Dwarf

This page is about the lore of the dwarves, for the characteristics of the playable dwarves, see Dwarf (playable)'"The stoic dwarves of Ironforge spent countless generations mining treasures from deep within the earth. Hidden within their impregnable stronghold of Ironforge Mountain, they rarely ventured beyond the wintry peaks of Dun Morogh. Recently however, the dwarves unearthed a series of ruins that held secrets to their ancient heritage. Driven to discover the truth about his people’s fabled origins, the great King Magni Bronzebeard ordered that the dwarves shift their industry from mining to archaeology. As part of the Grand Alliance, the stoneward dwarven armies have been called away to battle the merciless Horde in faraway lands. In these perilous times, the defense of the mountain kingdom falls to brave dwarves like you. The spirits of the ancient kings watch over you, and the very mountains are your strength. The future of your people is in your hands."' -Dwarves opening scene

Dwarves are an ancient, bold, and courageous race. The race is split into various different clans, with the three most predominant being the Ironforge Dwarves or the Bronzebeard Clan, the Dark Iron Clan and the Wildhammer Clan. Ironforge dwarves hold the majority of the mountainous Khaz Modan region in the Eastern Kingdoms, led by the King Magni Bronzebeard. The Wildhammer dwarves make their homes within Aerie Peak in the Hinterlands and around their former home of Grim Batol in the Wetlands, are led by the High Thane Falstad Wildhammer. The Dark Iron dwarves hold parts of Blackrock Mountain from within their subterranean city of Shadowforge, and are spread throughout the surrounding regions of the Burning Steppes and the Searing Gorge, including areas of the Badlands, are led by the King Dagran Thaurissan.

War of the Three Hammers

 * Main article: War of the Three Hammers

By the time of the trade with the various human city-states to the north, the dwarves, led by High King Modimus Anvilmar, had three powerful factions brooding within the city of Ironforge.

The Bronzebeard clan was the largest of the three factions, having controlled the military and mercantile classes (as well as claiming a distant blood tie to the Anvilmar family), the Wildhammer clan who controlled the foothills of the mountain with the most resilient of mountaineers, and the Dark Irons led by the Thaurissan family, who lived in the shadows of the mountain and held a strong penchant for political scheming as well as having cornered the gem market of the dwarves. When High King Modimus died, violence broke out into a civil war which resulted in the victorious Bronzebeard clan keeping Dun Morogh, the Wildhammers settling in Grim Batol in the Wetlands, and the Dark Irons settling in the Redridge Mountains and founding the kingdom of Thaurissan — named after their leader. Now king, Madoran Bronzebeard also granted the Anvilmar family a permanent seat on the Senate of Ironforge, so as to avoid making enemies of the family he deposed.

The Dark Irons remained bitter about their loss for years, and eventually attacked both kingdoms all at once to prevent one from coming to the other's aid. This backfired, however, as Khardros and Madoran put their differences aside and united against the Dark Irons regardless. Sorcerer-Thane Thaurissan led his army to Ironforge and was ultimately defeated. Thaurissan's wife, Modgud, invaded Grim Batol and used her magic to break through the gates and lay siege to the Wildhammers. Khardros Wildhammer, ruler of Grim Batol, slew the dark queen and was victorious. The clan of Ironforge then went on the offensive and marched onto the Dark Iron clan's capital. Alongside The Seven, the sorcerer-thane allowed his hatred to overwhelm himself, accidentally summoning the Elemental Lord of fire, Ragnaros. The summoning destroyed Thaurissan, both the city and the man, and washed over the northern regions of Redridge, transforming them into the Burning Steppes and Searing Gorge.

From afar, the Wildhammers and Ironforge dwarves watched on in horror as Ragnaros destroyed the Dark Iron lands and turned back to their homes. Madoran and his dwarves rebuilt Ironforge in the years that followed. Madoran offered the Wildhammer dwarves a place in Ironforge as they had in years past, though Khardros was too prideful to accept. Unfortunately, Modgud's magic had made the Wildhammer homeland uninhabitable, so they left and migrated north and settled in the Hinterlands and founded the city of Aerie Peak, while others settled within the region of Northeron. There, the Wildhammers became more bonded with nature and learned to ride the mighty gryphons, the creatures becoming emblematic of Wildhammer culture. Following the two passing away, a monument was built to king Madoran and Khardros within the Valley of Kings to watch over the Dark Iron lands; alongside the arches of the Thandol Span being created to symbolize that Wildhammers and Ironforge dwarves would never raise arms to one another again. Under enslavement of Ragnaros, the Dark Irons established a new capital within the depths of Blackrock Mountain known as Shadowforge City, brooding on their hatred for the rest of their kind.

The coming of the Horde and the Alliance
Some dwarves aided the humans during the First War, such as Thargas Anvilmar. Cho'gall negotiated with the Dark Irons who gave the Old Horde the upper levels of their home. Khaz Modan was besieged by the rampaging Horde that was heading north. The proud dwarves of Ironforge made their stand alongside their gnomish cousins. Inch by inch, the Horde claimed Khaz Modan; though the dwarves and gnomes made it difficult as the Horde forced their way through the territory. Eventually, the twin-race host was forced to split as both races retreated to their respective capitals, with Orgrim Doomhammer, Warchief of the orcish Horde, committed his forces to what he saw the greater threat of the two, Ironforge. Unlike with the rest of Khaz Modan, the siege of Ironforge was unsuccessful, with nearly every resident of the city taking up an axe to defend their home. By the end of the siege, ten orcs were slain for every dwarf felled, and Orgrim called off the attack to surround both Gnomeregan and Ironforge, instead of conquering them, leaving the Bleeding Hollow clan to this task. Khaz Modan was the prize, and its resources were soon being mined by the Blackrock clan to serve the Horde's needs.

After the destruction of the Kingdom of Stormwind, the humans banded together under the banner of the Council of Seven Nations. When the races such as the dwarves and gnomes arrived north in refugee droves, the Council was shocked. Moved by Turalyon, the Council united with the dwarves and gnomes to create the Alliance of Lordaeron. After a time, the bloodline of the Arathi was called upon by the Alliance's supreme commander, Anduin Lothar, bringing the high elves into the Alliance as well. United against the Horde, the four races battled throughout Lordaeron as the Horde also claimed the mountain citadel of Grim Batol, using it to imprison the Aspect Alexstrasza. As the war raged on, the Horde eventually breached into the northern reaches atop their dragons and with their mighty demonically infused armies. Formerly without question, the enslaved red dragonflight ravaged the Alliance's forces until thunderous wings suddenly began to ravage the Horde's rear lines. Having drawn too close to the Hinterlands, the Wildhammer dwarves, led by Kurdran Wildhammer rode atop their gryphons with their stormhammers, decimating the Horde. With their only battle ready dragons having been sent off to guide the orcish fleet north, the Orcs were incapable of defeating the dwarves' hit and run tactics, leading to Doomhammer assailing Aerie Peak itself in an effort to subjugate the Wildhammer. As this went on, Orgrim split his forces and headed north, realizing that the dwarves were only concerned with defending their home. The Alliance soon arrived, aiding the Wildhammers in defeating the orcs; the attack having changed the Wildhammer isolationist point of view, leading to them joining the Alliance as well. The Wildhammers informed the Alliance that the Horde had slipped to the north, evading their army, and Lothar continued to pursue them.

The gnomes and dwarves worked together often with their engineering feats. Their frequent collaborations resulted in the creation of some of the Alliance's most amazing devices and weapons. Thus, the union has served the Alliance well; supplying Alliance armies with heavy artillery mortars, submarines, mechanical contraptions, siege engines, and flying machines. One of the most important events that strengthened this friendship was the building of Gnomeregan, which both races contributed to the city's construction.

Aftermath
As the war soured for the Horde and they lost more and more ground, they were eventually defeated and pushed out of Khaz Modan; forced to retreat all the way back to Blackrock Spire. The Bleeding Hollow was unable to continue dominion over the snow-capped hills of Khaz Modan, and for the first time since the Second War had begun, the races of the Alliance were fully united. When the Horde was finally defeated and the Alliance sought to subjugate Draenor, the dwarves continued with this, notably, led by Kurdran Wildhammer who headed through the portal with the Sons of Lothar.

During the interim of the Second and Third Wars, heroes of the Alliance aided by dragons freed Grim Batol from the Dragonmaw clan. The dwarves of Ironforge remained a steadfast ally of the crumbling Alliance of Lordaeron.

During the Third War, dwarves from Ironforge and Aerie Peak aided the Alliance in their campaigns across Lordaeron, Northrend, and Kalimdor. Magni Bronzebeard himself crafted the powerful Ashbringer for the Knights of the Silver Hand.

When Gnomeregan was overtaken by troggs after the Third War, the gnome refugees moved to the dwarf capital of Ironforge in order to plan a counterattack.

The Explorer's League

 * Main article: Explorers' League

Recently, the dwarves unearthed a series of ruins that held the key to the secrets of their lost heritage. Driven to discover the truth about his people's fabled origins, King Magni Bronzebeard ordered that the dwarves shift their industry from mining and engineering to that of archaeology. Magni helped to create the famed Explorers' Guild of Ironforge, a group utterly devoted to plumbing the secrets of the ancient world and delving out the truth of the dwarves' fabled existence.

The Explorer's League, or Explorer's Guild as it is also called, is a recent organization founded by dwarves seeking to uncover their past and relation to the titans. Searching for titan (and all other kinds as well, for that matter) artifacts and ruins, their dig sites, and camps can be found all over Azeroth. Information recovered is carefully analyzed and stored in the Hall of Explorers in Ironforge. The shared duties of either being out on an adventure, digging in the ground for lost treasures, or sitting home in Ironforge while filing reports and schedules have given the Explorer's League an effective system with a rapid development. Information recovered increases all the time, and so does the League's members.

The Explorer's League was founded before the Third War. A group of dwarves is found in Bael Modan, excavating its ruins. Additionally, a new area of Ironforge was financed in order to house the League's work.[citation needed ]  As much of the information about the titans was lost during the earthen's slumber after the Great Sundering, the information has to be gathered all over again from relics and data the titans left behind.

Becoming a member of the League is not an easy task. It requires the applicant (which nearly always is a dwarf) to possess supreme skills in everything from the recognition of mines and herbs to map-making and geography. The League's most profound member is Brann Bronzebeard, a dwarven explorer who has seen nearly all corners of the world, which has granted him quite the insight in the dwarves' past.

While the dwarves' allies (such as the humans and the gnomes) do not share as much motivation for this project as the dwarves do, they still support and aid the organization. Not only does the League provide much information about distant areas and cultures, but several goldmines have also been found during the League's excavations.

The League's struggle to gain knowledge of the titans has not only resulted in a better understanding of the world, but it has also unlocked one of the dwarves' ancient abilities -  [Stoneform]. This ability lets the dwarves turn their skin into stone, becoming similar to the earthen for a short period of time. While this ability is already useful against effects such as poison, the dwarves believe that this is only the first step in reclaiming their earthen-powers.

World of Warcraft
After the fall of Lordaeron and the dissolution of the original Alliance, the dwarves joined the emerging new Alliance that was being formed with the diplomatic efforts of the Kingdom of Stormwind, the dwarves, given their great relationship with humans and the debt they believe having with them after the Second War, they joined their former companions and allies without hesitation.

With Ironforge and Stormwind, the Grand Alliance had re-emerged.

Given their close relationship with the dwarves, the Gnomes were the second race to join the Alliance; after the fall of Gnomeregan, the dwarves offered the gnomes a place to take refuge in Ironforge, which they called Tinker Town.

However, not all clans are affiliated with the Alliance nor are they as friendly, the Dark Iron Dwarves, known for their tireless hatred and burning rage have been imprisoned in Blackrock Mountain after accidentally summoning Fire Lord Ragnaros. .

Recently it is said that Dagran Thaurissan has kidnapped the daughter of the King of Ironforge, Moira Thaurissan and has her under a spell next to her on her throne in the Blackrock Depths.

Mysteries of Azeroth
Some Dwarves of the Wildhammer Clan have formally joined the Alliance, becoming part of its ranks, constantly fighting against the Revantusk Trolls in the hinterlands.

Meanwhile, the Dark Iron Dwarves have opened a new quarry in the Burning Steppes, the Hateforge Quarry. By order of the Thorium Brotherhood, adventurers from the Alliance and the Horde must enter the dangerous and hostile quarry to find out what is happening. inside, since it is believed that it is not right.

The High Elves of the Silvermoon Remnant faction, with the help of Vereesa Windrunner, have decided to formally join the Alliance, however, the bitter memory of its abandonment at the end of the Second War still prevails, therefore, they have decided intercede with each of the leaders of the four founding races, one of them was King Magni Bronzebeard, who without hesitation accepted them, formally sending his response to Stormwind.