lorebook
Latest
LotRO lorebook update features Tl Bruinen
Tâl Bruinen is the focus of a new article in the Lord of the Rings Online lorebook, and we get to find out why the area is so uninhabited. Once upon a time, there were many small settlements in Tâl Bruinen (which is located in The Trollshaws, south of Rivendell). Now only a few camps of fisherman and adventurers remain, but it's no great mystery -- ask yourself if you would stick around when your home is the subject of repeated Troll-raids. These Trolls are still around, but there are other nasties now as well to make sure that no one feels like moving back -- Orcs, worms, and Gauredain stop most people from feeling safe enough to settle down in the area. However, it's not all bad, as those in the low 40's will find plenty to kill and a few quests to boot. View the lorebook entry for more screenies and the usual map.
Rally against the Dourhands of Sarnr
The Lord of the Rings Online site has been updated with a new area, the Dourhand dwelling of Sarnúr. After the Dourhands were driven from Thorin's Hall by the Longbeards, they came across the ruins of one of their ancestor's cities, gave it a new name and settled in there. Here they dwell, preparing for assaults on the Dwarves to the north and the Elves to the south.Sarnúr is a popular area to earn reputation with Thorin's Hall, with the Dourhands there commonly dropping reputation hand-in items. It is a higher level area, intended for mid to upper 40's, and there are some good grinding deeds there not only for the Dourhands, but also the beasts and Trolls that inhabit the ruined city. It's an easy dungeon to reach, just east of Noglond, with almost no high level mobs to run through to reach the entrance. Check out the new lorebook entry to find out more and use the interactive map that plots the area's location.
The shady Harry Goatleaf featured on LotRO's lorebook
Next trip to Bree, visit old Harry Goatleaf at the West-gate. The Lord of the Rings Online lorebook has been updated to include an entry for this dodgy individual, and details his connections with various groups of ill-repute. With no actual criminal evidence against him, and with Chief Watcher Grimbriar needing all the help he can get with the city's defense, Harry has managed to keep his position watching the gate through all the rumors.He did at one point meet with Frodo and his party, in The Lord of the Rings, letting them into the city. The lorebook entry hints that, although nothing about him can be proven to this point, he may live up to his infamous reputation yet in LotRO.
LotRO lorebook examines Halbarad, North Downs hero
A new character of Middle-earth has stepped into the Lord of the Rings Online lorebook spotlight. Halbarad is a key figure in the North Downs, and helps to coordinate the defense against the forces of Angmar from his central location of Esteldin. He plays many parts in the story of LotRO's Book III, and has strong ties with a famous fellow named Aragorn.Those who have read The Lord of the Rings may recall that Halbarad was the leader of the Grey Company that meets up with Aragorn in Rohan. The lorebook lists his class as unknown, stating that he possesses the skills of both a warrior and a lore-master. Take a look at Halbarad's detailed entry to find out more about this significant character, and the quests he is involved in.
.jpg.cf.jpg)
Delving into the monster den of Haudh Iarchith
West of Bree lies the Ranger haven of the Barrow-downs. At least it used to be a haven, until a plague swooped over the land of Middle-earth and obliterated it along with the Dúnedain. After the brave Rangers were all but gone, the Witch-king ordered his fell spirits to inhabit the remains of the dead buried in the ground -- creating the terrifying Barrow-wights.There are some places within the Barrow-downs that are widely known as being worse than any other within the region. One of these places is Haudh larchith, an old clan-barrow of a rich and powerful family -- it now serves as nothing more than a dungeon, quite literally. This is actually an instanced dungeon for Lord of the Rings Online, where players able to handle some foul, creepy wights and seeking to improve their standing with the Rangers can do just that.We're not afraid of wights, the only thing that scares us are bats, aliens, ghosts, ghost-bats and ghost-aliens.
Lorebook entry spotlights fire-master Glin, father of Gimli
A new Lord of the Rings Online Lorebook entry is up and focuses on a character this time around. Glóin is a Dwarven fire-maker who traveled with Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, however he is also featured in the later the Lord of the Rings trilogy as well -- lets not forget he's also the father of Gimli. In LotRO, he can be found holding down his fort against the Dourhands in the Misty Mountains. The reason for his presence there is to clear out the Dourhands so that the passage through the mountains would be safe. Although such work really has no end, which is why many quests await players who travel to the fortress.This new Lorebook entry not only gives us a google map location of Glóin, but it also breaks down the quests that he's involved with -- which is incredibly cool.
A look at Goblin-town in the Misty Mountains
The Lord of the Rings Online lorebook has been updated with a page devoted to Goblin-town. You won't have been there before unless you are nearing the maximum level, as the area is teeming with dangerous and seasoned goblins, and is reached by going through the perilous Misty Mountains.Lore buffs will recognize that Goblin-town was the backdrop for a momentous event in Lord of the Rings history, as the lorebook entry explains, for it is here that Bilbo Baggins fell into Gollum's cavern and found an extremely important object -- yep, that one. It is also where Gandalf defeated the Great Goblin to save Thorin Oakenshield's party. These bits of lore may give you the urge to visit Goblin-town, but the goblins aren't going to help show you around, so be prepared to fight.
LotRO lorebook updated with Bob and Nob
A different kind of lorebook entry has gone up under the Lord of the Rings Online site's points of interest series. It's not a look at one of the game's many locations -- this time, we get to meet two characters, Bob and Nob, that inhabit the game. Bob and Nob are two hobbits that help out Barliman Butterbur in running the famous Prancing Pony Inn. Butterbur is absent-minded and a tad incompetent, so a lot of responsibility falls on his assistants to ensure that business is taken care of. In-game, you'll find Nob just outside the Prancing Pony, and Bob is inside in the kitchen, and you can read more about them at the new lorebook entry before your visit.
LotRO spotlight on the Vale of Thrain
A new Lord of the Rings Online lorebook entry has been posted to the game's website, with the focus being the Vale of Thrain. The Vale of Thrain is found in Ered Luin, south of Thorin's Gate, and is a low level area that is situated near both the Elf and Dwarf starting locations. Two quest hubs can be found in the area: Nogrond, a way-point, and Gondamon, a fortress down at the southern end of the Vale.The Dourhand Dwarves and goblins that inhabit the area have hindered trading efforts along the central road, and there are opportunities for an enterprising adventurer to assist the locals with this problem. Visit the lorebook entry to find out more about the area and see a couple more screenshots.
.jpg.cf.jpg)
Angmarim fortress exposed by new Lorebook entry
A new lorebook entry has graced the official Lord of the Rings Online website, this one focusing on Rhunendin. Long ago when the hosts of Angmar were driven from the North-kingdom, the they were scattered to the wind. Even though the Angmarim numbers were few, time was on their side. The many years that would pass gave these scattered remnants time to re-multiply into a strong force.
Lorebook raids the tomb at Men Erain
There's a new The Lord of the Rings Online Lorebook entry that should interest would-be Tomb Raiders in virtual Middle-earth. Turbine has pointed the lore spotlight at Men Erain, a structure near Annúminas in Evendim. As usual, two very attractive screenshots are included with the new entry.Men Erain has for centuries served as the tomb for the royalty of the now-fallen Western kingdom of Arnor, who ruled from the nearby city of Annúminas. Those kings were heirs of Isildur, the man who cut the ring from Sauron's hand. Now the tomb has been looted, but it may yet hold some secrets to be discovered.By now you could look up all the featured Lorebook locations and spend about three weeks going on an unbelievably geeky lore pilgrimage, if you're into that sort of thing.
.jpg.cf.jpg)
A Lorebook look into Middle-earth: Bonfire Glade
Over at the official website for Lord of The Rings Online there's another tasty Lorebook entry for lore-junkies to enjoy. Sporting the Google-powered map as usual, the entry is about Bonfire Glade -- a clearing within the dark and foreboding Old Forest. There's a legend saying that the trees from the forest attacked Buckland and in retaliation the Brandybucks' invaded the Old Forest -- where they cut down many trees and created a large bonfire. The Glade which it created still exists now, making sure to remind those today of the terrible events from the past.We can't seem to get enough of these Lorebook entries, they're a great way to learn more about the world of LotRO in nice little chunks. It's especially nice that they seem rather consistent, because if they were to stop suddenly we might find ourselves suffering from withdrawal!
Aid the Blue Mountain Dwarves at Blue Stone Garrison
The Lord of the Rings Online points of interest series takes us on a trip to the Blue Mountains this time around, and to Blue Stone Garrison. Dwalin and his company established Blue Stone Garrison to help protect against Ered Luin goblin and Dourhand Dwarf attacks. The Dourhands in particular are always causing trouble in the area, and that's where you come in.A visit to Blue Stone Garrison will show you that the Blue Mountain Dwarves stationed there need assistance, and aren't afraid to ask any travelers that pass through. Helping them out will result in positive gains with the Blue Mountain Dwarf faction, so there's some extra incentive to lend a hand. Take a look at some more screenshots and information on the mountain stronghold at the lorebook entry.
LotRO Book 12 patch notes land on the test server
The long awaited Book 12 content patch has hit Roheryn, the Lord of the Ring's Online test server today. The lengthy patch notes are available on LotRO's official wiki, the Lorebook.The Ashen Wastes, as this patch is called, offers no new adventure area, but revamps the existing high level outdoor zone, Angmar. The area got a big polish to smooth out quest progression, mob level dispersion and general flow and playability. Honestly, the zone needed it in a bad way, but since many players are at the level cap was this done for alts or new players? We're glad to see this clunky zone get the dev loving it needed before the game launched, but we're not sure how much of the player population will get to appreciate it.Class revamps continue with three classes getting the once over: Guardians are getting a DPS stance for faster soloing as well as a mixed bag of nerfs and buffs to their bread-and-butter tanking ability with a sprinkle of new utility skills. Burglars, the debuff class, are getting a new buff that affects many of their existing crowd control skills, new abilities to use after a successful Fellowship Maneuver and the ability to bring a friend into stealth. Plus, clubs! Champions, the melee dps and off-tank class, are getting a new stance that balances offense and defense skills. Also, their tanking stance is being granted at an earlier level and many of their Legendary skills are getting reworked. The LotRO devs tend to do more good than harm with class revamps. There's some guarded optimism by the classes affected. Once the changes go live and players have a chance to try them we'll see if the tweaks have the desired effect.In addition to all that, there is the new Outfit System and Barbershop functionality, the reintroduction (again) of Troll/Ranger PvMP combat, the introduction of the Ettendeep (a new large PvMP dungeon), and, of course, the continuation of the Epic Story quest line. There is a metric ton of other patch notes to go through including small changes to almost all classes and tradeskills, new housing features, improvements to repuation gain and much needed relief for those farming for their Legendary pages. And let's not forget new tools to fight the brazen and ever present gold spammers.We'll have more analysis as we dig into the Test server.
Lorebook spotlights Gamgee handiwork at Bag End
Most of us love Hobbits. Really, how could we not? These are people for whom pie-eating is a cornerstone of society. It's hard not to be envious of that laid-back lifestyle.And few Hobbits have lived more comfortably and extravagantly than Bilbo Baggins, the old proprietor of Bag End. His adventures with Gandalf and the Dwarves netted him a personal fortune, and he spent no small part of that fortune on his gardens.Those gardens -- maintained by Ham Gamgee and his son Samwise -- are the subject of the most recent featured article in LotRO's Lorebook. Sneak up to Turbine's window and start droppin' eaves to learn more!
Lorebook describes things older and fouler than orcs
Another Lorebook entry has been featured on the official Lord of the Rings Online website. This time we get to learn a bit about the Rogmul -- a monster found in high-level encounters.While Turbine has worked hard to stay as faithful to Tolkien's literature as is practical, they've had to extrapolate a few new things from the texts to fill up the game world. For example; the Neeker-Beekers of the Midgewater Marshes are based on an odd sound described in one one line from the books.The Rogmul are also a Turbine invention. They're lesser demons that serve the Balrogs. "Wherever a Balrog is or once was," says the Lorebook, "it can be wagered that a Romgul or two is not far away."
LotRO Lorebook now includes item effects
Turbine have updated the Lord of the Rings Online Lorebook again, and this time it's something awesome: the Lorebook now features full item effects.Hurrah! This is a great step to making the Lorebook really useful, rather than just for... well, lore. Further updates are planned -- according to Aylwyne, item set pages have been implemented, and will be going into the Lorebook shortly after the holidays. One minor problem with the item effects currently, though: if an item has a use effect, the cooldown is listed properly but not what the use effect actually does. You'll have to look elsewhere for that.
LotRO Lorebook features guide on using the Advanced Search function
There is a feature guide at Lord of the Rings Online's Lorebook on using the advanced search function to peruse the wealth of information available there. You might ask yourself, why do I need a guide on running a search? Well the truth is, you probably don't -- the sign of a good search is its simplicity of use.The benefit of the guide is in letting people know that the advanced search exists. It is a recently implemented feature, and with more information being added to the lorebook on a regular basis, it certainly comes in handy. The categories you can search in are Weapons, Armor, Quests, Deeds, Traits, NPCs, and Recipes. Following this, you can narrow your search down some more with other options that are based on the category. The pictured example shows an advanced search for Recipes, Tier 2, and Scholar.Although the lorebook is incomplete, the advanced search is a useful addition to the site, and you can give it a spin here.
LotRO lorebook heads north, finds civilization
Turbine have returned to their Lord of the Rings Online lorebook groove with a spotlight on Ost Forod, one of the main outposts in the Evendim region. Last week it was wolf-men, this week it's brigands and tomb raiders. No, not Lara Croft.Northeast of Lake Evendim (which in itself is north and east of the Shire), Ost Forod is a trading village not so much built on the bones of an ruined fortress as part of one. But by the time you visit, there's more than a little bit of trouble in paradise.Turbine have really flexed their creative muscles for the whole Evendim area. Even if you're not a fan of LotRO, you have to admire Turbine's phenomenal handling of the enviroment; they're living and breathing lore so well it's not always obvious what's Tolkien and what's Turbine.
Wannabe werewolves featured in Lorebook
North of the land once known as Arnor (the setting for The Lord of the Rings Online), there is an icy wasteland called Forochel. That grave place is inhabited by savage men who have mostly tended to their own wars and concerns, and who do not participate in the affairs of Middle-earth, except to occasionally sweep south and plunder.Some of those cruel men inhabit Dol Haedir -- a landmark Turbine created in northern Evendim, and the subject of the newest official Lorebook entry. According to the entry, the men of Dol Haedir are savage cannibals called the Gauredain.One of the cool things about Turbine's aspirations of authenticity is its careful use of Tolkien's languages even for newly invented peoples and places. The Sindarin "Gauredain" translates roughly to "Werewolf Men." These guys certainly look the part ... and act it too, what with the eating human flesh and all.
