These Quests do not include Class Quests.

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If you find other pieces of lore related to the Defias Brotherhood story, please email Rill@paladinsofthephoenix.org

Excerpts of the Defias Gang Report; by Fohklore

Concerning one Edwin VanCleef:

My searches into the legend of Edwin VanCleef have taken me far and wide but I think I have finally put together the story behind the man. It seems Edwin was once the head of the Stonemason's Guild. After the plagues took the Northern Alliance Kingdoms many noblemen contracted with the Stonemasons to rebuild Stormwind City, which had lain in ruins since the Second Great War with the Horde. When the job was done, the nobles refused to pay Edwin and the Stonemasons. Infuriated, Edwin left, vowing vengance upon all in Stormwind. His Guild of Stonemasons became what we now know as the Defias Gang.

Edwin VanCleef eventually strengthened his Gang by thievery and stealth. Soon he became bolder and his plans began to take shape. He did several things over the course of some years but it is not known which order he did them in. At some point he made the Deadmines, in Westfall, his home base. It had once been a prosperous mine but a deadly cave-in had cost many many lives and forced it to close down. It is known that Edwin VanCleef also made a deal with gnolls, kobolds and even goblins. It is not known how many others he may have made pacts with as he became more obessed with his plans.

The kobolds were to become his great source of money. They took over the gold mines of Elwynn Forest and Westfall. Gnolls then took the gold by shipments to a man named Morgan, who was also known as the Collector. Morgan based his operations undercover at a farm in eastern Elwynn. From there he smuggled the Gold to Jerod's Landing along the river at the southern border of Elwynn. The gold went by boat to a tower in the very southeastern corner of Westfall. It had once been abandoned which made it the perfect place for Edwin.

Other things were also shipped to this tower from as far away as Stranglethorn Vale and Booty Bay. Information on what those shipments were is very limited but we do know that it was some sort of poisonous substance that would eventually turn those around it into the undead if they were exposed to it for too long. We also know that the word Zanzil seems to have been passed around among SI:7 in connection with that particular tower but any other information about it has been...ah...unobtainable.

Once Edwin's income was steadying he began recruiting and organizing his gang. They became known by the red masks they wear on their faces and soon it became apparent that the material of which those masks were made indicated what their rank was in the Gang. Many members of the Gang were sent out to more parts of Elwynn and mostly Westfall to gain control of much needed resources. Farms were taken over and even the town of Moonbrook fell into Defias control.

With Moonbrook successfully captured, Edwin made an old barnhouse into the secret entrance of his hideout. The gang then began to dig further into the deadmines, exposing more resources and taking the tunnels out to the very walls of the cliffs on the seaside. A very large cavern was then discovered, it was halfway filled with water but it seemed to suit Edwin Vancleef's needs just perfectly. The only area the Defias were unable to secure was the area that used to be the cave-in. They cleared away the rubble only to find that the miners who had been trapped there and thouht dead, were now undead. The posted guards at the tunnel entrance to prevent the undead from leaving there.

His ultimate plan took shape in this cavern. It was here that he contracted with goblins to build him a Juggernaught. The feared warship of the Horde. The cavern was just large enough and deep enough to support this work. They built large double doors on one end of the cavern with the intent to one day open them out to the sea and from there, the completed Juggernaught would reduce Stormwind City back to the rubble it once was.

Fohklore of the Darnassian Society of Knowledge Preservation

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This section contains spoilers. If you want to figure it out on your own, read no further.

Deadmines Walk-thru by Rill

First gather all your quests and get a good group together. Enter the Deadmines via the barn entrance that the Defias Traitor showed to you. Once you enter the mines, follow the right wall until you see a purpleish tunnel area on your mini map (see below for maps). Go straight, across the bridge to that area and kill the undead there. Any kinds of undead will drop Miner's Union Cards. Continue further into the purple undead area and near the end of the tunnel you will find Foreman Thistlenettle. Kill him, loot his Explorer's League Badge and follow the left wall out of the Undead area and back into the Defias area. Continue to follow the left wall until you get to a bridge, do not cross it but rather jump down into the area below. There you will see the Instance Entrance. Hop inside.

Welcome to the instance. A few rules before we start.

1. Lower level members of the group hang back because you have a large aggro range.

2. Ideally, anyone who wears leather armor or better should pull one or two mobs to the group at a time.

3. The person who pulls should not hesitate to keep moving (ie pull a few more mobs) once mobs are dead. The only reason the puller would not keep moving is if someone is healing or getting mana back.

4. If someone has to run away, they should run to the nearest tanker or back the way that the group has come. That way, they don't gain any additional aggro because the group has already cleared behind them. I'll say now that it's usually pointless to run. They can hit you better if you're running around than if you were standing still because they can daze and backstab you (if they are rogues). In an instance, you never lose them. They will follow you forever so give up on that idea of running away from them.

5. Keep your healer/rezzer alive at all costs. If you die, they can rez you. If they die, you're all screwed. Healing draws a lot of aggro. Keep the mobs off the healer.

6. If your group gets wiped, designate one person to remain in their body, meaning they do not release their spirit. Everyone else will release and return to the instance. When everyone is back and alive, the disignated person will release and return as well. This will keep the instance from resetting and your group having to kill everything all over again. If you killed a mob Boss and then died, he will not respawn and his corpse will not be there so you will have to reset the instance if you needed something on that boss. Note: Patrols DO respawn when players re-enter the instance.

7. Designate a MT and MA (Don't know what it means? Read the general instance guide.)

Now that that's all settled, I will be referencing the map below so if I use a term you don't understand, check the map and all will be made clear (hopefully).

Area 1

Be careful to draw only 2-3 mobs at a time if they are miners. If they are elite, try to only take on 1 at a time. If you get 2, ALWAYS kill the mages first because they are the weakest but they hurt the most. Travel down the tunnel and make sure everything is cleared out before you step into Area 2. You don't want to pull Rhahk'Zor before you're ready for him.

Area 2

Wait until Rhahk'Zor the Ogre walks as close to you as possible then draw him with a ranged weapon. This way you won't draw the aggro from the two other Defias in the room. He hits hard so make sure to keep his aggro of your cloth wearers. Once he is dead kill the other two Defias in the room but do not go through the open door yet. When you killed Rhahk'Zor the door opened and a patrol spawned in Area 1. By the time you kill the two Defias, the 2-man Defias Patrol will be on you. Kill them then go through the tunnels towards Area 3. Stop at the door.

Area 3

Group members should NOT go into the doorway nor into Area 3. The Puller is the only person who should stand in the doorway. Whenever possible only pull one goblin but there will be times when you draw two. Once the puller has drawn the goblin(s) back up out of Area 3 and kill them. Once the first 3 or 4 goblins have been killed the puller needs to be very careful when entering Area 3 to pull more. Always wait until the shredder has retreated up the mound. He will stay there for a minute and that gives the puller the chance to get the other goblins and pull them back to the doorway. Once all the goblins are dead everyone may enter Area 3 and attack the shredder at will. When the shredder is dead, Sneed will spawn at it's corpse. He's just as powerful and deadly as his shredder and will target the lowest level person first so the tanks need to be quick on their feet and take the aggro. After Sneed is dead the doors will open and a patrol will spawn in Area 2. Wait for the patrol to come into Area 3, kill them, then go through the doors and into the tunnel that leads to Area 4.

Area 4

This is the halfway point and the second hardest area to get through alive. When fighting mobs in here it is very important to keep them from running away. When they start to run, stun them, blast them, do whatever you have to to kill them before they get friends(emphasis on plural). Now, keep as close to the wall on your left as possible and let the puller bring the Goblins to the group. When you get to the bottom of the ramp have the group stay there. Let the puller bring the goblins to you. The puller will NOT be able to pull Goblin Engineers because they like to stand back shoot and send in their little golems to melee. This is when you tank needs to approach the engineer, get his aggro then pull him back to the group. Ignore the golem until the engineer is dead. If you kill the golems first, the engineer just makes another one so it's pointless. Stay away from the forge in the middle of the room, stay near the wall and let your puller bring things to the rest of the group as much as possible. Now you're ready for Gilnid and the two goblins nearest him. Killing Gilnid first is generally a good idea because he throws a different kind of melted ore that not only slows you but hurts a lot too. Once he's dead, kill his two goblins. The door has now opened and a patrol spawned in Area 3. It will take a few minutes for the patrol to get to the group so take the chance to recoup. There will be three guys in this patrol instead of just two. Once the patrol is dead, go through the door and down the hall.

Defias Gunpowder

After you've cleared the tunnel you may notice that you can't open the door at the end because it's locked....but hey, there's this big cannon pointing conviently at the door. You need some gunpowder first though. Go back up the tunnel and you'll find a little tunnel branching off to the north. On the floor in the middle of the tunnel is Defias Gunpowder. Loot it and then watch your back. A Defias spawns at the branch off tunnel's entrance and will first attack whoever looted the gunpowder. Kill the defias then go blow up the door.

The Docks

When you blow open the door Mr Smite yells for someone to 'check out that noise' Two Defias will come running to you. Kill them and Smite will yell something about being attacking and repelling invaders. Proceed onto the docks and kill the defias there. Always kill the mages first because they die fast and always leave the parrots for last because they're mearly annoying. Stop before you reach Area 5, that is where the docks end and a small island begins.

Area 5

Mr Smite stands at the top of a gangplank ready to attack anyone who approaches but what you don't see are the two defias guards on either side of the gangplank waiting to backstab anyone who walks past them. They stand right in front of the two posts a shown below.

Have your tank run over on top of them to make them attack then pull them and Mr Smite back to the docks edge. Kill the defias first. Why? Be patient, you'll see. Once the two defias are dead start pounding on Smite. When he's at 2/3 health he will stomp and stun everyone. He will then run over to his chest and change weapons and run back to you. By the time he gets back to you, his stun will have worn off. This is why you dragged him back to the docks edge instead of staying at the gangplank. Otherwise he'd be pounding on you and you'd still be stunned. This is also why you kill the defias first because they would keep slicing you up while you're stunned and helpless. When Smite is down to 1/3 Health he will stun again and go get another weapon. Kill him when you can move again. His sayings and points at which he stuns are here.

The Ship

Proceed up the gangplank and onto the ship. Go right and slowly kill the defias and goblins that you encounter. Go slowly and take your time but remember the most important rule to remember on the ship is DO NOT AOE!!! Don't cast any Area of Effect spells because they effect an area. They will hit people on the upper levels of the ship and those people will run all the way down and gather friends as they go. You will end up with 20 defias so DON'T DO IT! Once you've reached the cannons that block your path go up the ramps to the second level. DO NOT GO UP THE THIRD RAMP TO THE TOP! That is Area 6. Don't go anywhere near it yet and I will explain why later. Stay on the second level and kill everything there first.

Area 6

Captain Greenskin and two defias patrol around the house on the very top of the ship. The ramps you are traveling up are there to help with the shipbuilding process. If you fight on the very top of this structure and the Captain happens by, he will see it and come running with everyone around him and your group will die very quickly. If he is passing by and you are not fighting but are standing on the ramp below he will still see you and come running. That is why we don't go anywhere near the ramp yet. Have the puller go to the beginning of the ramp and angle his camera so that he can look up and see the edge of the ship. Have him wait until the Captain passes and goes around the corner out of sight then run up the ramp and get one or two defias and run back down the ramp to the second level where the rest of the group is waiting to kill. Wash, rinse and repeat this process until the third level is clear except for the Captain and his two stooges. Once again, wait for the Captain to pass then everyone run up the ramp and onto the top of the ship. DO NOT go into or anywhere near the house in the middle. VanCleef and his bodyguards are in there. Wait for the Captain to come to you and kill him.

Area 7

Sit, recoup, rebuff and get ready because most groups die at this very spot. VanCleef is a tuff sucker to kill. VanCleef has two bodyguards with him that are stealthed in the corners on the left and right sides of the doorway. VC will also summon two more bodyguards when he reaches half health. Kill the bodyguards FIRST. Even if your group dies and you only kill one bodyguard it means you still have a chance. If your group dies and you killed VC first instead, you will have to redo the whole instance because his body will be gone by the time you get back to it. So, to proceed, have your tank run into the doorway, that should get the bodyguards and VanCleef's attention. Kill his bodyguards then pound on him until he summons his other two. Stop fighting VC and kill them. Then feel free to pummel VC until he's dead. VC drops an Unsent Letter which starts another quest that will take you into the Stockades.

Decisions Decisions...

After everyone has their loot and completed their quests (You should all have enough Red Silk Bandanas too because all defias drop them), you have two choices. You can jump down the east side of the ship and make a run for the instance exit while trying not to die. Or you can take the safer way. The first choice is cut and dry and requires no explanation. If you choose to play it safe, go back down the ramps that you came up and and go back towards the gangplank. Continue around the other side of the ship, killing defias as you go. If you see Cookie the murloc coming then back up because you want to take him by himself. Once you've cleaned off most of the northeast side of the ship draw Cookie (hopefully ONLY Cookie) and kill him. He likes to run away when he's still got 1/4 of his health left so employ all your stopping powers to killing him before he gets friends. Now you can cross the bridge and head out of the instance.

Congratulations! You've completed the Deadmines!

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Lost? Good, otherwise I'd be out of a Job. Here are some maps to help you through!

| The Deadmines | Mob Map |

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This section has recommendations for what kinds of groups to attempt to create before entering the Deadmines. Please note this is only to be taken as advice and not as fact.

Deadmines Groups

Ideally each person in the group will be at least 18+, perferably 20+. A really good group would have a warrior, a priest, a mage, a hunter and a paladin. You need to at least have the following before you can enter the Deadmines and expect to survive:

1. A Full Party of 5 people

2. A Healer

3. Someone who can Resurrect often (druids are nice but a priest or pally is better)

4. A Tank

5. Ranged Attack w/Leather or higher Armor (not a priest/mage/warlock)

When you are in an instance, each class has a role to play for the benefit of the entire group. There is no such thing as solo because everyone in the group depends on everyone else to survive the instance. Sometimes the group role requirements vary with each instance and depending on what other classes are in your group. Here are some basic guidelines for each class for this particular instance.

	Backup Healer and Backup Rez. You will rez the priest or paladin if they die. You will help with healing when the priest is hard pressed to keep everyone healed or has died. You also are a tank, use your abilities to help the tanks keep aggro off the other healers. Sometimes you may have to pull mobs.
	You are a puller. It is your primary job to pull mobs back to where the group is standing, one or two at a time. The Hunter's biggest problem in instances is their pet running off and dragging back more aggro than the group can handle. Keep your pet in passive mode and use the commands to tell them to attack specific things only. A pet is very useful when trying to get aggro off of the healers. You secondary job is to do just that.
	You are crowd control. Sometimes you may have to pull mobs, but it's not ideal since you wear cloth. Use your Frost Nova to help keep mobs away from your healers and use sheep on unexpected/added on mobs. Be sure to tell the group which mob you are sheeping so they know not to attack it. Secondarily you are a damage dealer. Be careful not to do more damage than the tanks or you will find yourself being the tank.
	You are a tank. Kill the mobs and concentrate on keeping their aggro on you and off your healer. You are also a backup healer and rez. Only in a worst case scenario will you need to become primary healer, after the priest or druid has died or run out of mana.
	You are the primary healer and rezzer. Things will always be after you because you cause a lot of healing aggro but depend on your tanks to keep them off you while you stay alive and keep them alive. You will rarely ever have to go offensive. Save your mana for crucial moments when your group needs you to heal them. If you want to attack and help deal damage then use a wand because it requires no mana and you can keep your distance from the mobs.
	You are crowd control. If there is a group of three you can sap one and make it two for a little while. You are also a damage dealer seeing as the tanks will be keeping most of the aggro, you can slip behind your targets and backstab away. Your secondary job is mob puller if it is needed.
	You are a damage dealer and with your pet you help with crowd control too. Like the hunter, you pet can undo the whole group if you don't have it in passive mode. Use it's commands to direct specific attacks against mobs. It's unique ability to gain and hold aggro makes it a huge help to the healers.
	You are a tank. Use all your abilities to keep aggro off your healer and other weaker party members. Your secondary job is a mob puller but only if there are no other pullers. When there are other pullers, LET THEM PULL. Don't go charging into battle because you may inadvertantly draw more mobs than the group can handle. Once the mobs are within your reach, then feel free to smash them to bits.

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A general overview of the kinds of mobs you may encounter while venturing through the Deadmines. Ordered Alphabetically.

= Boss Mob

= This item does not always drop or the mob does not always spawn.