xorn

English

Etymology

First appeared in the original Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual (1977).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /zoɹn/, [zo̞ɹn]

Noun

xorn (plural xorns or xorn)

1. (fantasy) A fictional monster that devours earthen and silicate materials and can move freely through earth.
   • 2002, David Damerell, “Where are they come from?^[sic] ;)”, in rec.games.roguelike.development (Usenet):

     Various monsters can tunnel through rock - either humanoid monsters with picks or rock eaters like rock moles and umber hulks; and some monsters like xorns and ghosts can pass through it without digging.

   • 2007, bear, “Makes Lovely Julienne Ogres....”, in rec.games.roguelike.angband (Usenet):

     Teleporting from an open room where there were a dozen black orcs firing bows at me and more pouring in through both doors a few nights ago didn't work the first two times, then when it did work it landed me, low on mana and hitpoints, in a room full of gnome mages who instantly summoned four umber hulks and a xorn!

   • 2010, Roger Bourke White, Rostov Rising: The Tales of Baron Rostov, page 229:

     That afternoon, I summoned a Xorn—an earth elemental noted for its speed—and asked it to scout the caves of the Dragon's lair for me.

Anagrams

• XNOR