Know Your Rogue Lore: Garn Mathers

With Cataclysm rapidly approaching a sense of urgency has filled me in regards to some of these names on my KYRL list. I have no idea how many of them will vanish in a ball of flame or be washed away with the encroaching tides. Todays focus is one that most likely will disappear, never to be enjoyed again as the story line he is intimately tied to has become redundant.

Garn Mathers has so many unique things about him it seems a shame he could soon fade away beneath the waves. Found wandering around on a small island between Durkmurk Shore and Alcaz Island in Duskwallow Marsh, Garn is easily identifiable from the other Defias members lurking there. Clad in a black shirt verses everyone else in tan, he is also sporting two swords. To make him stand out even further his main hand sword is encased with the indicative black cloud of a Lifestealing Enchant, resulting in him being one of the few npc's know to sport an item enhancement.

Further more Garn has the distinction of being the highest level identified member of the Defias Brotherhood. Now this does not mean highest in RANK but rather highest in LEVEL. He weighs in at a womping level 37 where as VanCleef himself is only a measly level 20.  What are the Defias doing in Duskwallow in the FIRST place? Aren't they all suppose to be around Stormwind? More specifically terrorizing Westfall? Alliance players receive a quest from Captain Wymor at Sentry Point telling of a recent shipwreck that has him puzzled. It seems that this ship was full of Defias but that just doesn't make any sense to him as the Defias to the best of HIS knowledge are a bunch of craftsmen and thieves, NOT sailors. He sends you to check it out, specifically to kill Garn and see what information he might have on him.

Garn you see was in charge of  infiltrating, then taking control of the ship transporting King Varian to a Peace Summit being hosted by Lady Proudmoore. The shipwreck that Captain Wymor witnessed was that containing the King and his Defias captors. Now originally this quest chain ended shortly after you located the Defias Orders on Garn. Making Garn nothing more than another hint to the "Missing Diplomat" chain, Patch 2.3 changed all that. Now Captain Wymor suspects something but this time he takes action, sending you off to talk to a local SI:7 agent to collect the "precious cargo". The interpretation both the Captain and the Agent put on the orders being that the ship must have contained valuables, like gold or other supplies from an unknown supporter, never imagining the truth. If you take the time to follow the chain to the end you will discover more of what is going on, even getting a free tour of Alcaz Island. (Nice if you were not around during the opening of AQ.) With Patch 3.0 this quest chain was AGAIN altered, before Jania would send you to Bolvar, then it changed to send you to King Varian, as off patch 3.3 it now just ends with her.

Garn is one of those NPC characters who sticks in my memory. I hope he manages to survive the incoming disaster but I have my doubts. His little island home is not that sturdy and he has a habit of hanging around near the outer edges. There is some speculation that he may be related to Jason Mathers over in Elywnn Forest but that has never been confirmed. However if his home WAS Crystal Lake growing up...perhaps a life of crime is not so hard to understand, at least he won't suffer the same fate as the six children.