Gabriele^
ArchivesArvedui, The Last King of Arnor and the Ring of BarahirContinuing my blog that highlights interesting sights and hidden references to Tolkien's work off the beaten path in Lord of the Rings Online, this entry deals with Arvedui, the last king of Arthedain. We meet his ghost in Volume I: Book 13 of the epic quests, taking place in Forochel. The shade of Arvedui appears at 18.8N, 81.3W.
The kingdom of Arnor was founded by Elendil at the end of the Second Age (3320). After the death of Eärendur, the 10th king of Arnor, the kingdom was shaken by civil war and was divided into three regions, Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur, each ruled by one of his three sons. Arvedui was the son of King Araphant, the fourteenth King of Arthedain, and became king himself in TA 1964. He married Fireil, the daughter of the Ondoher, the king of Gondor. When Ondoher died, Arvedui made a claim to the throne of Gondor as a direct descendant of Isildur but he was refused. When the Witch-King saw the people at war with one another in the northern kingdoms, he saw that they were vulnerable and descended upon them. After he sacked Fornost, the capital of Arthedain, Arvedui and his men escaped to the North Downs and took... More by Gabriele^ on 2015-07-07 05:07:12 Baldor the HaplessContinuing my blog that highlights interesting sights and hidden references to Tolkien's work off the beaten path in LotRO, this entry concerns the story of Baldor the Hapless whose corpse you will come across with a bit of exploring in the Paths of the Dead.
Baldor was the first son of Brego, who became the second king of Rohan in TA 2540. Brego and his son Baldor were exploring the Valley of Harrowdale when they came across a dark door leading to the Paths of the Dead. An old man standing before it warned them about entering stating "The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead, and the Dead keep it, until the time comes” (RoTK). The old man collapsed and died at the door without providing additional answers to Baldor's questions. Over time, Baldor’s curiosity about the door grew. During the festivities at the inauguration of Meduseld, the great Golden Hall of Edoras built by his father, Baldor stood and raised his horn and brashly vowed that he would pass through the Dark Door and enter the Paths of the Dead. In TA 2570 he did so and Baldor was never seen alive again. When asked about the mystery, Tolkien explained the fate of Baldor stating that “enemies... More by Gabriele^ on 2015-07-07 04:59:36 The Bird and Baby Inn and the Tolkien ConnexionThe Bird and Baby Inn is the first entry in my blog that seeks to highlight interesting sights and hidden references to Tolkien's work off the beaten path in Lord of the Rings Online
The Bird and Baby Inn, in Michel Delving, is the site of a quest given by Carlo Blagrove (33.3s, 75.4w) who sends you to find a prize-winning recipe so he can enter a contest. You can find the recipe at the Great Smials in Tuckborough (33.6s, 71.1w) and upon returning it, Blagrove will reward you with a tankard of Blagrove’s Brown Ale, your coin and xp.
Take a sip of your ale and wander into a back room where you will come upon three hobbits in a room furnished with several bookcases having a discussion. This scene was inspired by Tolkien’s real life book club, The Inkling’s Literary Discussion group, which regularly met at The Eagle and Child Tavern, in Oxford, England. The Inklings here include C.S. Lewis (Jack Lewisdown), Owen Barfield (Owen Farfield) and Charles Williams (Carlo Williams), who were some of the regular members who would meet to read and discuss each other’s writing, focusing primarily on fantasy writing. The NPCs mention a character named Ronald Dwale, who represents J.R.R. Tolkien, whose middle name was Ronald. by Gabriele^ on 2015-07-07 04:44:05 |