Rust Wyrm

"It doesn’t just eat metal — it drinks enchantment." — Ulgar Runechain, last words before the Forge-Breach Collapse

General Information

Classification: Aberrant Burrower
Habitat: Deep tunnels beneath the Rodiac Highlands, especially near forges and leyline channels
Length: 15–30 ft
Temperament: Ambush predator
Diet: Metal, magical artifacts, enchanted ore

Physical Description

The Rust Wyrm is a serpentine monstrosity with overlapping chitin plates coated in iron corrosion. Its maw splits into several grinding mandibles, dripping acidic slime that melts through metal. Its internal organs glow faintly with anti-magical energy — a byproduct of its digestion process.

Behavior and Traits

• Burrows silently through earth and stone

• Drawn to heat, metal, and magical signatures

• Disrupts nearby enchantments within a 30 ft radius

• Can "smell" metal from over a mile underground

• Lays metallic egg-clusters that fuse to ore veins

Ecological Role

Rust Wyrms are the bane of dwarven miners and artificers. Left unchecked, they can consume entire mine systems and cripple forge operations. Some believe they’re unnatural — war-beasts born during the Sorrow War, designed to sabotage magical arms production.

Combat Capabilities

• Acidic breath cone – melts metal and temporarily nullifies enchantments

• Rusting bite – any non-magical metal touched corrodes instantly

• Null aura – disables magical effects in a 10 ft radius for 1 minute

• Burrow escape – can tunnel rapidly through reinforced stone

Weaknesses

• Vulnerable to thunder and force damage

• Confused by illusions — particularly non-metallic targets

• Repelled by ancient dwarven runes of purity

Rumors and Lore

• Some dwarves believe a Rust Wyrm Queen sleeps beneath the Stonecarver's Forge, slowly corrupting the leyline flow.

• There are whispered accounts of Rust Wyrms that hoard magical knowledge rather than eat it.

• Certain outlaw engineers use controlled wyrmlings to break down failed enchantments or scavenge battlefield remains.

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