Zorn

Zorn
Zorn from Ultima I manual
First appearance:	Ultima I
Last appearance:	Ultima IV

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This article is about a bestiary entry. For the Ultima VII character, see Zorn (NPC).

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Zorns are a bizarre breed of magical creature seen briefly in Sosaria and later in Britannia. Known as "the antithesis of everything," they are capable of a number of inexplicable behaviors. Zorns appear in Ultima I and Ultima IV.

Description

Zorn bodies consist of a large semi-spherical node supported by three legs. Their mouths are situated on the top of this node, whereas their sensory organs are positioned lower. Through means unclear, zorns are capable of physically transcending all known matter, passing through obstacles as though they do not exist. Another of their mysterious properties is their ability to affect the ethereal waves surrounding these beasts, as magical arts are disabled in the immediate vicinity of zorns. Commonly found in subterranean locales, these polyphagous entities have long puzzled scholars, as the evaporation of their physical bodies upon death has left little means of studying the zorn.

Zorns faded from human sight shortly after the completion of the Quest of the Avatar, but whether this vanishing was due to extinction, migration, or other causes has never been determined.

Lore

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Little is known of the mysterious Zorn. `Tis a creature that not only defies logic, but that seems to defy the very Laws of nature. It can burrow through anything and is completely omnivorous. In battle it seems to generate far more force than one would estimate possible from a creature of its size. When slain, the Zorn quickly evaporates, thus none have ever been studied closely. – from The First Age of Darkness (Ultima I)

“	Zorns are the antithesis of everything. They pass right through walls and obstacles, and negate all nearby magic. If an evil Zorn closes with thee, thou probably will not escape its embrace. – from The History of Britannia (Ultima IV)

Trivia

• Zorns are derived from the xorn of the tabletop role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons. These creatures first appear in the original 1977 edition of Monster Manual, a bestiary published for the game, and closely resemble their counterparts in Ultima, possessing a similar trilateral radial symmetry to their form and a capability to move at will through stone and minerals. Both zorn and xorn furthermore are said bear a likeness to the three-limbed Asag, a Sumerian demon that features in the poem Lugale.
• Zorns were to be included in the canceled Ultima X, where they appeared to have adopted the geophagic behaviors of the Dungeons & Dragons xorn (see Planned monsters for Ultima X).

Gallery

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  A zorn from the FM Towns-port of Ultima I

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  Ultima X concept art

See Also

• Ultima Imonster data
• Ultima IVmonster data