See also : War of the Three Hammers (History of Warcraft).
The War of the Three Hammers was a civil war between the Bronzebeard Clan (representing the Ironforge Clan), Wildhammer Clan, and Dark Iron Clan. The conflict began when Emperor Thaurissan, leader of the Dark Iron Clan, launched simultaneous assaults on the Ironforge city of Ironforge and the Wildhammer city of Grim Batol.
Both attacks were defeated, with King Madoran Bronzebeard defending Ironforge against Thaurissan and Thaurissan's wife Modgud slain by King Khardros Wildhammer. The combined Bronzebeard and Wildhammer armies marched south to the city of Thaurissan in the Redridge Mountains, the Dark Iron capital.
Sensing impending defeat, Thaurissan accidentally summoned Ragnaros the Firelord into Azeroth. The cataclysm formed Blackrock Spire and halted the advance of the Bronzebeard and Wildhammer armies.
The Death of the High King
There was originally one main clan of dwarves, Ironforge Clan. Under this clan were three other clans of Dwarves, the Bronzebeard Clan, the Wildhammer Clan, and the Dark Iron Clan. The Dark Iron Dwarves were ruled by the sorcerer Thaurissan and lived in the darkest shadows of the Ironforge Mountain. The mountain was shared by all three factions. Tensions were held to a reasonable amount until the High King of the Dwarves, Modimus Anvilmar, died.
All three factions fought for supremacy, embroiling the Dwarves in a civil war. The Dwarven Civil War raged on for many years all over Dun Morogh, until one day the Ironforge appeared to be victorious. In their victory, the Ironforge banished their Dark Iron and Wildhammer brethren from the mountain.
The Wildhammers went north to Dun Algaz and began to rebuild their kingdom with their own mountain city of Grim Batol. The Dark Irons, however, humiliated and enraged by their defeat, travelled to the Redridge Mountains and founded a city, which their leader Thaurissan named after himself.
The War of Three Hammers
Years later, the Dark Irons maintained a grudge and launched a two-part attack on Ironforge and Grim Batol with the intention of obtaining ultimate supremacy over all Dwarves. He attacked both of the cities at the same time because the Dark Irons were afraid that when either city were attacked, the other city would come to their aid.
Thaurissan went with the army that marched on Ironforge and sent his wife Modgud to Grim Batol. Thaurissan's forces fought valiantly against the Bronzebeard defenders but were ultimately routed. Defeated, Thaurissan and his forces fled back to their city but did not know the status of Modgud and her forces.
Modgud used her own dark magic against the Wildhammers' fortress, causing shadows to stir at her command and dark things to rise up and stalk the Wildhammers in their own halls. Finally, Modgud broke through the gates of Grim Batol and her army began to lay siege to the fortress. Khardros Wildhammer, the leader of the Wildhammer Clan, waded through the battle and slew the Dark Iron Queen. With their Queen lost, the Dark Irons fled towards their home city only to be intercepted by an army from Ironforge that the Bronzebeards had sent. The Dark Iron army was utterly destroyed.
The Summoning of Ragnaros
The army from Ironforge turned south to destroy Thaurissan once and for all; they hadn't travelled long before Thaurissan tried to summon a minion to ensure victory. He meant to call forth a demon, but it was not a mere demon that rose forth. Instead he accidentally summoned Ragnaros the Firelord, immortal lord of Fire Elementals whom had been banished by the Titans when Azeroth was young.
Thaurissan's spell broke his chains and caused an army of Fire Elementals to pour forth. The force resulting was enough to kill Thaurissan and, in his rage, Ragnaros enslaved the Dark Irons Dwarves in Blackrock Mountain and the crater which was caused by his sudden return. The crater is now divided into two (northern and southern) areas, the Searing Gorge and Burning Steppes, respectively.
The army of Ironforge, seeing the awesome fury of Ragnaros, quickly turned and fled home. The Bronzebeards began to rebuild Ironforge, and the Wildhammers returned to Grim Batol. The Wildhammers discovered that Modgud's taint had left their city uninhabitable, and refused an offer from the Bronzebeards for a safe haven in Ironforge.
Instead, the Wildhammers turned north to the Aerie Peak in Lordaeron and built their own kingdom on the slopes of the mountain, where they made a special bond with the Gryphons of the mountains.
The Statues of Loch Modan
After the leaders of both Ironforge and Aerie Peak died, their sons erected statues of their fathers in southern Loch Modan, facing the tunnel to the Searing Gorge, to serve as a warning to all of the wrath of dwarves and to remind the Dark Iron dwarves of the price that they had paid the last time they tried to test their cousins.