Murloc The murloc is a bipedal , amphibious , semi - intelligent , aggressive race residing along coastlines , lakeshores , and riverbeds . Murlocs possess bulbous bodies , large mouths lined with rows of sharp fangs , and slime - coated skin . Individuals range in coloration from turquoise to darkish grey , while their heights vary from 3 - 1 / 2 feet to 6 feet . 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 red - eyed tree frog . Though murlocs are relatively new to the Eastern Kingdoms , it is increasingly believed that they are actually a very ancient race of Azeroth . These creatures have been moving in - land steadily from their oceanic dwelling places and inhabiting more areas of Lordaeron . This move in - land has resulted in them adapting to fresh - water lakes and rivers . 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 . 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 . Murlocs tend to dwell in amply - populated coastal settlements , and it is unusual to find individuals wandering too far from their compatriots . Players looking to engage murlocs should be wary of their surroundings ; the creatures often lurk out of sight beneath the surface of the water . This tendency , coupled with their large social aggro radius , can often lead to larger pulls . 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 . Hunting ( i . e . grinding ) murlocs can be profitable , given that murloc fins are an essential ingredient in a common broth . Slimy Murloc Scale s are often in demand with 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 . Their voice actor is Tracy W . Bush . History . Murloc history is largely unknown since most of their lore consists of their own oral tradition , which itself seems to be rote repetitions of unpronounceable forefathers . Murlocs speak Nerglish , a language shared by the makrura . 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 Broken Isles . Nonetheless , most of the currently accepted knowledge of murlocs comes from outside observation . Much of what is known about Murlocs is readily observable by any traveler . As noted earlier , murlocs tend to congregate on shorelines in densely - populated camps and villages . They have been known , in certain cases , to worship enigmatic sea - deities ( including naga ) . Most importantly , the majority of murloc tribes seem to harbor very little tolerance for most other sentient races . Though known to the night elves on Kalimdor for some time , the murlocs are relatively new to the eastern continents of Lordaeron and Azeroth . It is purported that murlocs are actually a very ancient race of the world , at least as old as the first Naga , since the serpentine creatures are known to have enslaved a group of deep sea - dwelling murlocs known as the mur ' gul . In recent times , the murlocs became unwittingly responsible for the shape of the present - day Horde . Murloc attacks on the trollish Darkspear tribe spurred the orc ish warchief Thrall ( at the time waylaid on the Darkspear Islands ) and his warriors to drive off the marauding fish - men 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 , which the tauren , Forsaken , and blood elves would later join . Culture . " 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 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 . Another example would be the Rockpool tribe , who worship Neptulon the Tidehunter . 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 . Languages . Murlocs speak a dialect of Nerglish ( aka Murloc ) and usually no other languages . However , some do learn other languages in order to trade shells and seaweed and other raw materials with other races . They can speak Common in some cases , but Nerglish may have been inherited from the Naga , as with other fish races . 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 . Undeath . 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 . Known murloc territories / 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 on the coasts of northern Azshara . 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 . Official info . World of Warcraft lore about " The Murlocs " from the old official sites . " Murloc origins are shrouded in mystery . This is due not only to the fact that these creatures appeared on Azeroth ' s shores fairly recently ( as far as world history goes , anyway ) but also because murlocs shun mortals and rarely , if ever , speak anything but their own garbled language . " " What ' s been known up until now about the fish - men is the following : they are not the most intelligent creatures . They congregate on shorelines in tribes and villages . They have been known , in certain instances to worship enigmatic sea - deities ( sometimes including naga ) . And they seem to care little for the mortal races . " " However , recent accounts by select individuals who managed to gather information — either by spying , torturing or surreptitiously gaining the murlocs ' trust , have brought some interesting details to light … " " First , 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 . " " Also , the murloc race may be far older than most believe . Several accounts and clues seem to substantiate this . In fact , it is now believed that murlocs ( or , more appropriately , their ancestors ) may even pre - date trolls . Of course these ancient murlocs lived in the oceans ' depths and therefore were never known to the world ' s early land - dwelling races . " " 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 . " " But perhaps the most startling revelation to come from recent intelligence - gathering efforts was this : 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 . " " If that is the case , the mysterious and somewhat underestimated murlocs may be the world ' s first glimpse at something far more terrifying . " I Am Murloc . Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain performed the song I Am Murloc on July 16 , 2007 , at that years ' annual blizzcon . The song appears on the band ' s fictional album ' Udder Chaos ' . Popularity . Murlocs have spawned a large following of fans in the Warcraft community . This has led to the creation of websites , fan fiction , videos , and games like the ones below ! In addition , J ! NX has created a murloc plushie which can be bought here . On the other hand , there is a group of fans that wishes nothing more than to see Murlocs exterminated once and for all from the face of Azeroth . These players tend to be Alliance as it is the Alliance that runs into them more often than not . External Links . needs support