Dwarves, the clans and their role in the Alliance

Inspired by the recent lore post by /u/Thread_weaver and noticing a comment there requesting lore on dwarves - which I love - I decided to write up this post on dwarf lore, the clans and their roles in dwarf society, and the history of dwarves as part of the Alliance.Now I won't go into ancient history, the curse of flesh and all that. Let's start somewhere a little more recent.Ironforge and Khaz ModanMore than 300 years ago, the dwarves all lived in the kingdom of Khaz Modan. Khaz Modan originally encompassed Dun Morogh and Loch Modan. The capital city was, as it still is, the dwarfhold of Ironforge.The dwarves were ruled by their High King, Modimus Anvilmar (whose statue stands at the entrance of Ironforge). They appeared to be a united people, but tensions were brewing within due to the rivaling clans.Main clansBack then, the dwarves were united under one main clan: The Ironforge clan. However, this main clan was made up of three sub-clans: Bronzebeard, Wildhammer and Dark Iron.The Bronzebeard clan, then ruled by Thane Madoran Bronzebeard, was a traditionalist, conservative clan with strong ties to the High King. They advocated a closed borders policy, wishing to avoid contact and pointless confrontation with other nations. The Bronzebeards lived mainly in the city of Ironforge itself. They were typical mountain dwarves, preferring to live high in the mountains, in both outdoor villages and in their halls carved into the mountain. Most Bronzebeards worked as craftsmen, miners, warriors or mountaineers.The Wildhammer clan, then ruled by Thane Khardros Wildhammer, was an outward-looking, trade-oriented clan that wished to open up relations with the High Elves to the north to allow trade to flow in. The Wildhammers inhabited the mountains and foothills around Ironforge. They were typical hill dwarves, preferring outdoor areas to the stony halls of the mountain dwarves. Most Wildhammers worked as hunters, beast wranglers, rangers, traders, or even shamans.The Dark Iron clan, ruled by sorcerer-Thane Thaurissan, focused on studying forbidden arcane magic. The Dark Irons lived in the depths of Ironforge Mountain itself, beneath the city proper. They were inclined to political intrigue, scheming, plotting and spying against their rivals. They were typical deep dwarves, preferring to live far below the surface, disliking the outdoors. Most Dark Irons worked as craftsmen that dabbled in the arcane (runesmiths, golem-makers and the like), mages, warriors, spies, or miners.All three clans vied for power within the city, advocating their different policies and bargained for influence with the High King.War of the Three HammersNo King rules forever.When High King Anvilmar died of old age, the tensions that had been simmering within Ironforge boiled over. The succession was unclear, with all three clans pressing claims to the throne. Civil war erupted, and fighting was fierce all over Dun Morogh. After years of of war, the Bronzebeards came up as victors, banishing the two other clans from Ironforge.The Wildhammer clan moved north, hoping to finally establish connections with the High Elves. They founded their own small kingdom and built the dwarfhold of Grim Batol. Disappointed by the outcome of the war, they still turned their thoughts to more productive things, rebuilding and trade.The Dark Iron clan moved south into the beautiful Redridge mountains, founding the city of Thaurissan. They were enraged and humiliated by their defeat and vowed revenge on the other two clans. Their arcane pursuits turned toward darker purposes, they started planning a counter-attack.Some years later, the Dark Iron launched their offensive. Modgud, Thaurissan's wife, led an army to take Grim Batol, while Thaurissan himself led another force to Ironforge.Thaurissan's army was eventually routed by the Bronzebeards, and forced to flee back to their city. Modgud's forces besieged Grim Batol, wielding powerful magics that causing dark things to strike at the Wildhammers from the shadows of their own halls. Eventually the Wildhammers sallied forth to break the siege, and Khardros waded through the battle and slew the Dark Iron queen. With her death, the Dark Iron army routed, trying to escape to their new home. However, they were intercepted by Bronzebeard forces and slain.The dark magics employed by Modgud and her forces left an evil taint in Grim Batol, rendering it uninhabitable. The Wildhammers joined forces with the Bronzebeards, moving south to destroy Thaurissan and his followers once and for all.Thaurissan, in an attempt to destroy the encroaching armies, decided to summon a demon. However, he had either not studied summoning enough, or botched the attempt somehow, for instead of a demon he accidentally summoned forth Ragnaros, the Firelord. Originally chained in the Firelands by the Titans, Thaurissan's spell broke the banishment of Ragnaros. His arrival was marked by a massive explosion of fire, with fire elementals pouring forth in every direction. Sure enough, the force of the blast destroyed most of the encroaching enemy armies, but it also killed Thaurissan and many of the Dark Iron clan.The arrival of Ragnaros was so fierce that much of the Redridge mountains area was destroyed, vegetation burned to ash and cinders. The city of Thaurissan was reduced to a smouldering ruin. A large pit of fire was carved into the earth, in the area now known as the Searing Gorge. The rest of the ashen wasteland is referred to as the Burning Steppes.The Wildhammer and Bronzebeard armies retreated, and Ragnaros enslaved the remaining Dark Irons beneath Blackrock mountain.With the Wildhammer clan home rendered uninhabitable, Madoran invited Khardros and the Wildhammers back to live in Ironforge. Khardros refused, and he and his clan ventured further north, through the Arathi Highlands, and settled in the hilly region of the Hinterlands, founding the Aerie Peak. The Wildhammers befriended the gryphons there, becoming renowned gryphon tamers and riders of the noble creatures.A map of Khaz Modan, sometime after the War of the Three Hammers.Before the Second WarThe Bronzebeard clan and the Wildhammer clan maintained good relations after the War of the Three Hammers. Their respective realms prospered, and the great bridges of the Thandol Span were constructed between the Wetlands and the Arathi Highlands to better connect the two dwarven nations.Second WarAfter the sack of Stormwind, the Horde turned north, bent on conquest. The Bronzebeards fought valiantly, but little by little the Horde claimed most of Khaz Modan, with the Dwarves sealing themselves within Ironforge, which the Horde besieged but did not succeed in penetrating.The Horde pushed further, claiming several dwarven outposts in the Wetlands for their own, and used them to launch their naval offensive into Lordaeron. Anduin Lothar rallied the High Elves and the Wildhammer clan, then led by Thane Kurdran Wildhammer, into his new Alliance, finally turning the tide.As the Alliance pushed the Horde back, they liberated Khaz Modan as well. The grateful King Magni Bronzebeard pledged to join the Alliance, to fulfill their debt of honor owed to their liberators.Map of the major campaigns and battles of the Second War. An old map with somewhat outdated geographical locations.I think that is enough for this post. Sure, there is a lot more lore on dwarves regarding both ancient past and more contemporary events. Let me know if you want another post of those subjects.