Vorn is a shield guardian—an 8-foot-tall magical construct serving as an inactive bodyguard awaiting orders. Its body consists of sculpted wood reinforced with adamantine bands and rivets, bronze fists, iron joints, an adamantine breastplate, and an iron helm with eye slits. The construct stands motionless in the jungle, surrounded by offerings of food, feathers, colored stones, and skulls.
History
Vorn originally served as a wizard’s bodyguard and traveling companion. The wizard died decades ago from a series of unfortunate events: he fell from a tree while suffering from blue mist fever, struck his head on a rock that knocked him unconscious, and drowned in a puddle. Since then, the shield guardian has remained deactivated, standing in place and awaiting orders that never came.
Current Status
The construct has become an object of worship for nomadic tribes of goblins, grungs, and vegepygmies. These tribes maintain the area around Vorn, trimming back jungle vines and leaving offerings at its feet. The shield guardian’s location has become a “neutral zone” spanning several miles where these typically hostile tribes allow each other to enter without conflict.
Activation
Vorn can be reactivated and controlled by anyone who possesses its control amulet—a bronze and adamantine medallion with the word “Vorn” etched into it. The amulet is currently in Yellyark, worn by one of Queen Grabstab’s attendants (a goblin) on a loop of rope around its neck. The goblins have no idea the medallion is connected to the construct they worship as a deity.
Consequences
Reactivating Vorn and removing it from its location will infuriate the local goblin, grung, and vegepygmy tribes who revere it. Random encounters with these creatures become automatically hostile unless the party placates them with treasure or convinces them that Vorn “wishes” to be moved elsewhere.
Connection to Wakanga O’tamu
Wakanga O’tamu, a merchant prince in Port Nyanzaru, possesses a tattered, water-damaged explorer’s journal from 15 years ago describing the wizard’s explorations with Vorn as his companion. If the characters befriend Wakanga, he gives them the journal and shows them on a map where it was found (accurately indicating the hex containing the guardian). The journal includes a picture of Vorn’s control amulet but provides no clues to its current whereabouts. Wakanga offers a spellbook containing fifteen randomly determined spells as a reward for finding and retrieving both the construct and its control amulet.
Game Mechanics
Vorn is a shield guardian (see Monster Manual for full statistics). A character with proficiency in Arcana can identify it with a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check. Searching the area with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check reveals footprints from the various tribes that worship the construct.