Ironforge



Ironforge (displayed as the City of Ironforge in the overworld) is the capital city of the dwarves, proud members of the Alliance. It is the ancestral home of the Bronzebeard dwarves, and one of the oldest cities of Azeroth. The Council of Three Hammers rules the kingdom of Khaz Modan from the throne room within the city. The Great Forge area gave the city its name.

Carved into the stone heart of Khaz Modan, the mighty city of Ironforge is a testament to the dwarves' strength and resilience. The city is perhaps the most intricate of the Alliance cities, boasting many small passageways, shops built into the rock walls, and cavernous rooms. The feel of the city is a bustling, rowdy, and somewhat industrial one, where there are always a thousand things happening at any time of the day or night. However, it is predominantly safe-feeling and cozy; fires roar in the hearths of the inns and shops, and much dwarven laughing and frivolity is to be heard. Also, unlike Stormwind and Darnassus, the city is actually a massive cavern carved into the earth by the dwarves; the ceiling and floor are both hard stone.

Mainly because of the Deeprun Tram, linking Ironforge and Stormwind City, and the district of Tinker Town, Ironforge is one of the most racially diverse cities in the Alliance world. Dwarves predominate, of course, but you will find plenty of gnomes even outside of Tinker Town, and probably as many humans. You will find almost no night elves however, as they probably prefer more natural and open-spaced environments. With the Council of Three Hammers uniting all three dwarven clans, Ironforge has recently welcomed Dark Iron dwarves and Wildhammer dwarves into Ironforge as well.

The collective frivolity of the place, the bustling and gruff manner of the dwarves, and the proximity to many quest and raid areas have historically made Ironforge, along with Stormwind City, a popular place to idle.

History
A marvel to the dwarves' skill at shaping rock and stone, Ironforge was constructed in the very heart of the mountains that were nestled in the wintry peaks of Dun Morogh. The dwarven capital is an expansive underground city that houses many dwarven explorers, miners, and warriors. Massive doors of rock protect the city in times of war, and lava from the mountain itself is redirected and distributed for heat, energy and smithing purposes.

Waterfalls of magma and bountiful supplies of metallic ores allowed the denizens of Ironforge to become masters of smithing and weaponry.

War of the Three Hammers
Ironforge would become the ancient home of the dwarves, whose people lived in peace for many long centuries within the mountain. However, their society grew too large and could no longer be maintained within the confines of their mountain cities. While the mighty High King, Modimus Anvilmar, ruled over all dwarves with justice and wisdom, three powerful factions had arisen amongst the dwarven society. The Bronzebeard clan, ruled by Thane Madoran Bronzebeard, held close ties to the High King and stood as the traditional defenders of Ironforge Mountain. The Wildhammer clan, ruled by Thane Khardros Wildhammer, inhabited the foothills and crags around the base of the mountain and sought to gain more control within the city. The third faction, the Dark Iron clan, ruled by the Sorcerer-Thane Thaurissan, hid within the deepest shadows under the mountain and plotted against both their Bronzebeard and the Wildhammer cousins.

While the three clans were able to live in a tenuous peace, the death of High King Anvilmar (from old age) plunged the three clans into war with the prize being Ironforge itself. After many years of fighting the Bronzebeards, who had the largest standing army, emerged victorious and banished the Dark Irons and Wildhammers from under the mountain. Even as the Wildhammers founded their own kingdom of Grim Batol, the Dark Iron plotted in secret from the newly created home within the Redridge Mountains.

Seeking to claim all of Khaz Modan for their own the Dark Irons under Thaurissan and his sorceress wife, Modgud, launched a two-pronged assault against both Ironforge and Grim Batol. The Dark Irons had nearly taken control of both kingdoms when Madoran and Khardros were able to snatch victory and push the Dark Irons back. While Thaurissan survived and fled with his forces, his wife Modgud was killed by Khardros.

With common cause between them, Ironforge and Grim Batol marched south with the intention of destroying the Dark Irons once and for all. In turn Thaurissan seeking a powerful minion that would ensure his victory accidentally called forth Ragnaros the Firelord, whose rebirth ultimately saw Thaurissan killed and the Dark Irons enslaves to the summoned elemental. The combined Bronzebeard and Wildhammer armies halted their advance and turned back towards kingdoms being unwilling to face the Ragnaros's wrath. Upon learning that Modgud's death had left an evil stain upon Grim Batol King Bronzebeard offered to let the Wildhammers live within the borders of Ironforge, but the Wildhammers refused and would find home within Lordaeron.

Desiring to retain relations and trade with their cousins, the dwarves of Ironforge constructed two massive arches, the Thandol Span, to bridge the gap between Khaz Modan and Lordaeron. Bolstered by mutual trade, the two kingdoms prospered. After the deaths of Madoran and Khardros, their sons jointly commissioned two great statues in honor of their fathers. The two statues would stand guard over the pass into the southlands, which had become volcanic in the wake of Ragnaros' scorching presence. They served as both a warning to all who would attack the dwarven kingdoms, and as a reminder of what price the Dark Irons paid for their crimes.

The two kingdoms retained close ties for some years, but the Wildhammers were much changed by the horrors they witnessed at Grim Batol. They took to living above ground on the slopes of Aerie Peak, instead of carving a vast kingdom within the mountain. The ideological differences between the two remaining dwarven clans eventually led to their parting of ways.

The Second War and aftermath
Prior to the start of the Second War Ironforge had received missives from Lordaeron. Khaz Modan would soon after come under attack by the Horde, which would cause the destruction of many dwarven strongholds. While the rest of the Horde moved north Kilrogg Deadeye and his Bleeding Hollow clan remained within the region, which saw the orcs and dwarves clash for many months. Even with the loss of countless strongholds, Ironforge remained standing, despite Kilrogg's best efforts. The Bleeding Hollow would eventually be defeated by the Alliance of Lordaeron and with Ironforge freed, the inhabitants joined the Alliance. Following the Alliance victory at the Dark Portal, King Magni Bronzebeard would appoint his younger brother Muradin as ambassador to Lordaeron.

In the years following the Horde's defeat, the leaders of the various Alliance nations began to bicker and argue over territorial holdings and decreasing political influence. King Terenas of Lordaeron, the patron of the Alliance, began to suspect that the fragile pact they had forged during their darkest hour would not stand for long. Terenas had convinced the Alliance leaders to lend money and laborers to help rebuild the city of Stormwind that was destroyed during the orcish occupation of Azeroth. Those taxes, coupled with the high expense of maintaining and operating the numerous orc internment camps, led many leaders - Genn Greymane of Gilneas in particular - to believe that their kingdoms would be better off seceding from the Alliance.

To make matters worse, the brusque high elves of Silvermoon rescinded their allegiance to the Alliance, stating that the humans' poor leadership led to the burning of their forests during the Second War. Though Terenas tactfully reminded the elves that nothing of Quel'Thalas would have remained if not for the hundreds of valiant humans who'd given their lives to defend it, the elves stubbornly decided to go their own way. In the wake of the elves' departure, Gilneas and Stromgarde pulled stake and seceded as well.

Though the Alliance was falling apart, King Terenas still had allies that he could count on. Both Admiral Proudmoore of Kul Tiras and the young King Varian Wrynn of Azeroth remained committed to the Alliance. Also, the wizards of the Kirin Tor, led by the Archmage Antonidas, pledged Dalaran's steadfast support to Terenas' rule. Most pleasingly, perhaps, was the pledge of the mighty Dwarven King Magni Bronzebeard, who vowed that the Dwarves of Ironforge would forever owe a debt of honor to the Alliance for liberating Khaz Modan from the Horde's control.

The Third War
The dwarves of Ironforge battled the Undead Scourge and sent units to aid the rest of the Lordaeron against the undead threat. Even after the fall of Lordaeron Ironforge remained steadfast in its commitments and aided their allies throughout the Third War. During the war Magni learned that Muradin had died and that Arthas himself was responsible. Magni was overcome with grief at the news of Muradin's demise, but he and the youngest brother, Brann, remained steadfast in their desire to continue serving the dwarven people.

Some time after High Inquisitor Fairbanks and Alexandros Mograine visited King Magni. To avenge Muradin, Magni forged the Ashbringer to oppose Frostmourne, Arthas, and the undead. While Magni never took much stock in the belief that Master dwarven blacksmiths could impart emotions into the weapons they create, standing before The Great Anvil, he found himself thinking of how he would not see Muradin again. He thus harnessed all of his rage, fury, the desire for vengeance, and willed them into being with each strike of his hammer. When he was finished, he gave Mograine the finest blade that had ever been crafted by his hand. This would confirm that he is, at the very least, a skilled weaponsmith of the highest degree.

For at least part of the Third War, Magni fought alongside Chen Stormstout and declared him to be a friend of Ironforge.

When the gnome refugees of Gnomeregan settled in Ironforge, some dwarves like Skuerto were booted out of the city to make way for them.

World of Warcraft


Ironforge is the capital of the dwarves and is led by King Magni Bronzebeard. The city is perhaps the oldest city to ever been build, having survived the coming of the Horde and the scourge invasion. The city proudly sits on a mountain, never to been taken by its enemy. Filled with discoveries and wonders any adventurer would want to visit. Old Ironjaw gives a great reputation to the city.

Prior to the start of the invasion of Outland, the gates of Ironforge were invaded by a group of Burning Legion demons led by Highlord Kruul.

Pearl of Pandaria
Li Li Stormstout and Strongbo journeyed to Ironforge, where he sensed that the earth elementals in the area were in pain. Even after being informed of the dwarven origins Strongbo maintained that the earth was in distress and that he could feel the pressure building, though Li Li pointed out that it didn't mean the dwarves were responsible.

The two pandaren ended up attending Brewfest and after fighting back the Dark Iron dwarves met with King Magni, who revealed that Chen that helped him during the Third War. The King further stated that any friend of Chen's was a friend of Khaz Modan and upon Li Li's request, Magni provided the pandaren with a zeppelin and two ram mounts.

Stormrage
As whole Azeroth fell into the mists of Emerald Nightmare, so did Ironforge, as observed by Malfurion Stormrage.

Elemental Unrest
Ironforge was attacked by raging elementals, but the attack was successfully repelled by dwarven leaders and Alliance heroes.

The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm
Following the civil unrest amongst the Dwarves, the Bronzebeard clan emerged victorious. For the following years after the war King Magni Bronzebeard could be found in the High Seat, as the Dwarven leader of Ironforge. However, in recent times King Magni Bronzebeard had fallen ill to a Titanic curse. This left Ironforge in a state of unrest, but soon the participants of the War of the Three Hammers returned to Ironforge, to establish the Council of Three Hammers, with representatives from each of the clans, consisting of Moira Thaurissan, Falstad Wildhammer and Muradin Bronzebeard. Together, they have set aside their differences in order to rule the Dwarven city of Ironforge.

Fire and Iron
After returning from Outland to Azeroth around the time of the Shattering, Kurdran returned to Aerie Peak and learned about the situation in Ironforge. He told Falstad, who was chosen by King Wrynn, that he will represent the Wildhammer clan in the Council of Three Hammers, an act not fair to Falstad as he has been leading the dwarves for centuries. Kurdran then traveled to Ironforge to represent the Wildhammer clan in the Council of Three Hammers. Tensions were running high between the Wildhammer clan and the other two clans in Ironforge as they were resentful of the Wildhammer's nonconformist tendencies as well as fearful of the false rumors circulating that said the Wildhammers were using barbaric brutal tactics on their enemies as well as their allies who didn't comply with their demands. Eventually, the tensions led to a fight between a Wildhammer and a Bronzebeard that ended in somebody's death.

The Bronzebeard clan and the Dark Iron clan had proposed to reforge the Hammer of the High King as an act of unity between the three clans and to ease the rising tensions in Ironforge but in order to do so, they required the scepter that belonged in Kurdran's possession. Though Kurdran was reluctant to part with the scepter for sentimental reasons and saw the reforging of the hammer as a waste of time, he nonetheless handed over the scepter so that the Wildhammer would be better received in Ironforge. Still, Kurdran had trouble adjusting to Ironforge as he missed the open skies of the Hinterlands and was not fond of the politicking required of his position. His troubles were compounded when tensions again rose as a fight broke out between Kurdran and his Wildhammer dwarves and some Dark Iron dwarves, which consequently led to a fire that killed his gryphon Sky'ree.

The hammer would later be reforged as an act of unity between the three dwarven clans, under a decree of the Council of Three Hammers. It was decided that a dark iron smith should reforge the hammer. A few days before the reforging, the council discovered that the pieces of the hammer might've been fakes. Yet the majority of the council agreed to continue with the reforging without the public knowing about it being a fake. Kurdran however, disagreed with the lie. Later that night, Kurdran would come to where the pieces were stored, and removed the Wildhammer scepter that was to be used as the hammer's handle. During a conversation with Moira Thaurissan, it was implied that she planned on the Wildhammers alienating the other two clans so that tensions between the Dark Irons and the Bronzebeards would lessen. Moira informed Kurdran that his brute strength was useless, and only winning hearts and minds mattered in Ironforge. The night before the reforging, Muradin Bronzebeard advised Kurdran to compromise his principles a little as his beliefs were not only holding himself back but his clan and the entire city as well.

On the day of the reforging, it was discovered that the handle was missing, and Kurdran admitted he had stolen it. But instead of letting it be reforged, he smashed the handle with his stormhammer, and it shattered to pieces. Kurdran declared that the union of the dwarven clans shouldn't start with reforging a hammer that could be fractured again. Instead, Kurdran proposed that the dwarven clans move forward from the past and unite with a fresh start. Gladly, Muradin joined him in fracturing the other fragments while Moira did so reluctantly, her plan quietly foiled at such a public event.

Realizing that Falstad was the better dwarf to represent the Wildhammer clan in the Council of Three Hammers, Kurdran decided to step down from his position as Wildhammer representative and traveled to Stormwind to aid King Varian's army.

Cataclysm
With the trouble taken to form the Council of Three Hammers, the dwarves' worries are far from over. When a surprise attack from the Dark Irons who were supposed to be with the Alliance was engaged, Commander Stonebreaker handles the situation and sends one of his scouts to Ironforge with a note claiming that Moira's Dark Irons had attacked the airfield. Moira accused Stonebreaker and the messenger of lying, believing that they were trying to take her son's claim to the throne but Muradin vouched for the commander, claiming that he was loyal and honest to Ironforge. After reviewing the situation and coming with a solution, Moira revealed her discovery that Ambassador Slaghammer had been secretly working for the Twilight's Hammer to undermine her and her "halfbreed".

During this time Li Li Stormstout visited the city in order to speak with Magni and got into a brief argument with Moira to Falstad's amusement.

Blood in the Snow
One day, King Varian's scouts had discovered that Zandalari trolls threatened Ironforge by rallying the Frostmane trolls against them. The king believed that if he aided them against the trolls they would give him more troops for his campaign against the Horde. But the King didn't realize that the dwarven clans did not trust one another. When Varian sought the help from the Council of Three Hammers, both Muradin and Falstad declined to offer aid in Ironforge’s defense for they feared that if they left to fight the Frostmane trolls, the Dark Irons would take advantage of their absence to defeat the remaining clan and take over Ironforge. Frustrated, Varian argued that if no one would help, then Ironforge will fall under siege. Only Moira Thaurissan offered aid, stating that the Dark Irons will prove their loyalty to the Council, Ironforge, and the Alliance in the defense of Ironforge. And so Moira and the High King set out in the snow to save the city, leaving the others to think about their actions.

The High King, his champions, and the Dark Iron dwarves worked together to save Ironforge. On their return, the other dwarven leaders were ashamed of their behavior and vowed never again to allow fear or distrust to cloud their judgment. Free to trust one another, all three dwarven leaders pledged their full strength to the Alliance cause.

Legion
Four years after King Magni's petrification, Moira was asked by Muradin and some of the priests to talk to Magni, as she often did when times were trying, in the hopes that it would wake him up. She, however, felt that it was a fool's errand, still believing that Magni would still not have approved of her ruling, but did so to keep up appearances. However, to the vast surprise of Moira and Advisor Belgrum, Magni awoke with a mighty crash as a living statue made of diamond. With a voice like a mountainslide, he told Moira and Belgrum that he now spoke for the land and was a part of Azeroth itself. Muradin and Falstad also came down to see him.

While the Council of Three Hammers waited for Magni and discussed what the king's return would mean for the political stability of Ironforge upstairs at the High Seat, Magni was taking the time to walk once again through his city, including stopping at the The Great Anvil, seeing the gryphons at the gryphon roost, and kneeling in the pool of the Mystic Ward. By all laws under the mountain, as long as the rightful ruler was alive, the city belonged to him, but Moira and Falstad knew that the Dark Irons and the Wildhammers would never kneel to a Bronzebeard king. However, Magni, having just returned to the throne room, replied that he had not come to reclaim his crown. No longer a king but a servant of Azeroth, he delivered a dire warning about the Burning Legion's return to the three, and that they had to prepare their people—all their people—for what was coming. He then proclaimed that he had to leave immediately to warn the rest of the Alliance.

Wards


Ironforge is structurally a giant circle of sections, it also contains several "depth" levels (at least eight, though they are not accessible in-game). The accessible portions of Ironforge appear to be located on the 5th level, the "fifth depth" of the city.


 * The main depth
 * The Commons - Located just beyond the city gates.
 * Gates of Ironforge - The main entrance to the city.
 * Vault of Ironforge - The bank of Ironforge.
 * The Great Forge - Located in the very molten heart of the city.
 * The High Seat - The throne room of Ironforge.
 * The Mystic Ward - North from the Commons.
 * Hall of Mysteries - Mage/Paladin/Priest guild.
 * The Military Ward - East from the Commons.
 * Hall of Arms - Hunter/Warrior guild.
 * The Forlorn Cavern - Between the Mystic Ward and the Hall of Explorers.
 * Hall of Explorers - Beyond the Great Forge.
 * The Library - Quest base within the Hall of Explorers.
 * The Museum - Exhibition and quest base within the Hall of Explorers.
 * Tinker Town - Between the Military Ward and the Hall of Explorers.
 * The Deeprun Tram - Accessible from Tinker Town.
 * Hall of Thanes (Old Ironforge) - Located after crossing the left door by the throne room entrance.


 * The sixth depth - The sixth level of city of Ironforge, just above the hotel and market districts.
 * The seventh depth
 * The Market - The market is located in the seventh level of Ironforge.
 * Hotel District - It is the district apparently in the seventh level of Ironforge, containing lodging for visitors to Ironforge.
 * The eighth depth - The eighth level of the city of Ironforge, just below the hotel and market districts.
 * It can be assumed that the fourth through first depths lie above the fifth depth, and lead to the surface of Ironforge mountain. In the original pre-alpha builds of the game it could of likely led to the exit leading to Ironforge Airfield.
 * Explorers' Guildhall
 * Weary Boots Tavern

Other locations

 * Ironforge Royal Treasury

Notable characters


The Council of Three Hammers rules Ironforge from the High Seat at the heart of the city, with the support of their two highest-ranking advisers, Royal Historian Archesonus and Senator Barin Redstone. High Tinker Mekkatorque, the leader of the gnomish exiles from Gnomeregan, plays a role in the gnome starting experience. , the leader of the Explorers' League, leads the dwarves' effort to uncover the mysteries of their past from the Hall of Explorers.

Quests
See Category:Ironforge quests.

Points of Interest

 * The Auction House, located at the outer edge of the Commons between the front gates.
 * The Bank, located at the inner edge of the Commons just across from the Auction House.
 * The Gryphon master, located at the inner eastern part of the edge of the Great Forge.
 * The city hall is located in the eastern end of the Commons.
 * There are four mailboxes: two in the Commons - one outside the bank, the other outside the inn; another in Tinker Town at the entrance to the Deeprun Tram; and the last at the tavern on the edge of the Military Ward near Tinker Town.
 * The Deeprun Tram, created by the gnomes, runs from Ironforge to Stormwind. It is free and located near Tinker Town.

Flight

 * Stormwind City
 * Chillwind Camp
 * Aerie Peak
 * Refuge Pointe
 * Southshore
 * Menethil Harbor
 * Thelsamar
 * Sun's Reach
 * Light's Hope Chapel
 * Thorium Point

Tram

 * Stormwind City

Film universe


Ironforge is depicted close to its World of Warcraft incarnation. The Great Forge in particular can be seen.

Notes and trivia

 * The Ironforge Royal Treasury is located somewhere in the city.
 * The city has an unnamed Explorers' League Academy.
 * The Deeprun Tram is a Gnomish service which runs from Ironforge to Stormwind. It can be accessed from Tinker Town (see City Sections, below).
 * The official banker of Ironforge is the Ironforge Royal Treasury, who hold gold ingots stamped with the royal seal. The Royal Treasury Courier's Shield (and previously Dwarven Defender) also bears the official insignia of the city.
 * A good way to get Ironforge reputation is to do the battle quests in Alterac Valley. Turning in one item gives 10 reputation points, with a possible 100 points per drop. This is in addition to the honor and Alterac Valley reputation points.
 * "Iron forge" was a cheat code in the original Warcraft which updated all technology instantly.
 * According to Thinking with Portals - A Memorandum on Proper Portal Usage, a book that can be found in Dalaran, Ironforge was flooded in 24 AD with water from Lakeshire when a mage removed the liquid filter from a mage portal.
 * Although similar to the current version, Ironforge's layout was a lot bigger in the alpha-version of the game. It consisted of multiple levels connected by bridges and stairs, two elevators (one to reach Old Ironforge, the other to reach the Deeprun Tram), an additional destination for the Deeprun Tram other than Stormwind, and a forge looking more like a power-generator than a foundry. Rumor has it there even was an elevator to the Dun Morogh airfield.
 * Before the addition of auction houses in all capital cities, Ironforge was the central hub of Alliance activity. As a result of so many players in one concentrated area, the city was often referred to as "Lagforge" because of the increase in latency and decrease in framerates. Since the addition of linked auction houses in all capital cities, and the fact that Stormwind is located closer to the Dark Portal and has quicker access to Northrend, Ironforge has become much more user-friendly.
 * Ironforge is the only major Alliance city that cannot be directly reached from Stormwind via a permanent portal, only via the Deeprun Tram, but it can be reached by portal via the Sanctum of the Sages in Boralus, the capital of Kul Tiras, a portal to which is available to most players in the Wizard's Sanctum.