Quote Originally Posted by Arnand_the_Fox View Post
Isn't the teleport needed because of the "two Isengards" situation?
Technically, a teleport is always needed between "mega open-world maps" (Eriador, Rhovanion with Rohan, Mordor with bits of After Gondor, Gondor) because these are on separate world/terrain layers, technically, and can't make seamless transition. If the second Isengard didn't exist, then you would need to have a teleport from Rhovanion layer to regular Isengard on Eriador layer (though would have been narratively off... since it's at its prime, not destroyed)



Quote Originally Posted by Arnand_the_Fox View Post
Not to mention the established canon that Enedwaith is uninhabited outside of Dunland, and Minhiriath is likewise abandoned outside a very small group of wood folk in the Eryn Vorn. Which constitutes the vast bulk of the remaining area of Eriador.
Btw, I would say they're definitely "setting up" something with these areas, not in a big "yes, definitely we go there!" way, but more in a "yeah, maybe if we go there, here are some cool bits that may relate to that." WATCH OUT SPOILER (but it's not really such a big spoiler, so no worry!) there is a reformed "brigand" in Cardolan who framed it somehow confusingly, but from the looks of things they're not exactly just brigands, but were soldiers once, so maybe they're all (or mostly?) deserters? (Since these captains were already captains - apparently - before they started serving the Wizard) Whatever trouble is "brewing South" they're actually so eager to escape from is quite elusive too. I mean, idk, maybe these are deserters from Gondor, maybe from Rohan too, though still unclear. (and even if they were from Gondor, that's kinda off in a way, since Anfalas and the distant Western reaches shouldn't really be that populated and are relatively further from war dangers?) But they clearly came from the direction of Minhiriath, it would seem.

(BTW, why I say this might be somehow indicative of something would be because I think it is the first time the "Southerners" situation has really been addressed in the game? Whereas in the old content it was always just "ba ha ha brigands and loyal Sharkey men!" ? Unless I'm wrong and just forgot about something)