Warcraft Ratings

These steppes were formerly part of the Redridge Mountains before the Dark Irons came here after their exile. They established a colony called Thaurissan, but their sorcery turned out to be their undoing. Their thane, a mad sorcerer named Thaurissan, tried to summon elemental minions to aid him against the Ironforge and Wildhammer Dwarves, instead he summoned the elemental fire lord Ragnaros. Ragnaros' arrival melted several mountains in this range and forged a great volcano in the blast's epicenter. Now, the remaining Dark Irons live as puppets to Ragnaros and his fire elementals, who dwells under Blackrock Spire. Orcs also came here after the Second War and maintain settlements around and within the volcano, the climate being to their liking. The Horde conquered Blackrock Spire and used it as a base of operations during the campaign against Lordaeron in the Second War. Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer slew the human hero Anduin Lothar by the foot of the volcano at the war's end, though Lothar's death turned the tide and spurred the Alliance on to crush the failing Horde.