"Defias"
The night was cold, very cold, with few stars in the sky. The quiet that comes on nights like these was broken suddenly by the sound of a lone horse riding through the night. This horse's rider was a man, dressed in a dark cloak, who kept his horse riding at a fast gallop.
As he approached an abandoned farmhouse, he slowed his horse, and rode up to the door. Walking into the farmhouse, he glanced quickly around, looking for something or someone. When he found what he was looking for, he reached down onto the stone floor, and pulled a small lever that was carved into the stone.
Nothing appeared to happen, until from beneath a pile of hay, a woman garbed in black leather, and a blood red bandana emerged. "You're late" the woman said in a harsh, yet feminine voice. The man replied, "My apologies, but the People's Militia were everywhere, it was hard to come here without being seen." The woman's reply was harsh, "There are no excuses for being late, and you are about to meet with the man himself." She reached into her pack and pulled out a similar bandana and put it on his face. "There, now there will be no suspicion about your presence here, Paladin." The harshness in her voice towards the word Paladin made her hatred obvious.
They walked through the decaying barn; several times he almost tripped over fallen pieces of charred wood. They came to a staircase, and descended deep into the earth. Passing seemingly endless amounts of workers, all of which were carving out a massive labyrinth. "We call this the deadmines, the name comes from ill fated adventurers who decide to take on the might of the Defias." The woman remarked in a proud manner. The Paladin merely nodded his head and looked around.
All of a sudden, he was guided through a doorway and gazed his eyes upon a massive ship, which still appeared to be in construction, but looked ready to take on the fleet of the alliance any day. As if reading his mind, the woman announced, "This is our secret weapon, we've been working on it for years, and soon we will test its mettle against the betrayers of Stormwind." The Paladin remarked, "Yes, it is quite fearsome looking ship, but where is the Captain?" At this remark, a man appeared from the shadows and said, "Right behind you." The Paladin turned around, and laughed. After he stopped laughing, he smiled and said, "Van Cleef, friend, it has been too long." Van Cleef replied, "Same for you my friend, Rivendare."
The friends shook hands and just when Rivendare was about to open his mouth to say something, a man garbed in clothes similar to those of Rivendare's escort appeared out of nowhere and exclaimed, "Intruders sir, they have made it all the way to the smelting room!" Van Cleef's facial expression immediately changed from happiness to disgust. He screamed out, "Damn it!" He walked over to Rivendare's escort and whispered in her ear. He walked back over to Rivendare, touched him on the shoulder and said, "I'm sorry friend, but you have to leave, you are in danger." Rivendare replied, "Let me stay, I will help you fight off these intruders." Van Cleef shook his head and then sadly replied, "I have a feeling they will destroy us both." Rivendare opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when he felt a dull object hit him in the back of his head, and then all went black.
