In contemporary fiction, gargoyles are typically depicted as a (generally) winged humanoid race with demonic features (generally horns, a tail, talons, and may or may not have a beak). Gargoyles can generally use their wings(if they have any) to fly or glide and are often depicted as having a rocky hide, or being capable of turning into stone in one way or another, a reference to their structural roots. If they don't have wings, they will scale the buildings outer walls and either walk the streets at night or they will go inside the building. Gargoyles are known to protect buildings from evil spirits.