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- For the in-game maces, see
[Twilight's Hammer] and Twilight's Hammer (heroic). For lore surrounding the maces and in-game fixed device, see The Hammer of Twilight.
The Twilight's Hammer (a.k.a. Twilight's Hammer clan, Hammer clan, Twilight's Hammer cult, or Twilight Cult)[1] refers to a single organization. It later expanded into a cult as the clan's surviving members and members of other races joined together.[2] The Twilight Hammer's current members banded together to study Cho'Gall's teachings and form the current cult.[3] The organization is still considered a clan,[2] but the true clan exists within the cult. The true clan members are not the cult's primary members nor do they make up most of the cult's membership.[4] The current Twilight's Hammer organization is a bit different than its original form. However, no matter which form the Twilight's Hammer has taken, it has always had the ultimate purpose of bringing about Armageddon to the worlds it inhabits, and will use various means to obtain this end.
History
The history of the Twilight's Hammer begins with Cho'gall, the first ogre mage. Cho'gall was made the leader of an orc clan after its previous chieftain was executed for disobeying the Shadow Council. The clan's name was then changed to Twilight's Hammer; its original name and that of its former chieftain was stricken from all records. Under Cho'gall's leadership, the clan became increasingly nihilistic and eventually sought the destruction of all creation.[5]
Second War
Obsessed with the notion that the Horde was the harbinger of apocalyptic doom to all the lands that it ravages, the Twilight's Hammer felt a sacrosanct gratification in the destruction of all that it encountered. Led by the cunning Ogre Mage Cho'gall, the Twilight's Hammer had strong ties to Gul'dan and the Stormreaver clan. Its loyalty to the Horde was not as strong as its belief in its sacred mission of oblivion.[6]
After coming to Azeroth the Twilight's Hammer clan, alongside with the Bleeding Hollow clan under the leadership of Kilrogg Deadeye, led the orcish forces in the first attack on Stormwind Keep. The battle went horribly, as the Horde had not expected such resilient persistence against them. The two clan leaders blamed each other. It is possible that Kilrogg Deadeye planned the attack on Stormwind in hopes of using it to get rid of a rival clan.
Cho'gall survived the rise and fall of Blackhand, and the destruction of the Shadow Council. He served a useful purpose to Doomhammer who, with Gul'dan, wished to bring Ogres through the Portal to enforce inter-clan civility. Cho'gall was placed as overseer for the oil refineries in Tol Barad.
When Gul'dan discovered the Tomb of Sargeras, Cho'gall believed that it would herald Armageddon, and so was quick to unlock its secrets. Orgrim Doomhammer ordered the traitorous clans destroyed and while Cho'gall was thought to have been killed in the battle it later turned out that he had escaped with his remaining forces to rebuild and bide his time.[2] Afterwards, those of the Twilight's Hammer, Stormreaver, and Blackrock clans who died in that battle kept reliving it in their undeath, until the night elf warden Maiev Shadowsong put them to rest.
World of Warcraft
Twilight's Hammer cultists in Warcraft: The Comic.
While the truth behind how this happened remains a mystery, the modern Twilight's Hammer retains the destructive nature of Cho'gall's clan, but almost nothing else. Somehow, one of the Old Gods has managed to make this clan its pawn; and since that time, the clan's numbers and power have dramatically increased. Even humans and other former members of the Alliance flock to join the service of the elemental lords and help bring about the complete destruction of Azeroth. The largest groups of the Twilight's hammer now camp near the locations where they believe the Old Gods and their minions are sealed away; many wait for C'Thun's awakening in Silithus, and others serve Ragnaros in the Blackrock Depths along side the Dark Iron dwarves.[2]
The Twilight's Hammer clan is still seen in Azeroth. The cult was always obsessed with signs of an apocalypse — as had the clan in earlier times—and indeed often sought to bring such doom about by their actions. The Twilight's Hammer has representatives of all races among its members and employs a myriad of classes from simple warriors to Aquamancers and Shadowmages.
The organization now seems to have a strange fixation on the Old Gods, worshiping Ragnaros and seeking power from such eldritch places as Maraudon, which has very strong ties to the element of Earth, and thus may hold powers long held at rest. They also show strong resistance in Blackfathom Deeps, the submerged domain of the Old God's servant, Aku'mai, and Silithus, where savage winds blow across the desert outside the ruined city of Ahn'Qiraj, domain of mighty C'thun. They even have ambassadors among the dwarves of Blackrock Depths, in the court of Emperor Dagran Thaurissan.
In Darkshore, the Hammer may be found in the Master's Glaive, the site of a large skeleton of a dead Old God. In Ashenvale, their presence is felt most powerfully in the Blackfathom Deeps instance where they worship the ancient beast Aku'mai, favored pet of the Old Gods. Their leader there is Twilight Lord Kelris, an orc caster who sits in meditation before a statue of Queen Azshara, waiting for adventurers on the "Blackfathom Villainy" quest. In Ironforge, Gerrig Bonegrip founded the shop Bonegrip's Runes and Dooms for the Twilight's Hammer and assists those seeking to free Princess Myzrael, and the Forsaken Keeper Bel'dugur in Undercity secretly works for the cult. Their strong activity in Silithus might be ascribed to the presence of C'Thun, an Old God. Recently, they have been particularly active in Silithus, using the Windstones to summon powerful Elementals of the Abyssal Council, which may direct the movements of the organization.
Wrath of the Lich King
The Twilight's Hammer has also made a presence in Northrend inhabiting the Dungeon of Ahn'kahet: The Old Kingdom deep in Azjol-Nerub. They appear to be drawn by the presence of the Old God Yogg-Saron and the Faceless Ones which serve him and seek to bring about their dark plans. An unknown number of Twilight Cultists inhabit the Old Kingdom and are lead by Jedoga Shadowseeker, a servant of Yogg-Saron. A number of Twilight cultists are also seen within the Descent into Madness of Ulduar. Their Banner can also be seen in the Ruby Sanctum.
Cataclysm
Following the defeat of C'thun by a near army of mortal adventurers (assisted by trapped members of the Red, Blue and Green Dragonflights), the infamous Cho'gall himself apparently took up residence in the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj itself, where he attempted to return life or a semblance of it to the "dead" Old God, but was later defeated by Med'an and the Council of Tirisfal
The Twilight's Hammer becomes a major player in the events of the third expansion. Seduced by the promises of power and the destructive intentions of the twisted Aspect of Death, they join him in his quest to unmake the world of Azeroth. They claimed the ancient dwarven fortress of Grim Batol and the surrounding Twilight Highlands, turning it into their main base of operations under leadership of their chieftain, the ogre mage Cho'gall, wreaking havoc wherever they can. They also have enlisted the help of the dangerous twilight dragonflight to bolster their ranks. They lead various campaigns against the world such as the assault on Mount Hyjal, assisting the naga in their war against Neptulon or undermining the efforts of rebuilding the World Pillar in Deepholm. They also maintain a strong presence within Blackrock Caverns, where they ascend to transform into drakonids and are sending supplies back and forth to Twilight Highlands. They work with the Tol'vir to reconfigured the pyramid inside the Maker's Terrace at Uldum to become a superweapon capable of destroying all life on Azeroth. Notably, their role in the game is very similar to that of the Cult of the Damned in Wrath of the Lich King, and may be considered a Cataclysm-version of it.
In the The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm novel, it emerged that the Twilight's Hammer was responsible for two mass murder incidents in Ashenvale, in a calculated plot to sabotage any remaining relations between the Alliance and Horde. The perpetrators have yet to be found, and have not made any in-game appearance.
Notable commanders and allies
[??] Cho'gall is the chieftain of Twilight's Hammer and is a powerful servant of C'Thun.- [??] Skullcrusher the Mountain is the chosen of Cho'gall and a major force in the clan.
- [61] Vyral the Vile is the leader of Twilight's Hammer forces in Silithus, and is presumed to be second in-command of the clan.
- [75+] Jedoga Shadowseeker is the leader of Twilight's Hammer forces in Northrend (Ahn'kahet and Ulduar) and is a servant of Yogg-Saron.
- [24+] Twilight Lord Kelris is the commander of Twilight's Hammer in Blackfathom Deeps.
- [19] Gor'kresh is a disciple of Cho'gall and the leader of Mo'grosh ogres that are Twilight vassals.
Twilight Council
During the quest Quest:Some Spraining to Do, Mor'norokk the Hateful informs Stormcaller Mylra of the existence of a 'Twilight Council'. The 
[Elemental Focus Band] also refers to this council.[7] Garona also refers to it, saying: "The Twilight Council will suffer for their crimes!".[citation needed]
So far, High Priestess Azil has been confirmed as a member of the Council by Earthwarden Yrsa.
High Priestess Lorthuna is also mentioned to be a member.[citation needed]
Military forces
What the Twilight's Hammer lacks in military training, it more than makes up for in fervor. Every member would willingly die for the cult, fully believing the Old Gods would reward them for their sacrifice.[8]
Members of lower echelons of the Twilight Hammer (which is most of them) are predominately of the non-magical classes, mostly barbarians, rogues, and warriors. Other non-magical classes are known, but less common. As one ascends through the ranks of the organization, spellcasters become more common. The twilight overlords are almost exclusively spellcasters. Most of the spellcasters are arcanists, specifically elementalists.
This hierarchical pyramid is also indicative of how the Twilight's Hammer cult approaches defense. The first cultists the heroes encounter are likely to be low-level initiates. Only if that fails to deter them do the heroes face higher-ranking members, increasing in rank and power as they plunge into the depths of the temple. To catch sight of the inner circle, the heroes must breach the inner sanctum. The twilight lord deigns to fight only if the sect as a whole is threatened (in other words, to preserve his own life or goals). By that point, of course, the heroes are depleted from fighting the cultists, in theory making them easy prey for the twilight lord (which makes him look even more impressive to his followers).
Should a Twilight's Hammer sect be incited to attack another group, their offensive tactics differ little from their defense. Low-level members act as scouts, while the main force attacks in waves of incrementally increasing power, until they subdue their foe, and the twilight lord — or one of his representatives — can swoop in and claim victory. The Twilight's Hammer rarely uses such overt measures, however, preferring instead to scare off those who stand in its way. Accompanying each act of sabotage, kidnapping, or assassination is always an unambiguous — and gruesome — sign that the Twilight's Hammer is responsible.[9]
The True Believer
Hermit Ortell, an NPC who lives in a cave in the southeast of Silithus, is an ex-Twilight's Hammer member. He will take 10 Encrypted Twilight Texts (which can drop from any Twilight's Hammer member and drop in large stacks from the roaming Twilight Prophet) through the repeatable quest Still Believing. The quest gives no faction, but several hours after the turn-in, he will mail you a container. In the container can be translations of a Twilight's Hammer newsletter that contains lore information, as well as Shadow Resist tradeskill recipes for cloth and plate (Runed Stygian and Darkrune, respectively), as well as scrolls to create an Object of Beckoning.
Known members in World of Warcraft
Cataclysm Members
Here is a list of all known members of the Twilight's Hammer that appear (or re-appear) in the third expansion: Cataclysm.
Former members
Leaving the Twilight's Hammer is not easy and deserters will be executed (like Zamael Lunthistle), locked away (like Morridune), or hunted (like Hermit Ortell and Theldurin the Lost).
Ranks and Classes
Others
- Bolgar (owner of the [Book: The Powers Below])
- Twilight Lord D'sak
Notes
- It is customary for new recruits to be sent on difficult or sometimes impossible tasks.[10]
- Examples would have been, obtaining a black dragon scale or a phoenix feather.
Gallery
Pre-Cataclysm banner.
References
- ^ Unusual Activity
- ^ a b c d Horde Player's Guide, 169
- ^ Dark Factions, 163
- ^ Dark Factions, 84
- ^ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedDF162 - ^ Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness manual, pg. 70
- ^ TCG Fires of Outland 212
- ^ Dark Factions, 187
- ^ Dark Factions, 188
- ^ Quest:In Bloom
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