The War of the Three Hammers: the dwarven civil war that woke Ragnaros
"Legends of Warcraft" series — Legends #20. The prehistory of Warcraft in order, from the creation of the universe to the last Guardian of Tirisfal. The episodes are listed in order at the end of the post.
When the dwarves broke themselves
The War of the Three Hammers is one of the great founding events of dwarven history because it explains why the most important clans ceased to be a unified people. And it doesn't stop there. War is also the reason Ragnaros is summoned and Blackrock Mountain becomes one of the most dangerous regions in Azeroth.
The three clans and the dispute for the throne
After the death of the former king, the succession becomes unsustainable between: -Bronzebeard
- Wildhammer -Dark Iron
Each clan had its own identity and ambition, and the dispute for the center of power escalated into open civil war.
The exile of the Dark Iron
With the defeat of the Dark Iron, Thaurissan and his people are pushed away from Ironforge and end up deep within the future Blackrock Mountain. This exile matters because it transforms political defeat into an obsession with revenge.
The Invocation of Ragnaros
Desperate, Thaurissan turns to something much greater than an ordinary weapon of war: he tries to summon enough elemental power to turn the tide. The result is the arrival of Ragnaros, and from then on the dwarven war stops being just civil and becomes a miniature cosmic catastrophe.
He doesn't control what he calls. And that is the heart of the tragedy.
The permanent consequences
After that:
- Blackrock Mountain is no longer just a strategic region
- Molten Core is born as the center of power of Ragnaros
- the Dark Iron are trapped in a new form of servitude
- and the division between the dwarves is no longer just political: it becomes historical and almost mythological
Final summary
The War of the Three Hammers begins as a succession dispute between Bronzebeard, Wildhammer and Dark Iron after the death of High King Modimus Anvilmar. The defeat and exile of the Dark Iron lead Thaurissan to try to reverse fate by calling upon a power he could not control. The result is the awakening of Ragnaros and the transformation of Blackrock Mountain into one of Azeroth's greatest scars.
This is why this event remains so important: it shows how a dwarven civil war not only tore a people apart, but made room for one of the world's greatest elemental forces to emerge in the heart of the mountain.
"Legends of Warcraft" series
← Previous: Legends #19: The song of Aegwynn Next → Legends #21: The last Guardian
- Legends #1: The Creation
- Legends #2: The origin of Azeroth
- Legends #3: Time to leave
- Legends #4: A new beginning
- Legends #5: The evolution of Azeroth
- Legends #6: The rise of the Trolls
- Legends #7: The new empires
- Legends #8: The War of the Ancients
- Legends #9: After the Sundering
- Legends #10: The split of the Elves
- Legends #11: The Sunwell
- Legends #12: The end of the Pantheon
- Legends #13: The betrayal of Loken
- Legends #14: The sacrifice of Tyr
- Legends #15: The rise of Arathor
- Legends #16: Dalaran and Tirisfal
- Legends #17: The Seven Kingdoms
- Legends #18: The War of the Shifting Sands
- Legends #19: The song of Aegwynn
- Legends #20: The War of the Three Hammers (you are here)
- Legends #21: The last Guardian
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