Blackrock Mountain

Blackrock Mountain is a zone between the Burning Steppes and the Searing Gorge, linking the two areas. This zone is deceptively small, and appears empty when first entered - however, it was at one point without doubt among the most dangerous places in Azeroth. It is hotly contested; between the forces of Ragnaros and his Dark Iron servants on one side, and the black dragon Nefarian and his minions of Orcs on the other. This is one of the most important areas in the World of Warcraft Lore.

It contains four high-level instances:


 * Blackrock Depths - a 5-man instance, aimed for levels 50-60. A prelude to Molten Core. Necessary for attunement into Molten Core.
 * Molten Core - the seat of Ragnaros, the first 40-man instance in the game.
 * Blackrock Spire - Commonly referred to as Lower Blackrock Spire and Upper Blackrock Spire. The instance has a 10-player limit, however the portion of the instance designated as Lower Blackrock Spire must be completed as a 5-man party only to receive credit for the quests.  A quest chain starting in Lower Blackrock Spire will grant players access to the upper section of the Spire.  A prelude to Blackwing Lair.  Necessary for attunement into Blackwing Lair.
 * Blackwing Lair - a 40-man instance, next in line after Molten Core in difficulty. From the throne of Blackwing Lair, Nefarian oversees the machinations of the Blackrock Orcs and the Black Dragonflight.

History
The mountain is actually a volcano that was created at the end of the War of the Three Hammers when the Dark Iron Dwarf Lord, Thaurissan, accidentally summoned Ragnaros the Firelord from his prison beneath the earth. The power unleashed by his "rebirth" was so massive it shattered a large section of the Redridge Mountains, creating the areas now known as the Searing Gorge and Burning Steppes. Ragnaros enslaved the Dark Iron Dwarf tribe, and they have dug many tunnels and created a huge underground city in the depths of the mountain. Dwarves would later name this mountain Blackrock Spire.

During the events of the First War, the Blackrock clan of orcs have taken over the upper reaches of the mountain. Led by chieftain Rend Blackhand, they have eventually struck a deal with the current head of the Black Dragonflight, Nefarian.

Both Ragnaros and Nefarian now wage a brutal war for supremacy and control of the mountain. Ragnaros controls his Dark Iron Dwarves and their various machines and golems, as well as an army of elementals, beasts and powerful lieutenants such as Baron Geddon, Garr and Sulfuron. Nefarian controls the Blackrock tribe of orcs, as well as small armies of trolls and ogres, as well as his dragon lieutenants and his latest invention, the Chromatic Dragonflight.

The two rivals both hope to raise a powerful army that can take over Azeroth. We are fortunate that they spend most of their efforts fighting each other and not the mortal races, but then we will surely be doomed...

Player interaction
Before the Burning Crusade expansion was released, Blackrock Mountain was a PvP hotspot (even more intense before Ahn'Qiraj) due to the fact that Upper Blackrock Spire, Lower Blackrock Spire, Blackrock Depths, Molten Core and Blackwing Lair were ALL in Blackrock Mountain. Since these were the most popular instances, many players of both factions would clash here on their route to their instance. Many PvP videos feature extended segments of Blackrock Mountain PvP, or what was known as BRM PvP. If one was going to Blackrock Mountain, one could expect to encounter resistance on the way there. However, with the release of the expansion, BRM PvP has "died" to say the least.

Geography
There are four dungeons in Blackrock Mountain, suitable for players starting level 50 and increasing in difficulty. Blackrock Depths is a 5-man instance recommended for players level 48-60. Blackrock Spire is usually divided into two parts: Lower Blackrock Spire which is a 5-man instance recommended for players level 52-60; Upper Blackrock Spire is a 10-man raid instance recommended for players level 52-60. Molten Core is the first 40-man raid instance recommended for players level 60+. Blackwing Lair is a 40-man raid instance recommended for players level 60++ (after Molten Core in difficulty).

There are no flight paths or battlegrounds in this zone.

Notable characters
Blackrock Mountain is home to three characters of note. At the Blackrock Spire balcony, the invisible Bodley seeks aid in restoring the amulet of Lord Valthalak. At Forgewright's Tomb, Franclorn Forgewright wants the return of the great hammer Ironfel. And at the very bottom of the mountain, Lothos Riftwaker offers attunement to the Molten Core by sending bold adventurers deep into Blackrock Depths in search of a particular rock.

Quests
For the most part, no quests occur in Blackrock Mountain itself, though it is a gateway for 4 instances. However, there are a few quests that are categorized as Blackrock Mountains quests, in particular some of the Dungeon Set 2 quests. These quests are primarily given by Bodley, the ghost of a gnome located in Blackrock Spire.

Resources

 * Leather
 * Black Dragonscale (Skinning level 50-60 elite whelps and wyrmkin)
 * Ore
 * Dark Iron

Wild creatures

 * Dark Iron Dwarves
 * Dragon Whelps
 * Drakes
 * Fire Elementals
 * Orcs

Notes, tips, & additional info

 * One of the realms in World of Warcraft is named after Blackrock Mountain (See Realm Names and their place in Warcraft Lore).
 * Although appearing on both the Searing Gorge and the Burning Steppes maps, Blackrock Mountain is treated by the game as being a separate zone.