Hidden Nuggets we see all the time...

[Daeross]

---This is written in the Sindarin mode of tengwar, but it reads in the Common Tongue. Unfortunately, I can't decipher the middle word, but what I can make out is:

I am Andúril, [unclear] in Imladris: Narsil restored---

The blade's sheath is just as awesome as the blade, agreed...
But I'd like to contest your interpretation, for I don't think that's Common Tongue.
As with so many other pieces, I'd say that the inscription of the scabbard is Sindarin.

Im Andúril dcnnn ne Imladris () Narsil ristnnn

Here's a compilation of the sheath I did after RoR's release...

[Cala_Romello]

The blade's sheath is just as awesome as the blade, agreed...
But I'd like to contest your interpretation, for I don't think that's Common Tongue.
As with so many other pieces, I'd say that the inscription of the scabbard is Sindarin.

Im Andúril dcnnn ne Imladris () Narsil ristnnn

Here's a compilation of the sheath I did after RoR's release...

Well, that makes more sense, since it's a gift from a Noldo to a Dúnadan. I'm glad to be proved wrong! So, let's see: that last word includes rist, 'cleaver, cleaving, cleft', which makes sense for a sword. Still have no idea what that other word is.

[Gedachtnis]

I didn't see it mentioned. The working mirror in Garsig's home in Forlaw is pretty awesome. I wish they'd make another larger one somewhere.

[Gedachtnis]

There are big ones at the creepy fancy dummies sale posts at Breetown.

Heh, never go there. Guess I'll have to go now to check it out, maybe.

[shamgor]

This probably has been said already but I haven't had enough time to look at all the posts. If you look at the background picture of the stage outside the prancing pony or the housing stages, you'll see that is is showing bard shooting down Smaug Just thought I'd share that.

you can also see Dale in the background

[Lunastrad]

Has anyone mentioned that when you play as a chicken you have to go talk to a fox (among other animals) and he mentions how strange things are, first he comes across three hobbits sleeping outside and now a chicken has come to talk to him!

[Nymphonic]

Has anyone mentioned that when you play as a chicken you have to go talk to a fox (among other animals) and he mentions how strange things are, first he comes across three hobbits sleeping outside and now a chicken has come to talk to him!

Oh my gosh, that's awesome!

[StrideColossus]

You can find Goldilocks and the Three Bears in the new area, won't spoil with exact location, but worth looking for, utterly lore-breaking ofc but very amusing.

[Elrantiri]

If you enter the Aldburg Auction House, you'll see a funny twist on the Saruman auction. It's only going on once in a while though, so you might miss it.

[karakedi]

Has anyone noticed that Ellen Fremedon (the name of the acting thane of Underharrow) is from the third line of Beowulf? It means 'wrought (did) deeds of valour.' (ellen=deed(s) of valour; fremedon=wrought). Thank you, devs!

[TsarithArcher]

You can find Goldilocks and the Three Bears in the new area, won't spoil with exact location, but worth looking for, utterly lore-breaking ofc but very amusing.

I found this for the first time the other day on my third run through that region and LOL'd so hard! (And wasn't the name of Pippin's wife after the events of LOTR named "Goldilocks"? The story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears might not be cannon in Middle-Earth but it's a tip of the hat and nod to the Goldilocks who is canon.)

...Along with the Reeve of Stoke saying "When I grow up I want to be just like %PlayerName%" whenever she was idle...

...or the house of Rohirrim homesteaders surrounded by a bunch of dead orcs, with the dad and his sons dancing around one of the bodies while brandishing a frying pan and taking turns kicking the dead corpse...

...or the bear-skin rug on a remote cliff overlooking Byre Tor where in the side quests you learn about a philandering hero from his ex-lovers and his current lover who are the sole survivors of the attack on Byre Tor, realizing this must have been where he took each of them in turn to woo them...

...or the disturbing placement of rabbits in some unusual places, doing some rather odd things (I can't help but think that Radagast is around every time I discover another rabbit or rabbits doing something peculiar, other than the Rabbit of Caerbannog appearance from Monty Python's the Quest for the Holy Grail in Endewaith)...

...along with the old classics like the Snoman of Ered Luin, or the Sand Castle in Evendim (from the real-life events that inspired the Tolkien story "Roverandom", and is mimicked in the LOTRO quest in the same area to find a child's lost toy dog figurine), and the Winter Festival Snow Globes that display both of these (and two other) Easter Eggs...

...there are literally hundreds of reasons like these to go off the beaten track and explore Middle-Earth outside of where the Quests take you. Back in the SoA days I once tried cataloging all of these, but came to realize it was far better to enjoy them with a smile and applause to the Devs rather than keeping track of them all.

[Ceredig]

Has anyone noticed that Ellen Fremedon (the name of the acting thane of Underharrow) is from the third line of Beowulf? It means 'wrought (did) deeds of valour.' (ellen=deed(s) of valour; fremedon=wrought). Thank you, devs!

Daeross mentions this in this thread
Also note that the runes written above the entrance to the Paths of the Dead mean "The way is shut" written in Breton using the Etruscan alphabet.

[Vexendynamus]

I have not yet completed every single quest in Helm's Deep but thus far found one moment of particular interest. During the instance Commands of the King, your character walks away from the Great Hall towards the king as members of the fellowship stand along the way. Eowyn leaves the group with the king and comes back the opposite way such that she passes your character and Aragorn. As she passes Aragorn he turns around to check her out! I found that rather amusing.

[Valamar]

...or the bear-skin rug on a remote cliff overlooking Byre Tor where in the side quests you learn about a philandering hero from his ex-lovers and his current lover who are the sole survivors of the attack on Byre Tor, realizing this must have been where he took each of them in turn to woo them...

...or the disturbing placement of rabbits in some unusual places, doing some rather odd things (I can't help but think that Radagast is around every time I discover another rabbit or rabbits doing something peculiar, other than the Rabbit of Caerbannog appearance from Monty Python's the Quest for the Holy Grail in Endewaith)...

You fail to mention the fact that bearskin has "li'l bunny ganker" sitting on his head."

[Valamar]

I found this for the first time the other day on my third run through that region and LOL'd so hard!

Not far from the 3 bears cabin is another much more decrepit which is completely overrun by squirrels!

Does anyone have any idea what that cabin is a reference to?

[grimblegal]

Not far from the 3 bears cabin is another much more decrepit which is completely overrun by squirrels!

Does anyone have any idea what that cabin is a reference to?

There's a song by Lou and Peter Berryman, "Squirrelly Valley 2 Step", but I can't think of any lore-related squirrel reference.

[Shumzuda]

Has anyone noticed that Ellen Fremedon (the name of the acting thane of Underharrow) is from the third line of Beowulf? It means 'wrought (did) deeds of valour.' (ellen=deed(s) of valour; fremedon=wrought). Thank you, devs!

I noticed this while I was pawing through my OE Beowulf the other day

The voice acting for that character was also above par - but it is a shame that the other actors ould not pronounce 'fremedon' in its original sense. In OE, an 'o' character before an 'n' is pronounced like the 'o' in an American pronounciation of 'hot'. Horn pronounces the 'o' in 'fremedon' like the 'o' in 'God.

I would have loved a deeper exploration of Anglo-Saxon culture which the LOTRO team drew from for swathes of the Rohan territories - I was so disappointed with the voice acting for Theoden. It was almost more robotic than the original Galadriel voice actor.

[Nymphonic]

I have not yet completed every single quest in Helm's Deep but thus far found one moment of particular interest. During the instance Commands of the King, your character walks away from the Great Hall towards the king as members of the fellowship stand along the way. Eowyn leaves the group with the king and comes back the opposite way such that she passes your character and Aragorn. As she passes Aragorn he turns around to check her out! I found that rather amusing.

I noticed that two as she walked by. One of the handful of times that I laughed out loud at something in the game.

I always liked the elven quest giver at the vineyard in Lothlorien that wonders why you laughed when he asked you to collect boar parts. Some dev had a sense of humor!

[Ptar]

You fail to mention the fact that bearskin has "li'l bunny ganker" sitting on his head."

I like the "Hare on a Bear." So far, I've found three of them. The first was in the original 'Great River'. The second, noted before. The third, in the West Emnet expansion, Fangorn's Forest.

Honestly, I like all the nuggets. Tolkien nuggets (too numerous to count. Some are cannon, some his poems, still others personal), Easter eggs (ex. the Hare on a Bear, GL & the 3Bs), the cultural nuggets (Cold Bear, the Swedish chef reference though I think that was dropped).

I give praise when I recognize or they are pointed out to me.

[Polymachos]

Umm, I checked the 'Fangorn Forest' bunny and found that it is actually located in a well known place, namely the forest west of the northern Entwash vale, known as 'Eaves of Fangorn'. The newest Entwood area is actually bordering this old one, and you can enter the latter without even noticing it, until you find yourself in the darkness of the Black Heart.

There are two bunnies in the Wildermore. One is in the High Knolls. You have to walk the route to the people of Byre Tor, but pass the junction that leads to their cave, and head to a higher place which provides a great view over the landscape and Byre Tor. The another one is located somewhere west of the place where Nurzum began his walk, and is well hidden by masses of low branched trees.


Greetings, Polymachos

[Sullo]

This is possibly the most amazing thread I have found on these forums. Long live LOTRO!

[robbie1435]

I'm going to necro/bump just so that anyone finding new things in central or western gondor can post them here

[Polymachos]

From the first time on that I had to bring back Old Sally to her owner Belco Brockhouse, this sight of her lying on the meadow struck something in the back of my mind; and I had the feeling that this was not just a random idea that a developer had, but that there was something behind it, although I couldn't grasp what it was.

It took literally years. Then finally a few keys of a melody came back into my mind, a rather old Song, from Eric Clapton.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqELgVWeVGM


Greetings, Polymachos
.

[DeadlyGazebo]

There's a song by Lou and Peter Berryman, "Squirrelly Valley 2 Step", but I can't think of any lore-related squirrel reference.

IIRC, somewhere in the lore, Tolkien specifies what color the squirrels are in the Eriador... at some point in the beta, some sharp-eyed player noticed that the devs Got It Wrong and complained, and as a result a series of squirrel jokes were put in by the guy who had to fix the squirrel color.

The best one is when you're doing the chicken quests and go to someplace where a squirrel monologues at you about his plan to take over the world.

[she-elf]

I was running through the Lone-lands, up north of the Forsaken Inn and around Weathertop. I saw the little stone path that leads down to the river that feeds into the Midgewater Marsh. It suddenly hit me. Is this the path that Strider and the Hobbits used to get to Weathertop? In the book, it's described as being hidden, going into dells, etc.