Defias Brotherhood

The Defias Brotherhood is a group of assassins, thieves, pirates and other criminal types who's goal is to overthrow the Kingdom of Stormwind. Previously led by Edwin VanCleef, many of its members were part of the Stonemason's Guild and participated in the reconstruction of Stormwind City and the Stonemason Riots, which culminated with the death of Queen Tiffin Wrynn.

History
The Brotherhood was originally formed by Edwin VanCleef, former guildmaster of the Stonemason's Guild, following the Stormwind House of Nobles' refusal to pay them for the reconstruction of Stormwind City. When the city was finished, VanCleef met with the nobles, and what happenned after that remains unclear. The nobles stated that VanCleed asked for a sum of money much larger than the original amount while the Stonemasons said that the nobles wouldn't pay the original amount promised. But whatever happenned, the Stonemasons rioted, which ended with the death of Queen Tiffin.

After leaving into the wilds, VanCleef and his followers formed the Defias, and based themselves in the mines beneath the town of Moonbrook in southern Westfall. Bazil Thredd was named VanCleef's second-in-command.

Over time, VanCleef's connections prior to forming the Defias brought more members to the criminal gang, and by stationning men at several points along the Nazferiti River, he created a network of transport and communications that stretched all the way east to the Redridge Mountains, and even to the south, towards the goblin port town of Booty Bay. He even managed to get a contact within the Stormwind House of Nobles itself in the form of Lord Gregor Lescovar. While Lescovar refused to become one of his subordinates, they managed to reach an agreement and were starting to destroy Stormwind from within.

VanClees also fihred the Riverpaw gnolls as thugs, stationing them throughout Westfall. A group of goblins were also hired to build harvest watchers, mechanical machines that look like scarecrows that were used to scare off the inhabitants of Westfall.

When the Stormwind Army left to fight the Horde, VanCleef struck. The Defias spilled out of the Deadmines, quickly taking Moonbrook, raided the Alexston Farmstead, burned the farms of the Dead Acre and Demont's Place to the ground while a group under Benny Blaanco raided the Furlbrow Pumpkin Patch. They also took the Molsen Farm and the Jansen Stead, scaring everyone off with the harvest golems. After taking the two mines of Westfall, the Jangolode Mine and the Gold Coast Quarry, the only people left in Westfall are the Saldean family at their farm and those who would form the People's Militia under Gryan Stoutmantle.

Following his successful takeover of Westfall, VanCleef quickly moved on to the Elwynn Forest. First sending in the Riverpaws, they set up an encampment in the Duchy of Westridge, along the forest's edge to the south of the town of Westbrook. They seized the lands of the Mirror Lake Orchard and the Brackwell Pumpkin Patch while a group under Garrick Padfoot penetrated the Northshire Valley and took the vineyards. Another group under Dead-Tooth Jack set up an encampment near the Ridgepoint Tower, in the County of Eastvale while others took the property of Jerod's Landing located along the river. Finally, VanCleef hired kobolds to work in the captured mines of Echo Ridge, Jasperlode and Fargodeep.

With Elwynn seemingly in their hands, the Defias started taking over the farms in Duskwood, taking the Yorgen Farmstead and Addle's Stead. With materials from all over the Kingdom of Stormwind flowing into the Deadmines, VanCleef contracted goblins to build a juggernaught. He also entered an alliance with the Bloodsil Buccaneers, the Fleet Master, Firallon, sending a crew of pirates under Captain Greenskin, who would captain VanCleef's vessel when the time would come.

One of the first blows to the defias was dealt unknowingly when Marshal Douglas McBride of Northshire had the Echo Ridge Mine retaken. At this time, no one linked the kobolds to the Defias, merely thinking they were a nuisance on their own. Following this, McBride posted a bounty on Garrick Padfoot, which led to his death, eventually pushing the Defias out of the vineyards.

The Defias would soon lose control of the Fargodeep and Jasperlode Mines after they were raided at the behest of Marshal Dughan of Goldshire. The Brackwell farm would soon be retaken, culminating in the death of one of VanCleef's chief lieutenants, Morgan the Collector. This would be a hard blow to VanCleef, as Morgan practically ran the Defias operations in Elwynn.

Jerod's Landing was infiltrated by 7 agents sent by Mathias Shaw, resulting in the recovery of important shipping information.

Thredd was eventually captured an imprisoned in the Stormwind Stockades. Presumably through Lescovar's influence, both the Blackrock orc Targorr the Dread and the corpse thief Dextren Ward had their death sentances postponed, or even nullified, and along with other prisoners took part in the First Stockade Riot.

Back in Westfall, the People's Militia were having a hard time. Gryan Stoutmantle contacted the rogue Wiley the Black, who had successfully infiltrated the Brotherhood and found out about their goals. While he initially stayed quiet out of fear, he opened up because he owed Stoutmantle a favor. He also points out that they have links to the Stonemason's Guild, something that wasn't known up until then. While confirmed to him by Mathias Shaw, one of VanCleef's childhood friends, Stoutmantle wanted more proof. After intercepting a message from VanCleef himself, he ordered his assassination in the depths of the Deadmines.

However, instead of putting a stop to the Defias, VanCleef's death made the Defias harder to track. Prior to his death, he had hastily written a letter to fellow Stonemason Baros Alexston, which presumably begged for his support to the Defias. He was killed before he could send it, but Alexston wanted nothing to do with him anyways. However, he pointed towards Thredd, who was still held in the Stockades.

Prior to VanCleef's death, Thredd started getting a visitor, a man under the name of Maelik, who was actually an assassin named Marzon. Marzon served as a messenger between Thredd, VanCleef and Lescovar, and they organized the First Stockade Riot, which would have led them to safety. However, the guards, under Warden Thelwater, managed to put down the riot, killing the instigators.

Thredd's death led to questions being asked about his contact. Through Shaw, it was discovered he was an assassin. However, his contacts with Lord Lescovar weren't enough to bring the corrupt noble down, and he asked an old friend, Elling Trias, to help him. The rogue's cover as a cheesemaker and the secrecy surrounding his actual profession allowed him to act beyond the limits of the law. Trias already had an operative inside Stormwind Keep, and he had Lescovar and his contact assassinated after confirmation of his link to the Defias.

Sometime after VanCleef's death, a diplomat on his way to Theramore Isle to speak with Lady Jaina Proudmoore was intercepted, being held on the nearby Alcaz Island until his escape and landing on the shores of Durotar (However, that is a differant story). Bishop DeLavey was discreetly investigating the matter, but he was running out of options. Eventually, he sent one of his agents to speak with one of his contacts, who sent him to Elling Trias.

With Trias' help, the traces of the Brotherhood were followed through Duskwood, into the alleys of Stormwind City itself and to the harbor town of Menethil Harbor. It was revealed that the diplomat in question was none other than King Varian Wrynn himself, and he was captured by a Defias agent posted on the boat. The agent was a soldier in the Theramore army and was apprehended by Lady Proudmoore in Theremore after a fight at the North Point Tower.