Down, Down, to Goblin Town!

With the U.S. release of The Hobbit movie this weekend, how could I not focus on Hobbit-related content?  And what better place to do so than Goblin Town?  Ho, ho, my lad!

I have been re-reading The Hobbit in anticipation of the movie, and numerous times I have been struck with how well LOTRO incorporates descriptions from that book, such as Thorin's party making their way toward Rivendell.  My very first time I tried to find Rivendell, attempting a run on a much-too-small Hunter, I encountered my first real "roadless road" and got horribly lost as soon as I crossed the Bruinen.  And it took me several journeys before I finally grasped the way; the pathless, steep and wild slopes heading higher and higher into the mountains are dead on.  Sure, it seems clear enough now, but I was constantly getting lost at first!

The Black Crack

They did a fantastic job with Goblin Town, filling it with references to The Hobbit that are great fun for fans to encounter.  And of course we will get to see even more with Update 9 this Monday.

As it is now, it's a formidable place for toons in the upper 40's-50's, and can be a tedious maze even for level 85's who can otherwise pass unmolested.  It is also the perfect place to farm Rivendell reputation drops as well as pick up some interesting armour and shields with unique appearances.  Be sure to empty your bags before you go!  I have taken a few toons through to finish all of the quests and deeds now, and use a fantastic map I found on the LOTRO Vault website.

If we prepare properly for our trip to Goblin Town, we get to pick up some quests from old friends from The Hobbit before we leave.  We get to talk to Gloin and Dwalin before heading out.  Bilbo certainly has some special requests for us to take care of on his behalf.  One of his tasks starts a deed where we get to collect the buttons he lost while squeezing through a doorway to escape from Gollum and Goblin Town, which I have always thought to be one of the most charming connections to The Hobbit. "It was still ajar, but a goblin had pushed it nearly to.  Bilbo struggled but he could not move it.  He tried to squeeze through the crack.  He squeezed and squeezed, and he stuck!  It was awful.  His buttons had got wedged on the edge of the door and the door-post.... He gave a terrific squirm.  Buttons burst off in all directions.  He was through, with a torn coat and waistcoat, leaping down the steps like a goat, while bewildered goblins were still picking up his nice brass buttons on the doorstep."

Ever wonder what happened to the other surviving Dwarves from Thorin's expedition?  Wouldn't it be wonderful to encounter them at some point as well?  We were able to play as the doomed Ori during the session play "We Cannot Get Out."  We also got to encounter Dori briefly at a few points in LOTRO.  We know that Bifur, who survived the Battle of Five Armies and supposedly stayed in Erebor, is dad to our Bosi and granddad to Bori of LOTRO Moria fame.  And of course we see an ale called Bombur's Beard.  I wonder if any of the other survivors will be found in the new Erebor instances/raids that are slated to be released in the spring?  Several of them supposedly stuck around that area after the Battle of the Five Armies.

At any rate, back to Goblin Town!  Most know there are two routes in:  One through the Mountain's Throat and one through the more hidden Black Crack.  As the book states, "That, of course, is the dangerous part about caves: you don't now how far they go back, sometimes, or where a passage behind may lead to, or what is waiting for you inside."  Indeed.

Once inside we discover that Goblin Town is, naturally, again filled with Goblins.  There's a new Great Goblin in charge, with terrible posture.  And these Goblins and their friends have not forgotten how Thorin and company killed their prior Great Goblin, gave them the slip, and then trounced them during the Battle of Five Armies.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Deep inside Goblin Town can be found some wonderful cave art created by the goblins.  One picture commemorates a particularly frustrating moment for them, after the Dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf had escaped and climbed up trees to escape them and the local Wargs.  We see a wonderful image of the company being rescued from the burning trees by the Eagles, cheating the Goblins and Wargs out of nice crispy fried Dwarf.

Further down the long, winding passages of Goblin Town, we encounter an image that shows us what Goblin nightmares might look like.  We of course know him as Gollum, or Sméagol.  To the Goblins, it was the hideous creature who lurked in the darkness, unseen, but preyed upon them as yummy snacks now and then.  I'd have nightmares, too.

One other piece of cave art has always puzzled me, and I have studied it several times trying to figure out exactly what it represents.  It is the image of what appears to be a large number of Goblins or Orcs battling Dwarves.  A particularly large Goblin, wearing what could be a crown, is shown dual-wielding two swords or daggers and stabbing a Dwarf.  The image appears to show what could be interpreted as rock formations, or the inside of a cave, and looks as if the Goblins are streaming out toward the Dwarves, who are running outside into a wooded area.  There seems to be a bit of fire going on inside as well.  When I first saw this art, I wasn't paying close attention, and thought it represented the Great Goblin attacking Thorin's party.  But on further inspection during subsequent visits to Goblin Town, I realized there are far more than 13 Dwarves represented here, and no Wizard or Hobbit, so I'm quite certain that isn't what it is meant to represent.

So I started thinking about other Goblin/Orc vs. Dwarf conflicts in the Lore.  There is of course the Battle of Five Armies with the Goblins led by Bolg, son of Azog, but again there are things missing that would be significant:  Men, Elves, Eagles, a representation of the Lonely Mountain.

I suspect the picture is set in Moria.  Several significant things have happened there, such as Thrór, Thorin's grandpa, venturing in with Nár as his sole companion (yes, our Nár from Nár's Peak!) and getting his head whacked off by Azog.  But that just involved the two Dwarves, and Nár escaped to tell of the tale.  "When Thrór came to Moria, the Gate was open.  Nár begged him to beware, but he took no heed of him, and walked proudly in as an heir that returns.  But he did not come back. Nár stayed near by for many days in hiding.  One day he heard a loud shout and the blare of a horn, and a body was flung out on the steps.  Fearing that it was Thrór, he began to creep near, but there came a voice from within the gate:  "Come on, beardling! We can see you.  But there is no need to be afraid today.  We need you as a messenger."  Thus Nár, after seeing the body and severed hear of Thrór with "AZOG" branded on the forehead, was allowed to live and carry the tale back to Thráin.  No wonder he was a little mad ever since.

Unhappy Dwarves and One Big Orc

There is of course also the ill-fated attempt of Balin, along with Ori and Óin and many other Dwarves, to resettle Moria.  They made it five years before Balin was killed by an Orc archer in the Dimrill Dale.  We know about this and the ensuing siege thanks to Ori and the book left in the Chamber of Mazarbul.  Except, as Ori made clear, they were stuck inside and could not get out, so this too does not match the images in this last cave painting.

Going back to the death of Thrór, Thráin decided to take revenge, and began the long War of the Dwarves and Orcs, routing out and killing Orcs "from Gundabad to the Gladden" as revenge and to try to find Azog.  Finally the remaining Orcs took refuge in Moria, and the large company of Dwarves arrived at Azanulbizar, what we also know as Nanduhirion or the Dimrill Dale.  At first the Orcs had the upper hand and fought mercilessly, and the Dwarves were "driven into a wood of great trees that then still grew not far from Kheled-zaram."  Thráin's son Frerin was slain (Frerin's Court, anyone?) as well as Fundin, and both Thráin and Thorin were wounded.  The arrival of the Dwarves from the Iron Hills, led by Náin, helped turn the tide of battle in favor of the Dwarves.  This drew out Azog, "a great Orc with an iron-clad head," who slew Náin but was in turn beheaded by his son Dáin, ending the Battle of Azanulbizar.  Although this Battle ended badly for the Orcs and particularly for Azog, I think there are enough clues in the picture to make this the  most likely event represented.  They just represented the part they liked to remember most.

Gollum's Island

In the far, far reaches of Goblin Town, we of course find Gollum's Cave.  Once you get to the creepy artwork above, you know you are close.  There inside the cave is the lake, and little island littered with fishbones.  And a hut.  Now, this hut - I have no memory of this hut.  In Rivendell, Bilbo even makes mention of having forgotten about it since he had never been too close to it when he bestows the quest to go write a description of Gollum's Cave.  I cannot find a hut mentioned anywhere I've looked in The Hobbit or in the Fellowship of the Ring.  Where am I missing this hut???  It's driving me crazy!

I'm looking forward to the new instance with the Great Goblin, and seeing how his area has been revamped.  I wish everyone enjoyment of the new movie as well as Update 9!

Bearded Hobbits in Enedwaith - The Stoors

Questers in Enedwaith may choose to wander around the Gloomglens, coming across various points of interest such as a Hobbit-bow, Hobbit-arrow, even a Hobbit-skeleton - all are part of the location quest called Little Wonders, and once completed will grant 10 Turbine Points as well as a small furniture housing item, Stoor Boots.  They're tiny and certainly don't take up much room, but are a great addition to any household.

Stoor Boots in a Dwarf Home

Wait a minute - Hobbit boots?!?!

Precisely.  Because the Hobbits we encounter in Enedwaith are Stoors, and that means many of our typical Hobbit stereotypes go out the window.

I already discussed a bit about the three varieties of Hobbits in A Hobbit Boating Adventure, particularly what qualities are exemplified by the Fallohides. The Stoors are a bit different.

The wearing of boots is a quality shared by many of the Hobbits in the Eastfarthing, back in The Shire, particularly around the area of the Marish (where Farmer Maggot lives).  The prologue Concerning Hobbits tells us these Hobbits wore boots in muddy weather, and that many had "down" growing on their chins, unlike any Fallohide or Harfoot.  Many of the residents of this area indeed have Stoor blood, and their ancestors came into The Shire and Buckland later than other Hobbits, arriving "from south-away," bringing some strange customs, names, and words.  The building of farmhouses and barns was said to originate with these Hobbits as well.  Physically, Stoors are described as being "broader, heavier in build; their feet and hands were larger, and they preferred flat lands and riversides."

Hobbit legends tell of the time preceding their Wandering Days, long before they came west to Bree-land and The Shire, when they dwelt along the upper Anduin "between the eaves of Greenwood the Great and the Misty Mountains."  After many other Hobbits chose to cross the Misty Mountains, when Men began to increase in numbers and a darkness descended on Mirkwood, the Stoors lingered behind along the banks of the Anduin.  When they finally began to move west, they followed the course of the River Loudwater (the Bruinen), with some settling in the Angle - the triangle in the southwestern Trollshaws formed by the meeting of the Bruinen and the River Hoarwell.  Still others continued south, settling between the deserted city of Tharbad and the borders of Dunland.

Boots and a beard - gotta be a Stoor.

Linguistically, Hobbits seem to have adopted the languages of Men near where they happened to be settled at a given point.  This was seen in the Hobbits who moved into Bree-land adopting the Common Speech.  Before coming west, however, it appears that the Hobbits who lived along the Anduin spoke another variation of a Mannish language that was said to be akin to the language of the Rohirrim.  The southernmost Stoors were said to have adopted a language related to Dunlendish.  Interestingly, the Stoors who lived in the Angle in the Trollshaws before returning to Wilderland "had already adopted the Common Speech, but Déagol and Sméagol are names in the Mannish language of the region near the Gladden."  Even the word "Hobbit" is believed to be derived from a word of the Rohirrim, "holbytla," meaning hole-dweller.


Talk about two infamous Stoors.  But all peoples have some they'd like to disown, right?

At any rate, after hearing a lot of surprise from individuals when Enedwaith first came out and they would stumble upon these curious bearded and booted Hobbits who would make them do strange things like pick up pig poo, it became apparent that possibly many players were not aware of the rich history that this little remnant of Hobbits who had stayed behind in Enedwaith were based on.  Next time you are in Enedwaith, stop by and give 'em a hand with their fertilizer endeavours.  They'll give you a special reward if you help often enough!



Sources:  Concerning Hobbits, The Fellowship of the Ring; Appendix B & Appendix F, The Lord of the Rings

Gollum's Nassssty Diet

Our first chance to cross paths with Gollum (and most definitely this, as much of my blog, will be a spoiler for those who have not done this yet, so read at your own risk!) comes in the Trollshaws, at a lonely cottage on the shore of the Bruinen.  A fisherman, Garbert, and his wife Afanen live here with a new baby.  The night before you meet them, they experience something that would horrify any parent.  It is part of the questline "The Skulking Creature," and even the title of this particular quest is creepy and full of foreboding:  "The Open Window."

Thank you to LOTRO-Wiki for the dialogue, as I don't currently have a toon at the right level who has not already done this questline.  Afanen tells us:

Inspecting the window Gollum snuck through.

"Last night, just after dark, we had snuffed out the candles, locked the door, and we were just getting into bed, when I thought I heard something moving around in little Whelan's room. Whelan is just a baby, so you can understand my worry: I thought a bird might have flown into his room through the window, which we always leave open a crack so the breeze can come in, and I did not want him to be frightened. But when I went into his room to check on him, I saw that it was not a bird at all, but a monster: a terrible creeping thing hunched over bony legs! It was moving towards Whelan's cradle, and making a terrible noise from his throat.  Its intent was clear -- it meant to harm my baby! I let forth a cry such as you have never heard, and sprang towards it; I do not know what I thought to do, but the thing sprang out the window through which it had crawled, vanishing into the night. Little Whelan is fine, but what if that thing comes back? That is why Garbert has not collected his catch, and that is why we will not leave the house! Speak to my husband if you like, but you will not change his mind!" 

This isn't just Turbine being sensationalistically and darkly suggestive.  It too is straight from the Lore.  Way back at the start of The Fellowship of the Ring, when Gandalf is telling Frodo the latest news of Gollum in the chapter, "The Shadow of the Past," he talks of the search of the Elves of Mirkwood to locate him:

"The wood was full of the rumour of him, dreadful tales even among beasts and birds.  The Woodmen said that there was some new terror abroad, a ghost that drank blood.  It climbed trees to find nests; it crept into holes to find the young; it slipped through windows to find cradles."

Not to put too fine a point on it, Gollum was planning to make a dinner snack of Garbert and Afanen's young baby, but thanks to the fast attentions of this NPC mom, he was foiled.  This time.

To be fair, we also need to note that in the timeline in Appendix B, in August of 3018 it is stated that, "All trace of Gollum is lost.  It is thought that at about this time, being hunted by both the Elves and Sauron's servants, he took refuge in Moria; but when he had at last discovered the way to the West-gate he could not get out."  Since this leaves room for some uncertainty about the whereabouts of Gollum that fall, this gives Turbine the wiggle-room needed to place him skulking around the Trollshaws.  And very, very hungry.

Sources:  The Fellowship of the Ring, Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings