Norn

@ Norn
Difficulty	23
Attacks	Weapon 1d8, weapon 1d6

@ Norn
Difficulty	23
Attacks	Weapon 1d8, weapon 1d6
Base level	20
Base experience	588
Speed	12
Base AC	0
Base MR	80
Alignment	0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means)	Unique
Genocidable	No
Weight	1450
Nutritional value	400
Size	Medium
Resistances	Cold
Resistances conveyed	None
The Norn: has a head, a couple of arms, and a torso. is omnivorous. is not a valid polymorphable form. is a human. is female. is normally generated peaceful. is strong. can pick up weapons and food. can pick up magical items. lets you close unless attacked. can be seen through infravision.
Reference	monst.c#line3170

The Norn, @, is the Valkyrie quest leader. She is a strong, omnivorous human that can be seen via infravision. Unlike the warriors that serve as quest guardians, the Norn is neutral in alignment.

The Norn has two weapon attacks. Like the player and player monster Valkyries, she possesses cold resistance.

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.

If a Valkyrie character starts out lawful, the Norn will be lawful, and otherwise defaults to neutral.

Per commit 20cbadcf, killing quest leaders no longer makes the game unwinnable, and the Norn and other quest leaders are given stat buffs and additional equipment to compensate. The Norn's speed becomes 15, her MR score becomes 90, and she has two 4d10 weapon attacks.

Generation

The Norn is placed within the center of the Shrine of Destiny, the Valkyrie quest home level, with a chest on the adjacent square eat of her.

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.

As part of commit 20cbadcf, the Norn always generates with +5 banded mail and a +4 long sword.

Strategy

Be very careful if the Norn begins moving before you are fully admitted to the Quest: this usually occurs if a character reaches a square adjacent to her with very fast and chats - while roaming freely afterward, it is possible (albeit unlikely) that she can step on a fire trap in the ice and drown, rendering the game unwinnable if it does occur. There are multiple methods of avoiding this circumstance, with the simplest being to wait until your character is at experience level 14 before chatting to her.

History

The Norn first appears with most other quest leaders in NetHack 3.1.0.

Origin

The Norns (Old Norse norn, plural nornir) are deities in Norse folklore that are responsible for shaping the course of human destinies. The origin of the name is uncertain and may derive from a word meaning "to twine", which would refer to their twining the thread of fate; the name is also suggested to be related to the Swedish dialect word norna (nyrna), a verb that means "secretly communicate" - this relates to the perception of Norns as shadowy, background figures that only reveal their secrets to people whose fates come to pass.

In the Völuspá, the best known poem of the Poetic Edda, three particular Norns - Urðr (Wyrd) of the past, Verðandi of the present, and Skuld of the future - are described as powerful maiden jötnar whose arrival from Jötunheimr ended the golden age of the gods. The trio draws water from their sacred well to nourish Yggdrasil, the tree at the center of the cosmos, and prevent it from rotting. Pre-Christian Scandinavians also attested to additional Norns who visit a newborn child in order to determine the person's future; these Norns could be malevolent and cause tragic events in the world, or be benevolent and protective.

Variants

Some variants make the Norn and other quest leaders stronger to accommodate changes to the Quest and its entry mechanics, and these changes may be incorporated into upcoming versions of NetHack or else be borrowed from them.

SporkHack

In SporkHack, the Norn's difficulty is increased to 24. Her speed becomes 15, her MR score becomes 90, and she has two 4d10 weapon attacks. She also gains flight, sleep resistance, poison resistance, and stoning resistance.

dNetHack

In dNetHack, the Norn's 10 points of AC are all in the protection category.

xNetHack

In xNetHack, the Norn's stats and difficulty are improved as in SporkHack, minus the flight and resistances.

SpliceHack

In SpliceHack, the Norn's stats are improved as in xNetHack, excluding difficulty.

EvilHack

In EvilHack, the Norn's stats and resistances are improved as in SporkHack, minus the flight.

The Norn always generates with +4 banded mail and a +4 long sword. If Gjallar is successfully wished for by a non-Valkyrie, there is a ^x⁄_x+1 chance (where x is the amount of previous artifact wishes) of a hostile Norn generating adjacent to the character with the artifact in her possession.

All of the above information also applies to Hack'EM.

Encyclopedia entry

The Norns were the three Norse Fates, or the goddesses of fate.
Female giants, they brought the wonderful Golden Age to an end.
They cast lots over the cradle of every child that was born,
and placed gifts in the cradle. Their names were Urda,
Verdandi, and Skuld, representing the past, the present, and
the future. Urda and Verdandi were kindly disposed, but Skuld
was cruel and savage. Their tasks were to sew the web of
fate, to water the sacred ash, Yggdrasil, and to keep it in
good condition by placing fresh earth around it daily. In her
fury, Skuld often spoiled the work of her sisters by tearing
the web to shreds.

[ The Encyclopedia of Myths and Legends of All

Nations by Herbert Spencer Robinson and Knox

Wilson ]