Dark Iron armies attack Ironforge and Grim Batol

Full History

Thaurissan and Modgud launched separate Dark Iron assaults against Ironforge and Grim Batol, reopening the war among the dwarven clans. The Dark Irons hoped to crush both rival branches and undo the losses suffered after Anvilmar's death. Their campaign instead produced devastation that none of the clans could easily escape.

The Bronzebeards had secured Ironforge, while the Wildhammers had founded a second kingdom farther north. Attacking both strongholds required the Dark Irons to divide their forces and rely on the sorcerous power of their rulers. Modgud led the assault on Grim Batol, where Khardros's people fought to protect their new home. Thaurissan moved against the Bronzebeards and found them unwilling to abandon the mountain. The attacks transformed old rivalries into a renewed regional war.

Modgud fell and Grim Batol was left cursed, while Thaurissan's own defeat drove him to disastrous magic. The summoning of Ragnaros created Blackrock Mountain and bound the Dark Iron people to the Firelord. The offensive therefore marks the point at which a war over dwarven succession spilled into a catastrophe with consequences for all who later lived near Blackrock.