News that Prince Galen Trollbane of the Kingdom of Stromgarde had offered ten thousand gold to hire Edwin VanCleef, the former leader of the Stonemasons' Guild and chief architect of Stormwind City, soon spread, causing an uproar.
Ten thousand gold was enough to make a fortune, and that was only the deposit. Anyone who took on the immense project of rebuilding Stromgarde could earn enough to live comfortably for the rest of their life, and might even be remembered in history. Most importantly, Galen Trollbane's actions had already proven that he would never withhold their wages.
And so, greedy goblin engineers, struggling human architects, and dwarves eager to rebuild an ancient city like Stromgarde packed their bags and set out for Stromgarde.
In a secluded dwelling in Stormwind City's Old Town, within the Kingdom of Stormwind, former Stonemasons' Guild member Baroness Alexston excitedly packed his bags.
Baroness Alexston had also belonged to the Stonemasons' Guild and served as Edwin VanCleef's deputy. Although he too had been denied the wages he was owed, he had not been exiled alongside Edwin VanCleef and most of the guild's members, who had gone on to form the Defias Brotherhood.
Although Baroness Alexston had not taken part in the Stonemasons' Guild's original riot, he had still been unable to escape ostracism because of his membership in the guild.
No one in Stormwind City dared hire Baroness Alexston and risk provoking King Varian Wrynn of Stormwind City or Duchess Katrana.
As a result, Baroness Alexston lived in misery and poverty. Had a few conscientious nobles not secretly supported him, he might not even have had a place to stay in Old Town.
Hearing that Prince Galen Trollbane of the Kingdom of Stromgarde had offered ten thousand gold to hire old VanCleef deeply moved the young architect. Across all of Azeroth, who else would show architects such respect?
A man would die for someone who truly appreciated him. Baroness Alexston believed Prince Galen Trollbane was the only leader among all the human kingdoms who respected architects. He was willing to serve him. Besides, rebuilding Stromgarde, the ancient capital of a human empire, was no less worthwhile than rebuilding Stormwind City.
With dreams in his heart, Baroness Alexston decided to try his luck in Stromgarde, where he could put his talents to use rather than let them go to waste.
Unlike Baroness Alexston, King Varian Wrynn of Stormwind City was currently smashing the furnishings of his palace in Stormwind Keep in a fury.
Galen Trollbane's offer of ten thousand gold to hire Edwin VanCleef was nothing less than a vicious slap across Varian Wrynn's face.
Outside the door, Grand Duke Bolvar Fordragon of Stormwind City and master assassin Mathias Shaw exchanged helpless looks. Even as King Varian Wrynn's trusted courtiers, they could do nothing to stop him in his rage.
Only after a long while did Varian Wrynn finish venting his anger. He opened the door and said to master assassin Mathias Shaw, "Shaw, I don't care what methods you use. You must stop the Kingdom of Stromgarde from rising."
"This is the best opportunity for the Kingdom of Stormwind to become the leader of the Alliance. I don't want to see a single rival emerge."
Varian Wrynn had refused to send even a single soldier to help the kingdoms in the northern Eastern Kingdoms under attack by the Scourge, instead focusing all his efforts on taking in refugees from those nations. His ambition was to make the Kingdom of Stormwind the leader of the Alliance. Now that the Kingdom of Stromgarde had defeated the Scourge, Galen Trollbane's series of measures had put him under pressure.
Unless it was stopped, the Kingdom of Stromgarde would become the Kingdom of Stormwind's greatest rival.
"As you command, my king." Master assassin Mathias Shaw accepted the order. SI:7 existed to carry out all the dirty deeds King Varian Wrynn of Stormwind City could not expose to the light of day, which was why it was also known as the Sewer Rats.
After master assassin Mathias Shaw left, King Varian Wrynn of Stormwind City turned to Grand Duke Bolvar Fordragon and issued another order. "Bolvar, seal off Stormwind City. Don't let any ships sail for Stromgarde. Keep watch over every member of the Stonemasons' Guild who wasn't exiled. We absolutely cannot let Stromgarde have them. If any guild member is discovered leaving Stormwind City, arrest them as a member of the Defias Brotherhood and throw them into the Stockade. Understood?"
If the Stonemasons' Guild's members went to Stromgarde, they would bring not only exceptional construction skills but also intimate knowledge of Stormwind City. After all, the guild had rebuilt the city. If its members defected to Stromgarde, Stormwind City's plans would also fall into Galen Trollbane's hands.
"I understand, Varian. I'll see to it, but you need to calm down first." As Grand Duke Bolvar Fordragon accepted the order, he also tried to soothe King Varian Wrynn. The two were as close as brothers and could address each other by name in private.
Before long, Stormwind City was placed under full martial law. No one was allowed to leave without permission, and the city's defense forces began investigating the whereabouts of every Stonemasons' Guild member who had remained in the city without taking part in the riot.
However, King Varian Wrynn of Stormwind City had forgotten one thing: the Stonemasons' Guild had built the city. Its members knew every inch of it, every pipe and every exit.
Baroness Alexston simply slipped out through Stormwind City's sewers, bypassed the guards, and reached Elwynn Forest before continuing on toward Stromgarde.
After learning that more than ten Stonemasons' Guild members who had not taken part in the riot had disappeared, SI:7 received another assignment: if any of those guild members were found in Stromgarde, they could be assassinated by any means necessary.
Varian Wrynn was not Terenas Menethil. As a warrior king, he was not so merciful. He believed in power and self-interest. His ambition was not merely to become the leader of the Alliance, but to reunite its scattered nations and become the common king of humans, dwarves, and gnomes-the High King who stood above them all!
Stormwind City had already reaped enormous benefits from the Scourge's rampage across the northern Eastern Kingdoms: a vast population, powerful mages of the Kirin Court, and paladins and priests who followed the Holy Light.
To that end, Varian Wrynn had even set aside a section of Stormwind City as a Mage Quarter, providing a place for the mages of Dalaran's Kirin Tor to live.
Precisely because it had seen such enormous gains, the Kingdom of Stormwind could not allow the Kingdom of Stromgarde to replace it as the recipient of the northern nations' legacy and gifts.
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