The Bilgewater Cartel

Goblins are the perfect choice if you’re all about making coin and seeing big explosions. Goblins bring a lot of bling and explosives to the table, with personal flair and attitude to match. They’re basically Michael Bay in Warcraft form.

The goblins of the Horde are just one cartel. Goblinity is split into rival cartels, each ruled by a trade prince. Before the Bilgewater cartel joined up with the Horde, World of Warcraft players, blue and red, had run-ins with the Steamwheedle cartel and Venture Company. The Steamwheedle cartel did business with whoever paid, Alliance or Horde. The Venture Company, however, was usually up to something nefarious and players often found themselves fighting the goblins from this cartel.

Goblins in general have origins as an experiment of the Titan Keeper Mimiron, creator of the mechagnomes. He found intelligence-enhancing properties in a mineral called kaja’mite, and used a population of primates living nearby the kaja’mite dig to experiment on. The ore led to rapid development of the intellectual properties of these primates, becoming the first goblins. 

These industrious goblins helped Neltharion, the black dragon Earthwarder, create the artifact needed to end the War of the Ancients, the Dragon Soul. They also fashioned the great metal plates Neltharion had fused to his body to help contain the great energy that nearly tore his form apart when using the artifact.

However, the Great Sundering would end up separating the goblins from the sources of their kaja’mite, and they settled on the island of Kezan, eventually forgetting about kaja’mite entirely. In time, the Zandalari Empire would colonize Kezan, in their search for kaja’mite, which was used in Zandalari rituals for his power-enhancing properties. Initially, the trolls would hire the odd group of goblins to mine for them, paying them in trinkets. But when the Zandalaris found out that Kezan contained massive quantities of kaja’mite, they moved to take over the island entirely, and enslaved the entire goblin population.

Conditions in the kaja’mite minds were brutal, and for thousands of years the goblins toiled, crushed under the heel of the Zandalari Empire. But little did they know their constant exposure to kaja’mite dust was about to have consequences for them and the trolls. 

Explosive consequences.

The now-restored goblins began building and stockpiling weapons and explosives in secret, and in one fell swoop drove the trolls from Kezan for good. Never ones to let an opportunity for mayhem pass by, the goblins immediately began fighting with one another over who would lead their people. This led to the creation of a number of cartels, each headed by a trade prince. From here, the goblins went out into the world in search of opportunity, becoming notorious pirates, weapons dealers, smugglers, slavers, and merchants. Goblin air crews were hired by the Horde to provide zeppelins for transport in the Second War, in addition to designing weapons for the orcs surpassed only by the ingenuity of the gnomes. Over time, a fierce rivalry would develop between the two diminutive races over who were the better innovators.

The Bilgewater Cartel was originally based out of Kezan, but during the events of the Cataclysm had to flee their island when the disaster caused the central volcano on the island to erupt. As they fled to the docks, most of the Bilgewaters ended up in slaver holds to be sold by their own trade prince, Gallywix. The ship transporting them would come under fire by Alliance naval forces, sinking off the coast of some nearby tropical isles. The survivors washed ashore and met up with orc forces who had also been attacked by the Alliance navy, and together, they fought off the humans and overthrew Gallywix’s plans to enslave his own people. In gratitude for helping to save his life, Thrall welcomed the goblins to join the Horde. And having nowhere else to turn, they did exactly that, where to this day they continue to swindle, trade, and blow things up in the name of the Horde.

They would settle down in the lands north of the orcish capital, in Azshara. Here, they would build Bilgewater Harbor, the central rallying point for the Horde fleet, and the site of Azeroth’s largest cannon, Gallywix’s Pride. Gallywix would continue to lead the cartel for a time, eventually being replaced after siding with Sylvanas’ genocidal tenure as war chief. 

Goblins can play as warriors, death knights, hunters, shamans, rogues, mages, priests, and warlocks.

Their racials are varied and capture the flavor of the goblins, and their focus on explosives, money making, and the like.

1. Rocket Jump. Every 2 minutes, a goblin can use their rocket belt to propel them forward a short distance. Shares a cooldown with Rocket Barrage.

2. Rocket Barrage. EVery 2 minutes, a goblin can fire a rocket from his belt at a target. Shares a cooldown with Rocket Jump.

3. Time is Money. Goblins are always on the move for a new deal or opportunity. 1% increase to attack and casting speed.

4. Best Deals Anywhere. Goblins know how to schmooze and haggle. They always get the best price from a vendor, regardless of their faction standing.

5. Pack Hobgoblin. Hobgoblins are big, simple-minded, brutish goblins used as servants and labor. Every 2 minutes you can call your personal hobgoblin, Gobber, to give you remote access to your personal bank storage.

6. Better Living Through Chemistry. Goblins rely on alchemy, chemistry, and similar things to give them their edge. Alchemy starts at 15 skill points rather than 1.

And there you have it, goblins are fun, with a very unique flavor and equally unique racial bonuses. Their lore is somewhat less vital to Azeroth as other races, but this just means you as a player have more leeway with making your character’s backstory. Get out there and don’t delay to try out a goblin, because remember, time is money, friend!