The Circle

The Circle was the title of the secondary leadership of The Lamplighters who acted as the connection and intermediary between Control and the other Agents.

Though the Lamplighters continue to have a secondary leadership that retains their connection to Control, they have since become known as The Hands. The former title has been retired.

## The First Circle

Prior to the forming of the First Circle, The Lamplighters were loosely coordinated by Control themselves via the Lantern Network. After the return of The Curator however, the two restructured the guild into a more organised format which became the Departments. Four Departments were created: the Keepers, Seekers, Emissaries and the fourth whose original name has been lost to time, only been known by its lasting title: Department Four. For each Department, an Agent was chosen to head each of them and act as a liaison between Control and the Agents out in the field where they were unable to travel.

Of the original Circle, there was (NAME) who commanded the Keepers, (NAME) who instructed the Seekers, (NAME) who encouraged the Emissaries and Cassius Revel, The Curator himself who took ownership of Department Four.

Over their tenure, things worked very smoothly between the Circle Members. They worked in tandem across many adventures and the development of the guild as a whole, though The Curator took responsibility for many of the facilities and their construction as he had the contacts to do so. As time went on however, The Curator attempted to sway the other Circle to his ideals concerning the Burning Legion and their 'inevitable return' as he put it. Though they were initially susceptive to the older Lamplighter's plans, they slowly became distrustful of his intentions when his talk turned against Control. They did not voice these concerns openly with him, but they took note of his increasingly draconic grip over his Department and its membership, and the cult-like fervour he encouraged in its membership towards himself.

As he was about to enact The Schism, The Curator contacted the First Circle Members and informed them on his intentions, in order to ensure the smooth transition of power. They were tasked with opening Lamplighter HQ and ensuring the bloodless transition of power from Control to himself, before informing their respective Departments of their changed allegiance to his new Directive. Instead however, the First Circle fled immediately to Redridge Mountains and told Control everything about the plot. Even with the alarm raised, there was little chance they would be able to repel The Curator's newfound martial might.

The three took upon themselves a dangerous mission to save Control as The Curator assembled his forces to advance on their position: they were to quickly traverse across the known world and plead for help from several groups of business owners, altruistic entrepreneurs and companies which they had helped or saved in times past. Putting their faith in the goodwill The Lamplighters had cultivated, the three scattered and were due to meet up in Theramore Isle to travel home together in relative safety once the task was done, or continue The Lamplighters cause if they were not.

Fortune was with The First Circle as the organisers (who later became known as The Powers That Be) were eager to help those who had shown their friendship in the past, and they mustered together a small mercenary army to rally to Redridge Mountains and flank Department Four, attacking their advancing forces in the rear. It was a success, and thanks to the First Circles efforts, The Schism was unsuccessful in breaching Lamplighter HQ. However, the guild itself was severely crippled by the attack.

The Curator deduced what had happened quickly and was consumed with a desire for revenge against his former comrades. He dispatched five of his best Agents to find and kill the Circle; these Agents were Moreen Day (Human), Grannt Ironjaw (Dwarf), Towick Cogwhistle (Gnome), Aravae Nightsong (Night Elf) and Thonaan (Draenei).

Caught by surprise, outnumbered and with their magic nullified, the First Circle fought valiantly but aside from Towick losing an arm in a devastating portal accident, the First Circle were all slain. The Agents took their extinguished Lanterns as proof of the deed. For many years, The Lamplighters went dark, and only twelve active members remained loyal to Control.

## The Second Circle

After The Schism and the assassination of the First Circle, for a time The Lamplighters were too few in number to require any Circle at all, and they returned to the old system of being guided by Control via the Lantern Network. However this all changed when Gladnar Brightfist, Vyrona "Robes" and Elera Swiftshade and, Yradriel Wyrdmoon escaped from a group of assassins in the Eastern Kingdoms and found shelter in Astranaar, a small Kaldorei village in Ashenvale.

In exchange for sanctuary and the promise that no further vengeance would come for them, Control asked that the group join The Lamplighters. They agreed and the four became the newfound Second Circle. They helped to grow and repair the damage that The Curator had inflicted and drew his ire once again. After a long Campaign against him, the group were successful in defeating Department Four and killing their leader.

The group worked together for many years overcoming several hard won challenges, including a nefarious Satyr cult hell-bent on slaying or turning Yradriel and Elera, a cowardly Paladin Lord from Gladnar's past and a multitude of other adventures that would be too long to list in a singular article.

However, the Druidic life called once more to Yradriel and Elera and they departed The Second Circle to help mend the Dream and reinvigorate Azeroth after the wounds of the Legion's Third Invasion inflicted deep scars in the land and to the Emerald Dream.

## The Third Circle

The Third Circle was the final Circle that was formed in the history of The Lamplighters and was created shortly before the beginning of The War of Thorns and the Fourth War. Maximillian Cartelby, a long-time Agent and close friend to Gladnar prior to his membership in the guild, and Ishraena Shadewhisper, who had been integral to the destruction of The Curator's vessel The Erasmus and reclaiming the cursed blades "Kavash, the Soul Pit" from a duplicitous owner and given to her father Erion Shadewhisper, were chosen as Elera and Yradriel's replacements. Gladnar and Robes continued on in their positions to complete the foursome.

Their appointments could not have been more timely. Shortly after the formation of the Third Circle, The Fourth War broke out and Control was approached by a faction named The Sylvanas Loyalist Institute. A Horde-centric fanatical group, their sole aim was to target the varying neutral parties who had shown friendship towards the Horde in times past and convince them through any means to throw their lot in fully with the Horde in the ensuing war with the Alliance. Control refused them, and the S.L.I in turn began to attack The Lamplighters to deny the Alliance a chance to make use of their resources.

The Third Circle kept the Agents together even after the loss of The Seeker's Library which burned in an attack led by High Executor Laudwine, and negotiated terms with the Alliance initiative T.A.R.O.T. The Alliance Command were interested also in using Control and their Agents for their own ends but T.A.R.O.T's own members assured the Third Circle that they would not allow this to happen and let them keep their neutrality.

After they recovered in Ironforge, the Third Circle transported Control to the location of a new Lamplighter HQ and helped T.A.R.O.T destroy all documentation that hinted to its whereabouts. In response to this, Alliance Command changed the leadership of T.A.R.O.T to ones with more "patriotic" motivations and the Third Circle had to outmanoeuvre the Alliance's machinations through the new T.A.R.O.T while remaining one step ahead of the S.L.I.

The guild worked to preserve both factions while thwarting the attempts at being controlled by either side. Fortunately for them, the War ended before The Lamplighters could be further compromised. Max stepped down as a Circle Member, returning to work as a Seeker while Ishraena felt called to return to her people in Darkshore and Ashenvale to help with the refugee efforts there.

## Becoming the Hands

After The Fourth War, the remaining Circle Members decided that a leader of all the Departments was unnecessary for the day-to-day handling of the guild's affairs. They petitioned Control and they agreed that they disband the Circle and serve them instead as their Hands. Robes was appointed as Control's Right Hand, while Gladnar became their Left Hand. Although both of them were exceptionally capable, they still served the same purpose as they always had done and, at time of writing, still serve as Control's liaison to the Agents within their guild.