Swanfleet

From Lotro-Wiki.com
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Swanfleet
Swanfleet

Swanfleet is a region found within the land of Eriador.

Swanfleet is located at a river delta where the Bruinen, Hoarwell, and a couple of other streams come together to form the Gwathló. Swanfleet is an area of wetlands between the Mitheithel and Glanduin rivers that was once home to the Elf-realm of Eregion, but which has lain largely desolate following Sauron’s devastating wars of the Second Age and environmental destruction caused by Men.

The fens and thickets of Swanfleet have seen the coming of many important figures in the history of Middle-earth, from the Noldorin Elves to the Men of Númenor. Its willow-trees stand on islands surrounded by still waters and branching streams. Its reedy pools teem with fish, frogs, and insects, as well as many birds of both air and water, whose voices have made the fens famous for their “Pools of Song.”

The Old South Road, now broken and oft-obscured, winds through Swanfleet’s midst, coming down from Cardolan to cross the River Greyflood at Tharbad. It passes on into Enedwaith, whence it runs through Dunland and Rohan and on into Gondor, linking that realm to the fallen North-kingdom of Arnor. In the centre of Swanfleet lies the Dunlending city of Lhan Garan.


Locations

Stoor-vales
Wadewater
Caras Gelebren

Areas

(Ordered by main quest-level)
Mossward

Western Old South Road

  • Quests: mainly 1 - 6

Stoor-vales

Eastern Old South Road

  • Quests: mainly 8 - 12

Wadewater

Caras Gelebren

Western Eregion

Settlements

Swanfleet Settlements

Landmarks

Swanfleet Landmarks

Interiors

Swanfleet Interiors

Instances

Swanfleet Instances

Quests

Swanfleet Quests

Deeds

For more detail, see Swanfleet Deeds
Swanfleet Deeds‎ (4 C)

Titles

For more detail, see Swanfleet Titles
Swanfleet and Cardolan Titles‎ (2 C, 18 P)

Creatures

Swanfleet Creatures‎ (1 C, 96 P)

Crafting

Crafting Tier(s):

Apprentice: Copper Deposit, Rowan Branches, Shattered Pitcher

Resource Location(s):

Crafting Facilities:

Primarily: Lhan Garan

Lore

Swanfleet was once home to two historically great cities, both of which now stand in ruins. Caras Gelebren, where once dwelt the Noldor, whose chieftain was the jewel-smith Celebrimbor, succumbed to Sauron’s wrath and laid waste more than four thousand years ago. Tharbad, once a proud city of the Dúnedain, prospered in the Third Age but fell into decay with the destruction of Arnor, and has been abandoned for a century, since the floodwaters following the Fell Winter rose and toppled its mighty bridge.

Another who once loved the region was the lady Galadriel, who with her consort Celeborn and their daughter Celebrían dwelled in Caras Gelebren for many years in the Second Age. In those days, Celeborn was still chief of the fabled Bright Company, and often set forth to battle the Orcs and things far worse that had escaped Morgoth’s fall. He became Eregion’s chief protector, while Galadriel tended Swanfleet's brooks and woods and helped make Caras Gelebren a place of beauty recalling the fabled Elf-halls of old.

Despite Galadriel’s ministrations, however, Swanfleet also saw horrible destruction, and not always due to the Enemy. The seafaring Númenóreans, who had long exhausted their own island woodlands, hungered for timber to build more and mightier ships, and they hewed down Swanfleet's trees to build their fleets. Their destruction caused the Wood-elves and Ents to withdraw to distant forests, and led other spirits of the wood to fade into legend. The Númenóreans dredged the rivers as well, building great dikes to gain more land for farming. Galadriel sorrowed to see the forests treated so, and pleaded with them not to destroy the fens, but the Men were proud and heeded her not. Soon she walked the Swanfleet no more, considering its untamed beauty as irretrievably lost as Beleriand of old, and departed for the shelter of Laurelindórenan across the mountains.

With the Lady of Light departed, it was not long before Sauron came to those lands. It was at Caras Gelebren that, in the fair guise of the Elf Antheron, he deceived Celebrimbor, turning the jewel-smiths’ hunger for art and magic and guiding them to craft the Rings of Power. When Celebrimbor at last perceived his treachery and sought to thwart him from claiming the Rings, Sauron razed Swanfleet, setting its marshes ablaze and reducing Caras Gelebren to ruins. From there his armies conquered Eriador and were only turned back by the combined might of Númenor and the Elves of Lindon, who at last defeated the Dark Lord at the crossings of the Greyflood and sent him fleeing back to Mordor.

As the Second Age passed and the Third Age began, the region returned to a more natural state, though one that bore many scars. It thrived for a time as Arnor and Gondor arose, but after the Witch-king destroyed the North-kingdom it lay derelict once more, with Tharbad declining and the roadways grown dwindled and dangerous. Now the tumbled stones that once were home to the Elves stand as silent reminders of yesteryear’s glories, and the rivers’ turbulent waters swirl among Tharbad’s bones. Trolls lurk in the marshes, Orcs haunt the pools’ dark shores, and far more ominous figures have been rumoured among the shadows of late...

Maps

Swanfleet Detailed Maps
Eriador by Varghedin

Gallery


Settlements, Areas and Landmarks of Swanfleet

Areas: Caras Gelebren • Eastern Old South Road • Stoor-vales • Wadewater • Western Eregion • Western Old South Road Areas:
Settlements: Clegur • Echad Terthas • Glyn Helyg • Lhan Garan • Lintrev • Mossward Settlements:
Landmarks: Bloodhollow • Cobshollow • Fangsettle • The Fishing Hole • Gwâl Cruban • Howlingstones • Idhobel • Radlaw • Sharmokal • Tham Celechir • Tham Lasgol Landmarks:
Interiors: The Boat and Basket • Butcher Shop of Clegur • Mossward Blacksmith Shop • Mossward Provisions • Mossward Healer's Shop • The Stony Leap Interiors:
Dungeons: — Dungeons:
Instances: Doom of Caras Gelebren Instances:
Regions within the Land of Eriador

Angmar • Bree-land • Cardolan • Dunland • Enedwaith • Ered Luin • Eregion • Ettenmoors • Evendim • Forochel • Gap of Rohan • Lone-lands • Misty Mountains • Nan Curunír • North Downs • Swanfleet • The Shire • Trollshaws
Retrieved from "https://lotro-wiki.com/w/index.php?title=Swanfleet&oldid=1746444"