Grungnir Orcbane

Thane Grungnir Orcbane, born Grungnir Oakenshield, is the renowned dwarven commander of the Mountain Guard. Among his achievements are countless military victories in the name of the Kingdom of Ironforge, most notably during the War of the Three Hammers and the Invasion of Shadowforge City. Thane Grungnir was also the patron of the Elementium Dawn, an order of mastersmiths who pledged to craft legendary weapons to fight the Cult of the Twilight's Hammer. For his three centuries of service to the crown, Thane Grungnir was tasked with defending King Magni Bronzebeard's petrified body deep within Ironforge Mountain.

Early History
Born Grungnir Oakenshield, son of Thadian Oakenshield. This Dwarf had a rather ordinary military career in his early years, which finally caught the notice of Madoran Bronzebeard during the War of the Three Hammers. Grungnir was the son of a respected nobledwarf, and was granted a minor officer position in a company of Dwarves attached with the Armies of Ironforge during this tumultuous period. It was Grungnir, among a handful of other young captains, who held the gats of Ironforge against the swarming Dark Iron assailants. This victory earned Grungnir great respect among his peers, and allowed him further control of even larger forces. His new unit of Dwarves, with several other companies, marched East as ordered, rushing to relieve the embattled Wildhammer dwarves who were under siege by a larger Dark Iron army. Grungnir never reached the gates of Grim Batol, however, as word reached the column that Khardros Wildhammer had slain the Dark Iron general laying siege to the fortress. This allowed the Ironforge forces to begin marching south, to take the fight to the Dark Irons themselves.

The word finally reached the southward marching armies; Ragnaros was summoned, and would not be faced. The forces turned north, to return to their mountain kingdoms. Grungnir brought his contingent to Ironforge, where he continued his career as a military officer, being assigned garrison duties at the main gate into the city. This duty lasted some time, and saw little action - the kingdom of Khaz Modan was peaceful and prosperous for a great many years. Grungnir was tasked with training many new recruits, and took these beardlings into the 6th Regiment, "The Gatekeepers," where he instilled in them the honored traditions of their heritage, and earned a respectable position in the Ironforge Army.

The Mountain Guard
Grungnir Oakenshield had served many years in the Ironforge Armies, training countless recruits and mastering his own talents as a commanding officer of the 6th Regiment. His duties, however, were about to change. King Magni Bronzebeard had grown into a formidable king, and Grungnir himself had grown old and grey in his endless duties to the heirs of Anvilmar. The King, therefore, had withdrawn Grungnir from his duties as Gatemaster, to be replaced with a younger officer, who would do better in this role - Grungnir was to be reassigned to the 1st Regiment of Ironforge, "The King's Own." He was to bring the regiment to full combat strength, and train them further to form the elite core of the Old Guard regiments that never left Ironforge, of which the 6th was the last of these regiments. Honored by this request, he heartily approved, and was presented with a great shield as a token of his duties to come. King Bronzebeard bestowed a marvelous shield to Grungnir, upon which was depicted in relief many scenes of Dwarven feats and heroics of past generations; it was a great heirloom of the Mountain, and would serve him well on the field. The title of Thane was granted to Grungnir, an honorary title given in respect to his unending service to the crown and mountain.

Recruitment efforts continued and the ranks swelled quickly, it was the famed Grungnir Oakenshield, hero of the War of the Three Hammers, after all! The Regiment was moved officially to the Valley of Kings, to serve as an honor guard for the two great statues of Madoran Bronzebeard and Khardros Wildhammer, and to ensure the gates leading into the Searing Gorge was held. Training excercises and maneuvers were held weekly, with grand musters at the end of each month. Grungnir trained his men relentlessly, knowing full well that his force would be the first to answer a call of distress, or to stand fast against an invading army of Dark Irons. He and his regiment held the only pass leading into their Mountain Fortress, and he would never let it fall until his last dying breath was spent.

It was during this time that Chaplain Morvar Ironbraid was attached to Grungnir's command staff. The cleric would ensure the spiritual well-being and honored traditions were upheld during their arduous campaigns and trials. He had served in other Regiments in the past, and was a good bit older than the Thane was. His expertise in the Light and the shaping of runes would prove a valuable asset both in the fields of war and in the daily life of the regiment. Ewen Forgeheart was also inducted as a Grudgekeeper, an officer of the regiment. His duties in recruitment had caught Thane Oakenshield's attention, and earned him the title of Master of Recruits. All incoming Mountaineers would pass Forgeheart's inspection before progressing on to Ironguard rank, and more importantly as capable soldiers for the King. The three worked closly in order to build the strength of the 1st Regiment, all knowing that their duty was necessary - they were the King's Own regiment.

Battle of Bael Modan
It was during a particular journey to Kalimdor, to protect Dwarven interests at Bael Modan, that the Mountain Guard's 1st Regiment encountered a large force of Kor'Kron forces, Thrall's own elite cadre of orcs. The battle that ensued was to be remembered for many years to come, and was reccorded in the Great Tomes so not a moment was forgotten. The large Dwarf contingent marched through Dustwallow marsh, making all speed for Bael Modan in order to resupply and defend the stronghold from recent orc attacks. Skirmishes in the marsh were easily won, as the heavily armored dwarven force pushed through the scattered troll archers. The leader of the Kor'Kron forces, a particularly large and vicious orc named Vargok, had been leading raids on the area for some time, and was to be silenced by Dwarven steel. As the Dwarves marched their column out of the dark marshes, the blinding glow of the setting sun in front of them was occluded at the crest of a hill - there were hundres of orcs readying their charge. Their cry to charge was not heard, they were far away, but one could see the figures rushing down the slope of the hill, some ways off. They were rushing towards the unprepared Dwarf force. Grungnir shouted out the orders to reform the lines, and to break the marching column immediately. With precision and steely nerve that one expects a Dwarf to possess, the column quickly spread into a battle line, as they pulled their weapons free from their resting places. The orcs were nearly upon them when Grungnir, satisfied his lines were ready, bllowed the command to charge. A shock of impact from the two sides shook the ground beneath their feet - greenskins and dwarves clashed toe-to-toe in a vicious combat where none would relent.

Grungnir slammed his shield into the face of an orc that dared get too close, the snarling beast swinging wildly with a crude axe at the Thane's ornate shield. A wide arc of Grungnir's own hammer sent several orcs flying to the ground, backhanding a final orc with his shield as he recovered his stance from the forceful swing. Chaplain Morvar could be seen wading into the lines of orcs, blasting them with holy fire and protecting his brethren with blessed shields and divine prayers, Grungnir was thankful to have had the Chaplain there that day. Many dwarves had died, Grungnir was stepping over as many dwarf bodies as orcs.

With the two sides unwilling to halt their attack, even in the pains of exhaustion, they fought on. Their swings were less empowered, the desperate endurance of each side was impressive, but the two respective leaders knew they must withdraw to recover. The orcs slowly backed their lines to the hill, as the dwarves took refuge in the nearby ruin of the Shady Rest Inn. Their numbers were depleted, many were wounded. Grungnir stretched a hand out and healed some of his closest allies, expending more of his precious energy as he looked with disdain at the hill full of orcs. He grunted, and shoved himself up to stand once more, leveling his hammer with the horizon, pointing to the orc leader. "I want that orc myself, lads! Prepare th'charge!" With that utterance, the lot of Dwarves cheered and rallied around Grungnir, Ewen Forgeheart lifting the crimson banner of Ironforge and carrying it into battle behind Grungnir. "Charge!" was shouted, and the lines rushed toward one another once more. Grungnir had, in his fervor, gained a considerable lead on his own forces, and was alone as he met Vargok. The orc leader, too, had ventured too far from his own lines in his own furious charge. The image of these two combatants, the embodiment of the entire day's battle, meeting in a thunderous clash of arms seemed to halt the remaining forces, who slowed their charge to a walk, until finally stopping altogether. The dwarves and orcs simply looked on as the two heroes of their respective sides battled in glorious combat, instinctively circling the combat to cheer and watch this epic struggle.

Blow by blow, the orc and dwarf tore each other apart. Bloodied, broken and bruised, each soldier was nearing their last legs of being able to continue. Eventually, their strikes slowed, each thrust or parry took a greater amount of energy than the last. It was when Grungnir was knocked to his knees that all seemed lost for the Alliance force. The orc, sneering down at the stumbling Dwarf, took a split second too long in his calculations of where to deliver his fatal stroke. Grungnir thrust his shield upwards, the edge of it bashing the jaw of the orc commander and knocking it out of socket, the orc falling backward to his sudden death by the sheer force of it all. The orcs were stricken with silence, and could not move for a moment, as they looked on in horror. Grungnir lifted a hand to his kin, and slowly backed away, anticipating a retaliatory strike, but none would come. It was the next morning, after the sun had risen, that the column continued on to Bael Modan. The pool of blood where the orc leader had fallen was still a dark brown stain in the dusty earth of Kalimdor. Grungnir stooped there, and picked up what appeared to be a large fang - it was Vargoks. They continued on their way.