Jawcrawler
“In this way [the worm] has laid low armies of wanton guests, consumed vast hosts of parasites or invasive growths, and survived, content in its gluttony.”
- — Wormcaller Iz'tikrine, Entomological Essay on Grubs, Volume 1
Jawcrawlers[1] (also known as cave borers,[2][3] ploughworms,[4][5] or jawgrubs)[6] are many-legged, burrowing worms native to Khaz Algar. Lacking both sight and scent,[7] they are aware of their surroundings by sensing reverberations in the ground.[8]
Background
Eyeless, noseless, and devoid of sentience, jawcrawlers are born in darkness[8] as creatures or pure hunger[7][9] with an endless desire to feed,[8] unaware and indifferent as to what they consume.[9] They are aware of their surroundings through reverberations and resonances[8] and hunt by "hearing" the vibrations of footsteps on the ground.[10][11][12] In combat, they spit acid[13] or digestive juices at enemies.[14] They are skilled at rooting out rich minerals from the ground.[15] Jawcrawlers are not social creatures as a rule and normally don't gather in large numbers,[3] but groups of them will usually be led by broodmothers.[16] Despite their seeming mindlessness, jawcrawler broodmothers can display strong motherly instincts by giving their lives to protect their eggs from predators.[17]
It is possible to summon and control jawcrawlers by magically broadcasting certain acoustic resonances through crystals.[3][7] At large sizes, they are used both in battle and as pack animals.[4] The Kaheti nerubian use them both to transport silk[18] and to excavate veins of Black Blood.[19] Wormcaller Iz'tikrine summoned large numbers of jawcrawlers to Azj-Kahet's Wormlands, where they threatened to consume the great roots in the area until the infestation was stopped by Greenspeaker Na'layro.[2] The kobold grubtenders of the Chittering Den in the Ringing Deeps domesticate jawcrawlers and harvest their eggs,[20] which they consider a delicacy.[21] The den came under attack from undercrawlers, who prey on both jawcrawlers and jawcrawler eggs[20][22] and lay their own eggs in the bodies of living jawcrawlers.[23] Some fungarians ride jawcrawlers as mounts after infecting them with their spores.[24]
Notable
Ahg'zagall <The Corrupted Root-Eater>
File:IconSmall Jawcrawler.gif Jawcrawler Broodmother- Rockgore
- Shyalude <Rak-Ush Freeloader>
As a mount
[Ferocious Jawcrawler] can be purchased from Lady Vinazian and Y'tekhi at Renown 22 with the Severed Threads.
As a companion pet
- Common Ploughworms and Ebon Ploughworms can be captured in pet battles in Khaz Algar zones.
- Lil' Bonechewer is rewarded from the [Worm Theory] world quest achievement.
As a hunter pet
- Main article: Worm#As a hunter pet
Jawcrawlers are tamable as worms.
Trivia
The jawcrawlers' appearance, hunting tactics, and 
[Tremorsense] are inspired by the graboid worms from the Tremors franchise.[25]
Gallery
Jawcrawler eggs.
A juvenile jawcrawler.
References
- ^ [75-78] A Helping Farmhand
- ^ a b [78-80] Boom or Blight
- ^ a b c [78-80] Intention vs Instinct
- ^ a b Common Ploughworm
- ^ Ebon Ploughworm, Snapjaw Ploughworm, Ploughworm Broodling
- ^ Captured Jawgrub, Devoured Jawgrub, Displaced Jawgrub, Infested Jawgrub, Invasive Jawgrub
- ^ a b c Entomological Essay on Grubs, Volume 2
- ^ a b c d Entomological Essay on Grubs, Volume 1
- ^ a b Entomological ESsay on Grubs, Volume 3
- ^ [Tremorsense]
- ^ Greenspeaker Na'layro quotes
- ^ [78-80] Heeeelllp!!!
- ^ Acidbreath Jawcrawler, Gluttonous Jawcrawler, Razormouth Devourer, Siltbrood Jawcrawler, Snapjaw Ploughworm etc. abilities
- ^ Ahg'zagall and Rockgore abilities
- ^ [78-80] Delegated Dig
- ^ Acidbreath Broodmother, Broodmother Jawcrawler, Hilltop Broodmother, Jawcrawler Broodmother
- ^ [73-75] A Clutch of Hope
- ^ Kaheti Silkhauler
- ^ Vein Excavator
- ^ a b [73-75] Protecting the Harvest
- ^ Grub Egg
- ^ Devoured Jawgrub
- ^ Infested Jawgrub
- ^ Fungari Myconite and Mycotic Jawcrawler
- ^ Ky Nguyen on X (2024-08-31). Retrieved on 2024-08-31. “still putting together a reel but I wanted to show off my emerge/submerge animation for this graboid looking guy!”
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