WotLK bestiary presents the Jormungar
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Jun 13th 2008 at 8:00PM
The official WoTLK bestiary has been updated yet again with another of the creatures we'll be meeting in Northrend. This time, we're introduced to the Jormungar, a race of massive worms with sharp teeth capable of boring through solid rock. Apparently, they were used by the Nerubians as slave labor to hew out their massive subterranean empire. However, when that empire fell to the Scourge, the Jormungar broke free, and now run rampant, drilling through the permafrost and destroying everything in their path.
It seems likely that the worms themselves are named after the Norse mythological figure Jormungandr, a child of the trickster god Loki, also known as the the World Serpent who surrounds the Earth. In the end times of Ragnarok, he will kill Thor (although Thor will kill him first). Now really, you know that anything bad enough to kill Thor himself is something you have to take notice of, so if these Jormungar are even half as strong as their namesake, it looks like we could have a lot of trouble with them. Maybe we should look to the old massive sandworm Ouro (whose name is likely a homage to another mythical serpent, the Ouroboros), to give us some idea of what we might be facing.
[via MMO Champion]
Filed under: News items, Expansions, Lore, Bosses, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ichigo Jun 13th 2008 8:19PM
The only reason that Jormungandr kills Thor is that the God of Thunder left his nature resist gear in the bank.
alwayofmisha Jun 13th 2008 8:59PM
wow... look at the size of that thing! it appears to be at least 3-5 times longer than the ice giants are tall!
if WoW had collision... you could be exploring and run up its back before noticing its not a mountain!
looks pretty freekin crazy... i just hope there arent a large number of em roaming around... they appear just about impossible to solo
kabshiel Jun 13th 2008 9:08PM
I just hope that they're nothing like those worm-things that were all over Outland with their overpowered poison spit and their jumping out of nowhere and stuff.
Brasson Jun 13th 2008 9:25PM
With a description like that, I'd almost be disappointed if they weren't all elite.
Ronsin77 Jun 13th 2008 10:33PM
Pretty cool. I'm always amazed at the deep lore the blizz wiz guys come up with
Madcap Jul 24th 2008 5:25PM
Yeah they did a good job of logging into FFXI to come up with that one. Jormungand and his Wyrm sidekicks have been tromping around Vana'diel for about 6 years now.
Jowbulla Jun 13th 2008 10:36PM
If you walk without rhythm, it won't attract the worm.
BenMS Jun 14th 2008 9:12AM
You never gonna learn!
Hurode Jun 13th 2008 10:37PM
Reminds me vaguely of the Thresher Maws from Mass Effect.
Vidi Jun 13th 2008 11:11PM
Take a look at the broken doors of Uldam in Tanaris and you'll see the serpent on the sides of it. Kinda looks like those doors were broken by something like this creature getting out.
RogueJedi86 Jun 15th 2008 1:55AM
But there are no Jormungar worms as mobs in Tanaris.
Vidi Jun 15th 2008 1:59AM
True, none of those worms there, but that doesn't mean they didn't escape from there...or maybe their ancestor.
CvijaFaQ Jun 14th 2008 12:52AM
Spice must flow.
I also got reminded of the movie Tremors.
Vepa Jun 14th 2008 2:27AM
I wonder how Blizz will explain this lore-wise since there weren't any of these things roaming around when I was all over Northrend with Arthas in WC3?
None-the-less it is pretty badass to look at, but I'd imagine it's only going to be as powerful as the elite mobs for group quests, like the rock giants in Netherstorm or the huge bone worm in the Bone Wastes.
Anteia Jun 14th 2008 5:49AM
Well, they -could- have been and they were scarce enough, at that point in time, they just weren't run into as much. They could have populated and spread out more, as reason for why they're actually a major problem now.
Leviathon Jun 15th 2008 12:17AM
Its explained by how the lore for Northrend wasn't exactly worked on as much till the RPG book that came after Warcraft 3 and even more so with WotLK.
Chopz Jun 14th 2008 8:48AM
i think or even hope that blizz makes these like the Fel Reavers of WotLK, roaming around and killing and then popping up in some later quests, possible even being a outdoor raid boss (maybe implement new 10 or 25 man outdoor raid bosses). On the other hand they could just make them into a boss in a raid, or an elite mob the crops up. looks cool tho.
WyldFyre Jun 16th 2008 3:56AM
Jormungand? You guys stole Jormy?
What else are you going to steal next? Kirin?
Mandyn Jun 16th 2008 4:14PM
The lore reminds me of the Lovecraftian Shoggoth. Used to create the cities of Cthulu and his kin across the world and under the ice of Antartica. What I would like would be a raid encounter with one of these where the entire raid is swallowed alive similar to C'thun, but this is a huge sprawling instance where the raid carves a way through flesh and blood to the beasts brain.
Roxton Jun 18th 2008 12:02PM
He who controls the Jormungar controls the spice; he who controls the spice controls the universe. Walk without rhythm...