Bael Modan Bael Modan is heralded by some as the new home of the dwarves and gnomes on Kalimdor . Bael Modan ( " the red mountain " in Dwarven ) is the name the Ironforge dwarves have given to the settlement . With a population of 800 , it is the largest Alliance stronghold in the Barrens . It is marked by the sturdy stone walls and guard towers blocking the mouth of a cavern into the mountain . An encampment just inside the wall offers shelter to Alliance caravans and travelers crossing the Barrens . The stores of food and supplies at Bael Modan are a tempting target to centaur warbands and quilboar raiders , but thus far the dwarves ' trusty rifles and mortars have proven more than able to withstand such attacks . Behind a second wall is the largest dwarven archaeological dig in all of Kalimdor . Nearly a thousand dwarves dig around the clock to uncover the most significant set of titan ruins discovered since Uldaman on the continent of the Eastern Kingdoms . Travelers are welcome in Bael Modan , but not within the titan ruins . Few non - dwarves ever receive such an honor . The Ironforge dwarves are otherwise forthcoming with hospitality , offering a meal and a place to sleep and asking only a good tale in return . Still , dwarven riflemen patrol the streets and keep a close eye on all visitors , fearful of thieves so close to Titan artifacts . Those who visit discover that the dwarves have not forgotten their traditional weapons since the invention of gunpowder . The dwarves of Bael Modan have established a midwinter tournament , with the highest prizes - elaborate bronze helms - given to those most skilled with the axe and the hammer . When the Ironforge dwarves learned of their old friends , the gnome s , arrival in Theramore , the Ironforge dwarves invited the gnomes to settle in their new home , Bael Modan , and take up their inventing and tinkering where they left off . The gnomes found Theramore too crowded and politically charged , and gladly took the dwarves up on their invitation . For a while most gnomes on Kalimdor remained secluded in Bael Modan ( still reeling from the loss of their city Gnomeregan ) , having yet declared their presence on the continent . So for a while a traveling gnome on Kalimdor was a rare sight to see . The few gnomes living in Bael Modan were loosely organized much like most of gnome society living back in Ironforge . Bael Modan digsite and the nearby mighty Bael ' dun Keep are led by General Twinbraid , Heggin Stonewhisker , Prospector Khazgorm , Malgin Barleybrew , Captain Gerogg Hammertoe , and Lord Cyrik Blackforge . A number of dwarves from Bael Modan traveled west , to Mulgore and set up another digsite there . Titan Ruins . Over 100 , 000 years ago , beings known as titan s built great laboratories throughout Azeroth . Bael Modan was one such site . The titans encrypted their research on banded platinum disks in a runic language now forgotten to mortal races . The site at Bael Modan served the titans as a storage facility for these discs before they packed up most of their gear and left . Khaz ' goroth was the facility overseer and ran the facility nearly 100 , 000 years ago when the titans ceased the facility operations A few guardians remained to protect the site for eternity and the titans sealed off the main entrance . One such guardian was Acheras the Custodian who was left in charge of the facility ' s maintenance and awaits his master ' s return . The facility was once a multi - level complex above and below ground surrounded by a fortress wall . Geological forces and instability slowly sunk the facility into the ground . Over the millennia titan ruins sunk deeper and deeper under the mountain . Earthquakes and shifting ground broke the ruins into several large areas and separated them , sometimes hundreds of feet apart and at many different elevations in the mountain . Natural tunnels and caves developed around the ruins as erosion and time took their toll . The area is now a great wilderness inhabited by fierce creatures , including the mighty Kolkar centaur tribe . The House of the Makers can be found in Bael Modan . Flying machines . Bael Modan possess several flying machine s . One of the most skilled pilots in all Azeroth , Lord Cyrik Blackforge , is in charge of one of them . Gann Stonespire later requests brave Horde adventurers to destroy it with explosives . The gnome ace Gaeval Thunderblast also spends his time in Bael Modan working on his ship , the " Greased Lightning " , while teaching new aces the art of aerial combat . Conflicts with the Tauren & Centaur . Bael Modan has seen conflict with other races which share the Barrens . Each day that passed saw Bael Modan grow stronger as the inhabitants built up defenses and new dwarves and some other Alliance members came to settle . Tauren . The dwarves and gnomes suffer constant attacks from the Horde , especially nearby tauren from Mulgore . Bael Modan was once next to a tauren village , but in conflicts between the dwarves and tauren ( caused by the dwarves excavating for Titan artifacts in land the local tauren consider holy ) most of the tauren were killed or driven off of their ancestral lands . Their old village is now torn apart by dwarven digging machines . Gann Stonespire , a tauren who frequently wanders the roads nearby , states that attempts to reach a diplomatic resolution failed ; he now seeks revenge by sending Horde adventurers to fight the dwarves . Centaur . Native dangers have not stopped the Ironforge dwarves from establishing the stronghold near the titan excavation site of Bael Modan . The centaur have made forays against it , but were repelled decisively each time . Scouts claimed that the centaur were amassing other tribes to launch a major attack , but the dwarves were unconcerned . Cataclysm . In the latest Interview , When Game Designer , David Kosak , was asked what quest was he most proud of making , He stated without giving too much away , that he was most proud of doing the South Barrens , especially Bael Modan . ' A lot of epic things are going to happen there that I am immensely proud of . Some beautiful , beautiful things . ' According to quest text it apparently took part in the bombing of camp Taurajo . With help from a dying Gann Stonespire and a goblin rogue called Weezil Slipshadow the player sabotages a dwarven artillery shell for the giant cannon erected around Bael ' dun keep causing the whole place to go sky high . Something bad is beneath the Barrens . In the Cataclysm Beta and in the release version a Bael ' dun Excavator standing before the cave can be interacted with by Alliance players and he says something interesting : Turn away , < class > . Before the cataclysm hit , we found something . We dug something up that should ' ve stayed buried . Pray to whatever you believe in that the landslide was enough to keep it down . . . Notes . One of the quests for blowing up the Bael ' dun keep is called " Dwarf Fortress " after the popular text game starring dwarves .