Old Forest
The Old Forest is an area within Bree-land in the southern region.
This famous, untamed forest, with its narrow mazes, lies just east of Buckland across the High Hay, south of Southern Bree-fields, and west of Barrow-downs. Entrances are, from the west via the Old Forest Tunnel, from the east via the Old Barrows Road, or from the north via openings or paths such as East Forest Road. Whilst the Old Forest is labyrinthine, it also holds many landmarks, and thus any would be adventurer would do well to familiarize themself with them so to make traversal easier.
The Old Forest provides lower level characters with adventures and challenging explorations of the realms depicted in Tolkien's fictional realm. Try following the path that Frodo and his fellowship might endured not long ago, about September 26, III 3018, from Crickhollow to Tom Bombadil's House:
- Getting lost in the Shifting Wood, eating one's lunch-repast at the Bald Hill and taking a short nap under the sun, getting lost down the Withywindle and resting, completely exhausted, by the trunk of the Old Man Willow, to finally escaping uphill to Tom's place.
While the northern half of the forest is home to aggressive wildlife, the southern half is where a particularly nasty brood of spiders spills out of. Travel far enough south and you'll find yourself in the Weaver's Den itself. Those brave enough to descend into their turf will be rewarded with glimpses of the flowers of the Entwives.
No services are provided within the Old Forest itself, though weary travellers can find rest in the bounds of old Tom's homestead. The closest services can instead be found within Buckland and at Adso's Camp, both with vendors and stable-masters. There are also quests givers located, mainly at Buckland and Adso's Camp, and mainly for the levels 16 to 21.
Locations
NPCs
See "list of NPCs" within the Old Forest
Clothar Sandheaver - Quest Instance- Gillemin Brandybuck [33.8S, 59.3W]
Marigold Boffin - (various locations)
Skittish Deer - Quest Instance
Quests
See "starting quests" and the landmarks for more quests
Starting:
- [16] Evil on Eight Legs
- [16] A Matron in the Hollow
- [16] Haunted Forest
Involving:
- [15] Forest Bats
- [15] Forest Bears
- [15] Forest Wolves
- [16] Forest Spiders
- [15] Old Forest Investigation
- [15] The Wood-cutter's Tale
- [15] Instance: The Hunter's Path
- [15] Instance: The Speech of Animals
- [16] New Trouble in the Old Forest
- [17] Wolf-pelts
- [17] In the Shadow of Giants
- [18] Marigold
- [19] Defying Description
- [20] Unnatural Fury
- [20] Instance: Root and Rot
- [20] The Seed of Rot
- [22] Synonyms for Spooky
Creatures
The following creatures are found within the area:
- Barkshredder Cub
- Barkshredder Mother
- Barkshredder Sentinel
- Barkshredder Yearling
- Bramblesnarl
- Broken Oak-root
- Chittering Gloom-wing
- Creeping Oak-root
- Elder Forest-hunter
- Flittering Gloom-wing
- Forest Biter
- Forest Shadow-queen
- Forest Tree-spinner
- Forest Tree-stalker
- Forest Web-crawler
- Forest Web-weaver
- Gil Goatleaf
- Gloom-gaze
- Great Leaf-crawler
- Large Forest-hunter
- Outcast Forest-hunter
- Shadowfoot
- Shrieking Gloom-wing
- Slimy Leaf-crawler
- Snarling Forest-hunter
- Warped Oak
- Wildthorn
During Instance: Root and Rot:
Lore
- "A remnant of the great forests of Middle-earth in the Second Age; most of these forests were felled by the Númenóreans, but two isolated woodlands remained. The Old Forest was the northern of these two (the other being Fangorn in the south)." — Lorebook
- "Throughout the ages of Middle-earth the Old Forest has remained an ominous region. Dark tales abound of trees coming to life and misleading those who tread harshly upon their roots. The most sinister of stories is often told to young Hobbits to keep them out of the Old Forest; it speaks of a monstrous tree called Old Man Willow, whose tremendous claw-like branches snatch up unwary travelers. The tales work to keep most folks at bay, coupled with the fact that many who have ventured into the Old Forest—either alone or with companions—have never been heard from again. — These precarious and ancient woods are thought to be the northern remnants of the great forests harvested by the Men of Númenor who ruled during the Second Age." — Hero's Guide
- "The Hobbits believed the trees of the Old Forest were in some manner 'awake', and hostile. They swayed when there was no wind, whispered at night, and misled travellers deeper into the forest. The trees did indeed carry malice and a hatred, but this hatred was not connected to the evil stemming from the East and Mordor. The forest had been angered by the years of tree-felling and destruction that they had witnessed, and the trees would lash out at travellers, whether they meant good or ill." — The Fellowship of the Ring
- See also
Old Forest Guide for individual locations
Maps
Detailed Maps
Gallery
-
Bear dens in the Old Forest -
Brandybuck's Camp along the Withywindle -
Bridge near Tom Bombadil's House -
Lumber pile east of Bonfire Glade -
Border to the Southern Bree-fields -
The northern parts of the forest -
Pond south of the Weeping Water -
Southern sections overrun by spiders
