Searing Gorge

The Searing Gorge is a volcanic canyon north of Blackrock Mountain, for characters of roughly levels 43 to 50. The Dark Iron Dwarves have turned it into a vast open-pit mine called the Cauldron, worked by slaves and guarded by golems and fire elementals. It is also home to the Thorium Brotherhood, a group of Dark Iron smiths who broke with their kin and whose reputation many max-level crafters worked hard to earn.

Geography

The gorge is a bowl of red rock and lava, ringed by cliffs. A dirt road loops around its center, and the northern face of Blackrock Mountain fills its southern edge.

• The Cauldron, in the center, is a huge excavation pit worked by Dark Iron dwarves and their slaves. The Slag Pit, a cave complex beneath it, holds the Dark Iron overseers.
• Thorium Point is a small neutral outpost of the Thorium Brotherhood on a high ridge. It has flight points for both factions.
• Firewatch Ridge, in the northwest, is a Dark Iron fortification with sentry towers.
• The Grimesilt Dig Site and Tanner Camp are smaller camps around the gorge.
• Blackchar Cave is home to fire elementals.
• The Sea of Cinders, in the south, leads to the bridge into Blackrock Mountain.
• The Stonewrought Pass in the north connects to Loch Modan through a locked gate.

History

The Searing Gorge was once part of the dwarven lands near Ironforge. During the War of the Three Hammers, the Dark Iron sorcerer-thane Thaurissan summoned Ragnaros to win the war. The Firelord's arrival devastated the region, created Blackrock Mountain and left the Dark Iron dwarves enslaved to him. The land around the mountain has burned ever since.

The Dark Irons now dig through the gorge for ore and relics to serve Ragnaros. Not all of them agree. The Thorium Brotherhood is a guild of Dark Iron smiths who have turned against the Firelord's servants and offer their knowledge to outsiders who prove themselves.

Quests and notable NPCs

The Thorium Brotherhood. At Thorium Point, Lookout Captain Lolo Longstriker, Taskmaster Scrange, Hansel Heavyhands and Master Smith Burninate post bounties and odd jobs against the Dark Irons and the gorge's creatures. Highlights include WANTED: Overseer Maltorius, the hunt for the traitor Overseer Maltorius in the Slag Pit, and What the Flux?, recovering the stolen recipe for fiery flux. Higher Brotherhood reputation is earned with repeatable turn-ins such as Restoring Fiery Flux Supplies via Kingsblood, and unlocks recipes for fire-resistance gear and weapons sold by Lokhtos Darkbargainer inside Blackrock Depths. The most famous trade is with Lokhtos, who gives a [Thorium Brotherhood Contract] in exchange for a [Sulfuron Ingot] from Molten Core; the contract becomes [Plans: Sulfuron Hammer], the recipe for the [Sulfuron Hammer].

Kalaran Windblade. Kalaran Windblade tells his story in Divine Retribution and sends players across the gorge for the parts of a magic torch. The finished Torch of Retribution is used to set Firewatch Ridge's towers ablaze in Set Them Ablaze!. The chain ends with a twist that leads to Cyrus Therepentous in the Burning Steppes.

The Suntara Stones. Alliance players can escort the injured dwarf Dorius Stonetender in Suntara Stones, which leads to a chain for Curator Thorius in Ironforge about Dark Iron relics, ending in a fight with Lathoric the Black and his pet, Obsidion (Rise, Obsidion!).

The outhouse. In Caught!, someone hiding from the Dark Irons in a locked outhouse begs for help, and the chain continues with The Key to Freedom.

The gate key. Killing the kodo Margol the Rager gives Alliance players a horn that starts The Horn of the Beast. The chain ends with At Last!, which rewards the key to the Loch Modan gate.

Dungeons and raids

The northern entrance to Blackrock Mountain lies at the south end of the gorge, across a chain bridge over the lava. Inside are Blackrock Depths, Lower and Upper Blackrock Spire, Molten Core and Blackwing Lair. Thorium Point's flight path is a common way for raiders of both factions to reach the mountain.

Getting there

Before Cataclysm, the Alliance gate from Loch Modan was locked. Players could get in through it only with the key from the Margol quests, or by picking the lock as a rogue. Everyone else walked in from the Badlands along a trail south of Kargath, or came up through Blackrock Mountain from the Burning Steppes. Once players reached Thorium Point, they could fly there directly.

Sources

• Searing Gorge, Warcraft Wiki
• Thorium Brotherhood, Warcraft Wiki
• Quest data from WoWDB (patch 1.12)