Steamwheedle Cartel

The Steamwheedle Cartel is one of the largest and most successful of the goblin cartels in the Undermine. It is a neutral organization that controls several cities and towns around the world, and has allied themselves with a number of other groups such as the Blackwater Raiders in Booty Bay.
The Steamwheedle Cartel has made a great deal of profit from maintaining neutrality in the conflict between the Horde and the Alliance. Their services are always available to the highest bidder, employing anyone regardless of their affiliation if they can produce results.
==Background==
===Great Wars===
Prior to the First War,:File:Chronicle2 Eastern Kingdoms Before the First War.jpg the goblins of the Steamwheedle Cartel managed to drive out the trolls from a small port town inhabited by humans which had been overrun. They claimed control of the immediate area and the shores of the cove for their new center for operations in the Eastern Kingdoms — Booty Bay.Wharfmaster Dizzywig (Barrens)The Barrens Port: Most likely Velinde found a trading vessel in Ratchet to take her to Blackwater Cove in Azeroth.Passage to Booty Bay: Velinde. Booked passage to Booty Bay on the Black Osprey.
During the war, the goblins witnessed the Old Horde's arrival and the conquest of Stormwind. With more conflicts on the horizon, they were determined to profit from it. Trade Prince Steamwheedle allied his cartel with Orgrim Doomhammer's Horde and offered aid in form of new technologies, maps, and other useful information to the orcs for the right price. Orgrim treated his new allies as equals and paid them gold from Stormwind's coffers. The Warchief also hired them to oversee the construction of the Horde's fleet. The cartel also sold them the employs of their alchemists, sappers and zeppelins, also providing the watertight pilot-shacks for use on the enslaved giant sea turtles. However, following the war, the Steamwheedle Cartel and other goblins realized that it was much better to remain neutral due to thriving trades.Beyond the Dark Portal, pg. 94
Approximately four years after the Second War, the goblin city of Gadgetzan had already been built in Tanaris on Kalimdor, as it was visited by Greydon Thorne.Traveler: The Spiral Path, chapter 38
===World of Warcraft===
The Horde in various points of the world, notably Durotar, the Undercity and Stranglethorn Vale, built zeppelin towers. Operating them and their zeppelins are goblins from the Steamwheedle Cartel as evidenced by the presence of Steamwheedle Bruisers. They, along with the staff, are tagged with the Orgrimmar faction.
The Cartel tasked Security Chief Bilgewhizzle‎ with teaching the Southsea pirates in Tanaris a lesson.Southsea Shakedown
The goblin Harrowmeiser was ferrying men and supplies for the Horde on his zeppelin the Lady Lug but was later captured by the Alliance.Harrowmeiser#Quotes The goblin and the vessel were ultimately freed by the True Horde.War Crimes
===Wrath of the Lich King===
The goblin death knight adventurer appeared to originally be part of the Steamwheedle Cartel, as they once helped their friend Gally Lumpstain to join the cartel in Kalimdor,A Special Surprise although they later join the ranks of the Bilgewater Cartel.
===Cataclysm===
By the time of the Cataclysm, the cartel expanded itself and established new towns such as Fuselight in the Badlands, Bogpaddle in the Swamp of Sorrows, and an unnamed goblin resort in the Steam Pools. Despite the Bilgewater Cartel joining the Horde under Trade Prince Jastor Gallywix, the Steamwheedle Cartel maintained its neutrality.http://www.worldofraids.com/wow-blue-tracker/eu-forums/10674467611-few-questions-about-cataclysm.html
On Kezan, they had a footbomb team called the Steamwheedle Sharks,Report for Tryouts which were later hired by Gallywix to defend and work in the Bilgewater Lumber Yard on the Lost Isles.Shredder Shutdown
===Warlords of Draenor===
Ever looking for new ways to make a profit, the Steamwheedle Cartel has traveled back to the alternate thirty-five years in the past. They make their base at the Ring of Trials and surrounding parts of , with their main problems being the local saberon.
A new group within the Cartel known as the Steamwheedle Preservation Society focuses on archaeology and wishes to bring valuable artifacts and antiquities back from Draenor to Azeroth to sell to the highest bidder.Gazmolf Futzwangler and the Highmaul Crusade One member of the Society, Bing Zapcrackle, can be found at Warspear on the island of Ashran, where he is arguing with members of the Reliquary over the price of artifacts the Horde wishes to purchase.
In the Spires of Arak, the Steamwheedle goblinsPinchwhistle Gearworks (quest) have built two towns: Pinchwhistle Gearworks and Pinchwhistle Point. When Pinchwhistle Point is overwhelmed by invading fungus and its citizens zombified by fungal spores, the goblins of Pinchwhistle Gearworks ask for aid from the Alliance and Horde to save their brethren.
===Legion===
During the Burning Legion's invasion, Steamwheedle Cartel's holdings in Northern Barrens and Tanaris came under attack by the Burning Legion. During the attack on Ratchet a group of Ratchet Bruiser's were controlled by one of the nathrezim until they were rescued, while others united under Gazlowe to defend the town. Meanwhile, Gadgetzan was defended by Marin Noggenfogger and its inhabitants. Both towns were ultimately saved by the combined efforts of the Steamwheedle Cartel, the Horde, and the Alliance.
===Battle for Azeroth===
Despite declaring its neutrality, the Steamwheedle Cartel city of Ratchet secretly funneled supplies to the Horde during the Fourth War. The Alliance were beginning to become suspicious about it, but the Horde was determined to keep their operations a secret.Steamwheedle Alliance
During the conflict, Monte Gazlowe and his crew of Greasemonkeys actively take part in Horde's campaign on Mechagon Island,Prototypes for Profit and Gazlowe is referred to as a member of the Horde by his rival Tinkmaster Overspark.Prototypes for Inspiration Despite this, the Bilgewater Cartel was still economically competing with the Steamwheedles.Moxie Dealracket#Quotes
In the aftermath of N'Zoth's death and the end of the Fourth War, Gazlowe fully threw his support behind the Horde by becoming the new Trade Prince of the Bilgewater Cartel, taking over from Jastor Gallywix who had abandoned the Horde.Warchief of the Horde (quest) Steamwheedle Cartel's reaction to Gazlowe's defection is unknown and as is how they intend to handle the void of leadership in Ratchet.
===Exploring Azeroth===
After the Horde Council decided to send Rexxar and Zekhan to look over the Horde holdings within Kalimdor, Monte Gazlowe wrote them a letter as a pass for any goblin they might encounter on their journey. In the letter, he indicated that he "owns" whoever read it, their Steamwheedle boss, their Bilgewater cronies, and their shoes, and that the duo can therefore go where they want just like him on his property.Exploring Azeroth: Kalimdor, pg. 16
==Places under their control==
Name 	Zone 	Directions 	Status
Bogpaddle 	Swamp of Sorrows 	Northeast of Marshtide Watch 	
Booty Bay 	Cape of Stranglethorn	South of Hardwrench Hideaway 	
Edj 	Isle of Kezan 	East of Bilgewater Port 	
Everlook 	Winterspring 	Central 	
Fuselight 	Badlands 	West of Fuselight-by-the-Sea 	
Fuselight-by-the-Sea 	Badlands 	East of Fuselight 	
Gadgetzan 	Tanaris 	West of Steamwheedle Port 	
Mudsprocket 	Dustwallow Marsh 	Southwest of Theramore Isle 	
Ring of Trials 	 	Northeast of Telaar 	
Pinchwhistle Gearworks	Spires of Arak 	Southeast of Southport 	
Pinchwhistle Point 	Spires of Arak 	South of Pinchwhistle Gearworks	
Ratchet 	Northern Barrens 	Southeast of the Crossroads 	
Steamwheedle Port 	Tanaris 	East of Gadgetzan 	
They also control Smokywood Pastures.Something Stinks (Alliance)
===Arenas===
The Steamwheedle Cartel also ran the Arenas,Patch 2.1.0#The Ruins of Lordaeron Arena with most of the battlemasters having been goblins.
Adamman was once a famous arena gladiator until the Cartel caught him rigging fights and took away everything from him.
==Reputation==
In patch 3.1.0, a new Feat of Strength has been added. Insane in the Membrane which when with the four Steamwheedle Cartel cities, with Bloodsail Buccaneers, and with Ravenholdt and Darkmoon Faire will give the player the title "<name> the Insane".
Go and kill the Southsea Swashbucklers, Southsea Pirates, and other related mobs in Tanaris around Lost Rigger Cove (the area to the east of the Caverns of Time). Each mob gives 5 rep with Gadgetzan plus 2.5 rep with each of Booty Bay, Everlook, and Ratchet.
===Rebuilding lost reputation===
Each of these quests gives 500 rep with the Steamwheedle Cartel faction listed next to it and 250 rep with the other Steamwheedle Cartel factions. Each turn in also gives -500 to Bloodsail Buccaneers.
*Mending Old Wounds (Linen Cloth) Ratchet
*Traitor to the Bloodsail (Silk Cloth) Booty Bay
*War at Sea (Mageweave Cloth) Gadgetzan
*Making Amends (Runecloth) Everlook
These quests do not work once .
==In the RPG==
During the Second War, a Horde ambassador met with a single trade prince and convinced him and his subordinates to join the Horde (while the rest of the goblin race stayed neutral).Dark Factions, pg. 114, 116 Years later, some Horde members tried to improve relations with the Steamwheedle Cartel. Perhaps with enough persuasion, the goblins could be convinced to rejoin the Horde for the first time since the Second War.Horde Player's Guide, pg. 188 This is unlikely to happen, however, as the trade prince realized his mistake and left the Horde, and the goblin race remembers the mistake and remains neutral to this day.Dark Factions, pg. 116
The Steamwheedle Cartel runs Ratchet. The Venture Company has also been said to run Ratchet,Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 191World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 17Lands of Mystery, pg. 30 possibly in error.
==Notes==
*Any eventual relationship of the Cartel with the Braintrust of Orbital Operations and Mechanics in Netherstorm and the goblin settlement of K3 in the Storm Peaks is unknown.
*The Steamwheedle Cartel appears to apply the death penalty for its criminals by hanging as gallows can be seen in Ratchet.
*Patch notes for 0.9 jokingly mentioned the Goblin Transit Authority not being responsible for jumping off the transportation.
*Early maps for World of Warcraft show a location in northern Kezan labeled as "Steamwheedle.":File:World of Warcraft Diary - World map and design.png
==Patch changes==
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==References==
==External links==
 
Category:Factions
Category:Reputation
Category:Goblins
fr:Cartel Gentepression