The Return of the Other King

It has been nearly four years since I last posted in this blog. A lot happened, including a very long break from LOTRO. I had become frustrated with many things about the game that I don't need to go into here.

Most definitely some spoilers are below regarding Gondor, Minas Tirith, and Volume IV of the Epic line.

About a month or so ago, I was missing Middle Earth so decided to explore a bit. The last time I played, I was about ready to move into Wildermore. There were now many, many more chapters of the Epic questline to explore, Helm's Deep to visit (I really do hate those Big Battles, sorry), Isengard getting its just desserts, the Paths of the Dead to pass through, Gondor and Dol Amroth to visit, a new house in a new neighborhood to buy (like I needed a hole in the head), and Minas Tirith to reach. I admit I have been enjoying being back in Middle Earth.

I've now hit level cap, and am still questing and following the Epic line in Volume IV. I can't express the happy surprise when I began one of the chapters in Osgiliath. I was getting a bit tired of the area and looking forward to moving on to Minas Tirith, so was in a hurry and ready to rush through the final instance chapter of that particular book, when I saw someone who looked a bit familiar appear and then disappear in front of me. Later on it happened again, when I saw the figure of a woman from behind whose dress and hair looked very, very familiar. Is that?... Hang on. A minute later, there she was again. Amar...Narmeleth! What the? And what is she pointing at?

Then in he came, the star of one of my favorite lore-based storylines from early LOTRO - now calling himself Gothmog, otherwise known as Mordirith, otherwise known as Eärnur, the last King of Gondor. He was back!

I'm not going to spoil the various other encounters with him through the Epic line. Nor do I have any image to post as I'm really no longer in the business of maintaining this blog, so don't take screen shots as I go anymore.

But I was so happy to see him, because I had been hoping very much that once we reached Gondor, we would learn more about the Last King. It just seemed like too good an opportunity for them to not revisit his story; I mean, a former king and descendant of Elendil who was twisted and turned by Sauron and the Witch King into such an evil entity, how could you not explore that further? I was expecting something very much like what we get at one point in the Epic line, learning more about Eärnur perhaps in some old disused library in Minas Tirith. I expressed that hope in an earlier blog on Cirion and Eorl the Young a few years ago. I also explored his story in a blog on the lore behind the Captain class. So you can imagine how pleased I was to not only get to read a little more about his LOTRO story but to actually encounter him again, and see him in a far greater role than I had ever expected.

I won't go into more detail about his story - by all means, if you have not yet completed the Epic line, do so. I'm a bit sad that I won't get to encounter him in the 12-man raid, as my raiding days are long past. And I have no plans to revive this blog - too much time has passed and other things have taken my attention.

Yet this one thing was enough to make me want to log in and express how surprised and glad I was to see this, and how fantastic I think it was that someone had the foresight to include and expand this story - if it was MadeofLions or someone else, well done!