Prologue
Though a seasoned explorer, Brann Bronzebeard occasionally found himself astonished by the beauty of his discoveries; Ulduar fell into this category.
He had led the expedition into the Storm Peaks, an area many had deemed too dangerous for exploration. The soaring mountain ranges and wild, unpredictable weather made exploration a seemingly impossible task. It had been thanks to Gnomish ingenuity that Brann had been able to venture into the tumultuous mountains; the crafted brilliant vehicles made from the resilient metals discovered in Northrend, Cobalt, Saronite, and Titanium. These durable vehicles, though not without their Gnomish instabilities, had allowed the Explorer's League to begin the exciting task of exploring and charting the mysterious Storm Peaks.
Finding Ulduar was not exactly a surprise; Brann knew of the legendary Titan city and had hard rumors that it was located deep within the Storm Peaks. Still, when he first laid eyes on the construction, he was astonished. He had found Ulduar, the great Titan metropolis, or so he thought.
Word of his discovery spread quickly through the different factions occupying Northrend and Brann soon found himself knee-deep in amateur explores, Alliance and Horde emissaries, and other intrepid souls. Brann normally would have been bothered by such a presence, but he soon found a use for the legions that came to see his discovery: he initiated them into the Explorer's League put them to work. After all, the Storm Peaks were a big place and there was much to discover.
Brann put his new adventurers to work all across the mountains, while he stayed at the main camp at Ulduar. Though not usually one to delegate, Brann was relieved to have such a massive reconnaissance force; it allowed him to focus all of his attention on studying Ulduar.
To his chagrin, Brann found himself unable to gain access to the main facility. The two satellite constructions, the fabled Halls of Stone and Halls of Lightning, stood open upon his arrival. Still, not matter what he did, Brann was unable to open the front gates of Ulduar.
After several weeks of denied access and frustration, the League finally got a break. One of Brann's teams had been working with a race of giants indigenous to the Storm Peaks: the Sons of Hodir. The group had been studying the mysterious sentry towers that litter the Storm Peaks. Through careful diplomacy and thorough investigation, the group earned the trust of the Sons of Hodir. They found that the group earned disgrace when they were framed by the titan Loken for the murder of Syf, the wife of the Titan called Thorim. The Explorer's League's representatives entered the Halls of Lightning on behalf of the Sons of Hodir to bring retribution upon Loken for his actions. At the moment of Loken's death, the defenses prohibiting Brann from entering Ulduar were instantly deactivated and access to the Titan city was granted.
Brann demanded that he be the first to enter, unaccompanied. His legions allowed him to do so.
Upon entering, Brann found himself at one end of a sprawling concourse, seemingly miles long. Scattered at the entrance to Ulduar were old siege vehicles, the origin of which, Brann did not know. He realized that he would not be able to travel the concourse, at least not by himself.
Disappointed, he turned to fetch the rest of his entourage when a small pad on the ground flickered to life. Brann excitedly ran to the contraption, curious to find out more. He studied the device for a few seconds before he decided to step onto it. As soon as his feet touched the pad, it roared to life. Surprised by sudden movement and a burst of air, Brann slammed his eyes shut, only opening them once the movement stopped. He found himself at the top of a staircase overlooking a large gallery. In the center of the gallery was a huge translucent globe. He immediately identified it as a Titan projection device, something he'd seen eons ago in the ruins of Uldaman.
Before he had a chance to approach the projection, a loud explosion boomed behind him. Brann wheeled around to find himself face-to-face with a gigantic stone monstrosity. It towered over Brann and grinded its massive fists together.
"Intruder!" It bellowed.
Brann trembled, unable to speak. Its eyes began to glow a radiant mixture of color.
"None shall pass!" It screamed as bright streams of energy radiated from its eyes.
Brann yelled and ran for the transporter. As it activated, the creature's beam passed over the pad, destroying it just as Brann was whisked back to the original pad at the gates.
He sat on the steps of the concourse, gasping for breath. Slowly, a frightening realization dawned on him. He had opened many doors during his career and, for the first time, he found one he wished he could close.