User:Aletto/Guide to the Deeprun Tram

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The Deeprun Tram is a curious mode of transport that has revolutionized commerce and travel between the cities of Stormwind and Ironforge. The paths between the two cities were (and still are) perilous and rugged - from the icy heights of Dun Morogh to the sweltering ash-caked roads of the Burning Steppes, the route was unsafe and feared by traders as well as travellers. However, the inventive gnomes of the recently-overrun techno city of Gnomeregan built the tram as a token of goodwill to their dwarven and human allies. Today, the Deeprun Tram serves as a safe and fast way to travel from Azeroth to Khaz Modan.

History
There was once a time when those wishing to travel from the city of Stormwind to Ironforge were forced to hike through a dangerous bottleneck - the treacherous Molten Span at the base of Blackrock Mountain. The burning lands surrounding the mountain were also filled with danger, and some ill-equipped travellers even fell victim to wild beasts in the Redridge Mountains and the peaks of Dun Morogh. After the gnomes fled from their lost city, Gnomeregan, they settled with the Ironforge dwarves in the well-defended mountain metropolis. Seeking to prove their allegiance to the Alliance, they drilled a massive hole in the wall of Tinker Town (their own little borough in Ironforge) and began tunneling towards Stormwind. Before long, however, they discovered their work had already been done for them!

An underground river, the Deeprun, already ran for most of the distance between Ironforge and Stormwind. The gnomes carefully constructed a massive tunnel along the Deeprun's riverbed and broke through a mossy cliffside just outside the city limits of Stormwind, and to great applause. Soon after its opening, work began on a magnetized transport system that would travel the length of the entire tunnel on its own without need of operators or engineers. After some research, the tram was constructed and completed. No one knows the secret processes the gnomes use to power their tram, but many simply have forgotten to ask. The tram is such a convenience that most simply thank the gnomes for their contribution to the Alliance.

Duties and Tasks
Work on the tram is complete, so there is no need for builders. However, the gnomes could always use an extra pair of eyes looking out for wily Horde who occasionally manage to sneak into the tunnel. Nipsy and Monty, two entrepreneurial gnomes, operate out of the tunnel. Their trade? Collecting rats, cooking them, and selling rat kabobs. While some adventurers may balk at the idea, gnomes and dwarves seem to love the treats. Regardless of whether or not you're a fan of rat meat, they are seeking adventurers to transport rat meat between the tram stations.

Places and People
Monty and Nipsy are the main residents in the tunnel. An impoverished and diseased gnome named Haggle sometimes wanders the tram station in Ironforge. Some say there are homeless Horde lurking in the shadows, but that's just a rumor, right?

Goods in the Deeprun Tram
Nipsy sells Deeprun Rat Kabobs, which some consider a delicacy. Others consider them gag-worthy.

Significance and Importance
The tram is important to gnomes as well as engineers - protecting it is a priority. It is one of the most technologically advanced places in all of Azeroth and one of the pillars that hold the Alliance together. Night Elves are somewhat suspicious and sometimes even frightened by its noisy and rickety operation. Most of the Horde has no idea the tram even exists - the entrances to the tram are located deep in the heart of the two most heavily fortified Alliance cities. Those who are aware of the tram's existence often ran into it by chance during a rare city raid.

Battleplan
Aside from the occasional nibble at exposed toes (courtesy of a rat), there is not much action going on in the Deeprun. There is the occasional Horde spy cackling madly from a tram car, but other than that, there is not much to worry about. There is always a chance that a Horde raid can take over the automated tram as a sort of staging area for simultaneous raids on Stormwind and Ironforge, but this has only happened a handful of times.