In development NOW - Mordor and Gondor!

[DM_Kev]

The UTT2 versions of these focal areas are now in development.

All the goodness of these areas in UTT1 will be carried through - but what NEW ideas can we build in?

Some challenging quests are already written and more are to come. Your quest ideas/plans are welcome too.

Fill this thread to breaking point with ideas on anything to do with these areas!

[DM_Olórin]

~ Cirith Ungol & the Cult of the Unlight ~

The Cirith Ungol area is obviously where we would encounter Shelob. Perhaps the area could become the home of a spider cult, worshipping Ungoliant through Shelob. Its temple, soldiery and priesthood being centered in the tower itself. Maybe this cult could be a little power hungry in its own right with its own agenda and goals, like Isengard in a way only more closely tied to the Eye.

It might be nice to have the look of the armour and equipment of these guys differ slightly from the regulars of Mordor and Barad dur, more of a spider moteif where possible. They could make extensive use of poisoned weapons, and "spidercraft" (stealth, traps and assassins of their own devising). The Ungolodrim (others may call them "Shroudweavers") could act as the spymasters and infiltrators of Mordor, and the watchers of the passes of the Ephel Duath.

Another difference that would work would be to have the Ungolodrim mostly female. Elsewhere the world, in all factions are predominantly male, any female in Tolkien is either a damsel in distress or a godess (the only pro-active heroins being Eowyn and Luthien, as far as I can see) and it would be nice to have some evil matriarch somewhere. Shelob and Ungoliant were also "female" so it makes a kind of logical sense. (So many women are bloody evil anyway :P - just kidding).

Perhaps somewhere down below the tower and dungeons of Cirith Ungol, are caves that ultimately link to the Deep Dark under the world. Somewhere in the blackness their Spidercult may be conducting abominable rituals to open a way back for the Devouring Hunger of the Mistress of Her own Lust, Ungoliant, or some remnant of Her Great Shadow, from another age...

[GammaGm]

DM Olorin, If you are not a creative writer career-wise now, perhaps you should consider it. I sorta made a similar suggestion under the character classes thread (not as inteligently written however).

If the Henneth Annun in Ithilien area could be done with its waterfall window and ranger/shadowdancer guards with lots of extremely difficult to spot doors and passages and inaccessible platforms for bowmen, that would be cool. An interesting and somewhat comedic evil quest would be to have lower levels attempting to sneak in and grab a fish from the pool. High level would be to seek it out and destroy it. Faramir, of course, would not be there but rather Mablung or some other secondary captain of the West.

[GammaGm]

Another possible area would be with Pukel-men and the Woses. It could be an area that is druid/ranger friendly, with all others basically hostile. The pukel-men statues could have spell effects on them of confusion, fear or other suitable mind effects to drive off and otherwise make a short-cut turn into a long-cut. (The armies of Rohan avoided a long treck by secret ways.) There could be either simple encampment of tents or cave complex. The caves could be an access point to the Deep-Dark. Killing of the woses could be a chaotic or evil act even though they are hostile, the object to avoid them, with some sort of subtle warning posted at the entrance to the area.

[mattimus]

History and research:
The island in the midst of river Sirion in the Narrow Pass of Sirion; The Narrow Land, where Finrod raised the tover Minas Tirith in F.A. (Not the same as in T.A.) When Sauron counqered the island in the fell year F.A.455 it was renamed to Tol-in-Gaurhoth ( Ilse of Werewolves )
Draugluin Draugluin was the oldest and father of all werewolves. He was the servant of Sauron at Tol-in-Gaurhoth. There on the bridge he fought with Huan, and escaped to die at Sauron's feet. His last words were, "Huan is there!"
Dread servants of Morgoth in wolf-form. Werewolves were especially associated with Sauron, who indeed took the shape of a great wolf himself at least once.
In F.A.465 when Húan and Luthien came to Tol-en.Gaurhoth, Sauron sent forth his werewolves one by one to challenge them. Last to attack was Draugluin but Húan fell him. Mortally wounded, Draugluin fled back to Sauron.
Sauron then took the form of the werewolf and went himself to Tol-en-Gaurhoth to attack them . "So great was the horror of his approach that Húan sprang aside. Then Sauron sprang upon Luthien; and she swooned before the menace of the fell spirit in his eyes and the foul vapor of his breath. But even as he came, falling she cast a fold of her dark cloak before his eyes; and he stumbled, for a fleeting drowsiness came upon him. Then Húan sprang. There befell the battle of Húan and Wolf-Sauron, and the howls and baying echoed in the hills, and the watchers on Ered Wethrin across the valley heard it afar and were dismayed."
>But in the end Húan were victorious and holding Wolf-Sauron by his throat Sauron were forced to flee the body of Draugluin and return to Angband where he stood naked before Morgoth.
Location:
As Tol in Gaurhoth is under or near (supposedly) the foundations of Minas Tirith the Island could find itself in catacombs beneath Minas Tirith, or actually near Minas Tirith lost in a densely wooded forest with a little know entrance to the valley in which it sits.
Plot/Quest Ideas:
Good-
Werewolves are running amok in the streets of Minas Tirith (insert any other location) at night/savaging trade caravans from the southern tip of Mirkwood and the Hero's have been quested to find the source and remove it.
Evil-
Someone (Khamul/Sauruman/Sauron himself) wants the blood/essence of Sauron which has reputedly be kept and worshipped in theire unholy temple in the middle of the ruins on the island for all these years by the now high priest of the werewolf clan. The anti heros are to return the vail of essence/blood to there master perhaps enlisting the help of these evil beasts after defeating someof them and bringing them back in to the fold.
Setting-
An Island surrounded by water with secret tunnels/bridges leading to a variety of places in Gondor/Southern Mirkwood/Mordor?
On the island Catacombs/thickly wooded area where the wolfmen can ambush the party from several directions - leading to an underground temple/dungeon home of the high priest
Creatures-
Werewolves obviously! (but make em a little tougher than the tool set)
Wargs
Wolves
Special Items-
Wolf cape, allows the wearer to polymorph into a giant wolf/warg once a day.
Belladonna, similar in effect to holy water?
Some anti werewolf weapon?

[DM_Olórin]

Forgot that this was a speccific area discussion thread, this wasnt Mordor/Goldor stuff. Off topic so im shiftin it before I gets told to do so... :P

[DM_Olórin]

With the burgeoning threat of the shadow of the east the people of Gondor are in need of a symbol of hope. The Steward Denethor, not yet the raving madman he was to become towards the end of the War of the Ring, still rules with a firm but just hand. He has not yet heard that Isildur's Bane has been found, and his beloved son Boromir is alive and well and a mighty Captain of Gondor.

Few believe in the old tales of an extant scion of the royal line of the House of Elendil, the Steward does not, or perhaps hopes that there is not, for after all, the rule of Gondor is his and will pass to his son Boromir in due time. In his deepest heart he wishes that the line of Stewards will continue unabated. Some of Gondor's lords do hold to the old ways more faithfully and cling to the hope that the King will one day return.

Seeking artifacts of the bygone glory of the great Post-Numenorean kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor in their heyday, and even relics of Fallen Numenore itself is an obsession for an aging and eccentric minor noble. His home is a reliquary of ancient exhibits and books of lore.

A flexible and expandable quest hook for Minas Tirith, Pelargir, Dol Amroth or any civilized centre of Gondor could take characters on a treasure hunt for this antiquarian. Numenorean ruins are dotten all over the landscape of Middle Earth; from islands in the Belgaer to the Lost Realm of Arnor in Eriador north of Breeland. A Gondorian port such as Pelargir would be desirable as that would be a more appropriate starting point for southern or especially long voyages than Tharbad is. Tharbad is a city on a river and while there wouild be ample shipping traffic its not a coastal port.

A few possible quest locales and items:
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~ Annúminas - Ancient seat of the Kings of Arnor ~

The city of the Kings of Arnor, on the shores of Nenuial. The city was founded by Elendil himself, on the shores of the northern lake Nenuial, near the sources of the Baranduin. It was the chief city of the Kings of Arnor for several centuries, and home to one of the three palantíri of the North-Kingdom.

The available evidence suggests that the city survived for nearly a thousand years. In the early days of Arnor, it must have been one of the glories of Middle-earth. Soon after its founding, though, the numbers of the Dúnedain of the North began to dwindle. The population of Annúminas seems to have fallen throughout its history, until eventually it was deserted, and the Kings removed to Fornost to the east.

It seems likely that the people of Annúminas were dependent on the River Baranduin for their contact with the outside world. While the Hills of Evendim surrounded the city to the west and south, the city's people could reach the other cities of the Dúnedain that lay along the river by boat.

After the city's desertion, it fell into decay, but two relics of its greatness survived: its palantír and the Sceptre of Annúminas. The palantír remained in Middle-earth for more than a millennium after the loss of its city, but was ultimately drowned with Arvedui in the cold northern seas.

The silver Sceptre of Annúminas was the symbol of Kingship in the North-kingdom. A very ancient thing, it was originally the rod of office of the Númenórean Lords of Andúnië. Though it would have been removed to Fornost by the Kings, and eventually came to be kept by Elrond in Rivendell, it retained the name of its ancient home of Annúminas.

At the time of the coronation of Aragorn at the end of the Third Age, Annúminas had lain in ruins for more than two thousand years. There are hints in The History of Middle-earth though, that Aragorn refounded the city and may even have made it his capital. No definite statement on this matter appears in the canonical works, though, so this must be considered speculation.
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~ Sceptre of Annúminas - The token of royalty in the North-kingdom ~

A silver rod, originally the symbol of office of the Lords of Andúnië in Númenor. It survived the Downfall, and was held by the Kings of Arnor while that realm lasted. After the division of the North-kingdom, it was handed down through the generations of the Kings of Arthedain and their descendants, the Chieftains of the Dúnedain.

Given that this relic is in the possession of Elrond (who fervently believes in the Return of the King and the reformation of Arnor) it is posted here for the sake of interest.
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~ Stone of Annúminas - One of the palantíri of the North-kingdom ~

One of the three palantíri of Arnor, the North-kingdom of the Dúnedain. Though it was counted one of the lesser of the seven Seeing-stones brought into Middle-earth, it was nonetheless the one used most often by the King in the north, and was preserved at Annúminas through the history of the realms of Arnor and its successor Arthedain.

When Angmar's forces overran Arthedain, its last King, Arvedui, saved the Stone of Annúminas, along with the palantír that had been kept in the Tower of Amon Sûl. With these and other heirlooms, he fled into the far north, where he was given shelter by the Lossoth, the Snowmen of the north. At last a ship from the Grey Havens came to rescue Arvedui, but after he had boarded, its hull was crushed by the ice, and all aboard were lost. The Stone of Annúminas, along with that of Amon Sûl, were lost in the shipwreck, and sank beneath the cold waters of the Icebay of Forochel.
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~ Sceptre of Númenor - The royal symbol of Númenor ~

In Númenor, the power of the Kings and Queens was symbolised not by a crown, but by a Sceptre, held by Elros Tar-Minyatur and all his ruling descendants to the time of Ar-Pharazôn. Among the early Kings, it was normal to voluntarily surrender the Sceptre to an Heir, but this tradition was abandoned in later years. Ar-Pharazôn carried the Sceptre with him when he sailed to attack Blessed Realm, and it was lost with the King and all his armies. In Middle-earth, the exiled Númenóreans maintained this tradition, and their High King held the Sceptre of Annúminas, which had been the symbol of the Lords of Andúnië in Númenor.
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~ Meneltarma - The Pillar of Heaven ~

The Pillar of Heaven, the isolated peak at the centre of the island of Númenor, on which the Númenóreans gave thanks to Eru. The Meneltarma was said by some to have survived the Downfall, and remained as an island in the Great Sea.

A handy place for a higher level Himling-style treasure hunt.