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| Xorn | Xaren | |
|---|---|---|
| Climate/Terrain: | Subterranean | Subterranean |
| Frequency: | Very rare | Very rare |
| Organization: | Solitary | Solitary |
| Activity Cycle: | Any | Any |
| Diet: | Minerals | Minerals and magical metal |
| Intelligence: | Average (8-10) | Average (8-10) |
| Treasure: | O,P,Q�5,X,Y | O,P,X,Y |
| Alignment: | Neutral | Neutral |
| No. Appearing: | 1-4 | 1 |
| Armor Class: | -2 | 1 |
| Movement: | 9, Br 9 | 9, Br 3 |
| Hit Dice: | 7+7 | 5+5 |
| THAC0: | 13 | 15 |
| No. of Attacks: | 4 | 4 |
| Damage/Attack: | 1-3 (�3)/6-24 | 1-3 (�3)/4-16 |
| Special Attacks: | Surprise | Surprise |
| Special Defenses: | Spell immunities | Spell immunities |
| Magic Resistance: | Nil | Nil |
| Size: | M (5’ tall) | M (4’ tall) |
| Morale: | Champion (16) | Champion (15) |
| XP Value: | 4,000 | 3,000 |
The xorn are natives to the elemental plane of Earth.
The wide body of a xorn is made of a pebbly, stone-like material. It has a large, powerful mouth on top of its head with three long arms, tipped with sharp talons, symmetrically positioned every 120 degrees around it. Between the arms are large, stone-lidded eyes that see in all directions. At its base are three thick, short legs, each directly beneath an eye. The whole body is designed for burrowing, mouth first.
Combat: Xorn do not attack flesh creatures except to defend themselves or their property, since they can not digest flesh. Xorn have no excessive love or hate for creatures of the Prime Material plane. The sole exception to this is anyone carrying a significant amount of precious metals or minerals, which it can smell up to 20 feet away. The normally peaceful xorn can become quite aggressive when after food, especially on the Prime Material plane, where such sustenance is harder to find than it is on its native plane. Xorn expect to be given a reasonable portion in exchange for peaceful passage, or else they attack (90% chance) to get food.
In combat, xorn have two different methods of fighting. Against a single opponent, they bend the two legs nearest the opponent deeply, angling their bodies toward the enemy. In this way all four attacks can be brought to bear. Against several opponents, they attack with arms in all directions, each striking at a different target. One of the targets suffers a second attack, as the xorn angles its body down to bite.
If necessary, a xorn can use its ability to blend into the surrounding stone to impose a -5 penalty to opponents’ surprise rolls when it attacks. This incorporates a blending of coloration and its physical ability to pass into and through stone. This does not happen very often, since a xorn is more likely to ignore a party, or openly demand metals. However, once combat begins, it can use a variation on this theme. The xorn may pass through the nearest stone (usually the floor) and vanish for 1-3 rounds. It then lunges out of a stone surface to gain surprise, often at the feet of an opponent, attacking with three arms and its mouth. This guerrilla warfare can continue indefinitely. During any round that it passes through stone, a phase door spell kills it instantly. If fight goes against it, the xorn retreats to the nearest stone surface.
A xorn is immune to fire and cold, both magical and normal. Electrical attacks cause half damage if the xorn fails its saving throw, and no damage if the saving throw is successful. Edged weapons cause only half damage to xorn, though blunt and piercing weapons do full damage. A move earth spell flings a xorn back 30 feet, and the creature is stunned for one round. A stone to flesh or rock to mud spell lowers its AC to 8 for one round. During that round the xorn will attack, as it is readjusting its substance back to stone. Lastly, a passwall spell inflicts 1d10+10 points of damage on a xorn.
Habitat/Society: A xorn is normally found on the elemental plane of Earth. It is only on the Prime Material plane if forcibly summoned or if it was the victim of an interplanar accident.
On their native plane, xorn are as peaceful as Prime Material plane herbivores. While xorn are intelligent, their society is limited to small clans of mineral gatherers. These clans wander from place to place, leaving behind open pockets where they have eaten out a vein of mineral. On the Prime Material plane they always seek wide regions of stone underground. What humans would consider treasures, xorn consider food. They keep their store of food in a nearby air pockets.
Ecology: On the Prime Material plane, they are visitors that serve no ecological function. On their own plane, they are gatherers, eating only stone and minerals. The empty pockets in the stone are quickly inhabited by various creatures of the plane. Dao have been known to hunt them for sport. Equally as often, xorn serve dao as slaves.
Xaren
Xaren are relatives of the xorn, with identical abilities in combat. Xaren resemble xorn closely, though they are slightly smaller and their hides are shinier, almost metallic. Unlike ordinary xorn, they crave magical metal as food. For each plus of enchantment they eat, they permanently gain 1 hit point, up to their maximum of 45. Even after reaching their maximum growth, they still require magical metal to maintain their health. They can smell magical metal up to 40 feet away.
Like xorn, xaren expect handouts. They demand magical metal from creatures with 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.
If attacked with a magical weapon, xaren can make an attack roll against AC -2 to bite an opponent’s weapon. If they hit, the weapon must save vs. crushing blow or be destroyed.
Xaren and xorn are indifferent to one another and rarely cooperate. Dao do not enslave xaren, though they do hunt them.
◆ 2011 ◆