If you venture into Dire Maul, it’s hard to miss the huge pit located outside the three instance wings in the Broken Commons. Before Cataclysm, entering the Maul would flag players for PVA (Player vs. All) which allowed them to attack and kill other players in the Maul, regardless of faction, much like the Gurubashi Arena in Stranglethorn Vale – unless you were already in a party.

Since it was often a race to tag the opponent, people would usually just dismount mid-air or jump into the pit at the risk of taking fall damage and possibly dying from another competitor taking out the competition. Once the fight began, the double doors to the only exit were sealed shut, opening only once the fight was over. This tunnel was the only exit from the Maul unless, of course, you hearthed.

An NPC named Griniblix the Spectator would enthusiastically yell that one of three random spawns had appeared. He could be heard by anybody inside the Maul. It’s interesting to note you are no longer flagged so if you have a dig site there, don’t be afraid to fly into the arena if you wish.

Skarr the Unbreakable

Skarr the Unbreakable

Skarr the Unbreakable had four abilities:

  • Cleave – Inflict 110% of normal melee damage to an enemy and its nearest ally.
  • Mortal Strike – Inflict 300% weapon damage and leave the target wounded, reducing the effectiveness of any healing by 50% for 5 sec.
  • Knockdown – Inflict 32 to 48 damage to an enemy, stunning it for 2 sec.
  • Summon Player – Teleported the target in front of you. This was cast if the player was attacking the enemy from outside the arena.

He was a popular spawn since his drop rate for the Orb of Deception was ~12%.

Skarr the Broken

Skarr the Broken now spawns in the eastern mountains of the Lower Wilds. I’ve been told there’s a spike sticking up from the ground where he spawns which is probably why he looks so unhappy and well… broken.

The Razza

The Razza

The Razza had three abilities:

  • Poison Bolt – Shot poison at an enemy, inflicting 150 to 200 Nature damage, then an additional 100 damage every 5 sec. for 10 sec.
  • Chain Lightning – Strike an enemy with a lightning bolt for 463 to 537 Nature damage that arced to another nearby enemy. The spell affected up to 10 targets, inflicting greater Nature damage to each successive target.
  • Summon Player – Teleported the target in front of you. This was cast if the player was attacking the enemy from outside the arena.

The Razza

After Cataclysm, The Razza can be found in an abandoned Gnoll camp in the Lower Wilds of south-east Feralas, west of New Thalanaar. If you can’t fly you’ll need to follow a path high into the mountains at the base of 83, 46. He’s an exotic beast tameable by BM hunters and even has a new skin.

Mushgog

Mushgog had three abilities:

  • Entangling Roots – Entangled an enemy in roots, inflicting 25 Nature damage every 3 sec. and immobilising it for up to 10 sec.
  • Thorn Volley – Dealt 150 damage to nearby enemies, knocking them down for 2 sec.
  • Summon Player – Teleported the target in front of you. This was cast if the player was attacking the enemy from outside the arena.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a picture of Mushgog pre-Cataclysm. These days you’ll find him wandering around Woodpaw Hills.

On a side note, at 76, 48 in Feralas you can still find Griniblix the Spectator. If you talk to him he says “Listen, if you’re headed for a fight, Skarr was headed towards the Lariss Pavillion, and The Razza was soaring in the direction of New Thalanaar”.

All three don’t seem to share a spawn timer. I managed to find Skarr and Razza up at the same time within a couple of minutes of each other. Mushgog wasn’t up when I went looking for him initially but I didn’t have to wait too long either. He spawned within 30mins, allowing me to get some nice shots of all three. In the Maul, they were known for some nice blue drops. Nowadays, they drop green quality items which are suitable for levellers in the area.