Venture Company

For The War Within faction, see Venture Company (faction).

Venture Company
The Venture Co. banner
Main leader	Grimla Fizzlecrank Various unnamed leaders
Formerly	Nikki the Fixer †  Mogul Razdunk †
Secondary leaders	See below
Race(s)	Goblin  Gilgoblin  Hobgoblin  Human  Undead  Dwarf  Dark Iron dwarf  Gnome  Leper gnome  Jungle troll  Orc  Ogre  Gnoll  Kobold  Hozen
Capital	Heaps, Undermine
Formerly	Crapopolis
Base of operations	See below
Theater of operations	Azeroth
Sub-group(s)	Venture Co. Mining Division Entrepreneur Inc.
Affiliation	Trade Coalition, Cartels of Undermine, Independent
Formerly	Defias Brotherhood, Sunfury, Crown Chemical Company
Status	Active

The Venture Company or Venture Trading Company, often shortened to simply Venture Co., is a goblin-run cartel notorious for plundering Azeroth's natural resources. Part of the Trade Coalition, the company specializes in gathering raw materials. If you can dig it up, chop it down, or blow it out of a mountain, they will. They also got some of the best heavy machines, miners, shredders, and drills out there. The Venture Company has had and continues to have operations throughout many parts of Azeroth. In addition to being known for their ruthless methods, the company has historically had dealings with various nefarious organizations, like the Defias Brotherhood, the Sunfury, and the Crown Chemical Company. Mogul Razdunk was the president of the company for many years, but he was never able to ascend to the position of Trade-prince. Grimla Fizzlecrank is the one who hands out the jobs these days. She is trying to push the Venture Co. in the right direction, but there's a whole parade of troublemakers pulling other strings.

History

World of Warcraft

This section concerns content related to the original World of Warcraft.

Eastern Kingdoms

The Venture Co. Base Camp in Stranglethorn Vale.

In Stranglethorn Vale, the Company had set up Venture Co. Base Camp near Lake Nazferiti where a logging operation was underway. This operation was led by Foreman Cozzle, who could be found in the nearby Venture Co. Operations Center, an oil platform that had been built on the lake. They had muscled out and cut in on other goblins to set up this operation, including Baron Revilgaz of Booty Bay who ordered Mogul Kebok to take care of them.

They were also mining near the Crystalvein Mine. They couldn't get into the mine because of all the basilisks, but they were still able to dig up singing crystals from the surrounding hills. The crystals were unique to Stranglethorn and very valuable to certain parties. They were being tumbled by Venture Co. geologists near Lake Nazferiti, which indicated that they were planning to use them as some sort of fuel or other catalyst.

Coincidentally, or not, the shredders in the Venture Co. Base Camp had been equipped with a new model fuel regulator. When Baron Revilgaz learned of this, he sent his men to track down the blueprints, wishing to send them to Pozzik in the Mirage Raceway, where he hoped they would give the goblin team an edge against their gnome rivals. However, his men were outsmarted by Foreman Cozzle and came back empty-handed. Later, Revilgaz hired adventurers who successfully managed to steal the plans from Cozzle.

The Venture Company had also managed to acquire a mixture from the Zanzilli, who had discovered a way to raise the dead through the use of poisons. The SI:7 learned that the company was selling this formula to Klaven Mortwake of the Defias Brotherhood. Several Defias Drones were found at his tower in southeastern Westfall, similar in nature to the Venture Co. Drones found in the Barrens.

Kalimdor

The Venture Co. Mine in Mulgore.

In Mulgore, the Venture Company operated the Venture Co. Mine in the eastern cliffs, led by Supervisor Fizsprocket, who was the goblin in charge of operations in the tauren homeland. The Venture Co. was refused mining rights in Mulgore, but they would not take no for an answer. Furthermore, Mogul Razdunk and the company's advisory board were encouraging Fizsprocket to expand Mulgore operations to lumber harvesting as well. The board was going to provide the supervisor with several of their newest model shredders and raw materials to construct a mill.

Additionally, the Venture Co. had tainted the Winterhoof, Thunderhorn, and Wildmane Water Wells. However, it is uncertain if it was just a side effect of their polluting activities or an attempt to monopolize the region's water supply.

Unsurprisingly, their activity angered the tauren. When a caravan carrying mining supplies and traveling under guard on the northern shore of Stonebull Lake was found by the Outrunners, they were quick to attack and lay waste to it. The tauren left the supply crates, thinking that their torches would destroy anything of value, but they later observed Venture Co. salvagers at the site.

Adventurers were later sent to investigate the caravan, attack the workers in the mine, and cleanse the water wells.

The Sludge Fen in the Barrens.

In the Barrens, the Venture Company ran multiple operations. At the Sludge Fen in the northernmost part of the Barrens, Supervisor Lugwizzle managed an oil rig on top of what was once a pool of crystal-blue waters, which the Venture Co. had turned into a mire of industrial byproducts and waste.

Sputtervalve, a Tinkers' Union member in Ratchet who had been put in charge of the Union's shredder development, had sent another goblin named Wizzlecrank, to commandeer one of the Venture Co. shredders in the Sludge Fen and bring it to Ratchet. The Company's new shredders were better than his latest, and with pressure from Director Riddlevox to produce results, he had decided to steal their technology instead. However, Wizzlecrank had jumped into a shredder without getting the key to make it move. So he had gotten stuck and had to get rescued by adventurers who stole the key from the supervisor and then escorted Wizzlecrank and the shredder back to Ratchet while Venture Co. employees tried to stop them.

To the west of the Sludge Fen, the Venture Co. had set up a small research facility run by Tinkerer Sniggles. There, the company was conducting experiments related to the samophlange. Sputtervalve, who was interested in learning more about the samophlange, hired adventurers to steal the one from the lab for him. After retrieving the device, which Sputtervalve then accidentally broke, adventurers were sent to Wenikee Boltbucket for repairs. Wenikee sent adventurers back to the Sludge Fen to collect nugget slugs from Venture Co. employee tool buckets in order to try and fix the samophlange.

When Wenikee failed, they turned to Rilli Greasygob, a former Venture Co. employee. Rilli had them recover the Samophlange Manual from Boss Copperplug, who oversaw Boulder Lode Mine. A Venture Co. mine located north-east from the Sludge Fen, which seemed to have once belonged to the Horde. Rilli then managed to fix the contraption and send it back to Sputtervalve.

When Wharfmaster Dizzywig heard that one of the Boulder Lode miners had discovered a giant emerald there, he made a deal with adventurers to go and retrieve the gem for him, promising to split the profits.

The Venture Co. Tower in the Barrens.

Finally, there was the Venture Co. Tower to the north of the Sludge Fen. Grand Foreman Puzik Gallywix was the goblin in charge there. For one year, the Shattered Hand worked on planting an agent deep within the Venture Co. ranks. When they received word from this agent, Taskmaster Fizzule, that the company was planning something grand scale in the tower, they sent rogue adventurers to meet with him and investigate. Fizzule instructed them to steal the tower key from Foreman Silixiz and then take the opportunity to slay all the inhabitants of the tower, who had been weakened due to the fumes of the various Zanzil poisons stored there. The Venture Co. had apparently been using the mixtures to create Mutated Venture Co. Drones. The rogues were then to take both the Gallywix's head and the mixture back to Shenthul in Orgrimmar.

Windshear Crag in the Stonetalon Mountains.

In the Stonetalon Mountains, the Venture Company operated a major logging outfit in Windshear Crag, led by the leper gnome Gerenzo Wrenchwhistle. When Gerenzo was hired, their other engineer, Ziz Fizziks, was so taken aback by this, he pleaded with Sputtervalve to find him new employment with the Tinkers' Union. When Gerenzo built an enormous woodcutting machine called the Super Reaper 6000, Sputtervalve sent Ziz to steal the blueprints, and then later adventurers to help him out.

Logging wasn't the only Venture Co. operation going on in Windshear Crag; in the southeast corner of the area, there was the Windshear Mine, where Gerenzo had ordered large amounts of an unidentified gold-green ore to be harvested. One of the workers there, Piznik, had once been the second most important person in Windshear Crag until Gerenzo took over, fired his boss Ziz, and sent him down to work in the mines. However, Ziz told Piznik to stay there and gather information. When Piznik learned of the mysterious ore, he asked adventurers to send samples back to Ziz for research.

Once the blueprints were acquired, Ziz had the adventurers deliver a sealed envelope to Sputtervalve containing the blueprints as well as all the information he had on the Venture Company, such as internal documents and some manuals. Sputtervalve, however, wasn't done yet; the matter of the Venture Company hiring Gerenzo had caused a bit of a stir in Undermine. The trade princes did not approve of Razdunk's consorting with the gnome, and thus Riddlevox had asked Sputtervalve to take care of the problem. Sputtervalve was sure Riddlevox had been instructed to do so by one or more of the trade princes. Soon after Gerenzo was attacked by adventurers.

The Venture Co. activities in Stonetalon had also provoked outrage from members of the Horde and the Alliance. On the Horde side, Zor Lonetree had heard the call of the spirits of the Stonetalon Mountains and had sent Seereth Stonebreak to investigate. After witnessing the devastation wrought by the Venture Co., Seereth asked Horde adventurers to go to Windshear Crag and attack Venture Co. personnel there, hoping to discourage the company from doing further harm by using the language they understand best, violence. She also had them destroy the XT:4 and XT:9 shredders.

However, knowing that this wouldn't be enough to stop the Venture Co., Seereth sent adventurers to Magatha Grimtotem in Thunder Bluff for her wisdom on the matter. Magatha in turn pointed them to Apothecary Zamah, whom she believed could help resolve the problem. Zamah had the adventurers work with Apothecary Lydon in Tarren Mill to create a toxin to bleed the violence from the Venture Company, rendering them weak and docile. Once the toxin was completed, adventurers were sent back to Windshear Crag, where they located the Venture Co. sky port and placed the toxin fogger. There it could get spread around and maybe even reach their headquarters, they hoped.

The Charred Vale in Stonetalon Mountains.

On the Alliance side, they had sent sentinel Kaela Shadowspear and Gaxim Rustfizzle, a member of EAAAES, to investigate. When Alliance adventurers met with them, Gaxim asked that they take care of some of the Venture Co. in Windshear Crag so he could have some time to organize and plan. Once that was done, he sent them on a couple of errands to gather materials to build remotely detonated bombs. Once the explosives were ready, the adventurers were sent on a covert operation where they used the explosives to distract the Venture Co. while they stole engineering plans from the lumber mill and letters from Windshear Mine. With these documents, they would be able to find weaknesses in the Venture Co. machines and also incorporate Venture Co. designs into their own creations.

Once the operation was complete, the documents were sent to Kaela, who sought the adventurers' aid with another Venture Co.-related catastrophe, the Charred Vale. It's unknown what the Venture Co. did to the Vale exactly, but it was clear they had been overpowered by the creatures there. In retaliation, they set the forest aflame and used their inventions of destruction to decimate as much of the Vale as possible. But in their ignorance, they also released fire elementals. Furthermore, the protectors of the Vale, the treants, who had obviously played a role in Venture Co.'s retreat, had been corrupted by the weapons the goblins used before they left.

The Burning Crusade

This section concerns content related to The Burning Crusade.

Shortly before the invasion of Outland, a group of Venture Company goblins led by Geezle entered into the service of Kael'thas Sunstrider via his agent, Engineer "Spark" Overgrind, the emissary of the gnomish High Tinker who accompanied Admiral Odesyus. The Sunfury had made a deal with Mogul Razdunk to stripmine the crashed Exodar and the crystal wreckage that had been scattered around Azuremyst Isle and Bloodmyst Isle. The goblins then had managed to stow away in the holds of both of Admiral Odysyus' ships and when they had gotten close to the islands, struck at night when most of the crew was asleep, stole the navigation gear and jumped ship. Forcing the ships to port in the Azuremyst Isle. The Venture Co. intended to hijack the ships once their work was done.

Their plan, however, was ruined when draenei adventurers came to Odesyus' aid. They recovered the navigation tools from Geezle's Camp and spied on Geezle meeting with Overgrind regarding their plans, after which Overgrind was slain on the orders of the admiral. Geezle is not seen again after Overgrind's death, and the fate of him and his men remains unknown.

Wrath of the Lich King

This section concerns content related to Wrath of the Lich King.

The Blue Sky Logging Grounds in the Grizzly Hills.

During the war against the Lich King, in the Grizzly Hills, the Venture Company operated a large logging operation spanning the Blue Sky Logging Grounds, the Blackriver Logging Camp, and Venture Bay. However, the operation ceased, and its employees fled when the camps became contested territory between the Alliance and Horde armies, who sought to take the logging camps to fuel their own war machines. Whatever Venture Co. stragglers remained behind were smoked out.

During an excavation in the region, a Venture Co. goblin unearthed the Heart of the Ancients, which was part of a legendary set of artifacts, lost for thousands of years, created to make Drak'Tharon Keep impervious.

Swindlegrin's Dig in Sholazar Basin.

The Venture Co. also operated Swindlegrin's Dig, a strip mine situated on the northwest side of the Suntouched Pillar in Sholazar Basin. Foreman Swindlegrin oversaw the operation to strip the yellow gems from the pillar. When an expedition led by Hemet Nesingwary arrived nearby, the Venture Company started hampering their efforts to secure their campsite and survey the area. They also started antagonizing their scouts and shooting down supply flights. Furthermore, they captured Engineer Helice when she came there to explore the crystals and take samples. Thus, Debaar, a member of Nesingwary's expedition, asked adventurers to go to the dig and slay any Venture Company employee they saw as retaliation. She also asked they take out Swindlegrin and his bodyguard, Meatpie. Meanwhile Weslex Quickwrench, had them collect spare parts from the dig to fix his flying machine. In the dig, the adventurers rescued Helice, who before leaving set off a big cache of explosives close to where she had been imprisoned.

It was also around this period, that the Venture Company struck a business deal with the Crown Chemical Company. Acting as the public face, the goblins organized the Love is in the Air event to mask the Crown Chemical Company's sinister intentions. Furthermore, a Venture Co. employee, Snivel Rustrocket, was tasked with making rockets that deliver an airborne chemical payload. When investigators from the Steamwheedle Cartel, with the help of adventurers, uncovered the scheme and confronted Snivel, he gave them his ledger, which detailed the locations of Crown Lackeys and the Chemical Wagons they were escorting all around Azeroth and even Outland.

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In Stonetalon Mountains, the Venture Co. had managed to completely deforest Windshear Crag by this time. Li Li Stormstout and Strongbo visited the place, looking for a hidden valley where Indellium was said to grow. When they discovered the valley, they met Keeper Orremin, the guardian of the vale who had in the past fought against the Venture Co. when they had threatened the vale and now kept it hidden from them and anyone else that might endanger the rare plant.

Cataclysm and aftermath

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

The Crystal Shore in the Cape of Stranglethorn.

During the Elemental Unrest before the Cataclysm, the Sludge Fen and the Venture Co. Base Camp were attacked by fire elementals and water elementals respectively. Furthermore, Sputtervalve once again had adventurers go there, this time to recover the Silver Bullet X-831 schematics from Venture Co. employees, which he claimed had been stolen by them. Also, a Sludge Beast was discovered beneath the oil rig after adventurers followed tracks it had left behind all the way from Nozzlepot's Outpost.

In Mulgore, Venture Co. had lost control of the water wells to the Grimtotem tribe, but they still held the Venture Co. mine.

In the Stonetalon Mountains, the company had lost most of Windshear Crag to Alliance and Horde forces; what remained of the company there were couped up in the waterwheel platform above Cragpool Lake, including Gerenzo Wrenchwhistle, who had miraculously survived his assassination attempt years ago and who became a target of another one requested by Professor Xakxak Gyromate. For whatever reason, at some point the Venture Co. stole the BD-816 War Apparatuses from Large Daddy and Big Papa.

In Stranglethorn Vale, the company continued the logging outfit around Lake Nazferiti and had also expanded operations to the Crystal Shore, where they had built three oil platforms. The oil rigs came under attack by the Bloodsail Buccaneers who sought to plunder the "Black Gold" the company was harvesting there.

Silvershard Mines in the Stranglethorn Vale.

This section concerns content related to Mists of Pandaria.

During the invasion of Pandaria, the Venture Company lost control of the Silvershard Mines in Stranglethorn Vale as the Alliance and Horde clashed over the diamonds within, seeking to fund their respective war efforts.

This section concerns content related to Legion.

During the Legion Invasions, the Sludge Fen was attacked once again, this time by Burning Legion troops.

An archaeology consultant from the Company was seen with Rohan Sunveil and Clarya Sunveil, in a camp near the ruins of Kal'delar in Val'sharah.

Fourth War and aftermath

This section concerns content related to Battle for Azeroth.

The Jeweled Coast in Stormsong Valley.

At the time of the Fourth War, with the emergence of Azerite, the Venture Company set out to capitalize on this new powerful resource. They began harvesting operations on a number of islands in the Great Sea where Azerite had been found. However, these operations would come under attack by Alliance and Horde expeditions. During one of these expeditions, a tome containing the Venture Company's long-term plan was looted. It appeared to be quite complex and nearly impossible to understand. Lizzarik's name was found on the back of the tome, and when confronted about it in Ratchet, he claimed to be an "investor" in the company and paid off his confronters with Azerite.

On Kul Tiras, the Venture Company could be found at the Jeweled Coast in Stormsong Valley running an oil rig. They were contaminating the pristine waters with toxic oil, which was causing harm to the local animals. They were also setting aflame the very oil they harvested, hoping to drive the locals away. Their actions caused them to come into conflict with the Tortollan Seekers living at the nearby Seekers' Vista. The tortollans enlisted the aid of adventurers to aid them against the Venture Co. and deal with the environmental damage they were doing.

They also had the adventurers help them awaken Ai'twen, an ancient turtle who had helped them in past crises. In response, the Venture Co. was preparing a huge digging machine to tear the reef apart and destroy the cave where Ai'twen was sleeping in. They had assigned a special operative, Lithia Costcutter, to be sure the job was done right. However, Lithia was defeated by the adventurers while the reef breaker was destroyed using Venture Co. bombs salvaged from the sea. Once Ai'twen was awakened, he, together with the tortollan Toki and adventurers, drove the Venture Co. away from the Jeweled Coast. Though Toki was sure that they would meet again.

In Vol'dun, an exploratory team led by Chief Expedition Officer McCormick killed the goblin Dataguru Gryzix and stole the Ub3r-Spanner schematics from him. Though the engineer, Dataguru had been helping decode the schematics for, managed to take revenge and retrieve the stolen item.

In Mulgore, Verd Twiceswindle and his lackeys stole some extremely rare leathers from Sheza Wildmane, after which they sent a letter offering to sell the stolen hides back to her. A leatherworker later confronted the Venture Co. thugs, recovered the hides, and used them to craft Drums of Primal Might.

Crapopolis in Kezan.

Furthermore, during this period, the company struck a deal with Trade Prince Jastor Gallywix of the Bilgewater Cartel, who, despite his reservations, negotiated the agreement on behalf of Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner. The deal would have the Venture Co. refine Azerite for the Horde in its war against the Alliance.

Around the same time, the Venture Company infiltrated the Dark Iron clan holdings in Blackrock Mountain, destroyed the Black Anvil, and absconded with the legendary hammer Ironfoe. The dwarves had been making progress refining Azerite by infusing magic into it using Ironfoe and the Black Anvil. Razdunk later backed out of the deal with the Horde, and Gallywix sought revenge to get what they were owed.

Mogul Razdunk in the MOTHERLODE!!.

The isle of Kezan, rent asunder by the eruption of Mount Kajaro, was now brimming with Azerite in the aftermath of Sargeras' assault on Azeroth. Razdunk had started great dig sites in search of Azerite and had focused the Venture Company's efforts on weaponizing it and selling it to the highest bidder. Seeking to stake his claim to the title of Trade Prince, Razdunk was certain that becoming the world's foremost Azerite baron would bring him fame and fortune beyond his station and allow him to ascend to the position he had never been able to achieve. The company had also figured out how to tame elementals made from pure Azerite in Crapopolis.

However, his actions in betraying the Horde and stealing from the Alliance caused champions from both factions to turn their ire upon him, though it was the Alliance that got to him first. Moira Thaurissan directed the Dark Irons to find Razdunk in Kezan and infiltrate Crapopolis. In the seat of the Venture Company, Moira’s Dark Iron champions swiftly dealt with Razdunk and recovered the legendary weapon.

The Venture Company did not fall with its president, however, and they would soon after appear in Mechagon Island when it was discovered by the Horde and Alliance. The Venture Co. sought to exploit the island for every ounce of profit they could make. In return, tortollans once again sought the aid of adventurers to fight the Centure Co. and drive them off the island.

When adventurers later traveled to Tanaris to look for Grizzek Fizzwrench and Sapphronetta Flivvers, they encountered the Venture Co., who were scavenging the remains of one of the couple's creations, Feathers, for their own use.

At some point after the Venture Co.'s defeat, Jastor Gallywix bought Crapopolis for himself.

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According to Zekhan's report after the Fourth War, the tauren in Mulgore were still facing the Venture Company mining operations.

Following the war against the Jailer, Muradin Bronzebeard's expedition in Northrend reported that the Venture Company's mining and clear-cutting operations in the Grizzly Hills had resumed. The company once again had full control over Venture Bay as the conflict over the region ceased. In Sholazar Basin, they also reported that the Venture Company still continued their operations at the Suntouched Pillar. Magni feared that eventually they would do as much harm as the Cult of the Damned to the region, however unintentionally.

This section concerns content related to Dragonflight.

After the discovery of the Dragon Isles, the Venture Co. higher-ups sent Grimla Fizzlecrank to see what the company's prospects could be on the island; however, upon witnessing the breathtaking landscape, Grimla chose to walk away this time. Despite this, scavengers did appear throughout the Forbidden Reach and inside the Zskera Vaults.

In the Eastern Kingdoms, the Venture Company continued to maintain the oil rigs at the Crystal Shore in the Cape of Stranglethorn, routinely under the inspection of Prospector Arty.

The War Within

This section concerns content related to The War Within.

Grudge Grotto in Azj-Kahet.

The Venture Company tunneled from the Undermine to Azj-Kahet, establishing a foothold in Mmarl under the leadership of Jenni Boombuckle. There, they founded Grudge Grotto, a bot battle arena. Upon arrival, they replaced the incense the niffen used to repel nerubian flyers—due to its unpleasant odor. This inadvertently led to the resurgence of the flyers, who began preying on the Venture Co. employees. Seeing a business opportunity, Jenni created Debugger Hats to combat the bugs and attempted to market them to the niffen. Once the root of the problem was uncovered, Monte Gazlowe and adventurers offered their help and assisted the Venture Co. and the niffen in fending off the flyers and restoring the protective incense.

Widow Arak'nai hired insurgents from the Venture Company to aid her conspiracy against Queen Ansurek.

After the Cinderbrew Meadery was destroyed, Wenbrandt grew impatient waiting for Adelgonn to repair it and accepted the Venture Company's offer to "restructure" it. However, they had their own agenda and seized the meadery in a hostile takeover, placing Goldie Baronbottom in charge. Under her leadership, they increased mead production at the cost of its quality and caged all the bees, making them angry. Wenbrandt asked for the aid of adventurers to help take back his meadery from the Venture Company and defeat Goldie.

After the Dark Heart was damaged during the battle for Hallowfall, Jastor Gallywix entered into a deal with Xal'atath. While the exact details are a mystery, it is known that he was tasked with repairing the Dark Heart for her, seemingly in exchange for access and knowledge on how to utilize the Black Blood to make powerful weapons. When Gallywix asked for more time, help, and blood, Xal'atath directed him to Khaz Algar, where he could get all three.

The Venture Company bought the contract to do the diggings and set up camps in the Writhing Fields and the Verdant Gutters in the Ringing Deeps, where Black Blood was harvested and prepared for delivery to Undermine. They also founded the town of Gutterville for the workers to stay in. The other cartels soon got involved as well, though they all answered to the Darkfuse, who acted as enforcers and the overseers.

Nikki the Fixer (leftmost) in a meeting with Jastor Gallywix and the cartel heads.

As Gallywix took over Undermine, Laslo Overbite, the Bilgewater Cartel leader in the city, sought to rally the other cartel leaders against Gallywix and negotiate a new deal. However, Nikki the Fixer, the Chairwoman of the Venture Company, willingly aligned with Gallywix and the Darkfuse in pursuit of power. Meanwhile, Gallywix's leverage forced Marin Noggenfogger of the Steamwheedle Cartel and Baron Revilgaz of the Blackwater Cartel into compliance. Gallywix then had Laslo executed as an example, to the terror of Nikki and the other leaders.

Undermine(d)

The Writhing Fields in the Ringing Deeps.

Eventually, the wall between the Verdant Gutters and the nearby Opportunity Point was blown off. After receiving word, Monte Gazlowe, Renzik "The Shiv", Orweyna, and adventurers, set off to investigate. In the Verdant Gutters, they talked to the Venture Co. employees there who informed them of the situation, and the investigation eventually led south to the Writhing Fields. Along the way, they met Zirdo, a Venture "micromanager" in the Gutters who offered to show them around the operation.

Gallywix, who did not approve of the now-open wall into the Ringing Deeps, had placed a bounty on the culprit's head. When they discovered the Black Blood infestation in the south mines, Orweyna charged ahead, seeking to destroy the machinery the goblins were using to extract it. However, Pamsy, the leader of the Venture crew working on the Writhing Fields, intervened and stopped her, telling Orweyna that destroying the machinery would only make things worse. They reconvened in Gutterville, where Pamsy revealed that she had been the one who blew up the wall. The project was slowly killing her crew, and she couldn't get help from Undermine, so she hoped that the commotion would attract people who cared about what the Black Blood was causing.

However, the duplicitous Zirdo snitched on Pamsy to Gozzic Cogcrane, the Darkfuse in charge of the Writhing Fields, seeking to claim the reward Gallywix had promised. Gozzic slew some members of Pamsy's crew to send a message. To avenge her people and rescue the survivors, Pamsy sought the aid of Gazlowe and the others to fight the Darkfuse in the Writhing Fields and destroy the operation. Adventurers were sent to kill Gozzic, and the pump station was sabotaged with help from Orweyna.

Elsewhere in the Ringing Deeps, the Darkfuse were executing Operation: Floodgate at the Waterworks dam, using it to power Gallywix's sinister plans. They had contracted the Demolition Duo from Venture Co. to take care of whatever explosive needs they required. Renzik "The Shiv" led a covert mission to infiltrate the place and kill the people in charge in order to cut off the power and stop the scheme.

Grimla Fizzlecrank welcomes Monte Gazlowe, Renzik "The Shiv", and Orweyna to Undermine.

Once Gazlowe and the others made their way to Undermine, they met with the Venture goblin Pamsy had contacts with there, Grimla Fizzlecrank, who drove the group around the city. During the tour, they visited Venturewood in the Heaps, the Venture Co. turf, where the Darkfuse were harassing the locals with the approval of Nikki the Fixer. Grimla and Pamsy, who had also arrived in Undermne at this point, tried talking to Nikki into changing her course of action but to no avail. In a fit, Nikki threw a bomb into a nearby building before leaving the group to clean up her mess. After aiding the Venture Co. goblins that were in the building and destroying some of the Darkfuse Spy-copters in Venturewood, Orweyna appeared with news of having found a Black Blood depot.

Grimla temporarily split from the group to carry on with some deliveries while the rest followed clues from the depot that led straight to the Blackwater Cartel and Baron Revilgaz. After learning from Revilgaz that Blackwater was delivering Black Blood shipments at a depot in the Heaps, the group discovered that Zirdo had become its overseer. Adventurers were charged with clearing out the depot and taking revenge on Zirdo.

Venture Plaza in the Heaps, the headquarters of the company.

From Zirdo's ledger, the group learned that Marin Noggenfogger was also involved in Gallywix's Black Blood operation. After confronting Noggenfogger in the Steamwheedle Laboratories, he pointed them back to Venture Co., more precisely to their Kaja'mite mines. They went back to the Heaps, where schedules gathered from employees there revealed that quite a number of them were being sent to the Kaja'Coast in Zuldazar. Meanwhile, Grimla asked adventurers to see if they could convince some of the Venture Co. workers in the Heaps to quit, which would mean fewer people doing Gallywix's dirty work. In order to gain access to the rocket drill traveling to the Kaja'Coast, adventurers dealt with Lead Foreman Krome, one of the big bosses who organizes how Venture's workforce gets split up, while Renzik slipped in and grabbed the card from Venture Plaza, the Venture Co. headquarters.

At the Kaja'Coast, they discovered the Darkfuse were having the Venture Co. recklessly mine Kaja'mite which was being used to stabilize the Dark Blood. After dealing with some of the Darkfuse troops and their surveillance bots, Gazlowe and Renzik asked adventurers to disrupt the Venture Co. mining operation by slaying the supervisors, and destroying the Kaja'mite stockpiles in the Lucky Break Mines. From a paystub found in the mines, the group learned that the Kaja'mite was being delivered to a secret warehouse back in Undermine. Gallywix was making Blackwater bring Black Blood, the Venture mine kaja'mite, and Steamwheedle process it all, allowing for the creation of the Black Blood weapons the Darkfuse were using and the repairing of the Dark Heart. The Bilgewater Cartel later regained control of the Kaja'Coast from the Darkfuse and Venture Company.

Once they returned to Undermine, the group learned that the warehouse Gallwyix had been hiding the Dark Heart in was in the Heaps. Furthermore, the hostages used to keep Noggenfogger and Revilgaz in check were also being held there in the Venture Storage building. Gazlowe asked Grimla to escort Noggenfogger to the Bilgewater headquarters and send word to Revilgaz while he and the rest of the group went to the Heaps to rescue the hostages and find the Dark Heart. After the captives were freed from Venture Storage, they found Gallywix with the Dark Heart in the nearby Hoardroom. As the group confronted Gallywix, Phase-Thief Azir appeared and took the Dark Heart from Gallywix. Before making his own exit, Gallwyix threatened the group, telling them that Undermine was his town and that he would bury them under it.

Nikki the Fixer, with her Executive Package defense matrix.

Some time afterwards, Nikki the Fixer and some Darkfuse assassins were sent to take out Gazlowe; however, Renzik "The Shiv" sacrificed himself to rescue him. Following this event, Gazlowe rallied Grimla and the other cartel leaders to put an end to Gallywix's rule over Undermine. Nikki showed up in Tailgate Park afterwards, terrorizing the Bilgewater goblins there, whom Gazlowe was trying to enlist for the revolution. Gazlowe attempted to take Nikki down but failed, as Nikki was being protected by her Executive Package defense matrix, which made her almost invulnerable.

As the revolution progressed, Venture Company officially fought itself as Grimla directed adventurers to take out Nikki's lieutenants in Venturewood: Fusetwister Trish, Foreman Luddy, and Underboss Paulie. Pamsy meanwhile, devised a means to disable Nikki's defenses. The two then joined the other cartel heads in rallying the citizens of Undermine and in the fight against Nikki the Fixer in front of the Gallagio. Following Nikki's death, Gallywix retreated into his bunker within the casino.

Gallywix called on every favor owed to protect him, and his goons took to the streets of Undermine while he barricaded himself within the Gallagio. One of the goblins that answered Gallywix's call was Stix Bunkjunker. He and his cleanup crew fought adventurers in the Heaps. After his defeat, Grimla and her Venture buddies took care of what was left in the area. After dealing with Gallywix's cronies, Grimla helped put together a wartank with the other cartel leaders to breach the hotel's defenses. They then fought their way through the Gallagio until they reached the Overboss of Undermine himself.

Grimla after the Liberation of Undermine.

Following the death of Nikki and Gallywix, Grimla became the new de facto leader of the Venture Company. Sometime after, she could be overheard speaking to Baron Revilgaz in the Incontinental Hotel about her troubles in dealing with the parade of troublemakers who were pulling other strings while she tried to steer the company in the right direction. Revilgaz gave her advice on how to reign in the rest of Venture Co. and offered her the services of the Blackwater Cartel to deal with some of the harder cases.

Sometime following this, Grimla and her cousin Tarbonara made their way to the Gallagio to celebrate its reopening under Rosebud Gallywix, which turned tragic when Rosebud was assassinated. Rusebud's killer was ultimately revealed to be Tarbonara, who was swiftly dealt with after the discovery. Subsequently, Grimla attended the second reopening of the Gallagio.

Notable members

Tinkerer Sniggles in Hearthstone, with the symbol of the company on his shoulder.

Name	Role	Location	Status
Mogul Razdunk	President of the Venture Company	Rocketzan, MOTHERLODE!!	Deceased
Nikki the Fixer	Chairwoman of the Venture Company	Various, Undermine	Killable
Grimla Fizzlecrank	Current de facto leader of the Venture Company	Various	Alive
Boss Copperplug	Boss of Boulder Lode Mine	Boulder Lode Mine, Northern Barrens	Killable
Foreman Cozzle	Foreman of the Venture Co. Operations Center	Venture Co. Operations Center, Northern Stranglethorn	Killable
Supervisor Fizsprocket	Supervisor of the Venture Co. Mine	Venture Co. Mine, Mulgore	Killable
Geezle	Leader of the Venture Co.'s operation on Azuremyst Isle	Traitor's Cove, Azuremyst Isle	Unknown
Gerenzo Wrenchwhistle	Overseer of the Windshear Crag operation	Windshear Crag, Stonetalon Mountains	Killable
Supervisor Lugwizzle	Supervisor of the Sludge Fen	Sludge Fen, Northern Barrens	Killable
Grand Foreman Puzik Gallywix	Grand foreman in the Barrens	Venture Co. Tower, Northern Barrens	Killable
Foreman Swindlegrin	Foreman of Swindlegrin's Dig	Swindlegrin's Dig, Sholazar Basin	Killable
Vice President Fitzi Getzem	Vice President	Island Expeditions	Killable
Rixxa Fluxflame	Chief Scientist	R&D, MOTHERLODE!!	Killable
Chief Expedition Officer McCormick	Chief officer of a Venture Co expedition in Vol'dun	Vol'dun	Killable
Goldie Baronbottom	BEE.E.O of the Cinderbrew Meadery	Cinderbrew Meadery, Isle of Dorn	Killable
Jenni Boombuckle	Boss of Grudge Grotto	Mmarl, Azj-Kahet	Alive
Pamsy	Leader of the crew working on the Writhing Fields	Various	Alive
Zirdo	Overseer of the Heaps, former Micromanager in the Verdant Gutters	Various	Killable
Lead Foreman Krome	One of the big bosses who organizes how Venture's workforce gets split up	Venture Plaza, Undermine	Killable
Benk Buzzbee	Beekeeper of the Cinderbrew Meadery	Cinderbrew Meadery, Isle of Dorn	Killable
Brew Master Aldryr	Barkeep and brew master for the Cinderbrew Meadery	Cinderbrew Meadery, Isle of Dorn	Killable
Keeza Quickfuse	The brains of the Demolition Duo	Operation: Floodgate, Ringing Deeps	Killable
Bront	The brawn of the Demolition Duo	Operation: Floodgate, Ringing Deeps	Killable
Tarbonara Fizzlecrank	Lead conspirator in the assassination of Rosebud Gallywix	Undermine	Killable
Prospector Arty	Inspector in the Crystal Shore	Crystal Shore, Cape of Stranglethorn	Alive
Lithia Costcutter	Specialist famous for bringing jobs in under budget	Jeweled Coast, Stormsong Valley	Killable
Ripsnoodle	Boss of Entrepreneur Inc.	Various	Alive
Fazzo Fusebucket	Venture manager in the Verdant Gutters	Verdant Gutters, Ringing Deeps	Alive

Organization

The group's bosses and cronies may seem honest, dealing in trades like mining and logging, but in reality, their coin is made from illegal clear-cutting, arms dealing, and animal smuggling. The damage the Venture Company does to nature is unprecedented, which often causes them to come into conflict with the local inhabitants.

Unlike the other major goblin cartels, the Venture Company is not led by a Trade-prince. Some goblins speculate it is because they're always getting in trouble for mining or cutting where they shouldn't or for trying to keep what they promised to someone else. Terminal command restructuring happens regularly at Venture.

If there's one thing Venture does keep in order, it's their paperwork. They're really particular with dividing their workforce and keeping everything on schedule.

Though Venture Co. is largely run and managed by goblins, it provides employment to a variety of other races as well, even usually hostile ones such as Dark Iron dwarves, undead, ogres, and gnolls. They are also known to pay mercenaries well.

Bases and operations

A billboard in Crapopolis advertising the company's Azerite mining operations.

An older Venture Co. banner design.

In the RPG

This section contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

Mogul Razdunk in the RPG.

Background

The Trade Coalition is huge, far-reaching, and massively complicated. In addition, numerous other, smaller goblin companies, created and run by entrepreneurs called moguls (the hands of the trade princes) operate throughout Azeroth. Perhaps the most famous of these smaller businesses is the Venture Company, founded and ruled by Mogul Razdunk. The corporate group is a collection of greedy entrepreneurs who keep both eyes on the bottom line at all times. Mogul Razdunk owns and runs the Venture Company.

The headquarters of the Venture Company is located in Undermine. Ratchet also serves as a base of operations for many members of the company. Though the city is governed from Undermine by the trade princes, Ratchet is (or was) run by members of the Venture Company. While the city operates under the watchful eyes of the trade princes, Gazlowe has considerable free rein. The Venture Company employs a complex device known as a Truth detector in the City of Ratchet when they were making an important deal with a new supplier and wanted to ascertain whether or not the supplier is trustworthy.

The Venture Company is known for spearheading the efforts to reestablish trade routes across eastern Azeroth, to connect isolated goblin trading posts. A growing number of shops in Azeroth have signs declaring that they are owned and operated by the "Venture Company," which the proprietors claim is headquartered in a faraway city ruled by goblins. The Venture Company sometimes hires heroes to build new trading posts in the wilderness — a job that could take them anywhere in the world. The Venture Company is infamous for its massive numbers of goblin shredders.

The trade princes have recently caused problems for the Venture Company, and it is looking increasingly likely that the goblins will turn on each other soon. Ziz Fizziks, a goblin who works with the trade princes, works to retrieve plans that a disloyal goblin stole and sold to the Venture Company.

Projects in Central Kalimdor

The goblins of the Venture Company threaten to reduce the entire Central Kalimdor section into an uninhabitable wasteland.

Mulgore is rich with iron and tin, which has attracted the attention of the Venture Company. With the centaur gone, the Venture Company has taken advantage of the tauren's peaceful nature and have set up mining operations throughout the region. The Venture Company's presence here is for profit, plain and simple. Driven by profit, the Venture Company mines for the iron and tin in eastern Mulgore, depleting the land's natural resources, and hoarding the region's water supplies. They are disturbing the balance of nature in the region, and drawing the anger of the tauren. Although the tauren have tried to share their land, the continuous encroachment and lack of respect shown by the Venture Company has resulted in escalating conflict in the region. The Venture Company buys poached hides from Palemane gnolls near Palemane Rock. The goblins intended to capitalize on the peaceful nature of the tauren and steal the resources of their home, and that plan has begun to fall apart only recently. It is believed if the goblins are pressed hard enough, they will eventually get the picture and withdraw. Baine Bloodhoof, the son of Cairne, leads an investigation into Venture Company operations to the east of the village.

Agents of the goblin-run Venture Company have also been sighted in the Stonetalon Peak area, searching for potential tracts to deforest and streams of precious ore to plunder with their mining machines. They have a significant presence in the Stonetalon Mountains, chopping down trees and burning huge stretches of forest in the Windshear Crag basin. The goblins of Stonetalon are among the finest engineers of their race, and their inventions have allowed them to remove massive chunks of the forest in a few short months. The Venture Company is gradually destroying the remaining trees and taking the remaining resources from the earth There has been a near-complete annihilation of sections of the Stonetalon Mountains (the Charred Vale in particular) with lumber-cutting machine by the Venture Company. The Venture Company's expeditions and mining operations changed much of the landscape to dusty, barren canyons and desolate cliffs. If this process continues, Stonetalon could soon become as much a wasteland as Desolace in the south or the Barrens in the east. This endeavor draws ire from the night elves and tauren alike, who find the deforestation barbaric and dangerous. Many of the tauren still hold the unrealistic hope that the Venture Company can be reasoned with, and this belief prevents progress. While the majority of the night elves and tauren take defensive roles, the Grimtotem tribe strikes back against the goblins.

The Venture Company has an operation in the Sludge Fen, in the Barrens' northern hills. They also can be seen in Boulder Lode Mine, close to the shores of the Southfury River (and the oft-overlooked western entrance to Orgrimmar).

Relationship to Steamwheedle Cartel

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.

Members of the Venture Company are said to "run Ratchet", and that one of their major operations is in the city. It is also said that the trade princes govern the city, and allow Gazlowe free reign to rule under their watchful eye. Thus Gazlowe is affiliated with the Steamwheedle Cartel and the trade princes. It is also said that the trade princes have recently caused problems for the Venture Company, and that it looked increasingly likely that the goblins would turn on other. Thus it appears that the Venture Company is a powerful competitor in the city, but how they "run" the city is unclear, perhaps they have some control over the city as a mafia, manipulating the elected officials and Lawkeepers.

In addition, as noted above the Venture Company is run by a mogul, the hand of a trade prince. This would imply that Razdunk and the Venture Company has either betrayed its trade prince or one of the princes has betrayed the others.

Notes and trivia

• The Venture Company was called a cartel by Morin Cloudstalker, but they were not considered one by Monte Gazlowe right after the Fourth War. Adding to the confusion, a developer stated that they are counted as one of the four "cartels" of Undermine, but are not. However, in Undermine, Gazlowe and other goblins outright call them a cartel, finally settling the matter.
• The Venture Co. Foundry is a regular participant in the All-Valley Blacksmithing Championship.
• In 2007, Blizzard released a Burning Crusade commercial that featured the "Love is in the Air" event and the new jewelcrafting profession. The name of the brand advertised was "Dabiri's Venture Co."—a parody of Tiffany & Co. and a reference to Shahram Dabiri.
• Before the Cataclysm, an empty Venture Co. camp could be found in an inaccessible coastal area west of Stonetalon Mountains.
• Since the company had acquired a way to raise voodoo drones from the Zanzil trolls, it is possible the various undead members of the group in the Grizzly Hills are not former Forsaken but zombies as well.
• Pinchwhistle Point in the Spires of Arak was originally called "Venture Cove" during the Warlords of Draenor beta, indicating the Venture Company might have been intended to play a role there.
• Blackfuse Company members were mistakenly labeled as Venture Co. in the garrison mission  Profitable Machinations. The Venture Co.-affiliated Iron Engineers found in Mor'gran Logworks might also be mislabeled.
• A number of Venture Co.-affiliated goblins were set to appear during patch 7.0.3, such as Errie Pickratchet, Nuts Pitchflame, and Rollie Blackpowder; however, they did not make it out of the beta stages.
• G.E.T.A. might be a part of the Venture Company, as all of its members in Undermine are tagged as part of the Venture Company faction.

Gallery

• 

  Venture Co. Mercenary in Hearthstone, reused TCG art of Baxxel Geartooth.
• 

  A Venture goblin in the Poison Water TCG card.
• 

  Concept art of the Silvershard Mines.

External links

• Wowhead
• WoWDB