Blackrock Mountain

Blackrock Mountain did not exist until the climax of the War of the Three Hammers two and a half centuries ago. Facing annihilation by the united armies of Ironforge and the Wildhammer clan, Sorcerer-Thane Thaurissan reached into the depths of the earth for a weapon. His reckless spell shattered the dimensional barriers and summoned Ragnaros the Firelord into Azeroth. The resulting apocalypse tore the Redridge range apart, gouging out the Searing Gorge and Burning Steppes while thrusting a colossal volcano into the sky. Thaurissan perished in the blast, and the surviving Dark Iron clan was bound into eternal servitude to the Firelord, carving their capital, Shadowforge City, deep within the mountain's roots.

During the First and Second Wars, the mountain took on a grim new significance. Following the sack of Stormwind, Orgrim Doomhammer purged the Shadow Council and made Blackrock Spire the fortress capital of the Horde. Today, the mountain remains a vicious theater of war: the Dark Iron dwarves and their elemental master hold the fiery depths, while the rogue Blackrock orcs, dragonkin, and their dark masters occupy the spires above.