 High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Title | King of Gnomes |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | Gnome (Humanoid) |
| Level | ?? (Boss) |
| Class | Tinker |
| Affiliation(s) | Gnomeregan Exiles |
| Occupation | High Tinker-in-Exile of Gnomeregan |
| Location | Tinker Town, Ironforge [69, 49] |
| Status | Alive |
| Relative(s) | Unknown |
High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque, King of Gnomes, is the current leader of the gnomish evacuees from Gnomeregan.
Background
Gelbin Mekkatorque
The gnomes have not had a proper king or queen for over four hundred years. Instead, they prefer to elect their highest officials for set terms of service.[1][2][3] The highest office in Gnomeregan, High Tinker, has been held by the crafty Gelbin Mekkatorque for the past seven to nine years. Gelbin is one of the most renowned inventors ever, and has been honored as a just and skillful leader. While in office, High Tinkers are allowed to hold grand titles but only hold their power for set terms of office, after which they return to the work force. Mekkatorque took on the title "King of the Gnomes".[2][4] The "king of the gnomes" is a bit less silly than the title sounds (but still pretty crazy).[5]
However, when the troggs began their invasion of Gnomeregan, Gelbin was unprepared to stop them. At the behest of his top adviser, Mekgineer Sicco Thermaplugg, he ordered that the city be bathed in toxic radiation. So the radiation bomb was released.[2][4][3] Though the radiation stopped the troggs' advance, it ultimately killed more gnomes than troggs. Now the High Tinker carries the weight of the dead on his shoulders and seeks to avenge his people by reclaiming their lost city.[6]
While he suffered flak wounds from the release of the bomb in Gnomeregan, his genius is still strong enough to keep his title. He's a good man, too.[4]
Mekkatorque spends the overwhelming majority of his time working on plans to retake Gnomeregan, knowing that many of his people are still trapped inside with no means of escape. While he appreciates the hospitality of the dwarves, Ironforge is too small for both races, at least in the long term. In addition to his efforts to retake Gnomeregan, Mekkatorque works with the dwarves on a regular basis to perfect new military technology and strategies. He is partially responsible for the new models of dwarven flying machines being sent into the field, but his people are too few to make much more of a contribution to the Alliance at this time. Mekkatorque has also assigned a team to researching anti-Scourge weaponry, knowing that an undead attack is imminent.[5]
He was one of the members of two pairs of gnomes that are credited with the construction of the Deeprun Tram, a fast running form of transportation between Ironforge and Stormwind.[7] Gnomish inventors organize into pairs, an odd crazy-guy/sane-guy relationship. One is always trying to push the limits of his devices to unknowable extremes while the other does everything he can to keep the invention from becoming disastrous. It was two pairings of just this type that created the underground railroad that connects Ironforge to Stormwind Keep.[2] It is however unclear of which member Gelbin represented in his pair, the "crazy" one, or the "sane" one.
In World of Warcraft
High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque is a boss and quest giver located in Tinker Town in the dwarf city of Ironforge.
He starts the quest 
[35D] The Grand Betrayal.
During Brewfest, Mekkatorque will ride out of the city to the festival grounds at 6 A.M. and 6 P.M. each day for the ceremonial tapping of the keg. Players present when he does this will receive a 2 hour Brewfest Enthusiast buff that increases XP gained by 10%.
The Liberation of Gnomeregan
In a patch leading up to Cataclysm, Mekkatorque will lead the gnomes and their allies in an attempt to retake his beloved city from Thermaplugg and his minions.[8]
Cataclysm
In the upcoming expansion World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, High Tinker Mekkatorque can be found under a tent in Gates of Gnomeregan.
Strategy
One of the easier racial leaders to kill. It's best for the horde to buff up in the Deeprun Tram and then have a tank charge in to Gelbin. The fight is rather easy, just Tank & spank and deal with the guards. He yields no honor if killed. As he is not part of For The Horde, he is unguarded and not required to kill, however due to his location outside the tram he may aggro on groups useing it to get to or from Ironforge.
High Tinker Mekkatorque in patch 3.3.3.
Mekkatorque before patch 3.3.3.
Mekkatorque size comparison.
Mekkatorque riding his mechanostrider.
Mekkatorque as he appears in Cataclysm.
Trivia
- In World of Warcraft, Gelbin Mekkatorque is a few inches taller than other gnomes.
- High Tinker is an elected position, though the rulers are allowed to choose grand titles for themselves. Gelbin calls himself "King of Gnomes", which oddly seems to mirror Sicco Thermaplug's self-styled title of "King of Gnomeregan", which was an act of egotism on his part.
- Mekkatorque is, like most gnomes, using a mechanostrider for traveling. The strider-model he is using seems to be a [White Mechanostrider Mod B] that can be seen when he is venturing outside Ironforge during Brewfest. While this mount give players a 100% speed increase, the one Mekkatorque use is moving much slower and can actually be outrun by a 60% speed increase-mount. Still, it moves faster than a player is able to run and seems to, conveniently, be instant-cast. As Mekkatorque is slightly larger than other gnomes, his mechanostrider is also a little larger than the same model when used by a player.
- During Operation: Gnomeregan Mekkatorque says "IT'S A TRAP! That's a fully functional irradiator!" which is a reference to Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi where Admiral Ackbar yells "It's a trap!" after discovering that the second Death Star is functional and that they've been lead into a trap.
Quotes
- "I trusted Thermaplugg. Never did I expect that he would betray us."[9]
- Mekkatorque's voice was changed in patch 3.3.3, as were his lines of dialogue.
- Aggro I won't stand for that!
- Greeting Hello there! Welcome to Tinkertown. — (Removed in 3.3.3)
- Greeting Any news from Gnomeregan? — (Removed in 3.3.3)
- Greeting I just love to tinker!
- Greeting Necessity is the first cousin of invention.
- Greeting Welcome, friend! — (Added in 3.3.3)
- Greeting Why hello there! How can I help? — (Added in 3.3.3)
- Killing A Player Pick on someone your own size!
During Operation: Gnomeregan
- At last it is time for the exiled gnomes to return.
- Once again Gnomeregan will be our home!
What is going on here?
- The dwarves have kept us safe in their home for some time now, and for that we thank them. However, the traitorous Thermaplugg's occupation of our home must at last come to an end.
- Gnomeregan has festered beneath the atomic weight of our ill-conceived plan for too long. The detonation of the radiation bombs drove us from our city, but now we possess the technology to take it back!
- We will regain what is ours... and bring Thermaplugg to justice!
What is your plan?
- Operation: Gnomeregan is divided into a number of phases:
- First, we must retake the air tower. This will allow our planes to give us air support as we move towards Gnomeregan's main entrance.
- In addition, a cache of mechanized Battle Suits was discovered in one of the nearby buildings. Once we have those suits, our assault on the entrance should be unstoppable.
- Then, we go straight for Thermaplugg in the heart of Gnomeregan!
Patch changes
Patch 3.3.3 (2010-03-23): Gelbin Mekkatorque was updated with a new model and voice clips.
References
- ^ World of Warcraft manual, pg. 175
- ^ a b c d Alliance Player's Guide, pg. 146
- ^ a b Monster Guide, pg. 168
- ^ a b c Alliance Player's Guide, pg. 147
- ^ a b Alliance Player's Guide, pg. 167
- ^ World of Warcraft manual, pg. 176
- ^ WoW -> Info -> Basics -> Public Transportation. Blizzard Entertainment. Retrieved on 2010-02-20.
- ^ http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/underdev/3p9/gnomeregan.xml
- ^ TCGTDP, pg. 130
External links
| Preceded by: Unknown |
Position: High Tinker of the Gnomes |
Succeeded by: Incumbent |
| Preceded by: Unknown |
Position: Ruler of Gnomeregan |
Succeeded by: Sicco Thermaplugg |