Gnomeregan

This article is about the city lore and a part of the gnomish starting zone. For the dungeon, see Gnomeregan (instance). For other uses, see Gnomeregan (disambiguation).

Gnomeregan
Entrance of Gnomeregan
Type	Capital city
Races	Gnome
Formerly	Leper gnome  Dark Iron dwarf  Trogg
Government	Monarchy
Ruler(s)	King Gelbin Mekkatorque
Former ruler(s)	Sicco Thermaplugg †
Languages	Gnomish, Dwarven, Common
Affiliation	Kingdom of Gnomeregan, Grand Alliance
Former affiliation(s)	Alliance of Lordaeron
Location	Western Dun Morogh
PvP status	Contested territory
Status	Higher levels under control, lower levels still radiated

“Once again Gnomeregan will be our home!”

— King Gelbin Mekkatorque

Gnomeregan (/noʊmɹəˈɡɑːn/ NOHM-rə-gahn) is the subterranean capital city of the eponymous kingdom of Gnomeregan and the wrought-iron evidence of gnomish brilliance, ambition, and ingenuity.

During the Third War, a trogg invasion led to its tragic downfall, pulled from their sleep by the upheaval of titan sites. In a desperate attempt to kill the invaders, the gnomish ruler, High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque, on the advice of his advisor Sicco Thermaplugg, ordered his people to open the pressure valves of their giant, grinding machines and released toxic radiation throughout the city. Though the radiation killed some of the troggs, it empowered others, while nearly eighty percent of gnomekind died within days. The survivors fled to the protection of Ironforge, while others were transformed into horrific, mindless, evil-doing leper gnomes, who still live there. Driven completely mad by the radiation, Thermaplugg declared himself "King of Gnomeregan" and took control of the city, leading an army of troggs and leper gnomes.

After the Northrend campaign, Mekkatorque launched Operation: Gnomeregan with the support of the Alliance, allowing the gnomes to reclaim both the surface and the upper floors of Gnomeregan. Since then, the S.A.F.E. forces have been responsible for cleaning up the radiation, as well as saving the survivors inside the capital, using New Tinkertown as their base of operations at the surface.

The city is currently a mid-level dungeon.

History

Early history

Architecture of Gnomeregan.

Originally, when the first mechagnomes left Uldaman under the effects of the Curse of Flesh, they dwelt in mountain caves in Dun Morogh. Focusing purely on survival and expanding their technological knowledge, the early gnomes eschewed any form of record keeping and thus forgot their heritage. When the transformed earthen from Uldaman, now being fleshy creatures called dwarves, arrived in Khaz Modan, they discovered the gnomes in their mountain caverns. Enthralled by their technological knowledge and sensing a kinship between the two species, the dwarves aided the gnomes in laying the foundations for what would later become Gnomeregan.

According to Gelbin Mekkatorque, one of the problems with such a vast subterranean mechanical city, among hundreds of others, was ventilation. At full capacity, the network of fans, vents, and filters had required a team of fifteen technicians working shifts around the clock to keep Gnomeregan smelling fresh and clean.

In Gnomeregan's heyday, inventors would compete for status by pitting their creations against one another. The Tinkers' Court served as the meeting place for the elected High Tinker and his court.

Second War

Main article: Defense of Gnomeregan

Prior to the Second War in 5 ADP, when the Orcish Horde invaded Khaz Modan for its metal and fuel, the gnomes rigged explosives throughout the forest and hills that surrounded Gnomeregan, killing many orcs in booby traps before they could even reach the gnomish capital. To further defend their home, they also created an impenetrable iron gate, which successfully survived weeks of bombardment from Horde siege engines. Faced with no success, Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer ordered the Bleeding Hollow clan to keep the gnomes confined within their city, as they were doing with the dwarves in nearby Ironforge. In Year 6 ADP, after the Alliance army liberated both cities from the Bleeding Hollow clan, the gnomes came out and pledged their forces to the Alliance of Lordaeron.

Fall of Gnomeregan

Gnomeregan Entrance ^[24, 40] in Dun Morogh.

Until the Third War in 20 ADP, from their wondrous techno-city, gnomes provided invaluable support in weaponry, vehicles, and energetic troops to the Alliance of dwarves, humans, and high elves. When Lordaeron fell to the Scourge, the gnomes dispatched their armaments but offered little in the way of soldiers, leading some of their allies to question their loyalty. In reality, Gnomeregan had come under attack by the brutish troggs that emerged from the earth, having been awakened by the dwarves digging around the titan complex of Uldaman. The creatures were attracted to the gnomish machinery and built tunnels to breach the lowest reaches of the city. High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque stationed soldiers and war machines at choke points to hold the invaders at bay, but even with their technology, the Gnomeregan Army simply wasn't large enough to fight off the troggs. Mekkatorque briefly considered calling on the Alliance for help, but ultimately didn't want to divert any resources from Lordaeron.

For five years, the gnomes fought against the troggs, but were regularly overrun as the creatures simply dug around their defenses and breached into their engineering quarters. To defeat them, Mekkatorque agreed to the plan proposed by Sicco Thermaplugg, which involved bathing the lower levels of the city in radiation. The gas should have stayed in the quarantined thoroughfares and lower sections of Gnomeregan, poisoning the invaders as they emerged from the depths while the gnomes waited safely sealed away in the upper urban tunnels. However, the bomb ultimately affected not only the troggs, but also the gnomes, and while it made the troggs even more violent, nearly eighty percent of gnomekind perished in a matter of days. Among the survivors who sought refuge in Ironforge, some argued that they should focus all their attention and resources on reclaiming Gnomeregan as soon as possible, but instead, Mekkatorque urged his people to research new technologies that would bolster the modern Alliance. In his mind, the fates of the Alliance and the gnomes were intertwined, and if the faction crumbled, his people would never have the support they needed to reconquer Gnomeregan.

It was later revealed that Sicco had betrayed his people. Consumed by jealousy, he had calculated that thirty percent of the gnomes would die, after which he would swoop in and defeat the troggs, prompting the gnomes to elect him as their new high tinker instead of his friend Gelbin. Sicco was left behind in Gnomeregan during the evacuation, trapped in the horror he had created, and twisted into an insane leper gnome. He later recruited the other leper gnomes and seized control of the toxic city, installing himself as its new techno-overlord. He later became dangerous enough that even the monsters of Gnomeregan came to fear him.

World of Warcraft

This section concerns content related to the original World of Warcraft.

In Year 25 ADP, the gnomes started gathering power supplies to power up their gyrodrillmatic excavationators and give them the means to break through the rocky underground borders of the city, opening the way for a future assault on Gnomeregan. As part of efforts to retake the capital, High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque ordered Alliance adventurers to kill Sicco in Tinkers' Court. A band of heroes took up the mission and returned with a tale of victory. However, after analyzing their claim, Gelbin realized that the mechanized overlord they'd defeated in Gnomeregan was likely nothing more than a clever facsimile of Thermaplugg.

Operation: Gnomeregan

This section concerns content related to Wrath of the Lich King.

Main article: Operation: Gnomeregan

The Irradiator 3000 detonates within the city.

After the Northrend campaign in 27 ADP, High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque launched Operation: Gnomeregan. Aware that defeating his nemesis and his forces would require a more robust approach, Mekkatorque labored over strategies to retake his city until he revealed his brilliant multi-phased assault plan. After the preparations were made, Gelbin underwent a raid into the tunnels of lower Gnomeregan, however, when the Gnomeregan Army and the Alliance reached the center of the city, Mekgineer Sicco Thermaplugg unveiled the Irradiator 3000 to irradiate them all. Unable to disarm the bomb in time, the high tinker was forced to recall his forces and hastily teleport to the surface, sealing off Gnomeregan while the irradiation cleared out. Despite being unable to fully retake the city, Mekkatorque judged the operation to be a success, as Thermaplugg's forces were greatly weakened, and his people had succeeded in claiming New Tinkertown near the techno-city's gates.

Cut Short

This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.

After the successful operation, retaking Gnomeregan turned out to be much more than a simple military action, as years of unsqueeged trogg funk had congealed into layers of musky, impenetrable grime that was proving harder to remove than the invaders themselves. While some sections of Gnomeregan were still being viciously contested, others had fallen into his hands with surprising ease. High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque had determined that after the city had been retaken, it would be due for a major remodeling to make a more open, airy layout.

Cataclysm

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

Following the Cataclysm in 28 ADP, the Survivor Assistance Facilitation Expedition (S.A.F.E) was placed under the command of Nevin Twistwrench to evacuate the survivors trapped within Gnomeregan, as well as to reduce the leper gnomes inside to reclaim the halls of the irradiated city. In retaliation, Thermaplugg sent Razlo Crushcog and a force of leper gnomes to harass the gnomish forces on the surface, in order to prevent them from rebuilding and finishing their reclamation of the capital. The G-Team was eventually tasked to kill Thermaplugg and his lieutenants once and for all.

Battle for Azeroth

This section concerns content related to Battle for Azeroth.

A group of Gnomish Excavating Machines trying to clear out a collapsed tunnel within Gnomeregan.

During the Fourth War in 33 ADP, the Alliance and Horde engineers detected some strange spikes of electric usage in Gnomeregan. Adventurers were sent to investigate the situation and worked with chief engineer Micro Zoox, who is in charge of keeping the robots in Gnomeregan under control. While in the Launch Bay, which was overtaken by erratic elementals, they found that all of the defensive mechanisms were activated, with Bomb Bots and critters filling the corridor to the Tinkers' Court. The Court itself was guarded by the "Gnomeregan Defense Force", consisting of mechanical inventions. A suspicious night elf teleported in, stunned the hero, stole something from the Pulverizer Bot Mk 6001, and was teleported out of the city. After the adventurer defeated the Pulverizer, Micro scanned the area and stated that the defensive mechanisms were now disabled and normal.

When the Gnomish Elite Aerial Rangers was assembled in New Tinkertown, Captain Tread Sparknozzle sent the gnomish adventurer into Gnomeregan to retrieve an experimental engine, which was needed to power their prototype bomber planes. After several years of work, S.A.F.E. agents were still busy clearing out the Loading Room, the Train Depot, and the Old Dormitory now devoid of leper gnomes. Teams of Gnomish Excavating Machines were clearing out a collapsed tunnel, while G-5 CANARY bots were scouring the city for any remaining signs of radiation. Upon reaching the western side of the Engineering Labs, the Gnomeregan Security System activated after the gnome hero found the experimental engine, forcing them to evacuate through a Broken Teleporter.

Official description

From the World Dungeons page on the official World of Warcraft Community Site

Located in Dun Morogh, the technological wonder known as Gnomeregan has been the gnomes' capital city for generations. Recently, a hostile race of mutant troggs infested several regions of Dun Morogh - including the great gnome city. In a desperate attempt to destroy the invading troggs, High Tinker Mekkatorque ordered the emergency venting of the city's radioactive waste tanks. Several gnomes sought shelter from the airborne pollutants as they waited for the troggs to die or flee. Unfortunately, though the troggs became irradiated from the toxic assault - their siege continued, unabated. Those gnomes who were not killed by noxious seepage were forced to flee, seeking refuge in the nearby dwarven city of Ironforge. There, High Tinker Mekkatorque set out to enlist brave souls to help his people reclaim their beloved city. It is rumored that Mekkatorque's once-trusted advisor, Mekgineer Thermaplugg, betrayed his people by allowing the invasion to happen. Now, his sanity shattered, Thermaplugg remains in Gnomeregan - furthering his dark schemes and acting as the city's new techno-overlord.

From the official World of Warcraft Community Site

A technical marvel, the subterranean city of Gnomeregan is wrought-iron evidence of gnomish brilliance, ambition, and ingenuity. It was carved into the stony foothills of Dun Morogh, and winds deep into the heart of the land. From their wondrous techno-city, gnomes provided invaluable support in weaponry, vehicles, and energetic troops to the Alliance of dwarves, humans, and high elves. Currently a battleground between the founding gnomes and the traitor Sicco Thermaplugg, the once-gleaming metal hallways of this labyrinthine city are slowly being retaken.

Gnomeregan was the capital of the gnomes until a trogg invasion led to its downfall. Assisted by the Alliance, the gnomes recovered sections of Gnomeregan, and continue to work tirelessly to reclaim their city to this day.

Starting area

S.A.F.E., led by Nevin Twistwrench, are organizing an effort through the Train Depot, Old Dormitory and Loading Room to save survivors and keep irradiated gnomes in.

Geography

The Clockwerk Run Loading Room The Old Dormitory Train Depot Workshop Entrance

Gnomeregan instance The Clean Zone The Dormitory Engineering Labs The Hall of Gears Launch Bay Tinkers' Court

Lore locations Gearshaft University Gnomeregan Institute of Tinkering Sector 17

• Instance maps
• 

  Exterior Gnomeregan.
• 

  The Hall of Gears.
• 

  The Dormitory.
• 

  Launch Bay.
• 

  Tinkers' Court.

In the RPG

This section contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

Gnomeregan is built into Ironforge Mountain. When the troggs invaded, they destroyed the city, forced the Ironforge gnomes to move to Ironforge and to Kalimdor. Now in the hands of the Rockjaw troggs, the city is little more than a ruin. The troggs use the city as a base to stage attacks against Ironforge patrols, merchants, and other travelers.

Notes and trivia

• Once, all the cloth and leather in the city were vaporized by Fimble Finespindle's cousin.
• The loss of Gnomeregan is the topic of many conspiracy theories, one of them involving the Dark Iron clan.
• In Legion, Gnomeregan was the setting of Imminent Launch, a scrapped Mage Tower encounter where heroes would aid Gelbin Mekkatorque in stopping Sicco Thermaplugg and a missile aimed at the Broken Isles.
• There seems to be tracks similar to the Deeprun Tram running from the east wall of the aptly named Train Depot (now the Loading Room) to right before the Tinkers' Court. A line seems to have also gone into the destroyed hallway off of the Hall of Gears. No cars can be seen at any point on these tracks. It is unknown how, or if, the Loading Room (now the Old Dormitory) was able to load any cars from its position, but presumably this was done with the large arm that was there.
• In Hearthstone: Across the Timeways, the city, more specifically three versions of it, serves as an epic paladin location. Past Gnomeregan has the following flavor text: Before the trogg invasion, Gnomeregan was a thriving, high-tech metropolis., Present Gnomeregan shows the station abandoned and infested with troggs, and Future Gnomeregan shows the city in the future of Gelbin of Tomorrow; thriving once more and forged in the Light.

Gallery

• 

  Multi-layer integrated sketch of the instanced Gnomeregan.
• 

  Gnomeregan Halls.
• 

  The Old Dormitory.
• 

  The Train Depot.
• 

  Tinker's Court.
• 

  Gnomeregan crowd pummeler and pounder robot.
• 

  Past Gnomeregan in Hearthstone.
• 

  Present Gnomeregan in Hearthstone.
• 

  Future Gnomeregan in Hearthstone.

See also

• Gnomeregan Gnews Gnetwork
• Gnomeregan, TCG card

External links

Current	Classic
Wowhead WoWDB Wago	Wowhead WoWDB Wago