Lore · October 24, 2026

The Defias Brotherhood Explained: Why Westfall Revolts (and Who Is Edwin VanCleef?)

The Defias Brotherhood is a bandit group in Westfall made up of Stormwind stonemasons who were never paid for rebuilding the city, led by their former guildmaster Edwin VanCleef. In World of Warcraft: Forever (WoW Forever), set in the first year of World of Warcraft, they are the thieves and pirates you meet in Westfall and in the Deadmines dungeon.

Quick answer: The Stonemasons Guild rebuilt Stormwind, the nobles refused to pay and ordered the guild disbanded, and the riots that followed drove the masons out. VanCleef gathered the exiles in Westfall as the Defias Brotherhood, with the aim of toppling Stormwind's rulers. He is the final boss of the Deadmines.

Diagram of how the Defias Brotherhood began: unpaid stonemasons, a riot, exile to Westfall, the Brotherhood, the Deadmines and the death of Edwin VanCleef — From unpaid stonemasons to the Deadmines, in order. Source: Warcraft Wiki, Wowpedia and Icy Veins.

Key facts

Who they are: exiled Stormwind stonemasons who turned to banditry (Warcraft Wiki, Icy Veins)
Leader: Edwin VanCleef, elected Guildmaster of the Stonemasons Guild (Warcraft Wiki)
Cause: the House of Nobles did not pay the guild for rebuilding Stormwind after the Second War (Warcraft Wiki, Wowpedia)
Goal: overthrow the Kingdom of Stormwind and its nobility (Warcraft Wiki, Icy Veins)
Base: the Deadmines, an old mine under a barn in Moonbrook, Westfall (Warcraft Wiki, Wowpedia)
Ending: VanCleef is the final boss of the Deadmines, where adventurers kill him (Warcraft Tavern, Wowpedia)
Dungeon level in Classic: minimum level 10, recommended 18 to 24 (Warcraft Tavern's Classic guide)

Who are the Defias Brotherhood?

Warcraft Wiki describes the Defias Brotherhood as former stonemasons who formed a bandit organization after Stormwind's nobles refused to pay them. Icy Veins' Deadmines guide gives the same picture in one line: a group of thieves and pirates that banded together after their leader, Edwin VanCleef, was cheated out of payment. Members rob travelers in rural Westfall, and many of the enemies in the Deadmines carry the "Defias" name.

How did the Defias Brotherhood begin?

After the Second War, Stormwind's House of Nobles hired the Stonemasons Guild to rebuild the city. Warcraft Wiki and Wowpedia both say the nobles then failed to pay, partly because of debt from military expansion. VanCleef demanded the money. The House of Nobles ordered the guild disbanded, and the dispute turned into riots. Both wikis say Queen Tiffin Wrynn died in the unrest, and that King Varian Wrynn punished the rioters. The stonemasons fled to Westfall, where their grievance turned into banditry: they robbed travelers to collect the gold they said they were owed.

The Brotherhood is therefore a story about a broken contract, not about a foreign enemy. For the city those masons built, read The History of Stormwind.

What does the Defias Brotherhood want?

The Brotherhood wants Stormwind's rulers gone. Warcraft Wiki says its stated aim is to overthrow the Kingdom of Stormwind and its corrupt nobility, and Icy Veins says the Defias plan to topple the kingdom by stirring unrest in Westfall. Warcraft Wiki adds that VanCleef used the Deadmines as a base to build a large Juggernaut intended to attack Stormwind from the sea, and that adventurers stopped the plan before it was finished. Wowpedia also mentions the Juggernaut, but the two wikis share ancestry, so this is one source family.

Who is Edwin VanCleef?

Edwin VanCleef is the elected Guildmaster of the Stonemasons Guild and the founder and leader of the Defias Brotherhood, according to Warcraft Wiki. Wowpedia adds that he ran the Brotherhood from the Deadmines and hired Riverpaw gnolls and goblins to work for him. Warcraft Tavern's Classic guide calls him the "head bandit" waiting at the end of the dungeon. Warcraft Wiki says an Alliance party sent by the People's Militia killed him, and Wowpedia says the heroes were sent by Gryan Stoutmantle, who founded that militia.

How are the Defias linked to Varian's disappearance?

Warcraft Wiki says the Defias took part in the kidnapping of King Varian Wrynn, who vanished while traveling to a diplomatic meeting on Theramore Isle with Jaina Proudmoore. The same wiki says Lady Katrana Prestor, a noble at Stormwind's court, is the black dragon Onyxia in disguise, and that she secretly helped the Brotherhood. Warcraft Wiki's page on Bolvar Fordragon confirms that Jaina sent Bolvar evidence tying the Defias to Varian's disappearance. This is a quest-line reveal, so skip this section if you want to meet it in game.

Where do you meet the Defias in WoW Forever?

You meet them in Westfall, in the Deadmines dungeon beneath Moonbrook, and in quests that send Alliance players against VanCleef. The Deadmines guide for Forever is at WoW Forever Deadmines, and the Alliance route through the zone is in the Alliance leveling zones guide. The free Lore Forever add-on adds readable background about the places you visit, and the optional Willo Windows companion lets you ask lore questions by voice. Both are fan-made.

What is not confirmed yet

Forever's version: none of the sources reviewed describe changes to the Defias story in Forever. Blizzard Watch reports that Forever deliberately diverges from original lore in a few places, such as a Forsaken Paladin and the Skyborne, so quest text in game decides.
Beta limits: the Forever beta was capped at level 30, according to kami-labs, so content above that level was not testable there.
Which war came before the rebuild: Warcraft Wiki and the Vanilla WoW fan wiki say Stormwind was rebuilt after the Second War, while Icy Veins says the crew rebuilt it after the First War. The city was destroyed in the First War, so this guide uses the Second War.
Queen Tiffin's death: Warcraft Wiki says a thrown stone killed her by accident, and Wowpedia calls it a murder. Both agree she died in the riot.
Single-source details: the Juggernaut and Katrana Prestor's role as Onyxia come from Warcraft Wiki and Wowpedia, which share ancestry, and no independent source confirms them.

Frequently asked questions

Who founded the Defias Brotherhood?

Edwin VanCleef founded the Defias Brotherhood after Stormwind's nobles refused to pay the Stonemasons Guild he led. He gathered the exiled masons in Westfall, according to Warcraft Wiki.

Why did the Defias Brotherhood form?

The Defias Brotherhood formed because the House of Nobles refused to pay the stonemasons for rebuilding Stormwind and then disbanded their guild. The exiled masons turned to banditry to recover what they were owed.

Where is the Defias Brotherhood's headquarters?

The Defias Brotherhood's headquarters is the Deadmines, an old mine beneath a barn in Moonbrook, in Westfall. Edwin VanCleef waits at the end of the dungeon.

Is Edwin VanCleef the final boss of the Deadmines?

Yes. Warcraft Tavern's Classic guide lists Edwin VanCleef as the final boss of the Deadmines, and the "The Defias Brotherhood" quest asks you to kill him after a six-quest chain.

Are the Defias connected to Varian Wrynn's disappearance?

Yes, according to Warcraft Wiki: the Defias helped kidnap King Varian Wrynn on his way to Theramore, with secret help from Lady Katrana Prestor, who is Onyxia in disguise.

What level is the Deadmines?

In WoW Classic the Deadmines requires level 10 and is recommended for levels 18 to 24, according to Warcraft Tavern. For Forever's own range, see the Deadmines guide.

Sources

Reviewed October 24, 2026. Combines Warcraft Wiki and Wowpedia history with Icy Veins and Warcraft Tavern dungeon guides; Forever-specific story changes are not documented in these sources. Lore Forever and Willo are fan-made and are not affiliated with Blizzard Entertainment.