v3b2: Who's creeping there in the shadows?

I felt an urge to explore the other day while doing the amazing v3b2, and... I saw IT.
IT lasted only a few seconds before my eyes, I watched in amazement as HE crossed the tunnel and evaporated in a cloud of smoke on the other side, too puzzled to press PrntScrn in time... Gandalf? Here?!

I leave it up to you to find out where, and to guess why! Because he's not really supposed to be there. Or is he..?

I realised He was there all the time, Elladan mentions he he felt an presence watching over them as they went down the ramps and that it was ancient and intelligent.

You can supposedly catch a glimpse of him for the second time after you pull the leaver too.
Even though he was not named, I believe it's Gandalf - we don't really have too many characters "assuming" other character's appearance (and Amarthiel had to kill for that) and Turbine was always careful to make modles of main characters distinctive.
Gandalf himself could be out of Lothlorien by now, I am no LotR lore expert, but hobbits met him near Isengard and the time of the Battle of Hemls Deep wasn't far away. He could have very well had watched over the Dunadain as they crossed.

On the other hand, we know Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas mistook Saruman for Gandalf - not at the time of sighting, but when they realised Gandalf was actually around. The difference was a dented wizard hat... Gandalf's hat was always pointy in LotRO model, this person however has a dented hat...
Mystery deapens!

Credit for this screenshot goes to Grimmy.
Thank you Grim, it wouldn't be possible without you!
Guest Appearance post made by Grimdoin on Codemasters forum

The Grey Flood

One of those little, small LOLs scattered around the Middle Earth ;)
I actually screen-capped this one because when I managed to stop laughing I remembered - or tought I remember - that Tolkien strongly disliked grey squirrels and was personally upset about them pushing natural to British Islands red squirells out.
I was googling for anything that would back this statement hard but to no wain. Maybe I made it up? Wouldn't be the first time...

Bird and Baby Inn

The Shire is probably the best and most rewarding place to explore for all and any Tolkien fans. A big, glittering Egg pops up for them right at the beggining of the journey - The Bird and Baby Inn. No, the name and the sign are not coincidence ;)

The Inklings was an Oxford writers' group which included J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. From 1939 to 1962 they met at the Eagle and Child Friday before lunch, to drink and talk, usually in an area at the back of the pub, which was then a private sitting room and is now known as the Rabbit Room. Contrary to popular impression (and also contrary to the plaque posted in the pub), the Inklings did not read their manuscripts to each other in the pub: these readings took place at evening meetings usually in Lewis's college rooms. The Inklings changed allegiance in 1962 by moving across St Giles' to the Lamb & Flag pub, but it is the Eagle and Child's Rabbit Room that attracts visitors.


The Sign
The pub's sign shows an eagle carrying a small child in a fold of cloth suspended from a claw, which was derived from the crest of the Earl of Derby. The image is said to refer to a story of a noble-born baby having been found in an eagle's nest. It is said to bear a resemblance to artistic representations of the abduction of Ganymede by Zeus in the guise of an eagle in Greek Mythology.

Alternative names
It is also known as the Bird and Baby. Other less common nicknames have included the "Bird and Brat", the "Bird and Bastard", the "Bustard and Bastard" and the "Fowl and Foetus".
(thank you, wikipedia)

Hidden Hobbit Village

I've always regretted that I missed out on Hobbit Farmer and Squirrels... I was kinda thinking it will always be there for me to explore, and now it's closed off..

One more reason for me to hurry to explore another hidden wonder, The Hidden Hobbit Village just west of the Shire.


If you manage to fool the Bounders and sneak* pass Ered Luin gate unattended, following the road will finally lead you to this secluded, quiet place (alternatively, you can sneak* pass the gate in Michel Delving leading west...).


The place itself is surrounded with thick foliage of elderly oaks, which make quite a lovely sight as you approach.


Not many know about it's existence so no wonder that the knowledge about it exact location is even more rare, which suits it's shy inhabitants. As you will inevitably notice, they did not agree to pose to any of the pictures I've made.


Rare visitors can leave their mounts at the stable in northernmost part of the village (visible on the right side of the photo) and proceed to the center of the little town, marked by a huge windmill, standing proudly above the fields.



Among cozy hobbit holes a more extraordinary structure stands, clearly showing the influence of long legs architecture on the native art of the Shire folks.



Weary traveler can take a sip of clear, cold water from the village well.



But this building is unique in the whole Shire - you will not find another one like that. Even the Mathom House - itself build bearing strong resemblance to the architecture of Bree - looks totally different. I don't recall a building like that in the whole Middle Earth I've visited so far. The type of windows is unique, so are the ornaments adoring it.


In some distance to the east, digging under the hills of Little Delving, new hobbit holls are being buid. Still unfinished, and for some reason missing doors...



A campsite to the far south end of the area. Secluded, and empty. A puzzling sight, as the fire still burns brightly and the rabbit has just been prepared for roast, but not eaten yet. Who might have camped here?

---

As gossip goes, the "hidden" Hobbit village was added to showcase the game at E3 many years back - as Liquilla posted about the place of CM Forums (adding but you didn't hear that from me! (...and I may be wrong)).

Some old Shire preview screenshots show area bearing a striking resamblence to this village, but they are not identical. I tried hard to catch the same angle, but it has prooven impossible.



The Windmill Sight looks very alike, and at first glance it may seem that the only thing that has changed was the design of the horses in game, and that the chickens are gone. But the angles are seriously different, bushes have moved and a cart has been placed a bit off.



While trying to reshoot the scarecrow image, I stumbled upon even more difficulties. Apparently the guy has been moved altogether, and so have the fences. Also, there's no bag of grain resting anywhere in place allowing me to get the windmill and hobbit holes with the right angle.

But still, the place looks remarkably the same... Just... recreated?
My guess would be, it's either not the original E3 location, or it has been modified for some strange reason. Anyhow, the adventure was a great one!

---

* These passages are by no means ment to represent the actual route to Hidden Hobbit Village. It's an even longer trip, I just used Ered Luin and Michel Delving gates for RP and localization reasons.

Tribute to one of the icons of XXth century culture

Dark Delvings... one of those MoM infinite farming instances, and a very,very annoying and badly designed one (like most of them, unfortunately). But even in a boring, tedious and discouraging place like that one might find an Easter-Egg (I hope, otherwise it's a ripoff!).

Couldn't possibly be much more Alien than this ;)

It all comes down to Mirrors

Finally, some signs of civilization in this dark place!
Wait, what?! Does my hair really look like that..? Aaah, the horror..!

I found it somewhat.. hmm... prophetiic? to find this mirror just besides the Waterworks mirror quest giver. For him to drag it all the way down here..! Wait, could it be? Maybe he is... one of those fabled female dwarves? ;)

How far technologicall advanced are the Dwarves exactly?

Well?

The Oathbreakers

'Thus spoke  Malbeth the  Seer,  in the days of  Arvedui,  last king at Fornost,' said Aragorn:
     Over the land there lies a long shadow,
     westward reaching wings of darkness.
     The Tower trembles; to the tombs of kings
     doom approaches. The Dead awaken;
     for the hour is come for the oathbreakers;
     at the Stone of Erech they shall stand again
     and hear there a horn in the hills ringing.
     Whose shall the horn be? Who shall call them
     from the prey twilight, the forgotten people?
     The heir of him to whom the oath they swore.
     From the North shall he come, need shall drive him:
     he shall pass the Door to the Paths of the Dead.
(...)
 'I  hope  that the  forgotten people  will  not have  forgotten how  to fight,' said Gimli; 'for otherwise I see not why we should trouble them.'
     'That we shall know if ever  we come to Erech,' said  Aragorn. 'But the oath  that  they broke  was  to  fight  against Sauron, and they must  fight therefore,  if  they are to fulfil it. (...)
'Then Isildur said to  their king: "Thou shalt be the last king. And if the West prove mightier than thy  Black Master, this curse  I  lay upon thee and thy folk: to rest never until your oath is  fulfilled. For this war will last through years uncounted, and you  shall be summoned once again ere  the end."
(...)
Aragorn dismounted, and standing by the Stone he cried in a great voice:
     'Oathbreakers, why have ye come?'
     And a voice  was heard  out of the  night that answered him, as if from far away:
     'To fulfil our oath and have peace.'
J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings - Return of the King

Back from the Brink

`Where am I, and what is the time?' he said aloud to the ceiling. 'In the House of Elrond, and it is ten o'clock in the morning.' said a voice. `It is the morning of October the twenty-fourth, if you want to know.'
     `Gandalf!' cried Frodo, sitting up. There was the old wizard, sitting in a chair by the open window.
     `Yes,' he said, `I am here. And you are lucky to be here, too, after all the absurd things you have done since you left home.' (...) While [Frodo] was thinking of all these things and trying in vain to bring his memory down to his arriving in Rivendell, there was a long silence, broken only by the soft puffs of Gandalf's pipe, as he blew white smoke-rings out of the window.
(...)
`What happened at the Ford?' said Frodo. `It all seemed so dim somehow; and it still does.'
     'Yes, it would. You were beginning to fade,' answered Gandalf. 'The wound was overcoming you at last. A few more hours and you would have been beyond our aid. But you have some strength in you, my dear hobbit! (...)'
J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring

Tom Bombadil's House

Tom Bombadil burst out laughing. 'Well, my little fellows!' said he, stooping so that he peered into their faces. 'You shall come home with me! The table is all laden with yellow cream, honeycomb, and white bread and butter. Goldberry is waiting. Time enough for questions around the supper table. You follow after me as quick as you are able!' With that he picked up his lilies, and then with a beckoning wave of his hand went hopping and dancing along the path eastward, still singing loudly and nonsensically.

(...)

The grass under their feet was smooth and short, as if it had been mown or shaven. The eaves of the Forest behind were clipped, and trim as a hedge. The path was now plain before them, well-tended and bordered with stone. It wound up on to the top of a grassy knoll, now grey under the pale starry night; and there, still high above them on a further slope, they saw the twinkling lights of a house. Down again the path went, and then up again, up a long smooth hillside of turf, towards the light. Suddenly a wide yellow beam flowed out brightly from a door that was opened. There was Tom Bombadil's house before them, up, down, under hill.

(...)



The four hobbits stepped over the wide stone threshold, and stood still, blinking. They were in a long low room, filled with the light of lamps swinging from the beams of the roof; and on the table of dark polished wood stood many candles, tall and yellow, burning brightly.

     In a chair, at the far side of the room facing the outer door, sat a woman. (...)

There was a fire in the wide hearth before them, and it was burning with a sweet smell, as if it were built of apple-wood. When everything was set in order, all the lights in the room were put out, except one lamp and a pair of candles at each end of the chimney-shelf. (...)

Tom could be heard about the house, clattering in the kitchen, and up and down the stairs, and singing here and there outside. (...) Water dripped down from the thatched eaves above.

J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring



...yes, Tom's House is east from the Old Man Willow, on a hill besides a small fall Withywindle flows over :D Little kitchen is just at the back; the rooms upstairs are closed, unfortunatelly. The screenie doesn't show the fireplace either... and the two candles standing at the chimney-shelf.



Wouldn't Silirien make a great River Maiden?

Lady of Streams she is already!



I'd love to have a lillypot at my home..

Old Man Willow

The hobbits began to feel very hot. There were armies of flies of all kinds buzzing round their ears, and the afternoon sun was burning on their backs. At last they came suddenly into a thin shade; great grey branches reached across the path. Each step forward became more reluctant than the last. Sleepiness seemed to be creeping out of the ground and up their legs, and falling softly out of the air upon their heads and eyes.

Frodo felt his chin go down and his head nod. Just in front of him Pippin fell forward on to his knees. Frodo halted. 'It's no good,' he heard Merry saying. 'Can't go another step without rest. Must have nap. It's cool under the willows. Less flies!'

Frodo did not like the sound of this. 'Come on!' he cried. 'We can't have a nap yet. We must get clear of the Forest first.' But the others were too far gone to care. Beside them Sam stood yawning and blinking stupidly.

Suddenly Frodo himself felt sleep overwhelming him. His head swam. There now seemed hardly a sound in the air. The flies had stopped buzzing. Only a gentle noise on the edge of hearing, a soft fluttering as of a song half whispered, seemed to stir in the boughs above. He lifted his heavy eyes and saw leaning over him a huge willow-tree, old and hoary. Enormous it looked, its sprawling branches going up like reaching arms with many long-fingered hands, its knotted and twisted trunk gaping in wide fissures that creaked faintly as the boughs moved. The leaves fluttering against the bright sky dazzled him, and he toppled over, lying where he fell upon the grass.

Merry and Pippin dragged themselves forward and lay down with their backs to the willow-trunk. Behind them the great cracks gaped wide to receive them as the tree swayed and creaked.

They looked up at the grey and yellow leaves, moving softly against the light, and singing. They shut their eyes, and then it seemed that they could almost hear words, cool words, saying something about water and sleep. They gave themselves up to the spell and fell fast asleep at the foot of the great grey willow.

Frodo lay for a while fighting with the sleep that was overpowering him; then with an effort he struggled to his feel again. He felt a compelling desire for cool water. 'Wait for me, Sam,' he stammered. 'Must bathe feet a minute.'

Half in a dream he wandered forward to the riverward side of the tree, where great winding roots grew out into the stream, like gnarled dragonets straining down to drink. He straddled one of these, and paddled his hot feel in the cool brown water; and there he too suddenly fell asleep with his back against the tree.

Sam sat down and scratched his head, and yawned like a cavern. He was worried. The afternoon was getting late, and he thought this sudden sleepiness uncanny. 'There's more behind this than sun and warm air,' he muttered to himself. 'I don't like this great big tree. I don't trust it. Hark at it singing about sleep now! This won't do at all!'

(...)

He rushed back to the bank. Frodo was in the water close to the edge, and a great tree-root seemed to be over him and holding him down, but he was not struggling. Sam gripped him by the jacket, and dragged him from under the root; and then with difficulty hauled him on to the bank. Almost at once he woke, and coughed and spluttered.

'Do you know, Sam,' he said at length, 'the beastly tree _threw_ me in! I felt it. The big root just twisted round and tipped me in!'

(...)

Quickly they gathered dry grass and leaves, and bits of bark; and made a pile of broken twigs and chopped sticks. These they heaped against the trunk on the far side of the tree from the prisoners. As soon as Sam had struck a spark into the tinder, it kindled the dry grass and a flurry of flame and smoke went up. The twigs crackled. Little fingers of fire licked against the dry scored rind of the ancient tree and scorched it. A tremor ran through the whole willow. The leaves seemed to hiss above their heads with a sound of pain and anger. A loud scream came from Merry, and from far inside the tree they heard Pippin give a muffled yell.

'Put it out! Put it out!' cried Merry. 'He'll squeeze me in two, if you don't. He says so!'

J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring



Somehow this little episode is one of the most memorable in the book!

It's really amazing to see it recreated in-game. Again, a great pressure was put into the details. Not only the look of the tree itself and it's malicious roots just waiting to threw wanderers into the water, or strangle them, but even enviromental effects corresponding to Old Man Willow's songs' effects!







Actually, I must pay the Willow a visit again and try to find the remains of the fire Frodo and Sam lit to scare him. Somehow I am sure I will succeed - cheers Turbine! :D



Edit: Visit was payed, and i have not succeed, for Turbine has failed me for the first time..!

No remains of fire!!! *cries*

Hentai!

And this game doesn't need parental advisory?!

Tentacles..!



OK, I know, I have a dirty mind. But once you've seen even a single tentacles movie - even a single scene! - your mind is forever twisted. And so are those..!

Sand Castle

A little sand castle on one of Evendim's isles :)

I don't recall what quest might it be related too. Maybe it's annother egg related to the toy Tolkien's son lost on the beach?

The Ford of Rivendell and the remains of the fire Glorfindel lit to scare the Nine

(...) One morning they forded a river at a wide shallow place full of the noise of stones and foam. The far bank was steep and slippery. When they got to the top of it, leading their ponies, they saw that the great mountains had marched down very near to them.

J.R.R. Tolkien The Hobbit



The Road was still running steadily downhill, and there was now in places much grass at either side, in which the hobbits walked when they could, to ease their tired feet. In the late afternoon they came to a place where the Road went suddenly under the dark shadow of tall pine-trees, and then plunged into a deep cutting with steep moist walls of red stone. Echoes ran along as they hurried forward; and there seemed to be a sound of many footfalls following their own. All at once, as if through a gate of light, the Road ran out again from the end of the tunnel into the open. There at the bottom of a sharp incline they saw before them a long flat mile, and beyond that the Ford of Rivendell. On the further side was a steep brown bank, threaded by a winding path; and behind that the tall mountains climbed, shoulder above shoulder, and peak beyond peak, into the fading sky.

(...)

`You look splendid,' he said aloud. `I will risk a brief tale without consulting Elrond. But quite brief, mind you, and then you must sleep again. This is what happened, as far as I can gather. (...) `When the Ringwraiths swept by, your friends ran up behind. Close to the Ford there is a small hollow beside the road masked by a few stunted trees. There they hastily kindled fire; for Glorfindel knew that a flood would come down, if the Riders tried to cross, and then he would have

to deal with any that were left on his side of the river. The moment the flood appeared, he rushed out, followed by Aragorn and the. others with flaming brands. Caught between fire and water, and seeing an Elf-lord revealed in his wrath, they were dismayed, and their horses were stricken with madness. Three were carried away by the first assault of the flood; the others were now hurled into the water by their horses and overwhelmed.'

J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring







And by daylight, you can see that the Devs have made their homework:

Token of Hope

They hurried along with all the speed they could make, and after a mile or two they saw the Last Bridge ahead, at the bottom of a short steep slope. They dreaded to see black figures waiting there, but they saw none. Strider made them take cover in a thicket at the side of the Road, while he went forward to explore.

Before long he came hurrying back. 'I can see no sign of the enemy,' he said, 'and I wonder very much what that means. But I have found something very strange.'

He held out his hand, and showed a single pale-green jewel. 'I found it in the mud in the middle of the Bridge,' he said. 'It is a beryl, an elf-stone. Whether it was set there, or let fall by chance, I cannot say; but it brings hope to me. I will take it as a sign that we may pass the Bridge; but beyond that I dare not keep to the Road, without some clearer token.'

(...)

[Glorfindel said] 'It was my lot to take the Road, and I came to the Bridge of Mitheithel, and left a token there, nigh on seven days ago. Three of the servants of Sauron were upon the Bridge, but they withdrew and I pursued them westward. (...)'

J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring







Yes, our Hope Tokens are made of Beryls! :D

The stone trolls

"Dawn take you all, and be stone to you!" said a voice that sounded like William's. But it wasn't. For just at that moment the light came over the hill, and there was a mighty twitter in the branches. William never spoke for he stood turned to stone as he stooped; and Bert and Tom were stuck like rocks as they looked at him. And there they stand to this day, all alone, unless the birds perch on them; for trolls, as you probably know, must be underground before dawn, or they go back to the stuff of the mountains they are made of, and never move again. That is what had happened to Bert and Tom and William.

"Excellent!" said Gandalf, as he stepped from behind a tree, and helped Bilbo to climb down out of a thorn-bush. Then Bilbo understood. It was the wizard's voice that had kept the trolls bickering and quarrelling, until the light came and made an end of them.

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit







'Surely this is a troll-hole, if ever there was one!' said Pippin. 'Come out, you two, and let us get away. Now we know who made the path -and we had better get off it quick.'

'There is no need, I think,' said Strider, coining out. 'It is certainly a troll-hole, but it seems to have been long forsaken. I don't think we need be afraid. But let us go on down warily, and we shall see.'

The path went on again from the door, and turning to the right again across the level space plunged down a thick wooded slope. Pippin, not liking to show Strider that he was still afraid, went on ahead with Merry. Sam and Strider came behind, one on each side of Frodo's pony, for the path was now broad enough for four or five hobbits to walk abreast. But they had not gone very far before Pippin came running back, followed by Merry. They both looked terrified.

'There _are_ trolls!' Pippin panted. 'Down in a clearing in the woods not far below. We got a sight of them through the tree-trunks. They are very large!'

'We will come and look at them,' said Strider, picking up a stick. Frodo said nothing, but Sam looked scared.

The sun was now high, and it shone down through the half-stripped branches of the trees, and lit the clearing with bright patches of light. They halted suddenly on the edge, and peered through the tree-trunks, holding their breath. There stood the trolls: three large trolls. One was stooping, and the other two stood staring at him.

Strider walked forward unconcernedly. 'Get up, old stone!' he said, and broke his stick upon the stooping troll.

Nothing happened. There was a gasp of astonishment from the hobbits, and then even Frodo laughed. 'Well!' he said. 'We are forgetting our family history! These must be the very three that were caught by Gandalf, quarrelling over the right way to cook thirteen dwarves and one hobbit.'

'I had no idea we were anywhere near the place!' said Pippin. He knew the story well. Bilbo and Frodo had told it often; but as a matter of fact he had never more than half believed it. Even now he looked at the stone trolls with suspicion, wondering if some magic might not suddenly bring them to life again.

'You are forgetting not only your family history, but all you ever knew about trolls,' said Strider. 'It is broad daylight with a bright sun, and yet you come back trying to scare me with a tale of live trolls waiting for us in this glade! In any case you might have noticed that one of them has an old bird's nest behind his ear. That would be a most unusual ornament for a live troll!'

J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring



Aw, I forgot to upload a screenie of the nest =.= Yes, it's there. And I have to go back and make one of the long-abandoned troll-hole as well!



Edit: well, here they are :) Closeup on the trendy birdnest...





...and an image of the long-forsaken troll hole the Fellowship has stumbled upon: