View source for Old Forest

{{Infobox Areas
|name      = Old Forest
|region    = Bree-land
|dungeons  = 
|instances = [[Woe of the Willow]]
|interiors = [[Tom Bombadil's House]]
|landmarks = [[Abandoned Cottage]]<br>[[Angerwood]]<br>[[Bald Hill]]<br>[[Bonfire Glade]]<br>[[The Broken Heart]]<br>[[Creaking Vale]]<br>[[Dark-paw Vale]]<br>[[Dire Glade]]<br>[[East Forest Road]]<br>[[The Forlorn Glade]]<br>[[Goldberry's Spring]]<br>[[Old Barrows Road]]<br>[[Old Forest Tunnel]]<br>[[Old Man Willow]]<br>[[Old Muddyfoot's Hill]]<br>[[The Old Oak's Grave]]<br>[[The Shade Pool]]<br>[[The Shifting Wood]]<br>[[Tomnoddy Corner]]<br>[[The Weaver's Den]]<br>[[Weeping Water]]<br>[[Willow Glade]]<br>[[Withywindle Crossing]]
|settlements = 
|areas       = [[Buckland]]<br>[[Northern&nbsp;Barrow-downs]]<br>[[Southern Bree-fields]]<br>[[Southern Barrow-downs]]<br>[[Southern Old Forest]] - '''[[Cardolan]]'''
|levels      = 16 - 21
|restier     = Journeyman
}}
[[File:The Old Forest.jpg|600px|center]]{{Toc-right}}

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 [[Entwife|Entwives]].

No services are provided within the Old Forest itself, though weary travellers can find rest in the bounds of old [[Tom Bombadil|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.
<onlyinclude><includeonly>* POIs: [[Tom Bombadil's House]], [[Bald Hill]], [[Old Man Willow]], etc.
* Quests: mainly 16 - 21</includeonly></onlyinclude>

== [[Locations]] ==
[[File:Tom Bombadil's House.jpg|300px|thumb|Tom Bombadil's House]]
[[File:Bald Hill.jpg|300px|thumb|Bald Hill]]
[[File:The Weaver's Den.jpg|300px|thumb|The Weaver's Den]]
[[File:Goldberry's Spring.jpg|300px|thumb|Goldberry's Spring]]
[[File:Woe of the Willow.jpg|300px|thumb|Woe of the Willow]]
'''[[Landmark]]s'''
{|
|- valign="top"
| width="200" |
* [[Abandoned Cottage]]
* [[Angerwood]]
* [[Bald Hill]]
* [[Bonfire Glade]]
* [[The Broken Heart]]
* [[Creaking Vale]]
* [[Dark-paw Vale]]
* [[Dire Glade]]
* [[East Forest Road]]
* [[The Forlorn Glade]]
* [[Goldberry's Spring]]
* [[Old Barrows Road]]
| width="200" |
* [[Old Forest Tunnel]]
* [[Old Man Willow]]
* [[Old Muddyfoot's Hill]]
* [[The Old Oak's Grave]]
* [[The Shade Pool]]
* [[The Shifting Wood]]
* [[Tomnoddy Corner]]
* [[The Weaver's Den]]
* [[Weeping Water]]
* [[Willow Glade]]
* [[Withywindle Crossing]]
|}

'''[[Interior]]s'''
* [[Tom Bombadil's House]]

'''[[Instance]]s'''
* [[The Hunter's Path]] ''- Hunters''
* [[Woe of the Willow]]

== NPCs ==
''See "[[:Category:Old Forest NPCs|list of NPCs]]" within the Old Forest''
{{:Category:Old Forest NPCs}}

== Quests ==
''See "[[:Category:Old Forest Quests|starting quests]]" and the landmarks for more quests''<br>
'''Starting:'''
{{:Category:Old Forest Quests}}
'''Involving:'''
* [15] [[Quest:Forest Bats|Forest Bats]]
* [15] [[Quest:Forest Bears|Forest Bears]]
* [15] [[Quest:Forest Wolves|Forest Wolves]]
* [16] [[Quest:Forest Spiders|Forest Spiders]]
* [15] [[Quest:Old Forest Investigation|Old Forest Investigation]]
* [15] [[Quest:The Wood-cutter's Tale|The Wood-cutter's Tale]]
* [15] [[Quest:Instance: The Hunter's Path|Instance: The Hunter's Path]]
* [15] [[Quest:Instance: The Speech of Animals|Instance: The Speech of Animals]]
* [16] [[Quest:New Trouble in the Old Forest|New Trouble in the Old Forest]]
* [17] [[Quest:Wolf-pelts|Wolf-pelts]]
* [17] [[Quest:In the Shadow of Giants|In the Shadow of Giants]]
* [18] [[Quest:Marigold|Marigold]]
* [19] [[Quest:Defying Description|Defying Description]]
* [20] [[Quest:Unnatural Fury|Unnatural Fury]]
* [20] [[Quest:Instance: Root and Rot|Instance: Root and Rot]]
* [20] [[Quest:The Seed of Rot|The Seed of Rot]]
* [22] [[Quest:Synonyms for Spooky|Synonyms for Spooky]]

== Creatures ==
The following [[creatures]] are found within the area:
{{div col|colwidth=13em|content=
* [[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 [[Quest:Instance: Root and Rot|Instance: Root and Rot:]]
{{div col|colwidth=13em|content=
* [[Accursed Fell Spirit (Old Forest)|Accursed Fell Spirit]]
* [[Panicked Forest-hunter]]
* [[Vengeful Fell Spirit]]
* [[Wood-troll Corruptor]]
}}

== Lore ==
: ''"A remnant of the great forests of [[Middle-earth]] in the [[Second Age]]; most of these forests were felled by the [[Númenor|Númenóreans]], but two isolated woodlands remained. The Old Forest was the northern of these two (the other being [[Fangorn]] in the south)."'' &mdash; 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."'' &mdash; 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."'' &mdash; The Fellowship of the Ring


: ''See also {{:Item: Old Forest Guide |mode=imlink_plain}} for individual locations''

== Maps ==
[[File:Old Forest map.jpg|400px|Map of the Old Forest]]
[[File:Old Forest POI.JPG|400px|Old Forest POIs]]

'''Detailed Maps'''<br>
[[File:Old Forest Named Creatures.jpg|400px|Old Forest Named Creatures]]
[[File:Old Forest map by Varghedin.jpg|300px|Old Forest map by Varghedin]]

'''[[Bree-land]]'''<br>
[[File:Bree-land map.jpg|400px|Map of Bree-land]]
[[File:Bree-land map by Varghedin.jpg|360px|Bree-land map by Varghedin]]

== Gallery == 
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
File:Old Forest Bear Dens.jpg|Bear dens in the Old Forest
File:Old Forest Brandybuck's Camp.jpg|Brandybuck's Camp along the Withywindle
File:Old Forest Bridge.jpg|Bridge near Tom Bombadil's House
File:Old Forest Lumber Pile.jpg|Lumber pile east of Bonfire Glade
File:Old Forest North Border.jpg|Border to the Southern Bree-fields
File:Old Forest North.jpg|The northern parts of the forest
File:Old Forest Pond.jpg|Pond south of the Weeping Water
File:Old Forest South.jpg|Southern sections overrun by spiders
</gallery>

{{Old Forest}}
{{Bree-land}}

[[Category:Woods]]