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The Dark Iron dwarves are the smallest and most feared of the three great dwarf clans, a people of fire mages, golem builders and slavers who rule a hidden city inside Blackrock Mountain. Defeated by their cousins in an ancient civil war, they summoned the Firelord Ragnaros and have served him ever since. In Classic they are enemies from the first levels in Dun Morogh to the end of Molten Core, and their capital is the huge dungeon Blackrock Depths.
History
The War of the Three Hammers
Long ago, the dwarves of Khaz Modan lived together in Ironforge under High King Modimus Anvilmar. The kingdom held three powerful clans: the Bronzebeards, the Wildhammers and the Dark Irons. When Anvilmar died, the clans fought over the throne. The Bronzebeards held Ironforge, and the Wildhammers and Dark Irons were driven out. The Dark Irons, led by the sorcerer-thane Thaurissan, went south and built a city of their own in the mountains, which they named for their ruler.
About 230 years before the orcs arrived, the Dark Irons tried to take back Khaz Modan. Thaurissan attacked Ironforge while his wife Modgud struck the Wildhammer fortress of Grim Batol. Both assaults failed and Modgud was killed.
The summoning of Ragnaros
Beaten and desperate, Thaurissan and his sorcerers tried to call an elemental servant to help them. Instead they freed Ragnaros, the Firelord, who had been imprisoned deep underground. His arrival tore the land apart: Blackrock Mountain rose from the ground, the surrounding lands burned into the Searing Gorge and the Burning Steppes, and Thaurissan was killed. The surviving Dark Irons were bound to serve Ragnaros, who made his home in the Molten Core at the mountain's heart.
The Dark Irons today
The clan now lives in Shadowforge City under the rule of Emperor Dagran Thaurissan, a descendant of the first Thaurissan. The upper half of Blackrock Mountain belongs to the orcs of the Blackrock Clan and the black dragonflight, and the two sides fight constantly. Dark Iron agents also work across Khaz Modan, sabotaging dams, bridges and dig sites. In the most famous incident, Princess Moira Bronzebeard, the daughter of Magni Bronzebeard, disappeared into Blackrock Mountain and became Dagran's wife. Her father believes she was taken by force.
In World of Warcraft
Low-level zones
Players meet Dark Iron spies and saboteurs long before they see Blackrock Mountain. Dark Iron spies (Dark Iron Spy) and their leader Captain Beld hide out in Dun Morogh, insurgents and sappers (Dark Iron Insurgent, Dark Iron Sapper) threaten Loch Modan, and the Dark Irons have occupied the ruins of Dun Modr in Wetlands. There, Motley Garmason sends players against them in The Dark Iron War.
Uldaman and the Badlands
The Shadowforge branch of the clan digs for Titan artifacts in Badlands. Their excavations lead into Uldaman, where Galgann Firehammer commands the dwarves inside.
Searing Gorge and the Burning Steppes
Searing Gorge is Dark Iron country. Slave drivers (Dark Iron Slaver, Dark Iron Taskmaster) work captured miners in the gorge's pits, and Overseer Maltorius watches over the slaves. A renegade group of Dark Iron smiths, the Thorium Brotherhood, has broken away and set up camp at Thorium Point. In the Burning Steppes, Thaurissan agents and war reavers patrol the slopes below the mountain, and the Alliance chain that begins with The True Masters follows a captured marshal into the depths.
Blackrock Depths
Blackrock Depths is one of the largest dungeons in Classic, for players around levels 52 to 60. It contains the prison, an arena, the Grim Guzzler tavern, the forges and Shadowforge City itself. Notable encounters include:
- High Interrogator Gerstahn, Bael'Gar and Lord Incendius in the lower halls
- Fineous Darkvire, whose death is part of Dark Iron Legacy, the quest for the [Shadowforge Key]
- General Angerforge, who drops [Hand of Justice]
- Golem Lord Argelmach and his golems
- The Seven, spirits of Dark Iron sorcerers such as Doom'rel, in the Summoners' Tomb
- Ambassador Flamelash and Magmus
- Emperor Dagran Thaurissan, with Princess Moira Bronzebeard at his side. He drops [Ironfoe].
Alliance players reach the emperor through Kharan Mighthammer's tale, which ends with The Fate of the Kingdom from Magni. Horde players get The Royal Rescue from Thrall, and Horde quests such as KILL ON SIGHT: Dark Iron Dwarves from Kargath target the Anvilrage guards. In both cases Moira's fate depends on how the fight goes: if players kill her, they fail the Alliance version.
Molten Core and the Thorium Brotherhood
The path to Ragnaros starts in Blackrock Depths. Lothos Riftwaker near the entrance asks players to bring back a Core Fragment in Attunement to the Core, which attunes them to Molten Core. Inside, Ragnaros and his lieutenants fight with the help of Dark Iron servants.
The Thorium Brotherhood is the only Dark Iron faction players can befriend. Lokhtos Darkbargainer, the Brotherhood's quartermaster, hides in the Grim Guzzler tavern and trades for [Dark Iron Ore] in Favor Amongst the Brotherhood, Dark Iron Ore and other materials. At high standing he sells some of the best crafting recipes of the game, such as [Plans: Dark Iron Reaver], [Plans: Dark Iron Destroyer], [Plans: Black Amnesty] and [Pattern: Chromatic Gauntlets].
Later history
In Cataclysm, Moira took a seat on the Council of Three Hammers that rules Ironforge, bringing the Dark Irons into the Alliance. During Battle for Azeroth, the Dark Iron dwarves joined the Alliance as a playable allied race. The Grim Guzzler's brewmaster Coren Direbrew also became a regular boss of the yearly Brewfest event.
Sources
Categories: Lore