The Code of the

It's more than just protectin' the castle and breathin' the air!
Version 1.0

Contents:

Introduction:

Inspired by Capt. Packrat (Ross Smith)'s FurCode, Robert Hayden's Geek Code, Jayne Alexander and Dave Ratcliffe's Cat Code, and other similar codes that have come into existence, Damocles and I decided it was time for we Gargoyles fans to have a code of our own. Given the growing number of fans who've taken online characters or simply have their own personal character from their fanfic universes, a large section of the code is devoted to this.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with codes of this nature, they're typically used to record a large amount of data about yourself in a compact manner that can be read by others familiar with the code. As the FurCode was our great inspiration, their forms are quite similar (and contains a few sections which are near-identical). As many furries consider gargoyles, whether Gargoyles or just plain gargoyles, to be 'furry', the two codes have a degree of similarity and overlap of interest. As well, this also makes the GargCode easier to use for those already familiar with the FurCode.

Your Gargoyle Code consists of a series of letter, number, and symbol codes, each describing you in some category. Go through the GargCode list, work out which code in each category best describes you, and list them. Don't worry if the description of a particular code doesn't match you exactly; just pick the one that comes closest. Each encoded section consists of a prefix (a letter that indicates which category we're talking about) and a suffix (one or more characters that indicate where you place yourself in the category).

Throughout this text, examples will be made using characters from the show. These examples will give clarification on some of the code's details. Also, samples of the creators' codes are contained below.

Anyone who has any suggestions for changes, enhancements, and other improvements is invited to email myself or Damocles. Feel free to add links to this page on your website to direct viewers of your GargCode on where to decode it. This document is copyright 1999 by Tony "Marlos" Teakles and Damocles, and may be freely distributed over the Internet if left unmodified; ask us if you want to distribute it in any other form.

General modifiers:

These symbols can be attached to any of the standard codes, to indicate some unusual or uncertain factor.
      ?: Indicates that you haven't decided where you fall in the category, or that you have no opinion one way or another. This replaces the normal suffix.
Example: If you haven't decided what species your online persona has, you would use Sp?.
      ~ : Indicates an approximation. You normally fit the given code, but it varies from time to time, or you're not completely sure. Placed between prefix and suffix, or sometimes between parts of the suffix.
Example: If you haven't quite decided what form your gargoyle persona has, but are leaning towards being fox-like, you might use F~CF. If you're sure you're some sort of canine, but not quite sure you're specifically a fox, you might use FC~F.
      / : Indicates that you fit into more than one type. This means two or three specific types, perhaps varying depending on your mood, not uncertainty over a wide range of types. Placed between the two suffixes.
Example: If you're sometimes a fox and sometimes a lynx, you would use FCF/FX (or FFX/CF, depending on which one you think is dominant).
      ! : Indicates a positive refusal to participate in this category. Unlike ?, which means you haven't made up your mind yet, ! means you have made up your mind that you want nothing to do with this subject, for or against it. Placed before the code.
Example: !Sp means "I don't have a gargoyle (or other) persona to describe" (unlike Sp?, which means "I haven't decided what species my online persona is yet"; and also unlike F?, which means "I haven't decided what form my online persona has yet").
      > : Indicates that you currently fit one code, but hope to move to another in the future. Placed between two suffixes.
Example: A+>+++ means you're currently a so-so artist but plan (well, hope) to get much better in future.
      $ : Indicates that you actually make money in Real Life out of this. It doesn't have to be your primary day job, just a source of significant income. Placed after the suffix.
Example: A professional artist might use the code A++++$.
      # : Indicates that you prefer to keep this information to yourself. This replaces the normal suffix.
Example: hm# indicates that you are married, but do not wish to divulge anything else about your housing/family life while h# indicates that you wish to divulge nothing at all about your home life.
      | : Indicates a break between the three main sections (Character|Fandom|Player). This symbol has no other meaning and only exists to increase the clarity when decoding the GargCode or searching for components of interest quickly.

Section 1: Character

Your character. This is why you're here, right? Of course it is! Your character is what most Garg fans present to the rest of the fandom. [Some notable exceptions come to mind though ;) ] This can be the online personnae you play in the chat rooms and irc, the lead character from your own fanfic series or just a character you've pictured in your mind as the "Gargoyles-you". So tell us about yourself: be you Garg or Fae or Whatever, are you a tech or a mage? Come on, tell us about your better half!

APPEARANCE:

This subsection deals with the species and overall appearance of your Gargoyles persona. As a large variety of factors describe a gargoyle's appearance, a significant portion of the code is devoted to this. Some sections (such as colour and wings) will become unnecessary given certain species and may simply be skipped over in such cases. The elements covered by this are: Species, Form, Land of Origin, Sex, Character Age, Colour, Hair Colour, Wing Type, Size and Clothing Style.

Species: (Sp)
This code is used to denote your character's species, as well as any traits which could largely modify its appearance. Greater details on its specific form will follow.


General Modifiers: Use a : (colon) to seperate modifiers from actual species.
Robots : Robots should be encoded as per normal characters for appearance and their species, etc... and all descriptive coding should all be set to describe the how they were constructed.
Example: A Steel Clan robot would be an Spg:rt FG (Gargoyle robot with technological origin and a generic gargoyle form)

'taurs : For the purposes of the GargCode (as in the FurCode), a "taur" is a variation on the animal theme, while a "centaur" is half-human, half-animal (and is counted as a species in its own right). If you're a New Olympian and have the upper body of a human and the lower body of a zebra, you're a zebra-centaur and your code is Spn FCeZ, while if you look like a zebra all over, but with four legs and two arms, you're a zebra-taur and your code is Spn:4 FEZ (a four-legged zebramorph).

Halflings : Halfling characters should be denoted with an @ symbol joining the two species, with the dominant half being recorded first.

Examples:

  • Delilah : Spg@h:dt [a clone made from blend of gargoyle and human DNA created with technology by Dr. Sevarius]

  • Fox : Sph@f [the human-fae child of Halcyon Reynard and Titania]

  • Elektra, from Christine Morgan's fanfic: Spg@h [child of a human and gargoyle union. While magic was used to make this possible, the m modifier is not included as magic did not create her.]

  • Unseelie halflings, from TGS: SPf*@h:mt [enhanced humans from TGS created by Dr. Sevarius and Madoc with a blend of magic and technology]

  • Coldstone : Spg:ctm [a cybernetic gargoyle remade by a blend of science and sorcery]

    • Form: (F)
    Used to get more specific on the character's form. For fae and other shapeshifters, description, size, etc... should be based of the most common form used. My thanks to the FurCode for this expansive and detailed species set. Only minor additions and edits were made to cover a few more of the possibilities seen in Gargoyles. These are listed after the codes for easy reference.

    There's a subtle difference between using "generic" codes and using the ? modifier. For example, FC means you're a canine, but don't fit one of the known species, while FC? means you haven't decided which specific type of canine you are. Similarly, F? means you don't know what form you have, while FG means your form falls simply into the 'generic gargoyle' appearance.

    For reasons of obvious limitation to the size of the code and readability of it, not every existing possibility is covered and only general forms were used ('tiger', 'deer', 'mongoose', etc...). Should you have something which does not fit anything given or wish to simply be more thourough, simply bracket the animal form you are (e.g. FP[kinkajou]). Feel free to suggest other animal forms if you feel they're common enough to warrant inclusion.

    Examples:
    Derek Maza (Talon): Spm*:t FFP* (Mutate with the electrical powers and a technological origin. Panther [melanistic leopard] form)
    Griff: Spg FXG (Gargoyle of gryphon-like form)
    Wolf: Spm:t FCW (Mutate w/o electrical powers and a technological origin. Wolf form.)

    Personal modifications:

  • The FG code was altered to be the 'Generic gargoyle form' as opposed to a generic furry.

  • The FXA code was altered to 'Angel' from its previous standing as 'Gargoyle' to appease Damocles.

  • The FXD code was added for 'Demon' to parallel the 'Angel' option.

  • The FHu (Human/humanoid) added to be distinct from the Primate section.

  • The FIA code was added (Insects and Arachnids) to make allowances for characters with such forms (Anansi the spider, for example)

  • The FMoE (echidna) code was added to the Monotrema family.

  • The * modifier was added to the Felidae family to distinguish melanism in species where it occurs. A melanistic jaguar or leopard is all black and is commonly called a panther.

    • Land of Origin: (O)
    As in the case of many gargoyles, the area of the world from which they originate affects their appearance. Example: Ishimura (oriental) and Scottish (european) gargoyles are similar, but there are distinguishing features between them.
    "You look like Scottish stock to me..." - Griff

    This may be further specified through the use of the @ modifier, followed by the international country code. Examples: @ca = Canada, @us = United States, @au = Australia, @uk = United Kingdom, etc... A listing of international codes can be found at either of these sites: Site 1 or Site 2.

    Wing Type (WT)
    As there are a variety of wing structures in gargoyles, this parameter allows you to distinguish the design yours are. Non-gargoyle characters may simply skip this parameter unless it is somehow notable.
    "I _can't_ fly. I can only glide on currents of wind..." -- Goliath

    Sex (Sx)
    A modifier to appearances in many cases. Neuter is included for robots (as well as creatures) of indeterminant gender and herm is included for completeness. Gender may be applied to robots if they were constructed to portray one gender or another. Examples: Steel Clan robots look male and TGS's Valkyrie robots look female, while the cybots have no visible distinction either way and would be recorded as neuter. Character Age (CA)
    A character's age is to be recorded numerically. Be sure to remember that gargoyles age at 1/2 the rate of normal humans. Should there be a discrepancy between the actual age (number of years lived) of the character and their physical age the two should be seperated by a /. Immortal characters have a * immediately following the CA. When the age is not known for certain or is only an approximation, use the ~ symbol described above.
    "Gargoyle age at half the rate of Humans... fortunately, Jackal did not know this." - Goliath
    "Time passes differently on Avalon. For every hour spent there, one day goes by in the Real World." - Guardian Tom

    Examples:
    A twenty-five year old character would be CA25.
    Mace Malone would be recorded as CA~100.
    Demona would be a CA*~1000/~60: Immortal, alive for about a thousand years, but is only physically about 60 years of age (comparable to a 30 year old human)
    Angela would be recorded as CA~40 (comparable to a 20 year old human) as time passes differently on Avalon (1 hour on Avalon = 1 day in the human world)

    Size (Sz)
    Whether you're Little Anton or young Alex Xanatos, size matters. How big is your character, given in respect to characters from the show.

    Colour (Co)
    This parameter encodes your character's main or dominant colour in RGB Hex (RRGGBB). If you are unfamiliar with this system, simply choose the closest colour from the samples given at one of these sites. If your character is permanently invisible (a wind-creature, for example), use Cox to record this.
    Further colour options may be explored at one of these sites: Site 1 (~470 colours), Site 2 (100 colours) or Site 3 (504 colours).

    Hair Colour (HC)
    Your character's hair colour is recorded by this parameter in RGB Hex similarly to above. Use the choices from the Colour section above if you are unfamiliar with this colour scheme. If your character is bald (Lexington) or has no distinct 'hair' to distinguish from the fur on his head (Talon), use the HCx code.
    Further colour options may be explored at one of these sites: Site 1 (~470 colours), Site 2 (100 colours) or Site 3 (504 colours).

    Clothing Style (CS)
    Choose from the listing below to indicate what best describes your character most commonly wears. Not every possibility can ever be listed in this method, so simply choose that which makes the best fit and make use of the modifiers as need be. Suggestions to be included in the next upgrade are welcome.
    "And they say clothes make the man." - CY.O.T.I. v2.0

    • CS-01 : loincloth
    • CS-02 : spandex/speedos
    • CS-03 : casual
    • CS-04 : businessman (-woman)
    • CS-05 : fashion model
    • CS-06 : toga/robe
    • CS-07 : kilt
    • CS-08 : rags
    • CS-09 : big game hunter
    • CS-10 : cowboy
    • CS-11 : biker
    • CS-12 : leather
    • CS-13 : punk
    • CS-14 : Oriental
    • CS-15 : desert nomad
    • CS-16 : ancient Egyptian
    • CS-17 : Aztec/Mayan
    • CS-18 : traditional American native
    • CS-19 : Inuit
    • CS-20 : armour
    • CS-21 : military: Air Force
    • CS-22 : military: Army
    • CS-23 : military: Navy
    • CS-24 : military: mercenary/combats
    • CS-25 : police uniform
    • CS-26 : doctor/nurse
    • CS-27 : labcoat
    • CS-28 : Hunter (the Canmores)
    • CS-29 : Quarryman
    • CS-30 : The Pack
    • CS-31 : ninja
    • CS-00 : nekkid!

    Country codes:
    Clothing may be further specified through the use of the @ modifier, followed by an international country code. They may either be used directly following to CS category to designate the 'traditional' clothes of a nation or to modify an existing code to indicate a certain country's style or official uniforms (military or police). A list of country codes may be obtained from either of these sites: Site 1 or Site 2.

    Examples:

  • CS@ne would denote traditional Dutch (the Netherlands) clothing: wooden shoes and dutch boy/girl outfit.

  • CS-20@gr would be traditional Greek armour.

  • CS-25@ca would could represent a Royal Canadian Mounted Police uniform. (Constable Benton Fraser, RCMP!)

  • CS-21@us would be a United States Air Force uniform or military wear (such as a flightsuit).

    • OTHER ATTRIBUTES:

    With your character's description now worked out, its time to move onto some other qualities of your Gargoyles persona. This subsection covers details of your character's mental abilities as well as their place in the clan. The elements covered by this are: Personality Type, Magical Ability, Technical Ability, Clan Rank and Hatchlings.

    Personality Type (PT)
    Choose the one (or two) most appropriate to describe your character's personality. For characters completely devoid of personality (such as mindless robots) use the PT-00 code and this should not be used for characters who are simply aloof or high-and-mighty.
    "It is our nature, our purpose. To lose that is to become corrupt, empty... lifeless" - Goliath

    • PT-01 : warrior (Coldstone, * for leader: Goliath)
    • PT-02 : protector/cop (Elisa, Goliath)
    • PT-03 : inventor/tinkerer (Mr. Acme, TGS's Asrial)
    • PT-04 : artistic (Jeffrey Robbins)
    • PT-05 : pacifist (Maggie)
    • PT-06 : healer (TGS's Brother Edmund)
    • PT-07 : investigator (Matt)
    • PT-08 : hacker (Lex)
    • PT-09 : prankster/practical joker (Puck)
    • PT-10 : troublemaker/bully (Fang)
    • PT-11 : greedy (Thailog)
    • PT-12 : loner (TGS's Garlon)
    • PT-13 : planner/schemer (Xanatos)
    • PT-14 : deceitful (Xanatos)
    • PT-15 : harsh/cruel/mean-spirited (Margot, Fang)
    • PT-16 : destroyer/anarchist (Jackal, Hyena)
    • PT-17 : chaotic/insane (Hyena)
    • PT-18 : high-and-mighty/stuck-up (Oberon, Margot)
    • PT-19 : observer (Nokkar)
    • PT-20 : traditional/old-fashioned (Hudson)
    • PT-21 : lazy/apathetic (TGS's Thersites)
    • PT-22 : aloof/wooden/dry/formal (Owen, Vogel)
    • PT-23 : shy/quiet/introverted (Claw, TGS's Asrial)
    • PT-24 : out-going/dynamic/extroverted (Puck, Brooklyn)
    • PT-25 : thrill-seeker (Fox)
    • PT-26 : fool/idiot (Vinnie)
    • PT-27 : clumsy/butterfingers/klutz/unlucky (Vinnie)
    • PT-28 : criminal (Dracon, Glasses)
    • PT-29 : hunter (Wolf, Dingo, the Hunters)
    • PT-00 : mindless (Steel Clan, Cybots)

    Magical Ability: (M)
    This rates your character's magical talents by comparison to other characters from the series. Use M* before the subsequent rating to denote that the character does not believe in magic.
    "The boy has much potential; I would not see it die as it did in his mother's..." - Titania

    Technical Ability: (T)
    This category rates your character's technical and scientific knowledge.
    "You rode a horse once, can you rebuild one from spare parts?" - Lexington Field: As much as we'd like to believe, nobody can know everything, so use the main field modifier to denote the technical specialty (if applicable) is placed immediately following the T and preceeding the modifiers. If multiple fields are important, then a / is used to seperate them and their respective ranks.
    Example:
  • Dr. Sevarius would be ranked as Ts++++ (scientific genius).
  • Lexington would be ranked as Tc++ (strong computing skills).
  • Mr Acme would be ranked as Tn++ (strong technical skills).

    • Clan Rank (R)
    If your character is a member of a clan, you can use this parameter to record their rank or level of authority in the clan. Members of an online clan (ex: Miniclan, Tsavo clan, etc...) may chose to include a * to denote this.
    "We are clan... family..." - Goliath

    Hatchlings (H)
    If your character has any hatchlings (children, cubs, kits, offspring, ect...), they may be recorded with this parameter by simply following it with the appropriate number.
    "He's found the eggs!" - Guardian Tom
    Example: Xanatos and Fox would be recorded as H1 as Alex is their only child.

    Note: You have just finished section 1. Now insert a | (pipe) symbol as a break between sections.

    Section 2: Fandom

    There's many ways in which Gargoyles fans show their devotion to their favorite show. There are artists and writers, collectors of memorabilia or just fixtures in the chat rooms. Whether you just putter around the plethora of Gargoyles websites out there, or have organised a Gathering. You've got to be involved in the fandom in some way. Rate your interaction with the fandom in this section.

    Art: (A)
    Most Gargoyles fans try their hand at drawing and artwork. How do you rate yourself?

    Writing (W)
    Many fans dip their talons in the ink well and write fanfic. Use this category to list your Gargoyles related writing. (Asterixes indicate that majority of work is non-Gargoyles)
    "You wrote all these!?" - Hudson to Jefferey Robbins Electronic Files (EF)
    As we've said before, Gargoyles fans are often packrats. Rate your electronic Gargoyles hoard. How much of your disk space is devoted to Garg-related stuff? If you do your own audio, image or video capture for your collection, EF* may be used, followed by your ranking.
    "In a few seconds the upload will be complete..." - 'Future Tense' Lexington General Merchandise / Stuff (S)
    It's a known fact that many Gargoyles fans are also packrats. This records the approximate worth of your own personal pile of Gargoyles memorabilia. Should you own one or more animation cels from the show, use S* followed by the rank if you wish to mention so. Costuming (C)
    Lots of Gargoyles fans have gone all out in making costumes of their favorite Gargoyles characters. What's your take on the costuming scene? If you've made your own Gargoyles costume or fursuit, use Cm followed by your rank to denote this.
    "They should have Hallowe'en more often" - Lexington The Gathering (G)
    Oh, the wonderous Gathering, where Gargoyles fans from all around roost together for a week-end and let their gargoyle side run wild. Interested in going to the 1999 Gathering in Dallas, Texas?
    "And now my lady-wife, now it is time for the Gathering!" - Oberon Chat Rooms (CR)
    Ahhh... chat rooms... the Gargoyles fan's answer to mucking. Use this parameter to describe how involved you are in the various Gargoyles chat rooms, Gargoyles irc channels, mucks, etc...

    Note: You have just finished section 2. Now insert a | (pipe) symbol as a break between sections.

    Section 3: Player

    Like it or not, there's always a person behind the character, and some of your fellow Gargs may actually want to know a bit about them. So here's your chance! Here's where you get to describe the wonderous paradise that is your real life, your perfect job, beautiful home and loving family. :)

    Real Life Job (RL)
    Unfortunately, we can't do Gargoyles stuff all the time in Real Life (that horrible thing that you do when your computer's off), so we have to find something else to do. This code indicates what you do for a living, or what you're studying to do for a living, or what you do to avoid living. (The $ modifier shouldn't be used here, since it's taken for granted that this represents your day job, or the nearest thing you have to one.)

    A few special cases:

    Add a * after the code if you're trained or experienced in the field, but haven't managed to persuade anyone to actually pay you to do it yet (this doesn't apply to RLU or RL-).

    Age and Gender (a)
    Your real age. Yeah... I know you really don't want to talk about it, but come on... how old are ya? If you prefer, you can use a number to indicate your exact age rather than using one of the approximate codes. Example: If you're 32, you could use a+ or a32 (or a#, of course).

    If you wish to record your RL gender, it may be included here, simply use am (for male) or af (for female) before your ranking or denoted age. If you do not want to include this, simply use the a basic code.

    Computers (c)
    Odds are you're reading this on a computer screen, so there's a good chance you have some familiarity with these silicon gods. Use this code to tell us how much of a Computer Geek you are.

    If your rating is at least c, add one or more of the following letters (just after the c) to indicate your preferred operating environment:

    Education (e)
    How much education have you had crammed into your head? (Do not deduct the contents which have since spilled out) Housing and Family Life (h)
    Odds are if you're taking the time to fill this out, you're not completely homeless. What's your housing arrangements like?
    "Sure it's a fixer-upper, but a few pillows, a throw rug, and it could be home." - Elisa
    Optional Modifiers: Insert these between the category and your ranking. Skip if you don't want to talk about them. Examples:
  • Your typical DINK (Double-Income-No-Kids) living in a small home would be rated as hm+.

  • A divorced woman with two kids living in a large house (which she got during the divorce) would be encoded as hd2++.

  • The divorced husband (now shacked up in a cheap apartment with his girlfriend) would be recorded as hdl2-.

    • Internet (i)
    The Internet, and its various sub-media and related media (Usenet, email, World-Wide Web, MUCKs and MUDs, IRC, FTP sites, and everything else), has quickly become a leading medium of communication among Gargoyles fans (not to mention the rest of the technologically aware universe). How big a part of your life is it?

    Anime (j)
    Many fans of Gargoyles are also avid fans of the genre of animation known as "Anime". You know, the kind where all the characters have huge eyes, even the bad guys are cute, and blue and/or pink hair is common? Obsession (o)
    If you had the chance, would you want to become a real gargoyle or mutate.
    "Fool! That wasn't a tranquilizer dart. It was loaded with the mutagenic formula; the same formula I used on them" - Dr. Anton Sevarius

    Examples:

    Tony "Marlos" Teakles

    Spm*:mwp FFT Oos WTy Sxm CA23 Sz+++ Co#E8610E HCx CS-21@ca PT-02 M+++ Tns++ R- H0 | A++ W+ S EF++ Cm+++ G** CR+ | RL- a24 cn+++ e++ h- i++ j o+++

    Damocles

    Spn FXA Ono WTy Sxm CA50/27 Sz+ Co#E0AC89 HC#552B00 CS-20 PT-01/02/19 M++ T+:c R H0 | A++ W+ EF+++ S- C+ G- CR++ | RLA/CT/MC* am19 c++:n e+ h-- i+ j+ o++

    Ok, so now what do I do?

    Now that you've got this all worked out, presumably you want to know what it's good for. Well, as mentioned above, the GargCode is a compact method to list a lot of info about yourself and your character. This means now you've just got to make use of it so other fans have the opportunity to view your code, decypher it and learn about you. The most common way to get this information out is to include it at the bottom of your email messages to other fans. If you have a website, including your GargCode in it somewhere is also very useful, often with a link back to this site for quick reference on decoding. You can even put it in your personal icq info or anywhere else you can wedge a few lines of text.

    Quicky-html to include it on your website:

    <center><b><a href="http://www.spottycat.com/marlos/gargcode.html">GargCode:</a></b><br>
    [Insert GargCode Here]</center>

    Which will appear as (my code used as a sample):

    GargCode:
    [ Spm*:mwp FFT Oos WTy Sxm CA23 Sz+++ Co#E8610E HCx CS-21@ca PT-02 M+++ Tns++ R- H0 | A++ W+ S EF++ Cm+++ G** CR+ | RL- a24 cn+++ e++ h- i++ j o+++ ]

    Back Marlos's Den     Marlos's Gargoyles Page     The Nexus

    Last Updated: August 19th, 1999

    Any questions, comments or suggestions?
    Email: Marlos Rawlings or Damocles

    We are gargoyles!