User:Ryon21

To-do list
More to be added...
 * Syndicate, Alterac, Deadmines, Defias Brotherhood RPG sections
 * Cleanup the zones' subregions and templates and add the "Undisplayed subzones"
 * [Template:Capital] - [Category:Shops]
 * Add more RPG info to zone pages:
 * Eastern Kingdoms
 * Azeroth — Elwynn Forest (Stormwind City), Redridge Mountains, Westfall, Duskwood, Deadwind Pass, Stranglethorn Vale, Swamp of Sorrows , Blasted Lands , Burning Steppes
 * Khaz Modan — Dun Morogh (Ironforge), Loch Modan, Wetlands , Blackrock Mountain , Searing Gorge , Badlands
 * Lordaeron — Arathi Highlands (Stromgarde Keep), Hillsbrad Foothills (Dalaran), Alterac Mountains ( Alterac City ), Silverpine Forest, Gilneas , Tirisfal Glades ( Undercity ), Western Plaguelands , Eastern Plaguelands , Hinterlands , Quel'Thalas ( Blackened Woods , Silvermoon , Isle of Quel'Danas), Zul'Aman , Tol Barad
 * Kalimdor
 * Northern Kalimdor — Teldrassil (Darnassus), Darkshore, Ashenvale, Felwood, Moonglade, Winterspring, Mount Hyjal , Azshara
 * Central Kalimdor — Durotar (Orgrimmar), Barrens, Dustwallow Marsh, Mulgore (Thunder Bluff), Stonetalon Mountains, Desolace
 * Southern Kalimdor — Feralas, Thousand Needles, Tanaris, Uldum , Un'Goro Crater, Silithus , Ahn'Qiraj
 * Great Sea
 * Others — Baradin Bay? ( Kul Tiras ( Boralus ), Crestfall, Zul'Dare ), Balor?
 * South Seas — Broken Isles (Suramar), Darkspear Islands, Hiji , Isle of Kezan ( Undermine ), The Maelstrom ( The Eye , Nazjatar ), Plunder Isle , Tel'Abim , Zandalar (Zuldazar)
 * Northrend — Howling Fjord, Grizzly Hills , Dragonblight , Wintergrasp , Borean Tundra , Coldarra , Sholazar Basin , Crystalsong Forest , Zul'Drak , Storm Peaks , Icecrown , Azjol-Nerub
 * Outland/Draenor?
 * Other areas
 * Move the links of Gilneas City, Theramore
 * Done: Ruins of Gilneas; Gilneas; Kezan

Unused things to keep
<!-- =In the RPG=

Crushridge ogres and the Syndicate, a wicked group of fallen human nobles, clash repeatedly for control of this land. The Syndicate, Boulderﬁ st ogres and the beleaguered human defenders of Stromgarde battle for supremacy of the Arathi Highlands. The city of Stromgarde is a ruined battleground where the three factions wage guerilla war. Alliance control Hillsbrad Foothills from the town of Southshore, though the Syndicate, murlocs and Forsaken threaten their serenity.

Alliance Player's Guide
The situation in Alterac was far more dire, however. Lord Aiden Perenolde and the rest of the ruling families of Alterac secretly sided with the orcs in exchange for power. I'm glad we found the bastards out before things got real ugly, but nevertheless, many good men were lost to their initial deception. King Terenas should have put them all to the sword, I say; that bastard Perenolde's son, Aliden, is still around and leads the Syndicate, a bunch of crazies who are still trying to take over Lordaeron for their own purposes to this day.

Now there are only a few pockets of living humans in Lordaeron. Stromgarde is falling to the Syndicate, Perenolde's traitorous fools, while the rest of the continent is under siege by two different groups of undead.

Lord Aiden Perenolde, perhaps the most notorious human noble of the Second War, was in charge of Alterac at the beginning of hostilities. Perenolde was cowardly and his will weak; he betrayed the Alliance, sending ships to strike at their vulnerabilities. Captured and ousted, now Lord Aliden Perenolde, Aiden's son, leads the Syndicate, a bandit group that includes Alterac's fallen nobles who seek to reclaim their kingdom.

Now, Stromgarde is worth talking about; a three- way (or more) war is still raging inside, among the Syndicate, a bunch of ogres and trolls, and the remaining members of the League of Arathor.

Stormwind is just as bad off. I'm certain we have Syndicate and Deﬁas Brotherhood members working within the city walls, and that's bad enough.

Lands of Conflict
There are now numerous independent factions rising to power in the world of Azeroth. Major factions such as the undead Scourge and lesser powers like the Syndicate are all attempting to seize power in the chaotic aftermath of war, and the first weapon they require is information. Those who can bring it to them, whether through treachery or deceit, might ask for handsome rewards.

Alterac
An organization called the Syndicate is strong in this region. The Syndicate is a group of thieves who were once Alterac nobles and now seek to reclaim their lands — and any other lands they can lay their hands on — by any means necessary. They battle for control with a huge clan of ogres that has taken Alterac City. Everyone is out for him- or herself here, and no one looked at me without suspicion. I almost prefer the ogres to the Syndicate — less subtle.

Two major factions control the Alterac Mountains: the Syndicate and the Crushridge ogres. The Syndicate is a complicated network of bandits who were once Alterac nobles. These men and women operate mainly in the Alterac Mountains and the surrounding area, but fight, murder, lie and steal to reclaim their ancient lands. The Syndicate is out for itself, though it would work with others if doing so helped it meet its ultimate goal. I felt dirty just looking at these odious people. Syndicate agents dress in brown and black when on the prowl, but don their aristocratic finery in their holds.

I ran afoul of a Syndicate band on my travels — they ambushed me in a small canyon. Their numbers were too many, so I had to surrender. They tied me up in their camp while they decided what to do with me. Eventually, I escaped by getting one of their horses to chew through my bonds. This story goes to show that even though they are human, the Syndicate’s members are not to be trusted. Indeed, they are wickeder than many “savage” humanoids I could name.

The Crushridge ogres are cunning, massive and strong. Leftovers from the Second War, these ogres have thrown off orc rule for their own primitive ways. They live in Alterac City and kill whatever they can. The ogres and the Syndicate fight a continuous guerilla war. I once spied a group of Crushridges marching across the plains; to my surprise, they were singing a song! Not the most original musical piece, the song is somewhat misleading. Do not make the mistake of thinking that these ogres are imbecilic brutes. They are cagey and surprisingly shrewd. The Syndicate's private war and the ogres' mindless slaughter are foolishness. Alterac shares its northern border with the Western Plaguelands, so a Scourge invasion is only a matter of time. Such an attack would spur the Syndicate to battle against the undead, and the ogres would fight to stay alive. Their numbers, however, are too few.

The Alterac Mountains are high and temperate. Few fertile valleys lie within the peaks, and those that do are fallow. Rainfall is high and the sky is often overcast, making the region drear. The Crushridge ogres and the Syndicate have driven away most native wildlife, but yetis still inhabit the deeper caves.

Uplands: The Uplands is a mountainous area controlled by the Syndicate. I believe they have a base here, though I do not know exactly where. This is a dangerous area; Syndicate members would murder their own grannies for a copper piece. I avoided the Uplands and I suggest that others do the same.

Alterac City (ruined city, 1,000): The Syndicate controlled the capital city for a time, but Crushridge ogres drove them away. Now, ruined Alterac City serves as the ogres’ base camp and largest settlement. Mug'thol, a ferocious and crafty warlord, rules the clan.

Durnholde Keep: The Syndicate controls this famous keep. Warchief Thrall, the Horde's leader, spent his youth here as a slave.

Strombrad (ruined city, 800): The Syndicate now holds this once-thriving city. They have renovated the jail, and digging teams constantly break into old cellars and sealed vaults, searching for treasures the Scourge overlooked.

Once the smallest nation in the Lordaeron Alliance, Alterac's king, Perenolde, betrayed the Alliance in the Second War. Alterac's honor has been blemished ever since. Like all of Lordaeron's regions, Alterac suffered horrendously when the Scourge blazed through the continent. The Perenolde family's current scion, Lord Aiden Perenolde, is a high-ranking Syndicate member who resides in the Uplands. I hear he is addicted to flushbloom.

The Syndicate struggles to regain control of a wild land, while ruins dot the mountainsides and ogres patrol their territory.

Between Ogres and a Hard Place: The Syndicate kidnaps a wealthy dwarf merchant's son. The organization does not want ransom — it wants help driving the ogres from Alterac City. Murrik Doubletoe, the captured dwarf's father, hires outside help to advise him and either rescue his son or defeat the ogres. Of course, the Syndicate is thoroughly evil and does not plan to uphold any agreement it makes.

Arathi
The Syndicate has a large presence in the Arathi, as do Clan Boulderfist ogres. A third faction is composed of the Highlands' native people led by Prince Galen Trollbane, the rightful heir to Stromgarde's throne and leader of the city's embattled defenders. All three factions are poor and ragged, and would be easy prey for the Scourge.

Stromgarde (ruined city, 1,200): Formerly this region's capital, Stromgarde is still held (barely) by its rightful leader. Stromgarde is the center of a power struggle between the city's defenders, the Syndicate and the Boulderfist ogres. A mysterious man called Lord Falconcrest commands the Syndicate in Stromgarde.

Stromgarde's defenders, the Syndicate and the Boulderfist ogres all seek mercenaries to help in their struggles. Ancient ruins are scattered across the land.

Robber Beware: A Syndicate band ambushes a lone wagon. The driver escapes but the brigands steal the cargo, including a mysterious black crystal ball. The ball is cursed and transforms those within its radius of effect into bloodthirsty maniacs. The Syndicate band gains the tainted template**.

The wagon's driver was a disguised eredar warlock**, and the theft and transformation were parts of his plan to upset things in the southern lands so the Legion can gain a foothold. Terrified villagers ask the heroes to slay the raving Syndicate band. The eredar warlock keeps tabs on his experiment and intervenes if the PCs interfere.

Hillsbrad
Yet Hillsbrad is not completely idyllic. The Syndicate (see the “Alterac Mountains” entry, above, and Appendix One) has inveigled its way into the region, and murlocs and Forsaken roam its wilderness.

Durnholde Keep: Lieutenant Blackmoore, the cruel and manipulative man who once owned an orc slave called Thrall, ruled this fortress. Now Durnholde Keep is in the Syndicate's hands, and the organization uses it as a base to strike at Hillsbrad's farms and communities. The disgusting Syndicate is almost as bad as the undead, always trying to expand its influence. I wish Terenas had put all Alterac's nobles to the sword after Lord Perenolde's betrayal.

Southshore (town, 2,000): Though only a small town, Southshore is the largest settlement in the Hillsbrad Foothills. A small Alliance garrison is berthed within and does its best to drive the Syndicate and Forsaken from their land while protecting Lordaeron's southern regions from the Scourge in the north.

Hillsbrad's people fought in the Second and Third Wars, though most did not travel to Kalimdor. They have earned their peace and they know it. Recently, Forsaken took over Tarrin's Mill, and the Syndicate, Torn Fin murlocs and rogue ogres from Alterac moved into the area. The Hillsbraders just want peace, but they are unlikely to get it any time soon. They hate the Scourge for what it has done to Lordaeron, and they are capable warriors with a strong militia.

The Syndicate, Forsaken, murlocs and ogres threaten Hillsbrad's tranquility.

Something Fishy: The Syndicate sends a messenger to Southshore, claiming that they have researched a new spell that is extremely effective against murlocs. The Syndicate offers to parley with a Southshore representative, trading this new magic for some concessions. Magistrate Maleb does not trust the Syndicate, but the murlocs have been preying on incoming ships and damaging Southshore's economy. Maleb asks some trustworthy heroes to accompany his agent to the meeting with the Syndicate.

The Syndicate does indeed possess such a spell and are willing to part with it for the right price. Unfortunately, the Forsaken of Tarrin Mill ambush the Syndicate messenger on his way home and torture the information out of him. High Executor Dalathia sends agents to the rendezvous point to slay both sides and steal the spell for herself, intending to use it to leverage the murlocs into obeying her commands.

Previously, the only threat the Caretakers had to worry about were robbers and the Horde, but now they have added the Syndicate, the Scourge and the Burning Legion to the list, groups all eager to get their hands on powerful magical items. Thus, the Caretakers have employed explorers and soldiers to inform them of the likely movements, mannerisms and motivations of these enemies, the better to protect their charges.

Pai Stormbringer (female human Rog10/Wiz6): In collaboration with Ul'haik Hadanot, she is the mortal co-leader of the Cult of the Damned. Once an assassin working for the corrupt nobles of the Alterac Mountains and later for the Syndicate, she felt the call of the Lich King and joined the Cult in the early days of the Third War.

The Syndicate
The Syndicate BE IT NOW KNOWN that the individual called Lord Aiden Perenolde and every known ally (see attached list), due to their association with the vile Horde during the war and their traitorous actions toward the Alliance and her citizens, shall be stripped of all land, holdings and wealth and known hereafter as traitors to the Alliance. They shall forfeit all rights to citizenry in the Alliance. Indeed, they are considered enemies of all citizens of Lordaeron. Let no good people of this land show them hospitality, mercy or sanctuary. Consider the honor they gave the Alliance and her citizens, and treat them no better.

So said in this seventh year of the new Alliance. Sir Uther Lightbringer of the Knights of the Silver Hand — Proclamation from Uther Lightbringer regarding the ousted noble traitors, known later as The Syndicate

Membership: 3,000. Alignment: Chaotic evil. Affiliation: Independent.

Regions of Influence: Based in Strombrad, wields strong influence throughout the Alterac Mountains and the Arathi Highlands, where another faction is being built in Stromgarde.

Activities: These corrupt, dethroned nobles now seek to take advantage of the Alliance's troubles and retake their lands.

During the Second War, the Horde attempted to conscript some Alliance nobles to help them in their campaign, and the weak-willed nobles of the Alterac Mountains readily agreed to help the orcs overthrow the Alliance leaders and take Lordaeron. With the defeat of the Horde came the punishment for these traitors: exile from their former holdings. Many citizens thought death would not have been too harsh for these turncoats, and thus life became difficult for them. Very few people wanted to be associated with the exiles, and they were turned away from every door. On a realistic level, their numbers were large; they resembled refugees instead of a handful of exiles, and most farmhouses couldn't have kept them if they'd wanted to.

The ousted nobles discovered, to their dismay, that the few bands of free orcs in Lordaeron wanted nothing to do with them and refused them sanctuary, so they began stealing to stay alive. Soon they banded together to become more powerful and called themselves the Syndicate. A haughty, fractious group led loosely by Lord Aiden Perenolde, this collection of fledgling rogues had many troubles working together, but managed to stay alive, stealing from towns and villages and traveling frequently. During their travels, other outlaws joined their ranks. These professional thieves found they preferred a larger community of rogues to working alone, although some detested the Syndicate's haughty noble leaders.

Lord Aiden Perenolde, the self-proclaimed leader, realized he had to do something drastic to reclaim his lands. When the Burning Legion and the Scourge began their assault on Lordaeron, he did not make the same mistake twice by allying himself with the enemy; he simply took advantage of the Alliance's distraction to begin moving on his lands. The harried and panicked citizens, the people they used to lord over, were frightened and confused and put up little fight, more concerned with the hellish creatures that were rampaging over the land.

The Syndicate thus retook the Alterac Mountains and currently battles with ogres and the undead to keep their lands. After regaining much of their lost territory, they sought to expand their sphere of influence, looking to punish the already hurting Alliance. They set their sights on the Arathi Highlands to the South.

Like the Scarlet Crusade, these humans are considered enemies of the Alliance, but that shattered organization has no resources with which to deal with them. The only true threats to these rogues are the individual humans in the areas the Syndicate threatens. The Trollbane family is such a rival. They also hate the Horde with a passion, as these orcs severed ties right when the Syndicate needed them.

Organization
The trouble with the Syndicate is that it is primarily made up of egotistical, high-born nobles, with lands, farms and citizens who once owed fealty to them. When time came for them to band together and work as one, there was difficulty in finding a leader, as they all wanted the job. Once the Alterac Mountains were retaken and nearly every noble was back in his former home with a citizenry of bandits serving him, many of the old habits returned. Each noble claimed autonomy from the others and considered himself answerable to no one.

When Lord Aiden Perenolde came up with the idea to take advantage of the Alliance's crippled state and attack neighboring lands, the Syndicate once again came under his rule, grudgingly. There is little structure beyond his rule, although Lord Falconcrest has taken over command in the Arathi Highlands.

Each noble has a household and family that serve him or her, including whatever rogues or bandits they've picked up along the way. These nobles in turn answer to Lord Perenolde, but there is little organization beyond that. The Syndicate suffers from pride and jealousy, each leader wishing to be in Perenolde's position. There are no titles and little management. Infighting, usually over newly acquired holdings, is a frequent problem.

The dirty work, of course, is done by the people lower in the household. The nobles did the stealing and the fighting when they were exiles, but they consider themselves too good for that now, desiring to merely train their underlings and plan grand conquests over ravaged Lordaeron. Yet don't mistake, these nobles are fierce in battle and will pick up weapons if pushed.

Locations
The Syndicate is based in the Alterac Mountains, with Lord Aiden Perenolde's keep in the Uplands considered the meeting place for the Alterac nobles. The group has spread southwards to the Arathi Highlands, where most nobles there serve Lord Falconcrest (who is based in Stromgarde).

Members
Most Syndicate members had no choice in the matter: they were part of the traitorous nobles' households, either staff or family, and they were exiled with their lords. They learned the lifestyle of the thief the hard way, leaving their pampered lives behind to steal from others. They still managed to justify it with no problem, saying that their victims should be supporting them anyway, as they once did.

Many of these valets, stablehands, and pampered noble children found themselves developing a clever hand and a scrappy demeanor when it came to living hand-to-mouth on the road. After some weeks of whining, most everyone began pulling their weight when their bellies became empty enough. With enough stolen items, they began to build a semblance of a community in the foothills.

Leaving the Syndicate is very difficult. Each noble knows who belongs in his own little “gang” and notices when someone goes missing. The penalty for attempting to leave is whipping and branding the lower back with an “S.”

Bandits found the Syndicate a powerful organization that, while fraught with infighting, is still better to belong to than the smaller gangs they were leading. The Syndicate had greater plans than simply robbing the refugees fleeing Lordaeron. Land conquest was more than the bandits had ever dreamed, and they were eager to join. The Syndicate accepted their pledges of fealty, and thus stronger warriors and rogues brought their skills to the group. One of the smarter decisions Aiden Perenolde made for the Syndicate is to break up these bandit gangs among the noble families, giving the bandits new allegiances so the gangs couldn't stay together to work against the nobles. This trick worked perfectly, and most bandits went along with it for the greater reward.

Any member of the Horde wishing to join the Syndicate is slaughtered on sight.

Leaders
Lord Aiden Perenolde (male human Rog12/ Ftr4): Aiden grew up wealthy, never knowing need. He adored his home in the Alterac Mountains, but had his eyes on Lordaeron City. He held none of the lineage for the throne, even if everyone in Lordaeron died inexplicably. When the Horde invaded Lordaeron, he saw his chance to ride the wave of their destruction and claim the jewel of the Alliance as his own. When the nobles were thrust from their lands into the Arathi Highlands after the Horde's defeat, he knew if they didn't work together they would die. He managed to gain a loose hold on the prickly nobles to organize raiding parties on the local towns. When he regained control of his lands — and his neighbors — after the Third War, he had a burning desire to punish the Alliance (never mind that it lay shattered with the fall of Lordaeron). He managed to urge his fellow nobles into taking more and more surrounding land, and currently the Syndicate holds a good portion of the Alterac Mountains and Arathi Highlands. He knows he is a target for the nobles who chafe under his rule and protects himself accordingly. He is 66, dark of skin and hair with blue eyes.

Lord Falconcrest (male human Rog7/Ftr5): Lord Falconcrest was one of the many lesser nobles under Lord Perenolde. He never liked the older man, but he admitted that Perenolde had a good idea from time to time, and thought it was a fine idea to work with the Horde. After they were exiled, he believed the Syndicate should be under his control as he blamed Perenolde for the loss of their holdings. He thinks he would have been able to get lesser sentences from the Alliance instead of exile to the wild to fend for themselves like peasants. He does admit that their plans to take Lordaeron lands have worked better than expected, and grabbed the opportunity to lead the Syndicate faction in Strombrad in the Arathi Highlands. Far enough away from Perenolde's control, he is slowly grooming the rogues under him to work against Perenolde and the northern Syndicate, although he knows he must move slowly and methodically to make sure his forces are strong enough before he makes the schism. He is younger than Perenolde, only in his forties, and is prepared to bide his time until he is ready. He has red hair, white skin and light blue eyes and dresses in flowing, light garments to keep the sun from burning his sensitive skin.

Lady Beve Perenolde (female human Rog9/ Wiz5): Beve is the oldest child of Aiden Perenolde and his dead wife, Isolde. She was sent to Lordaeron City to study magic as a young woman, but left the school voluntarily to join her family in exile, lending her magical skills to their cause. She is fiercely devoted to her family, but disagrees with her father on many issues. She knows she is in line to inherit the holdings when he dies, and she fully expects the leadership of the Syndicate to be her birthright as well. She thinks her leadership would be so beneficial that the Syndicate and her brothers and sisters would not miss Lord Perenolde for long. Her father is constantly surrounded by several bodyguards, so it would be unlikely she could attempt an assassination. This doesn't stop her from continuing her magical studies and looking for an opening in his defenses. She believes he is blind to her machinations, but he is well aware of her desires.

She is valuable to the Syndicate as the most powerful of the few mages within the ranks. She is in her forties, of average size with blonde hair and serious brown eyes. She commonly wears mage's robes.

In Dark Factions
Membership: 3,000. Alignment: Chaotic neutral. Regions of Inﬂuence: The Syndicate wields strong inﬂuence through the Alterac Mountains and the Arathi Highlands. Activities: These corrupt, dethroned nobles seek to take advantage of the Alliance's troubles and retake their land. The Syndicate is band of displaced nobles, betrayed on all sides, who seek only to reclaim the lands that are rightfully theirs. That's what they'll tell you if you ask them. The truth is the Syndicate is a band of thugs who betrayed the Alliance and got what they deserved. Now they prey on the survivors of the Third War and make like they're nobility on the ruins of the old kingdoms.

History
During the Second War, the Horde sought to conscript some Alliance nobles to help them in their campaign. Lord Aiden Perenolde, ruler of Alterac, was terriﬁed of the Horde and persuaded a number of Alterac's nobles that an orc victory was inevitable. Thus it was that the nation of Alterac aided the Horde during the Second War in a number of ways, not the least of which was allowing the Horde to march west, unhindered, from Quel'Thalas through the Alterac Mountains. In this manner the Horde swiftly reached the capital city of Lordaeron and caught King Terenas by surprise. When Terenas discovered Perenolde's treachery, he sent Alliance soldiers into Alterac and declared martial law. Perenolde was ultimately imprisoned, and other collaborators were stripped of their titles and property, then imprisoned or exiled.

Many citizens thought death would not have been too harsh for these turncoats, and thus life became difﬁcult for them. Few people wanted to be associated with the exiles, and they were turned away from every door. On a realistic level, their numbers were large; they resembled refugees instead of a handful of exiles, and most farmhouses couldn't have kept them if they'd wanted to. Leadership among them was also in dispute. Lord Aiden Perenolde was rotting in prison (where he would eventually die), though his son Aliden attempted to assume command.

The ousted nobles discovered, to their dismay, that the few bands of free orcs in Lordaeron wanted nothing to do with them and refused them sanctuary, so they began stealing to stay alive. This haughty, fractious group, only loosely afﬁliated with each other, had many troubles.

Aliden Perenolde, son and heir of Aiden Perenolde was not content to be a lowly highwayman. He realized he had to do something drastic to reclaim his ancestral lands. When the Burning Legion and the Scourge assaulted Lordaeron, he did not repeat his father's mistake by allying himself with the enemy; he simply took advantage of the Alliance's distraction to move on his lands. The harried and panicked citizens, the people the nobles once ruled, were frightened and confused and put up little ﬁght, more concerned with the hellish creatures that rampaged over the land.

At this point, other outlaws joined their ranks. These professional thieves found they preferred a larger community of rogues to working alone, although some detested the Syndicate's haughty noble leaders.

The Syndicate thus retook the Alterac Mountains and currently battles with ogres and undead to keep their lands. However, these nobles are not content merely to hold their ancestral lands, but set their sights on conquering all of Lordaeron. Even now they lay claim to territory in the Arathi Highlands, and I have no doubt that when they have it ﬁ rmly under their control, the Syndicate will look to another region.

Relationships
The Syndicate is enemy to both the Alliance and the Horde. Even if the Alliance were to rescind Sir Uther's edict and invite the deposed nobles back into the fold, they would refuse. In the mind of Aliden Perenolde and his peers, it was the Alliance that betrayed them, and not the other way around. The Syndicate holds even more venom for the Horde. As they tell it, it was the Horde that seduced them into working against the Alliance, and it was the Horde that failed in their promise to conquer Lordaeron, and it was the Horde who refused to aid the deposed nobles in their hour of need. As you can see, the Syndicate blames all their problems on other people, refusing to accept that it was their own duplicity that brought them to their knees.

Though the Syndicate is an enemy of both Alliance and Horde, those organizations have scant resources with which to deal with them. The only true threats to these rogues are the people living in the areas the Syndicate threatens. Though many of these villages fall prey to the Syndicate, a few ﬁnd the courage to oppose it. The Trollbane family, descendants of Lord Ignaeus of Strom, seeks to reclaim Stromgarde from Syndicate control. At Tarren Mill, Horde settlers fend off Lord Perenolde's attempts to enslave them.

Organization
The Syndicate's main weakness is that its leadership is made up of egotistical nobles, with lands, farms and citizens who once owed fealty to them. When the time came for them to band together and work as one, they had difﬁ culty choosing a leader, as they all wanted the job. Once they had retaken the Alterac Mountains and nearly every noble was back in his former home with a citizenry of bandits serving him, many old habits returned.

When Aliden Perenolde came up with the idea to take advantage of the Alliance's crippled state and attack neighboring lands, the Syndicate came under his rule, grudgingly. Each noble has a household and family that serve him or her, including whatever rogues or bandits they've picked up along the way. These nobles in turn answer to Lord Perenolde, but little organization seems to exist beyond that, although Lord Falconcrest has taken command in the Arathi Highlands. The Syndicate suffers from pride and jealousy, each noble wishing to be in Perenolde's position. Inﬁghting, usually over newly acquired holdings, is a frequent problem.

The folks lower in the household, of course, do the dirty work. The nobles did the stealing and the ﬁ ghting when they were exiles, but they consider themselves too good for that now, desiring to merely train their underlings and plan grand conquests over ravaged Lordaeron. Yet don't mistake, these nobles are ﬁ erce in battle and pick up weapons if pushed.

Locations
The Syndicate is based in the Alterac Mountains. When they meet, the nobles convene in the derelict town of Strahnbrad. The group has spread southward into the Arathi Highlands, and most of the nobles there serve Lord Falconcrest (who is based in Stromgarde).

Notably absent from Syndicate control is Alterac City. After it fell to the assault by Sir Uther and his paladins, people abandoned the city. The ruins now serve as a stronghold for the Crushridge ogre clan. Although members of the Syndicate excel at thievery and murder, they are no match for the strength of the ogres. I hear tell that that Lord Perenolde has offered a great bounty to anyone who can reclaim his ancestral lands for him, though I doubt he would honor such a bargain.

Members
Most Syndicate members had no choice in the matter: they were part of the traitorous nobles' households, either staff or family, and they were exiled with their lords. They learned the lifestyle of the thief the hard way, leaving their pampered lives behind to steal from others. They justiﬁed their actions, saying that their victims should be supporting them anyway, as they once did. After some weeks of whining, most everyone pulled their weight when their bellies became empty enough. With enough stolen items, they built a semblance of a community in the foothills.

Bandits found the Syndicate a powerful organization that, while fraught with inﬁghting, is still preferable to smaller gangs. The Syndicate had greater plans than simply robbing the refugees ﬂeeing Lordaeron. Land conquest was more ambitious than the bandits had ever before dreamed, and they were eager to join. The Syndicate accepted their pledges of fealty, and thus stronger warriors and rogues brought their skills to the group. One of the smarter decisions Perenolde made for the Syndicate was to break up these bandit gangs among the noble families, giving the bandits new allegiances so the gangs couldn't stay together to work against the nobles. This trick worked perfectly, and most bandits went along with it for the greater reward.

The leaders of the Syndicate are humans of noble lineage. Though they have incorporated servants and brigands into their households, they remain purely human. From time to time the Syndicate employs gnolls and other humanoids of variable allegiance, but these mercenaries are never considered part of a household.

The Syndicate has no uniform: members wear whatever clothes they bring with them or can steal. The expensive clothes worn by the former noble are now tattered and patched, not to mention years out of fashion. Most people however, see only the dark, concealing clothes of Syndicate highwaymen.

Leaving the Syndicate is difﬁcult. Each noble knows who belongs in his own little gang and notices when someone goes missing.

Leaders
Lord Aliden Perenolde (male human): Aliden Perenolde was told from an early age that he would succeed his father as Lord of Alterac City. He was just beginning to make a name for himself in court when the Alliance sacked the city for his father's misdeeds. His status as heir apparent was forgotten in the leaderless Syndicate. Yet, the young Lord Perenolde dreamed of reclaiming his ancestral lands. Years later, he got his chance. Perenolde had since grown into a man as charismatic and ambitious as his father. With Lordaeron crippled in the aftermath of the Third War, he knew this was the time to strike. He convinced (or browbeat) the other nobles that this was the time for the Syndicate to attack openly and reclaim what was rightfully theirs. Though the Syndicate regained much of its lands and more, Perenolde will not be satisﬁed until he takes Alterac City from the ogres. Lord Perenolde knows he is a target for the nobles who chafe under his rule (including his children) and protects himself accordingly. Aliden is in his 40s; though his body is strong, his grey hair shows his age. His clothing and armor often feature the Perenolde crest.

Lord Falconcrest (male human): Though noble born, Falconcrest was but a boy when his family was deposed. Thus, he is more familiar with the ways of a bandit than a courtier. Falconcrest does not trust Aliden Perenolde (expecting him to be as duplicitous as his father), yet respects him for his deviousness. The plan to take Lordaeron lands worked better than he expected, and Falconcrest jumped at the opportunity to lead the Syndicate faction in the Arathi Highlands. Far from Perenolde's control, Falconcrest slowly grooms the rogues under him to work against Perenolde and the northern Syndicate, although he knows he must move slowly and methodically to make sure his forces are strong enough before he strikes. Falconcrest is younger than Perenolde, in his thirties, and is prepared to bide his time until he is ready. Falconcrest often dresses as a bandit, but his noble bearing betrays his origins.

Adventure
Heroes and the Syndicate: Low-level members of the Syndicate trade in the banditry and thievery that sustains this corrupt organization. These “tax collectors” are mostly former servants and hired thugs, led by eager young scions. Higher-level members of the Syndicate don't engage in that sort of dirty work; they practice much dirtier work: politics. The leadership of the Syndicate is fractured, and much of a noble household's energy goes towards jockeying for position within the unspoken hierarchy. The corrupt nobles send their best rogues and assassins not against their enemies but against their peers.

Adventure Hooks
 * The heroes' mission is to recover an artifact from the ruins of Alterac. Knowledge of the city's layout could help them avoid the Crushridge ogres. However, wheedling that information out of a Syndicate member may be as dangerous as facing an ogre.
 * On their way to aid a village under threat from the Scourge, a group of healers bearing supplies disappears. Alliance leaders suspect the Syndicate ambushed them. The heroes must ﬁnd the healers (if they survived) and bring them and the supplies to the village before it's too late.
 * The heroes — all members of the Syndicate — discover the head of their household murdered. His widow blames a rival noble and demands vengeance. This is an opportunity for the heroes to advance themselves and their household within the Syndicate. Alternatively, it's an opportunity for them to escape the Syndicate in the ensuing chaos.

Syndicate Forces
The Syndicate has no standing army. All adult members are expected to be able to pull their weight in a ﬁght, although since returning to a landed state, the higher echelons participate less and less. With several thousand potential soldiers one might think that the Syndicate would be able to raise a sizeable army. However, the lack of strong leadership makes assembling a force of signiﬁcant size nearly impossible. The noble households (gangs of criminals, really) hold only nominal loyalty to Perenolde or each other, and thus forces of greater than 50 individuals are rare.

Since returning to Alterac the Syndicate has become less cohesive. Each noble claims a territory (usually, but not always, their original lands), and his or her household “works” that land, stealing from the communities within it and the travelers who pass through. If a village proves stubborn or a common threat enters the area (such as Scourge forces), multiple households may band together to deal with the threat to their collective sovereignty. However, the households just as often work at cross-purposes, squabbling over territory.

Most members of the Syndicate lack training in any productive occupation and receive no encouragement to learn. Instead, the households survive by “appropriation of resources,” which is just a fancy way of saying “stealing.” In most cases a noble sends his goons to a village and tells the inhabitants that they are now under the “protection” of his household. They then tax the village — taking food, supplies, and whatever else catches their fancy. A village that refuses meets with violent retribution, until it either submits or is destroyed. These “taxes” are often more than the noble's household needs or the village can afford. Woe betides the village that ﬁnds itself between two competing households. The Syndicate is also infamous for “taxing” travelers through their lands.

Members of the Syndicate are almost exclusively warriors or rogues (or both). Other classes are rare: The Syndicate has only a handful of magi and warlocks, and no healers. Many of the founding members also have levels in aristocrat. Because of the prevalence of rogues and the lack of healers, the Syndicate favors ambush tactics. The ideal combat is one in which they can surprise their opponents, get what they want quickly, and leave without being followed. They know they can't win a battle of attrition, and avoid extended combat. Given that the Syndicate's primary targets are travelers and small villages, most raids go according to plan. If a target turns out to be more powerful than expected — if, for example, the travelers are in fact adventurers   — the gang retreats. Often it returns at a more advantageous time with reinforcements, but sometimes it doesn't return at all. Some of the nobles would rather let spoils go than be forced to share them with another household. -->