The Wildhammers abandon cursed Grim Batol for the Hinterlands

Full History

After the division of the dwarven kingdom, the Wildhammers established themselves at Grim Batol while the Bronzebeards held Ironforge and the Dark Irons pursued power under Thaurissan. The struggle between these factions culminated in the War of the Three Hammers. When Modgud brought Dark Iron forces against Grim Batol, the defenders faced more than an ordinary siege: dark magic threatened the stronghold itself.

Khardros Wildhammer killed Modgud and helped bring the assault to an end. Her death did not remove every consequence of the magic that had been used. Grim Batol became associated with a lingering curse, leaving its former inhabitants unable to continue their life there in safety. The resulting departure turned a battlefield victory into a profound displacement.

The Wildhammers traveled north and settled in the Hinterlands, eventually establishing Aerie Peak as a new center. Their history from that point developed apart from their original mountain home. Gryphon riding and the defense of their northern lands became major features of their later identity, including their contributions to the Alliance during the Second War.

By the time the first adventurers encountered the dwarven peoples, Ironforge and Aerie Peak represented separate but related branches of a shared history. The abandonment of Grim Batol helps explain that separation. The clan's survival depended not upon holding its ancestral fortress forever, but upon finding a new homeland after the old one was lost.