Dwarven Expedition
 Dwarven Expedition | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Main leader |
 Muradin Bronzebeard |
| Secondary leaders |
 Baelgun Flamebeard † |
| Race(s) |
  Dwarf |
| Theater of operations | Northrend, Azjol-Nerub |
| Language(s) | Dwarven |
| Sub-group(s) | Dwarven Scouts |
| Affiliation | Explorers' League |
| Status | Destroyed |
The Dwarven Expedition,[1] later called Muradin's Dwarves,[2] was an Explorers' League[3] expedition to Northrend led by Muradin Bronzebeard just prior to the Third War. They joined forces with Arthas Menethil's 1st Legion against the Scourge, but were left leaderless after Arthas recovered Frostmourne and Muradin disappeared. Baelgun Flamebeard took over the expedition and led them into Azjol-Nerub, where they were ultimately slain by Arthas and Anub'arak.
History
The expedition traveled from Ironforge to Northrend with the goal of searching for ancient artifacts[4] and exploring and studying the continent's native creatures, landmarks, and ruins. Muradin had been to Northrend many times before and found the place intriguing.[3] The Lich King, who had chosen Arthas Menethil to be his champion and needed to lure him to the runeblade Frostmourne, sent Mal'Ganis and the other dreadlords to plant clues, maps, and false "ancient" histories about Frostmourne in the dwarves' camp. When the dwarves discovered this information, they assumed that they simply hadn't noticed it before and set out to find the runeblade.[4] The closer they came to finding it, the more Scourge they encountered.[1]
Meanwhile, Arthas and the 1st Legion landed in Northrend to hunt Mal'Ganis. The Scourge attacked the dwarves to herd them toward Arthas and make it look like a chance encounter,[4] and in the process separated the expedition from its leader (who had gone on a scouting mission) and trapped them. Upon running into each other, Arthas and Muradin immediately joined forces against a nearby Scourge base, after which Muradin informed Arthas of the expedition's quest for Frostmourne.[1] Over several days, their combined forces continued to search for the blade and fight both Scourge and native creatures. After King Terenas ordered the 1st Legion to return to Lordaeron, Muradin and his dwarves reluctantly helped Arthas burn the Legion's ships to prevent them from leaving.[3][5] The next day, Mal'Ganis and the Scourge attacked Muradin and Arthas' camp. Muradin's second-in-command, Baelgun Flamebeard, organized the dwarves' defenses while his counterpart Falric organized the humans.[6] Arthas and Muradin left to recover Frostmourne, which ended with Muradin being knocked unconscious and seemingly killed and Arthas taking up the sword and becoming a servant of the Lich King.[7]
After killing Mal'Ganis and massacring the 1st Legion,[8] Arthas returned to Lordaeron and thereby left the dwarves to fend for themselves. They regrouped under Baelgun and wandered Northrend for a time before taking shelter in the Shadow Web Caverns of Azjol-Nerub, where they engaged in battle with the surviving native nerubians and tried to claim their treasures. When the earthquakes caused by the Eye of Sargeras awakened the faceless ones in the Old Kingdom, Baelgun and the dwarves sealed its gates and vowed to keep the monsters locked inside. Arthas—now a death knight—and Anub'arak later entered Azjol-Nerub to take a shortcut to Icecrown. The dwarves attacked the undead and tried to hinder their passage with explosives, but the Scourge fought through them and confronted Baelgun at the entrance to the Old Kingdom. Baelgun refused to let Arthas through and warned him about the faceless ones, but Arthas paid him no mind and killed him and his forces.[2]
In the RPG
Muradin's expedition was named the Bronzebeard Expedition.[9] After Muradin died and Arthas abandoned them, the remaining dwarves hid within ruins or gathered with humans in Valgarde, the only free city in Northrend.[10] Baelgun and his 200[11] dwarves in Azjol-Nerub survived their encounter with Arthas and Anub'arak and remain camped in Doorward at Azjol-Nerub's main entrance, in front of the gate to the Old Kingdom. Although they are hardy souls, they're no match for the Scourge occupying Azjol-Nerub, and they may not be even able to stop the living nerubians, particularly the larger rebel bands. However, since the dwarves share the nerubians' hatred for the Scourge and the two subterranean races have much in common, the nerubians leave Baelgun's crew alone, and sometimes stop by to exchange information or trade found items for food. Baelgun keeps his men hidden from the Scourge and constantly watches the doors to stop the faceless ones from escaping to the surface. The expedition gave Brann Bronzebeard a warm welcome when he visited Azjol-Nerub two years after Arthas and Anub'arak's passage.[9]
Speculation
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This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.
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Since Valgarde was originally meant to be Arthas' original landing zone in Northrend, it is possible that either Baelgun's Excavation Site or Westguard Keep in the Howling Fjord were meant to be the Dwarven Expedition's base. Westguard Keep features an unidentified dwarven statue, which might depict Muradin himself.
References
- ^ a b c The Shores of Northrend
- ^ a b Into the Shadow Web Caverns
- ^ a b c Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, chapter 14
- ^ a b c World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3, pg. 50 - 51
- ^ Dissension
- ^ Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, chapter 15
- ^ Frostmourne
- ^
[25-30] Army of the Damned
- ^ a b Lands of Mystery, pg. 88 - 91
- ^ Lands of Mystery, pg. 86
- ^ Lands of Mystery, pg. 88 - Azjol-Nerub's population is 20,000, of which 1% is dwarves.