Eight-legged freaks: Creepthress

While some rares have interesting backstories, exciting drops or cool appearances, the majority of the rare mobs in the old world are rather average. That is not to say that there isn't anything to say about them, just that they won't be the subject of legends passed down among WoW players.

Then again, spotlighting the lesser-known is the idea of this blog. Naturally I will cover everything.

Today we feature Creepthress, the first of many, many, many spider rarespawns.



Who, what, where, when?

Creepthress is a rare mob spider of the tarantula model, grey in color. The tarantula model was used frequently in classic World of Warcraft, but a lot less in Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King. Now, there are many models from the early days of the game which still hold up well (at least in my opinion). The regular spider model is still quite serviceable, and nicely animated. The tarantula model, though... well, not so much.



The tarantula model is blocky, lacking detail and looks rather silly, especially up close. The animations are not very good either, and the (non-animated) ichor hanging from the front chelicerae looks cartoonish. I believe the model is more or less retired these days, at least until it can be revised and updated, as all spiders found in Northrend use the other spider model as a base (often slightly spruced up) or the "giant spider" model.

Creepthress can be found in Hillsbrad Foothills in the Eastern Kingdoms.



Creepthress can be found in several spots along the southwest area of this zone. Roughly you can look for it in the area limited by Southshore in the east and the main road in the north, in the area surrounding the Azureload Mine. Creepthress wanders, but not very far, and will generally be pating back and forth within a small area. If you do not have tracking, it can be identified visually since it's the only grey-colored tarantula in the zone.



Fun facts?

Not a lot of interesting information to give here, sadly. Creepthress is tameable, but does not have a unique skin. It has no noteable abilities or unique drops.



One curious thing that has been noted is that Creepthress does drop the spider ichor required for the Tarren Mill quest Elixir of Suffering ... and in large quantities. I am therefore speculating that this particular spider is more venomous than the rest, perhaps earning a unique name for its deadliness.



The name itself is rather easy to explain. The regular (green and brown colored) tarantulas in Hillsbrad have names like "Forest Moss Creeper". Just take "creeper" and try to turn it into a proper name, and there you go. The "thress" ending possibly indicates it is a female spider. Maybe this, combined with the speculated deadly venom means that Creepthress is an old, female spider, the mother of many of the lesser arachnids skittering about the zone?

Oh, and one final thing. You probably note here (and in other entries) that I sometimes present screenshots taken both during nighttime and daytime in WoW of the same mob. This is because I often find myself going back for additional pictures after my first finding of the mob, if I can find it. Sometimes I feel I missed an angle, sometimes I just want a shot taken in better light. It's fun trying to find the "best" shots to showcase a mob, and the zone it is in.

Until next time, if you get spider ichor poisoning, remember to report to the nearest healer immediately!

~Dragonshade