Thursday 21 May 2020

Crafting: Scholar

First up - you need to turn on Track Artefacts and, when you are out questing, visit every single one you see on your mini-map.

In the guide below I will offer 3 choices of items to make
  • Vendor Recipes - these can be bought from Novice Scholars, you will always be able to get them and they don't cost very much.
  • Dropped Recipes - these will cost you a few coins on the auction house (or you could get lucky and get a drop) but use less scholar-materials than the vendor recipes so you can get more xp for your materials
  • Dyes - these are usually the cheapest in terms of xp/resource but they usually require dropped recipes (buy from auction house) and specific materials which you need a different trade-skill to obtain. If you're levelling a crafting alt these are golden because you don't have to go out in the "real world" but if you're questing anyway you're probably getting lots of scholar-materials and you might as well use those! If you happen to have a Westfold Farmer (Tier 7) you can grow Wild Flowers to get an assortment of scholar dye mats from each field. The recipe requires Friend Standing with the Men of Dunland.
Finally, if you are short on cash and are collecting your own scholar-materials then you always have the option of just making the free recipes you get each tier (scrolls of battle/warding lore and scrolls of crafting lore). These require no vendor-bought ingredients (so cost no money) but  they offer less xp/scholar mat so you will have to spend longer gathering enough materials.

Apprentice

The collected materials for this tier are Aged Scraps of Text, Early Third Age Relics and Worn Tablet Fragments.

The recipes you start off with each require 2 Scraps & 1 Relic (Scrolls of Crafting Lore, 8xp) or 2 Scraps, 1 Relic and 1 Fragment (Scrolls of Battle/Warding Lore, 10xp).  The Crafting scrolls are worthless - don't bother with them. By all means make a couple of Battle/Warding Lore scrolls if you think you'll use them but for levelling Scholar skills they are very expensive recipes to make.

Vendor Recipes:

Instead, visit a Novice Scholar and buy the recipes for:
  • Either Lesser Athelas Essence or Lesser Celebrant Salve (6xp for 2 Scraps, mats cost 2 silver)
  • One of Lesser Conhuith/Healing/Lhinestad or Milkthistle Draughts.  (6xp for 1 Relic, mats cost 40 bronze)
So with the same ingredients you can use to make 1 crafting scroll (8xp) or 1 Battle/Warding Scroll (10xp) you can make 1 of each type of potion and get 12xp. 

This will leave you with a stack of unused Worn Tablet Fragments - vendor or auction them because you will waste time if you use them.

Dyes

The dye and paints available in this tier are:
  • Gold Dye (1 Yarrow Root for 6xp, mats cost 2 silver 24) - harvestable world item
  • Sienna Dye (1 Sienna for 6xp, mats cost 2 silver 24) - rare drop for Prospectors of Tin nodes
  • Pea-green Wall Paint (1 Lily-of-the-valley leaf, mats cost 2 silver 24) - rare drop for Farmers of Lilly of the valley fields
If you have a farmer who can obtain Lily-of-the-valley leaf, a miner who finds Sienna or any character that comes across Yarrow root in the wild then buy the Pea-green Wall Paint, Sienna or Gold Dye recipes respectively and get 6xp from each - note however these are rare resources so farming them is not very practical.

Assuming you make the recommended crafts at 6xp/time it takes 34 crafts to reach proficiency and another 66 to complete mastery (i.e. 100 crafts total)

There is a list of the full ingredients for each recipe here

Journeyman

The collected materials for this tier are Cryptic Texts and Ruined Second Age Trinkets.

The starter recipes are Scrolls of Lesser Battle/Warding lore at 2 Texts, 2 Trinkets for 10xp and Scrolls of Lesser Crafting at 2 Texts 1 Trinket for 8xp.

Vendor Recipes

The better recipes to use, which can be purchased from a Novice Scholar, are:
  • Fire-Oil (2 Texts for 6xp, mats cost 40 bronze)
  • Journeyman Potion of Focus/Fevour (2 Trinkets for 6xp, mats cost 40 bronze)

Dropped Recipes

If you can find the recipes for Simple Athelas Essence / Simple Celebrant Salve they use less resources than the Focus/Fervour potions (1 Trinket for 6xp, mats cost 2 silver 80) but the recipes drop from mobs so you'll need to get lucky or buy them on the auction house.

Dyes

You can also make Dyes if you have the raw materials, the recipes are again mob-drops:
  • Olive Dye (1 Pile of Copper Salts for 6xp) - rare drop for Prospectors of Copper nodes
  • Umber Dye (1 Piece of Umber for 6xp) - rare drop for Prospectors of Barrow-iron nodes
  • Grey Dye (1 Iris Root for 6xp) - rare drop for Farmers of Iris Fields
The simple Conhuith/Healing/Lhinestad or Milkthistle Draughts all cost 2 Texts for 4 xp so they're not worth making at this tier.

Assuming you make the recommended crafts at 6xp/time it takes 47 crafts to reach proficiency and another 93 crafts to reach mastery

Expert

The collected materials for this tier are Faded Sindarian Passages, Torn Craftsman's Diaries and Cracked Dwarf-carvings

The starter recipes are Scrolls of Battle/Warding Lore at 2 Passages, 1 Diary and 1 Carving for 10xp and Scrolls of Crafting at 2 Passages and 1 Diary for 8xp.

Dropped Recipes

If you can find the recipe for Greater Athelas Essence/ Celebrant Salve you can get 6xp for 1 Diary (mats cost 8s) but as with the previous tier these are rare mob drops.

Vendor Recipes

The better recipes to use, which can be purchased from a Novice Scholar, are:
  • Expert Overpower Tactics /Hunter Bow Chants / Expert Parable/ Expert Sheet Music (2 Passages for 6xp, mats cost 2s 40)
  •  Expert Battle Tonic (2 Diaries for 6xp, mats cost 4s)

Dyes

You can also make Dyes / Paints if you have the raw materials, the recipes are again mob-drops:
  • Sky-blue Wall Paint (1 bluebottle Petal for 6xp) - rare drop for Farmers  of Bluebottle Fields
  • Navy Dye (1 Woad Plant for 6xp) - harvestable world item
  • Turquoise Dye (1 bluebottle Petal for 6xp) - rare drop for Farmers of Bluebottle Fields
  • Violet Dye (1 Juicy Blackberry for 6xp) - rare drop for Farmers of Blackberry Fields
Assuming you make the recommended crafts it takes 60 crafts to reach proficiency and a further 120 crafts to reach mastery.

You may be tempted to vendor those Cracked Dwarf Carvings that you're not using - don't. Keep them until you join the Scholar's Guild as you will need them to craft a Medium Expert Scroll.

Moving Beyond Expert

When you complete proficiency in Expert level scholarship you will not be able to progress further until you complete a quest. Speak to a Novice Scholar to accept [1]Crafting: A Superior Library and then travel to Rivendell.

Rivendell is in the Trollshaws. If you've never been before you will have to run from the last stable route you know - the route by stable is: East Bree -> The Forsaken Inn -> Ost Guruth -> Rivendell.

I'm going to assume you can get to Bree (free swift travel from the major towns).  Run east through Bree into the Lone-Lands and stop at the Forsaken Inn to get the stable route. Run further east until you see the ruins of Ost Guruth to your north (about 3/4 of the way across the map), stop and get the stable route. Run even further east, over the bridge and into the Trollshaws, continue running east to the Ford of Bruinen and then climb the mountain and keep heading north-east up the hill until you find a campfire and mustering horn by the start of a path (33.8,8.1). Follow the path north until you pass through The Gates of Imladris (32.1,6.2) and enter Rivendell (go visit the stable master in the north-west corner of the map to make sure you can get a ride here in future!).

Scholars Guild

The Scholar's Guild is in Rivendell. Speak to a Master of Crafting Guilds to join the guild (before you go to Rivendell, there isn't one there - the crafting hall in Bree is convenient) 

The guild small expert scroll is slightly less material-efficient than  using the materials separately but is worth making for the guild rep (2 Passages & 1 Diary for 10xp and 400 rep, 18hr cooldown). The Medium Expert Scroll offers good xp (2 passages, 1 diary and 1 dwarf carving for 35xp and 1200 rep, 2d 18h cooldown)

For now focus on turning in the scrolls for rep, don't trade them for rewards unless you really need them for some reason.

Artisan

The collected materials for this tier are Fragments of Dunedain Script and Relics of Lothlorien

The starter recipes are Scrolls of Elder Crafting at 2 Fragments and 1 Relic for 8xp.

Dropped Recipes


Refined Athelas Essence or Refined Celebrant Salve are again the most efficient levelling options each requiring 1 Relic (+ mats costing 9s 60) in return for 6xp but as with previous tiers these are dropped recipes.


Reputation

The Elves of Rivendell offer a reputation crafting item the Scholars Writ which requires 1 Fragment & 1 Relic for 6xp with no materials cost making this better than the vendor recipes for this tier. The Writ can be activated for 60 rep with The Elves of Rivendell.

You can buy the recipe from Cachunir (who sits on a bench on the ground floor of the Last Homely House, to the south side of the room) at any level. There is a level 40 quest which gives a reward of 700 rep in return for 5 Writs and this is also obtained form Cachunir

If you have obtained Ally Status with the Elves of Rivendell you can purchase Artharbain's Refined Celebrant Salves / Athelas Essences recipes from Artharbain in Imlad Gelair in Rivendell.  These recipes require 2 Relics & 1 Torn Scholar's Journal in return for 10xp so if you have the Journals (which are a rare drop from 45-50 humanoids) they are worth considering - note that the journals are also needed from "Of Mysteries Most Profound" which is a master level recipe which rewards an item worth 700 rep with The Elves.

Vendor Recipes

  • Artisan Sheet Music / Artisan Parable/ Artisan Overpower Tactics (2 Scripts for 6xp,  mats cost 2s 40)
  • Artisan Battle Tonics / Artisan Potion of Fervour / Artisan Potion of Focus (2 Relics for 6xp, mats cost 4s)

Dyes

You can also make Dyes / Paints if you have the raw materials, the recipes are again mob-drops (Dark Green Dye is good if you have a cook as the green onions are used in a lot of recipes):
  • Burgandy Dye (1 Amaranth Petal fo 6xp) - rare drop for farmers of Amaranth Fields
  • Dark Green Dye (1 Onion Skin for 6xp) - rare drop for farmers of Green Onion Fields
  • Evendim Blue Dye (1 Bluebottle Petal + 1 Indigo Plant for 6xp) - rare drop for farmers of Bluebottle Fields + harvestable world item
  • Forest Green Dye (1 Onion Skin + 1 Lily-of-the-Valley Leaf for 6xp) - rare drop for farmers of Green Onion Fields + rare drop for Farmers of Lilly of the valley fields
  • Indigo Dye (1 Indigo Plant for 6xp) - harvestable world item

Scholars Guild

Make these as often as possible if you are joining the Scholar's Guild, the recipes are:
  • Small Artisan Scroll (2 Fragments & 1 Relic for 10 xp, 18 hour cooldown)
  • Medium Artisan Scroll (2 Fragments & 2 Relics for 35xp, 2day 18 hour cooldown)
If you make only crafts at 6xp/time it takes 74 crafts to reach proficiency and another 147 to complete mastery. Making Scholars guild recipes will reduce the total crafts very slightly as these give more xp.

Master

The collected materials for this tier are Long-lost Second Age Texts and Undeciphered Moon Letters.  Rare resources are Worn Elf-Carvings and Torn Scholar's Journals.

The starter recipes are Scrolls of Ancient crafting Lore at 2 Texts + 1 Letter for 8xp

Best Farming Location: Barad Morlans and Pembar in Eregion

Reputation - Elves of Rivendell

As with Artisan crafting these recipes are purchased from Cachunir (who sits on a bench on the ground floor of the Last Homely House, to the south side of the room) at any level.

  • Study of the Unknown (1 Text + 1 Letter for 6xp) - good xp and cheaper than vendor recipes
  • Of Mysteries Most Profound (2 Texts + 1 Letter  + 1 Journal for 8xp) - not the best scholar xp but worth 700 rep with The Elves
There is a level 49 quest which gives a reward of 900 rep in return for 5 Studies of the Unknown and a level 49 quest which gives a reward of 1,200 rep in return for 1 Of Mysteries Most Profound and these are also obtained form Cachunir

If you have obtained Kindred Status with the Elves of Rivendell you can purchase Artharbain's Distilled Celebrant Salves / Athelas Essences recipes from Artharbain in Imlad Gelair in Rivendell.  These recipes require 2 Letters & 1 Torn Scholar's Journal in return for 10xp so if you have the Journals (which are a rare drop from 45-50 humanoids) they are worth considering - note that the journals are also needed from "Of Mysteries Most Profound" recipe shown above.

Dropped Recipes

Distilled Athelas Essence and Distilled Celebrant Salve are the most material-efficient crafting options each requiring 1 Letter in return for 6xp (+mats costing 14s40 / 16s respectively)

Vendor Recipes

  • Master Parable / Master Sheet Music / Master Overpower Tactics/ (2 Texts for 6xp, mats cost 2s 40). 
    • Also available: Refined Light-Oi / Distilled Conhuit Draught / Distilled Lhinestad Draught (2 Texts for 6xp, mats cost 7s 20)
  • Master Potion of Focus/Fervour/ Master Battle Tonic (2 Letters, mats cost 7s 20)

Dyes/Paints

  • Orange Dye (1 Bloodwort Root for 6xp)
  • Red Dye (1 Juicy Strawberry for 6xp)
  • Rivendell Green Dye (1 Onion Skin + 1 Pile of Copper Salts for 6xp)
  • Rust Dye (1 Pile of Ancient Iron Oxides for 6xp)
  • Sea Blue Dye (1 Woad Plant  + 1 Bluebottle Petal for 6xp)
  • Lavendar Wall Paint (1 Juicy Elderberry for 6xp)
  • Pumpkin Orange Wall Paint (1 Bloodwort Root for 6xp)

Scholars Guild

Make these as often as possible if you are joining the Scholar's Guild, the recipes are:
  • Small Master Scroll (2 Texts + 1 Letter for 10 xp, 18h cooldown)
  • Medium Master Scroll (2 Texts, 1 Letter & 1 Carving for 35xp, 2d 18h cooldown)
  • Large Master Scroll (3 Texts, 2 Letters & 1 Carving for 70xp, 6d 18h cooldown)

Supreme

The collected materials for this tier are Etchings of Moria, Rune-carved Tablets, Tattered Khuzdul Parchments, Relics of Khazad-dum, Broken Dwarf-Statues.

The crafting nodes are Sage's Lockers, Sage's Caskets and Sage's Lockboxes

The starter recipes are Scrolls of Supreme crafting Lore at 2 Tablets + 1 Etching for 8xp.

Best Farming Location: The Scholar instances in Durin's Way in Moria (on the path between The Chamber of the Crossroads and Twenty First Hall)

Note: There are no vendor recipes for the Supreme Tier - Some recipes are obtained from the Scholars Guild or from Reputation vendors (as noted below) but everything else will have to be obtained from a drop or the auction house (yay!).

Whilst I don't really recommend spending TP for convenience sake, there is a 'Supreme Scholar Recipe Book' available for 300TP from the store which will give you all the dropable recipes for the tier (i.e. everything except one-shots, guild and rep recipes). As always, free/premium members should resist the temptation and save the TP to spend on quests packs!

Most Efficient Recipes

As always Athelas Essence and Celebrant Salve offer the best return, there are several variants here but each offer 6xp for one scholar item + various mats:

  • Infused: 1 Etching of Moria for 6xp (+mats)
  • Pure: 1 Relic of Khazad-dum for 6xp (+mats)  
  • Potent: 1 Khuzdul Parchment for 6xp (+mats) - requires friend standing with Galadhrim, recipe bartered from Bassiril at the docks at Imlad Lalaith for 20 Lothlorien Silver Branches.
  • Steeped: 1 Broken Dwarf Statue for 6xp (+mats)- requires friend standing with Malledhrim, recipe bartered from Iawen at Ost Galadh for 25 Malledhrim Bronze Feathers. 
And for the Rune-carved tablets make either Supreme Overpower Tactics or Pure Fire Oils (2 Rune-carved Tablets for 6xp)

Other Recipes 

At a loss of 4xp/craft compared to optimal:

 Scrolls of Supreme [Crafting Lore] (2 Tablets + 1 Etching for 8xp)

At a loss of 6xp/craft compared to optimal:

  • Supreme Parable / Sheet Music / Greater Supreme Overpower Tactics / Supreme Book of the Whisper-draw/wind-rider (2 Tattered Khuzdul Parchments for 6xp)
  • Supreme Battle Tonic / Potion of Fervour / Focus / Pure Light Oils (2 Etchings of Moria for 6xp)
  • Greater Supreme Battle Tonic / Potion of Fervour /Focus (2 Broken Dwarf Statues for 6xp)

At  a loss of 8xp/craft compared to optimal:
  • Supreme Battle / Warding Lore (2 Tablets + 1 Etching + 1 Relic for 10xp). 
Note: Relics of Khadad-dum are only used for the athelas essence, celebrant salve and 2 scholars guild recipes (see below) so there are no 'other' recipes available.

Scholars Guild

Make these as often as possible if you are joining the Scholar's Guild, the recipes are:
  • Small Supreme Scroll (2 Rune-carved Tablets + 1 Etching of Moria for 10 xp, 18 hour cooldown)
  • Medium Supreme Scroll (2 Rune-carved Tablets + 1 Etching of Moria + 1 Relic of Khazad-dum for 35xp, 2day 18 hour cooldown)
  • Large Supreme Scroll (3 Rune-carved Tablets + 2 Etchings of Moria + 1 Relic of Khazad-dum + 1 Broken Dwarf Statue for 70xp, 6day 18 hour cooldown)
Once you reach Artisan standing with the guild there are various recipes you can obtain to create Legendary items (Books for Mistrels & Scholars) and Crafted Relics. These aren't efficient for levelling but do produce useful, and potentially auctionable, items.





The Misty Mountains: Goblin Town (49-50)

Warning - Incomplete

Goblin Town offers several quests and deeds. Many quests are turned in at Gloin's camp and Rivendell and the nearest milestone to Goblin Town is at Hrimburg. I suggest binding your milestone to one of these three locations to make life easier!

VIPs can swift travel between the locations and all players can use the stable route between Gloin's Camp to Rivendell

Preparation

Speak to Elrond (in his study in the Last Homely House) to accept [48] A Missing Scout and to Bilbo (in The Hall of Fire) to accept [48] Passage to Darkness.

Take a ride to Gloin's Camp and turn in Dwalin's Concern (which you picked up doing Book 7) and accept [48] Goblins at the Gate

You should already have Down,Down to Goblin Town from previous question in the Misty Mountains (if you missed it the chain starts with Against The Pack from Nogmeldir at Vindurhal)

First Visit (Goblin Town Tunnels)

Ride north from Hrimburg to The Mountain's Throat (21.3,6.0) and enter The Goblin Town Tunnels ("you have discovered the Main Entrance" for Goblins at the Gate)




Whilst in Goblin Town ensure you kill 12 Goblins for Goblins at the Gate

Proceed carefully and pull the goblins to you to avoid being mobbed. 

[IMAGE OF ENTRY HALL WITH GOBLINS ON BOTH SIDES]

Once out of the entry hall take the right hand-side of the path towards the Stained Button


Work your way to the second campfire by the bridge.
 

Search the debris pile to find the Stained Button and start the Bilbo's Buttons Deed


Return to the junction and take the downward slope towards Black Crag.


Keep left and cross the wooden bridge


Take the tunnel to the west .


 Continue west along the tunnel, ignoring any turnings, and you will exit through The Black Crack (and  "discover the hidden entrance to Goblin-Town" for Passage to Darkness

Exit Goblin-Town:
  • Go to the Last Homely House in Rivendell and speak to Bilbo in the Hall of Fire to turn in Passage to Darkness and accept [48] My Dwarf Friends
  • Go to Thorin's Hall in Ered Luin and speak to Dwalin to continue My Dwarf Friends
  • Go to Gloin's Camp in the Misty Mountains and speak to Gloin to continue My Dwarf Friends and turn in Goblins at the Gate and accept [48] Order From the Darkness
  • Go to the Last Homely House in Rivendell and speak to Bilbo in the Hall of Fire to turn in My Dwarf Friends and accept [48] Preparing for the Dark
  • Go to Bilbo's Room (across the hallway) and speak to Frodo and Gandalf to continue Preparing for the Dark
  • Return to the Hall of Fire and speak to Bilbo to turn in Preparing for the Dark and accept [48] The Undiscovered Path

Second Visit (Order from the Darkness)

Return to Goblin Town through the Mountain's Throat and kill every goblin you see until "you find a sheaf of nasty looking paper on the corpse of the goblin". Return to Gloin and turn in Order From The Darkness and accept [48] Memory of the Wargs

Third Visit (The Slave Pens)

Return to Goblin Town via The Black Crag; to find the hidden entrance head up the slope to the right of The Mountain's Throat and follow the path through up and around to the entrance.



Run straight through the first cave and then take the first tunnel on your right into a small cave filled with wargs (usually 5 pairs of wargs & keepers). Kill them all (kill the keepers first or they will heal the wargs)

[Picture of warg cave one]

Continue down the tunnel, ignoring all turnings, until you emerge onto a platform overlooking a large cave. Turn left and run up the slope to the top  

Double back along the platform on the left of the cave towards the small warg cave



to find a second small cave filled with wargs (usually 3 wargs or 2 wargs & 1 keeper). Kill the wargs.

[Picture of warg cave 2]

Return to the end of the platform and descend the slope to return to the tunnel to Black Crag, do not enter the tunnel but cross the bridge to the east. Continue along the tunnel always turning north or east when you reach a junction, until you reach the Slave Pens (Deed Goblin Town)

[Image of slave pens entryway]

Follow the pathRight over bridge. Down curving stairway, follow path thru iron gate. look for Glorwen on right. Turn in Down, Down to Goblin Town.



Continue down the stairway and into the cave at the bottom. Speak to Aeglas to turn in A Missing Scout and accept [49] Other Prisoners.

[Image of Aeglas]

Speak to Oghuck (in the next cell along) to continue Other Prisoners and accept [49] Keepers and the Kept

[Image of Oghuck]

Return upstairs and speak to Glorwen to continue Other Prisoners.

Return to Aeglas and turn in Other Prisoners. Accept [49] Stirring up Trouble

Kill Goblin-Town Jailers until you collect 12 Plain Keys then speak to Oghuk to turn in Keepers and the Kept. Accept [49] Drummers in the Deep

Exit the Slave Pens by making your way up the winding path; you can simply run past all the goblins as they cannot go through the portal but be aware that there will be 2 goblins on the far side which will aggro as you emerge.

Make your way back through the Tunnels. Check how many wargs you have killed and if you still need to kill a few revisit the two warg caves on your way out of Goblin Town.

Exit Goblin Town

  • Go to Gloin's Camp in the Misty Mountains and speak to Gloin to turn in Memory of the Wargs and accept [48] Rumours of the North
  • Speak to Vighar Roadwalker (walking around by the camp entrance) and accept [50] Drum Keepers and [50] Leaders of the Deep

Fourth Visit

Go Into War Steadings. Kill Narash (sig) for orders. Get scratched button

Exit and head due east to enter tunnel to Dagal (50 sig). kill guards as you go (nowhere to lose them)

Discarded pouch for shiny button

Kill Dagal

Into Eglanur, Kill Farmark. COllect broken cuflink from thing.

North some more Kill Zagh Master of the guard

North and east and Golums cave.

[write description]

Return to Gloin and turn in Rumours of the North and accept [48] Indecipherable. Speak to Vighar to  turn in Leaders of the Deep

Visit Rivendell and speak to Elrond to continue Indecipherable. Speak to Bilbo to turn in The Undiscovered Path

Return to Gloin to turn in  Indecipherable.

You should decline [50] A Great Goblin by Gloin and [50] The Emissary, [50] Arklash, The Leader of Soldiers and [50] Rakothurz and Horm by Tralli Gemfinder.  All four of these quests take place inside the Great Goblin's Throne Room instance and cannot be soloed on-level.


A Beginners Guide to Legendary Items

What is a Legendary?
Legendary Items (LIs) are special items which can be levelled up and modified to suit a players play-style. They are class specific and each character can only equip 2 LIs - a main-hand weapon and either a ranged weapon or a class item. Note that even if you play a class that can dual-wield only one of those weapons can be a LI, and it must be the weapon in your main-hand slot.

Every character has a Legendary Item Panel (shift-I) where LIs are slotted. There are up to 10 slots available, every character starts with 6 and 4 more are unlockable with TP.

Every LI slotted into the Legendary Item Panel will gain XP and level up whenever you kill a non-grey mob.

Each Legendary has Legacies attached to it, which are bonuses that improve one of your skills.

You can slot 4 Relics onto each Legendary which provide stat-boosts (e.g. increased Might, Will etc).

What is a Legacy?
A Legacy is a special bonus that is added to your Legendary which improves one of your class skills. For example, it might make the skill do more damage or cost less power to execute.  Legacies only take effect when you equip a weapon on your character (i.e. if you have 6 weapons in your Legendary Item Panel you only gain the benefits from the 2 which are equipped when you play)

When a Legendary is identified it will always have 3 randomly selected Major Legacies.  Each time the weapon is reforged at levels 10,20 and 30 you will get a choice of 2 randomly selected Major or Minor legacies to add to the weapon.

Legacies have Tiers and Ranks.

  •  The Rank indicates how much benefit the Legacy gives to the skill it improves.  Increasing the Rank of a Legacy will increase the benefit you receive. The maximum rank can be between 4-9 depending on the legacy.
  • The Tier determines how many Legacy Points it costs to upgrade to the next Rank - the higher the Tier, the less points required to advance to the next Rank. Each Legacy has a maximum Tier of 6
The tier of a Legacy can be increased using a Scroll of Empowerment, by increasing the tier you reduce the number of Legacy Points needed to increase the Rank of the Legacy and can thus have more higher-ranked Legacies on your LI. I would recommend only doing this at end-game as you will replace Legendaries quite quickly when levelling.

Changing Legacies
You are not stuck with whatever Legacy you receive with your LI - you can change them to suit your play-style.  In order to change a Legacy you need a Legacy Replacement Scroll.


What is a Relic?
A Relic is

What is the difference between a Third Age, Second Age and First Age Legendary?
In short, First Age is better than Second Age which is better than Third Age!  To be more specific, a First Age LI will have higher DPS, better bonuses and more available Legacy Points than a Second or Third Age LI.

What difference does the equip-level of my Legendary make?
Legendaries with a higher equip-level are better than those with a lower equip-level (just like regular weapons)

What happens when a Legendary Levels?
Legendaries earn iXP whenever they are slotted in your Legendary Item Panel (doesn't matter if they are actually equipped or not).  As the Legendary accumulates iXP it levels up, just like your character does.  Each time your Legendary levels up you gain points which can be used to improve its Legacies.

iXP is gained from killing non-grey mobs, completing quests that reward Legendary Experience and using Heritage Runes.

Every 10 levels your Legendary needs to be reforged at a Forge Master.  The reforges at levels 10,20 and 30 each add an extra Legacy to your item. The reforges at levels 40,50 and 60 each allow you to improve the Tier one of two randomly selected Legacies already on your Legendary.

If you decide you don't want a LI to gain iXP you can disable this from the Legendary Item Panel.  In general this is bad idea as you gain more total iXP when more LIs are equipped.  The only time you might want to disable iXP is if you have a new LI which you really need to level fast

For example, if you have just 1 LI slotted that item received 100% iXP. If you have 2 LI's slotted then each LI received 60% iXP - each LI receives less individual iXP but in total you receive 120% iXP, which is better than 100%!  If you have 6 LI's slotted then, overall you received 216% of the iXP you'd get if only 1 LI was slotted, but each individual LI is receiving just 36% of the iXP it would get if it was the only one.

How do I get my first Legendary?
You will receive your first Legendary when you complete Volume 2, Book 1, Chapter 9: A Weapon of the Elder Days and your second Legendary when you complete Volume 2, Book 1, Chapter 14: Khazad-dum At Last!.  These Legendaries are 'starter' legendaries and have 2 key differences to every other legendar you will ever encounter - they can only be levelled to level 40 and they only gain iXP when they are equipped.  For this reason I suggest replacing them with 'proper' legendaries as soon as you can.

How do I get more Legendaries?

In short, LI's with equip levels up to level 64 can be obtained from drops from mobs & chests.  Third Age LI's above this level can be obtained by bartering. First & Second Age LI's with equip levels above level 64 can only be obtained from Crafters who have high standing with their respective Crafting Guilds (via the auction-house or in-person trades)

From Quests
You will get a level 64 Second Age Legendary Item as a reward fro Volume 3, Book 3, Chapter 4: Ergothorn Elf-Friend
You will get a level 85 Second Age Bridle Legendary Item as a reward from Volume 3, Book 9, Chapter 9: The Dividing Line.

From Drops

  • Mobs above level 51, and chests in instances/skirmishes above level 51, can drop random Third Age LIs.
  • Mobs between Level 51-65 and chests in instances/skirmishes between Level 51-65 can drop random Second Age LI's with an equip level of 51-64.


From Barter

  • When questing in Moria and Lothlorien:
    •  Humanoid mobs between levels 51-55 can drop Rusted Dwarf Tools which can be exchanged for equip-level 53 or 55 Third Age LIs
    • Humanoid Mobs level 56+ can drop Khuzdul Tablets which can be exchanged for equip-level 57 or 59 Third Age LIs
  • Some Moria Raid Bosses drop Bright Emblems of Nimrodel which can be exchanged for level 59/60 First Age LIs
  • Barter NPCs in Mirkwood will exchange Malledhrim Bronze Feathers for level 61-64 Third Age LIs
  • Barter NPC's in Endewaith will exchange Silver & Gold Tokens of the Wilds for level 65/65 Third Age LIs
  • Barter NPC's in The Great River will exchange Silver & Gold Tokens of the Anduin for level 75 Third Age Items
  • Relic Masters will exchange Shards for level 55,60,75 or 85 Third Age LIs for your class
  • Legendary Item Vendors in Skirmish Camps will exchange Marks for level 75 or 85 Third Age LIs


Crafting

  • Crafters who have Artisan standing with their guild can craft Third, Second and First age LIs with equip-levels of 60-65
  • Crafters who have Master standing with their guild can craft Third, Second and First age LIs with equip-levels of 75
  • Crafters who have Grand Master standing with their guild can craft Third, Second and First age LIs with equip-levels of 85

How to I Identify a Legendary?
When you first receive a Legendary it is unidentified, meaning that you do not know what Legacies it has.

To Identify a Legendary you need to take it to a Forge-Master (list of locations from LOTRO-Wiki) and open the Identify Tab. Select the Legendary you want to identify and press Identify.  You can pay the fee in coins or in Shards - I suggest always paying in coins.

Once the Legendary is identified you can either equip it or, if it is no use to you, deconstruct it (see below)

What do I do with extra Legendaries?


Third Age Legendary, not for your class
Identify it and deconstruct it to receive a T1 Relic

First / Second Age Legendary, not for your class
Either deconstruct as above or consider selling on the auction house if you think someone else might want it

Legendary for your class
Whilst levelling Below Level 75: slot your legendaries until you have used all 6 slots. When you get a 7th deconstruct the highest level legendary and repeat indefinitely.

Whilst levelling Above Level 75: Keep an eye on the equip-levels of your Legendaries, those with level 75+ will give Exchange Scrolls that can be used on level 85 Legendaries - if you find a LI with a desirable Legacy get it to at least level 30 before you deconstruct and save the Scroll until you are ready to build your end-game weapons.

At Level Cap:
  • Levelling Legendaries to level 60, then deconstructing gives the best Relic returns
  • Levelling Legendaries to level 30+, then deconstructing gives the chance to receivebest Scroll returns
  • Levelling Legendaries to level 11+, then deconstructing gives the chance to receive a Heritage Rune, the maximum available Rune increases every 10 levels thereafter 
  • Levelling Legendaries to level 2 gives better Relic returns than just deconstructing straight away

Crafting: Cooking & Farming

Cooking and Farming are two crafts which work really well together - if you choose the Yeoman profession then you can do both on one character, otherwise you might have one character that farms and sends all the ingredients to another that cooks (for example a Tinker and a Scholar).

A Quick Warning
The majority of your farming & cooking time will be spent watching little blue progress bars on the screen fill up over, and over, and over again. The temptation to leave your character alone and go off somewhere else may be high but please don't give in. The game rules require you to be present at your computer and it's not unheard of for GM's to send a message to a player to check they're really there (particularly if you decide to grind this out all at once - it's absolutely fine to do so... but you might need to prove you're a real person and not a bot). I suggest arranging for a television / radio to be nearby so you can be at your computer and doing something else at the same time!

Farming - Some Notes
The most efficient way to farm is to plant 10 fields, right on top of each other, and then to harvest them by pressing 'delete' to select the field then 'u' to use it. Repeat the 'delete' then 'u' key-presses 9 more times then plant 10 more fields and repeat.  I suggest having some good music / television on hand as farming is slow business.

Consider spending 125TP on the Universal Toolkit - it will reduce your harvesting time by 3s per harvest which, over the course of your farming career, will actually save you quite a lot of time!

You should also be aware that farming is going to produce a lot more crops than you need for each tier.

As a simple example,

  • Planting a field gives you 6xp. Harvesting it gives you 0xp and Processing the crop gives 4xp.
  • Each regular field yields an average of 2 Crops so each Crop you produce earns you 7xp (6/2+4)
  • Apprentice Tier takes 400xp to master which means growing 58 Crops... which yields 232 Ingredients... but Apprentice Cooking only needs 75 ingredients to master.
  • A Well-Tended field yield roughly 5.5 Crops... so 10 well tended field gives over 200 ingredients!

What's the point? Planting Fields is pretty quick and gets you 6xp. Harvesting and Processing takes a long time and gets you 4xp.  If you want to speed up levelling then spend your entire Proficiency Tier planting and ignoring fields.  Then, when you are working on Mastery use the Optional Ingredient to ensure critical success and only harvest enough crops to produce ingredients for your cook (with 10 critically successful fields you can easily yield 200 ingredients!) and go right back to planting and abandoning fields

Of course, some people like the slow pace of farming - if that's you then you should feel free to take your time and harvest every crop... but if you just want to get through the Tiers quickly then abandoning your fields is a good trick to know.

Apprentice 

The Apprentice Tier takes 200xp to Proficiency and an additional 400xp to Mastery (600xp Total)

Farming 

Take the Introduction to Farming Quest and plant a field of Yellow Onions then Harvest them (14-18xp)

Buy 50 Artisan Crop Seeds, Buckets of Water and Handfuls of Fertiliser and 15 Piles of Rivendell Soil
  • Plant 33 fields of anything and don't harvest them (198 xp)
  • Grow 10 Field of Spring Barley (with Rivendell Soil) and harvest them
  • Grow 5 Fields of Yellow Onions (with Rivendell Soil) and harvest them
  • Process the Crops of Yellow Onions and Spring Barley 
The exact number of crops/field is random, growing 15 fields should make sure you have enough crops to process to get the XP you need to finish the tier.  You could probably grow a couple less but if you get unlucky with the RNG then you might not have enough crops.

Cooking

Take the Introduction to Cooking quest and make a cup of spring barley flour and then a Hard Biscuit (10xp)

Buy 50 Chickens Eggs 
  • Make 102 Cups of Spring Barley Flour (404xp)
  • Put 2 cups aside for later (need for expert quest) and turn the rest into 50 Pie Crusts (200xp)
N.B. Keep the Pie Crusts, you will need them for the Cooks Guild rep recipes

Journeyman

The Journeyman tier takes 280xp for Proficiency and 560xp to Master (840xp Total)

Farming

Buy the Tater Field Recipe and Tater Crop Recipe and 70 Journeyman Crop Seeds, Buckets of Water & Handfuls of Fertilisers and 23 Piles of Rivendell Soil (28s 36)
  • Plant 47 Fields of anything and don't harvest them (282 xp)
  • Plant 7 Fields of Cabbages (with Rivendell Soil) and harvest them (42xp)
  • Plant 16 Fields of Taters (with Rivendell Soil) and harvest them  (96xp)
  • Process the Cabbages & Taters ( ~ 480xp)

Cooking

Buy 84 Pork Shanks (Costs 20s 16) and make 84 Stuffed Cabbages (Uses 1 Yellow Onion + 1 Cabbage + 1 Pork Shank) (840xp)

Expert

The Expert Tier takes 360xp to Proficiency and 720xp to Mastery (1080xp Total)

Farming

If you are growing for a Cook in the Cooking Guild ensure you plant at least 5 Fields of Cauliflowers as these will be needed for the rep recipes.

Cheap Cooking:
  • Plant 60 Fields and don't harvest them (360xp)
  • Complete the Expert Quest - see below (36xp)
  • Plant 15 Fields of Green Onions with Rivendell Soil and harvest them (60xp)
  • Plant 10 Fields of Cauliflowers with Rivendell Soil and harvest them (90xp)
  • Process the Green Onions & Cauliflowers (~660 xp)
Eglain Rep:
  • Plant 60 Fields and don't harvest them (360xp)
  • Complete the Expert Quest - see below (36xp)
  • Plant 25 Fields of Green Onions with Rivendell Soil and harvest them (150xp)
  • Process the Green Onions (~660 xp)
Mathom Society Rep
  • Plant 60 Fields and don't harvest them (360xp)
  • Complete the Expert Quest - see below (36xp)
  • Plant 7 Fields of Green Onions with Rivendell Soil and harvest them (60xp)
  • Plant 18 Fields of Cauliflower with Rivendell Soil and harvest them (120xp)
  • Process the Green Onions & Cauliflowers (~660xp)
Expert Quest: 
  • Speak to a Novice Farmhand to accept the quest [1] Crafting: A Superior Farmland
  • Travel to Hobbiton, in the Shire, and head just north of the village to find Olo Proudfoot. Speak to him to continue the quest and accept [1] Crafting: Artisan Farmer
  • Purchase 1 Expert Crop Seed, 1 Journeyman Crop Seed and 1 Expert Pipe-weed Seed, 3 Buckets of Water & 3 Handfuls of Fertilizer
  • Plant and harvest 1 Green Onion Field and 1 Cabbage Field and 1 Sweet Galenas Pipe-weed field. Process the crops.
  • Deliver the crops to the 3 Hobbits (1 to the north-west, the stable master, and the inn-keeper)
  • Return to Olo and turn in Crafting:Artisan Farmer then again to turn in Crafting: A Superior Farmland (36xp)
  • Note: Before moving on, buy 1 Artisan Crop Seed, 1 Bucket of Purified Water and 1 Handful of Ereborian Fertiliser and plant, harvest & process 1 Field of Strawberries (From the Artisan Tier). You need these to complete the Expert Cook quest.

Cooking

Option 1 - Keeping it Cheap (Cost: Nothing)

  • Make 36 Vegetable Medleys(1 Cauliflower + 1 Tater + 1 Cabbage) (360xp)
  • Complete the Expert Cooking Quest (see below) (36xp)
  • Make 69 Vegetable Medleys (1 Cauliflower + 1 Tater + 1 Cabbage) (720xp)

Option 2 - Mathom Society Rep (purchase the recipe for 2s 76 from Baldwin Foxtail who stands outside the Mathom-house in Michel Delving) (Costs 308s 52 in total)

Buy 174 Cuts of Beef and Pinches of Shire Seasoning
  • Make 60 Seasoned Beef with Cauliflower (2 Heads of Cauliflower + 1 Cut of Beef + 1 Pinch of Shire Seasoning) (360xp)
  • Complete the Expert Cooking Quest (see below) (36x)
  • Make 114  Seasoned Beef with Cauliflower (2 Heads of Cauliflower + 1 Cut of Beef + 1 Pinch of Shire Seasoning)
Option 3 -Eglain Rep (Costs 106s 8). Buy the Hearty Onion Soup recipe from any novice cook.

Buy 78 Lamb Kidneys and Bottles of Water
  • Make 78 Bowl of Hearty Stock x 78 (1 Green Onion + 1 Lamb Kidney + 1 Bottle of Water)
  • Make 5 Hearty Onion Soup (1 Yellow Onion + 1 Tater + 1 Bowl of Hearty Stock)
  • Hearty Onion Soup x 78 (1 Yellow Onion + 1 Tater + 1 Bowl of Hearty Stock)
Expert Quest
  • Speak to a Novice Cook and acccept [1] Crafting: A Superior Oven
  • Speak to Jewel Underhill in Michel-Delving Crafting Fields and accept [1] Crafting: Artisan Cook
  • Buy 2 Bottles of Water, 1 Bag of Salt, 1 Lamb Kidney, 1 Cut of Beef and 1 Drop of Honey
  • Make 1 Hard Tack Ration (2 Cups of Spring Barley + 1 Bottle of Water + 1 Bag of Salt)
  • Make 1 Bowl of Hearty Stock (1 Green Onion + 1 Lamb Kidney + 1 Bottle of Water) and then 1 Beef Stew (1 Bowl of Heart Stock + 1 Cut of Beef)
  • Make 1 Strawberry Pie Filling (2 Bunches of Strawberries + 1 Drop of Honey)
  • Deliver the goodies to the 3 Hobbits (the Innkeeper, Odo Pipes who is sitting on top of the Inn, and Ned Diggins on the east side of town)
  • Return to Jewel Underhill and turn in Crafting: Artisan Cook and then Crafting: A Superior Oven (36xp)


Guild: You can join the Cooks guild at Expert level.  The Guild is in the Crafting Fields at Michel-Delving. Speak to the Master of Guilds to join then enter the Guild House and speak to Honesty Goodbody to buy the receipes for the Small Expert Repast (16s) and Medium Expert Repast (16s). Craft these recipes as often as the cooldowns allow.

Artisan

Farming Strawberries in the Western Bree-Fields

The Artisan tier takes 440xp to gain Proficiency and 880xp to Master (Total of  1320xp)

Farming

Buy 106 Artisan Crop Seeds, Buckets of Purified Water and Handfuls of Ereborian Fertilizer and 32 Piles of Lorien Soil

If you are growing for a Guilded Cook plant at least 5 Fields of Strawberries & 5 Fields of Apples to ensure sufficient ingredients for rep recipes (replace some of the Winter Barley with these)

Cheap Option / Useful Option
  • Plant and ignore 74 Fields (440xp)
  • Plant and harvest 35 Fields of Winter Barley (210xp)
  • Process Winter Barley (~770xp)
Mathom Society Rep:
  • Plant and ignore 74 Fields (440xp)
  • Plant 20 Fields of Strawberries with Lorien Soil and harvest them (120xp)
  • Process Strawberries (~440xp)
  • Plant 15 Fields of Winter Barley (90xp)
  • Process Winter Barley (~330xp)

Cooking

Option 1 - Cheap
  • Make 330 Cups of Winter Barley Flour (2 Bunches of Winter Barley)

Option 2 - Mathom Society Rep
  • Make 220 Strawberry Dessert-wine (2 Bunches of Strawberries + 1 Bottle of Water + 1 Pinch of Ale Yeast + 1 Empty Glass Bottle)

Option 3 - If you don't care about the rep and don't mind a bit of prep for something useful while you level:
  • Buy the Chicken Stock recipe and 190 Uncooked Chickens and 95 Bottles of Water
  • Make 95 Bowls of Chicken Stock (1 Green Onion + 1 Uncooked Chicken + 1 Bottle of Water) 4xp
  • Make 95 Stew of Kings (1 Bowl of Chicken Stock, 1 Tater, 1 Uncooked Chicken) 10xp

Master 

The Master Tier takes 520xp for Proficiency and 1040xp for Mastery (1560xp total)

Farming
  • Plant and ignore 87 fields (522xp)
  • Plant & Harvest 20 Fields of Blackberries (120xp)
  • Plant & Harvest 20 Fields of Golden Shire Taters (120xp)
  • Process the Blackberries & Taters (880xp)

Cheap Option (takes longer)
  • Plant 20 Fields of Blackberries (120xp)
  • Plant 20 Fields of Golden Shire Taters (120xp)
  • Process the Blackberries & Taters (~480xp)
  • Plant 36 Fields of Umbel Hops (216xp)
  • Process the Umbel Hops (~792xp)

Cooking:

Cheap Option (93s 60)

Make 390 Prepared Umbel Hops (2 Bunch of Umbel Hops + Bottle of Water)

Useful Food: Lembas / Perfect Pie

Update 04/12/20: Whilst it's been a long time since I updated this guide a kind reader has continued the work all the way through to Minas Ithil farming/cooking. See the comments below for a link.

Misty Mountains: High Pass (47)

The High Pass area of the Misty Mountains only offers a few quests but is a nice interlude - if you want to quest here level 47 is a good time to stop by.

Head to Rivendell then venture north through the mountain passes, non VIP members will need to purchase the quest pack for 695TP from the LOTRO store.

1. Head to Gloin's Camp in the Misty Mountains and accept [44] Into the High Pass from Gloin then:
  • Ride east until you reach the entrance to Whitecleft
  • Ride north through the pass into the Eastern Bruinen Source
  • Ride north until you reach the mountains
  • Ride east until you find the entrance to the pass (a snowy slope running west to east, see the map - it's nowhere near where the game shows it!)
  • Follow the pass through the mountains, across a bridge, and into Vindurhal
2. At Vindurhal:
  • Speak to Eywind to turn in Into the High Pass and accept [45] Goblin Hunt and [45] Goblin-Fire
  • Speak to Nogmeldir and accept [46]Glorwen's Fate and [46] Against the Pack
3. Exit the camp down the slope to the east and head north-east until you reach some ruins and locate Glorwen's Bow (20.8,8.5). There are a lot of wargs in this area, make sure you kill 10 of them.

5. Exit the ruins to the south then bear west and ride through the goblin camp of Gnashru and continue up into the hill passes.  Fight your way up the passes towards Akultot and:
  • Collect 5 Goblin Fire-pots (you may have to go a fair way along the path before you start to see these)
  • Kill 6 Overland Guards
  • Kill 6 Overland Stabbers
  • Kill 6 Overland Bombers
6. Make your way down the mountain and head south to Vindurhal (note that you need to loop around and approach from the east to find the entrance to the pass):
  • Speak to Eywind to turn in Goblin Hunt and Goblin-Fire
  • Speak to Nogmeldir to turn in Against the Pack and Glorwen's Fate and accept Way of the Pack and Gandalf's Secret Recipe
  • Speak to Eywind to continue Way of the Pack
7. Exit the camp to the east and follow the ridge line south-east until it opens out into a large snow field. Bear north to enter Hrimbarg (23.9,6.8):
  • Speak to Sigbert to get the stable-path
  • Climb the steps and enter a Door (24.5,7.1) to find Thorgest:
    • Continue Way of the Pack
    • Accept [47] Eliminating the Trail
8. Exit Hrimbarg to the north and return to Vindurhal. Speak to Norgmeldir to turn in Way of the Pack and accept [46] Blackfang

9. Ride north-east to Starkath and kill Blackfang ( lvl 47 signature @ 21.0 8.0)

10. Return to Vinduhal and speak to Nogmeldir to turn in Blackfang and accept [48] Down, Down to Goblin Town (we'll come back and do this later)

Head back to Rivendell and speak to Gandalf in Bilbo's Room to continue Gandalf's Secret Recipe

Take a ride back to Gloin's camp and run back to Vindurhal and speak to Nogmeldir to turn in Gandalf's Secret Recipe. Speak to Eywind to accept [45] Conflagation.

Exit the camp and ride north to find the Burning Cauldron (21.8,5.4), climb the wooden tower to trigger the quest then use the cauldron. Return to Vindurhal and speak to Eywind to turn in Conflagration.

Ride to Hrimburg and climb the steps and enter the Door  to find Thorgest:
  • Accept [48] Thorkell Has Fallen
  • Accept [48]Business Before Vengeance

Ride south from Vindurhal, across Northtarn and follow the frozen river south-east until you reach the Gauradan camp of Erforgh Cleft.
  • Kill 8 Gauradan Wolf-born
  • Kill 4 Gauradan Wind-masters
Head north a little way and enter the canyons of Writhenbores (26.3,8.0). Head east through the canyons unti lyou locake Thorkell's Axe (26.5,9.2) and Thorkell's Helm (26.3,8.9)

Kill Fissure Worm until you collect 24 scales (the scales aren't listed on their tooltip but they do drop)

Return to Hrimburg and speak to Thorgest to turn in Eliminating the Trail and accept [47] Chilled to the Bone. Also turn in Thorkell Has Fallen and Business Before Vengeance and  accept [49] A Worm by the Tail,

Ride all the way back south to Erforgh Cleft and search 4 Gauradan Baskets (found by tents and totems).

Ride north into Writhenbores and kill Ruinan  (lvl 49 signature @ 26.1,9.5) .  My preferred method here is to run through all the worms until I see Ruinan and stop just outside his aggro range to clear whatevers left of my train - usually you only have to kill 2 worms. Kill Ruinan right at the back of his tunnel to avoid any patrolling worms.

Return to Hrimburg and speak to Thorgest to turn in A Worm by the Tail then Chilled to the Bone. SPeak to Afwald to accept [47] Thorgest's Last Hope and head back south to Erforgh Cleft and kill Jakka. The easiest way to do this is to enter the camp and bear left until you see Jakka, ignoring the train of Gauradan you pick up. Run straight past Jakka and into the trees behind him until you can go no further. Jakka will reset and you will lose all but 2 of the Gauradan chasing you.Kill them then returnto find Jalkka alone. Kill him (lvl 49 signature with Fierce Wolf)

Exit the camp and return to Hrimburg, speak to Afwald to continue Thorgest's Last Hope

That's it for now, we'll come back later (around level 49) to explore Goblin Town but it's not practical to do at this level.

Moria: Zelem-Melek (55-56)

Warning - this guide is incomplete.

The quests in Zelem-Melek start at Twenty First Hall with Mogr (who sits just south of the Stable Master).  If you have been following my guide, Mogr will definitely have a quest available for you - if you've come from elsewhere and find that he's not offering quests then you need to take the quest Aguti's Advice from Simbi and travel to the Rotting Cellar in the Waterworks to turn this in (see guide for route, note that you only need to complete Aguti's Advice to open up Zelem Melek, you can skip the rest of the Waterworks and just go straight back to 21st Hall).

Twenty First Hall Quests

Speak to Mogr and accept [55] A Well-Earned Celebration. Pick up a Barrel of Ale from next to him.
  • Deliver the Ale to 6 Guards / Builders (1 to the south of Mogr, 5 in the east-west corridor just to his north)
  • Take the Ale to Reinn (standing by Mogr)
  • Speak to Mogr to turn in the quest
Accept [55] A Wide, Empty Hall from Mogr. Take the main path to the west west of the hall and accept the Auto-Bestowal quest [55] Questions of Stability (5.8,106.4). Examine the Rubble to the north of the path. Finish the quest (remotely).

Ride South to the southern-wall then east towards the center (6.4,105.7) and accept the Auto-Bestowal quest [55] A Chill Draft. Light 8 Blow-out Torches (just to the north) and turn in the quest (remotely)

Ride East to the eastern-wall then turn north (5.9,104.5) and accept the Auto-Bestowal quest [55] The Footsteps of Foes. Collect 6 Orc-Arrows (scattered on the path).

Return west to Mogr and turn in The Footsteps of Foes and continue A Wide, Empty Hall.

Speak to Reinn and turn in A Wide, Empty Hall

Speak to Mogr again to accept [55] Fixing a Squeaky Wheel and speak to Reinn to continue the quest.  Use the Summoning Horn directly in front of you to confirm you are ready to leave.

Head east a few paces onto the main path and take the road to the south, towards the glowing crystal. Take the eastern path then take the first turning to the south and make your way down the long staircase into Zelem-melek. 

 Continue south until you discover the Great Hall of Durin. Speak to Reinn to continue Fixing a Squeaky Wheel.  Work your way down the stairs and into the hall. When you get about half way down "Rein wishes to speak with you" so talk to him to continue Fixing A Squeaky Wheel.

Keep heading downwards until you reach the lowest level then bear east and up 2 flights to find Domarr. Speak to him to continue the quest. Speak to Reinn to turn it in.

Speak to Reinn again to accept [55] The Great Hall of Durin and speak to him again to travel to the instance then listen to Domarr's story. When the instance is completed speak to Domarr to turn in The Great Hall of Durin and accept [55] A Multitude of Durub and [55] Offence at Dark Worship.

Climb up the stairs to the south and keep climbing until you reach the top level. Head north, then west, to find Rokur (when you see him head out along the struts over the main hall, there is a staircase down to where he is standing) and speak to him to continue B3C1.  Defend Rokur from the Uruk-Hai Scout then return to the upper level and cross to the eastern side of the hall.

Head to the south-east corner of the hall (near the exit to Nud-Melek on the map) and go out through the exit then loop around to the south to find Gazat-ru.  Accept the Auto-Bestowal quest [55] Giving the Durub a Good Drubbing and enter the camp:
  • Defeat 4 Durub Captains (found near campfires & shrines)
  • Burn 2 Durub Shrines (8.0,105.4) and (8.1,105.2)
  • Kill 10 Durub Orcs
Exit by climbing the stairs just beyond the second shrine (7.9,105.0)  and jumping off the ledge then climb back down the staircases and return to Domarr. Turn in Offence at Dark Worship, Giving the Durub a Good Drubbing and A Multitude of Durub. Accept [55] An Accurate Account.

Use the Goat to the Twenty First Hall to to return to said hall and then speak to Mogr to turn in An Accurate Account. Accept [55] Backtracking.

Head south and enter the Chamber of Leadership (6.5,105.4). Speak to Brogur and turn in B3C1. Accept [56] B3C2: A Long Way from Home.

Exit the chamber and head west a few paces then take the tunnel to the south. Turn west again and head down the long passageway until you find Reinn (6.7,106.1). Inspect his corpse and defeat the lurking (signature) orc then continue south through the archway and down the stairs into Zelem Melek.

Inspect Reinn's Sword (6.9,106.1) partway down the stairs then continue to the bottom of the stairs and head west to find Reinn's Shield (7.0,105.8). Continue due west into the Great Hall and head out to the platform in the centre of the hall. Climb atop it to find Reinn's Satchel. Defeat Khil then speak to Mogr, who is standing right next to you (7.5,105.7) to turn in the quest. Speak to Mogr again to accept [55] Exploring the Wide Halls.

Descend from the platform down the north-west stairs until you reach the lowest level. Place banners on the two Empty Stands (7.6,106.1) then continue west down the crystal-lit tunnels into The Wide Halls.

As you enter the Wide Halls, Exploring the Wide Halls will auto-complete, turn it in.

Head west down the main passageway until you reach a staircase. Climb  the stairs then turn immediately back on yourself and take the path to the north to find an Orc camp (6.4,108.4) filled with White Hand Soldiers:

  • As you enter the camp Masks of Gaping Maws will be offered, accept it. Destroy 5 Crude Masks to complete.
  • Kill any solider to start Clearing Mudmul-Charaf. Kill 8 soldiers in total to complete the quest.
  • Inspect any Orc Tent or Orc Barricade to start [55] No Home for Orcs. Destroy 3 Barricades and 5 Tents to complete.
  • Finally, inspect a Skull Pile to accept Piles of Old Bones

Return to the Broad Ways crossroad (7.6,107.6) and take the southern passageway. Follow the tunnels around to the west to find the Hall of Flowing Water. Speak to Bui to accept [55] Following the Flowing Water.

Gabil - Hul
Use the water flask in one of the pools in the main room then head south and repeat in the pools in the next room. Head east and test the water one more time. Head west until you discover Gabil-hul then return (east then north) to the Hall of Flowing Water. Speak to Bui to turn in Following the Flowing Water and accept [55] Exploring Uzbad-Bakan.


An Epic Diversion

Take the nearby goat back to 21st Hall and head south to the Chamber of Leadership to speak to Brogur and turn in B3C2: A Long Way from Home and accept [56] B3C3: Inside the Chamber of Mazarbul.

Ride north to the Chamber of Mazarbul and speak to Warr to continue the quest. Search the nearby Debris piles until you find a damaged book.

Ride south to the Chamber of Leadership and speak to Brogur to continue the quest. Take the stable route to Chamber of Crossroads and speak to Bosi to turn in B3C3, Accept B3C4: A Grudge against Goblins.

Jump down the well in the centre of the Chamber of Crossroads and you will fall all the way to the Waterworks. (you may die, if this bothers you take a stable route to Dolven View, and onto Deep Descent and The Rotting Cellar).

Head north from the Rotting Cellar, into the Silvertine Lodes, and speak to Sweina (12.6,112.6) to continue the quest and then defend him from the Goblins.

Return to Chamber of the Crossroads (either run south to Rotting Cellar then stable or port to 21st Hall and stable). Speak to Bosi to turn in B3C4 and accept B3C5: Words of Caution.

Return to 21st Hall and speak to Brogur (Chamber of Leadership, south side) to turn in B3C5 and accept B3C6: Honour Enough for Both.

Speak to Bori (standing next to Bosi) and accept B3C6: Dwarves of the Greatest Courage, B3C6: Arms of the Sharpest Bite and B3C6: Planning the Wisest Attack

Speak to the 6 dwarfs:

  • Wili (6.2,105.8)
  • Sigthorn (5.7, 105.6)
  • Skygni (5.7,105.5)
  • Wethur (5.6,105.1)
  • Sebbi (5.9,104.9)
  • Stilling (5.4,104.8)
Exit the 21st hall to the south west then take the stairs down to the lower level and head east. You will start to find Cracked Shields, Dented Armour & Broken Blades - collect them.

Here Endeth the Guide - I intended to come back but never did, and whilst I may revisit Middle Earth in the future I'm unlikely to ever have the same amount of time on my hands to progress this further so I thought I'd post up what remains of my notes.

[Finish some more epic then return to Hall of Flowing waters (immediate goat near stable master) and continue questing]













Sunday 1 September 2013

Moria: Waterworks (54-55)

The Waterworks

Note: If you have been following my previous guides you already have the quest [54] Aguti's Advice. If you do not have this quest then you need to get it from Simbi in the 21st Hall as several of the quests in Waterworks are unavailable without it.

The Rotting Cellar
The Rotting Cellar

From the Twenty First Hall, take a stable-route to Dolven-View.  Take a further stable-route to Deep Descent and then run south, through the Silvertine Lodes until you reach the entrance to Old Silvertine City. Instead of going through the doors into the city, follow the dirt track further south and into the Waterworks.

Follow the (long) passageways around in a meandering zig-zag. Most corridors end with only one way to turn but eventually you will reach a point when you can go left or right (14.2,112.1). At this point turn left and climb the stairs into The Rotting Cellar. (If you find yourself crossing a long bridge to a Door you can't enter you went the wrong way, turn around and go straight to the end of the corridor then turn right at the end)

At the Rotting Cellar:
  • Speak to Sylfa to accept [54] Some Kind of Safety
  • Speak to Wani to get the stable path
  • Speak to Aguti to turn in Aguti's Advice and accept [54] Studying the Local Wildlife
  • Speak to Gyrgir to accept [54] Dark and Shallow Water

Descend into the Water works down the staircase to the north of the camp (15.3,112.1) and follow the stairs down to the right. Continue downwards until you reach the water level and test the water (15.3,112.4)

Head out into the water and find the 4 Goblin Corpses. At each wait until you "see some leeches crawling in the water" and use the Newt-toxin. Corpses are found washed up just by the edge of the water at:
  • 15.2,112.6
  • 15.4,112.8
  • 15.4,113.4
  • 15.2,113.5

Kill creatures (anything that moves is fair game) until you have 8 Creature Samples then return to the camp:
  • Speak to Aguti to turn in Studying the Local Wildlife and accept [54] The Local Wildlife is Deadly
  • Speak to Gyrgur and turn in Dark & Shallow Water
  • Speak to Sylfa to turn in Some Kind of Safety
  • Speak to Thrand to accept [54] Clearly Problematic

Leave the camp and descend back down to the water level. Head west killing Deep Toads on sight (ignore the map, kills anywhere in the zone count towards the quest)

When you reach the western bank start killing Glass Spiders on sight.  Make your way upwards through the ruins on the north side (stairs start 15.2,114.8) until you find the Brooch of Lorien (15.0,114.3). Examine it to accept [54] Caught in Clear Webs. Continue killing Spiders until you collect 10 glass-spider legs.

Exit the area and return east to the Rotting Cellar. Ensure you have killed 8 Deep Toads before you return to camp then:
  • Speak to Aguti and turn in The Local Wildlife is Deadly
  • Speak to Thrand and turn in Clearly Problematic and accept [54] Spider-Leg Prisms
Go back down to the water level and head south-west until you reach Gabil-Munz.  Repair the lamp at the foot of the eastern stair (16.6,13.3)  then climb up the stairs to the higher bridge levels and repair the 6 Shattered Crystal lamps along the parapets. Descend to the north and fix the final lamp at the foot of the stair (15.8,114.1).

Return to the camp and speak to Thrand to turn in Spider-leg Prisms. Speak to Sylfa to accept [54] Lying in Wait.

Hulwul-Nefekh
Exterior of Hulwul-Nefekh

Descend to the water level again and head south until you reach the Chamber of Dark Waters (with many red fungi) and kill 10 Globsnaga Orcs.

Exit the Chamber to the west and climb up onto the raised platform at Gabil Munz (where you lit the broken lights) to find the door to Hulwul-nefekh (16.8,114.1)
  • Speak to Ansurr to turn in Lying in Wait and accept [54] Fighting the Fungus, [54] Missing Arrows and [54] Out of hte Darkness
  • Speak to Thrand to accept [54] Darkened by Mildew and [54] Mushroom Picking
  • Speak to Gyrgir and accept [54] Drawn to the Water
Exit the camp and descend the stairs to the south then run east until you return to the Chamber of Dark Waters:
  • Hug the western wall and head to the northern end of the area to find Urbhrum (16.6,112.2) and kill him
  • Run to the eastern wall then follow it south to a flooded tunnel (16.9,112.0) and enter the room to the east
    • Examine the Statue Torso Piece (16.9,112.0) to accept [54] Torso of Helgi Goblinbane
    • Head east a little further to find Kraibag (16.8,11.9). Use the Flask of Oil on him then kill him.
  • Exit the small room and continue south ensuring you have collected 6 Fungus spores (drop from Globsnaga orcs)

Take the passage east (17.3,112.0) then swim south-east across the lake and climb out the slope on the far side (17.8,111.7) to find the Fungus Covered Mirror (17.7,111.5). Defend it from the Globsnaga then clean it.

Exit the area to the north-west and continue north until you pass the large central tower. Destroy 10 Fungus Mushrooms (found on the edges of the pools here).

Return south to the camp of Hulwul-nefekh (through door on south-west side of central raised are) and:
  • Speak to Ansurr to turn in Missing Arrows and Out of the Darkness and accept [54] Churning Froth
  • Speak to Thrand to turn in Darkened by Mildew and Mushroom Picking
  • Speak to Gyrgir to turn in Drawn to the Water and accept [54] Toad Slime
  • Speak to Ansurr again to turn in Fighting the Fungus
Exit the camp. From now on kill Deep-Toads on sight. Descend the stairs to the west then bear south-west until you discover Narag-kheleb.

The Great Wheel

Continue west to find the Great Wheel (17.2,115.6) and kill 6 creatures in the nearby area.

Return to camp  ensuring you have collected 8 toad-slime from Deep-Toads. At the camp:
  • Speak to Ansurr to turn in Churning Froth and accept [54] Rusted Works
  • Speak to Gyrgir to turn in Toad-Slime and accept [54] Fighting Slime with Slime
Exit the camp and descend the stairs to the west.  

Continue north -west to a pool filled with greenish-yellow crystals (16.3,115.1) and kill Glow Woms until you collect 6 acid-glands.

Head south-west, into the Drowned Deep, and find the pile of Lizard-Food (16.7,116.9). Use it to summon and kill Stonecrest.

Return to the camp and:
  • Spek to Ansurr to turn in Rusted Works and accept [54] Fungus and Acid and [54] Foreman of the Great Wheel
  • Speak to Gyrgir and turn in Fighting Slime with Slime
Exit the camp, descend the western stairs and make your way back to the Great Wheel. Go past the Wheel and continue south-west until you reach a door (17.6,116.2).

Enter the door and head due-east down the tunnel. Follow the tunnel until it opens out into a large room with falling water. Run through the water and jump into the pool and swim across to the eastern side where you will find Indrith. Speak to him to turn in Foreman of the Great Wheel and accept [54] Gumming Up the Works.

Kill 8 Flood-Lizards and 8 Deep-Toads and return to Indrith to turn in Gumming Up the Works. Accept [54] A Second Go of It.  "/flex" your muscles at Indrith and speak to him again to continue the quest.  Wait whilst he tries to turn the wheel then speak to him again to finish the quest. Accept [54] A New Gear.

Route to the New Gear
Head back towards the entrance you came it and follow the map above to find the gear.

Return to Indrith and turn in A New Gear. Accept [54] Two Problems, One Tool

Cross back over the pool and take the passageway to the north.  Continue down the passageway until you reach another Door. Exit to find yourself atop the great wheel:

  • Unjam 6 Fungus Covered Paddles
  • Remove 6 Slime from the main paddle.
  • Kill 8 Globsnaga orcs

Return to Indrith and turn in Two Problems, One Tool. Accept [54] Off to the Channel.

Exit down the tunnel to the west and return to the camp at Hulwul-nefekh. Speak to Ansurr to turn in Fungus and Acid.


The Vile Maw

Entrance to the Vile Maw

Exit the camp, descend the western stairs and head south-west to the camp of Harazgund outside the entrance to the Vile Maw ( the entrances to the camp are marked by orange crystals):

  • Speak to Kaldi to turn in Off to the Channel and accept [54] Readings from the Basin
  • Speak to Asur to get the Stable Route
Run north to the edge of the Drowned Deep water and draw a sample (stand just inside the pool). Return to Kaldi to turn in Readings from the Basin and accept [54] Reporting the Findings.

Exit the camp to the east then head south to find the door to the Chamber of Wheels. Run due east to find Foreman Indrith and speak to him to continue Reporting the Findings. 

Retrace your steps to the camp at Vile Maw and speak to Kaldi to turn in the quest. Accept [54] An Uneven Flow.

Take a ride to The Rotting Cellar and speak to Aguti to turn in Torso of Heldi Goblinbane.  Take another Stable to Deep Descent, then Dolven-View, then Twenty First Hall.

Speak to Simbi, due south of the stable master, to turn in An Uneven Flow
Speak to Geirfast, due west of Simbi, to turn in Caught in Clear Webs

The Waterworks is now complete. Next up is Zelem-Melek (coming soon!)