Magatha Grimtotem

Magatha Grimtotem
Title	<Elder Crone>
Gender	Female
Race	Tauren
Level	93 Elite
Class	Shaman
Affiliation(s)	Grimtotem tribe
Occupation	Matriarch of the Grimtotem tribe
Location	Unknown (Lore); Thousand Needles (WoW)
Status	Alive
Relative(s)	Helka (niece), Arnak (nephew, disowned), deceased mate, unnamed granddaughter and grand nephews

Magatha Grimtotem is the elder crone and matriarch of the once-mighty Grimtotem tribe. A powerful shaman and cunning leader, Magatha was the chief rival to High Chieftain Cairne Bloodhoof for the leadership of all tauren. When she found she could not remove Cairne politically, Magatha turned to treachery. After engineering Cairne's death and briefly taking control of Thunder Bluff, Magatha and her Grimtotem were defeated by an army raised by Cairne's son Baine, and Magatha was exiled (along with any who chose to remain with her) by the new High Chieftain.

Biography

World of Warcraft

This section concerns content related to the original World of Warcraft.

Magatha Grimtotem.

Blessed with shamanic powers when she was just a young girl, Magatha has sought power and prestige nearly all her life. She became the matriarch of the Grimtotem clan through an arranged marriage that many suspect she arranged herself, but subsequently lost her mate to an unforeseen climbing accident. Since her mate's death, Magatha has commanded the stern Grimtotem warriors. The Grimtotems believe that Magatha will lead them in eradicating the lesser races from Kalimdor and retaking the tauren ancestral holdings abroad. Magatha constantly sparred with Cairne Bloodhoof over the direction of the tauren future and feels that only she is fit to rule her people.

For reasons known only to herself, Magatha gave more aid to the Forsaken than to other high-ranking tauren such as Cairne Bloodhoof or Hamuul Runetotem. This included arguing on their behalf when the idea of forming an alliance with them was first suggested. Ostensibly she's helped them and continues to work closely with them because she feels the tauren and their ways can help the Forsaken find a path back to being human. Skeptics believe her motives to be much less altruistic. Skeptics also do not trust the Forsaken.

Magatha tried to negotiate with the troggs of Ragefire Chasm, but was met with hostility. She also sent Ravak Grimtotem to observe other races, especially the gnomes.

It was implied in the quest Arikara that the serpent of vengeance sought her (though she claimed it was after Cairne Bloodhoof and tasked adventurers with destroying it).

World of Warcraft: The Comic

This section concerns content related to the Warcraft manga or comics.

Rehgar Earthfury took his gladiatorial slaves, Broll Bearmantle and Lo'Gosh, to Thunder Bluff. When they arrived, Rehgar was approached by Magatha, who said she knew several young tauren who would be strong candidates for his battle training - including her granddaughter and several grand nephews. While Rehgar considered his proposal, Broll and Lo'Gosh went to bathe in the Pools of Vision. They were attacked by a large cave elemental Magatha had summoned, but Lo'Gosh defeated it and the pools helped him recall some of his lost memories. In an attempt to discredit Cairne (who had been hesitant to disturb the elemental without understanding what it wanted), Magatha cheered on "Rehgar's champions" for accomplishing "what the great Cairne could not".

Some time later, Rehgar's gladiators escaped. Some Forsaken informed her that a human assassin will be arriving soon and he arrived right after the departure of the two. She told him to meet her later. For 100 golds, she showed the assassin through a vision of Lo'Gosh location, the Warsong Gulch, and how he there won a battle with the night elves.

Legends - Miles to Go

Template:Manga-section Magatha sent a young tauren shaman named Kova Broadhorn to find a reclusive orc seer Dhambeela who is a personal friend and ally of Magatha. Kova succeeded and Magatha reunited with Dhambeela during the Darkmoon Faire at the base of Thunder Bluff. It seems that Dhambeela knew about Magatha's plan of removing Cairne. Magatha then spoke to Kova who thanked her for realizing that there is nothing wrong with accepting a help.

Exile

This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.

Main article: The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm

In the shadows, Magatha watches in triumph as Cairne is slain by Garrosh

Magatha, who became a matriarch of her tribe after her husband's accidental death, was present during a ceremony for Garrosh and his veterans from War against the Lich King.

Seeing Garrosh Hellscream as a potential means of disposing of Cairne, Magatha offers her support and that of the Grimtotem tribe to the new Warchief. When Cairne, displeased with Garrosh's leadership, challenges him to mak'gora, Magatha offers to be the shaman who blesses Garrosh's weapon, thus showing her opposition to Cairne openly. But rather than the ritual oils, Magatha applies poison to the blade of Gorehowl, merely applying drops of it to the axe head (not using her fingers to spread it around the blade, as was customary - a fact that Garrosh, largely ignorant of the dictates of mak'gora, did not notice). A glancing blow to Cairne paralyzes him, allowing Garrosh to kill him.

Cairne's body was not even cold before Magatha ordered her tribe to attack Thunder Bluff and other tauren towns, and kill everyone in them - including Cairne's son and heir, Baine. However, a Grimtotem shaman, known as Stormsong, warned Baine of his father's death and of the plan to assassinate him, and aided him in rallying a force to take down Magatha and the Grimtotems. Magatha sent a request for assistance to Garrosh in Orgrimmar, believing that he would aid her as she had "aided" him; having discovered what had happened, Garrosh sent an insult-laden reply, condemning her treachery and refusing to aid her. The Grimtotem stood alone when Baine led his assault on Thunder Bluff, forcing Magatha to yield.

Crushing Magatha's totems, a grievous insult to the elements that she would have to atone for, Baine banished Magatha from the tauren lands on pain of death, and allowed those who would not follow her to remain in Thunder Bluff if they swore allegiance to him, under the leadership of Jevan Grimtotem, as their chieftain. Magatha and her loyalists, about three-quarters of the original tribe, were then taken to their place of exile in the Stonetalon Mountains.

Cataclysm

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

Magatha in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm.

Magatha's exile has not ended too well for the Elder Crone and her followers -- Horde forces in the Stonetalon region have destroyed the Grimtotem's main camp, and the surviving Grimtotem have been forced to enter into an uneasy (and temporary) truce with the Alliance.

After making her way to the Grimtotem stronghold of Darkcloud Pinnacle, Magatha disappeared. She was a prize to the Twilight's Hammer, who took Magatha prisoner alongside many others in the region. Speaking through Arikara, she's able to rid her clan of incompetent leaders and gain powerful artifacts with the help of adventurers. However, the Twilight Cultists may have miscalculated in taking her prisoner, as she seems to have gained a great deal of understanding of their operations in Thousand Needles and even manages to manipulate others into not only opposing the Hammer, but in giving her access to several powerful artifacts in the process, including the Doomstone, a magical device capable of absorbing and amplifying elemental power. While the Twilights intended to use the Elemental Animus powered by the Doomstone to destroy all of Thousand Needles, it is as yet unknown what Magatha intends to do with the device, but she promised the next time she meets the adventurers, it would be their last encounter. Her whereabouts are currently unknown.

Quests

Magatha Grimtotem is a level 93 (previously 88) NPC in the Thousand Needles, where she offers the following quests:

• Quest:To the Withering
• Quest:Four Twilight Elements
• Quest:Unbound
• Quest:The Doomstone
• Quest:Spread the Word

Finding her is also the objective of Quest:The Elder Crone (Thousand Needles).

Before the Cataclysm

The subject of this section has been removed from World of Warcraft.

Magatha in World of Warcraft, prior to the Cataclysm.

Originally, Magatha was a level 62 quest giver located on Elder Rise in the tauren city of Thunder Bluff. She was attended by her guards, Cor and Gorm Grimtotem, and by her servant, Rahauro. She offered the following quests:

• Quest:The Elder Crone
• Quest:Forsaken Aid
• Quest:Sacred Fire
• Quest:Arikara
• Quest:Delivery to Magatha
• Quest:Magatha's Payment to Jediga

In the RPG

This section contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

Magatha’s the oldest living Grimtotem and the most powerful shaman of the tribe. She is an elderly tauren female with powerful shoulders and a white muzzle. She has not let age slow her down one bit, and she defends her position with every spark of magic at her command. She is forging ties with the Forsaken, and thinks they are the type to understand an unwavering hatred against all other races. It is rumored that she is planning on killing Bloodhoof, though she is not nearly strong enough to do so at this point.

Quotes

Greetings

What brings you to old Magatha?

Oh what is it that you want stranger? I have little time for foolishness!

Be careful what you search for stranger.

Notes

• Magatha has her own unique voiceovers.
• Magatha now wears the shaman tier 10 armor, minus the helmet.
• Interestingly, while all other members of the Grimtotem Clan have war paint, Magatha does not.
• Magatha's age is advanced and her sight is not as bright as it used to be.
• First Mate Hapana has a tattoo - am arrow-pierced heart with the name MAGATHA.
• Artifacts in her possession -  [Tablet of Beth'Amara], an item from  [Grimtotem Satchel],  [The Rattle of Bones],  [The Writ of History],  [The Drums of War] and the Doomstone.

Patch changes

• Patch 5.0.4 (2012-08-28): Updated to 93.
  
• Patch 4.0.3a (2010-11-23): Exiled from Thunder Bluff. Now seen in Thousand Needles.
  
• Patch 1.2.0 (2004-12-18): Added.
  

External links

• Wowhead
• WoWDB