Frolicking merrily with Martar the Not-So-Smart

Have you ever wondered, while you were wandering the lush forest of Pandaria, what it would be like to have a constant companion at your side? A friend to share the scenery with, someone to reassure you that in the end, everything will be all right? Someone who looks up to you as the triumphant hero that you are, impressed by your various exploits across Azeroth and beyond? Someone to snuggle with on those particularly cold nights at the heights of Kun-Lai Summit?

I'm terribly sorry, but you're out of luck. But we do have a different sort of companion for you -- the kind that interjects with silly catchphrases while he's merrily pulling half the hostile wildlife to your side. The kind that stares down the face of danger without fear, only the empty eyes of one who has taken one too many blows to the head, tongue dangling wildly from the corner of his mouth as a gobbet of drool lazily grazes his cheek.

His name is Martar. He's not-so-smart. But he'll tag along with you if you know where to find him.

Martar the gnoll has managed to find his way to Pandaria, although how exactly he found his way to a continent enshrouded in mists for centuries is a mystery. But if you're lucky enough to find him wandering around the Jade Forest in lazy circles, you may find yourself the companion of this unlikely creature, or the recipient of his cache of rare treasures. You see, Martar may not be smart, but he's a reader -- and he's carrying every Steamy Romance Novel in game around with him, presumably because he has nothing better to do than terrorize the local wildlife or daydream about Marcus' hunky exploits.

Martar the Not-So-Smart isn't a quest objective, nor is he classified as a rare mob. He's a level 86 elite that makes a circle just north of the Arboretum in the Jade Forest. In the

screenshot above, he's at coordinates 55,30, directly north of the Arboretum, but he circles the entire glade, so you may have to search for him. However, it's not like Pandaria is crawling with gnolls, so he's pretty easy to spot.

And because he's not-so-smart, he's also not-so-hard to fight at all. All Martar does in the way of attacks is stand in front of you and shoot you with his gun. It might tickle a little if you're a fresh level 85, but it's nothing to be overly concerned with. After killing him, Martar has a chance to drop Martar's Magnifying Glass, a level 85 trinket that will summon Martar to your side for 10 minutes, during which you can adventure or frolic to your heart's content. And even if you don't get the magnifying glass, you'll score one of six Steamy Romance Novels, so at least you'll have some reading material for your troubles.

Martar is not an instant respawn, so you may not find him immediately, but he's a fairly common sight in the Jade Forest, so you don't have to worry about camping his spawn point for days on end. Be warned, however -- summoning Martar means that he will gleefully shoot any hostile mob that happens to be nearby, whether you'd like him to or not. After all, he's not especially bright.

Mists of Pandaria is here! The level cap has been raised to 90, many players have returned to Azeroth, and pet battles are taking the world by storm. Keep an eye out for all of the latest news, and check out our comprehensive guide to Mists of Pandaria for everything you'll ever need to know.