They looked directly to the gorge north of their mountain: The Bronzebeard clan's low military presence, scarce population, few settlements, and high vulnerability made the valley a clear choice. Upon completion of their new capital city, the Dark Iron sought control of land for their filthy, industrious works. The steppes to the south came to be known as the Burning Steppes, and the ravaged valley to the north the Searing Gorge. With the Firelord's awakening a new volcano, Blackrock Mountain, erupted out of the mountain ridge, forever blackening the surrounding lands and reducing the Dark Iron capital of Thaurissan to rubble. To their surprise, the creature that emerged was more terrible than any nightmare they could have imagined: The ancient Firelord Ragnaros. He and seven of his most trusted and powerful dwarves called upon the ancient powers sleeping beneath the world. In the War of the Three Hammers, the leader of the Dark Iron dwarves, Sorcerer-Thane Thaurissan, sought to summon a supernatural minion that would turn the tide of the war back to his favor.
The Searing Gorge was presumably once a verdant valley, but the landscape was obliterated in a massive explosion over 200 years ago. Just as Blackrock orcs and their allies dominate Burning Steppes in modern day, so Dark Iron dwarves dominate this dark, mountainous area, alongside their war golems and their elemental masters.
