Hidden Nuggets we see all the time...

[Daeross]

The quest names of LotRO are their own treasure trove; next time I log into the game, I have to go and check them out, but off the top of my head I can remember (in addition to Where is the Horse and the Rider? in Trollshaws Epic) Man called Estel and Drums in the Deep.
Man called Estel, of course, is a quest that leads you to talk to Aragorn, called Estel, Sindarin for hope, when he was young. The first time I ran across this, LotRO irrevocably won me over. And ever since then, I've had fun every time someone, anyone, has commented about hope.
Drums in the Deep, on the other hand, is part of the Epic in Moria.

Another kind of nugget is the hope token itself: Edhelharn, they're called. In other words, Elessar, Elfstone. This is also where I tip my hat off to Turbine, regarding the Epic: after the fellowship leaves Lórien, they carry the gifts of Galadriel, including Aragorn having the bewinged beryl brooch at his throat.
"This stone I gave to Celebrían my daughter, and she to hers; and now it comes to you as a token of hope."

And yet another... In the first Epic session play, Fall of Moria, you play the part of the Dwarf (Guardian) Nafni, and witness the doom of Durin IV. The very first time you see the Balrog, can click on it, its name is stated as Lord of Fire and Shadow, only to change mere seconds afterwards to Durin's Bane.

This thread, and the one with the translations are my happy places outside of LotRO. Thank you.

[Daeross]

Ring Forge Mural's lorebook page has been updated with a new screencap and explanation.

http://lorebook.lotro.com/wiki/Ring_Forge_Mural

[wraithwarrior101]

Okay, I'm not sure if someone already answered this, but near the begining of this thread Shianjin mentioned there was a quest where you had to find a little toy dog on a beach, and knew that it was a reference to something from Tolkien, but wasen't sure about the details. In September 1925, the Tolien family went with their three sons on a vacation to the seaside town of Filey in Yorkshire. On of the sons, Michael, was very fond of a small toy dog, which he took everywhere with him. They all went down to the beach one day, where Michael set down the toy to play, and when he went back to get it, he coulden't find it. The Tolkien family went back to the beach the next day, and the day after that to look for it, but without success. Then a storm wrecked the beach, which made futher search immpossible. To cheer Michael up, Tolkien invented a story in which toy Rover was NOT a toy, but a real dog turned into a toy by a angry wizard; the toy then met a friendly wizard on the beach, who sent him off on various quests in order to become a real dog again, and be reunited with his one-time owner. The story was later penned down and reached final shape about the same time as The Hobbit, in 1936. Tolien titled the story, "Roverandom," and it can also be found in the collection of short stories, "Tales from the Perilous Realm." I hope that answers your question, if someone else hasn't already.

[Reniannen]

I don't know if this common knowledge, but I just recently noticed that the marks that show up when you engage mob and when stealth is detected are tengwar's exclamation and question marks respectively.

It's a little different actually. If you sense there is something in stealth you'll get a question mark (huh?), if you spot the stealthed creature you get an exclamation mark (ha!). And if you you use an aggro skill on the mob it's either 'a' (Aaaaah!) or three exclamatin marks, I'd go for the former.

[BelamanthDE]

A rather clever one, I thought. Just recently, the community team held one of their LOTRO-trivia questions on Twitter, with the question "What Rohirrim character from the books do players interact with in the Epic Story of the Great River region?"

The answer? Horn. I struggled to recall any mention of him, and was almost prepared to call shenanigans, but then I found him. This is from The Return of the King, The Battle of the Pelennor Fields:

We heard of the horns in the hills ringing,
the swords shining in the South-kingdom.
Steeds went striding to the Stoningland
as wind in the morning. War was kindled.
There Théoden fell, Thengling mighty,
to his golden halls and green pastures
in the Northern fields never returning,
high lord of the host. Harding and Guthláf
Dunhere and Deorwine, doughty Grimbold,
Herefara and Herubrand, Horn and Fastred,
fought and fell there in a far country:

That's right, the character Horn is straight from the books. This means that we also know his fate; He will go on to ride with the Rohirrim to the Pelennor Fields, where he will meet his end.

Having just met the guy, I thank you for mentioning him. I really love "meeting" people from the books.
So here we have another "dead man walking", besides Halbarad.

Gives you goose bumps if you think about it, that you know that persons fate already...

[Macfeast]

Having just met the guy, I thank you for mentioning him. I really love "meeting" people from the books.
So here we have another "dead man walking", besides Halbarad.

Gives you goose bumps if you think about it, that you know that persons fate already...

SPOILER-WARNING (highlight to read):

Going by the newly released info blurb about the upcoming Rohan Epic, we will get to meet a few more of the riders featured in the same song; This time, Harding and Fastred. I expect we will get to see Guthláf, Dúnhere (should have been present for the First Battle of the Fords of Isen, but probably went unnamed), Déorwine, Herefara, and Herubrand, in due time, and that's not to mention the Gondorian lords that we are likely to meet later on.

[Daeross]

With Great River, we were given a glimpse of Rohirric architecture; Milestone appearances changed, as did, for example, Superior Study's look.

Here's what a Study looks like in Stangard:

Does that seem familiar, in any way?
I thought it did, so started digging. And found this.

Sneaky and lovely, Turbine; it ties the Rohirrim into a RL culture while your changes (mirroring a piece, enlarging it, editing out the extra limbs) make it more 'Rohirric'.

[Adder]

With Great River, we were given a glimpse of Rohirric architecture; Milestone appearances changed, as did, for example, Superior Study's look.

Here's what a Study looks like in Stangard:

Does that seem familiar, in any way?
I thought it did, so started digging. And found this.

Sneaky and lovely, Turbine; it ties the Rohirrim into a RL culture while your changes (mirroring a piece, enlarging it, editing out the extra limbs) make it more 'Rohirric'.

VERY nice catch! Good work!

And very sneaky Turbine. I like it.

[Daeross]

Another nice little nod, which I don't think has been mentioned yet, is the Bard of Thorin's Hall who has these lines:

"The King is come unto his hall Under the Mountain dark and tall. The Worm of Dread is slain and dead. And ever so our foes shall fall!"

I did a double-take when I first spotted it. Must now go and listen to other bards in the game, too, see if they'd have similar nice little references...

[Spacetrout]

Someone should go check if there's actually a giant or a wood-troll somewhere in the northern shire. There's a mention in the book where some hobbit heard rumours about a giant or a troll seen wandering in the forests of the northern shire.

[gildhur]

Someone should go check if there's actually a giant or a wood-troll somewhere in the northern shire. There's a mention in the book where some hobbit heard rumours about a giant or a troll seen wandering in the forests of the northern shire.

I think you're referring to the Walking Tree in Bindbole Wood: http://lotro.mmodb.com/quests/web-cutter-547.php

[auximenes]

Someone should go check if there's actually a giant or a wood-troll somewhere in the northern shire. There's a mention in the book where some hobbit heard rumours about a giant or a troll seen wandering in the forests of the northern shire.

I think Gildhur is referencing the correct entity, but there's also a giant just to the east of the Brandywine, a little ways north of Buckland. There's a quest from in or near the Prancing Pony that sends you there.

[redgold9]

Someone should go check if there's actually a giant or a wood-troll somewhere in the northern shire. There's a mention in the book where some hobbit heard rumours about a giant or a troll seen wandering in the forests of the northern shire.

There is also a troll that occasionally is seen in the Rushock bog.

[Daeross]

Have you paid attention to what the storytellers in the inns and taverns and pubs say?
In the Ivy Bush, the storyteller has just two lines, but they're enough to ring a bell, imo...

"Just then, a little bird landed on his shoulder and spoke to him a secret...a secret that would save them all."
Or doesn't that sound familiar?

"(Bard) bent his bow for the last time. Suddenly out of the dark something fluttered to his shoulder. He started - but it was only an old thrush. Unafraid it perched by his ear and it brought him news. Marvelling he found he could understand its tongue, for he was of the race of Dale.

"Wait! Wait!" it said to him. "The moon is rising. Look for the hollow of the left breast as (Smaug) flies and turns above you!""
-The Hobbit

The other bit of a story might be a dash more obscure, imo...

Storyteller:
"...and the handsome prince saw the Elf-woman standing alone in the clearing."

Whereas the bird was fitting enough for the detail from the Hobbit, this one doesn't seem to have as easy equivalent. Or maybe it has too many possibilities? After all, we've known of several 'princes' spellbound by 'Elf-women'... beginning with Beren, all the way to the Princes of Dol Amroth and Aragorn...

And there she halted listening.
One moment stood she, and a spell
His voice laid on her: Beren came,
And doom fell on Tinuviel
-Fellowship of the Ring

[Reillan]

Fun new one:

In Eaworth, there's a tower in the south with a clickable ladder. When you get up to the top, you can run around the edge to a rope, and you can run across the rope to another tower. All told, there are 4 towers, and 3 sections of rope. There does not seem to be any kind of deed or secret (that I could find).

However...

While you're running along the rope, there are unattackable craban flying around - and they can knock you off! So it's like a mini-puzzle. Maybe there is a puzzle there...

[Isilmacil]

Fun new one:

In Eaworth, there's a tower in the south with a clickable ladder. When you get up to the top, you can run around the edge to a rope, and you can run across the rope to another tower. All told, there are 4 towers, and 3 sections of rope. There does not seem to be any kind of deed or secret (that I could find).

However...

While you're running along the rope, there are unattackable craban flying around - and they can knock you off! So it's like a mini-puzzle. Maybe there is a puzzle there...

You are correct. When you eventually reach Hytbold and start doing the Aiding the Eastenment quests, one of them involves using those ropes, and avoiding the craban.

[Pathalion]

Not sure if this is ture or not, but I read in a magazine (PC Gamers review of LOTRO, I think) a few months ago that the stars alignment in game is the same as if Tolkien himself were looking at the night sky during the time he was writing LOTR.

Considering how slow the stars move in the night sky there would really have been no change. In fact there would have been hardly any noticeable, to the naked eye, change since the first human being to walk the Earth looked at the night sky.

[Berephon]

Considering how slow the stars move in the night sky there would really have been no change. In fact there would have been hardly any noticeable, to the naked eye, change since the first human being to walk the Earth looked at the night sky.

The comment referred to Tolkien's locale, not some astronomical aberration. Remember, the folks who did the sky are in America, not England. Also, the placement of the constellations in-game is based on comments in the books and extent sources, so there may even be a little variation between what's in-game and the actual sky.

[oldbadgerbrock]

In Eaworth, there's a tower in the south with a clickable ladder. When you get up to the top, you can run around the edge to a rope, and you can run across the rope to another tower. All told, there are 4 towers, and 3 sections of rope. There does not seem to be any kind of deed or secret (that I could find).

Actually, it is used for a quest. The player picks up arrows at the first tower and attempts to carry them to the far tower without falling within the time alloted for the quest. It's one of the randomly available dailies to acquire reputation and Hytbold tokens. You must be at least level 84 to obtain this quest.

[Gilraen_of_Arthedain]

GUYS GUYS GUYS. First post in this thread, and I'm bursting to share this with people who understand. The first time I went to Edoras I was in too much awe to do much, but the second time I took a sightseeing break inside Meduseld.

See if you can spot the stories in the tapestries!




There's more of them, of course, but you get the idea. It blows my mind that they did all this for a place most players won't even look at in their rush to finish the instance.

[Gilraen_of_Arthedain]

Last one, I promise. Meduseld has very poor lighting, so most of these are much darker than I realized. Anyway, have some more obscure Rohirric history from the Meduseld tapestries!

(I want some of these for my personal house!!!)

[Daeross]

---Anyway, have some more obscure Rohirric history from the Meduseld tapestries!

Yes, they're awesome, aren't they?
As you can see, they already have their own entry in the Lorebook, but you can skip that step and go straight to the thread about them...

Welcome to one of the best threads in the forums!

[Aedfrith]

Having just met the guy, I thank you for mentioning him. I really love "meeting" people from the books.
So here we have another "dead man walking", besides Halbarad.

Gives you goose bumps if you think about it, that you know that persons fate already...

Add to that Deorwine and Fastred, aka "Fastred the Psycho"...

[auximenes]

Those tapestries are made of WIN. Nice work Devs.

[Daeross]

I love how one can find hidden gems within the older content, too...

Take, for example, Durin's Stone.

"It was cracked and weather-worn, and the faint runes upon its side could not be read..."

Though the cirth in Turbine's version are, in fact, readable...