ᚲᛃᚾᛚᛁᚷᛚᛖᛁᚲᚱ

“Kynligleikr,” “a strange and wonderful thing.” Rune stones—tall stones on which are graven messages and stories and obituaries in the alphabet of magic, the elder futhark—are common sights in the Scandinavian landscape of Northmen, and in the years of the Viking invasion they begin to sprout across the English landscape as well. Every house seems to have two or three rune stones in a private cemetery, every hamlet or village has one at its front. Most of the rune stones are merely stones covered with the runes of elder futhark. But many of the rune stones—a surprising number of them—were either carved by a being of power or were the products of the gods, jǫtnar, or trǫlls themselves. These rune stones are powerful and alive, and sentient; most of these rune stones are merely guardians of the house or settlement or valley they are placed in front of, but some rune stones are offensive-minded—and mobile.

Medium construct, orderly, variable temperament

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 152 (16d8+80)
Speed 0 ft

Str 1 (-5) Dex 1 (-5) Con 20 (+5)
Int 12 (+1) Wis 11 (+0) Cha 20 (+5)

Saving Throws CON +9, CHA +9
Skills Perception +4
Condition Immunities bleeding, blinded, charmed, deafened, dreamy, exhausted, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, stunned, unconscious, weakened, woozy
Damage Immunities piercing and slashing; necrotic, poison, psychic
Damage Resistances bludgeoning from non-magical attacks
Senses tremorsense 120 ft, passive Perception 14
Languages Viking but can’t speak
Reaction to affection (if the rune stone is protecting you) or fear (if the rune stone isn’t)
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

Innate Spellcasting. The rune stone’s spellcasting ability is CHA (spell save DC 17, spell attack bonus +9). The rune stone can cast one of the following spells innately:

• At-will: ᚴ (as fear), ᛊ (as flame arrows), ᛁ (as freeze weapon), ᚦ (as gust of wind)
• 3/day: ᛤ (poison dragon breath: 60 ft cone, all targets in area must make a DC 17 CON saving throw or take 28 (8d6) poison damage, half on a successful saving throw), ᚨ (as counterspell), ᛞ (as fireball)
• 1/day: ᚦ (as chain lightning), ᚺ (as chilled brain), ᛁ (as cone of cold)

Odin ward (recharge 5-6). When the rune stone takes damage, the Odin rune ᚨ activates and creates a 10-foot-radius necromantic aura around the rune stone that lasts until the start of the rune stone’s next turn. Any creature who starts their turn within the aura or enters the aura during their turn must make a DC 17 CON saving throw or take 21 (6d6) necromantic damage; on a successful save, they take
half damage.

Teleport (recharge 5-6). The rune stone teleports up to 120 ft to an unoccupied space.

ACTIONS

Cast a Spell. The rune stone casts a spell.

MOTIVES

Rune stones are generally static and are devoted to protecting the inhabitants of the house or settlement or valley/river/hill they are placed in front of and will die protecting those inhabitants.

ALLIES

Rune stones work alone.