Know Your Rogue Lore: The Shattered Hand

This Horde Rogue organization is unique in that its origins are actually an Orc Clan. The name is derived from the practice of self mutilation that is prevalent within the clan to remove one hand and replace it with a weapon. Players see this practice at its most exstream displayed by Kargath Bladefist, the Clan's Warchief. While the majority of the Clan was told to remain on Draenor during the invasion of Azeroth later some members were sent through the portal as reinforcements and later stranded. The Shattered Hand Clan would then reform to become a Fel Orc organization headquarter in Hellfire Citadel.

Those stranded clan members however would become the foundation of Thrall's Assassins in the New Horde making their main base of operations out of the Cleft of Shadows in Orgimmar . Maintaining the name of their former clan and putting their skills to new uses. Interestingly enough they would come to include other races in their order such as Trolls.

As with all Rogue organizations however their loyalty is always a question and even the quest givers themselves hint that things are a foot to remove Thrall from leadership. As there is no VISIBLE central leadership this adds a whole other dimension to this group. (It is fascinating that here these OLD quests could so foreshadow what we now know is awaiting us in the NEXT expansion.) How they will come to work with Garrosh is something we have yet to see, but we already know that all the Trolls will be removed from the main city which is sure to cause some tensions and perhaps hostilities.

For Horde players the Shattered Hand Organization is not as far reaching in scope as say it's Human counterpart SI:7, once you leave the Horde starting areas its influence pretty much disappears. In addition to that it's quests all deal with early, basic rogue skills such a poisons (which we now just purchase rather than craft ourselves), lock picking and pick pocketing. Most Alliance are completely unaware of it's existence which personally for a Rogue Organization is not a bad thing at all.