Thread: Along the Paths of Middle-earth

Turbine has created an incredibly large and visually detailed world for us to explore and journey through.

The intent of this thread is to visually chronicle my journeys throughout Turbine's Middle Earth. If you want to post your own screenies, here is the place Turbine set up for that, or start your own new thread.

For the most part, they don't fall in any order, and I don't think I've duplicated. Even though there are hundreds of screenshots, each screenshot is unique from any other here.

My hope with this thread is to entertain, and perhaps attract potential players to play through Middle Earth themselves. There are now so many screenshots, you'll probably have to revisit the thread to see them all.

Nearly all the screenshots in this thread are at high resolution. They can be made larger to see details, such as using them as desktop wallpaper for your computer. Just right click them and click Save Picture As to save them on your computer.

The trees in this first picture are Mellyrn, the plural term for Mallorn, the great golden trees of Lothlorien. Lothlorien is the location of the capital of all elves remaining in Middle Earth. And, as an elf-at-heart, I loved my first views of this legendary place.

Here is another screenshot from our first trip all the way through Moria. It actually comes before the one I showed above, and is our first view of Lothlorien after coming through the Mines and exiting through the Eastern Moria portal.

For an elf, this is a thrilling vista, home, home at last!

Just in case the Mellyrn trees in the first and second screenshots above didn't seem huge due to distance, here is a screenshot looking nearly straight up. Yes, they are big.

The same character, Gloriel my hunter, has been exploring the Great Delving. She's not done there yet, but here is a screenshot of The Dwarf Lord's Gate. Moria is really stupendous. The dwarves did not stint on colossal architecture.

Yesterday, I was able to loot a legendary spear for hunters. That is my hunter's preferred main hand weapon.

So, I decided to deconstruct her level 14 axe, something I'd not done before. I was nervous about this, knowing I'd lose the weapon, but decided to go ahead. And, it was easy, straight-forward, and profitable. I got several tier 2 and 3 and one tier 4 items to slot in her new spear.

I also got a legendary xp gem worth 7500 points I could add to the spear. That's not all of the xp the axe had learned, but it was very nice not to lose all of it.

I had also previously looted a legendary crossbow. She doesn't use crossbows, but I decided to level it up to deconstruct it eventually as well.

Both new weapons are advancing nicely. If you have weapons that aren't quite what you want for your character, I'd encourage you to try what I have.

Reserved for a future screenshot.

Reserved for a future screenshot.

I've been busy so haven't posted lately. Leveling up my Runekeeper and Warden, working on crafting armor and weapons using Crafting Guild recipes, which are awesome, but the timer on the recipes or Guild item needed to use the recipes, does make it take quite a bit longer to make sets of things. Lots better than having to use crafting Journals and risk hard to get or expensive resources and still have too high a chance of failure, though.

And, I thought you might like to see the basic Legendary axe. The red is small flame-like graphics. Glad we don't have giant weapons causing huge bright graphics when used, in this game.

We are making good progress in learning our way around Moria. Found the three libraries in the Great Delving, and went to Deep Descent.

And just outside 21st Hall which we also made it to is this arched very long corridor in Zelem-melek.

Gradually expanding my knowledge of where to hunt and how to get around in the various early zones. Here is a pic I took yesterday so those of you who've not seen a warg and rider can be tempted.

I had my level 53 Champion run the main route from The Dolven-view to Zelem-melek for the first time. Killed lots of 55 and 56 Moria warriors and a few wargs and warg-riders. I didn't continue on into Nud-melek but turned north to 21st Hall. The turn north was a bit twisty, as I'd never approached the hall from that direction.

The screenshot is of the western entrance to Durin's Hall. More ornate than most dwarven architecture, but beautiful. Ornate, but not elven; dwarven. I'm continually appreciative of the work the Turbine artists have done with Moria.

As you can tell, I'm learning routes, visiting new areas almost daily, and having a very good time.

I ventured into the Silvertine Lodes the other day. Pretty confusing place, but I kept a map of my movements so I could leave gracefully when needed. I haven't taken a screenshot of it yet, it's so vertical it's very hard to decide what shot to take.

But on the way in, I noticed more dwarven heroic-sized sculptures, this one of just two of the faces at Stone Council Bridge between Dolven-view and Deep Descent. I think the screenshot does not do justice to the sheer size of them.

In the meantime, my wife and I want to wish all of you and yours a very happy and safe holiday.

Well, I decided to try to get a shot of the inside of Silvertine Lodes, especially the huge vertical construction in the middle. I'm not really happy with this, but the thing is so huge that I couldn't figure out how to do it better. Hopefully it shows the hugeness and complexity of the construction the dwarves decided to make.

This shot is of the top of the construction, that has the name Menem-berej further down.

Anyway, best wishes and good fortune the day after to all.

One of the things I have loved about LOTRO from the beginning of my involvment with the game is the amount of stories that the developers have created and put into it. There are side stories everywhere, that help draw you into the game, and both entertain and hide the "grind".

The MoM expansion is no different. There are small storylines everywhere. Lost dwarves, small explorations ... on and on, that draw you in and make our presence in Moria believable. If this attracts you, consider joining a kinship, as casual ones like mine help support your in-game experience.

The following screenshot is of the first major view with a lengthy perspective in the Waterworks. The predominant color is hazy blue, as you can see. Another fascinating zone, I'm looking forward to exploring.

Just got back from visiting our children and grandchildren. Way fun, but pretty tiring for this geezer.

Anyway, the following screenshot is the Entrance to Durin's Vault.

Hello, I received a PM from you regarding your guild. I registered on your website, but noticed that your registration system was currently down. I would love an invite into your kinship, as I've seen very precious little in the way of maturity in other kinships, and this one seems at the top. I would like an invite on my dwarf Ministrel, DenizensinExile, thank you!

Hi, we will manually activate your account so that way you can post your application at the forum and be added as Recruit in in-game Kinship.

There is also a full lists of Officer available and their characters at the forums and at the second post of our main Kin Thread on Elendilmir Kinships forums. You may add as many as you would like to your Friend's List so you can see when they are on line to be added to the in-game Kinship. They have done the same with your info.

Looking forward to see you in-game and at our forums soon.

Greetings and welcome Maulth. Hope you enjoy your experience with us!!

And Happy New Year to all!! May it be a safe and better one for each of you.

In the vein of Something New to go with a New year, I thought I'd try to get to Zirakzigil. Killed lots of merrevail, warg riders and wargs, and Moria soldiers on the way. My hunter had no real trouble getting there as long as I was careful to not aggro two at once.

Anyway, I'll be posting three worthy screenshots of my trip to ZZ, starting with this one of a huge dwarf-art object on the way. It didn't seem to be in a named location, was just "on the way to Zirakzigil":

Going past the dwarf-art scupture posted yesterday, and after more killing of the same type monsters, I found the Door to the Clouds (love the name) through which you get to Zirakzigil:

Zirakzigil is through the Door of Clouds, shown above. A level 58 ice dragonet and a level 60 warg defeated my level 54 hunter almost as soon as she entered the zone. I didn't see the warg until it was too late as I had zoomed the camera fully in to take a screenshot.

On my second try, she did succeed in taking the following screenshot before the dragonet attacked her again. She decided that discretion was the better part of valor and exited the zone.

So, adventurers beware!! Someday I will go there again, probably with a good fellowship of kinship members.

Have you ever wondered how the dwarves got light into their underground halls? Well, torches I suppose. But, torches would never have been sufficient to light up the massive halls and deeps very well. Plus, they are usually very smoky and can stink things up depending on what is used as fuel.

The question remains: how would they get lots of light needed to open up the towering ceilings to view, and to lighten the deeps as they searched for mithril?

OK, what about reflecting mirrors? There are quests in the Dolven View and surrounding zones about mirrors, the dwarves trying to figure out how they worked, and what the different colored giant crystals did.

Then, I discovered Jazargund just north of 21st Hall. See the screenshot. A cluster of mirrors, kind of like solar farms in today's world. They are pretty big although that's hard to tell from the screenshot. There is a dwarf standing at the base of the right-handmost mirror if you look closely. And the big beam of light hitting the large rounded central mirror also doesn't show much.

I haven't spent any time there yet, but I did run a second character to the Waterworks zone and took more screenshots.

The one below includes a giant working waterwheel, on the lower left of the picture. Another Waterworks screenshot tomorrow.

And, oh by the way, I use most of the screenshots I take as wallpapers. So can you by r clicking them and saving them on your computer.

I promised another Waterworks screenshot and here it is. Just two slightly larger than life-sized sculptures in a hallway close to the Rotting Cellar, a screenshot of which I will post tomorrow.

And here is the last, for now, of The Waterworks screenshots. I'm about ready to take a couple characters into The Waterworks, but for my immediate goal I'm just working on crafting and some traits.

This screenshot is of the Rotting Cellar, a quest hub, although nothing seemed rotten and I didn't smell anything either

Moria is ... dangerous, big.

But the dwarf expedition has set up a number of "camps" in Khazad-dum. We call these "camps" quest hubs, amongst other things.

The primary camp for Moria is called 21st Hall. In this camp is pretty much everything you'd need as you adventure through Moria. It even has a Hobby Master if you want to fish. Trainers, Superior Crafting workstations, Vault, Auction House, Rep vendors, Stable Master, on and on. 21st Hall pretty much has it all. After visiting 21st Hall, you're definitely left with the impression that these dwarves are here to stay.

In any case, the following screenshot is of the huge hall, another impressive gigantic open space inside the mountain, taken from the West Arch.

And this screenshot is also of the 21st Hall. It's taken from near the East Arch, looking back in the opposite direction of the previous screenshot. The area you are looking at is the dwarf encampment itself, with all the npcs, etc. If you look closely, you can see an arm of the encampment going off to the right toward the cluster of crystals in the lower right-hand corner. That arm is where the Auction House, Vendor Hall and Crafting Halls are.

I hope this new year finds you happy and healthy, and enjoying the game.

I thought I'd add a couple of screenshots of Eregion before any more in Moria. There are some beautiful and frightning places in Eregion. The wonderful talent and imagination of the Turbine artists really enables me to visualize the thronging elves and their dwarven trading partners of the Eregion of the Second Age.

Here is a pic of the main approach to The School at Tham Mirdain. Beautiful outside and a great set of challenges inside.

Celebrimbor and the other great jewel-smiths of the Gwaith-i-Mirdain strode the corridors of this school as they studied to improve their craftsmanship. Sauron, in disguise as Annatar the Lord of Gifts, also likely walked these corridors as he perverted and subverted these great craftsmen, and tricked them into making Rings of Power that could be controlled by The One.

The hands of Sauron and Saruman are definitely working out their dark plans in this land of sad Elven ruins in the late Third Age. We all must work together to undo or thwart these evil plans. That is why I hope you find a good kinship like Aphadrim uin Calad.

If you turn right around 180 degrees from where I took the above screenshot, you see this. Echad Mirobel is one of the quest hubs in Eregion. You will find all basic services up there, as well as a Forge-master and Relic-master for the entire Eregion area.

Yesterday I decided to do a bit of additional exploration within Moria. I had previously seen The Great Hall of Durin, but I had to go through it to get where I wanted to try to go. So I took the opportunity to explore it a bit more thoroughly. This screenshot of the ornate Hall was taken from its Eastern End.

Can't you just see in your imagination the throngs of dwarves all there to speak to the great dwarf-lord? And, on Durin III's finger, the flash of a Ring of Power, given him by Celebrimbor, the greatest craftsman of the Elves of Eregion.

And as a part of that exploration, I decided I wanted to see the Redhorn Lodes. Just kind of satisfying my urge to see new places. And this is the first long-view I saw of them. Of course, that came after a lot of sneaking around trying to find the right path, killing monsters that were yellow and orange to my Champion, and getting lost. Although sneaking around isn't something dwarves are good at, it wasn't too bad. I did make sure to talk to the stable-master at the entrance to the Lodes.

I didn't really spend any time exploring in The Redhorn Lodes. Instead, I went on to The Flaming Deeps. I spend a tich more time here and have 3 screenshots to share.

The screenshot shows Anazarmekhem, the first (maybe the only? I'll find out later) encampment in The Flaming Deeps.

Since I had reached my primary exploration objective of The Flaming Deeps, I decided to look around a little. Shortly I came upon this scene with 3 Deeps monsters. I dispatched the Grim and the worm, leaving the dragonet, and continued on for a short ways past where you see the worm.

And just a short ways past where the worm was, I encountered this individual who was just out for a stroll after a filling and pleasant lunch when I interrupted his reverie.

This will be the last of the Flaming Deep screenshots for a bit. Have others from elsewhere to post first.

And just past the battle in the last screenshot, I encountered this happy fellow who was so pleased to meet me. :P But, my champion soon changed his mind about the encounter.

If the last two screenshots are any indication, I think there are no happy faces amongst the residents of The Flaming Deeps.

Dwarven doors are the subject for this post. We are all pretty familiar with the door into Moria either from the movie or the game. But here is a door that, in my mind, has no elven influence on its design. This is a dwarf themed door, and is the door to the Chamber of Leadership in the 21st Hall. Great job devs!

Took a foray into Nud-melek. Been through there once before but was too nervous to hang out. This time I went and stayed. Destroyed a few mining carts and killed some bad guys and was amazed at the pillars. I call them tree towers in my mind.

The previous picture was taken from the western entrance to Nud-melek, up on one of the stair platforms there. When I got to the floor area, I realized that the previous shot didn't capture the look of the roots very well. So, here is one that does. Pretty impressive, to me at least.

From the gloomy tree towers of Nud-melek to ...

A real garden in Moria? Well, to my surprise ... yes. The Garden of Tharakh Bazan from its eastern entry. The garden can be found between Jazargund and the Door to the Clouds entry to Zirak-zigil. I wonder if the elves of Eregion prevailed on the dwarves of Khazad-dum to make such a place for their comfort when they visited.

The huge dwarven mirrors are still at work, and I wonder about those objects at the top of the picture. A window frame? More dev creativity at work. :P

A slightly different view of the Gardens. Looks all calm and serene? Not really .....

For a slight change of pace, I thought you'd like to see one of the new Moria armor sets. It is medium level 54 armor on my hunter. The first shot is of the undyed armor which has a grey base color. The second shot is of the same armor with the chest piece and leggings dyed black. In my own humble opinion, I'm really liking the look of Moria armor. It's, in a word, elegant looking.