A Tolkien Lover's Guide To LOTRO, Part 2 By Jonathan and Michael Starkey

Part 1   Part 3

A Journey in the Dark and the Bridge at Khazad-Dum - Moria

One disappointment (to us anyway) is that you don't open LOTRO's version of the Hollin Gate by saying "mellon". The doors just open like any other doors in the game and stay permanently ajar. How difficult would it have been? Still, Moria makes up for it. From a mere 25 pages, most of which concentrate on the battle between Gandalf and the Balrog, Turbine have built a complete functioning underground country. It is fabulously grand, but at the same time dark, moody, threatening and dangerous. Pretty much just as we hoped. Once again, it is just a shame that Turbine have nerfed Moria, making it much easier than it used to be and far easier than it should be.

From the entrance, the Fellowship climb 200 ‘broad and shallow’ steps. And there they are, four flights of 50 steps. Count them for yourself. At the top they find an arched passage with level floor where they stop to eat. The next definite landmark is the crossroads - called the Chamber of the Crossroads in LOTRO - but we are told little about what route they took to get there. The only things we know are that they didn’t encounter any places of note or any foes, they went through some buildings, passing side passages and stairs, and they crossed several fissures and chasms.

Only one route in LOTRO fits the bill. They must go through the arched passage and head north, crossing the chasm into Shemeldurj. They follow the corridor around to the east, then turn north to leave Shemeldurj at 7.2S 114.5W. The entrance to the Palace of Nain is northeast at 6.5S 113.9W. Beware, it has become infested with Grodbeg since the Fellowship passed through. There are several plausible paths through the Palace of Nain, but we are convinced that they go through the hole in the outer wall, then through the hole in the east wall, then the hole in the south wall, up the stairs, then straight across to where the Third Mirror is. If you look east from the Mirror, you will see a staircase going down. What you can’t see is that it is broken and that there is a bottomless chasm between the staircase and the level ground beyond. As Tolkien explains, they have to jump 7 feet wide chasms in places. This is one of them. You just need to walk down to the lower steps and jump - hint: the gap is smaller towards to right side of the steps.

You are nearly there now. Head northeast where you can see the broken head of a massive dwarf statue. Run over his beard because the adjacent dip is another bottomless chasm. Enter the rockface tunnel, passing the stalagmites and stalactites at 6.3S 112.7W. Follow the tunnel north and east, pass the stone circle, then head north when it emerges into Durin’s Way. The Chamber of the Crossroads is to the east. This is where Pippin drops some stuff down the well. It’s there in the middle of the guard room.

Standing on the top stair at 5.7S 122.3W, you can clearly see what Tolkien describes: a tall dark arch opening into three passages; the one of the left heading down, the one in the middle heading on, the one on the right heading up. Top marks Turbine. We all know that Gandalf plumps for the rightmost passage. It is described as winding, gradually widening, gradually heading up, with no passageways to the side. What can you say. This is exactly what Turbine have delivered. The passage ends at the 21st Hall.

Tolkien describes the 21st hall as caverous, with many pillars, and entrances to the north, south, east and west. Looks good to us. Gimli’s song in the 21st Hall is interesting. He explains that Moria is lit by crystal lamps, undimmed by cloud or shade or night. Another Turbine winner. He also says that the roof was gold and floor was silver, but Gandalf explains that anything precious has been looted by orcs.

Unsure which way to go, Gandalf decides to investigate a light he can see through the north door. They explore along the north corridor until they come to an entrance on the right - the Chamber of Mazarbul, of course. The doorway is described as high and flat-topped with a stone door half off its hinges. It looks like the orcs have kindly fixed it since the Fellowship passed through. Beyond the door was a large square chamber whose floor is covered with weapons, armour, and bodies. The walls have recesses in which there are iron bound wooden chests. A shaft of light falls on a table in the middle. The table is a single oblong block about two feet high with a slab of white stone. Upon the stone, runes are engraved announcing that it is the tomb of “Balin, Son of Fundin, Lord of Moria”. Another Turbine triumph here. Jump onto the LOTRO version and you will see just how faithfully this scene has been reproduced.

The Fellowship escape through the east door. The Balrog causes the roof to collapse while trying to break Gandalf’s door blocking spell. Rubble still blocks the way. You will have to go the long way around to pick up the route. Leave the 21st Hall by the south door, run to Nud-Melek, clamber down the many flights of stairs, then run east along the center of the northern pools until you reach the last one at 7.6S 101.1W. Cross the rope bridge at 7.2S 101.0W. A little further east at 7.2S 100.4W is the end of the Fellowship’s path down from the Chamber of Mazarbul.

You can reach the other side of the rubble in the Chamber of Mazarbul, in order to follow their path down, but the passage is horribly dangerous for anyone lower than level 60. This is another occasion where you can try running, but there is virtually no respite during which you can recover health. The bottom of the passage down from Mazarbul opens into the eastern end of the Second Hall. This all looks perfect in the game. Tolkien describes that it has two rows of towering pillars down the centre with smooth, black stems. Across the floor, at the feet of two huge pillars, a great fissure had opened that now billows flame. Gandalf hopes that it will cut off the chasers who are having to run the long way round. As Gandalf says, they are close to the bridge. Indeed, you can see it if you head a few paces east from the passage to Mazarbul. The bridge itself looks perfect, but we have a small problem with its location. It is supposed to be in a chamber with doors. As the Balrog approaches its wings can touch the sides. This would be impossible in Turbine’s cavernous version of the hall (although, we have to give them some latitude to improve the game play we suppose).

The middle of the bridge is missing, of course, so you can’t cross it. Instead you need to go around the north end of the First Deep chasm. Start by heading north up the steps at 7.2S 100.0W. The mobs are Level 57 and 58 around here and they all stand right in the middle of the path. If you are in your low Level 50s, eat some cooked food and run, hugging one of the walls. Don’t stop to fight, just keep running come what may. When you get to the end of the chasm, head east. The path splits with the left path heading uphill. Take the flat right path. At the end, head south, hugging the left wall. Eventually you will see the eastern side of the bridge. Go through the double arch and down the steps. Keep hugging the left wall until you reach the staircase. Turn east and start shouting ‘Fly you fools’ as you race up the stairs to the First Hall.

Before leaving Moria, listen to the background music. It sounds a bit like Carmina Burana, but is actually the ‘One ring to rule them all’ poem told in Black Speech. What fun! From the First Hall you can head out into the light and explore Dimdrill Dale. 

Zirakzigil

When Gandalf returns to Middle Earth after being killed by the Balrog, he recounts the fight to Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli when they meet in Fangorn. Gandalf and the Balrog fall from the bridge of Khazad-Dum into a lake far below. You can visit this lake in the Foundations of Stone.There you will see the part of the bridge that fell with them, and some of Gandalf's clothes that he seems to have lost. Gandalf describes how the foundations of stone are gnawed by nameless things, older than Sauron and unknown to him. Turbine have taken this literally and converted them into mobs named the Nameless. We don't think this is quite what Tolkien meant but it is fun. The Balrog's flame is extinguished by the lake which leaves him vulnerable, so he tries to run from the fight. Gandalf follows. The Balrog goes through lots of tunnels until reaching the Endless Stair, which he ascends. It is thousands of steps high but rubble has blocked the ascent near the ground.

You can see the Endless Stair as it passes Jazargund but you can't get back on. Gandalf says that the Endless Stair emerges at Durin's Tower which has been carved out of the mountain Zirakzigil. The Balrog reignites and resumes the fight. Gandalf describes the area as a narrow space, a dizzy eyrie above the mists of the world. Well, the map of Zirakzigil shows a tower at the bottom. If you look up, there does seem to be the remains of something up there but it is inaccessible. Gandalf says that he threw the Balrog off the mountains and it died in the fall, breaking the mountain where it landed. Its smoldering remains are still there for you to see. How Gandalf managed to throw the Balrog some half a mile away from the peak is anyone's guess. Perhaps he used a spell. 

Lothlorien and the Mirror of Galadriel - Dimrill Date to Caras Galadhon

Aragorn stands surveying the scene in Dimrill Dale. To the north the dale runs into the arms of two mountains, above which stood the white snow covered peaks of Celebdil. At the end of the dale Aragorn could see the endless ladder of short waterfalls that are known as the Dimrill Stair. Looking north from Mekham-Bizru (a Turbine invention), this is exactly what you will see. Aragorn explains that the path beside the Dimrill Stair is the easterm end of the mountain pass through to Redhorn Gate. You can go and have a look but it is blocked at the top. 

To the east of Mekham-Bizru is Mirrormere. Gimli tells Frodo that the water of Mirrormere is always dark, reflecting the stars, even during daylight, as if they are deep under the water. Another lovely job by Turbine. That’s exactly what it looks like in the game.

To the south of Mekham-Bizru is Durin’s Stone which marks the spot where Durin first set eyes on the Mirrormere. Gimli and Frodo go to check it out. It’s in the middle of orc infested Uruk-Gashan which makes it tricky to investigate. The best viewing point is swimming in the lake. It looks suitably worn and weathered. The top is odd though we would describe it more as unfinished than broken-looking. We couldn’t find any runes. 

Some way down and south of the Mirrormere, there is a crystal clear pool. Gimli explains that it is the spring from which the Silverlode rises. Turbine have got this wrong. We think there is supposed to be an underground channel between Mirrormere and the spring but LOTRO has a series of waterfalls. Oh, well, they can’t get everything right. 

A few miles further south is the border of Lothlorien. As they look into Lothlorien they see a golden haze. Legolas explains that Lothorien trees have smooth silver bark and golden leaves. If you look south when the ‘Entering Nimrodel’ message displays, this is exactly how Lothlorien looks in LOTRO. A little further south still is the Nimrodel, with its broken bridge. Legolas retells an elf-song about Nimrodel’s rainbow waterfall and floating golden flowers. Perhaps it was written later in the year - as you enter Cerin Amroth a message tells you that it is February in the game - because there are floating leaves rather than floating flowers. The rainbow waterfall in LOTRO is more of a monochrome pink haze. 

They cross the Nimrodel near the waterfall. Legolas decides to check out one of the trees on the other side to see if it would make a good camp site. No need to remind you that he happens to pick Haldir’s northern guard talen at 16.2S 73.4W. Tolkien describes talens as a wooden platform high up the boughs of a tree, reached by rope ladder through a round hole. They have no walls or rails, but on one side they have a movable screen to protect the talen from the wind. Turbine have got this to perfection. They even have the handles needed to wind up the rope ladders in times of trouble. In the morning Haldir takes the Company south along the path. You need to raise your reputation standing with the elves before you can do the same (or they’ll shoot you dead). 

We don’t learn much about the route from Nimrodel to Cerin Amroth because they are all blindfolded. We do know that they have to cross the Celebrant using a rope, so we were surprised to find a bridge at 15.3S 71.7W. We suspect that Turbine forgot about the rope crossing, then realized their mistake and moved the rope bridge downstream. If you head a little further east and you will find the remnants of it just south of the Lady’s Rest at 16.1S 70.4W, lol. Go back to the bridge and cross to the other side. Take the path heading north and east until you arrive at Cerin Amroth. 

Unblindfolded, Frodo’s sees that Cerin Amroth is a great mound covered in grass, with two concentric circles of trees; an outer circle of leafless white barked tress, and an inner circle of golden leafed mallorn trees. Spot on, Turbine. Cerin Amroth looks perfect to us. In the books, the mound is covered in fragrant Niphredil and Elanor flowers. They are not easy to see but they are there - you will receive a Quest to collect some of them. 

Haldir explains that Cerin Amroth was the home of Amroth, a former king of Lothlorien, and that it used to be the centre of the realm. In a previous age it was close to the sea. Frodo can hear the waves and the faint sound of sea-birds as he nears Cerin Amroth’s central talen. Perhaps it is just wishful thinking, but from the flet, we are convinced that we can hear them too. 

Haldir takes the company south from Cerin Amroth. They meet the northern perimeter of Calas Galadhon. Tolkien describes it as a wide treeless space containing a fosse with a green wall on the other side, and mighty mallorn trees beyond. Looks perfect to us. There is a path around the circumference of Calas Galadhon that leads to the only entrance towards the south. They follow it anti-clockwise until it eventually ends up at a white bridge that crosses the fosse. The bridge is at 16.6S 67.3W in case you get lost. 

On the far side of the bridge the gates to Calas Galadhon beckon. In the book, they are tall and strong facing southwest, set between the overlapping ends of the encircling wall, and hung with many lamps. In the game, they are tall and face southwest, but look feeble and have no lamps. Moreover, the ends of the encircling wall don’t overlap. Oh well, they look beautiful anyway. Can’t get in? You have to work up to ‘Friend’ reputation with the Galadhrim before you can enter.

Once in, Haldir leads the Company up many paths and stairs (northeast from the gates in the game) until they arrive at a fountain surrounded by a lawn (it’s at 14.9S 67.2W). The fountain has a basin of silver and a white’ish steam, just as it should. We can forgive Turbine that they have put the silver lamps in the wrong place, because it is truly a work of art. 

On the south side of the lawn was the mightiest of mallorn trees, home to Celeborn and Galadriel. In the book they just climb a boring old ladder, but Turbine have provided a lovely green path to get to the ladder. They pass many flets before reaching Celeborn and Galadriel. Sadly in the game they are standing outside, so we can’t nose around inside Celeborn’s house. 

After a massive debrief, the Company spend the night on the ground. They sleep on soft couches in a pavillion that has been laid out on the lawn. Just like it is in the game.

Before leaving Lothlorien, Galadriel takes Frodo and Sam into her garden. It is on the southern slope through a high green hedge. The LOTRO version is more on the eastern slope, but it is just about in the southern hemisphere. In the book it is set in a deep dell, through which a stream runs from a fountain. At the lowest point is a silver basin and ewer, standing on a low pedestal shaped like a branching tree. LOTRO’s version is more like a gnarled tree but everything else in Galadriel's Garden looks perfect. 

Farewell to Lorien - Caras Galadhon to the Anduin

Haldir escorts the company back through the main gates of Caras Galadhon. Still no hanging lamps. They go southwards and eastwards off the paved road through a thicket of mallorn trees, emerging through a high green wall. They emerge onto a green lawn studded with elanor. The LOTRO version, named Imlad Lalaith, seems to be studded with weeds, but it's very lovely anyway. It's fun listening to the sozzled elves if it's night time. 

A little way upstream is a hythe of white stones and and white wood. Moored there are many boats, most of which are white or grey, but some are brightly painted. One more, a wonderful job by Turbine. We can’t think why Tolkien didn’t mention the beautiful art nouveau filigree work on the roof. Moored there are three small leaf themed boats with leaf shaped paddles, presumably of the same design as those used by the Fellowship, and Galdriel's fabulous though not terribly seaworthy swan boat. 

The Great River - The Hythe to the Falls of Rauros

And so to the mighty Anduin. The Fellowship float down the Anduin with the current, staying close to the west bank. You don't have much choice in the game because venturing more than a few strokes from the river bank leads to instant death, and resurrection on the far side of Lothlorien. It took three days to get to the Brown Lands. They camped twice on the west bank under tall gray skinned trees. All we are told is that the tree roots stretch down into the river and that there is a lot of driftwood. There is a camp site at 20.8S, 62.4W which fits the bill, but it has traps and boats so it looks more like a Rohirrim camp. 

On the third day they pass to the north of Parth Celebrant, site of the decisive battle between the Gondorian army under Cirion and the Balchorth. Eorl came to Cirion's aid to swing the battle in the Gondorian's favor, for which he was rewarded with the land of Rohan. We couldn't find any remnants of war. Indeed, it now seems to be haunted by Oathbreakers who must be well lost. 

As they near the Brown Lands, the trees disappear to be replaced by low lying reedy fenland (Rushgore in the game) to the west and brown lifeless land to the east. Nice job by Turbine here. Black swans are common in the area, as Aragorn explains. Heading south towards the confluence with the Limlight, the Anduin gets broad and shallow, with frequent gravel shoals. This must be the stretch from Etheburg to the Undeep. This is also where Sam spots Gollum floating along behind them on a log, but he is long gone by now of course. They camp on a small eyot, of which there are many in the area, but we couldn't find any evidence of it. 

Aragorn decides that they should try to distance themselves from Gollum by paddling hard and traveling by night but this makes it difficult to know much about the land they are passing through. On the seventh night, they pass through a wide gorge with steep slopes on both sides. This must be the stretch to the east of Suth-Torr. On the eighth night they unexpectedly come upon the rapids at Sarn Gebir and have to paddle furiously back upstream for safety. Boromir is certainly right to say that it's madness to dare the rapid; in the game it means instant death. They stop where some bushes overhang the river. Search as we may, we couldn't find any bushes. The is where Legolas shoots down a Nazgul on a fell beast. The fell beast dies but the Nazgul survives. The search for this Nazgul is the clever theme of the Great River Epic storyline. As you will see during questing, even at night and great distance, Legolas managed to shoot the fell beast through the neck. 

Aragorn leads the party back upstream a little further until they reach a bay. Turbine have got the wrong end of the stick here. The bay is supposed to be half a mile from the head of the rapids, covered by overhanging trees. They have put one bay right beside the start of the rapids with no trees, and another one a day's paddling upstream at 40.5S, 47.2W, where there is now a fisherman on a boat. This wasn't Tolkien's intention at all. Anyway it doesn't seem to prevent Aragorn finding the portage way. In the game, it leads from the bay at the head of the rapids to a little pool at 46.2S, 46.3W. Turbine have nailed this one: Tolkien describes the pool as seemingly scooped by water from the rapids being redirected by a pier of rock, and that there is no further passage by foot. Very accurate. 

Our heroes get back in their boats and float downstream through a narrow ravine. You can swim safely again now. I think it gives the best view of the Argonath. Tolkien describes the statues as vast gray threatening figures on huge pedestals, each holding up their left palm raised outwards, an axe in their right, wearing a crumbling helm and crown. They look perfect to me. Just the short trip through a chasm and out into the huge lake of Nen Hithoel. As they look out they see the hills of Amon Lhaw on the left, Amon Hen on right, the island of Tol Brandir in the middle, and the Falls of Rauros beyond. It's 25th February, 3019. They fatefully camp on the green lawns of Parth Galen.

The Breaking of the Fellowship

Needing time to think, Frodo wanders off alone towards the slope of Amon Hen. He ambles up a former road, climbing occasional stairs that are cracked by tree roots. Eventually he reaches a grassy plain in the midst of which is a large flat stone where he looks out over the Anduin. The stairs look good but everything else is not quite right. The former road is just a paved path which disappears in places. The grassy plain is much too far from the river. And the large flat stone is a rocky outcrop (at 60.0S, 48.0W), ten times too wide. In the book Frodo runs around the far side of the stone to get away. Boromir jumps across the stone to try and grab the ring. He'd be struggling to jump across the rock outcrop in the game since it is fifty feet across. 

In order to escape Frodo puts on the ring and runs up the steps to Amon Hen. At the summit he finds the Seat of the Eye on a platform supported by four pillars. Very lovely it is too. Shame nothing happens when you sit on it. Frodo is able to see hundreds of miles in every direction.

After battling with Sauron and taking off the ring Frodo heads back down to Parth Galen where he takes one of the boats. A second boat is used to send Boromir's body downstream. And the third is dragged up by the trees, where it can still be found at 58.7S, 48.2W.  

Future Ryder Cup Captains

Every couple of years the end of September means Ryder Cup time. I usually go, but not this year. It isn't because I don't like Gleneagles. Quite the opposite. It is one of my favorite places in the world. I once worked for Diageo, the owner, which meant many boozy conferences there. And I have been regularly on golfing vacations ever since. But this means I have been in Gleneagles during September. Lots of times. In my experience, it is always a squelchy bog. I expected the 2014 Ryder Cup would turn into a mudbath lottery. Being as tickets are distributed years in advance by a hugely oversubscribed ballot, I decided not to apply. Now it's too late and central Scotland has had its driest  late summer for fifty years. The Centenary Course is merely soggy as opposed to its usual quagmire. If there is no rain in the next week, there is even a chance that they will be playing the ball down. More fool me. And my apologies to anyone that I advised not to go.

I have horribly mixed feelings about the Ryder Cup. Since the accession of Continental players, there has been a constant danger of the European supporters not being partisan so much as anti-American, which would spoil it all. The players feel deeply ashamed when they lose, which I hate. The crowd often turn into drunken noisy louts in the afternoon, which I hate. And the huge galleries are compressed onto just four holes, which makes it difficult to see anything. Yet it is a wonderful event. The atmosphere is just amazing, especially when it is in Europe. The players are clearly terrified, which gives me solace when I am on the first tee at the monthly medal. And, most years, the three competition days make wonderful theater; ebb and flow, twists and turns, unlikely heroes, unexpected villains. All marvelous fun.

Still, I won't be there so my thoughts have turned to future European Ryder Cup captains. Europe has been blessed by a terrific list of inspirational former Ryder Cup captains nearly all of whom, with the notable exception of Nick Faldo, managed get a quart out of a pint pot. And it's almost as if there is a conveyor belt of future captains lining up. I'll eat my hat if these are not the next seven:

2016: Darren Clarke
2018: Thomas Bjorn
2020: Padraig Harrington
2022: Lee Westwood
2024: Ian Poulter
2026: Luke Donald
2028: Sergio Garcia

Anyway, good luck to both teams. Let's hope for a close match.

A Tolkien Lover's Guide to LOTRO, Part 3 by Jonathan and Michael Starkey

Part 1   Part 2

The Departure of Boromir

A short Chapter to start The Two Towers, but no less sad for its brevity. Aragorn runs up the hill to Amon Hen. He crosses a stream near the top, then hears Boromir's horn. He races back down to find Boromir mortally wounded lying against a tree surrounded by dead orcs. Turbine are spot on here. There are several "role plays" where you can participate in the action. Otherwise, the glade is at 56.7S, 49.7W where you can see the bloodstained tree and lots of dead orcs. They are supposed to have a white hand insignia on their shields and an S on their helms but there isn't a shield or helm to be seen anywhere. It's a bit of a shame because this is how Aragorn works out that these Orcs are doing Saruman's bidding. The only other remnant of this scene is the hobbit footprints down by Tol Brandir.

The Riders of Rohan, The Uruk-Hai and The White Rider

Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli's chase across the Wold and Entwash Vale is something of a puzzle that we have to piece together from Merry and Pippin's account in The Uruk-Hai and Aragorn's account in the Riders of Rohan and The White Rider. It isn't Turbine's finest hour. 

Tolkien says that the Emyn Muil is two north-south ridges with a dale in between. Turbine have interpreted this to mean a north ridge and a south ridge with a pass in between. They clearly think that the orcs and chasers went through the pass, past Mansig's encampment in the game. Speaking as a geologist, Tolkien was trying to say that Emyn Muil is two parallel north-south escarpments, each with a dip slope to the east and a scarp slope to the west, and a north-south valley in between. The westernmost of the two scarp slopes forms the East Wall of Rohan. Thus, they should be crossing the first escarpment and heading north up the dale, where Legolas finds five orc bodies, two beheaded. We couldn't find them but didn't particularly expect to since there is no dale in the game. In the book they climb the western escarpment and head north along the ridge. In the game, they head north past Mansig's encampment. Synchronised again, they go down onto the plain. In the game the path down comes out by the Ancient Norcroft Tomb. 

Down on the plain, quarry and chasers head northwest until they reach the southern end of a north-south line of downs. Again, Turbine haven't really got this right. There are dales but they are northwest to southeast and extend  much too far south. In the book, just to the west of the southernmost slope, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli find a well-trodden circle of ground where the orcs rested. We couldn't find it, but then again, the southernmost slope in the game is down in the Sutcrofts so they wouldn't go anywhere near it. 

On the second night after Boromir's death, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli camp where the Entwash comes towards them from Fangorn. In the game this must be near Eaworth. In the morning they head north and soon meet Eomer and his men. They continue north and intersect the road from the Wold, which is there. Then they head northwest, towards Fangorn. From this point on, the orcs realise that Eomer and his men are on their tails, and pelt towards Fangorn. The chasing Riders shoot them from behind with gray feathered arrows. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli see dead orcs littering the trail, but we couldn't find any. Eventually they reach the battle site where the Riders surround the orcs and kill them all. In the game this is at Eomer's Revenge, 41.7S, 69.5W.

Tolkien describes the site as a place of great burning, a hillock near to the eaves of the forest. Turbine have got this bit right, but then lose the plot. The site is supposed to have an adjacent pile of helms, mail, shields, swords and other gear of war. Nowhere to be seen. In the middle there is supposed to be a stake with a goblin head still wearing a helm with the white badge of Saruman. Missing. Not far away there should be a burial mound for the 15 Riders lost in combat, surrounded by 15 spears. Not there. And the whole thing should be beside the Entwash as it emerges from the forest and it isn't. During the night Saruman - who you see in one quest - comes and scares away their horses. They join Shadowfax and a herd of wild Mearas horses nearby. In the game there is a fun quest with them. This whole scenario is played out in the Epic quest line. 

Treebeard

Merry and Pippin follow the Entwash towards its source, leaving a trail of crumbs and footprints that Aragorn later uses to track them. They see a glint of sunlight, which is there in the game, and decide to investigate. It takes them to a rock wall with a natural looking stairway made of weathered and split rocks at the top of which, level with the tops of the trees, is a natural rock shelf where they encounter Treebeard. In the game, all of this looks spot on to us. There is a quest chain to follow the same path. Treebeard, Merry and Pippin have moved on, of course. Gandalf (now The White) is there to explain what's been going on. If you click on the horse it takes you to Ashlimb.

Treebeard takes Merry and Pippin to Wellinghall. He says it's 70000 Ent-strides. I don't know how big an Ent-stride is but it's a blimin' long way in  the game, as far west as it's possible to go in Entwood. Tolkien describes the scene. The approach to Wellinghall is between two aisles of trees, leading to an arch fronted by a waterfall. Inside there is a great stone table but no chairs. There are two vessels that generate light for the bay and the trees outside. To the right of the chamber there is a great bed on low legs covered with dried grass and bracken. Turbine have got the whole thing just about perfect. Perhaps it's our imagination but even the trees outside seem to glow, exactly as they should. 

In the morning Treebeard takes Merry and Pippin to Derndingle for Entmoot. Derndingle is described as a bowl shaped dingle (i.e. a wooded dell) surrounded by a thick crown of dark evergreen trees that branch out from the roots. Three paths lead into the dingle from the north, west and east. Inside is smooth and grassy. At the center of the dingle are three beautiful silver birch trees. The Entmoot is all played out to perfection in the Book 14 Interlude, "The Moot". Actually, Turbine have got this whole sections just about perfect.

The King of the Golden Hall

Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli race to Edoras. Their first view is from afar. Legolas, with the wonderful eyesight of elves, describes what he sees. "... a white stream that comes down from the snows. Where is issues from the shadow of the vale a green hill rises upon the east. A dike and mighty wall and thorny fence encircle it. Within there rise the roofs of houses; and in the midst, set on a green terrace, there stands aloft a great hall of men.And it seems to my eyes that it is thatched in gold." This whole scene is laid out almost perfectly in the game on the route from Fangorn to Edoras at roughly 57.4S, 75.5W. The only things missing are the dike and fence, but we can forgive those minor omissions.

They ford the stream, roughly due south of Middlemead in the game, and come upon a rutted path. The path passes many tall green mounds and takes them to the barrows of the Kings of Rohan. On their western sides the mounds and barrows are covered in a white flower known as Simbelmyne. The game version is light on barrows, but perfect otherwise. As Aragorn says, there are seven mounds on the left and nine on the right. 

Guards escort Gandalf and party from the gates to the Golden Hall. They walk on a broad path paved with hewn stones, passing lots of wooden houses with dark doors. Beside them is a stream running in a stone channel. In time they come to a high platform above a stone terrace where water gushes out of a statue of a horse's head. This water drains into a basin which overflows into the stone channel. Broad stone steps climb the terrace. At the top on either side are two stone guard seats and the doors to the Golden Hall. Another wonderful job by Turbine here. They haven't quite got the stream right. It seems to disappear into a drainage sluice, whereas it should stay in the stone channel almost to the gates. But this minor gripe is more than compensated by the lovely horse statues at the basin: One of the best bits of artwork in the entire game. 

Wonderful detail on the outside of the Golden Hall too. We just love the horse heads springing out everywhere and the carving on the door. The inside is no less impressive. Shafts of light come in through the eastern windows. Mighty carved pillars hold up the roof. The walls are covered with tapestries depicting scenes from Rohan's history. Light shines on one in particular that, as Aragorn says, shows Eorl the Young on a white horse coming to the Battle on Celebrant Field. The middle of the hall has a long open wood-fire. At the end is the ornate throne, sitting on a dais approached by three steps. Another excellent job by Turbine. The game is exactly as we imagined Meduseld, with the minor exception of the floor, which is supposed to be covered in runes and other strange devices. Theoden isn't there of course. He has gone off to fight Saruman. But the dialogue, deception and intrigue are played out in the Epic story line. Don't miss it. 

Helm's Deep

The Rohirrim led by Theoden, together with Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, head out from Edoras towards Isengard. They meet Ceorl coming back from the battle at the Fords of Isen who explains that Erkenbrand is retreating to Helm's Deep after being defeated. Gandalf tells the Theoden to make for Helm's Deep while he goes off on an errand. 

This encounter must have happened near Marton in the game because it is ony a short way to the Deeping Coomb. Tolkien describes the Deeping Coomb as a gorge cutting into the mountains the contains the Deeping stream. He says that a heel of rock thrusts out of the northern cliff, upon which stands a high wall surrounding a lofty tower known as the Hornburg. The approach is up a causeway over the stream and ramp to Helm's Gate. The 20 feet high Deeping Wall stretches from the Hornburg to the southern cliff. It has clefts through which to shoot and hung over as if the sea had eroded it underneath. The Deeping stream passes under the Deeping Wall in a wide culvert, then through the middle of Helm's Dike and out into the Westfold Vale. The entire fortification is known as Helm's Deep. Once again, Turbine have done a masterful job. It all looks perfect in the game. Well, apart from that the coomb should be east-west but in the game is north-south, so the Hornburg comes out of the west face of the gorge instead of the north face. 

All of the battles at Helms Deep are faithfully reproduced as Big Battles in the Epic quest line and optionally afterwards. One is the battle for the Glittering Caves. Gimli describes the Glittering Caves to Legolas as they ride to Isengard. The walls are covered in gems,crystals and veins of precious ore. Light glows through folded translucent marble. There are columns of white and saffron and dawn-rose, fluted and twisted into dream-like shapes. They spring up from many-colored floors to meet glistening pendants hanging from the roof which take the form of wings, ropes, curtains, spears, banners and pinnacles. And it's very large with many chambers. It has to the said that the LOTRO Glittering Caves are a little disappointing in comparison with the description, but it would have been an awful lot of work to reproduce accurately. 

The Road to Isengard

Theoden, Gandalf and company first arrive at the Fords of Isen. One clever device Turbine have provided is that when you approach Isengard from Rohan it is after being sacked, when you approach it from the Dunland it is before being sacked. Each side has a teleport to allow you to switch to the other. The ford is supposed to have three lines of stepping stones with fords for horses in between, and an eyot in the middle. After the battle, the dead Rohirrim are in a mound in the middle of the eyot being picked upon by carrion birds, and the ground is scattered with dead orcs being eaten by wolves. It looks pretty good in the game, although some of the most gruesome bits have been edited out, and the stepping stones don't look very safe or very helpful. Of course, the Isen was temporarily blocked when the book was written, but it had returned to normal before any LOTRO player might get there. 

The company camp beside the Isen, then set off up Nan Curunir. The valley has become a wilderness of weeds and thorns. No trees grew there but stumps could still be seen. The path to Isengard was a wide street paved with big flat stones. Deep gutters filled with trickling water ran down both sides of the street. At the end of the road was a statue of a long white hand set upon a tall black pillar. Gandalf knocks it down as he passes, leaving the broken hand covered in blood. The scene in the game is pretty much perfect. The road even has grate covered gutters. 

Isengard is a great ring of stone a mile in diameter, like towering cliffs. It has just one entrance; an arched tunnel hewn out of the southern rock wall, with iron gates at both ends. Inside are paved road and long lines of pillars joined by heavy chains. Houses, chambers, halls and passages had been hewn out of the inner wall, so that the circle was overlooked by countless windows and doors. The inner plain was bored to give access to underground treasuries, store-houses, armories, smithies and furnaces. Iron wheels revolved their endlessly and hammers thudded. Yet again Turbine have done a tremendous job of a very complicated and difficult location. The game is just as we imagined it. 

All the roads run to the center where stands the tower of Orthanc. Tolkien describes Orthanc as five hundred feet high, made of black polished rock. The design was four multi-sided pillars, opening at the top into gaping horns. Between the horns are a platform of polished stone inscribed with strange signs. This is where Gandalf gets trapped early in proceedings. One final time for The Two Tower we have to say, "Bravo, Turbine". Orthanc looks exactly as we imagined it.

Flotsam and Jetsam, The Voice of Saruman and The Palantir

Three short Chapters about the sacking of Isengard to end Book 3. All three are heavy on dialogue and light on scenery. Not that we mind. The guys have a lot to catch up on.

Merry and Pippin, sitting on a pile of rocks outside the gate to Isengard and true to their nature, offer Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli some of Saruman's man-food for lunch in the guard house. Exactly as it should be, the guard house is under the tunnel, on the left at the top of some stairs. It is described as an open chamber hewn out of solid rock with a hearth on one side and small doors at the far end. We couldn't find much in the way of doors but the hearth is there. You can even stand underneath and look up into the chimney to check whether Pippin is right to say that it has a great draught. Someone has done a pointlessly spotless job of clearing the ashes since they had ate and the table looks a little on the short side to us.

Merry and Pippin prepare the meal from goods in the storeroom. It is through the back passage (ahem, if you'll excuse the term). As Pippin says, luckily some of the stores remained above the water level, athough it seems a little odd that there are boxes of apples and lettuce when Pippin claims that there is no green stuff - Pippin probably wants to keep them for himself. After lunch hobbits and dwarf relax by poisoning themselves with a smoke. There are three barrels of pipeweed in the storeroom. They are supposed to be be clearly marked with the Hornblower brandmark but we couldn't find it. During the flood, Merry and Pippin save themselves by climbing some winding stairs at the back the of the storeroom that take them to the top of the arch. Hmm, we couldn't find them either.

Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Merry and Pippin sit on a pile of rocks outside the gate while Merry and Pippin recount their tale. The sacking of Isengard is all beautifully played out in the "Last march of the Ents" role play. 

Gandalf decides he must speak with Saruman. The waters have receded by now. Tolkien explains that only gloomy pools remained, covered with scum and wreckage, dotted around with wonky posts and pillars. The water is a foot deeper than it should be but otherwise the scene looks right. The Ents divert the River Isen through a breach in the northern wall, thereby flooding Isengard. If there is a breach in the game it must be too small to see.

Team Theoden approach Orthanc from the south. The Ents have spent a fruitless few hours here trying to break into the tower. Apart from hurting themselves, they only managed to leave some scorings and make a few splinters. Perhaps they are be too small to see. The main gate of Orthanc is set into the angle of two piers, high above the ground on the east side of the tower. The approach to the door is up 27 broad stairs. And there they are! Count them. Sometimes Turbine's attention to details is really impressive. Not so good with the door. It is supposed to be huge, whereas the door in the game is barely wide enough to admit a hobbit. Over the door is supposed to be a shuttered window opening onto a balcony hedged with iron bars, but they are no where to be seen. It's a shame because this is where Wormtongue and Saruman speak to Gandalf and Theoden.

Fellowship and Theodon leave Isengard through Nan Curunir, following the west bank of the River Isen. The mountains are to their right, sloping down to bare hills. So far so good in the game. They strike west off the highway. This can only be outside what is now Grimbold's camp. They go west a mile or so until they come to a south-opening fern-covered dale that leads up to Dol Baran, heather covered last hill of the northern ranges. Here they camp under the protection of some thorn bushes. Dol Baran looks good but the closest we could find to a dale is something more akin to a mud-slide at 87.3S, 6.5W. It has no remnants of a camp although it does have a few ferns and bushes. We feel it's a shame that Turbine have not paid more attention to this area considering that it is where Pippin looks into the Palantir, one of the pivotal events in the entire story.