The gnomes return to a poisoned capital where the machines still obey the man who betrayed them.
Origins & history
Gnomeregan was a subterranean capital of engineering, workshops and immense mechanical infrastructure. A trogg invasion overwhelmed its defenses. Sicco Thermaplugg advised High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque to unleash radiation as a desperate answer, turning the city’s own technology into a catastrophe for its inhabitants.
The surviving gnomes fled to Ironforge. Thermaplugg remained in the ruined city, claiming authority over machines and survivors while the former capital became a maze of contamination. The disaster explains why the gnomes begin Classic as refugees rather than citizens of a functioning homeland.
Why we enter
Adventurers descend to recover technological knowledge, aid survivors and confront Thermaplugg. The Clean Zone and the recovery efforts inside show that the gnomes have not surrendered their claim. Every recovered device matters to a people trying to preserve the means to rebuild.
The story inside
The demolition operation involving Blastmaster Emi Shortfuse draws out Grubbis and his companion Chomper. Viscous Fallout embodies the toxic environment, while Electrocutioner 6000 and Crowd Pummeler 9-60 turn industrial machinery against intruders.
In the Tinkers’ Court, Mekgineer Thermaplugg fights from a mechanical suit supported by bomb dispensers. The final battle confronts the person who exploited the emergency, but its machinery also reflects the larger tragedy: inventions meant to sustain a city have become obstacles to its inhabitants’ return.
Aftermath & legacy
The expedition defeats Thermaplugg without making Gnomeregan safe for immediate resettlement.
Key figures
Gelbin Mekkatorque — High tinker leading the displaced gnomes and their recovery efforts.
Sicco Thermaplugg — Usurper whose advice helped bring about the irradiation.
Emi Shortfuse — Engineer whose demolition effort forms an early encounter.
