World of Warcraft®

For many long centuries, three dwarven clans—€”the Bronzebeards, the Wildhammers, and the Dark Irons—€”lived united in Ironforge under the wise rule of High King Modimus Anvilmar. When Modimus passed away from old age, tensions boiled over among the clans, and war erupted for control of the city. Thus began the War of the Three Hammers, a savage conflict that raged for many years, during which time the Bronzebeard clan won sole ownership of Ironforge and expelled its rivals. The war severed relations among the clans, and they went on to forge new destinies apart from one another.

When the orcish Horde invaded Azeroth, Ironforge’s dwarves offered to join the Grand Alliance. Led by King Magni Bronzebeard, the city’s resilient inhabitants proved to be the backbone of the Alliance forces, helping to secure victory after victory against the orcs. Ever since that time, Ironforge’s dwarves have remained an invaluable part of the Alliance.

Apart from reveling in the prospect of battle, the dwarves have long been interested in uncovering the truth of their enchanted past. Due to the efforts of dwarven archeologists scattered throughout the world, much has been learned about the race’s origins and the curse of flesh that afflicted the earthen. Many mysteries still remain, however, and the dwarves have continued excavating Azeroth’s ancient sites for answers.

Most recently, a twist of fate has drawn the rival clans back to Ironforge after they’d spent centuries apart….

When freak natural disasters began rocking much of Azeroth just prior to the Cataclysm, the dwarven lands were not spared from the calamitous upheavals. A series of violent quakes tore through areas surrounding Ironforge, reducing settlements to rubble and taking the lives of many innocent dwarves in the process. To glean answers as to the troubling state of the world, King Magni selflessly underwent a mystic ritual to commune with the earth. The archaic ceremony, however, had an unexpected effect: Magni was transformed into diamond and became fused to the depths of Ironforge itself.

In the power vacuum that followed, his estranged daughter, Moira, who had married into the much despised Dark Iron clan, briefly claimed Ironforge’s throne and effectively locked down the city. If not for the intervention of King Varian Wrynn of Stormwind and his son, Prince Anduin, her brash actions might have sparked another civil war. With Varian’s guidance, control of Ironforge has since been divided equally among the Bronzebeard, Wildhammer, and Dark Iron clans through the Council of Three Hammers. Yet as bitterness and prejudice fester among the clans, the council’s ability to govern as one remains uncertain.