greeting, but its meaning is unknown.

Gallery

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  Male stoneborn

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  Female stoneborn

• 

  Another type of stoneborn

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  BlizzCon 2019 promotional image

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  BlizzConline preview image of gravewing mounts

• Concept art
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  Early concept art of a gargoyle with armor equipped and separate arms and wings

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  Early concept art of a gargoyle face, with longer hair and combined arms and wings

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  A stone fiend and male gargoyle

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  Female gargoyle

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  Gravewing

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  Various stoneborn types