Pusillin

Pusillin is a mischievous imp who waits just inside the entrance of Dire Maul East, holding the key to the rest of the ruined city. Rather than fight, he taunts the group in rhyme and runs off whenever someone speaks to him, leading them on a chase through the Warpwood Quarter. When he finally turns to fight, he swells to giant size and calls in a pack of imp friends. Every group that wanted into the West or North wings of Dire Maul in Classic had to catch him at least once, because he carries the [Crescent Key].

Background

Pusillin is a demon of the satyrs' Wildspawn camp in the east wing, but the trouble he causes is mostly to the Highborne. The elder Azj'Tordin, one of the last Shen'dralar, slipped out of the city to escape Prince Tortheldrin, and in his haste the imp robbed him. Pusillin took both Azj'Tordin's book of incantations and the key to the halls of Eldre'Thalas. Azj'Tordin now camps at the Lariss Pavilion in Feralas and only wants the book back; he says he no longer cares about the key.

The name is a play on "pusillanimous," meaning cowardly, which fits an imp whose whole plan is to run away.

The chase

When a player talks to Pusillin, he challenges them to a game ("If you want the key, you'll have to catch me!") and skips away to a new spot in the wing. Speaking to him again sends him running once more. After a few rounds he runs out of room, says "Say hello to my little friends!" (a line from the film Scarface) and turns hostile, so the fight takes place deep in the wing rather than at the door.

Groups usually follow him along the main path of the quarter and kill whatever is in the way as they go, so it pays to stay close behind him rather than wait at the entrance.

Abilities

• Spirit of Runn Tum: at the start of the fight Pusillin grows to giant size. The buff gives him a high chance to reflect spells back at their caster and makes his melee attacks faster.
• Blast Wave: a ring of fire around him that slows everyone nearby.
• Fire Blast and Fireball: direct fire damage on one player.
• Imp friends: he summons four non-elite imps who also cast fire spells.

Strategy

Pusillin is one of the easier bosses in the dungeon. The danger is his spell reflection: a mage or warlock who opens with a big spell may take it in the face. Casters do better with wands, damage-over-time effects that are already ticking, or area spells aimed at the imps. The tank picks up Pusillin and his friends, and the group burns the imps down quickly since they die in a few hits. Fire resistance helps the healer, as nearly all the damage in the fight is fire.

Solo players farming him for the key had to plan around the reflect, which is why melee classes and wand users had the easiest time.

Loot

The Crescent Key opens the locked doors of Dire Maul West and North, and it stays in the bags for good, so each player only needs one.

Quests

• Pusillin and the Elder Azj'Tordin: Azj'Tordin in Feralas asks the group to get his [Book of Incantations] back from Pusillin. He rewards a choice of [Spry Boots] or [Sprinter's Sword].

Sources

• Pusillin - Warcraft Wiki
• Pusillin and the Elder Azj'Tordin - Warcraft Wiki