Free Range Chicken Quest Walkthrough
By Thorenric, Elendilmir Server, Misadventurers Kinship
I. OVERVIEW
II. THE QUEST
III. TRAVELLER DEEDS
IV. EXPLORER DEEDS
V. CHICKEN STONE LOCATIONS
VI. STRANGE CHICKEN NESTS
VII. GENERAL TIPS
VIII. PREPARATION
IX. WALKTHROUGH
X. DESTINY ROUTE
XI. THANKS
XII. LEGAL
I. OVERVIEW
So you want to boast the title "Crosser of Roads?" This ambition is not for the faint of heart. You will need patience, skill, practice, plenty of uninterrupted time, tolerance for staring at chicken butt, and 500 destiny points per attempt. But you will no longer need to figure out what to do or how to do it safely, as I will guide you through every step of the way.
To get the title "Crosser of Roads," you must finish the quest "Free Range." This quest is given by George the chicken on Sandson's Farm, just north of Michel Delving, after you have completed all of the other chicken quests. This quest is different than the others because it lets you play as a golden chicken instead of a white one, it costs 500 destiny points to enter the session, and offers destiny point rewards for completing portions of the quest. If you are using this guide, I assume that you have already completed all of the previous chicken quests. I will not explain how to complete them, as they are fairly trivial in comparison to Free Range. I will also not explain the basics of how chicken play works, since you ought to know that already to get this far.
As a level one chicken, you must play extremely cautiously. Most of the places you visit will be riddled with enemies who will kill you in one hit. If you die or log out, your session will end and you will return to your player character. Deed progress does not save, so this means any mistake will result in you starting over from the beginning.
II. THE QUEST
To complete the quest, you must finish all possible 15 deeds in your deed log. Seven of these deeds, the "Traveller" deeds, are immediately visible in your deed log. These are the exact same deeds you completed in previous quests. You must talk to the same animals as before, who come up with new amusing excuses for not helping you with your wolf problem.
The other eight deeds are "Explorer" deeds. Each explorer deed requires you to visit three "Chicken Stones" in a zone. These stones all look exactly the same. They are short, flat, and difficult to notice at first, but will soon become quite familiar. You can see them on your player character, but neither your player nor your chicken can select them. Your chicken must simply pass near them to activate them. The explorer deeds are hidden from your deed log until you discover one stone in a zone, then the deed appears.
You are given eight hours to complete this quest, which is much more time than is needed. I finished the quest in under five hours, even with a break and a long unnecessary detour.
The quest text reads: "This may be a wonderful time to explore Middle-earth," and the yellow helper hint says "Explore Middle-earth." Not really helpful. But that's why this guide is here!
The entire quest is vaguely soloable. However, two of the locations in Evendim are extremely difficult to reach without a high level escort. The rest can be soloed without much danger.
III. TRAVELLER DEEDS
Here is a list of all the Traveller deeds for talking to animals that you will see when you enter the Free Range session, as well as the destiny point rewards.
Shire Traveller
Speak with Fang
Speak with Grip
Speak with Wolf
Speak with the fox
Speak with Old Sally
Reward: 125 Destiny Points
Ered Luin Traveller
Speak with the lynx-mother
Reward: 125 Destiny Points
Bree-land Traveller
Speak with the cow
Speak with the grey squirrel
Speak with Wink the cat
Speak with Sniken
Speak with the horse
Reward: 250 Destiny Points
Lone-lands Traveller
Speak with Radagast the Brown
Reward: 125 Destiny Points
North Downs Traveller
Speak with the aurochs yearling
Reward: 250 Destiny Points
Evendim Traveller
Speak with Longbough
Reward: 125 Destiny Points
Trollshaws Traveller
Speak with Roheryn
Reward: 250 Destiny Points
IV. EXPLORER DEEDS
Here is a list of all the Explorer deeds for finding chicken stones that are hidden from your quest log. They will not appear until you find one of the stones. Destiny point rewards are also listed. Obviously, visiting chicken stones is a much more lucrative business than chatting with animals.
Shire Explorer
Discover the Bag End Chicken Stone
Discover the Mathom House Chicken Stone
Discover the Brandywine Bridge Chicken Stone
Reward: 125 Destiny Points
Ered Luin Explorer
Discover the Thorin's Hall Chicken Stone
Discover the Duillond Chicken Stone
Discover the Kheledúl Chicken Stone
Reward: 250 Destiny Points
Bree-land Explorer
Discover the Prancing Pony Chicken Stone
Discover the Old Forest Chicken Stone
Discover the Othrongroth Chicken Stone
Reward: 500 Destiny Points
Lone-lands Explorer
Discover the Weathertop Chicken Stone
Discover the Last Bridge Chicken Stone
Discover the Forsaken Inn Chicken Stone
Reward: 500 Destiny Points
North Downs Explorer
Discover the Fornost Chicken Stone
Discover the Esteldín Chicken Stone
Discover the Gatson's Farm Chicken Stone
Reward: 750 Destiny Points
Evendim Explorer
Discover the Gates of Annúminas Chicken Stone
Discover the Ost Forod Chicken Stone
Discover the Gwindethrond Chicken Stone
Reward: 750 Destiny Points
Trollshaws Explorer
Discover the Rivendell Chicken Stone
Discover the Bitter Stair Chicken Stone
Discover the Glóin's Camp Chicken Stone
Reward: 2000 Destiny Points
Angmar Explorer
Discover the Aughaire Chicken Stone
Discover the Lehmä-kohti Chicken Stone
Discover the Tyrn Lhuig Chicken Stone
Reward: 2000 Destiny Points
V. CHICKEN STONE LOCATIONS
*****ALERT!!!***** These descriptions may be considered spoilers for you. It is rather fun to find the stones yourself, given only the vague area indications listed on the deed. It's like a scavenger hunt! If such adventure doesn't interest you, read on.
I will assume you know the location of the animals, as you had to find them in previous quests. I will describe the locations of all 24 chicken stones.
Bag End: Right at the doorstep. Bag End is located on "The Hill."
Mathom House: The Mathom House is west of the milestone in Michel Delving. The stone is near the entrance.
Brandywine Bridge: This is the bridge that crosses the Brandywine River into Bree. The stone is just south of the east end of the bridge.
Thorin's Hall: The stone is in the southwest section of the large flat area just outside the huge doors going into Thorin's Hall.
Duillond: This stone is just south of the stables in Duillond.
Kheledúl: The stone is near the outer wall of the fortress, south of the entrance.
Prancing Pony: Just behind the mailbox in northeast Bree. This is the easiest stone to find if you want to get a sense of what they look like.
Old Forest: Behind Tom Bombadil's house. Who knew he had a pleasant garden back there?
Othrongroth: Also known as the Great Barrows in the south Barrow Downs, the stone is just south of the entrance.
Weathertop: Upon entering Weathertop from the north, go directly west. The stone is outside the ruins on the edge of the hilltop.
Last Bridge: The Last Bridge connects Lone Lands and Trollshaws. The stone is just south of the east end of the bridge.
Forsaken Inn: Against the inn, south of the entrance.
Fornost: This stone is on the west side of the platform at the entrance to the Fornost instance.
Esteldín: Near the bard, by one of the centerpieces of the town.
Gatson's Farm: Along the north end of Gatson's house.
Gates of Annúminas: When entering the Annuminas area from Men Erain to the east, you will enter a large area filled with angmarim that is completely walled off save for two entrances to the east and west. The northern section is filled with water. The stone is just north of a tent northeast of the west entrance. It is useful to have an escort for this stone.
Ost Forod: Ost Forod has a main level that can be reached by entering from the west. The level has a sloped road that goes downhill out of the town to the northeast. The stone is in a camp southeast of the the top of this slope, tucked in a back corner. This is the other stone for which it is useful to have an escort.
Gwindethrond: The Blue Lady's cave behind the waterfall at Rushingdale can be found at the furthest western edge of Lake Evendim. The stone is in the cave at the entrance to the main chamber where the Blue Lady stands.
Rivendell: This stone is on the ground near the mailbox and the champion trainer in the central section of town.
Bitter Stair: This stone is tucked in the back corner all the way up the hill north of the entrance to Helegrod. It's fun to happen upon a raid of people waiting to enter Helegrod on your chicken!
Glóin's Camp: In the snow north of the main raised platform.
Aughaire: By the bard and the hillman leader Crannog in the center of town.
Lehmä-kohti: In the northeast end of town, this stone sticks out pretty well.
Tyrn Lhuig: In the fenced camp.
VI. STRANGE CHICKEN NESTS
Strange chicken nests are small nest items lying around in certain locations in the world that chickens use to warp between two points. They can only be used by chicken players, though they can be seen and targeted by normal players. They are two-way warps and can be used as often as desired. I know of three pairs of chicken nests. If anybody finds more, I'd love to hear about it and integrate it in this walkthrough, and you will get credit.
When searching for a chicken nest, it is helpful to press the delete key to target nearby items on the ground.
Duillond/Trestlebridge: The Duillond nest is on a small island with a large tree on it in the river just south of the bridge that passes east out of Duillond. The Trestlebridge nest is just west of the northern end of the huge bridge.
Oatbarton/High Moors: The Oatbarton nest is on the west side of town, behind a hut looking structure west of the road that leaves the town to the south. The High Moors nest is along the far east wall of the area, north of the cave of Arwen's legacy, near the road that leads down into Rivendell.
Nen Harn/Malenhad: The Nen Harn nest is on the west edge of an island with some rubble on it smack in the center of the Nen Harn lake in northeast Bree-land. The Malenhad nest is on the hilly space just north of the crossroads in northwest Malenhad.
VII. GENERAL TIPS
You WILL NOT succeed on your first attempt. You will likely not succeed on your second, third, or sixth attempt either. Do not get frustrated. Never expect to complete the quest. Go into each attempt with the mindset that you will do your best, and when you die, eagerly learn the lesson it teaches you. I can help you know what to do, but nothing can replace experience.
When you die, take a break and try again another day or after a few hours. You shouldn't attempt this while tired, angry, or frustrated, or your conditions will just get worse.
The Possum Impersonation (fake death) skill is your most important skill. This skill will cause you to lose agro immediately, causing the mob to return to the position it was at when it agroed you. However, you must use this move ONLY while moving! If you use it while standing still, your chicken will flop on the ground and the skill will have a 2 minute cooldown. This is your most important survival skill for when you accidentally (or purposely) enter an enemy's agro range, so you cannot afford to have it on cooldown, EVER. If you make a mistake and use it while standing still, get to a safe place and wait for the cooldown timer to end. Bear in mind that this skill is only useful for losing agro of purely melee enemies. Any archer or other ranged enemy will loose a shot immediately and kill you. You will not have time to fake death. So avoid agro from these types of enemies at all costs.
Fowl Fleetness is a useful skill to speed up the process during long boring stretches of road (or water). I usually keep this skill queued with the yellow ants marching around it so it activates as soon as it is available again. However, I avoid using this skill in any dangerous area, as it will give you less time to react to danger.
Bob and Weave is utterly useless. It raises evade chance by 50% against MOBS THAT ARE LEVEL 1. I have yet to ever evade a hit by any mob that wasn't a wolf in the beginning area. Sometimes I use it just to feel better when creeping through a nerve-wracking section, but if you don't manage your fake deaths correctly, you really don't stand a chance anyway.
Paranoia lets you detect nearby stealthed enemies... barely. If you use Fowl Fleetness while using Paranoia, you will not detect enemies in time, and as you run by them they will swipe at you and kill you in one shot before you knew anything was wrong. Same goes for normal running. Same goes even for walking! In fact, the only safe way to safely detect stealthed enemies is to use Paranoia and walk (by pressing Insert), and pause every few steps to look around. To make matters worse, all stealthed enemies I've seen have pretty large wander areas, and paranoia is a 1 minute skill with a 2 minute cooldown! So when creeping through an area with stealthed enemies, when the skill runs out, back up a few paces where you have already searched where you can expect it to be slightly safer, wait for the cooldown to end, and pray to the chicken gods. This was the huge headache process I used to get through the High Moors with all the stealthed lynx. I went through this area solo countless times until I learned about the High Moors strange chicken nest. What a life saver! Thanks to that nest, the only time you should have to worry about stealthed enemies is when passing the Deadly Tomb Robbers on the way to Ost Forod.
When swimming, it is faster to repeatedly jump than to swim normally.
Do not take any risks. You have plenty of time to complete all the deeds. The quest is not a race. When faced with a choice between taking a shortcut through some mobs or going around a safer way, always choose the safer way. Better to spend a few extra minutes being careful then a few extra hours making another attempt. On the other hand, if you expect to make many attempts (as you should), then being a bit reckless at times and pushing your limits can offer valuable lessons that can speed up future attempts. But on any serious attempt at success, don't be a daredevil.
It is nice to have music playing or friends to talk to in Ventrilo while attempting this long, monotonous quest. But only do so if it is not a distraction! I've died many times because I was not paying attention to what I was doing. It is difficult to concentrate on a perfect run for five hours straight, so don't make it any harder than it needs to be.
Be extra careful whenever you see other players around. Do not get distracted by their reaction to you, but even more importantly, be keenly aware of any respawns that may occur behind them. If an archer respawns near you, he will agro you before you can get away, you will be unable to fake death, and you will die. Respawns are even more deadly than stealthed enemies.
Enemies that have yellow health bars (such as most aurochs) are passive and will not agro you. They are safe to walk past without fear. Other enemies are agro, but threaten to attack before actually agroing. I will call these "threateners." You can run somewhat close to threateners without fear, but don't go directly over them.
By zooming your camera all the way out, you will have a good judge of the agro range of most enemies. If, with the camera directly behind you, an enemy is off your camera a few paces before you come alongside of it, you will be able to pass by without agro (if it has the normal agro range). This is immensely helpful when trying to determine whether you can run between two dangerous enemies or around a dangerous enemy blocking your path.
VIII. PREPARATION
Before you begin the quest, you should make preparations for an escort. I like to do the hardest part first, that way if I fail, I have wasted the least amount of time. I'd rather not spend four hours doing all the easy stuff only to fail on the hard stuff! On the other hand, if you don't know what you're doing after the hard stuff, it's pretty easy to die on the easier stuff too. I recommend practicing the easier runs in small portions before committing to a serious attempt so you don't waste your escort's time.
Your escort must be level 50 and not braindead. I've mostly gotten help from kinship members and friends, but I've also had luck bribing random people with silver. When you're on your chicken, you will be unable to communicate with your escort in-game. An outside chat program such as Ventrilo will make the process go much smoother, but I've managed without voice once by just jumping around to communicate. If you don't have voice, have your escort meet you at George on Sandson's Farm before you go in, and have him follow you. If you do have voice, he can meet you wherever you like. I like to meet him in the water north of Annuminas, as the Annuminas chicken stone is the first major stone I get.
An escort is not strictly necessary, and I will explain how to do the difficult parts in the case that you can't/won't get an escort, but it really does make things much easier.
Once you enter chicken play, get your interface set up how you like it (CTRL+\). It's a shame that it does not save your interface changes between sessions. There is one important step that you must take when arranging your interface. The "Skill Queue" window near the lower right needs to be moved to just above your chicken. This is where the hourglass will show up when you get agro. Putting it in a prominent location will let you react more quickly: When the hourglass appears, use fake death!
Next, go into your options (CTRL+O). You need to set up your graphics to something your computer can easily handle, probably significantly less pretty than you are used to. Stutters and freezes are not acceptable while attempting a chicken run. If you're not an advanced graphics guru and want the quick solution, just click on the Graphics button and change the Overall Graphics Quality to Low or Very Low, depending on how powerful your system is. However, these settings will reduce two important values that we need to increase again. Click on the Adv Graphics button and change Object Draw Distance to Ultra High. It's critical that we can see enemies as soon as possible. Also increase your Landscape Draw Distance to whatever your computer seems able to handle, so it's easier to tell where you are going.
Next, click on the "UI Settings" button. Scroll a bit over half way down to the "Panels" section, and check the box for "Show Skill Queue." This will let that hourglass appear I was talking about when you get agro.
Now click on the "Combat Options" button. Click the box for "Directional Selection Indicator." This will show you a dotted red line beneath your chicken that points toward whatever you have selected. Used in conjunction with a select next foe button, this is a powerful information tool to let you know where enemies are before you can see them, for example when they are hidden behind a hill or structure. Also check the box for "Show the vitals of your selection's target." You may need to move this window in your user interface since it starts in an annoying place. This piece of information is useful when other players are around, so you can see who they have targeted and if enemies are targeting them.
Finally, click on "Key Mapping" and set up your controls. Make it comfortable, because you're going to be spending a lot of time doing this. The most important binding is Quickslot 3, your fake death skill. I use a 5-button mouse, and assign the right side button to this skill, so I can quickly react and click it when I see the hourglass. Also bind Select Next Foe somewhere convenient, I use my left side button. I click this obsessively whenever I run through an area with enemies.
Before you head out, zoom your camera all the way out. This gives you the best view of danger, as well as providing a good judge of agro ranges as mentioned in the General Tips section.
IX. WALKTHROUGH
Well here it goes. I will describe my favorite route in detail. Feel free to make up your own route that you prefer by mixing around or modifying my route, since the deeds can be done in any order.
1. Bag End
When you start off, make your way toward Bag End. Going straight there means you'll head through a bunch of wolves. You can go around them or just use fake death a lot, they won't kill you in one hit. I usually immediately hit Fowl Fleetness and start running toward Bag End while setting up my options, but that's just a product of doing it so many times. Grab the stone at the doorstep.
2. Annuminas
From Bag End, head north to Overhill, east to Brockenborings, and north to Oatbarton. Take the east road out of Oatbarton. Don't get agro from spiders. I've never been webbed by them yet but I'm not about to risk it. There are also goblins with spears, where agro equals intant death, so avoid them. The road bends north. You can head directly north from here past Dwaling. You can stick to the road if it makes you comfortable, but I find it just as easy to cut directly north across the Barandalf. You can run straight through the flies (and Limrafns if it's night), they will follow you but won't hurt you. Norbogs are threateners, be more wary of the salamanders and lurkers. Make your way down the hill to the high king's crossing. Go to the west end and go down the slope into the water. Swim through the roaring rapid stream into the lake. Jump as you swim for extra speed. Swim to the northernmost wall of annuminas, then follow it as it wraps around to the south. You will enter the Port of Annuminas and climb some stairs. Go down the stairs on the other side into more water. Follow this water to the east. Eventually you will see a large statue sticking out of the water. Look south and you should see a low archway. Swim through the archway onto land. You will see a camp of angmarim to your right, so keep a sane distance away from them. Pass by the east side of the camp. You will see a large entrance and 5-7 angmarim guarding the entrance. Have your escort pull the entire camp and run back the way you guys came. Don't get close to the pull, as some of these enemies have an AOE attack that means instant death for you if you are anywhere nearby! When the camp is pulled, hit your Fowl Fleetness and get inside before they run back. When you're just inside, go north behind the tent, and you will see the chicken stone. This is a safe spot. Wait for your escort to recover from the previous pull, then have him pull again. This time, you run out. If all goes well, you and your escort will be able to escape Annuminas the way you came. If you don't have an escort, wait at the entryway for random people to come by and clear this section. I've waited here a long time before since it is a low-traffic area with the hunter camp deeper in, which is why an escort is a better idea.
3. Ost Forod
Now bring your escort to Tinnudir by water. Jump off the north end of Tinnudir and swim north near the shore. You will be able to climb the hill just southwest of Tham Ornen. Climb the hill toward the ruins and pass by the west side. There is a stealthed Deadly Tomb Robber here, so use Paranoia, walk, and have your high level escort move slowly a bit ahead of you to spot the robber. Once you pass her, you can walk safely east on the northern side of the ruins. Once you get toward the east side of the ruins, repeat the process as there is another deadly tomb robber as well as a stealthed warg nearby. Sometimes there seem to be more deadly tomb robbers than others, perhaps it is random whether they spawn or deer spawn. In any case, carefully make your way into Ost Forod. Get the stone there near the top of the ramp that heads northeast out of town, then repeat the whole process in reverse to escape. If you don't have an escort, you can still do this part, but the stealthed enemies are extremely dangerous and you run a high risk of suddenly dying with no warning. If you make it back to the water, congratulations! The rest of this quest is easy in comparison. You can say goodbye and thanks for the help to your escort.
4. Longbough
Swim across the water to the camp where Longbough is. Avoid the island with robbers.
5. Gwindethrond
Swim south to the cave behind the waterfall. You can run along the shore in many places to speed things up, but be careful of the enemies there.
6. Rivendell
Backtrack all the way to Oatbarton. Locate the strange chicken nest on the west side of town by the hut. Warp to the High Moors. Head into Rivendell and grab the stone near the mailbox in the middle of town.
7. Roheryn
Go to the stables and speak with the horse.
8. Gloin's Camp
Head north out of Rivendell. There are only a couple enemies to avoid before you get to Gloin's camp. Get the stone just north of his platform.
9. Bitter Stair
Head north out of the Gloin's Camp area. You should pass some Aurochs and a circle filled with snow beasts. Be careful to never get agro of the snow beast stone-throwers as they will kill you as soon as they agro you. Head northeast past the snow beast circle to get to the huge sloped clearing that's crawling with snow beasts, worms, and hill men. Some of the hill men are archers, so be cautious of them. Carefully make your way all the way up the slope, taking large lateral detours if necessary to avoid nets of archers and rock throwers. Once at the top, wait for players to come to your rescue. Every time I've been here I haven't had to wait more than a couple minutes for someone to come down who is farming the Corcur on the Bitter Stair. Try not to cause much of a scene with these players, you want them to continue farming, not stand around and watch you, doing AOE attacks toward you or doing handstands. They don't understand that agro likely means death and a wasted escort's time for you. Try to follow behind them and be aware of where the Corcur may respawn. This is a nerve-wracking stretch, but I have never died on it, the stealthed mobs are much worse! Grab the stone north of the Helegrod entrance and then do the whole thing again in reverse, all the way back to the High Moors nest and return to Oatbarton. Congratulations on the 2000 destiny point jackpot!
10. Mathom House
Now that all the hard parts are done, it's time for some relaxing easy stuff. Make your way back the way you came to near Sandson's Farm. Go to Michel Delving and visit the stone at the entrance to the Mathom House.
11. Old Sally
Go east to Tuckborough, pass through, and find Old Sally southeast of the big tree with the hobbits. If someone is doing the escort quest with her, you will have to wait for her to respawn.
12. The fox
Keep going east on the path and find the fox just north of the path.
13. Fang, Grip, and Wolf
Head straight for Bamfurlong in The Marish and talk to these three dogs.
14. Brandywine Bridge
Go north to the brandywine bridge, cross it, and grab the stone on the east end.
15. The cow
Enter Buckland and talk to the cow on the roof near the Buckland entrance.
16. Old Forest
Go back out of Buckland to the north, and take the path past Adso's camp. Enter the Barrow-Downs from the north. The crawlers will not attack you, but the rats will. Don't walk by any barrow entrances unless you want wights popping out to pluck you. Head southwest to the entrance to the Old Forest. Make your way down the path until you see some roots. These are ranged but are threateners. Use your Fowl Fleetness and dash past them to get to Tom Bombadil's house. Go behind his house for the stone.
17. Othrongroth
Wait for your Fowl Fleetness cooldown to end, then run back past the roots. Go back to the Barrow-Downs. Head east and south. Be careful of wandering archer wights. Make your way up the hill and down into the southern barrows. The agro mobs are packed tight in this area so take care. Go west to the entrance to the great barrows for this stone.
18. Duillond
Go back the way you came to the northern barrow-downs, then get to the camp on the east wall with the dead guy. Hop down to the east, then take the greenway road north all the way to trestlebridge. Cross the bridge and find the chicken nest on the west side of the north end. From the Duillond nest, swim west across the water to the slope. Make your way up, faking death repeatedly as the mobs on the hill agro you. Grab the stone near the stables.
19. The lynx-mother
Take the road north to Thrasi's Lodge and visit the lynx-mother.
20. Kheledul
Take the road north and east to Kheledul and find the chicken stone south of the entrance.
21. Thorin's Hall
Take the raod all the way up to Thorin's hall's entrance and get the stone on the west side of the large entrance platform.
22. Fornost
Backtrack all the way to the chicken nest in the river. Warp back to Trestlebridge. Take the path north into and through the Fields of Fornost. As you approach the entrance of the Fornost ruins, watch out for a wandering wight archer. Inside the ruins, you will meet little resistance. There are passive and threatening aurochs and a few other enemies on the way to the instance. Get the stone just outside the instance entrance.
23. Gatson's Farm
Go back out of the Fields of Fornost, and take the road east to Gatson's Farm. Get the stone near his house.
24. Esteldin
Head into Esteldin. Be careful of spiders, who knows if they'll web you. Get the stone near the bard.
25. Lehma-kohti
Exit Esteldin to the east. Go straight north and take the middle entrance into Angmar. The Lehma-kohti stone is in the northeast section of town.
26. Aughaire
Keep going north along the road and take the path up the hill to Aughaire. Visit the bard in the middle of town for the chicken stone.
27. Aurochs yearling
Backtrack to Esteldin and leave to the west. Take the path as it branches to the south. Watch for a big pack of aurochs to the west, the yearling is up the hill in the pack. If someone is doing the escort mission, you will have to wait for it to respawn. Most aurochs are passive, but watch for the menacing auroch.
28. Tyrn Lhuig
Go south on the road to Lin Giliath. You should be able to swim through the water to the southeast and escape this area with no agro at all. Swim across the giant lake and get to the island in the center of Nen Harn. Find the strange chicken nest on the west side and warp to Malenhad. Head south through Malenhad. Don't agro any worms, as they have a ranged fire skill that will kill you in one hit. Get the stone from inside the camp at Tyrn Lhuig. Congratulations on your second 2000 destiny point reward! We're getting close to the title but we're not out of the woods yet.
29. Grey squirrel
Go back to the nest at the crossroads in northwest Malehnad. Warp back to Nen Harn. Swim south to the southern island and talk to the grey squirrel.
30. The horse
Head west to the horse corral past Eastern Bree-fields and talk with the horse.
31. Wink the cat
Go south and take the road to Bree town. Head up the scholar's walk and go into the cat room to talk to Wink.
32. Prancing Pony
Go the prancing pony in the northeast corner of town and get the stone near the mailbox.
33. Sniken
Take the road southeast out of town. Make a nice detour around the enemy-infested Yellow Tree. Follow the routh around the south side of Midgewater Marsh until you are at the southern tip. Head into the marsh and watch out for nasty goblins. I'm not sure if these ones root or use ranged attacks but I'm not about to find out. Find Sniken and his cruel master on the hill northwest of the large goblin encampment Goblinhole Ruins.
34. Forsaken Inn
Make your way back to the road. Head east into Lone Lands and get the stone near the entrance to the Forsaken Inn.
35. Weathertop
Now for the last nerve-wracking part! I know there are stealthed wolves in this area but I've never been hit by one while on the road, so stick to the road and get southeast of weathertop. Take the slopes up weathertop, avoiding any ranged orc-men. Be aware that the birds have an unusually large agro range, but you can fake death them away effectively. Climb up along the east side of the hill and find the second place the path doubles back to the southwest. Take that path up around the south, west, and north side to reach Weathertop. Turn to the right and find the chicken stone on the edge of the plateau.
36. Radagast the Brown
Get back to the road and follow it east. Avoid spiders. When you are directly south of Ost Guruth, head up into town, enter the northern tower, and talk to Radagast.
37. The Last Bridge
The Last Bridge... how appropriate! Leave town to the south and go back to the road. Follow it east. Keep your wits about you, if you die here you may never forgive yourself! Make your way to the last bridge. Cross it, find the stone south of the east end, and jump on it with a satisfying PLOMP! Congratulations on becoming an official Crosser of Roads! You must be hungry by now, time for some KFC!
X. DESTINY ROUTE
Contrary to popular belief, The Free Range quest is a great way to earn destiny points. Of course nothing will compete with sweeping the keeps in the Ettenmoors, but this works well when you're sick of 250 point Ettenmoors quests or the freeps are camping Grams. However, a lot of the deeds in Free Range don't pay as well as the time or risk they reuqire (Um, Evendim???), so here is a shortened route to use if you're interested purely in gaining destiny points.
1. Enter Session, -500 DP (Total: -500)
2. Oatbarton nest
3. Rivendell stone
4. Roheryn, +250 DP (-250)
5. Gloin's Camp stone
6. Bitter Stair stone, +2000 DP (1750)
7. High Moors nest
8. Old Forest stone
9. Ohtrongroth stone
10. Fornost stone
11. Gatson's Farm stone
12. Esteldin Stone, +750 DP (2500)
13. Lehma-Kohti stone
14. Aughaire stone
15. Aurochs Yearling, +250 DP (2750)
16. Nen Harn nest
17. Tyrn Lhuig stone, +2000 DP (4750)
18. Malenhad nest
19. Prancing Pony stone, +500 DP (5250)
20. Forsaken Inn stone
21. Weathertop stone
22. Radagast the Brown, +125 DP (5375)
23. Last Bridge stone, +500 DP (5875)
XI. THANKS
Thanks go out to Thurandir, Bereth, Keira, Lerris, Yurpee, and Keniko for taking their valuable game time to escort a boring chicken.
Thanks to my kinship Misadventurers and my server Elendilmir for all the fun times.
XII. LEGAL
Copyright © 2007 Ryan Thorlakson, All Rights Reserved.
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