Moira Thaurissan
- For strategy on the Blackrock Depths encounter, see Princess Moira Bronzebeard (tactics).
Queen-Regent Moira Thaurissan (née Bronzebeard) is the daughter of King Magni Bronzebeard of Ironforge and the widow of Emperor Dagran Thaurissan of the Dark Iron clan. As such she is both Princess of Ironforge as well as Empress of the Dark Iron clan. She is the Dark Iron representative of the Council of Three Hammers that rules Ironforge following the petrification of her father.
Contents
Background
World of Warcraft
Moira Bronzebead was born to King Magni Bronzebeard, King of Ironforge. While Magni did love his daughter, he had always wanted a son to rule the throne after him, and was disappointed that Moira was not the male heir he had hoped for.[1] The laws of succession for Ironforge state that Moira, having no brothers, would be the rightful heir to the throne.[2] However, even though it would have been highly unlikely that Magni would ever dispute that claim, he still believed that a woman could not rule with the same ability as a man would be able to. His opinion on the matter was known to those he would have had some regular contact with, such as Advisor Belgrum, High Priest Rohan and others, such as Aerin.[2]
Moira was later kidnapped on the way to Lakeshire by Dark Iron dwarves and brought to Emperor Dagran Thaurissan in Shadowforge City. Rather than simply being a prisoner, Thaurissan showed her the respect her father did not give her, listening to her when she spoke, and expressed the belief that she could rule just as well as any man. Thus, Moira fell in love with the Emperor and married him. Kharan Mighthammer, the only escorting guard to survive the kidnapping, came to believe that the Princess was presumably ensorcelled, reporting this to adventurers that came to rescue him.
King Magni, upset that Moira was with an arch enemy of his family, sent a team to kill Emperor Thaurissan and retrieve the presumably ensorcelled Moira back to Ironforge. However, Moira refused to come home and announced that she was pregnant; additionally, the death of her husband has left a terrible, fiery rage within her heart. She would not be heard from for a few years, estranged from her father, who still preferred to believe that she was captured and seduced via magical means rather than contemplate that she had fallen in love and married a Dark Iron of her own free will.[3] Although devastated by the news and despite the rift between father and daughter, Magni hoped that some day Moira would return to Ironforge, and never made any move to disinherit her.[2]
After all of this happened, Aerin and a few other qualified women were promoted to become a part of Magni's elite guard. Aerin believed this was a result of him finally realizing that his sexist attitude had not been very fair to Moira.[4]
The Shattering
In the wake of King Magni's petrification, Moira returned to Ironforge with her infant son Dagran Thaurissan II to claim the throne. Backed by the Dark Iron clan, Moira ruled Ironforge arrogantly and with an iron fist. She had the gryphons locked and the Deeprun Tram closed, holding all the people of Ironforge hostage, including Prince Anduin Wrynn, who was there as a Stormwind diplomat that would aid the dwarves in such troubling times.
In a dinner with Anduin, he having learned the more personal details of her past from Aerin, Anduin managed to subtly trick Moira in to dropping her guard for a short while, in order to provoke an honest reaction from her and learn her true motives. Moira revealed that she was never ensorcelled by her husband but rather fell in love with him because he respected her, unlike her father who always wanted a son and didn’t think a female was fit to rule. While Anduin agreed that she had been wronged, he quickly realized that Moira had not turned that into a strength, but had allowed her resentment of Magni to eat away at her.[5]
After Anduin escaped to Theramore, King Varian Wrynn learned from Anduin of how Moira and her Dark Iron clan had taken over Ironforge and had held him hostage. Enraged, Varian and eighteen SI:7 operatives embarked on a mission to liberate Ironforge and assassinate Moira. When Varian was about to execute Moira, Anduin — who had rushed back to Ironforge — convinced Varian that it would be better to guide Moira to be a better leader instead. Despite Moira being a tyrant who held the city hostage, she was still the legitimate heir to the throne and killing her would only put the succession of Ironforge into question, thus leading to more chaos and conflict that could lead into another bloody civil war and suck the rest of the Alliance into it. Where as if she lived; through her and her son all dwarven clans could unite. Varian slowly agreed, but was also conflicted as Moira had caused so much chaos and had already threatened the safety of his son. Varian agreed to spare Moira’s life but stipulated that if Moira was to be a leader and unite the dwarves, then she’d have to earn her crown by earning her people's respect. In order to take into account the opinions of all dwarves, Varian called for the formation of the Council of Three Hammers, which includes Moira's uncle Muradin and Wildhammer Thane Falstad Wildhammer.[6]
Fire and Iron
Moira is trying in every way to integrate the Dark Iron clan into the Ironforge Kingdom. To do so, she planned to reconstruct the Hammer of the High King (even with fake pieces if need be) as a symbol of unity between the dwarven clans. Kurdran Wildhammer hesitated to give his piece but after several days of convincing all three parts were together and ready to be forged. The next day, Moira and Drukan found Kurdran and Sky'ree during a walk. Drukan feared the gryphon and even disrespected her but Moira convinced her advisor to apologize. Moira then thanked Kurdran for giving the final part of the hammer and left. After Sky'ree's death, Kurdran was shocked and took the Wildhammer piece. Moira saw this and the two started to argue. Kurdran then realized that she also tried to focus estrangement on the Wildhammer clan in order to shift the Bronzebeard dwarves' alienation away from the Dark Irons. During the public ceremony to reforge the Hammer of the High King, Kurdran smashed the Wildhammer piece, justifying that the dwarves' unity could not be based on a physical artifact that could be broken apart one day, and they should begin anew with a clean slate. Muradin gladly agreed to this, and Moira having been politically outmaneuvered, was forced to follow suit, having also the Dark Iron piece of the hammer smashed.
Cataclysm
Even though Moira is Queen-Regent to the Dark Iron clan, some Dark Irons are not loyal to her or her son. After the Twilight's Hammer loyal Dark Iron clan attack the Ironforge Airfield and was repelled, Commander Stonebreaker sends an adventurer to inform the Council of what had happened. Moira refuses to believe that Dark Irons are attacking Ironforge until Muradin vouches for Stonebreaker's loyalty. After Muradin and Falstad call her out for not being able to control her own people, she determines who is responsible for the attacks and has Dark Iron Ambassador Slaghammer, who is working for the Twilight's Hammer, arrested for treason.
Quests
During the Dun Morogh storyline, Moira is involved in the following quests:
[10] Demanding Answers
Quest for Pandaria
The three rulers were visited by Li Li Stormstout who was looking for Magni. The Council could not help her and Moira was indignant at how rude Li Li was.
Blood in the Snow
One day, King Varian's scouts had discovered that Zandalari trolls threatened the dwarven capital by rallying the Frostmane trolls against them. Surely, the king thought, if he helped them with their troll problem, they would give him more troops for his campaign against the Horde. But what the King did not realize is that the dwarves did not trust one another. When Varian sought the help from the Council of Three Hammers, both Muradin and Falstad declined to offer aid in Ironforge’s defense for they feared that if they left to fight the Frostmane trolls, the Dark Irons would take advantage of their absence to defeat the remaining clan and take over Ironforge. Frustrated, Varian argued that if no one would help, then Ironforge will fall under siege. Only Moira offered aid, stating that the Dark Irons will prove their loyalty to the Council, Ironforge, and the Alliance in the defense of Ironforge. And so Moira, her personal guard and the High King set out in the snow to save the city, leaving the others to think about their actions.
When they arrived at Shimmer Ridge, they discovered that their enemies were using an unnatural storm to prevent their forces from advancing on them. At Varian's request, Moira lead her personal guard against the enemy troll village once the king's champions stopped the magical storm protecting Shimmer Ridge. After rescuing the surviving mountaineers and slaying the elemental that the trolls were satiating with blood sacrifices to elicit the unnatural storm, the king’s champions regrouped with Moira’s Forgeguard and together their forces slew the Zandalari leader and captured the Frostmane village.
In the aftermath of the battle, Varian commended Moira and the Dark Irons on their victory, even stating that the Bronzebeards and Wildhammers will regret not having been there to share in her glory. Moira however, humbly stated that her intention was to protect and impress, not to shame; to which Varian acknowledged that she accomplished just that. Both returned to Ironforge to announce her victory to the Council. On their return, the other dwarven leaders were ashamed of their behavior and vowed never again to allow fear or distrust to cloud their judgement. Free to trust one another, all three dwarven leaders pledged their full strength to the Alliance cause.
Siege of Orgrimmar
Moira Thaurissan and a contingency of dwarven troops drill into the Siegeworks. They encounter Siegecrafter Blackfuse, who unleashes his newest creation, the Ironstar, against the Alliance heroes. Moira orders her men to attack the monstrosity but her dwarven troops are slain by it. Siegecrafter Blackfuse escapes leaving Moira and the Alliance adventurers. Witnessing the destructive powers of Blackfuse's creation, Moira warns the Alliance heroes to be careful.
- Alliance
- There's nothing like a common enemy to bring people together. The dwarven clans have never been so united. If the peace holds, our kingdoms will be stronger than ever before...
- Horde
- I have nothing to say to you, <race>.
War Crimes
Moira, alongside other Alliance leaders received a letter from Xuen inviting them to the trial of Garrosh Hellscream. She traveled to Pandaria and Jaina noticed her arguing with a pandaren about the cart they were traveling by to the Temple of the White Tiger. She was present during the trial itself and a vision from the past, the one when Moira was almost executed by Varian, was shown.[7]
The Jade Hunters
Moira and the other members of the council would blackmail Fendrig Redbeard, Fenella Darkvire and Carrick Irongrin to form a team and help rebuild the Jade Serpent Statue.
Locations
| Notable appearances | ||
|---|---|---|
| Location | Level | Health |
| Ironforge | ?? | 87,227,248 |
| Blood in the Snow | 90 | 39,394,100 |
Quotes
Ironforge
- Greetings
- You stand before Moira, Queen-Regent of the Dark Iron Clan. Watch your tongue!
- Why have you approached me? Take care, my patience is short!
- Ironforge has need of our sorcery, as well as our strength.
- In time, my son shall rule the Dark Irons, and perhaps all of Ironforge as well.
- Aggro
- IMPUDENCE!!! YOU WILL DIE FOR THIS!
- How DARE ye!!
- Killing a player
- Hail to the queen!
- No mercy for the weak!
- Death
- My son... shall avenge me...
Objective of
Trivia
- Moira is voiced by Elle Newlands.
- Due to storyline issues with Blackrock Depths, Moira is the only racial leader that can be killed by her own race and faction, discounting the echoes in End Time.
- Moira's headpiece is identical to the ones that Halduron Brightwing and Muradin Bronzebeard wear.
- In the original quest lines, Thrall sent adventurers to deal with the Emperor Dagran Thaurissan and help the captured princess. It seems it was retconned as The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm mentions only Magni's team that assassinated the Emperor.
- In Magni's nightmare caused by the Emerald Nightmare, Magni led a team to Blackrock Depths to free Moira and kill Dagran. While he accepted that her son would be born, he would banish him from the kingdom of Ironforge. Upon hearing this, Moira stabbed Magni and revealed that "Fenran" was only meant to watch over the throne until her new baby is born, whom she revealed to be the child of Ragnaros.
- Ultimate Visual Guide listed Moira as Moira Bronzebeard Thaurissan.
- Moira's hair style and the outfit that she wore during the classical Blackrock Depths instance was likely inspired by Princess Leia from Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi.
Video
Patch changes
Patch 6.0.2 (2014-10-14): Updated for level 100.
Patch 5.0.4 (2012-08-28): Updated for level 90.
Patch 4.0.3a (2010-11-23): Added as part of the Council of Three Hammers.
Patch 1.2.0 (2004-12-18): Added.
References
- ^ The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm, pg 115
- ^ a b c The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm, pg 168
- ^ World of Warcraft: The Comic - Through the Mirror Darkly, pg. 10
- ^ The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm, pg 115
- ^ The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm, pg 227
- ^ The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm
- ^ War Crimes
External links
| Preceded by: Dagran Thaurissan |
Position: Empress of the Dark Iron Dwarves (as Queen-Regent to Dagran Thaurissan II) |
Succeeded by: Incumbent |
| Preceded by: Advisor Belgrum (Interim) |
Position: Lord of Ironforge |
Succeeded by: Council of Three Hammers (as Regent to Dagran Thaurissan II) |
| Preceded by: Moira Thaurissan |
Position: Lord of Ironforge (as the Dark Iron clan representative of the Council of Three Hammers and Regent to Dagran Thaurissan II) |
Succeeded by: Incumbent |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||