The Cairnback is a gruff ox whose back is a heap of mossy granite and slate, with heather growing on top, a russet fringe and short stone horns. It is the highlands' heaviest night creature. It sleeps out on the fells looking just like a cairn, with a little bird hopping on its back. Woken, it stamps the ground, barges at you horns first, and curls up to roll at you like a boulder.
CONTENTS
Where and when
- In the highlands, at night. Only one is about at a time.
- In the highlands' dungeons of the Grim tier and harder. See Dungeons.
Like the other night creatures, it leaves at dawn (Day and Night).
Health and damage
Out in the world, its health and damage grow with the number of Jewels you hold (Jewels): each Jewel adds 70% of its base health and 40% of its base damage. Health is rounded; damage is before your defence lowers it.
| Jewels held | Health | Stamp damage |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 170 | 30 |
| 1 | 289 | 42 |
| 2 | 408 | 54 |
| 3 | 527 | 67 |
| 4 | 646 | 79 |
| 5 | 765 | 91 |
In a dungeon, its health and damage follow the dungeon's tier and the Jewels you hold instead.
Asleep
It lies on the ground like a cairn, breathing slowly. The tell: a little bird hops about on its back. Come within 50 px, or strike it, and the bird flies off and the Cairnback heaves itself up. Blows on it while it sleeps do their full damage, even on its back.
Attacks
Damage below is with no Jewels.
Stamp
Close in front of it, it rears up on its hind legs (the tell), then slams its forefeet down. A shockwave rolls out up to 44 px and does 30 damage to anyone on the ground, knocking them down.
- Jump: Space over the shockwave as it reaches you.
Barge
Close in front of it, it may instead put its head down and make a short, heavy rush, horns first. It does 26 damage and throws you.
- Parry: press right-click or R as it reaches you. It staggers for 0.75 seconds.
- Step aside: the rush is short and straight.
Roll
From further off (80 to 230 px), if it can see you and the way is clear, it curls into a boulder and rolls straight at where you are heading. It does 28 damage to everyone it rolls over, and keeps going for up to 2.3 seconds or 280 px.
- If it hits a wall, a rock, a tree or a building, it crashes and flips over onto its back, legs waving, for 2.5 seconds. While it is flipped, your blows do double damage.
- If nothing stops it, it uncurls and turns to face you.
Behaviour
- Stone back: once it is awake, blows from behind it, and plunges from above, land on its stone back and do 50% less.
- Flinching: it only flinches after enough blows: two heavy blows (a heavy or critical blow, or the greatsword or war hammer), or four ordinary ones. Arrows and dagger blows never make it flinch.
- When it loses you, it stands about for a while, then lies down to sleep again, and the bird comes back.
How to fight it
- Fight it with a wall, a rock or a tree behind you. Step out of the way of the roll and let it crash, then hit its belly for double damage.
- Strike it from the front or side, not from behind, where its stone back halves your damage.
- Jump the stamp's shockwave and parry the barge.
Drops
Each one you defeat leaves:
| Item | Amount | Chance | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
 Stone | 5 | ALWAYS | Mattock, Sword, Greatsword, and more |
 Raw Meat | 2 | ALWAYS | Any Fat, Lamp Oil, Fox Treat, Frog Treat, and more |
 Iron Ore | 1 | 1 IN 2 | Iron Ingot, Raven Treat, Spirit Book (item), and more |
 Cairnback Horn | 1 | 1 IN 4 | Any Big Bone, Steel Ingot, Bone Meal, Spirit Book (item), and more |
Spirits and experience
When it falls it lets go of 9 Earth and 3 Water spirits. You gain experience in:
