Murloc


 * Aaaaaughibbrgubugbugrguburgle! aka RwlRwlRwlRwl (Blizzard spelling) (MP3 sound)

Murlocs (known as gmmmlmrmrgmg or Mmmurlok in their language) are a bipedal, amphibious humanoid race mostly residing along coastlines, lakeshores and riverbeds.

Murlocs tend to dwell in amply-populated coastal settlements, and it is unusual to find individuals wandering too far from their compatriots. According to Brann Bronzebeard, murlocs are smarter than what other races think—smart enough to not let anyone know.

Introduction

 * "When faced with the products of a technologically superior culture, the Blacksilt displayed none of the curiosity characteristic of emerging cultures in humanoid species."
 * — Clopper Wizbang, Explorers' League

Murlocs are a very ancient race of Azeroth who evolved to survive in Azeroth's dangerous aquatic environments. Based on several accounts and clues, it is now believed that murlocs (or, more appropriately, their ancestors) may pre-date trolls. These ancient murlocs lived in the oceans' depths and therefore were never known to the world's early land-dwelling races. According to the dwarven explorer Brann Bronzebeard, murlocs are believed to be descended from gorlocs, who are in turn speculated to be descended from an unknown frog Ancient Guardian.

Background
Murlocs' history is shrouded in mystery. This is due not only to the fact that these creatures appeared on Azeroth's shores fairly recently but also because murlocs shun mortals, holding little tolerance for other races, and rarely, if ever, speak anything but their own garbled language. In recent times, these creatures have been moving in-land steadily from their oceanic dwelling places and inhabiting more areas of Lordaeron and the rest of Azeroth. This move in-land has resulted in them adapting to fresh-water lakes and rivers. Several clues point to the fact that their steady infiltration of the world's landmasses may be a coordinated effort. Whether or not this enterprise has been undertaken strictly of their own accord is not yet known. In the last few years, the vile naga have begun reemerging from their watery abodes, causing historians to speculate that their migration may have triggered the murlocs' slow encroachment onto land. Some also guessed that the murlocs might be working in concert with the sinister amphibians; the naga may not be the only nightmarish horrors lurking in the seemingly bottomless oceans of the world. Several indicators from the murlocs themselves point to the possibility that the fish-men are but worshippers or underlings of perhaps several deep-sea monstrosities that currently lie sleeping, or at least waiting, in the murky fathoms — and even more disturbing, that the murlocs' emergence is an indication of their incipient awakening.

Third War
Murlocs also became unwittingly responsible for the shape of the present-day Horde. Murlocs attacks on the troll Darkspear tribe spurred the orcish warchief Thrall (at the time waylaid on the Darkspear Islands) and his warriors to drive off the marauding fish-men worshipping the naga Zar'jira and then to form an alliance between the Darkspear and the Horde which lasts to this day. This troll-orc alliance would form the heart of the modern-day Horde.

A small murloc encampment was located south of Strahnbrad, near the Blackrock Camp. It was raided by Prince Arthas and his footmen.

A group of murlocs living near Hearthglen captured the farmer Mark.

World of Warcraft
Murlocs are sometimes forcibly enslaved by the naga, killed if they do not submit. Deep murlocs were also seen serving the naga under Lady Naz'jar both during the Vashj'ir storyline and in the Throne of the Tides.

The Bilgefin tribe of murlocs was corrupted by the Burning Legion and used against the vrykul of Morheim. There are more corrupted murlocs, the Felfin tribe, at the Broken Shore.

Murlocs continue to serve the naga under Queen Azshara. According to King Mrgl-Mrgl, the naga have been dismembering their own murloc slaves and wiping out entire murloc tribes to use as ritual and spell components, as well as using them in terrifying magical experiments. He also claims that the murlocs have fled from a certain area of the ocean with ferociously bubbling water and unbearably high heat, but has no idea what is causing it.

Biology
Murlocs possess bulbous bodies, large mouths lined with rows of sharp fangs, clawed hands and feet, slime-coated skin, and can breathe underwater. Individuals range in coloration from turquoise to darkish grey, and while their heights vary from 3.5 ft. to 6 ft, they stand at an average of just 4 ft.

Females tend to be slightly larger than the males, however. Depending on the variety, murlocs may lean towards a closer resemblance to frogs or to fish; the iconic green murloc, for example, has coloration similar to the.

Originally from the sea, Murlocs move in-land has resulted in them adapting to fresh-water lakes and rivers.

Murlocs have an excellent underwater vision and can see in almost pitch blackness. They possess small scent glands that produce a foul-smelling pheromone. According to Cannary Caskshot, "they get that smell on stuff, and when another murloc smells it, they go all crazy! Makes great bait for 'em." When the Mosshide Representative was splashed in a bottle of potent pheromones, the nearby murlocs entered a violent frenzy and soon attacked and killed the gnoll.

According to Apothecary Renzithen, murlocs retain their free will in undeath, though it is unclear whether this is caused by a natural resistance to the will of the Lich King or if the undead murlocs, like the Forsaken, broke away at some point from the greater Scourge. Despite this, the Scourge were able to bolster their ranks with the mur'ghoul: a group of undead murlocs.

Young
Baby murlocs are referred to as tadpoles. They are less hostile than the adults, and some are even collected by other races as pets and companions. Baby murlocs are usually kept close to the adults, but can sometimes be found inside large clams, such as those off the east coast of Durotar or in the Narsong Trench in Krasarang Wilds. During November, the secretive Squigglefin tribe of murlocs often sends young tadpoles out to explore, adventure and begin their tale.

The young one have bigger eyes and are bright green, darkening when getting older. When they are young and useless, they are carried on murlocs' back.

Infant murlocs have a large buck tooth, and also possess a small tail. The latter is a feature adults lose, giving birth to the speculation that murloc larvae are purely aquatic, but as the individual grows their water-adapted features gradually disappear, making them more capable of living on land. Baby murlocs are prone to high pitched infantile babbling and gurgling, often in a sing-song style, and have also been known to dance.

Magic
For many years these enigmatic creatures appeared to be capable of only the most basic magic. The fish-men are fully capable of casting potent earth and water spells (elemental), and their numbers on land increase by the day.

Intelligence
Murlocs may appear colorful and simple to the casual observer, and their supposed intelligence has been debated. Some argue that, since their guttural language is impossibly difficult to decipher, they have limited intelligence. However, their use of weaponry and uncanny fighting abilities imply a rather sinister racial intellect. Murlocs may not be as dumb as everyone thinks they are. Several clues point to the fact that their steady infiltration of the world's land masses may be a coordinated effort. Whether or not this enterprise has been undertaken strictly of their own accord is not yet known.

Additionally, D.E.H.T.A. representative King Mrgl-Mrgl discovered, after he had learned their language, that the Winterfin tribe of murlocs in the Borean Tundra of Northrend are as intelligent as any of Azeroth's more "civilized" races. Whether this is scientifically true, or if he is just too attached to the murloc species, is yet to be seen. According to Brann Bronzebeard, murlocs are smarter than what other races think—smart enough to not let anyone know.

Subraces
There are several subraces of murlocs, whom themselves originate from the Gorlocs but some are not a true subrace, like the mur'gul, who are a kind of murloc with larger teeth and spikes on their backs, enslaved by the naga as both cannon fodder and a labor force.


 * BTNMurlocMutant.png Mutant murloc
 * BTNMurgulTideWarrior.png Mur'gul
 * Mur'ghoul - The mur'ghoul are a group of undead murlocs found at the Chillmere Coast in the Howling Fjord.
 * Deep sea murloc - The deep sea murlocs live in the ocean depths strongly resembling an anglerfish, with sharp fangs and bioluminescent growths protruding from their foreheads.
 * - The jinyu originated from murlocs who were fortunate enough to live near the enchanted pools of the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. The magic of the pools expanded their minds and grew their bodies until they became one of the great ancient cultures of Pandaria.
 * Ankoan - The ankoan are an ancient species of deep sea warriors who evolved from jinyu that left Pandaria long ago. They inhabit the deepest and most dangerous parts of the ocean.

Culture
Murlocs pass down their history orally, which given how incomprehensible their language is to other races (although some are capable of learning and speaking it fluently), adds to the mystery surrounding them. Just adding to the confusion, murlocs do not measure time like most other races do, so pinpointing dates of important events is very difficult for historians. Nonetheless, most of the currently accepted knowledge of murlocs comes from outside observation.

According to Thalyss Greyoak, a murloc has no more valuable possession than his or her nets.

Languages
Murlocs speak Nerglish, a language shared by the makrura, that is incomprehensible to other races (although some are capable of learning and speaking it fluently). There are recorded instances of murlocs capable of more structured speech, as evidenced by the conversations held by the Murloc Sorcerer and Thrall during the Horde's stopover in the Darkspear Islands. The Winterfin tribe is known to speak a dialect that is apparently different enough to not make it usable with common Nerglish.

Religion
Murlocs have been known, in certain instances, to worship enigmatic sea-deities (sometimes including naga). The Rockpool tribe of the Blasted Lands worship Neptulon the Tidehunter as a god. When the druid Taryndrella died, the murloc Murky hoped that she is eating a fish feast at the feet of the great tide gods.

Cuisine
Siamese Cats are considered a delicacy by giant murlocs. The Winterfin tribe are known to make a form of stew made from orca blubber. Deep in Nazjatar, however, murlocs only eat three things: crabs, fish, and people.

Territories, villages and tribes
Murlocs congregate on shorelines in tribes and villages. In recent times, the murlocs have spread to many regions in both the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. On Kalimdor, the murlocs are most commonly found inhabiting inland lakes and the eastern shores, though a few tribes do prowl the long beaches between Teldrassil and Darkshore. Additionally, probably the highest level murlocs live Quel'Danas. In the Eastern Kingdoms, murlocs can be found terrorizing almost every coastal shore and inland body of water. In Northrend, the Winterfin murlocs tolerate the presence of outsiders, although their trust must be earned before one is truly accepted.

Cultural notes

 * Many murlocs are known to wear jewelry to attract a mate.
 * If threatened, murlocs are more than willing to help one another.
 * "Fish in the Stream" and "My Favorite Pearl" are murloc songs that Taryndrella somehow knew and sang them to Murky.
 * When Taryndrella died, Murky hoped that she is eating a fish feast at the feet of the great tide gods and that she has a home among the tides.

As a companion pet
A number of murloc companions have been added to the game over the years, each as part of a special promotion, with the pet no longer available once the promotion has ended. There are three exceptions-Glimr's Cracked Egg, Squirky and White Murloc Egg.


 * Blue Murloc Egg (Murky), a blue murloc pet, BlizzCon 2005 premium.
 * Glimr's Cracked Egg is a reward from Guardian of the Smallest.
 * Grommloc, a Grom Hellscream-themed murloc, BlizzCon 2014 premium.
 * Heavy Murloc Egg (Grunty), a Space Marine-themed murloc, BlizzCon 2009 premium.
 * Knight-Captain Murky and Legionnaire Murky, soldier-themed murlocs, BlizzCon 2016 premium.
 * Lurky's Egg (Lurky), a white murloc pet, premium for European Collector's Edition of the Burning Crusade expansion pack.
 * Murgle is a rare drop from King Gakula in Nazjatar.
 * Murkalot's Flail (Murkalot), a Crusader-themed murloc, BlizzCon 2013 premium.
 * Murkidan, an Illidan Stormrage-themed murloc, BlizzCon 2015 premium.
 * Murkimus' Little Spear (Murkimus), a gladiator-themed murloc, Arena Tournament reward.
 * Murky's Little Soulstone (Murkablo), a Diablo-themed murloc, BlizzCon 2011 premium.
 * Pink Murloc Egg (Gurky), a pink murloc pet, prize for several contests during Christmas 2006.
 * Smoldering Murloc Egg (Deathy), a Deathwing-themed murloc, BlizzCon 2010 premium.
 * Squirky, caught from pet battles on Seabreak Isle off the coast of Azsuna.
 * White Murloc Egg (Terky), originally given out as part of a promotion in Taiwan. Can also be found in a small cave in Borean Tundra.

Other

 * Murloc Costume, Blizzcon 2007 premium.
 * The Big Blizzard Bear mount, BlizzCon 2008 premium, has a small murloc riding in front of the player character and holding a BlizzCon banner.
 * Baby Murlocs in a Murloc Cage, object of Have You Ever Seen One of These?

Popularity
Outside of the game, murlocs have been used as a mascot for Blizzard Entertainment, given away as in-game pets at BlizzCon. The murloc has also been used to advertise products outside of the Warcraft series, such as a Murloc marine advertising StarCraft II. A song has also been written, with Murlocs as the subject, named "I am Murloc" by Samwise Didier. The Korean player Jang Min Chul sometimes wears a murloc suit after winning a game. In addition, J!NX has created a murloc plushie which can be bought here, and a murloc vinyl figure which may be bought here.

The mini-game Failoc-alypse, released during BlizzCon 2009, involves battling waves of "failocs" to defend BlizzCon.

Murlocs have spawned a large following of fans in the Warcraft community. This had led to the creation of websites, fan fiction, videos, and games like the ones below!


 * Murloc game
 * Save the Murlocs
 * Vid
 * Vid no.2

Inspiration
Murlocs may be another one of the numerous references to H.P. Lovecraft found in World of Warcraft. In his story The Shadow Over Innsmouth, a man encounters an ancient, fish-human hybrid race known as "The Deep Ones." The story implies that they have been living in the ocean for centuries, and slowly advancing to land, where they will claim it as their own by breeding with coastal humans. Furthermore, the Murlocs' implied worship of deep-sea monstrosities is reminiscent of "The Deep Ones"' fervent worship of their Deep-Sea god, Dagon.

In Hearthstone

 * Murlocs are a minion type in Hearthstone, notable for having many small, low-cost minions, several of which have powerful synergy effects with other murlocs.
 * Several murlocs in the The Grand Tournament expansion are shown riding frogs or toads. It is unknown if this is characteristic of the entire race.
 * Harth Stonebrew described the murlocs at the Grand Tournament as "all geared up in plate, clankin' about like wee fishy-smellin' mechs".
 * The Stormheim quest giver Sir Finley Mrrgglton first appeared in the League of Explorers adventure as a member of the titular league.
 * Giantfin, a giant murloc, serves as the second boss of the adventure's third wing, the Ruined City.
 * In the Whispers of the Old Gods expansion, in the midst of corruption by the Old Gods, "inquisitors" of the Vile Fin tribe have recruited some murlocs into the Knights of the Silver Hand or some organization based on said knights.

In the RPG
Murlocs organize into small tribes and larger clans. The clans can muster their tribes into a fighting force when needed for invasion. Rarely, clans may join each other to form larger forces.

Tactics
Murlocs are pack fighters, preferring to swarm opposing forces with overwhelming numbers. When pressed, the pack breaks and murlocs run back to the safety of water, often leaving their allies behind. Some warriors view murloc tactics as cowardly. More experienced warriors know better.

Those who pursue the murlocs to the water are crushed without mercy. Despite their monstrous appearances and weak bodies, murlocs are cunning foes with sharp senses and sharper reflexes. Naturally, murlocs are incredible warriors underwater. All too often, when a murloc group retreats to water, it’s to draw enemy forces into the numerous hidden murlocs waiting claws. Underwater, murlocs use their aquatic skills and numbers to decimate enemy forces.

When engaging in battle underwater, murlocs attack from all directions, using their numbers and amphibious bodies well. Like a swarm of piranhas, murlocs dart out of the swarm and attack quickly, then retreat back into the safety of the swarm. Even trivial wounds are considered great hits, as the more the swarm attacks, the weaker the enemy becomes. Furthermore, the swarm does not allow the victim to escape. The strongest combatants can die of drowning or blood loss when engaging in underwater combat with a murloc army.

On land, murlocs are not nearly as dangerous. Despite their agility, most murlocs are slow and clumsy on land, ill-equipped for the rigors of dry worlds. Murloc forces rarely move far inland (except to find large bodies of water), preferring to stay near the safety of water. When forced to battle on land, murlocs employ similar hit and run tactics, attempting to weaken the foe before going for the kill.

Faith
Murloc faith is strange. Some accounts report that religion plays a dominant role in their society, though they do not revere a single, common deity (to our knowledge, at least). Their religion is then polytheistic, animistic, and even a bit shamanistic. They have rituals involving communication with the sea and its powers, and they worship the water and the powerful entities within it. Murloc beliefs incorporate powerful creatures that live around them, and their pantheons are dynamic, changing to include new creatures they encounter. They may add or remove creatures to their worship structure to reflect recent events. A tribe may venerate a whale (or may even raise its status to whale-god) until a giant sea serpent drives it away, at which point their beliefs change to center on the sea serpent as the chief object of their reverence. Another tribe may worship a naga sea witch until she is killed by sharks, at which point she is replaced by the sharks. A nearby creature that exemplifies murloc values — such as a strong shark or a quick fish — becomes a living symbol of the murloc faith. As the animals die or move on, the murloc faith mutates to find new symbolism in their surroundings. Some are known to revere the Deep Mother, a representation of the ocean. All things in the water are her children. Though murlocs have not been observed to unite behind a single deity, some rumors claim that all murlocs revere an entity called "the One in the Deeps". However, it is unclear whether this is also a representation of the ocean or if it is even an entity at all.

Villages
Murloc villages consist of a collection of rough mud-and-twig huts strewn about without pattern. These villages typically have no fire, no clear walkways, and no fortifications. The huts are crude and plain, and the settlement is otherwise featureless except for the shallow basin often found behind the shaman's hut. Most huts stand on stilts to protect them from the tides and flooding.

In sharp contrast to their primitive exteriors, the interior walls of most murloc huts are often elaborately decorated. Some depict branching coral while others contain mosaics of shell and stone and yet others possess surprisingly delicate tapestries of shaded seaweed. The huts are usually open to the air, with small wooden pillars to hold the roof. Murlocs sleep in the water or on woven mats of seaweed, tied firmly enough to maintain their shape but still loose enough to look like small rectangular nets. Hooks of coral hold weapons and other items on the walls or pillars.

Artisans
Murlocs rarely work in metal and almost never touch fire. They are expert carvers, however, and can work stone, shell, coral, or wood into fabulous shapes and amazing scenes and designs. One such example is a lifelike piranha carved from a short piece of coral. Shaman staffs are also works of art, carved to hold bone and shell chips as well as teeth, flippers, and claws of various sea creatures not seen by most land dwellers. The Blacksilt murlocs of the Bloodmyst Isle are also known for their stone-carved idols.

Murlocs don't trade these items, though; they typically trade only shells and seaweed and other raw materials (in the case of the Winterfin murlocs, unopened clams). It is claimed that they sometimes award traders with their artwork after particularly good trades.

Notes and trivia

 * Murlocs were brought to the alternate Draenor and became a part of the Lunarfall and Frostwall shipyard crews.
 * Murlocs in World of Warcraft have red blood, whereas they formed pools of green blood when killed in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.
 * Hunting (i.e. grinding) murlocs can be profitable, given that murloc fins are an essential ingredient in a common broth and supposedly taste like chicken. Slimy Murloc Scales are required expert leatherworkers for use in crafting fine armor. Murlocs carry clams consistent with their level, as do most aquatic creatures, which can contain various grades of clam meat and pearls. It is possible that all murlocs use clams as currency, as the Winterfin murlocs do. In addition, certain murlocs command hefty bounties because of their tendencies to terrorize coastal commerce and fishing locations.
 * The second song by Elite Tauren Chieftain, "I Am Murloc", is centered around the amphibious creatures and their ferocious nature.
 * Their voice actor is Tracy W. Bush.
 * Before the draenei were announced as the new Alliance race in The Burning Crusade, murlocs were among the rumored choices for a new player character race. This was not taken particularly seriously, however.
 * As an April Fools joke, during April 1, 2005, Blizzard changed all the avatars on the US World of Warcraft forums into murlocs, and the murloc attack sound from the game was played in the background.
 * Licking a murloc will grant you visions, usually of you being mauled by an angry murloc.
 * Khadgar has a fondness for murlocs, while Illidan neither likes them nor understands why some people do.
 * A murloc features at the entry gate to the Blizzard World map in Overwatch. A "Murloc Island" ride also features. The parking lots are named after the various baby murloc pets in World of Warcraft.
 * Murlocs are an example of a non-playable race that continually comes up when Blizzard internally discusses allied races, but as of 2017 they are not planned as an allied race.
 * Murlocs were originally created during the development process for Warcraft III, where one of the artists thought that they needed more creeps to put on the map, and retextured a ghoul unit to create the first murloc.
 * Early in the development of World of Warcraft, the murloc model was significantly more fish-like.
 * The iconic murloc attack noise was almost cut from World of Warcraft many times during the game's development as several people complained about it. Rob Pardo at one point had the sound department create an alternate sound to put into the game instead, but this was soon reverted when everyone wanted the original noise back.

Speculation
If Brann is correct about a frog Wild God creating the gorlocs and by extension murlocs, it may have been Krag'wa.