Thread: Hidden Nuggets we see all the time...

I was just wandering what little, hidden nuggets from the books and lore players have found within the game, like something an NPC says, or a shingle hanging on an unused building. Perhaps someone has spotted something done in the tunnels or mines that caught their eye. Post them here so we can all enjoy them.

As an example, I'll start with a very obvious one that we all see every time we login, but I'll bet, many never caught the tie-in to the books. A few weeks ago, while deep in thought and kinda staring at the screen (scary huh), I read the following words and something clicked. I thought to myself, "Why does that look so familiar?", and then it hit me...

Directly below the login in the Launcher is the message center, where we always see the following :

Click, friend, and enter.

Jul 03, 2007 15:15 EST
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Notice that heading? - Click, friend, and Enter. Simple, but actually taken from a very important part in the Fellowship's Journey - the Elven moon-runes over the door to The Mines of Moria. The phrase was at first misinterpretted by Gandalf, but he eventually hit upon his mistake and they gained access just in the nick of time (the movie erroneously has Frodo catching Gandalf's mistake)... the phrase to open the door was 'say, friend, and enter'.

So has anyone else spotted little golden nuggets like this elsewhere?

I've experienced none myself, however I have heard of some Evendim quests referring directly to Tolkien. This would include a quest where you must find a little toy dog on the beach. I don't remember exactly how it went, but Tolkien (or family) lost a little toy dog in the sand also.

Appreciated if someone could fix what I said, and make it correct. I don't know the exact information, but do know something similar exists .

I never considered the Click etc to be hidden, it's just obvious marketing. They know their target demographic.

The other day I was running past Bag End and fell off the side of a small "cliff" and into a little pond. I wondered why I had never seen that pond before, and then realized it was the "watering hole" that Sam had talked about himself swimming in with Rose Cotton and her brothers. It was really cute how they added it in. Very obscure, but it was still there.

Originally Posted by Shianjin

I've experienced none myself, however I have heard of some Evendim quests referring directly to Tolkien. This would include a quest where you must find a little toy dog on the beach. I don't remember exactly how it went, but Tolkien (or family) lost a little toy dog in the sand also.

Appreciated if someone could fix what I said, and make it correct. I don't know the exact information, but do know something similar exists .

I've seen a few posts about this but don't remember the particulars.

Originally Posted by forlorn_hope

I never considered the Click etc to be hidden, it's just obvious marketing. They know their target demographic.

I didn't really mean that that particular nugget was hidden, it is obviously right there in front of us at each login, yet how many actually caught it or know where it comes from.

Originally Posted by Chrysoprase

The other day I was running past Bag End and fell off the side of a small "cliff" and into a little pond. I wondered why I had never seen that pond before, and then realized it was the "watering hole" that Sam had talked about himself swimming in with Rose Cotton and her brothers. It was really cute how they added it in. Very obscure, but it was still there.

THAT's what I'm talking about! Thanks Chrysoprase.

Adder I'd be more suprised that people don't know where it comes from. I mean it was even in the movie! Or was it? hmm...

/me watches Fellowship again just to make sure.

There are some characters that show up in the Lone Lands in your 30's, won't mention which one just REALLY made me gush, but when I saw the character I knew immediately who it was and was giddy ( was in closed beta ). It's a pretty obscure character that if you've just read the Hobbit and the Trilogy you may not know who it is or how awesome it was to see them.

There's also three large trolls that are turned to stone around a campfire in the Trollshaws. It's kind of expected I suppose, but it's kinda out of the way from the quest routes and I loved finding it.

Theres a hobbit quest where a hobbit says he sneaked on a cart. This cart holding pipe weed was then taken far away by some brigands to a strange place with a huge tower in it and they talked to an old scary man whom they referred to as sharkey. (The hobbit ended up in Isengard and saw Saruman and shows how some of the shire pipe weed ended up in Isengard)

On the test server Roheryn theres a secret tavern where you could insta lvl your test character. The tavern is called the Eyes and Guard (Isengard) tarvern.

Most enemies North of Breetown serve Angmar while most enemies south of Breetown serve Isengard and in some quests you see some interfaction rivalry.

The statues in Thorins gate during the intro are changed when you enter Thorins gate in the persistent world.

You see Gandalf telling Thorin he'll get a "burglar" for the quest they're on in the dwarf intro.

All of the lands in the game are physically connected to one and other with no load screens between them except for Ered Luin which is isolated.

Ered Luin connects with the Shire.

I stumbled upon Bilbo's three trolls completely by accident as I was running away from actual trolls up in the Trollshaws. It completely made my day- I'll have to go back to the area and see them again.

The fact that there are giants, which are only briefly mentioned in the Hobbit, is completely awesome.

When I first saw Harry Goatleaf, I gushed. Also when I saw Bill Ferny's house, also gushed.

The Forsaken Inn- SO glad they added it in, despite the fact that it is only mentioned once within the whole trilogy. It really shows that they were paying attention to the book.

I also saw the brigands talking about "Sharkey"- completely made my day. Sharkey!

This thread has completely made my day.

I remember there being a half-starved pony in Bree. I thought it was Bill Ferny's pony, but I haven't re-read the books since I started playing the game so my memory is a little fuzzy on the details.

There are several NPCs that make reference to the mayor of Michel Delving and his new nickname Flour Dumpling (directly from the books). IIRC the town hole's ceiling collapsed and he got covered in dust and is a bit rotund, hence Flour Dumpling.

The camp where Frodo & Sam run into Gildor Inglorion is just south west of Woodhall.

As a matter of fact, just about all the taverns and other locations in the Shire are right where they are supposed to be from the book. Lots of Shire NPCs (Ted Sandyman, Gaffer Gamgee, Famer Maggot) are straight from the books.

The little camp at the foot of Weathertop where Strider and the Hobbits faced off against the Nazgul is right where it should be, complete with the little woodpile that Strider mentions was left there by his Dunedain kindred.

I could just go on and on...obviously they gave great attention to the books when they crafted the world, and they really nailed it.

Then they drank once round and became mighty merry all of a sudden. But they did not quite lose their wits. "Save us, Galion!" cried some, "you began your feasting early and muddled your wits!"

From The Hobbit, Chapter 9.

As you guys may know, one of the status effects of drinking can be "You've muddled your wits!" or something along those lines.

There's a bonfire on the west side of the Ford of Bruinen. That's the bonfire Glorfindel started in order to scare the Nazgul.

Originally Posted by Berephon

This thread has completely made my day.

Happy to have put a smile on yer face Berephon. It's these little things that make the world of Middle Earth in LOTRO 'feel' right. Thanks.

These are great folks! Keep them coming.

I didn't know about many of these mentioned locations that others are mentioning, either- I really am going to have to take my character out for a world tour today and check out all of these places!

Originally Posted by Laire

The fact that there are giants, which are only briefly mentioned in the Hobbit, is completely awesome.

Actually, they're mentioned in the Fellowship as well...when the Fellowship is trying to cross the Misty Mountains before they turn back in favor of Moria, they talk of giants.

Originally Posted by Bonzoso21

Ered Luin connects with the Shire.

Actually, no...that's why there is a loading screen when you pass. There's a chunk of land missing which will hopefully be added later.

Originally Posted by Beowulfe

Actually, they're mentioned in the Fellowship as well...when the Fellowship is trying to cross the Misty Mountains before they turn back in favor of Moria, they talk of giants.

Truly? It's been a long while since I've read FOTR completely instead of select chapters- I'll keep a look for that passage the next time I read it! *g*

I haven't rolled a Dwarf in a long time (since closed beta) but I recall when you started as Dwarf you were dropped into The game not far from Gandalf and a dwarf (perhaps Gloin?) and the tail of the conversation is gandalf being told he should have chosen a better burglar.

A nice reference to Bilbo's role in the Hobbit, and there are references later when Bilbo is referenced by Dwarves.

And don't forget The Inklings meeting in a back room of the Bird and Baby Tavern, and Ronald Dwale of Dwaling, who can't make it to the meeting.

Originally Posted by raccoon_king

There's a bonfire on the west side of the Ford of Bruinen. That's the bonfire Glorfindel started in order to scare the Nazgul.

AH! So that's why that's there! I always thought it was a troll bonfire that was missing its trolls. There are so many tidbits from the books that I've forgotten. I need to reread them one of these days.

* Shire Post Quests--there is a sentence in the beginning of Fellowship of the Rings mentioning that the postman was recruiting extra help for post services.
* Horse Quest--Quest mentions someone having come up from Rohan and that the King there had fallen ill. (Glimpses into Saruman's influence over Theoden)
* Though not positive, I thought I heard one of the White Hand Orcs growl, "Saruman."
* The rows of Hobbit houses on the hill over the Prancing Pony, just like mentioned in the book.
* The flower deed in the Old Forest--that was one of the most touching moments in the game, finding out the fate of the Entwives, with the possiblity that they could return.

Originally Posted by Bonzoso21

Ered Luin connects with the Shire.

Actually Ered Luin does not connect to the Shire. There is a missing region between Ered Luin and the Shire, hence the loading screen and the portal.

The Lead Dog is the toy that his son Michael lost while on vacation to the beach.

Michael was very distraught, he would not even put the dog down to dig in the sand, which is probably how it got lost.

JRR wrote a story about the dog and what happened to it to console his son. You can see it here:

http://www.amazon.com/Roverandom-J-R...ion/0007149115

Just slightly north of Bilbo's stone trolls you can find the troll's cave where Bilbo found Sting and Gandalf found Glamdring (Thorin got Orcrist as well). The cave has a large iron door with a huge keyhole in it.

It's not hidden, but I still love the fact that the game calls them "taters".

Originally Posted by Yula_the_Mighty

Actually Ered Luin does not connect to the Shire. There is a missing region between Ered Luin and the Shire, hence the loading screen and the portal.

This is true. If you look at the new LoTRO Google Map feature and zoom out, the missing area is obvious: http://lorebook.lotro.com/wiki/Frodo...h_to_Rivendell. It's pretty huge (bigger than The Shire, I'd say).

The quest "Forgotten Company" (to find arrowheads in Fornost) is based on a really brief mention of those events in the intro to Fellowship of the Ring. Well played, Turbine.

and of course Halbarad and the Grey Company at Esteldin...

Originally Posted by Halbarad

"This is an evil door, and my death lies beyond it. I will dare to pass it nonetheless...".

Originally Posted by Reyph

All of the lands in the game are physically connected to one and other with no load screens between them except for Ered Luin which is isolated.

I read in a dev chat that there is some landmass / content that will be added in the future between Ered Luin and the Shire, and that's why there's a "warp" thingie there.

Love this thread. There are a ton of things I've found along the way that pop out of the lore. Thats what makes this game more than just another MMO. Lifetimes of people that have poured themselves into Middle-Earth via the written word to have it take shape with a virtual one now is so much more than merely the sum of its parts.

I know one that stood out to me was while doing quests in Bree-land. I was running west of Bree and came upon a house. As I drew near it was revealed to be Bill Ferny's house. I suddenly had a tremendous anger come over me. I actually for no "in game" reason what so ever stopped in front of his door and stood there yelling insults and expletives at him in the "say" channel. I apoligize to any tender ears that may have been within the sound of my voice but his betrayel still burns so many years later.

Keep up the good work Turbine!

Originally Posted by KelticSamurai

I know one that stood out to me was while doing quests in Bree-land. I was running west of Bree and came upon a house. As I drew near it was revealed to be Bill Ferny's house. I suddenly had a tremendous anger come over me. I actually for no "in game" reason what so ever stopped in front of his door and stood there yelling insults and expletives at him in the "say" channel. I apoligize to any tender ears that may have been within the sound of my voice but his betrayel still burns so many years later.

Yeah, if only hobbits got a "Throw an Apple" racial trait.

Not sure if this is ture or not, but I read in a magazine (PC Gamers review of LOTRO, I think) a few months ago that the stars alignment in game is the same as if Tolkien himself were looking at the night sky during the time he was writing LOTR.

The one I saw most recently that gave me a chuckle was Gloin making a mention that he feared his company of dwarves was overstaying their welcome in Imladris, "much like he did at a certain hobbit's home some time ago."

Originally Posted by Reyph

Most enemies North of Breetown serve Angmar while most enemies south of Breetown serve Isengard and in some quests you see some interfaction rivalry.

This has been a shining gem for me. It's fantastic story design, IMO, and lends an enormous sense of scale to the conflict. Saruman's ambition is so clearly displayed, and it gives a real sense of immediacy when you learn the brigands in the southern Bree-lands are aligned with Isengard, though even they don't know it yet. And I really appreciate the thinking you have to do about Candaith's and Saeradan's speculation...they seem to have not quite properly guessed the real story, and I do enjoy not being able to take a character's word as canon.

Originally Posted by Bertkelley7

Not sure if this is ture or not, but I read in a magazine (PC Gamers review of LOTRO, I think) a few months ago that the stars alignment in game is the same as if Tolkien himself were looking at the night sky during the time he was writing LOTR.

The constellations that Tolkien mentions in LotR do appear in-game and in the alignment he describes. Our skies-guru was awesome!

Originally Posted by Berephon

The constellations that Tolkien mentions in LotR do appear in-game and in the alignment he describes. Our skies-guru was awesome!

Wow, that really is awesome ! Great work

Originally Posted by Danegar

*snip*

There's also three large trolls that are turned to stone around a campfire in the Trollshaws. It's kind of expected I suppose, but it's kinda out of the way from the quest routes and I loved finding it.

My favorite part about those guys is that one of them has a bird's nest behind its ear, which Aragorn mentions as being an odd adornment for a live troll (paraphrased, of course -- at work, no access to books) in FOTR. When I saw it, I went nuts and then had to explain to my fellowship members that I wasn't a psycho, just a Lord of the Rings fangirl