The Lord of the Rings, Volume Two THE TWO TOWERS TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Interface 3. Combat 4. Character Types 5. Characteristics 6. Skills A. Active Skills B. Combat Skills C. Lores D. Acquiring New Skills 7. Spells A. Magic In Middle-Earth B. Acquiring New Spells C. Words of Power D. Items for The Two Towers E. Acquiring Weapons F. Magical Items G. Other Items H. What Has Gone Before 8. Major Characters 9. A Guide To Rohan & The Surrounding Country 10. A Guide To Lands East of Anduin, South of Rauros 11. A History of Middle-Earth A. A Bestiary of Middle-Earth B. Glossary of Names 12. Paragraphs 13. About the Author 14. About the Creators INTRODUCTION Welcome to the second part of Interplay's adaptation of "The Lord of the Rings" for the personal computer, "The Two Towers." This game is a sequel to the first game in this series, "Lord of the Rings, Volume One," which was published by Interplay in December 1990. We've added technical improvements to enhance this game: automapping; an interface where it is less cumbersome to move between menus to use skills or items; improved handling of items; even better graphics, and more music. We've also added cliffhangers, where the action will shift between various parties, something which has never been done in a computer RPG. All of these things will, we hope, add to your enjoyment of the game. "The Two Towers" is meant to serve as a sequel to the original "Lord of the Rings" game, but it is also should be playable by those who have not played the original game, or those who have not read J.R.R. Tolkien's epic saga. The one hundredth anniversary of J.R.R. Tolkien is in 1992, and as with all birthdays, it's a cause to celebrate. I am not certain that Tolkien would have approved of computer games; Tolkien was not a technophile, and came to see machines as engines of destruction, which is reflected in his writings. Hopefully, this adaptation of "Lord of the Rings" will transform the machine into an object of delight (if not enlightenment); something more fit for Rivendell than Mordor. After "The Lord of the Rings, Volume One," the highest complement we received was not critical praise; it was the people who told us that we inspired them to read Tolkien. I hope that his sort of inspiration becomes a tradition with this series. þ INTERFACE þ "The Lord of the Rings, Volume One" uses a full screen display with a "hidden" interface, or icon window. To trigger the interface, either press the Space Bar or click on the right mouse button. This will bring up the icon window at the bottom of the screen. This will bring up the following icons: 1) ATTACK ICON: This icon is pictured as a sword. Click on the sword during any combat situation, and the character will be able to attack an enemy with whatever weapon is equipped. Note: whenever an enemy is wounded, an asterick will appear next to his/her/its name on the list of opponents. 2) VIEW ICON: This icon is pictured as a scroll. Clicking on this icon will give the statistics or any character whose picture is currently displayed on screen. This also gives the listing for the amount of money, in silver pieces, possessed by the ENTIRE party. 3) GET ICON: This icon is pictured as a hand picking up a ball. This icon serves three functions: a) to grab treasure that the player may find during the course of the game, b) to purchase items from merchants, and c) to learn skills from someone willing to teach them. This icon is triggered automatically when an item can be picked up. 4) USE ICON: This icon is pictured as a hand dropping a ball. This icon allows a charcter to use items, show items, equip items, trade items, or discard items. The use command also allows the player to view the character's inventory. Above the item names is the name of the character to whom the item belongs. Clicking on this name will allow you to cycle through the members of the party without having to leave the menu. This is different than "Lord of the Rings, Volume One." Equip items allows an item to be equipped or de-equipped. This includes all weapons, as well as the Ring. 5) SKILL ICON: This icon is pictured as a scholar's cap. During some situations, a character will need to perform skills (picking a lock, climbing a cliff, etc.) The skill icon will give the player access to his character's skills. The icon defaults to the skills of the leader; to access other character's skills, click on the character selection icon and select the character. Each character has different skills, so your party will have to work as a team. Above the skill names is the name of the character to whom the skills belongs. Clicking on this name will allow you to cycle through the members of the party wihout having to leave the menu. This is a change from "Lord of the Rings, Volume One." 6) MAGIC ICON: This icon is pictured as a magic wand. It will allow a character to cast spells, including words of power. If a character has no words of powers or spells, this icon will not activate. 7) TALK ICON: This ison is pictured as a word balloon. It allows a character to talk with some of the creatures that he meets on screen. Make certain your character is close enough to be heard by the character he's trying to talk with! Clicking on this button produces the following sub-directory: a) RECRUIT: This allows you to ask creatures or characters to join your party. b) DISMISS: There is a maximum of ten characters that may join the Fellowship at any time. If you wish to make room for new characters, use Dismiss to remove them. c) TALK: You will meet many characters in Middle- earth with which to converse. Use Talk to get an initial message. Use Question, which comes up on the subdirectory, to talk with them about a specific subject. (Example: To learn more about what is going on in Rohan, type "NEWS" when you meet the Rohirrim. Sometimes the initial message will give hints on which subjects a character may be questioned about). 8) LEADER ICON: The leader will often take the brunt of the action in "Lord of the Rings, Volume 1," and many encounters will use the leader's abilities to determine the outcome. Use the human pyramid to choose a new leader when it seems appropriate. 9) OPTIONS ICON: This allows the player to fulfill the following functions: Load Game (L) Save Game (S) Quit Game (Q) Pause Game (P) Stop Music (M) Toggle Music Off/On (T) View Automap (A) The automap will show exteriors and undergrounds; it cannot be used to view the interiors of buildings. 10) EXIT ICON: As it says. For those playing "Lord of the Rings" without a mouse, refer to the referece card for keystroke commands. þ COMBAT þ Combat in "Lord of the Rings" is determined on screen. When a hostile enemy appears, the characters have two options: attack, or run away. To attack, move your icon close to the enemy and press the attack icon, or press the attack icon, if you're firing with a ranged weapon such as a bow. To run away, simply move your character off the screen. It should be noted that in some encounters, your characters will not be allowed to leave the screen (Ringwraiths will hunt down your characters in most combat situations). Characters have access to a full range of their abilities in combat. They may use and trade items, they may case spells and use words of power, and even employ skills. Characters with a high dexterity score get to move first in combat. Those with very high dexterity scores will often have multiple chances to hit in combat against slower creatures (such as trolls). In combat, a character will take damage to his life point total. If his life points drops between one and five points, he will be rendered unconscious. The life points will drop during combat; eventually the character will die, unless the combat is over. Once a combat ends, an unconscious character will regain consciousness with a total of six life points. Unconscious characters abandoned in combat (by running away) will die. When an enemy is wounded in combat, a marker will appear beside his/her/its name on the icon menu. If it is barely wounded, an asterick will appear beside it; if it is seriously wounded, an exclamation point will appear beside it. Characters who have skills with weapons will get a chance to perform special maneuvers with the weapon if it is equipped. These special maneuvers are: BLOCK: (Usable with swords and staves only) This maneuver allows a swordsman to figh defensively. It is not as easy for him to hit in combat, and he does less damage, but anyone who attacks him does so at a considerable penalty. SWING: (Usable with axes skill only) This maneuver gives the axeman a slight penalty to hit, and adds a considerable bonus to anyone who attacks him, but also greatly increases the damage done by his attack. AIM: (Usable with bows skill only) This maneuver increases the archer's chance to hit the target, and adds to his damage, but makes it very easy for opponents to strike him in combat. DODGE: (Usable with dodge skill only) This maneuver makes the person doing it very hard to hit; he cannot attack while performing a dodge. See also Weapons in the items section. þ CHARACTER TYPES þ In "The Two Towers," there are two types of characters. A Player Character (PC for short), is a character who belongs to the Fellowship, the group of characters participating in the Quest of the Ring. A Non-Player (NPC for short), is a character who does not belong to the Fellowship, but with whom it is possible to interact (either trhough trade, speech, or comat, occasionally all three). In "Two Towers," there is also another distinction: the player character who belongs to the Fellowship may be defined as permanent or temporary player characters. Permanent player characters are the Fellowship from the Lord of the Rings trilogy: Frodo, Sam, Pippin, Merry, Gandolf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. They will join the Fellowship and remain in the group for the duration of the game. They may be dismissed, by they may be killed, but they will not abandon the Quest. These characters may be brought into further games in this series, such as the Return of the King. Temporary player characters will join the Fellowship, but are not interested in the Quest and will instead pursue their own goals. Their paths may cross with that of the Fellowship, and they will gladly help them and accept help from them, but will eventually leave the Fellowship when their job is over or when the Fellowship goes too far from their goal. Example: Freod, a soldier from Dunharrow, is looking for the agent of Saruman who murdered his brother. He will joing the Fellowship if the Fellowship agrees to help him. If he finds the murderer, or if the Fellowship leaves Dunharrow, Freod will tell them that he is not interested in travelling away from his home and will remove himself from the Fellowship. þ CHARACTERISTICS þ Every character in Lord of the Rings, Volume One has a set of six attributes. These attributes are known as characteristics, and represent a character's personal abilities. They are defined as follows: DEXTERITY (DEX) This represents the character's ability to move swiftly. This is especially important in combat, where it determines how often a character may strike, how accurate his blows are, and how agile he is at avoiding the blows of of his opponents. ENDURANCE (END) Endurance represents how much punishment a character may take. A character with a high endurance (such as a Wizard) can endure a lot of injury; characters with low endurance scores (such as Hobbits) will fall after taking very little punishment. LIFE POINTS (LIFE) Life points represent the current injury level of a character. A character's maximum life points is equal to his endurance. A character who falls below six life points in combat in unconscious, and may die. A character who falls to zero life points is dead. Characters who die in "The Two Towers" cannot be resurrected, at least not by any spell available to the player. STRENGTH (STR) Strength represents the capability of a character to life heavy objects. Strenth also adds to the damage a character does with a weapon in combat; a character with high strength does a lot of damage with a weapon. Strength helps slightly in striking a character by knocking a parry or a shield aside. LUCK (LUCK) Luck represents well... it is sometimes said that it's better to be lucky than good. Luck represents an unseen attribute, one's ability to get good breaks in life. A character with a high luck value is harder to hit in a combat situation than a character with a low luck scre. Hobbits are lucky characters. WILLPOWER (WILL) Willpower represents mental toughtness and determination. It also represents the ability not to be affected by objects of evil power, such as the Ring. Hobbits have a very high willpower score. INCREASING CHARACTERISTICS Characteristics are increased through the acquisition of experience, especially experience with the major powers of Middle-Earth. Characteristics increase when the characters compete quests, or in contact with certain items that give increased strength, luck, etc. Increases in characteristics occur automatically. þ KILLS þ A character is not just shaped by his personal attributes; often what he can do with them is what counts. SKILLS in "the Two Towers" can be divided into three catagories: Active Skills, Combat Skills, and Lores. Active Skills will only come into play if the player triggers the skills icon and users them. Combat skills give bonuses in battle. Lore skills give the character extra information about a race or a culture. Both Combat Skills and Lores will never need to be triggered by the skills icon. - ACTIVE SKILLS - BOATS Characters with this skill can use boats with an expert's skill, from small rafts, to the huge swanships of the elves. BRAVADO This skills allows a character to sway the opinions or a large number of people. When a crowd expresses disapproval or despair, a show of bravado can encourage them. This skill is not useful in "Lord of the Rings, Volume 1," but will play a role in "The Two Towers" and "Return of the King," the next two games in this series. CHARISMA This skill is similar to Bravado, but affects an individual, rather than a group. A character who is unwilling to do something may have their minds changed by charisma. A kind and gentle word can often heal a hardened heart. CLIMB There are many steep hills and mountains in Middle-Earth. Those who use the climb skill may climb all but the steepest of these slopes, and be able to guide those who travel with them over such terrain. Climb is also useful in crawling down into holes, and climbinh up them again. DETECT TRAPS The Dark Lord has built may fiendish devices over the millennia, and those who are especially greedy love to protect their wealth from thieves with deadly traps. When the Fellowship approaches an item that might be trapped, using this skill will warn them of the presence of these perils. DEVICES There are many machines in Middle-earth. Some were built by the Dark Lord. Others were built by the dwarves. Others were built by the wizard Saruman. The devices skill allows a character to understand a complex device and use it. Devices is also the skill that allows a charcter to disarm traps. HIDE There are many foes in Middle-earth, and sometimes discretion is more appropriate than valor. Using the hide-skill will sometimes hide the player from the view of those who wish to harm him. It is rarely useful to hide in the open. JUMP In the depths of Middle-Earth, one can often find great chasms. Those who are skills are jump can navigate these chasms, and guide the rest of their party over them as well. PERCEPTION A sharp eye can solve many of the mysteries of Middle Earth. Use the perception skill to find hidden objects; clues will usually be given, so in general, it isn't always a good idea to use this skill without knowing that something might be there. PICKLOCKS In Middle-Earth, people are not always trusting wiht their valuables, and many keep them locked. Those with picklocks skills can all but sophisticated lock, or those that are magically defended. READ There are many languages in Middle-Eart (and even more dialects and offshoots). A charcter with this skill is capable of reading inscriptions and writings in many languages. RIDING This allows the character to control horses, even steeds as great as the Mearas, the great horses of Rohan. SNEAK A character with this skill can instruct his party on how to move silently and stealthily in dangerous places. If you see an orc, and he doesn't see you, it is usually a good idea to sneak past him. - COMBAT SKILLS - The ability to perform well in combat is very important. While everyone can use weapons (provided they have enough strength to safely use them), those who are skilled at using a weapon has an increased chance to hit with them in combat. These combat skills are: AXES Those have this skill have an increased chance to hit an opponent when armed with an axe. Many dwarves have this skill. BOWS Those have this skill have an increased chance to hit an opponent when armed with a bow. Woodland elves are known to have this skill. BRAWL This represents unarmed combat. Those who know how to brawl have a good chance to affect someone even without weapons. DODGE Characters with this skill get an additional defensive bonus in combat. SWORDS Those have this skill have an increased chance to hit an opponent when armed with a sword. Most of the great warriors of Middle-Earth have this skill. - LORES - There are also skills which are not actively used by the player, but can give valuable information if the player possesses them. These skills are known as lores. Lore skills work when a character enter an area where his knowledge is useful. A character with Numenorean lore, for instance, could enter ruins which were built by the Numenoreans, he would then tell something about the ruins to the rest of the party. This occurs automatically; actively using a lore skill is never useful. The lores available in "The Two Towers" are: Hobbit Lore Elven Lore Dwarf Lore Orc Lore Ranger Lore Numenorean Lore Wizard Lore Dark Lore. These skills descrive, respectively, being knowledgeable about Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Rangers, Numenoreans, Wizards, and the Dark Lord. - ACQUIRING NEW SKILLS - There are two ways to acquire skills in "The Two Towers" 1) The most common way is to find a place where an expert can teach people skills. Trigger the purchase icon, and a list of skills will appear. Then, just give the skill to the person you would like to learn it. 2) There are certain places where characters will suddenly acquire a skill, where (magically or otherwise) the character gains knowledge. These places are very rare; and often the knowledge has its price (you usually don't want to learn Dark Lore in this manner). Check your character's skills list on occasion to determine whether any new skills have been added to their inventory. þ SPELLS þ MAGIC IN MIDDLE-EARTH Magic in Middle-Earth is very rare. Many of the inhabitants of Middle-earth have lived their entire lives without seeing anyone cast a spell. The rules of spellcasting magic are as follows: Magic is divided into white and black magic. White Magic is used by the Five Wizards of the White Council: Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast, and two others who do not come into these tales. Various forms of white magic are practised by powerful elves (such as Galadriel and Elrond). The children of Numenor occasionally employ ancient magic items. The palantiri, the seeing stones of Elendil, are an example of magic items used by humans (note: these items will not appear until the second game in this series). White magic exacts a price from the caster, in the form of lost life points. Each spell will drain 1d4 life points; when a caster's life point total is reduced to a point where casting spells will cause unconsciousness, spells will fail to take affect. The list of spells known to white magicians are given below. White magic is cast with the blessing and approval of the Valar. Wizards carry a staff, given to them by the Valar, as a symbol of their authority. Black magic, on the other hand, is evil magic derived from Melkor, Lord of darkness. White it is intended (by the caster) to enhance his power, it actually corrupts his soul. Black magic is typically wielded by the Ringwraiths and their apprentices, evil sorcerers. Black magic is typically wielded by humans, but Gandalf has hinted that orcs have also cast spells and learned black magic. In short, magic is weak, unreliable and dangerous. The wisest wizards will only emply magic when it is an absolute necessity. Given that advice, the most common spells in "The Two Towers" are: WINTERCHILL Description: This offensive spell creates an area of coldness around a single target, a cold as bitter as the blizzards of Redhorn Pass. This spell is rarely used by white magicians, as the cold of Northern winters has ever been the domain of the Dark Lord. FIREFINGER Description: This offensive spell creates a jet of searing white flame. This flame is enough to singe the whiskers of a warg, or worse. This spell is known to be used by Gandalf the Grey, on the rare occasions that he uses magic openly. VINECRUSH Description: This offensive spell creates vines from stone or earth that crush an opponent. This spell has also been known to restrain a fleeing opponent, though using this spell in this manneri s not always guaranteed to succeed. Vinecrush is a favored spell of the wizard Radagast the Brown. COUNTERMAGIC Description: There are many places in Middle-earth which are enchancted, under the influence of magical powers. Certain doors, for example, may be held shut by magic. To dispel these enchantments, a Countermagic spell is usually employed. Certain enchantments, however, may be so powerful that the Countermagic spell is useless; so do not expect this to work in every case. UNLOCK Description: This spell will affect normal locks. It is considered to be more reliable than using a Lockpick skill, but there are some locks in Middle-earth, particularly those of dwarven manufacture, that even an Unlock spell cannot open. ILLUMINATE Description: There are many dark places in Middle-earth. An Illuminate spell is the method most favored by wizards of dispelling the darkness and bringing light to the blackest places of Middle-earth. This spell will endure except when dispelled by powerful magic, or until one has returned to the surface. ANIMALSPEAK Description: There are many birds and beasts in Middle-earth, and sometimes valuable information and counsel can be gained from them. To speak with animals, an Animalspeak spell will often allow a long and profitable discourse. KINGSHAND Description: The Hands of the King are the hands of a healer, or so it is said in Gondor. This spell will heal some of the damage done against the entire Fellowship, allowing them to regain their strength and vigor. - ACQUIRING NEW SPELLS - As spells are the domain of wizards, one can only learn new spells from a wizard or something of greater power than a wizard (i.e. the Valar, or Sauron). Because of this, it is all but impossible to learn new spells. - WORDS OF POWER - Magic spells, both white an black, may only be cast by trained magicians. However, there is another type of magic that may be used by anyone with the knowledge--Words of Power. Words of power are used to invoke the great powers of Middle-earth. If a person were sailing in the middle of a great storm, and their ship was about to sink, using the word of power !Ulmo might cause the Vala of the Seas (Ulmo) to appear and save his ship from destruction. Words of power always begin with a "!", as the use of a word of power is considered an recognition of the greatness of the invoked power. Words of power in "The Two Towers" include: !Elbereth !Luthien !Felagund !Gwaihir !Edro !Fimbrethil Using these words of power at a certain time and place will be of great benefit. Using them at the wrong time or place achieves nothing. Unlike spells, once a word of power is successfully used, it will disappear from the spell inventory. All characters in the beginning part of the game who might belong to the Fellowship will begin with !Helphelp. This all purpose word is useful in times of great trouble, but it is up to the player to discover what circumstances require the use of this word. - ITEMS for "THE TWO TOWERS" - WEAPONS AND ARMOR (Middle-eart is a dangerous place, and there are many foes that can only be overcome with use of arms.) The chart on the next page lists the weapons that may be used by the members of the Fellowship. Explanation of Terms: Damage: This is the amount of injury, against a character's life points, of the damage done by a particular weapon. To Hit: Some weapons are easier to wield and more accurate in combat than others. Swords, daggers, and staves are all more effective at hitting an opponent than other weapons. STR Min: Some weapons are harder to use than others. Unless a character has enough strength to match the strength minimum of a weapon, they will be unable to equip it. Thus, hobbits, with a low average strength, are not capable of using a sword in combat. Dagger: A short blade, the size of a large knife, and sturdier. The preferred weapons of hobbits in close combat. Sword: A long blade, used for millenia by Elves and Men of Middle-Earth. Staff: A long, thick wooden stick. A staff is used by wizards, though Gandalf prefers his magic sword, Glamdring. The staff of a wizard also has other special properties which will be discussed later in the game. Axe: A preferred weapon of swarves. Axes are not as precise as a sword, but will inflict heavy damage. Club: A thick piece of wood, used by ruffians and trolls. Bow: The favored weapon of wood elves, bows fire arrows over long distances. For game purposes, it is usually easy to recover arrows after combat, thus it is not necessary to keep track of the precise number of arrows that are used. Torch: Primarily used as a light source in dark places, torches are also quite useful as weapons when one does not have anything else. Magic weapons such as Anduril, Sting, and other weapons that will be encountered in the game have high damage and "to hit" ratings than other weapons. When one is involved in combat, it is usually a good idea to be wearing armor. There are four types of armor that the Fellowship members have access to in "The Two Towers." Armor reduces the amount of damage that is taken from an enemy's blow; however, heavy armor affects a character's mobility, making it a little easier for an opponent to hit him. Shields do not block damage, but can improve the ability of a Fellowship memeber to defend himself by making him harder to hit. Below is the Armor Effects Chart. Explanation of Terms: Damage Reduced: This is the number of life points which will be subtracted from a damage roll by armor. Thus a character who is wearing mithril armor (which absorbs five points of damage) who is hit for nine points of damage by a blow, will only suffer (9-5) four life points of damage. Effect on Defense: This explains how the armor affects the character's defensive adjustment. Leather armor reduces the defensive adjustment slightly, while chain mail affects it considerably, but provides better protection. Cloth: This armor type is simply very heavy cloth, which absorbs a small amount of of damage from a blow. Leather: This armor type is thick leather, worn as a jerkin, to absorb damage from a blow. Chain: This armor is a mail suit, finely wrought pieces of chain with a cloth backing to pad the skin. This provides very good protection, but also hinders movement in combat. Mithril: This is the finest swarven armor, as light as it is sturdy. It is made from mithril, a metal ore that can be found in only one place in Middle-Earth, the dwarven mines of Moria. ACQUIRING WEAPONS Weapons and armor are sold in only a handful of places in Middle-Earth; while Shire Hobbits have known how to use weapons (bows in particular), they do not sell or give away weapons. In general, the easiest way to get weapons is to find them in treasure hoards. MAGICAL ITEMS There are many magical items in Middle-earth, however, their exact powers and locations remain a mystery. Here are a few items that are known to exist, and the powers they are known to possess. THE ONE RING The One Ring of Sauron the Terrible, currently helf by the hobbit Frodo Baggins. The Ring has the ability to render anyone who wears it invisible, and to preserve their life, though, as Gandalf has said, this is really an Unlife, where on eventually becomes a wraith and falls under the command of the Lord of the Rings, Sauron. The Ring drains the Will of anyone who uses it, and when one's will has become reduced to Zero, they are effectively dead. Using the Ring will drain Will, and the longer the Ringbearer wears it, the lower the Will score becomes. The Ring is known to have a mind of its own, and will often play tricks on the Ringbearer, trying to escape and come back to its Master, The Dark Lord. The Ring is a burden on anyone who uses it, and only creatures with an extremely strong will should handle the Ring. For this reason alone, it is recommended that the Fellowship include a full complement of hobbits, who have a very strong will. WIZARD'S STAFF The staff of a wizard is a symbol of their authority from the Valar to wield white magic. In extreme emergencies, a wizard can call upon the full power of his staff, which usually shatters it. Wizard's staves are possessed by the wizards Gandalf, Radagast, and Saruman. GLAMDRING This is the magical sword of Gandalf, which he took from a troll's hoard. NARSIL/ANDURIL This sword was used by Isildur to cut the Ring from Sauron's finger during the last battle of the Second Age of Middle-Earth. Narsil was broken into several pieces; Aragorn reforged them and renamed the sword Anduril. STING This powerfuly magic dagger was used by Bilbo Baggins during his quest with the dwarves, and was taken by him to Rivendell, where is was given to Frodo. LESSER RINGS During the second age of Middle-earth, Sauron and Celebrimbor fashioned many Rings of POwer. The greater Rings of Middle-earth have been given away or destroyed, however, there were numerous lesser Rings of Power. There may still be numerous lesser Rings, which may aid the Fellowship in its Quest to destroy the One Ring. - OTHER ITEMS - FOOD Adventure is important, but to hobbits (and the other denizens of Middle- Earth) food is a necessity. The major game effect of food is that it restores lost life points. Food will help heal a character, but it only effective at healing once per day. Difference types of food have different effects; rations have only a minor curative effect, but lembas, the waybread of the elves of Loth- lorien, is very good a promoting healing. Here is a list of some of the food of Middle-earth and their effect on a character's life points. MIRUVOR This is also known as the cordial of Imladris; this elixir is proog against the cold storms of mountain passes, and will reduce the effect of the cold on members of the Fellowship. It is only give by Elrond. ATHELAS Known in Gondor as Kingsfoil, this herb is a powerful curative. It is useful in the hands of a healer or someone skilled in Herb Lore. This herb is said to be especially effective in the hands of the rightful King of Gondor. - WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE... - In a hole in the ground lived a hobbit. That hobbit's name was Bilbo Baggins, and, quite unexpectedly, he was taken off on an adventure by a wizard named Gandalf and thirteen dwarves. The dwarves wished to regain their home, which they had lost long ago to a dragon named Smaug. Since dwarves are not very stealthy (and hobbits are), Bilbo was hired to act as a Burglar, to sneak and scout in Smaug's lair. Eventually, Bilbo came back from this adventure, quite rich and happy. He also came back with a magic ring that could make himself invisible, which he had won in a contest of riddles with a creature named Gollum. Gollum was not happy to lose his ring. (his Precious he called it) and swore an oath: "Baggins! We hates it forever!" On his 111th birthday, Bilbo had grown tired of life in the Shire (the land of hobbits) and decided to leave and retire with his friends, the elves of Rivendell. Bilbo gave his Ring to his nephew Frodo. Bilbo had become very attacked to his ring, and found himself surprisingly hesitant to give it away, but with Gandalf's help, he left it behind. Bilbo's reluctance to give away the ring made Gandalf very worried. Gandalf travelled through many lands to discover what the ring truly was. He found his answer. The ring was the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron as an instrument of evil magical power. He who possessed the Ring had the ability to conquer the world. But the Ring also corrupted anyone who used it. Gandalf also learned that the Dark Lord had captured Gollum, and knew that the Ring was held by a hobbit named Baggins. Gandalf returned to the Shire and told the young hobbit, Frodo, of what he had found. They decided that Frodo was to go to Rivendell, the home of the elves, and there they would decide what to do with the Ring. On Frodo's birthday (at the latest) Gandalf would come to escort him to Rivendell personally. Frodo would pretend to move in with his family in the easter part of the Shire, and then quietly travel to Rivendell. If Gandalf couldn't make it, then he was to go by himself. Gandalf advised him to do two things: use the name "Underhill" (since the Dark Lord would be searching for "Baggins") and to take with him friends that he trusted. Frodo did as Gandalf said, selling his home, Bag End, to his odious cousin Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, and waited for Gandalf to arrive on his birthday. But Gandalf did not come. At this point, the first game in this series, "Lord of the Rings, Volume One," began. The events, as described in the novel, are as follows: Frodo set out with his friends Sam Gamgee, Pippin Took, and Merry Brandybuck, and travelled to Rivendell. There, they encountered the Nine, the Black Riders, the most powerful servants of Sauron. With help from the ranger Aragorn, the Fellowship maide it to Rivendell, where they met Gandalf. A great council was held at Rivendell, and it was decided that Frodo would take the Ring to Mount Doom in Mordor, and destroy it. Nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring would go on this great quest: Frodo, Merry, Sam, and Pippin; Gandalf, and Aragorn; Boromir, Captain of Gondor; Legolas, an elven prince from Mirkwood; and the dwarf Gimli. To escape pursuit from wolves, the Fellowship entered the mines of Moria, the great city of the dwarves, now abandoned. There, they found many orcs, evil creatures in the service of the Dark Lord, and the Balrog, a demonic creature of great power and evil. In combating the Balrog, Gandalf apparently fell to his death. The Fellowship took refuge in Lorien, home of the Lady Galadriel, where they were given gifts. Under the leadership of Aragorn they continued eastward, until they reached a point where they were forced to decide whether to continue to Mordor, or to accompany Boromir to Minas Tirith, which was greatly in need of defense against Sauron. Boromir, however, had other plans to defend his city, and tried to seize the Ring from Frodo. Frodo put on the Ring and fled, pursued by Sam. Before the other members of the Fellowship could pursue the Ringbearer, orcs attacked them. Boromir was slain defending Merry and Pippin, who were kidnapped and taken to Isengard, fortress of the renegade wizard Saruman. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli left in pursuit of the captured hobbits, leaving Frodo and Sam to take the Ring to Mount Doom. And thus out story beings... þ MAJOR CHARACTERS þ FRODO BAGGINS: The nephew of Bilbo Baggins, Frodo's parents drowned in a boating accident and Frodo was adopted by his uncle. Frodo inherited Bag End following his uncle's mysterious and scandalous disappearance during his eleventy-first birthday party. Frodo is a wise and responsible hobbit, but tormented by his burden, the One Ring, and his quest. SAMWISE GAMGEE: The son of old Gaffer Gamgee, Samwise (better known as Sam) is Frodo's closet friend. Samwise works in the gardens of Bag Row, and is known as one of the sturdiest hobbits in Hobbiton, as well as an exceptional gardener. Sam has taken on the role of Frodo's servant and protector in this quest. PEREGRIN TOOK: Peregrin (almost always known as Pippin) is the oldest son of Paladin Took, the Thane of the Shire. Pippin is a jolly hobbit who makes a good friend, but is rather immature and irresponsible. MERIADOC BRANDYBUCK: Meriadoc (almost always known as Merry) is the only son of Saradoc Brandybuck, the Master of Buckland. Merry is a childhood friend of Frodo Baggins, his cousin, and he and his friend Pippin are virtually inseperable. Unlike Pippin, Merry is a smart and responsible young hobbit. ARAGORN: Also known as Strider, also known as Elfstone, Aragorn is the chief of the Rangers of the North, the last surviving descendent of Isildur, who took the One Ring from Sauron long ago, and the rightful king of Gondor. Aragorn is a masterful scout, tracker, and woodsman, among many other skills. GANDALF: Known to the elves and the people of Gondor as Mithrandir, Gandalf is the last surviving wizard of the White Council to involve himself in the defense of Middle-earth against the forces of Sauron. Unfortunately, he fell from a great bridge in Moria and died. LEGOLAS: An elven prince of Mirkwood. Legolas is high-spirited and noble, and a good friend of Gimli the dwarf. GIMLI: A stout dwarf from the Lonely Mountain; Gimli is the son of Gloin, one of the companions of Bilbo during the quest to slay the dragon Smaug. He is crusty but valiant, and a true friend. He and Legolas have become fast friends. BOROMIR: The eldest son of Denothor, the Ruling Steward of Gondor; Boromir was a valiant man, but stubborn; his belief that men could not be corrupted by the One Ring led him to attempt to seize it by force from Frodo, an action that led to the break-up of the Fellowship. Boromir died shortly after tha, defending Merry and Pippin from orcs. GOLLUM: This creature once held the One Ring, until he lost it to Bilbo Baggins, Frodo's uncle. Since then, Gollum has been searching Middle-earth for "his Precious," and will not stop until he gets it back. þ GUIDE TO ROHAN AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTRY þ (For a reference to these locations, refer to the may on pages 44 & 45) ROHAN: The Kingdom of Rohan was founded in the year 2510, when a great invasion of Gondor by orcs and men of the East threatened the Kingdom. Eorl, a chieftain of a tribe of men that dwelt near the source of the river Anduin, came down from the north unexpectedly from the North with a great number of cavalry, and defeated the invaders on the field of Celebrant. The Stewards of Gondor then awarded Eorl and his people with the lands of Calen ardhon, which were renamed Rohan. The people became known as the Rohirrim, and its Kings were the House of Eorl. The House of Eorl has ruled Rohan for over hour hundred years. Brego son of Eorl built the great city of Edoras to serve as its capital, and built the Golden Hall of Meduself to serve as his palace. For many years afterwards, Rohan had peace. However, during the rule of King Helm Hammerhand, there was a rebellion by the Dunlanders, and the Rohirrim were overthrown. Helm led resistance at the fortress of the Hornburg, and kept the Dunlanders from completely destroying the Rohirrim. Legends say that, during the Fell Winter in which he was overthrown, he would wander into the camps of his enemies and slay them with his bare hands. Helm died during the winter, but his efforts at resisting the Rohirrim resulted in the liberation of Rohan and the restoration of the House of Eorl. It is said that Helm's spirit still wanders the world, blowing its horn, putting fear into the hearts of the enemies of Rohan. When Frealaf, nephew of Helm, was crowned King of Rohan, the wizard Saruman came to Rohan, bearing gifts and proclaiming his friendship with the Rohirrim. He was well received, and was given the keys to the ancient Gondorian fortress of Isengard. For many years, Saruman was a good neighbor, but as he became more corrupt, he began to see Rohan as an object to be possessed, as a target for attack. During the reign of Theoden, Saruman gathered a large force of the orcs of the Misty Mountains and brought the peoples of Dunland under his sway, and began his plans of conquest. Rohan is divided into two areas: the Westfold and the Eastfold, also called the Westemnet and the Eastemnet. These lands are not widely settled, and the villages on these lands have suffered greatly at the hands of orcs. ISENGARD: The great fortress of Angrenost (now called Isengard) was built by the people of Gondor in the early Third Age of Middle-earth. It is a huge obelisk of extremely hard black rock, which rises hundreds of feet into the air. It was given by the Steward of Gondor to Saruman several hundreds of years ago, and he has fortified it since, in imitation of Sauron's fortress of Barad-dur. FANGORN: This is one of the great forests of Middle-earth, although not as large as it was in the elder days; it may also be the oldest. The forest is legendary as the home of the ents, the shepherds of the trees. It is also said to be a place of great dangers; few people will dare to enter these woods because of these dark legends. DUNLANDS: The people of Dunland are known for being unfriendly and dour. The Rohirrim say that they are jealous of them, because they were given the grassy plains of Rohan by the Gondorians, instead of them. There have been frequent wars between the Dunlanders and the Rohirrim; even so, in times of peace, Dunlanders are far more amenable to trade than the orcs. þ GUIDE TO THE LANDS EAST IF ANDUIN, SOUTH OF RAUROS þ RAUROS: Rauros is the greatest waterfall of Middle-earth, and marks the Northern border of Gondor during the height of its territory. On the east bank is a series of treacherous cliffs, difficult for even an experienced mountaineer to climb. DEAD MARSHES: This region of dense swamp and marsh was once part of the vast battle plain where, at the end of the Second Age, the elves and men of the Last Alliance fought against the forces of Sauron. Many were buried here; over the course of time, the marshes grew, and swallowed up the graves. It is said that there are places in the marshes where at night the faces of the dead appear, and that the shades of the dead wander the marsh. BLACK GATE: South of the Dead Marshes is the desolation of the Black Gate; this is a dead, barren, charred landscape. Here is only one of two entrances to Mordor, a huge mountain pass which is guarded by the Black Gate. The Black Gate was built by the people of Gondor, after the Second Age of Middle-earth, to prevent the servants of Souron from re entering Mordor and using it as a base. During the decline of Gondor, the Gate became unguarded, and Sauron and his servants took it for their own. It is well guarded, with armies of orcs stationed there at all times. Only the very foolish would wish to enter Mordor by this route. ITHILIEN: South of the Black Gate is a green and pleasant land, the last such land before the desolatetion of Mordor. This land has been abandoned by the people of Gondor as the power of Sauron increased in Mordor, and noww only a handful of Rangers remain, harassing the forces of Sauron and his allies. Ithilien contains spectacular falls and cliffs, and the famed Crossroads. MORGUL VALE: Morgul Vale is the Valley of the Withc-King, on the western border of Mordor. Its main citadel is Minas Morgul, the city of the Witch King. Ince it was Minas Ithil, the beautiful city of Isildur, resting on the Mountains of Shadow, now like everything else in the Vale, it has become corrupt. Cirith Ungol, a pass that leads into Mordor, is located in Morgul Vale. þ A HISTORY OF MIDDLE EARTH þ THE FIRST AGE In the beginning was Iluvatar, also known as Ero "The One". He created all things from the thoughts of his mind. Desiring to create things where there was nothingness before, he created his servants, the Valar and the Maiar, and brought them together in a great music, which contained the creation and the destiny of Middle-earth These spirits descended to Middle-earth to build the world, in accordance to the music that had Eru had devised, and also in accordance to their own creativity. But there was one among the Valar, the greatest of spirits, Morgoth, who sought to impose his own thoughts on Middle-earth that were contrary to the will of ERu. Thoughts of evil. Morgoth's evil was powerful, and he subverted many of the Maiar to his cause, most notably spirits of flame and shadow called Balrogs, and Sauron, the Deceiver. In time, as Eru had planned, elves were born. The Valar, eager for their companionship, invited them to their land of Valinor. And the elves came, and learned form the Valar. Of these elves, the greatest was Feanor, who created the Silmarils, three jewels of light that captured and preserved the living radiance of the Two Trees of Valinor. Morgoth, who hated the friendship of the Valar and the elves, plotted to destroy it. He slew Finwe, the father of Feanor, stole the Silmarils, and poisoned the Two Trees. Feanor swore to lead the elves on a crusade to destroy Morgoth, but the Valar forbade this. Feanor defied the Valar and many elves followed him. They came to Morgoth's northern fortress of Angband, and a long, bloody, and doomed war ensued. The War of the Silmarils lasted nearly five hundred years, and contained many deeds of heroism and tragedy. At this time, humans joined the elves in the war of Middle-earth, and the names of men often stand beside those of the greatest elven heroes: Beren and Luthien, who cut a silmaril from the Iron Crown of Morgoth. Hurin and his son Turin, both cursed by Morgoth, who committed both deeds of valor and atrocities because of the curse. The seven sons of Feanor, who se oath to recover the jewels of his slain father led to the slaughter of elves by elves. The fall of Gondolin, where some of the greatest deed of herosim occurred. But in the end, Morgoth defeated the elves, mocking their efforts to destroy him. However, his triumph was short lived. Earendil the Mariner fled Middle-earth and sailed through great perils to the land of the Valar and pleaded pity for the humans tormented by Morgoth and mercy for the elves that had defied the Valar. Then the Valar mustered their host, and waged war against Morgoth, and threw him down. Angband was destroyed, as was much of the west of Middle-earth. The Balrogs were slain, save for a few that hid themselves in the depths of the earth. Morgoth was shackled by the Valar until the Last Day, at wich time he will be judged. Of his great servants, only Sauron survived, and even he hid for many years. THE SECOND AGE The First AGe ended with the fall of Angband and the destruction of the Western portion of Middle-earth, Beleriand. The Valar invited the elves to return to Valinor, and most returned. Of all those who had led the rebellion against the Valar's wishes, only Galadriel, the wisest of the elves, remained alive; she chose to stay in Middle-earth. The High King of the Elves was Gilgalad, grandson of Fingolfin, Feanor's brother. The only survivor of Feanor's house was Celebrimbor the smith, grandson of Feanor, who dwelt in Eregion near the dwarven mines of Moria. The sons of Earendil, Elrond and Elros, were given a choice by the Valar. Elrond chose to be counted as an elf, and was given elven immortality. Elros chose to be a man; he and those humans who had fought with the Valar against the forces of Morgoth were given a great continent to rule in the midst of the Western Sea; the continent was called Numenor. These men, the Numenoreans, lived long, prosperous lives, and wiht the friendship of the elves and the gifts of the Valar, built the greatest empire that the world has ever known. The Valar placed only one restriction on the Numenoreans: they were not allowed to approach Valinor, or sail into the west out of sight of their western shores. This restriction was known as the Ban of the Valar. In the middle of the second age, Sauron came to Eregion in disguise, and won the friendship of Celebrimbor. During this time, they collagborated, and created Rings of Power, designed to preserve and sustain Middle-earth. Three Rings were given to the elven lords, Celebrimbor, Galadriel, and Elrond. Seven were given to the dwarven lords in their halls of stone. Nine were given to the greatest of the Numenorean Princes who dwelt in Middle-earth. Then Sauron betrayed Celebrimbor, and created the One Ring. The Wearer of the One Ring would receive many powers: to walk unseen amidst men, to become ageless and immortal, and most important of all, to dominate all who wore the Lesser Rings. When Sauron placed toe One Ring on his finger, the elves became aware of what Sauron truly was, and removed their Rings. There was war between Sauron and the elves, and it would have been likely that the elves would have been defeated utterly, except for the intervention of Numenor. Then Sauron, bitter in defeat, vowed revenge against Numenor, and retreated into his fortress of Mordor. He became a tyrant who oppressed much of the East, but he did not make war against the elves (who lived in the west of Middle earth) again for many centuries. Numenor began to colonize Middle-earth, and where the Numenoreans built their great towers, Sauron retreated. However, as the centuries passed the Numenoreans themselves became discontent, and the Ban of the Valar troubled them greatly. The kings of Numenor broke their friendship with the elves and became tyrants. Only a small portion of the people of Numenor kept true to the old ways; these were known as the Faithful. Finally, Ar-Pharazon the Golden, the greatest king of Numenor, heard that Sauron was mustering his forces to attack the Numenorean bases in Middle-earth and drive Numenor into the sea. Angered, Ar-Pharazon mustered the might of Numenor into a massive army, sailed to Middle-earth and marched on Sauron's Dark Topwer, the Barad-dur, in the heart of Mordor. He demanded that Sauron come forth from the tower and declare himself his vassal. And Sauron came. Even at the zenith of Sauron's power, even with the One Ring, Sauron knew that he was not a match for the power of Numenor. He abased himself before Ar-Pharazon, and swore allegiance. Ar-Pharazon was not deceived by Sauron, but brought Sauron to Numenor. This was a major mistake. For Sauron took the already corrupt Numenoreans and led them into utter darkness. He told that whoever possessed the land of the Valar would have immortality. Ar-Pharazon, who was feeling the effects of his age and feared death, believed Sauron. He mustered the greatest fleet that was ever built to attack Valinor and seize immortality. The Valar responded by destroying the fleet and burying the great continent of Numenor forever under the sea. From Numenor came seven ships filled with those Faithful to the Valar, led by Elendil and his sons Isildur and Anarion. With them came a sapling of the White Tree, the symbol of the eternal friendship between Numenor and the Valar. They established great human kingdoms in the North and South of Middle-earth, named (respectively) Arnor and Gondor. however Sauron also survived the downfall of Numenor, and waged war against the Faithful and the elves, who thought Sauron to be dead. In response to Sauron's attacks, the Faithful and the elves formed the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, and a final battle was fought at the gates of the Dark Tower. Gil-galad the High King was slain, and Elendil and Anarion were killed, but in the end PRince Isildur cut the One Ring from Sauron's finger, and the Dark Lord's spirit fled his body. Thus ended the Second Age of Middle-earth. THE THIRD AGE During this Age, the poser of elves and dwarves diminished; for it is said that the destiny of the world is now in the hands of humanity. Sauron was slain by Isildur, but could not be permanently destroyed while the One Ring existed. Elrond counselled that Isildur throw the Ring into Mount Doom and the fires in which it was made. Isildur proudly refused, saying that it was to become a tropy for his House, taken to avenge his father's death. Soon after this, Isildur was slain by an ambush of orcs as he crossed the Great River. His son inherited the kingdom of Arnor, but there were too few people to hold it together. Eventually, Arnor split into three kingdoms: Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur. Soon afterwards, a terrible enemy emerged: the Witch King of Angmar. The Witch-King was in fact the greatest of the Ringwraiths, those human princes who had been ensnared by the Nine Rings. He waged constant war against the tree kingdoms of Arnor, and corrupted Rhudaur to his service. Eventually, he destroyed the kingdoms of the sons of Arnor, but forces from the south led by the Prince of Gondor came soon afterward to destroy Angmar, and the Witch King fled into hiding. The descendents of the kings of Arnor were too few to govern a kingdom; for long years none save the elven lords knew their fate. In the South, Gondor grew into a great power, at its height recalling the glory days of Numenor. But it went into decline. Earnur, the last king of Gondor, was slain by the Witch King ages ago, and the stewards of Gondor took control of the affairs of Gondor "until the king returns." Sometime at the height of the age a Shadow fell upon Mirkwood, and an evil prescence made its home in Dol Guldur, the Hill of Dark Sorcery. At this time five agesd wizards appeared, who offered aid and counsel to those who would listen. The greatest in power and knowledge was Saurman the White; the wisest and most compassionate was Gandalf the Grey; and closest in tune with the forces of nature was Radagast the Brown; of the other wizards, no tale speaks. They struggled to discover the nature of the Dark Power of Dol Guldur; Gandalf crept into its vast chambers and discovered that Sauron had returned. They allied with the elves to drive Sauron from Dol Goldur, but Sauron simply returned to his old fortress in Mordor and raised the Dark Tower once again. Armies of orcs continuously fought against the forces of Gondor, as Sauron wore down the armies of his ancient enemy. And most of all, Sauron sought to discover the hiding place of the One Ring. The One Ring was not discovered by Sauron. Instead, it was found by one of the hobbits who lived near the great river, a hobbit named Deagol. Deagol showed it to his friend, Smeagol, who murdered Deagol and took the Ring as his own. Eventually Smeagol's people drove out the malicious creature, and it fled into a cave in the Misty Mountains, where it kept the Ring, its "Precious", for many years. Smeagol become known as "gollum", for the swallowing noise that he constantly made. The third age was an era of great tragedies for the dwarves of Middle-earth. The greatest dwarven fortress of Middle-earth were the mines of Moria, which the dwarves named "Khazad-dum". A monstrous terror was accidently stirred from slumber by dwarven miners, and the dwarves were expelled from the mines. Some fled to the North, and made new mines in the Lonely Mountain, Erebor. But Smaug, the greatest dragon og the Third Age, pillaged the Lonely Mountain and took its treasures for his own. The dwarves fled; they returned to Moria, which was found to be full of orcs. The orcs murdered the King of the dwarves, and in retribution there was a pitiless battle, Azanulbizar, where many dwarves and orcs were slain. The dwarves won the battle; but did not re-enter Moria for fear of the evil that had been awakened, which they named Durin's Bane. Yet Moria was the greatest of their mines, and they did not forget that. At this time, Thorin Oakenshield, the proudest dwarf prince, met with the wizard Gandalf the Grey. They both sought ways to destroy Smaug; now they joined forces. But the dwarves were not stealthy creatures, and they needed stealth to succeed against a dragon. So they recruited a rather reluctant adventurer, the most famous Burglar in history, a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. The quest to slay Smaug was a success, but during this adventure an even greater event occurred: Bilbo encountered Gollum, the wretched creature that had taken the One Ring, and won the Ring in a contest of riddles. Gollum swore vengeance against "Baggins", and left his mountains to persue him. Eventually, Gollum was captured by the Dark Lord, who learned that "Baggins" had his Ring. These are despperate times. In his Dark Tower, Saouron broods and plots, focusing on three objectives. First, he intends to conquer Gondor, the last remaining kingdom of his ancient human enemies. Second, he intends to destroy the last remnant of the elves of Middle-earth. Third, he intends to recover the One Ring. Once he has the One Ring on his hand, nothing will stop him. þ A BESTIARY OF MIDDLE-EARTH CREATURES þ There are many dangerous creatoures in Middle-earth, though anyone with good hobbit sense witll know well enough to avoid them, here is a guide for those accursed with an adventourous streak who might meet them: FOES SAURON: The Dark Lord of Middle-earth is Sauron. In his origin he was one of the Maia whom Morgoth corrupted to his service. During the First Age of Middle-earth, he was Morgoth's lieutenant, and the greatest of his servants. After the fall of Morgoth , he toook up his master's former role as the Dark Lord. Sauron is known to be a terriyingly powerfyl sorcer, a master of deceit, and a tyrant whose ambitions are boundless. The state of his physical form is unknown; he is usually symbolized as a lidless red Eye. Sauron is the current incarnation of Evil in Middle-earth today. RINGWRAITHS: Also known as the Nizgul, or the Nine, or by a dozen other dreadful names. These are Sauron's most powerful servants, great humans of Numenorean stock who were enslaved by the Nine Rings that Sauron gave to them. The Ringwraiths may be slain, but usually they will abandon their forms at the instant of death, and flee as shadows back to Mordor to take new shapes. The mightiest of the Ringwraiths is the Witch-King, formerly the ruler of Angmar. It has been prophesized that "not by the hand of man shall he fall." ORCS: Also known as goblins, these fould creatures were created by Morgoth in the Great Darkness during the First Age of Middle-earth. Through dark sorcery, the Great Enemy corrupted elves and transformed them into these brutish slaves. Orcs delight only in watching things suffer and die; these soulless creatures bear special malice to elves and dwarves, against whom they have fought many battles. There are the commanders, the uruk-hai, normal orcs, and the snagas, who are the slaves. Orcs are tough in combat; not even the toughest human hero should take a battle against the uruk-hai lightly. TROLLS: Of all of Sauron's servants, trolls have the greatest physical might. These huge gigantic figures may be the corrupted forms of tree spirits, created by Morgoth in the Great Darkness. Trolls are normally incapable of withstanding daylight, but recently Sauron has created an new breed of troll, the olog-hai, that can withstand daylight. WOLVES: The wolves of our world are predators who feed on caribou and do not attack humans; howver, the wolves of Middle-earth are not as gentle. Normal wolves are noted for their fierceness, especially when hungry. However, the largest wolves of Middle-earth are the subject of much more fearsome tales; during the First Age, Morgoth captured wolves and filled them with cunning and malice, transforming them into wargs, beasts of hatred. Wargs enjoy hunting and killing their prey, be they hobbits, humans, or elves. Wargs often work with orcs, which has led to the proverb "where the warg howls, there also the orc probls." Orcs have been known to ride wargs like horses into battle. Middle-earth is also known to be the home of werewolves, wolves that can vary its form between human and wolf form. Such creatures are quite rare, but should be guarded against; during the First Age, Sauron was the Captain of Werewolves and undoubtedly commands their allegiances. SPIDER: The first spider was Ungoliant, who helped Morgoth destroy the two Trees of the Valar and steal the Silmarils. From her evil progeny have come the spiders of Middle-earth, both great and small. The huge spiders of Mirkwood are greatly feared; large, deadly spiders can be found in virtually every part of Middle-earth. IT is believe that at least one great spawn of Ungoliant exists, somewhere in the mountains of Mordor. EVIL SPIRITS: As documented in the History section, there were many spirits created by ERu, the One, before the creation of the world. Many of these spirits were seduced by Morgoth, Master of the Great Darkness, Sauron's master during the First Age of Middle-earth. While most of these spirits were slain in battles many years ago, a few still hide in the deep places of Middle-earth. Of these spirits, the most terrifying are Balrogs, demons of fire and shadow who were Sauron's lieutenants during the wars of the First Age. It is thought that Balrogs may still exist in the deeps places of the earth. BARROW WIGHTS: These terrible monsters inhabit the Barrow Downs between the Old Forest and Bree. Little is known of them, for few have lived to tell of an encounter with them, and of those few none will tell their tales willingly. IT is probablye that they are spirits who were corrupted by the Witch King long ago, and serve the evil intent of Sauron. SORCERERS: There are few practitioners of the black arts, however, there are some humans and orcs who have been toughht sorcery by Sauron, or his greatest captain, the Witch-King. Sorcerers are evil and should be avoided where possible. DRAGONS: The greatest and most powerful of the creations of Morgoth, the greatest dragons are even more deadly that Balrogs. Few dragons remain alive today, and those are usually found in the wastes of Northern Middle-earth. They have a heavily armored scaly body, sharp teeth, and breathe fire; some dragons have huge wings, while others have none. VAMPIRES: Though no vampires have been see since the end of the First Age of Middle-earth, it does not mean that they still do not exist. Vampires are sorcers (or witches) who can assume the form of a giant bat. OF these creatures, little is known. PEOPLE OF MIDDLE EARTH ELVES: The first people of Middle-earth, elves are beautiful, strong, and immortal. They can only be slain by weapons in battle, or by severe grief that robs them of the will to live. There are four major enclaves of elves in Middle-earth: the kingdom of Tharanduil in Northern Mirkwood; the Last Homely House of Elrond at Rivendell; Lothlorien, which is ruled by the Lady Galadriel; and the Grey Havens of Cirdan west of the Shire. Elves are usually either carefree and merry, or sad and thoughtful. They enjoy song and poetry, and derive little joy from acts of war. HUMANS: The second people of Middle-earth, humans are similar to elves, with one major difference: they are not immortal. Humans have a lifespan of sixty to one hundred years; they Dunedain (the Men of the West, i.e.. those descended from Numenor) have an extremely long lifespan. The major hman nations are in the East and South of Middle-earth: Rohan, Dunland, Gondor, the Kingdom of the Harad, and Rhun. Many of the humans of the far south and east are in league with Sauron. DWARVES: These tough sturdy peoples are the creation of Mahal, the Vala known as Aule. Dwarves are stubborn, aggressive, covetous, and quick to take offense, yet they are also honorable, steadfast companions. The major dwarven strongholst are in the Blue Mountains west of the shire, and in the Iron Hills and the Lonely Mountain, which are located in the east of Middle Earth. HOBBITS: Of these small, civilized but small creatures, much is said elsewhere. The origin of hobbits is a mystery, but it is believed that they have existed in Middle-earth for millenia before they came to the Shire. Hobbits are peaceful and deplore violence and adventure, though shen forced, they are very strong-willed, sturdy creatures indeed. Hobbits chiefly dwell in the Shire and in Bree. ENTS: The tree shepherds; these beings were created by Eru at the behest of the Vala Yavanna, to protect the woods from those that would do them harm. Ents are huge tree-like creatures; they are slow to anger and do not believe in being hasty. Having said that, it should be noted that anyone who stirs the Ents to anger will usually regret it. EAGLES: The Great Eagles of the North are the most intelligent birds in Middle-earth (many of whom have been gifted with the ability to speak to humans). The Eagles are the servants of Manwe, the chief of the Valar, and are often sent by him to aid the forces of good in time of great need. In addition to the sentient creatures of Middle-earth, there are wide variety of less intelligent and/or antagonistic creatures: these include ponies, horses, bears, and even the legendary oliphant. þ GLOSSARY OF NAMES þ (For Tolkien fans; this is lore that the Fellowship members would have had a reasonable chance of acquiring, and may be misleading. Some of these entries are incomplete, as not to spoil the mysteries of Middle-earth for players who have not read the series. Also, for convenience sake, we have anglicized some of the spellings). AMUN SUL: A ruined area on top of a mountain east of Bree, also known as Weathertop. ANARION: The younger soun of Elendil; Anarion was slain in the last battle of the Second Age. His sons became the rulers of Gondor. ANGMAR: An ancient kingdom in the north slopes on the Misty Mountains, ruled by the Witch King. Angmar destroyed the kingdoms of Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur, but was overthrown by forces belonging to Gondor. ARAGORN: A great tracker and hunter, known to be a griend of Gandalf. Aragorn is a direct descendendt of Isildur. ARNOR: An ancient human kingdom in Northwest Middle-earth, founded by Elendil and ruled by the children of Isildur. Internal conflicts caused it to be divided into three smaller kingdoms: Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur, which were later destroyed by the Witch King of Angmar. ARTHEDAIN: The greatest of the three kingdoms that replaced Arnor; Arthedain was destroyed centuries ago by the Witch King. Aragorn is a descendent of its last king. ARWEN: The daughter of Elrond, betrothed to Aragorn. AR-PHARAZON: The last king of Numenor. He captured Sauron during the Second Age, but Sauron tricked him into attacking Valinor. The VAlar rewponded by calling upon Iluvatar, who destroyed Numenor. AULE: The Smith of the Valar, creator of dwarves, and husband of Yavanna. Known to the dwarves as Mahal. BALROGS: Demonic servants of Morgoth, with powers of fire and darkness. (See Evil Spirits in the Monsters section). BARAD-DUR: The Dark Tower of Sauron, his principle stronghold. BEREN: The most renowned human hero in history; he took a Silmaril from the Iron Crown of Morgoth, and married Luthien of Doriath. Beren was an ancestor of the Kings of Numenor. BILBO BAGGINS: A hobbit who was recruited by dwarves to steal treasure from the dragon Smaug, and who accidently found the One Ring. He is the uncle of Frodo Baggins. BLACK GATE: The heavily guarded gate to Mordor, located south of the Dead Marshes. BOROMIR: The oldest son of Denethor of Gondor, and its greatest warrior, slain by orcs defending Merry and Pippin. BUCKLAND: The eastern part of the Shire, which lies across the River Brandywine. Buckland is home to the Brandybuck family. CARDOLAN: One of three kingdoms formed when Arnor collapsed; this kingdom was destoyed by Angmar long ago. It was situated where Bree and the Barrow Downs now stand, and Weathertop (Amon Sul) was one of its strongholds. CELEBRIMBOR: An elven smith, co-creator (with Sauron) of the Rings of Power. Celebrimbor was betrayed and murdered by Sauron in the Second Age of Middle-earth. DAGORLAD: The battle plain before the gates of Mordor where the hbattle of the LAst Alliance was fought. DEAD MARSHES: A large expanse of marsh, located north of Mordor, inhabited by spirits. DENETHOR: The current ruling steward of Gondor, father of Boromir and Faramir. DOL GULDUR: The citadel of Sauron in Southern Mirkwook. DOORS OF THE DEAD: A gateway that leads between Dunharrow and the sea through a hunted tunnel in the White Mountains. Inly one person has been brave enough to pass through the Doors, Baldor son of Brego, second King of Rohan he was never seen again. DUNHARROW: A gefuge located in the mountains behind Edoras. DUNLAND: A land on the southwestern slopes of the Misty Mountains, the ancient enemies of Rohan. DURIN: The father of the dwarves, the first of their race, and oldest of the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves created by Aule. DURIN'S BANE: A monster of unknown origin that slew Durin. EARENDIL: A leader of the humans at the end of the First Age; Earendil took the last Silmaril to Valinor and pleaded mercy for the sins of the elves and humans to the Valar, which resulted in the last battle of the First Age. Earendil sails a heavenly ship that shines whith the light of the Silmaril; this ship is called Earendil's star. EASTEMNET: The Eastmarch of Rohan, which is guarded by Eomer. EDORAS: The capital of Rohan, where Meduseld the Golden Hall is located. ELEBERETH: An elvish name for Varda, the Queen of the Valar, who made the stars. She is the Vala who is most feared by forces of evil. ELENDIL: The leader of the Faithful in Numenor, who sailed to Middle-earth when Numenor wasa destroyed. Elendil set up the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor, and was slain in the last battle of the Second Age. His sons were Isildur and Anarion. ELROND: One of the two sons of Earendil, who chose to become an elf and founded Rivendell. Elrond is the father of Arwen, and was the brother of Elros. ELROS: One of the two sons of Earendil, who chose to become human and became the first King of Numenor. Elros is an ancestor of Aragorn. EOMER: Nephew of King Theoden of Rohan, protector of its eastern borders. EORL: The first king of Rohan; the House of Eorl is the name of the royal family of Rohan. EOWYN: Niece of King Theoden of Rohan, sister of Eomer. ERKENBRAND: Marshall of the Westmarch of Rohan, a strong and capable soldier. ESTEMNET: A village in the Eastmark of Rohan. FAITHFUL, The: The group of Numenoreans who remained loyal to the old traditions of friendship with elves and the Valar; they fled Numenor before its downfall and founded the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor. They were led by Elendil, who was a direct descendent of Elros, first King of Numenor. FANGORN: A great forest, located northeast of Rohan. FARAMIR: The youngest son of Denethor, known as a scholoar and soldier, second only to Boromir in the esteem of the people of Gondor. FEANOR: The greatest elven smith who ever lived; Feanor created the Silmarils, and when they were stolen by Morgoth, he defied the will of the Valar by leading a large number of elves into a war against Morgoth. Feanor was slain early in that war by balrogs. FORSAKEN INN: An inn located east of Bree. GALADRIEL: The Lady of Lorien, Galadriel is renowned for her power, wisdom, and beauty. Arwen is her granddaughter. GAMLING: A lord of the Rohirrim. GANDALF (the Grey): Known to the elves as Mithrandir, the wisest of the wizards. GOLDEN HALL: The palace of King Theoden in Edoras. GONDOR: The great human kingdom of the south; its current capital is Minas Tirith. It was ruled by the sons of Anarion until a thousand years ago, when his line died; it is currently ruled by the Steward Denethor. Gondor is the greatest military power in Middle-earth that is opposed to Sauron. GRIMA: A counselor of King Theoden of Rohan, much disliked by everyone else, who has acquired the nickname Wormtongue. GROND: The mace of Morgoth, master of Sauron; also a name for a magical battering ram built by Sauron for his assault on Minas Tirith. HARROWDALE: The valley in which Dunharrow is located. HELM: A great warrior King of Rohan, who built Helm's Deep. HELM'S DEEP: A fortress, built by King Helm of Rohan, which is the most secure citadel in Rohan. HELM'S DIKE: A barrier near Helm's Deep. HORNBURG: The great central citadal of Helm's Deep. HOUSE OF EORL: The name if the ruling dynasty of Rohan. ILUVATAR: The One, the creator of all things, master of the Valar. Also known as Eru. ISILDUR: The oldest son of Elendil; Isildur cut the One Ring from Sauron's finger in the final battle of the Second Age. Isildur died when the Ring fell from his finger and exposed him to orc archers as he swam across the Anduin; this is why the Ring is known as Isildur's Bane. Isildur's sons became the rulers of Arnor. ITHILIEN: A land of great forests and beauty, on the western border of Mordor. Ithilien belongs to the crown of Gondor, but is all but deserted; a few Rangers of Gondor wander the land, harassing the forces of Sauron. KHAZAD: The dwarves' name for themselves. KHAZAD-DUM: The dwarven city built underneath the Misty Mountains, referred to by the elves as Moria. LONELY MOUNTAIN: Also known as Erebor, this mountain was an ancient home of dwarves until they were expelled by the dragon Smaug the Golden. Nearly a hundred years before the start of this game, the Lonely Mountain was recaptured by the dwarves (with the assistance of some humans who lived nearby, and that mos famous Burglar, Bilbo Baggins). It is currently rujled by the dwarven king Dain. LORIEN: Also known as Lothlorien; this forest is the home of Galadriel, the most powerful elf in Middle-earth. LUTHIEN: The daughter of Melian and Thingol of Doriath, and wife of Beren; Luthien helped Beren take a Silmaril from the Iron Crown of Morgoth. It was this Silmaril that became Earendil's Star. MEDUSELD: The Golden Hall of Theoden in Edoras. MAHAL: The dwarves name for the Vala Aule, who created them. MAIAR: Powers who serve Iluvatar, similar to the Valar, but not as powerful. Sauron was a Maia, as was Melian of Doriath. MANWE: The chief of the Valar, husband of Varda. MEARAS: The kings of horses, which roam the fields of the Rohirrim. MELIAN: One of the most powerful and wisest of the Maiar, who married the elven King Thingol of Doriath. Melian was the mother of Luthien, and a close friend of Galadriel. MELKOR: The original name of Morgoth. MIDDLE-EARTH: The world, where elves, dwarves, humans, and hobbits live, the setting for this game. MINAS MORGUL: Formerly Minas Ithil, this city of Gondor is now inhabited by the Witch King; it has become a place of corruption and evil. MIRKWOOD: A dark and dangerous forest, inhabited in the North by good elves led by Thranduil, and in the south by evil spiders and the dark citadel of Dol Guldur. MORGOTH: Also known as Melkor, the greatest of the Valar, who fell into evil. He waged many wars against those Valar that remained faithful to Iluvatar. He stole the Silmarils form Feanor, and fought against the elves and men who struggled to recover them. Morgoth created orcs and trolls to serve as his slaves; he was defeated at the end of the First Age and is imprisoned for eternity. MORDOR: The land of Sauron. Mordor is a land of grey ash plains in the south east of Middle-earth. It is surrounded by mountains and contains the most feared mountain of all--Mount Doom. MORGUL VALE: The valley in which Minas Morgul lies, where the stairs that leat to Cirth Ungol are located. MORIA: The greatest mansion of the dwarves, who refer to it as Khazad-dum. MOUNT DOOM: A volcano in Mordor, where Sauron forged the One Ring. NAUGRIM: The elven name for dwarves, meaning "Stunted Ones." NESSA: Sister of Orome, and swiftest of the Valar. Wife of Tulkas. NUMENOR: A great star shaped kingdom of men during the Second Age of Middle-earth, given as a reward to the sons of those men who had died aiding the elves against Morgoth. The Numenoreans became proud and eventually rebelled against the Valar, which restulted in the destruction of Numenor. The Numenoreans are the ancestors of the Dunedain, and the Lords of Gondor. ONE RING: The greatest of the Rings of Power, forged by Sauron. RANGERS: Hunters who wander the North of Middle-earth, mistrusted by those around them. RED BOOK: A volume written by Bilbo Baggins, Frodo Baggins, and Sam Gamgee, in which the history of Middle-earth is written. RINGS OF POWER: Rings created by Sauron and Celebrimbor. There were three elven rings (whereabouts unknown), seven dwarven rings, and nine rings for humans. These rings had the power to preserve Middle-earth, but Sauron forged the One Ring to control those who wore the other Rings and rule Middle-earth. RINGWRAITHS: Nine servants of Sauron who were originally great Numenorean Princes that took Rings offered to them by Saouron; they became ghostly servants of great power, eternally enslaved to the will of Sauron. RHUDAUR: One of three Kingdoms created when dissent tore apart Arnor; Rhudaur quickly fell under the domination of the Witch King and was competely destroyed. RHUN: The lands of Eastern Middle-earth, whose inhabitants are allied to Sauron and ancient enemies of Gondor. RIVENDELL: The stronghold of Elrond on the western slopes of the Misty Mountains, also referred to as Imladris and the Last Homely House. ROHAN: A kingdom of warriors, closely allied to Gondor, which is renowned for its horses. ROHIRRIM: A name for the people of Rohan. SARUMAN (The White): The greatest of the wizards, known for his knowledge and power, who betrayed the White Council. Saruman is an ally of Sauron, but wants the Ring for his own. He currently dwells at Isengard, North of Rohan. SAURON: One of the greatest of The Maiar, who fell into evil and became Morgoth's lieutenant during the first age; known for his shapeshifting ability and his deceit. He excaped fromt he Valar during the battle at the end of the First Age. He helped Celebrimbor in the forging of the Rings of Power, but betrayed him by forging the One Ring to rule them all. He was captured by AR-Pharazon, the last King of Numenor, but tricked him into attacking Valinor, which restulted in the destruction of Numenor and Sauron's physical form. Sauron fled back to Middle-earth in the hideous form of the Dark Lord, unable to ever again assume a shape that humans of elves would find pleasing. He waged war on the elves and the Faithful, but was defeated by Isildur, who cut the One Ring from his hand . Sauron could not be destroyed while the Ring existed, and spent the Third Age of Middle-earth increasing his power to become the unchallenged Master of Middle-earth SHADOWFAX: A horse befriended by Gandalf. SHIRE, The: A land of rustic villages, streams, fields, and gentle hills, The Shire was originally part of the Kingdom of Arthedain, and given to the hobbits by the King as a settlement. After Arthedain fell, the hobbits remained. The Shire is the starting point of this game. SILMARILS: Three jewels created by the elven smith Feanor, which captured the light of the two trees of Valinor. These Silmarils were stolen by Morgoth; one was later recovered by Beren and Luthien and used to light Earendil's star; the other two jewels were lost at the end of the First Age. SMAUG: The last great dragon of Middle-earth, slain eighty years ago. THENGEL: The father of King Theoden of Rohan, now deceased. THEODEN: The current King of Rohan. THEODRED: Son of Theoden, King of Rohan, recently slain in battle at the fords of Isen. TOOKS: A family of hobbits known to possess an "un-hobbititish" adventuresome streak. Their family head receives the honorary title "Thane of the Shire." Peregrin Took is a member of this family; Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins are both closely related to them. TOWERS OF THE TEETH: The two towers to the Black Gate of Mordor. TREEBEARD: The legendary eldest ent. TULKAS: Champion of the Valar, renowned for his prowess in wrestling. He is the husband of Nessa. ULMO: The Vala who is the Lord of the Sea, and friendliest to the Eldar in Middle-earth. VALAR: The chief servants of Iluvatar; they are led by Manwe and his wife Varda. They rule the realm known as Valinor, and will not interfere in the affairs of Middle-earth except in gravest peril. VALINOR: The land of the Valar, where most elves also dwell. Elves may sail to Valinor by sailing westward; humans may not sail to Valinor. VARDA: Another name for Elbereth. WEATHERTOP: A ruined tower on top of a mountainous area, which once belonged to the now dead kingdom of Cardolan, located east of Bree. Also known as Amun Sul. WESTEMNET: The Western March of Rohan, guarded by Erkenbrand. WITCH KING: The lieutenant of Sauron, the Black Captain, chief and most powerful of the Ringwraiths. The Witch King ruled the Kingdom of Angmar many centuries ago, but was defeated by Gondor. WIZARDS: Five men of great age, wisdom, and magical power, whose origin is unknown. The greatest wizard is Saruman, followed by Gandalf and Radagast. WORMTONGUE: A derogatory name for Grima, counselor fo King Theoden of Rohan. YAVANNA: One of the Valar, who has a special interest in trees and nature.