Jormungand Brood

Jormungand Brood
Political
Type	Primary Support Force
Race(s)	Zerg
Leader	Araq (?—at least until 2500)
De Facto Leader	Overmind (?—November 2500)
Affiliation	Zerg Swarm (?—at least until 2500)
Strength	3,000,000
Societal
Capital/Base	Mobile (?—June 2500) Char (June—September 3, 2500) Aiur (September 3—?)
Historical
Status	Possibly destroyed or assimilated into the Kerrigan's Zerg Swarm.

The Jormungand Brood was one of the major Broods of the zerg Swarm. It was one of the most heavy-handed zerg attack forces. Typically called on to follow the fast preemptive strikes of the Garm Brood, the Jormungand Brood relied on its massive numbers and brute force to overcome any foes, pacifying all other resistance to the Swarm. It excelled at ground-based combat and direct unit-to-unit warfare.

History

Chau Sara

The Jormungand Brood was the first Zerg Brood to engage in open warfare with the Terran Confederacy and for all intents and purposes, the terran species as well. In November 2499, the Jormungand Brood force attacked Chau Sara, specifically an Alpha Squadron force sent to deal with the Sons of Korhal. The Brood also attacked the Flannum Installation and secured the area around it. Both times however, Alpha Squadron, with the aid of Cerberus Recon Squad, was able to prevail against the Brood.

The Jormungand Brood also laid siege to Los Andares and maintained the zerg's primary hive cluster on the planet alongside the Tiamat Brood. While Los Andares was liberated and the primary hive cluster destroyed, these were minor setbacks. The Confederacy placed Chau Sara under a lockdown, allowing the Brood to continue to operate on the planet.

Tarsonis

Elements of the Jormungand Brood were present on a space platform above Mar Sara but its most notable deployment after Chau Sara was on Tarsonis. The Jormungand Brood established their primary hive cluster in and around New Gettysburg, attacking the Confederates. When the protoss arrived in order to attack it, the cluster was defended by the Sons of Korhal under Sarah Kerrigan. After the protoss were destroyed, a massive swarm of zerg warriors overran Kerrigan's base camp and destroyed its defenders, abducting Kerrigan herself. Kerrigan was put in a chrysalis during a long process of being infested, and a new Brood was formed to protect the chrysalis as it matured.

Aiur

It is likely that the Jormungund Brood played a key role in the invasion of Aiur (see below), but it can be said for certainty that it played a key role in the defence of the Overmind, once again fighting alongside the Tiamat Brood. Despite the joint defence, a combined protoss/terran force succeeded in overcoming the defences and destroying the Overmind. In the aftermath of the Overmind's destruction, the Brood's minnions roamed Aiur like mindless beasts, removed from the Swarm's power structure. However, similar Broods likely spawned by the second Overmind and its Cerebrates carried on its legacy.

Controversy

There has been some controversy over the actual identity of the brood the player controls in StarCraft Episode II.

The player's Cerebrate controlled a group of zerg which are purple in color throughout the entire campaign, yet the player had the role of a newly born Cerebrate, not Araq. It could be assumed that the player was part of a brand new, unidentified brood, but the issue is further compounded during the invasion of Aiur, when the narration specifically details that Kerrigan and her brood stayed behind on Char to hunt the protoss, while the player continued to Aiur, still controlling purple zerg.

Trivia

The Jormungand Brood is named after Jörmungandr, a giant serpent in Norse mythology that is so large that it circles the world and bites its own tail. It will be killed by Thor, who will fall dead after nine steps from Jörmungandr's poison.