The Lamplighters

The Compass; the symbol of the Lamplighter organisation.

### Rivals and Enemies

The Curator (formerly) The Sylvanas Loyalist Institute (formerly),  Project T.A.R.O.T(formerly), The Cabal

**The Lamplighters** (also referred to as "**Agents**" and "**The Lamps**") are a guild of adventurers created and guided by their Director, known as Control, almost three hundred years ago. Under their enigmatic yet benevolent leadership, as well as the presence of the Lamps' secondary leaders known as the Hands, the Lamplighters work together as self-styled "mercenaries for Azeroth".

Outfitted with wondrous technologies, powerful relics and specialist training to boost their members already potent abilities, the Lamplighters travel across the world to wherever they are needed most. Each Agent within the guild will safeguard the destitute and overlooked peoples of Azeroth, collect and recover lost relics, help construct and field new technology to fight evils when they arise, and are rewarded handsomely and continuously for doing so by their Director; be this in the form of gold, comfort, information, or otherwise.

## Public History

#### Origins and Control

Before there was a guild with any form of organisation, The Lamplighters were an adventurous group of volunteers, consisting of approximately twelve Humans and three Dwarven scouts that patrolled the dangerous roads between the Human settlements in the southern Eastern Kingdoms. Their duties consisted of lighting the lamps along the roadside to ward away ambushes from bandits, Trolls and other groups that would threaten travelers, as well as aid those they happened upon should they require it.

This group garnered a reputation for being spirited adventurers and were called on by local settlements from time to time when the local garrison was unable to overcome a particular problem. At this time, they were known as 'the lamplighters' in recorded documents by the village elders and by the garrison commanders, in reference to their most notable duty.

Several years after their unofficial formation, the group undertook a task in Redridge Mountains and discovered an ancient cavern structure in the higher peaks of the range. There they encountered a remarkable individual who bade the group to call them 'Control'. After several meetings and discussions with the person, Control found that their goals were aligned, and asked that they be allowed to help them. The group cast a vote and, unanimously, declared Control be made their official 'Director'. While not a leadership position precisely, Control became their administrator and guide from afar, and transformed the scattered membership into a unified guild of adventurers, taking their moniker of 'The Lamplighters' as their now-official title.

In the years following that fateful meeting, The Lamplighters expanded their initial goal to include aiding travellers and towns they encountered upon the roads. Through Control's invention of the Lantern, they were able to better coordinate themselves across wider distances, and the Network's braziers kept them informed if any stirrings of trouble occurred within an area; either they would be able to tip off the authorities of this trouble occurring or handle the issue themselves. From this, they gained a modest reputation with several candidates interested in taking up a Lantern and joining their cause.

At the last record during this period, The Lamplighters numbered thirty-five individuals and included High Elves, Gnomes and, in one peculiar instance, a pair of Gnoll brothers.

#### The Undiscovered Years

The years following the guild's founding still remain mysterious and unknown to modern Lamplighters, often referred to as "The Undiscovered Years" or the "Years in Darkness". What is known about the period is that The Lamplighters continued to flourish as an organisation prior to the Opening of the Dark Portal, and the few decades that followed it.

The namesake derives from the lack of available records detailing their exploits during the period, both due to the destruction of many southern settlements during the First and Second Wars where several record storages were located, and the desolation of Dalaran City by the Eredar Lord Archimonde, where the first iteration of the Seeker's Library was located. The Library was completely demolished during the assault, and although it was rebuilt before its fateful trip to Northrend, the catalogue contained within was never recovered.

What few records were able to be recovered about this period derived from the original Lamplighter HQ in Redridge Mountains, where the oldest chronicles were stored prior to the Library's founding. In them, these mission reports detail that, despite their intial successes, this period of time included The Lamplighters first dramatic losses and failures within its membership.

The most notable loss was that of respected Agent, Cassius Revel. One of the first Agents to join the group, Revel, along with a team of seven, departed on a mission to a seabound location which would come to be known as the Broken Shore when the land was raised by Gul'dan. The chronicle tells that Revel, a powerful Human Mage, was chasing the rumours of lost ships in the region and a deep well of concerning power around the area. Little is included about what occured out at sea, only that Revel returned alone, stating that the rest of his team had died and the mission was a complete failure. Revel's constitution was never the same after the adventure, and months after his report was submitted, he departed back to the location, saying he felt "called" back there. At this juncture, he disappears from the record and was decalred dead.

#### The Curator, Departments and Developments

Almost three hundred years following the founding of The Lamplighters, shortly after the conclusion of the Third War, an ancient, blackened ship ran aground on the coast of Faldir's Cove, emitting the call of a Lantern. Returning from the ship was a man calling himself "The Curator", a survivor of the doomed journey to the Broken Shore. The Curator met with Control and professed his intended goals: to enhance The Lamplighters beyond their current capabilities and forge them into a group capable of feats far greater than what they were currently able to accomplish.

With the resources of Control and the ingenuity of The Curator, the guild was specialised into four seperate sections named Departments, and four senior members among the group were chosen to head each of them. The Keepers, Seekers, Emissaries and one which The Curator took command of personally, whose name is lost to history, only referred to in the records as "Department Four". Along with this development, new facilities were constructed to enhance each Department's skills and abilities even further, and tackle the varying issues The Lamplighters came across in the line of duty. Staff members, those who were not field operatives but served the cause behind the scenes, were hired to run the numerous facilities, including The Asylum, The Black Vault, The Vault of Miracles, The Erasmus, and the rebuilt Seeker's Library.

It was during this period that The Lamplighters were at the pinnacle of their strength, with the highest number of Agents, a healthy staff retinue, a far-reaching Lantern Network that spanned the known continents of the time (though excluding the Broken Isles by The Curator's suggestion). Representatives from both the Alliance and Horde races were welcomed and accepted in all roles so long as they pledged neutrality, and sought a brighter future together.

#### The Department Four Schism

Unknown to all but a selected few members of Department Four, The Curator's actions held a different motive. He had long seen the struggles between the forces of Azeroth and the Burning Legion as a futile waste of people and resources, and instead plotted to wrest control over the Legion from Sargeras himself, instead turning the Legion into a defensive tool to protect Azeroth with himself at the helm. To which end, he planned to use the now-enhanced Lamplighters to further his end goal by years, perhaps even decades. The Curator knew, however, that Control would never agree to such a plan, and to that end, he sought to usurp the Director.

He manipulated the Agents under his care to induct complete loyalty to him above all others, seeded doubts into the other Circle Members about the structure of the guild and the position of Director, and built back doors into each and every facility, so he and his followers may place them under his command at the flip of a switch.

This eventually culminated in a coup attempt known as The Department Four Schism. Thwarted by the loyalty of the other Circle Members, as well as those The Lamplighters had aided over the years coming to the rescue in response to their call for help, The Curator retreated into the shadows, taking many of the facilities and Department Four with him. In a last act of revenge, he dispatched agents of Department Four to hunt down and assassinate the First Circle, which they accomplished after cornering the three in Theramore. The Curator and his followers disappeared after the assassination and was not heard from again for almost five years.

#### The Second Circle and Operation: Light's Out!

The events of The Schism left The Lamplighters reeling. Outside of Control, they were entirely bereft of leadership and due to the many deaths or betrayals of their Agents, their strength was only a third of what it had been prior. They also lacked the many facilities they had grown to rely upon, and this proved devastating when trying to perform missions that had become commonplace just a few months before. However, those philanthropic faction representatives and business associates who had previously come to their aid responded in kind, helping to finance The Lamplighters efforts even in their reduced capacity, with the hopes that the guild would continue once again given time. They became known as The Powers That Be; a joking reference to their behind the scenes financing operations and perceived invisible hand to day-to-day operations (although in truth, they rarely made requests directly). The nickname eventually overtook their actual title in the minds of the remaining Agents and staff.

Five years after The Schism, in the twilight months of the War Against the Iron Horde, Gladnar Brightfist, Yradriel Wyrdmoon, Israena Shadewhisper, and the two Swiftshade sisters, Vyrona "Robes" and Elera, sought sanctuary in the Elven town of Astranaar after fleeing from an order of assassins they had previously worked for. Along with the aid of several colourful characters they had encountered upon their journey west, including Sathira Dawnshimmer, Aldrych Carlton,

he Second Circle was established

## Culture

> *"Do not underestimate the Agents pitted against us. Their chaotic disposition belies a tenacity rarely seen in others". -* The Curator
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The Lamplighters draw from all walks of life across Azeroth. An Agent's past deeds and former conduct is rarely given as much importance as their drive to become a better version of themselves, regardless of the

- Come from all walks of life -Combat as a last resort, but always prepared

#### The Directives

Regardless of their racial and cultural backgrounds, all members of The Lamplighters, be they Agents or Staff, ascribe to The Directives. Every Agent is asked prior to joining whether they shall uphold the Directives in every action they perform, both on and off the field.

The Primary Directive: Preserve

#### Missions and Adventures

Founded in the lawless days prior to the First War, the initial mission of The Lamplighters was to keep the roads between the settled lands in the Southern Eastern Kingdoms safe from bandits, Trolls,

Following the meeting with Control however, the newly dubbed Agents dedicated themselves to the betterment of all peoples, granting aid t

## Organisation

> *"You misunderstand. We aren't warriors..."*
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> *"You sure aren't farmers either". -*exchange between Max Cartelby and a new recruit
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#### Leadership

Since the guild's formal organisation, the position of Director and Administrator has been filled by a person known as Control. Though an elusive figure, Control's identity is a carefully guarded secret with only a handful of Agents having met the Director face to face.

Amidst the Agents on a day-to-day basis are the Hands of Control; two trusted individuals who are Control's representatives out in the field, while Control directs

## Notes and Trivia

> *"Try not to believe everything you hear about us"*. - Control
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* The guild was originally set to be founded during the Troll Wars in the initial lore behind the organisation. This caused several continuity snarls with the length of time that the guild's ethos would remain the same, as well as a break in the suspension of disbelief that such a long-founded guild would not be more widely known if their goals were as altruistic as claimed. It was retconned to
* Initially, the guild was comprised of volunteers and were not paid for their work done alongside the guild. This led to most Lamplighters finding work outside of their role as an Agent in order to fund their enterprises. In more recent times, every Agent of The Lamplighter is paid a generous salary for their efforts, and this money is then used in their own personal projects, be they housing, ships, shops or even more daring ventures.
* The Lamplighters once had access to a wide-ranging collection of facilities all across Azeroth, most predominantly in the Eastern Kingdoms. Most of these facilities were usurped during The Curator Campaign, and only The Seeker's Library and The Vault of Miracles remain, having been re-established by the efforts of the membership.
* During *Battle for Azeroth*, The Lamplighter's neutrality was set to be challenged much more harshly than the execution decided upon. Initially, the warmongering of the Horde and Alliance had the group go rogue, operating behind the lines of both parties in order to stop the war effort from harming the lives of those caught up in the crossfire. This was eventually toned down to be two opposing groups fighting between each other as well as The Lamplighters themselves, with the guild thwarting the ever-increasing depravities of both factions.

#### Symbolism

* In-Universe, The Lamplighters took their name from their main task and moniker from before the meeting with the first Control - lighting the lamps along the roads to ward away ambushes on the dark paths between the Human and Dwarven settlements. It was kept as a reminder of humility - that no matter how many accolades are earned or great villains are defeated, the organisation remains, at the core, a group of good-hearted people trying their best to bring a little more light into the world.
* Out of universe, The Lamplighters took its name from a dissolved theater company that put on plays for miners in the local community, of which one of the original guild masters was a former member. Suggested in a vote on what to name the new guild as a way of continuing its legacy, it was approved by the other GMs of the time, and the rest is history.
* Two symbols are prevelant across most Lamplighter items and guild-related paraphernalia; The Compass and the Lantern light.
* The Compass, found upon the guild's tabard and stamped upon the many braziers used in the field, are to illustrate the scope of The Lamplighter's mission; they operate everywhere they are able to commit themselves to and will dispatch themselves globally to deal with problems as directed.
* Aside from being their main communication source, the Lantern (depicted often with a light shining with it) is to personify the Agent's goal: to leave each area they visit a little brighter than when they first arrived.

#### Inspirations

* The biggest inspiration in Lamplighter storylines are exploring the lore that has been left behind. When an interesting question arises about an unexplored section of the lore that doesn't seem to be tackled by the expansion itself, the guild will do its level best to address them, and provide an answer to the questions left standing.
* One of the original inspirations for The Lamplighters was the team dynamics of *The Magnificent Seven* and *Seven Samurai*; a team of interesting characters with large personalities hired by those in need to perform dangerous tasks.
* Another inspiration for The Lamplighters are the pulp adventure stories, popular between the 1920's and 1950's. Giant monsters, tombs filled with traps and treasure, mad science, gangsters, occult horror and secret civilisations are all commonplace tropes that occur in Lamplighter adventure stories.