Lescovar Incident quest chain

This quest chain is started from An Unsent Letter, found on the dead body of Edwin VanCleef in The Deadmines, at the culmination of The Defias Brotherhood series of quests.

This quest chain will lead you into The Stockade, and expose some of the corrupt elements in Stormwind, remnants of VanCleef's plots.

You can start this chain as early as level 16, although you can acquire the Unsent Letter earlier than that.

The Lescovar Incident
You were part of the party that slew Edwin VanCleef. Searching his body, you find a letter to Baros Alexston. You know of him, the City Architect of Stormwind. It's a letter to him, you decide to deliver it. Why not?
 * The Unsent Letter

Alexston tells you some of how VanCleef ended up in hiding, seeking revenge against the nobles of Stormwind. It turns out that he has some just cause behind him: The nobles stiffed the Stonemasons guild after Stormwind was rebuilt. As leader of the guild, VanCleef refused the bribes the nobles offered him out of loyalty to the rest of the Stonemasons.
 * Bazil Thredd

VanCleef is dead, but the plans he had in motion are not. Alexston asks you to speak to VanCleef's lieutenant, Bazil Thredd, currently held in the Stormwind Stockade.

For that, you first have to talk to the Warden Thelwater.

You get to the Stockade, and find the warden trying to manage a crisis. The inmates, it seems, are rioting. All the cell doors are open, and the guards are doing their best just to contain the situation.

Bazil Thredd has led the prisoners in this riot. The warden doesn't trust you, but sees any number of useful outcomes:
 * The Stockade Riots
 * you can return from your talk with Bazil's head. The riot ringleader is dead, you were trustworthy after all.
 * you can return without Bazil's head. You may well have been an accomplice, so he can be justified in taking yours.
 * the prisoners can kill you. Whether you were trustworthy or not is moot, and he's no worse off.

So... go in, he tells you. But bring back Bazil's head.

You go in. It's a real short conversation - Bazil and his prisoners attack you before you can get two words out. Defending yourself, you kill them. To satisfy the warden, you bring back his bloody trophy.

The warden is mollified by your actions, and tells you about a visitor that came to Bazil regularly in the last couple months, someone named Maelik. Warden Thelwater writes up a description of the visitor for you, that you bring back to Alexston.
 * The Curious Visitor

Baros has no idea who this person might be, but knows someone in 7 that owes him a favor. He might be able to tell you more.
 * Shadow of the Past (quest)

Master Mathias Shaw of SI:7 reads the description and recognizes this 'Maelik' as an assassin, currently under the employ of Lord Gregor Lescovar under the name Marzon.

Master Shaw mulls the situation over. Lescovar clearly has ties to the Defias, but you've killed the primary witnesses to that. Even without his being a noble, it would hard to convict him.
 * Look to an Old Friend

More help is needed, he decides. Somewhat reluctantly, he sends you to Elling Trias, the Master of Cheese in the Trias Cheese shop.

Trias listens to your tale, and agrees that any justice meted out in this affair will be by less than legal means. He tells you to talk to Tyrion, a gnome who has been keeping tabs on Lescovar for the last few weeks.
 * Infiltrating the Castle

It turns out that Tyrion had contingencies for something like this already planned, just ... not this soon. It seems that Trias and Tyrion suspected Lescovar of ties to Twilight's Hammer, but the Defias Brotherhood is not a good sign either.
 * Items of Some Consequence

He's going to have to outfit his Spybot, so Tyrion asks you to get the remaining parts for the disguise: some silk, and a couple of apples. The silk, you can understand - a robe. The apples? Tyrion is an engineer, by definition not quite as sane as the rest of us. You leave the question unasked.

You return with the items, and Tyrion gives you a final briefing before he sends Spybot in.
 * The Attack!

While you were busy on your errand, he sent Marzon a message that Lescovar wanted to see him, and will be sending Spybot, disguised as a priestess (ah! apples!), to lure Lescovar out. If all goes well, Lescovar will come out, dismiss the guards, and have what he thinks is a private chat in the garden with his assassin. Your job: to listen to their conversation. If you catch wind of Defias talk, you are to kill them both before the guards return.

Things go off pretty much as planned. You overhear their discussion; they do indeed talk about a Defias attack. They catch you listening in, and attempt (unsuccessfully) to 'silence' you.

You return to Trias and report what took place. He thanks you, and has you report to Shaw that Lescovar has been dealt with.
 * The Head of the Beast

Shaw thanks you as well. And it seems Baros Alexston dropped by, saying he wanted a chat with you as well. Shaw advises you that when you talk to Alexston, you leave out the bit where it was you that killed Lescovar. ... and to try not to mention Trias at all - ever - if you can help it.
 * Brotherhood's End

Trias thought Shaw would send you to some noble or another for a commendation. It turns out that it is Alexston, instead...
 * An Audience with the King

In light of your recent deeds, Alexston asks you to deliver to the king a report he has prepared about the Defias Brotherhood. He has no doubt that you will be commended for your deeds.

Unfortunately, King Varian Wrynn is away on a diplomatic mission, but Lady Katrana Prestor lauds your successes in his place and gives you a princely gift.

Rewards

 * 1075 Reputation with Stormwind (and corresponding rollover for the other Alliance factions).