Gorgon

## Society

### Physical

Gorgons are monstrous humanoids, with a human-like upper body, and a snake tail for legs. Gorgons also have various snake-like qualities on their human-like torso, like fangs, bright yellow, snake-like eyes, scales, and forked tongues. However, there are some qualities that set gorgons apart from snakes. Their arms, from the elbow down, shine like bronze, and their claws are as sharp as such. They have small, dragon-like wings on their backs, that are large enough to support them in flight, but are small enough to give the illusion that they couldn't. Their human-like ears are pointed. And their most well-known feature is this: each gorgon has a nest of live snakes growing from their heads like hair.

## Powers

### Abilities

Gorgons are physically tougher and more powerful than normal humans. In some cases, this may include enhanced flexor muscles, allowing a vice-like squeezing capability (similar to the anaconda, boa constrictor and several other species of constrictor snake).

They may also possess sharp claws, sharp fangs (snake-like or vampiric), perhaps unhinging jaws and/or powerful tails, useful for grabbing or striking. Their skin is often also covered in tough scales, providing even further protection from physical harm.

What's more, a Gorgon's actual physical toughness is sometimes further assisted by rapid regeneration (a superhuman healing factor, similar to when a lizard loses its tail). And as they grow, Gorgons often shed skin like reptiles (which helps with scars and flesh wounds that they get in their lifetime).

In addition, a Gorgon's fangs are often capable of producing venom, to which they and precious few other species (mainly reptilians) are immune. Though, Gorgon venom varies in its intensity, its incubation time and its biological and psychological effect.

And a Gorgon's blood is highly potent. By what seems like a contradictory anatomical mechanism, blood from the *left* side of a Gorgon's veins can act as a deadly poison, instantly fatal to most humanoid races; but blood from the *right* side of a Gorgon's veins have such powerful healing properties that they can bring the dead back to life. Asclepius (a son of the Greek sun-god Apollo) took advantage of the properties to become a master doctor in his mortal life.

Gorgons may also possess a telepathic and/or empathic rapport with those snakes; some have even been known to be capable of communicating with and/or commanding all snakes (even all reptiles). Less commonly, the ability also extends to other reptilian humanoids.

And speaking on the note of connections, every Gorgon automatically possesses a symbiotic relationship with a head full of snakes (called Gorgon Snakes). They share with these snakes a powerful metabolism, and when they eat, they share nutrients. Not to mention, warm-blooded Gorgons also automatically share their internal body warmth and their powerful metabolism with these snakes.

Likewise, these 'Gorgon Snakes' tend to be very intelligent (due to their psychic connection to the parent Gorgon, which allows them to share thoughts, feelings and memories). And if removed, a Gorgon Snake can often regenerate into a full snake, independent of their parent. If liberated, these snakes often maintain many, if not all, of their parent Gorgon's physical and psychic capabilities.

And yet, the Gorgons' most famous ability is that of Petrifaction; the superhuman ability to turn to stone (petrify) any foe with whom they lock glances. With this frightening capability, the Gorgons terrorized the Greeks without mercy, even whilst Medusa was pregnant with Poseidon's children.