Middle-earth

Middle-earth: Starter Area, Lands, Regions, Areas, Settlements, Landmarks, Dungeons, Interiors, Maps

Middle-earth is a large continent, a mass of land that occupies the central regions of Arda. The world of Arda was created by J. R. R. Tolkien where the stories of both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place and where we adventure within the game of Lord of the Rings Online.

Starter Areas

Each race has their own special Starter Area where they begin their journey. Before this happens, all Characters must complete Introduction Quests which teach them how to interact with the world around them and what they can expect from their characters abilities. Elf and Dwarf characters are introduced to Thorin's Gate while Hobbits and Men begin in Archet. After completing these quests each race then arrives to their own starter areas:

• Dwarves arrive in Thorin's Gate to the northwest of Ered Luin
• Elves arrive near Celondim in southern Ered Luin
• Hobbits arrive in Little Delving to the west of The Shire
• Men arrive in Archet near the center of Bree-land
• Beornings arrive in the Vales of Anduin in Rhovanion
• High Elves arrive in a historical battle and recover in Imladris

Once here characters begin the true adventure of completing the Prologue Quests and other Quests, defeating hostile Creatures in the area, and exploring their surroundings. Whatever players decide to do it is always wise to bring along friends to journey with.

Political Geography

Political Geography is a fancy name for what most players refer to as Locations on the Middle-earth Map (as seen at the top of the article).

Locations are subdivided for ease of navigation:

Lands

• Locations viewed on the first layer of the Middle-earth map -- (all Lands)
• Currently there are four Lands: Eriador, Rhovanion, Gondor, and Mordor

Regions

• Locations viewed on the second layer of the Middle-earth map; found on the land maps -- (all Regions)
• Each Region has its own map.
• Examples: Angmar, Dunland, East Rohan, Central Gondor

Areas

• Locations viewed on the third layer of the Middle-earth map; found on the region maps (these are named places that do not have their own map) -- (all Areas)
• Examples: Redhorn Lodes, Westfold, Pelennor, Agarnaith

Places

• Locations viewed on either the third or fourth layer of the Middle-earth map; found on a region or area map (these are named places that may or may not have their own map) -- (all Places)
• Examples: Rivendell, Isengard, Edoras, Minas Tirith

• Settlements -- cities, villages and camps in Regions (all Settlements)
• Landmarks -- points of interest (POIs) and named places in Regions (all Landmarks)
• Interiors -- public interiors of buildings, caves, dungeons in Regions (all Interiors)
• Instances -- private interiors of buildings, caves, dungeons in Regions (all Instances)

Maps are available to aid players navigating the landscapes of Middle-earth. The default key to display the map in-game is M. Maps can be customized via drop-down menus to show various services such as stable-masters, milestones and vendors as well as landmarks. Players can learn the exact coordinates of these items by moving the mouse over the icon on the map. The coordinates are displayed with a number for North/South and East/West. Coordinates are displayed a similar format throughout this wiki using the Tooltip Coords template.

For more detail, see Locations

Creatures

Throughout Middle-earth you will find many different types of enemies, ranging the gamut from humans to creatures and even monsters.

A full listing of creatures organized by area can be found at the Creature locations page.

For more detail, see Creatures

Quests

For those who adventure and live within the world of Lord of the Rings Online, Quests are an essential part of leveling as well as what keeps us interested. The Epic story-line follows the "fellowship" throughout the story and in our own special way help behind the scenes. This aspect is what makes this game unique to those who love the Lord of the Rings.

For more detail, see Quests

Instances

An Instance is a separate copy of a building's interior, a dungeon, or some piece of the game's landscape. Instances are created when certain quests are activated or players pass through an instance portal, and allow an individual, Fellowship or Raid to participate in a private adventure. Generally, instances can only be entered by the individual or group that triggered them, and no outside help can be rendered to those within an instance by other adventurers.

For more details, see Instances

Lore

"Middle-earth" is a literal translation of the Old English term Middangeard, referring to this world, the habitable lands of men. Tolkien translated "Middle-earth" as Endor (or sometimes Endóre) and Ennor in the Elvish languages Quenya and Sindarin, respectively. The north of Endor became the Eurasian land-mass after the primitive Earth was transformed into the round world of today. (Source: lotr.wikia.com)

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For more detail, see Lore