Baelrog Brood

Baelrog Brood
Political
Type	Terror squad
Race(s)	Zerg
Leader	Cerebrate Gorn
Affiliation	Zerg Swarm
Strength	6,000
Societal
Capital/Base	Mobile (?—March 2500) Aiur (April—June 2500)
Historical
Date Dissolved	June 2500 (upon Gorn's death)
Status	Destroyed on Aiur

The Baelrog Brood consisted of the most fearsome of all zerg warriors. Ravenous and bloodthirsty to the extreme, the Baelrog Brood was often called upon by Cerebrate Gorn to sow terror and confusion among enemy ranks. The brood managed to make even other zerg uncomfortable, as it was not only known for its savage battle tactics, but also for its voracious cannibalism. The Baelrog were bred and trained to attack without hesitation, mercy or self-consideration. Baelrog frequently caused enemy warriors to flee for their lives or turn upon their own kind in order to find some desperate means of escape from the horrendous zerg onslaught.

History

The Baelrog Brood was best noted for its prominent position as one of the broods that invaded Aiur. After the manifestation of the Overmind on Aiur, Cerebrate Gorn landed on the planet to direct its forces from within a hive cluster.

Praetor Fenix attacked his hive cluster, and was able to destroy most of the hive cluster and destroyed the cerebrate's body. But before their very eyes, the cerebrate was reincarnated and its brood rallied to annihilate the protoss attackers, rebuild, and continue the campaign against the protoss.

It was also seen on Char, defending an old terran installation in which Dark Prelate Zeratul was trapped. It had orders to stop High Templar Tassadar before he could reach the Dark Templar. It failed, and the protoss could return to Aiur with the Dark Ones.

A Baelrog nest settled into the site of the Mendella ruins on Aiur, and only a combined force of protoss and terran troops was able to remove the infestation.

In preparation for the final battle with the Overmind, the protoss attacked the central zerg hive clusters of two broods, the Baelrog Brood and the Grendel Brood. Despite the assistance provided by the Tiamat Brood, the protoss scored a tremendous and much needed victory, with the Grendel and Baelrog Broods destroyed by the protoss attackers, and the cerebrates killed by Zeratul.

The destruction of the Baelrog and Grendel Broods left the Overmind virtually defenseless, leaving only two broods to protect it.

Trivia

The Baelrog Brood is named after the demonic Balrog in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth (The Lord of the Rings, etc.).