Broker

Not to be confused with Broken.

Broker
Artificer Xy'mox in Hearthstone.
Faction/Affiliation	Broker cartels, Enlightened, Independent
Character classes	Assassin, Anima Caster, Warrior
Racial capital	Tazavesh, the Veiled Market Other great barge cities
Racial leader(s)	Various cartel heads
Homeworld	K'aresh
Area(s)	Shadowlands, Great Dark Beyond

Brokers are a race of energy beings native to the destroyed planet K'aresh, who now dwell in the Shadowlands. Independent from the Covenants and the Maw, they possess an innate affinity for anima and act as soul-traders that can move freely around the realms. They navigate through the In-Between, the space between the different realms of the Shadowlands, which also hosts various broker cities, most of which are hidden and change location on a whim, one of these cities is Tazavesh, the Veiled Market. They have also been known to travel to the physical universe in service of their businesses operations.

History

The brokers come from the world of K'aresh. When it was destroyed by the void lord Dimensius the All-Devouring, some of its inhabitants became beings made of energy: some the brokers, and some the ethereals. They may have once been the same race. After K'aresh's destruction, the brokers would travel to the Shadowlands.

Since the brokers first set out from their realm of origin upon their great barge cities that navigate the In-Between, they have been driven, first and foremost, by one goal: to learn the truths of the First Ones and lay claim to their ancient secrets. The journey began by seeking centers of knowledge that legends told were shaped by the First Ones' hands, such as Oribos, Baraneth, Nirem-Ahn, Korthia, and more. In some cases, they were successful; in others, they continue their search. The brokers were finally able to set foot in Oribos due to a whim of a navigator belonging to the Cartel Au. Following their discovery of the city, the brokers were allowed to establish themselves within.

After Cartel Al outbid Cartel Ta to lead an expedition to the Sepulcher of the First Ones, they discovered a clue to its location—a piece of writing seemingly from the First Ones. Al'firim, known for his skill in translation and codebreaking, began deciphering it. Despite his self-proclaimed genius, the complexity of the task nearly overwhelmed him. However, he managed to decode some glyphs, achieving more progress than brokers had made in ages. As the expedition continued searching the Shadowlands for the Sepulcher, their dispatches grew increasingly incoherent. Al'firim journeyed across the Shadowlands, seeking scholars and explorers to aid his work but found little support.

The Enlightened

Eventually, however, the fractals aligned, and Al'firim's expedition reached Zereth Mortis, the realm of the First Ones. Upon arrival, some members attempted to plunder the realm's secrets but were killed by the First Ones' servants. The survivors, heeding Al'firim's warnings, founded the village of Haven as a base for their research. As they delved deeper into Zereth Mortis' mysteries, they came to see their discoveries as sacred. They destroyed their portals and erased their translocation equations, willingly stranding themselves in the realm. Renouncing their cartel prefixes, they named themselves the Enlightened, while Al'firim adopted the name "Firim".

A schism soon arose among the Enlightened. While Firim remained determined to reach the Sepulcher, the others deemed it too sacred and began sabotaging his research. The feud escalated until the Enlightened declared Firim a heretic and banished him from Haven. Undeterred, Firim relocated to Exile's Hollow, resolved to outpace his former allies.

Meanwhile, Cartel Ve financed an exploratory venture into the Maw to gain access to an untapped source of information, untouched resources, and untold influence. The venture was an unmitigated success. Shortly after confirmation of a defensible position was acquired, all communication with Ve agents was severed. Ve'nari, the broker in charge of the expedition, allegedly arranged the elimination of her fellow cartel members to secure exclusive access to their newfound resources (though Ve'nari claims otherwise).

Shadowlands

This section concerns content related to Shadowlands.

Ve'nari in the Maw

In the wake of the anima drought caused by the breaking of the Arbiter and the arrival of living mortals from Azeroth to Oribos, the Maw Walkers, the brokers quickly started providing a variety of exotic merchandise and profession knowledge to them.

In Oribos, Cartel Au established themselves as the main source of all crafting-related services in the Hall of Shapes. Cartel Ta meanwhile had a strong presence in the Hall of Curiosities where they specialized in sourcing exotic items and beasts, and providing access to services such as Void Storage, transmogrification, and barbershops. The cartel also ran the inn at the Idyllia. Cartel Ba seemed to be working with Cartel Ta while Cartel Zo could be found in the Enclave where they were interested in observing how the Maw Walkers did battle, be it through arena matches, battlegrounds or out in the Shadowlands and reporting their findings to "the Observer".

In Bastion, Cartel Ta run Transfer Station Ta where various captured creatures and collected items from that realm, bound to be exported elsewhere in the Shadowlands through the broker portal network, could be seen being handled by them.

In Maldraxxus, Au'narim was the top broker in the Challenger's Promenade. She kept the place supplied with powerful creatures for the Maldraxxi to fight in the Theater of Pain. She also ran a myriad of other businesses there, including betting rings, performance enhancers, and whatever else the customers were willing to purchase. Brokers from Cartel So and Cartel Zo were also seen working with or for her in there. Elsewhere in the realm, Ta'eran, with the aid of the Maw Walkers, collected the writings of the Primus and the Margraves from the Sepulcher of Knowledge.

In De Other Side, Maw Walkers had to fight Dealer Xy'exa, a broker who was a "business partner" of Bwonsamdi and had acquired some of his mojo in a deal they had made.

In Revendreth, Cartel Ta had been given permission to establish the Night Market by The Fearstalker. Market Collectors could be seen gathering pieces of the local flora, presumably shipping them off-world. The cartel also provided decorations for the Ember Court. In Castle Nathria, the leader of Cartel Xy, Artificer Xy'mox, had managed to infiltrate Sire Denathrius' inner court and intended to steal the powerful artifacts being held in the castle's vault.

In the Maw, Ve'nari became a valuable ally to Maw Walkers who set out to fight the Jailer's minions in their own realm. Cartel Ve brokers could also be found inside Torghast, Tower of the Damned where they aided Maw Walkers exploring the tower by selling them various items that could aid them in the tower. Another member of the cartel, Ve'nish, made a box that would grant the user power to travel the halls of Torghast with impunity.

Chains of Domination

This section concerns content related to Shadowlands.

So'leah transformed by the relic

During the events of the united covenant Maw assault and the Korthia expedition, Al'dalil of Cartel Al enlisted the aid of Maw Walkers in traveling to Tazavesh, the Veiled Market and stopping the leader of Cartel So, So'leah, from assembling a dangerous relic of the First Ones which she sought to use for her own selfish gains.

There were three leading cartels in Tazavesh, Cartels Au, Xy, and Zo. In the city, Cartel Au focused mostly on hospitality and entertainment services, operating Myza's Oasis as well as the Lap of Luxury Cartel Xy owned the Grand Menagerie where they sold rare and valuable items and beasts they had acquired in their operations. While Cartel Zo were the main peacekeepers in Tazavesh. A few other cartels who had a notable presence there were, Cartel Ba that operated the Primary Office for Sending Things (P.O.S.T.), Cartel Ta who was in charge of the Portal Authority and Cartel So who presumably operated the Opulent Nexus.

In Korthia, Cartel Ta had quietly spread observational devices all across the realm for the purpose of collecting information. Ta'nasi tasked Maw Walkers on retrieving the data from these devices. While Xy'lonu set up at Keeper's Respite, and sent Maw Walkers in quests to collect boxes with various items acquired by her associates in Korthia. She also sent them in bounties to kill various powerful Mawsworn hindering the work of her cartel in Korthia.

Cartel Ba was part of a trade deal with Kel'Thuzad and the House of Rituals, having sold him a Domination dagger from the Maw.

Eternity's End

This section concerns content related to Shadowlands.

Artificer Xy'mox in the Sepulcher of the First Ones

During the Zereth Mortis campaign, the Maw Walkers and the Covenants came in contact with the Enlightened with whom they allied with to fight the Jailer and his Mawsworn who had invaded the realm to reach the Sepulcher of the First Ones and use it to remake reality according to the Jailer's design. Maw Walkers also encountered Firim with whom they were able to decipher some of the secrets left behind by the First Ones.

Once the passage to Zereth Mortis was opened, the Cartel Xy was quick to attempt to profit off that realm. Members of the cartel were stopped by Al'dalil, Rana, and a Maw Walker from sabotaging the Enlightened in Haven. The group was also able to stop the Xy agents who had broken inside the Slumbering Vault, though not before Artificer Xy'mox was able to get what he was looking for in there according to Xy'kaz. A Maw Walker later had to stop Xy assassins that were targeting Firim. The Maw Walkers had another confrontation with Artificer Xy'mox and Cartel Xy in the Sepulcher of the First Ones where they were in the process of plundering the ancient knowledge and powerful relics buried there.

The War Within

This section concerns content related to The War Within.

Please add any available information to this section.

In patch 11.2.0, players will venture to the ethereal and broker homeworld of K'aresh to stop the resurrection of Dimensius the All-Devouring. The Brokers have agreed to help them and moved Tazavesh, the Veiled Market to the planet to act as their base.

Appearance

Brokers use encounter suits which are designed to be aesthetically pleasing to mortal sensibilities. These suits are humanoid-shaped, usually with two legs and two arms, and with a mask instead of a face. The suits come in a variety of clothes and mask shapes. Some brokers can be seen using bigger encounter suits with four legs and four arms. The brokers themselves seem to not have a solid form, instead what looks like a blue flame, or red in the case of some cartel assassins, can be seen where their heads would be. Below is a non-exhaustive collection of various broker encounter suits.

Culture

Brokers in Tazavesh

Brokers are savvy, adaptable, and keep their true intentions to themselves. They value success, and are not afraid to display the results of their endeavors. They travel extensively and learn from the denizens from every realm they visit which allows them to cater their offerings to the needs of their clientele. Brokers, such as Opulence Ba'hare, value the accumulation of information and knowledge, which in turn allows them to accumulate much influence and wealth. The lure of information is appealing enough for certain brokers, such as Ve'nari, for them to even go to places as dangerous as the Maw. Some brokers consider their fellow cartel associates as family members. There are few things more distasteful to a broker than a patron incapable of discretion.

Brokers love to collect various exotic items and oddities and put them on display. Their methods of storage are bigger on the inside. They use children's toys to teach their cartel's encryption methods. They are an inventive people and have created their own anima-powered constructs, such as the P.O.S.T. Master or the Prying Eyes.

Purrkins are a traditional pet of the brokers, and the two races have a mutually beneficial relationship -- a necessity in Broker culture.

Cartels

Broker society is divided into cartels. Each broker's name has the name of their cartel attached as a prefix; for example, Opulence Ba'hare is of Cartel Ba, and Ta'lan the Antiquary is of Cartel Ta.

Well-known cartels

• Cartel Al - They are focused on following the path of the First Ones and securing their secrets. They appear to have a small presence in the broker city of Tazavesh. They sent an expedition, led by Al'firim, looking for the Sepulcher of the First Ones who ended up abandoning the cartel and becoming the Enlightened.
• Cartel Au - The cartel established itself as the main source of all crafting-related services in the Hall of Shapes. Agents of the cartel can also be found in Maldraxxus where they provide challengers for the Theater of Pain. They are also one of the leading cartels in Tazavesh, the Veiled Market where they specialize in providing hospitality and entertainment.
• Cartel Ba - They operate in the Broker's Den, in Oribos, where they focus on supplying various items for the mortals in collaboration with Cartel Ta. They also supposedly operate the Primary Office for Sending Things (P.O.S.T.) in Tazavesh.
• Cartel So - They have a presence in Tazavesh where they might be the cartel operating the Opulent Nexus. They also have a small presence in Oribos. Their leader, So'leah, aimed to acquire the pieces of a relic of the First Ones which would make her powerful and thus empowering her cartel. She was ultimately stopped by Al'dalil and the Maw Walkers, leaving the cartel leaderless.
• Cartel Ta - They specialize in sourcing exotic beasts and items and providing transportation. They are one of the more prominent cartels, operating the Hall of Curiosities and the Idyllia in Oribos, Transfer Station Ta in Bastion, the Night Market in Revendreth and the Tazavesh Portal Authority.
• Cartel Ve - A cartel that has a reputation for creeping around dangerous places in search of treasure. They sent an expedition to the Maw led by Ve'nari. Agents of the cartel can be seen in the Maw and Torghast, Tower of the Damned.
• Cartel Xy - They specialize in acquiring and selling anything and everything of value. They are one of the leading cartels in Tazavesh where they own the Grand Menagerie. Cartel Xy members have been seen in Castle Nathria, Korthia, and in Zereth Mortis looking for priceless artifacts.
• Cartel Zo - They seem to be primarily focused on security work, being the main peacekeepers in Tazavesh and one of the city's leading cartels. They also have a presence in the Enclave in Oribos where they seem to be interested in observing how the Maw Walkers do battle, be it through arena matches, battlegrounds, or out in the Shadowlands, and reporting their findings to the Observer.

Lesser known cartels

• Cartel Fe - They are known for bounty hunting according to Fe'tajid who is the only known member of the cartel.
• Cartel Ko - Nothing is known of this cartel aside from Ko'tul being a member.
• Cartel Ku - Nothing is known of this cartel aside from Supplier Ku'bin being a member.
• Cartel Tu - Nothing is known of this cartel aside from Tu'kol being a member.

Other

• Enlightened - Once members of Cartel Al, the Enlightened have abandoned the pursuit of profit and glory out of devotion to the First Ones.

Notable

Firim

Name	Role	Affiliation	Status	Location
Artificer Xy'mox	Leader of Cartel Xy	Cartel Xy	Killable	Castle Nathria, Sepulcher of the First Ones
Ve'nari	Purveyor of Cyphers, assisted Maw Walkers in the Maw	Independent	Active	The Maw, Zereth Mortis
Al'dalil	The self-proclaimed foremost expert on broker culture	Cartel Al	Active	Tazavesh, the Veiled Market
So'leah	Leader of Cartel So	Cartel So	Killable	Tazavesh, the Veiled Market
Firim	Led the expedition that discovered Zereth Mortis	Independent	Active	Zereth Mortis
Al'Ara	Formerly an elder of the Enlightened, she has since rejoined Cartel Al	Cartel Al	Active	Zereth Mortis, Oribos
Ta'lora	Author of Grimoire of the Shadowlands and Beyond	Cartel Ta	Active	Unknown
Overseer Ta'readon	Bazaar Master of the Hall of Curiosities	Cartel Ta	Active	Oribos
Ta'xera	Matron of the Night Market	Cartel Ta	Active	Revendreth
Matriarch Ta'dolla	Presumed leader of Cartel Ta	Cartel Ta	Active	Oribos
Leader Au'llano	Presumed leader of Cartel Au	Cartel Au	Active	Tazavesh, the Veiled Market
Foreman Au'brak	Cartel Au foreman in the Hall of Shapes	Cartel Au	Active	Oribos
Au'narim	Odds supervisor for the Theater of Pain	Cartel Au	Active	Maldraxxus
Opulence Ba'hare	One of the elders of Cartel Ba	Cartel Ba	Active	Oribos
So'azmi	Cartel So's top assassin	Cartel So	Killable	Oribos
Ve'nish	Creator of The Box of Many Things	Cartel Ve	Unknown	Torghast, Tower of the Damned
Dealer Xy'exa	Cunning acquisitionist, made a deal with Bwonsamdi	Cartel Xy	Killable	De Other Side
Zo'gron	Bouncer for Myza's Oasis	Cartel Zo	Killable	Tazavesh, the Veiled Market
Zo'phex	Sentinel of the gates of Tazavesh	Cartel Zo	Killable	Tazavesh, the Veiled Market
Zo'sorg	Master of Conflict, overseer of Cartel Zo in Oribos	Cartel Zo	Active	Oribos

Notes

• The brokers share a lot of similarities with ethereals through their appearance, culture, and society divided into cartels.
  • This would later be explained as them coming from the same world as the ethereals, and possibly even once being the same race.
• Before it was said in The War Within that the brokers came from K'aresh, it was originally stated that they were from an unnamed realm of the Shadowlands.
• The belts of some brokers bear the same pattern that can be found around Oribos and on other First One artifacts in the Shadowlands.
• The  [Ancient Broker Headpiece] made Ta'lan wonder if this belonged to some forgotten precursor or previous history of the brokers or some group of brokers who are hiding themselves.
• They are not permitted to enter the Other Side.
• Though Ve'nari is the only broker operating in the Maw, as she escapes assassins of Cartel Ve who are trapped with her, the brokers in Oribos of Cartel Ba somehow managed to procure items from the Maw for Kel'Thuzad.

Speculation

This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.

Most of the items sold by the Antique Vendor and Toy Vendor in the Gilded Landing in Tazavesh mention various brokers. Based on their names and what we know of broker naming conventions—where a broker's cartel name is affixed as a prefix—it appears that some of these names might hint at other broker cartels that have not yet been encountered.

•  [Hyperlight Moccasins] mentions a broker named "By'ron," which might suggest the existence of a Cartel By.
•  [Vi'ller's Preserved Eye] mentions a broker named "Vi'ller," possibly pointing to a Cartel Vi.
•  [Pa'hix's Runepuzzle] mentions a broker named "Pa'hix," which could indicate a Cartel Pa.

However, this speculation should be approached with caution, as other items the vendors sell contain inconsistencies. For example, the  [Urn of Knowledge] mentions a "Ny'lad of Cartel Ta," which doesn't fit with what we know about broker naming conventions.

Gallery

• Brokers
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  Curio Dealer
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  Strategist Ta'drom
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  Acquirer Ta'gosh
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  Customs Security
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  Dock Enforcer
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  Leader Au'llano
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  Cartel Xy Saboteur
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  Zo'phex
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  Commerce Enforcer
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  Tracker Zo'korss
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  Elder Kreth
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  Rana
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  Avna
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  Hadja
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  Olem
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  Developer showcases
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• Objects and locations
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  A broker gateway in Oribos.
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  Broker merchant in Oribos.
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  A broker boat in the In-Between.
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  A broker boat approaching Tazavesh.
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  Inside Tazavesh
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  Broker bot
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  Barrier Projector

• Hearthstone art
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  Ve'nari in Hearthstone: Battlegrounds
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  Artificer Xy'mox (Infused) in Hearthstone.
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  Sinful Brand in Hearthstone.

• Concept art
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  Brokers concept
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  Elite broker concept
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  "Empowered broker" concept
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  Enlightened
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  Enlightened themed armor concepts
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  Tazavesh concept art
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  Tazavesh's market concept
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  A dark alley
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  Customs
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  Building facades
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  Mailroom
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  Menagerie
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  Myza's Oasis
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  Broker ship concepts
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  Broker wagon concept
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  Broker food
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  Broker goods
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  Broker anima sword