The Xorn are a minor spacefaring race in the Spelljammer campaign setting.[2][3][4]
Overview[]
The xorn are native to the Elemental plane of earth, though they often end up on the Material plane after being summoned or passing through a portal or gate.[4] Unlike most other extraplanar beings, the xorn have a presence in wildspace, with their own distinctive spelljamming vessels. Some scholars speculate they are looking for a new home far from dao slavers, and are seeking to colonize their own planet.[1]
Description[]
A xorn has a wide, barrel shaped body made of a pebbly, stone-like material, with a large, powerful mouth on top of its head. Positioned equidistantly around its circumference are three long arms, tipped with sharp talons. Between the arms are three large, stone-lidded eyes that allow the creature to see in all directions. At the base of its torso are three thick, stubby legs located beneath each eye. The creature's whole body appears to be designed to burrow through earth, mouth first.[4]
Combat[]
Xorn are not innately hostile towards creatures from the Material plane, but they will fight to protect themselves and their property. The only other exception to this is if they encounter anyone carrying a significant amount of precious metals or minerals, which xorn can smell up to 20 feet away. The normally peaceful xorn can become quite aggressive when after food, especially on the Material plane, where suitable food is harder to find than it is on their native plane. Xorn expect to be given a reasonable portion in exchange for peaceful passage, or else they attack.
When fighting a single opponent, a xorn will angle its body towards their opponent by sharply bending the two legs closest to them, allowing the xorn to attack with all three claws as well as its mouth. Against more than one opponent, a xorn will lash out with its arms in all directions, with each arm attacking a separate target. The xorn will also angle its body towards one opponent to bite them.
On those rare occasions that a xorn initiates combat, it may rely on its ability to blend in with the surrounding stone, due to the combination of its rock-like exterior and its innate ability to phase through and into stone, allowing it to ambush its opponents. Once combat has begun, a xorn can phase through the nearest stone and vanish up to 3 minutes. It will then lunge out of a stone surface, often the floor, to surprise its opponent, attacking with all three arms and its mouth. If a phase door spell is cast on an area of stone that a xorn is currently inhabiting or passing through, it will be slain instantly. If a fight goes against it, a xorn will retreat through the nearest stone surface.
Xorn cannot be harmed by either magical or mundane fire- and cold-based attacks, and take relatively little damage from electricity-based attacks. They also takes relatively little damage from edged weapons, though bludgeoning and piercing weapons affect them normally. A move earth spell can fling a xorn back 30 feet, stunning the creature for up to a minute. A stone to flesh or rock to mud spell renders a xorn vulnerable to physical attack for up to a minute, while a passwall spell inflicts significant damage.[4]
Society[]
On the Elemental plane of earth (their native plane), the xorn are a race of peaceful gatherers, only eating stone and minerals. Their society consists of a number of small nomadic clans who wander from place to place, leaving behind caverns where they have eaten out a vein of mineral. These pockets are then inhabited by various creatures native to the plane. Their only natural enemies are the dao, who enslave the xorn or hunt them for sport.
Generally, the xorn only end up on the Material plane if they are summoned by a spellcaster or by travelling through an interplanar portal or gate. They reside in subterranean regions, sustaining themselves by consuming minerals and precious metals. What humans would consider treasures, xorn consider food.[4]
In wildspace, the xorn primarily reside in asteroids which they can convert into spelljamming vessels known as stoneships. These ships are sometimes claimed by dwarves in the mistaken belief that they're uninhabited with the intention of converting them into citadels, The battles between the xorn and dwarves at the heart of these asteroids are vicious and protracted affairs, and can rage on for years. While they are relatively innocuous, the xorn are known to keep several slaves as "fuel" for their helms, and often attract the attention of chainmen and other slavers who intend on claiming these slaves for themselves. The xorn are an enigma to most spacefaring races, who can't decide whether they pose a significant threat or not, and as such are generally approached with caution.[2]
Xaren[]
The Xaren are closely related to the xorn, except they are slightly smaller and their hides are shinier, almost metallic. Unlike the xorn, the xaren crave magically enchanted metal as food, which they can smell up to 40 feet away. Like xorn, xaren expect handouts and demand tribute from those who possess enchanted weapons or armor, and attack if they are denied. They prefer iron, copper, silver, gold and electrum (in that order), though they will also snack on metallic ore. The xaren have also been known to consume magical weapons if attacked with them.
The xaren and the xorn are indifferent to each other, and rarely cooperate. The dao do not enslave xaren, though they do hunt them.[4]
Notable Xorn[]
- Oxblongh was a spelljamming captain reputed to have lived for over 960 years.[1]
Signature Spelljammers[]
The xorn convert asteroids into enormous spelljamming vessels known as stoneships. These solid, or nearly solid, rock-like ships are equipped with recessed weapons and are powered by death helms linked in series, requiring numerous slaves as "fuel". Alternatively, the xorn have also developed helms powered by captive fire elementals, though how this is achieved remains something of a mystery.[1]
As extraplanar beings, the xorn cannot be summoned into the phlogiston, though they are quite capable of travelling into the Flow if they wish.[5] However, the xorn (as well as the fire elementals) lose access to their native plane within the Flow, meaning they can no longer power their spelljammer ships. The xorn are forced to rely on non-magical engines or other mechanical means of propelling and steering their ships through the rainbow sea, including enormous sweeps which require great numbers of slaves to power them.[2]
Appendix[]
External Links[]
- Xorn article at the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
- Xorn article at the Eberron Wiki, a wiki for the Eberron campaign setting.
- Xorn article at the Dungeons and Dragons Lore Wiki, a wiki for official Dungeons & Dragons content from every edition.
- Xorn article at the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Wiki, a wiki for official Dungeons & Dragons content from 2nd edition AD&D.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Ed Greenwood, SJR1 Lost Ships, 1990, (TSR Inc.), Ship Catalog chapter, page 63
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Ed Greenwood, SJR1 Lost Ships, 1990, (TSR Inc.), Ship Catalog chapter, pages 63-64
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, SJR1 Lost Ships, 1990, (TSR Inc.), A Ship of Stone is Best Left Alone section, page 24
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Tim Beach et al, Monstrous Manual, 1993, (TSR Inc.), Xorn entry, page 367
- ↑ Jeff Grubb. AD&D Adventures in Space; Lorebook of the Void, TSR, Inc., 1989, Extraplanar Beings section, chapter 3: Spacefarers (p.60)