The Shire
The Shire is located south-east of Ered Luin and west of Bree-land, across the Brandywine River. The country of the Shire is a land of peace and pastoral beauty, where hobbits dwell in seclusion from the world at large.
In former times, Men were seldom seen there, though Dwarves often passed through the Shire as they travelled to the Blue Mountains from their lands in the East. More rarely still, Elves could sometimes be seen in the woods as they journeyed to Mithlond, the Grey Havens beyond the borders of the Shire, where they cross the Sea into the West.
Dark things seldom threatened the hills and meadows of the Shire. Largely this has been because hobbits are very good at keeping to their own business and not being noticed by others. But Little Folk would be aghast and unbelieving if they only knew the lengths to which Gandalf the Grey and the Rangers of the North have gone to ensure the country's peace. Now, though, even the Shire cannot escape the notice of the Shadow in the East.
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Lore
In the year 1601 of the Third Age, the Fallohide brothers Marcho and Blanco lead a group of Hobbits west from Bree and crossed the Bridge of Stonebows (later known as the Brandywine Bridge) and settled in the empty land they found. This became year 1 of the Shire-reckoning. King Argeleb II, the tenth King of Arthedain and a direct ancestor of Aragorn, granted the Hobbits this unused land and thus it became The Shire.
In III 2340 Hobbits expanded the Shire to include also Buckland and Brandy Hall was founded, though Buckland was never considered part of "the four farthings of the Shire". Little is told about the history of the Shire, except for genealogical details about families, such as the Baggins, Brandybucks, Tooks, and many more. However...
On 22 September TA2890 Bilbo Baggins was born, and a few decades later his adventures would bring focus on the Shire. A fateful morning TA2941 an old bearded man with a blue pointed hat approached Bilbo and soon the Quest of Erebor begun, chiefly taking place in the far East. Eventually Bilbo brought back to Bag End treasures that greatly enriched hobbits all around the Shire, but one of the smaller items, a modest ring would also prove extremely hazardous, though not at once. In TA3001 Bilbo leaves the Shire and settles down in Rivendell, after giving the One Ring to Frodo.
In TA3017 Gollum (the former bearer of the One Ring) was released from Mordor, probably shortly after he had revealed "Baggins" and "Shire" to Sauron. The Shire was still innocently unaware that the Dark Lord soon would begin the War of the Ring and their farthings were at stake. In middle April TA3018 Gandalf tells Frodo about the One Ring and its powers and hazards, urging him to leave the Shire promptly, though Frodo hesitated, he was slow and it took him more than five months to set out. On September 23, the day after his fiftieth birthday, Frodo set out from Bag End with Sam and Pippin towards Crickhollow in Buckland (where Merry would join them on the quest). Already that night they found themselves pursued by the Black Riders, and in LOTRO that is the night a new hobbit character set foot upon the Shire.
Locations
Towns
- Michel Delving, the mayoral seat of The Shire, home to the chief offices of the Shirriffs, Quick Post, and Bounders.
- Budgeford, vendors, provisions and craft-faire
- Brockenborings, skirmish camp, provisions and craft-faire
- Bywater, vendors, provisions and craft-faire
Villages
All villages have some service(s), see "areas" below for details
Housing
Player housing in the Shire is located in the South-farthing, south of Waymeet.
Points of Interest
Locations mentioned in Tolkien's works (also many of the towns and villages):
Areas
Bindbole Wood
- Village: Overhill
- Mailbox, Grocer
- Crafting: Campfire, Workbench, Expert Woodworker
- Quests: mainly 9 - 10
Bridgefields
- Town: Budgeford
- Quests: mainly 10 - 11
The Delving Fields
- Capital of the Shire: Michel Delving
- Stable-master, Milestone, Mailbox, Reflecting Pool
- Vault, Auction House, Barber, Bard, Class Trainers, Clerk of Kinships, Hobby Master, Notary, Outfitter, armour and weapon vendors
- Michel Delving's Craft-fair: Forge, Workbench, Farmlands nearby, Superior Oven, Superior Study (inside Mathom-house)
- Crafting guilds: Cook's Guild Hall
- Factions: The Mathom Society in the Mathom-house, The Inn League in The Bird and Baby Inn
- Villages:
- Events: The Shire Race-track
- Quests: mainly 1 - 10
Green Hill Country
Greenfields
- Town: Brockenborings
- Stable-master, Milestone, Mailbox, Skirmish Camp
- Healer, Provisioner, Tavern Keep, armour and weapon vendors
- Crafting: Forge, Oven, Workbench, Supplier, trainers
- Village: Scary: Mailbox, Grocer
- Events: Spring Festival Games
- Quests: mainly 11 - 13
The Hill
- POIs: Bag End, The Party Tree
- Camp Site Fire
- Crafting: Oven
- Events: The Party Tree, The Haunted Burrow (harvest festivals)
- Quests: mainly 9 - 11
Hobbiton-Bywater
- Town: Bywater
- Mailbox, Grocer, Provisioner, Tavern Keep, armour and weapon vendors
- Crafting: Forge, Oven, Workbench, Supplier, trainers
- Events: Farmers Faire
- Villages:
- Crafting: Superior Farmlands, Workbench, trainers
- Quests: mainly 7 - 10
The Marish
- Village: Stock
- POIs: Bamfurlong, Bucklebury Ferry
- Quests: mainly 9 - 11
North Bridgefields
- Creatures: mainly 10 - 12
Rushock Bog
- Village: Needlehole
- Quests: mainly 9 - 10
Tookland
- Village: Tuckborough
- POIs: Great Smials, Methel-stage
- Events: Methel-stage
- Quests: mainly 8 - 12
Connected To
- Bree-land
- Ered Luin
- Evendim
- Far Downs (not yet in-game)
- Southfarthing of the Shire (not yet in-game)
- Tower Hills (not yet in-game)
Crafting
Craft-fairs: Michel Delving's Craft-fair, Brockenborings, Budgeford, and Bywater
- Farmlands - South Fields (near Michel Delving)
- Campfire - Overhill, Waymeet
- Oven - The Party Tree
- Workbench - Overhill
- Cook's Guild - Michel Delving's Craft-fair
- Superior Oven - Michel Delving's Craft-fair
- Superior Farmlands - Hobbiton-Bywater
- Superior Study - Mathom-house in Michel Delving (requires Acquaintance with The Mathom Society)
Resource Tiers
- Apprentice: Bindbole Wood, Bridgefields, The Delving Fields, Green Hill Country, The Hill, Hobbiton-Bywater, The Marish, Rushock Bog, Tookland
- Journeyman: Greenfields, North Bridgefields
Named Creatures List
Each of these named creatures is the rare, signature, unique or named version for quests.
| Creature | Type |
|---|---|
| Big Tom | Brigand |
| Bogbull | Toad |
| Fibur Foul-heart | Dwarf |
| Gib Hawthorn | Brigand |
| Kranklúk | Troll |
| Laugfût | Warg |
| Lobelia the Toad | Toad |
| Mangemaw | Wolf |
| Murúk (The Shire) | Orc |
| Grim Maw | Wolf |
| Greenfields Queen | Spider |
| Old Croaker | Toad |
| Stone-troll | Troll |
Maps
The Shire detailed maps
Category Overview
List of everything in region:
| Regions of Eriador |
|---|
| Angmar • Bree-land • Dunland (Gap of Rohan • Nan Curunír) • Enedwaith • Ered Luin • Eregion • Ettenmoors • Evendim • Forochel • The Lone-lands • The Misty Mountains • The North Downs • The Shire • The Trollshaws |
