Book 1: Stirrings in the Darkness & Bree (15-20)

Book 1 Starts in Bree, at the Prancing Pony. You should be about level 15 at this point, if you aren't quite there yet then I suggest finishing the prologue quests for your race.

The Prancing Pony in Bree is a good place to set your milestone for this book.

Amdir's Fate (15)

1. Speak to Barliman Butterbur at The Prancing Pony and accept [15] Foreword: An Unwanted Guest

2. Go and visit Strider in his room at the Inn and turn in Forewrod: An Unwanted Guest. Accept B1C1: Unravelling the Thread and then speak to Strider again to 'Travel Now' to the instance.

3. Protect Torthann through the instance and complete it then speak to Strider to complete B1C1 and accept B1C2: To A Constables Aid

4. After a short cut-scene you will find yourself back in Combe, talk to Constable Underhill outside the Training Hall to turn in B1C2 and accept B1C3: Blackwold's Broken. Speak to the Constable again to travel to the instance.

5. Protect Constable Underhill through the instance then speak to him to turn in B1C3 and accept B1C4: Dark Designs

6. You will find yourself back in Bree outside the Prancing Pony; enter the inn and speak to Strider to finish B1C4. Accept B1C5: The Other Riders.

Trouble in Buckland (15-16)

1. Return to the common room of the inn and speak to Barliman Butterbur, the Tavern Keep, to accept [14] Trouble in Buckland

2. Exit Bree through the west gate and run west until you reach Adso's Camp (it's on the path, you can't miss it). Speak to Wes Brittleleaf to get the Stable Master route and to Roger Hawkling to turn in Pipe-weed Delivery.

3. Continue running west along the path until you see a flock of Crebain on your right, turn right just before them and climb the grassy hill to find Lenglinn by a small campfire. Speak to him to turn in B1C5 and accept [16] B1C6: In The Black Rider's Wake.

4. Run down the slope to the flock of Crebain and kill 4 then return to Lenglinn to turn in B1C6. Accept [16] B1C7: Horn-call of Buckland.

5. Return to the westward path and follow it further west to Buckland:

• Just inside the gate talk to Ella Lilypond to accept [15] A Meal for Men
• Speak to Trumric Ragwort to accept [15] The Envy of the Four Farthings
• Speak to Ted Reedy to accept [15] Trophies for the Walls
• A few paces further along the path speak to Celandine Brandybuck and turn in Trouble in Buckland. Accept [14] Old Forestry

6. Turn around and run back out the gate, speak to the Bounder by the bridge to take [10] From the Shire to Bree-town (a few free xp!). Do not cross the bridge but run north to find a swampy area. Collect 20 wild mushrooms and kill any wolves/boars you see

7. Now cross the bridge into Hobbiton and get the Stock Stable Master then run south to The Marsh and speak to Farmer Maggot at Bamfurlong to continue Old Forestry

7 Return across the river and work along the path towards Bree killing boars, bears and wolves to either side until you collect:

• 3 Pristine wolf carcasses
• 3 pristine bear-carcasses
• 3 pristine boar-carcasses
• 10 coarse bear-hides
• 8 bear-haunches
• 9 boar-shanks

8. Return to the wagon just inside the Buckland gate:

• Speak to Ella Lilypond to turn in A Meal for Men
• Speak to Ted Reedy to turn in Trophies for the Walls
• Speak to Trumric Ragwort to  turn in The Envy of the Four Farthings and accept [15] Sharing the Load
• Speak to Wilmac Brandybuck to turn in Old Forestry and accept [15] Unwelcome Strangers

9.Run out through the gate and west along the road until you see bandits to your north - inside the first palisaded encampment find Farmer Maggot's Produce.

10.Run back to the Buckland gates and speak to Wilmac Brandybuck to complete Unwelcome Strangers and accept [15] Rollo and Doderic

11.  Continue down the road into Buckland, run through the tented marketplace and south to to the Brandy Hall (33.3,62.4) to speak to Saradoc Breandybuck and turn in Rollo and Doderic. Accept [15] Old Forest Investigation

12. Exit he Hall and run north a few paces until you see a stable, speak to Sully Brandybuck the Stable Master to get the Stable Route

The Old Forest (16-17)

The Old Forest is a bit of a maze - this very nice map by The Brasse is more detailed than the game map and is definitely worth a look.

1. Just east of Sully you will see a small wagon with 3 hobbits beside it:

• Speak to Berangar Highknoll and accept [15] Forest Wolves
• Speak to Hodric Bracegirdle and accept [15] Forest Bats
• Speak to Brumbald Tunnelly and accept [15' Forest Bears

2. A few paces further east speak to Toly Brockhouse to continue Sharing the Load and accept [15] The Wood-cutter's Tale

3. Continue down the road and through the Old Forest Tunnel  under the hedge and into the Old Forest, from now on collect any Savoury Mushrooms you see and kill Wolves, Bats and Bears on sight until you have despatched 12 of each.

4. Continue east along the path and through Bonfire Glade,  continue straight on (east-north-east) and then turn south when you can to find the Wood Pile (32.9,60.0) where you can collect some Seasoned Lumber

5. Run north from the woodpile until you regain the path and follow it north-east into a clearing filled with bats - follow the path as it bends east through the clearing (killing bats- good place to make sure you've killed 12) and continue to follow the path until you reach the top of Bald Hill:

•  Interact with the Tapped Maple to retrieve a Bucket of Maple Sap
• Speak to Doderic Brandybuck to continue Old Forest Investigation

6. Return down the path to the glade of bats and this time leave the path and head west through the forest until you find Rhosthon's Flower (32.0,61.0)

7. Go a few paces further west until you can turn south and then do so to return to the entrance to the Old Forest Tunnel. Hopefully you killed 12 bats/bears/wolves by now - if not roam the forest until you have and then return and use the Tunnel to return to Buckland and:

• Speak to Toly Brockhouse to turn in The Wood-cutter's Tale. Accept [16] New Trouble in the Old Forest
• Speak to Berangar Highknoll to turn in Forest Wolves
• Speak to Rumbald Tunnelly to turn in Forest Bears
• Speak to Hodric Bracegirdle to turn in Forest Bats and accept [16]Forest Spiders

8. Head back through the Tunnel into the Old Forest and run east until you reach Bonfire Glade. Leave the path and run south

9. Continue south until you find a bear den and then turn west, continue west through Old Muddyfoot's Hill (where there are lots of wolves) and eventually the forest will open out to reveal a path down to the river.

10. Speak to Gillemin Brandybuck at her camp by the river and turn in New Trouble in the Old Forest. Accept [16] Haunted Forest, [16] Evil on Eight Legs and [16] A Matron in the Hollow

11. Cross the river to the bank opposite Gillemin.

12. Continue up the hill until it begins to level out and you can turn east, continue east until you can turn south and then loop around to the west to find Merillif's Flower (35.4,58.3).

13. Go west a few paces to find the Foresters Pack by a tent then run south-east through the Willow Glade and into the spider infested passage beyond

14. Continue south east into The Weaver's Den and keep an eye out for Lebrennil who patrols the area. Make your way east into The Old Oak's Grove and defeat the Haunted Barren Oak to discover the source of the Forest's unrest (clear the spiders around it first)

15. Retrace your steps to Gillemin (ensure you have killed Lebrennil and a total of 24 spiders). Speak to Gillemin to turn in Evil on Eight Legs and A Matron in the Hollow

16. Run upriver until you find Rollo Maggot at the Abandoned Cottage, speak to him to continue Old Forest Investigation

17. Run downstream a few paces until you can turn into the forest and then climb the bank and run north.  As you pass through the Shifting Wood stop and examine Cordofoneth's Flower (32.6,59.3) then run a few paces west before turning north to cut through to Bald Hill.

18. Speak to Doderic Brandybuck to continue Old Forest Investigation then run west through the Forest and pass through the Old Forest Tunnel to return to Buckland:

• Speak to Toly Brockhouse to turn in Haunted Forest
• Speak to Hodric Bracegirdle to turn in Forest Spiders 

19. Head north up the dirt track by Toly and then take the first right to find Fredegar Bolger. Speak to him to continue B1C7 then protect him until he is safe from the Crebain.

20. Run back north to the entrance to the Buckland gate

• Speak to Celandine Brandybuck to continue Old Forest Investigation
• Speak to Wilmac Brandybuck to turn in Old Forest Investigation
• Speak to Trumric Ragwort to turn in Sharing the Load. Accept [16] Mr Haybank Meet...

21. Exit Buckland and return to Lenglinn's camp (up the hill to the north of the road to Bree), speak to him to continue B1C7.

22. Return to Bree (milestone or run or buy a ride from either Buckland or Adso's camp) and speak to Strider  in his room at The Prancing Pony to finish B1C7. Accept [18]B1C8: Master of the Woods

Adso's Camp (17-18)

1. Visit the West-Bree Stable Master and purchase a ride to Adso's Camp (or run west along the road to get there).  Speak to Adso and turn in Mr Haybank Meet... and accept [16]Adso's Delivery

2. Ride north to the Old Sweetgrass Farm (28.3,56.2) and talk to Bill Ferny to continue Adso's Delivery (you may need to ring the Doorbell to summon him)

3. Return to Adso's Camp and:

• Speak to Adso to turn in Adso's Delivery and accept [17] Down-Payments 
• Speak to Rodger Hawkling (just to the north of Adso) to accept [17] A Matter of Feed
• Speak to Buckley Sheppard (just to the south) to accept [17] Supplies and Demands.

From now on kill boars (Splintertusks) on sight.

4. Head north until you reach the fields just past the Old Sweetgrass Farm:

• Kill 12 Brigands (Southern Warriors & Bowmen) in the fields
• Loot 4 Coin-purses
• Loot  6 sets of Building Tools from their corpses.

5. Return to the Camp:

• Speak to Adso to turn in Down-Payments and accept [17] Paying Bills & Threats and [17] Follow-Throughs
• Speak to Buckley Sheppard to turn in Supplies and Demands

6. Run east from Buckley, past the horses, and into the woods to the south of the road, head east through the woods and kill Brigands as you make your way to Dirk Hawthorn's camp (29.5,55.3). Clear the area around the camp and then kill Dirk. Return to camp ensuring you have kill 12 brigands and looted 12 of Adso's Goods

7.At the camp:

• Speak to Adso to turn in Paying Bills and Threats and Follow-Through to Adso and accept [17] Payment in Full
• Speak to Roger Hawkling to accept [17] A Matter of Warmth 

8. Head west, paralleling the road on the north side, and killing boars and bears as you go, after a little while you will see ruins to your north - head into them to discover the Hillshire Ruins and kill bears until you have looted 10 Bear-pelts.

9. Just west of the runs you'll reach Outlaw's Haven - run up the hill past the campfire with a couple of brigands  Kill them then continue up the path to   the west and kill Brunmor. Be aware that he will heal himself part way through to full health so the fight is longer than you first expect.

10. Exit the Outlaw's Camp and make your way back to Adso's Camp ensuring that you have collected 10 Boar-heads (there are plenty of boars to the north of the road if you sill need some). At the camp:

• Speak to Adso to turn in Payment in Full 
• Speak to Roger Hawkling to turn in A Matter of Feed and A Matter of Warmth and accept [17] Wolf-Pelts 
• Speak to Graham Larkspur (next to Roger) to accept [17] Search for Fresh Springs 
• Speak to Buckley Sheppard (just to the south)to accept [17] In The Shadow of Giants

The Old Forest (18-19)

1. Head South from Adso's Camp following the East Forest Road into the woods - follow the winding path south through ?? and the Creaking Vale kill Wolves and Creeping Oak Roots for Wolf-pelts and Tough vines.  Keep an eye out for Warped Oaks, they're signature mobs and will aggro when you kill Roots near to them - they do drop the Tough Vines though and have a deed associated with them so it's worth killing them if you can.

2. As you reach the edge of the Creaking vale you will see a tree in the middle of the path, look behind it to find Braiglad's Flower(32.1,58.4).

3. Turn west and follow the path to Tom Bombadil's House. Speak to Tom (who may be outside the house or inside it) and complete B1C8 Master of the Woods and accept [18] B1C9 Lilies for the River Daughter.

5. Head outside and follow the path down to the river and swim out to the west, collect 4 Lilies and retrace your steps to the house.

6. Turn in B1C9 Lilies for the River Daughter and accept [19]B1C10 Into the Barrow Downs.

7. Now retrace your steps back to Braiglad's flower and take the north west path out (away from the lake); if you still need any Wolf Pelts or Tough Vines kill wolves/oak roots on the way until you have them all.

8. You may encounter some spiders on the way out - there is a deed for killing them (Spider-slayer) so kill on sight if you want to advance this. When you arrive at the pool you will see a strange, beautiful woman - go talk to her and then pick up the bucket of spring water. You can't mount or fight with the bucket so just run all the way back to Adso's Camp - on the game map it looks like you can just run out of the forest to the north - you can't, there's a big bank here you can't climb (see blue line on my map). Instead follow the yellow path out and around the forest (don't worry about the timer you have plenty of time).

9. When you get back to Adso's Camp you will automatically deliver the water if you run up to Graham Larkspur.

• Speak to Graham to turn in Searching for Fresh Springs
• Speak to Rodger Hawkling to turn in Wolf-Pelts
• Speak to Buckley Sheppard to turn in In the Shadow of Giants

10. Travel back to Bree (milestone/pony route or just run it)

The Barrow Downs (19-20)

1. Head out of Bree through the west (northern) exit and follow the road until you reach ruins on the left, take the dirt path south into the mountains.  Stop to investigate the corpse of the Unfortunate Traveller and accept The Failed Delivery.

2. Continue into the Barrow Downs and run south- west across the downs and down the slope labelled To Old Forest. Just before the exit you will find the Old Forest Camp with lots of quests:

• Speak to Bob to turn in The Failed Delivery and accept [18]The Search for Lalia
• Speak to Sal Haywood to accept  [18]Carriers of Disease
• Speak to Tobold Leafcutter to accept  [18]The Dead Spire and [18]Digging in the Dirt
• Speak to Reginald Sickleweed to accept [18]Calming the Wake and [18]Howls that Shake the Spirit

3. Now head back up the Barrow Downs and run west until you find Lalia standing by a stone (31.1,55.6), kill everything you see on the way.

4. Talk to Lalia and accept Lalia's Safe Passage. Lalia will lead you on a merry trip around the downs and will absent-mindedly wander up to all manner of evil things.  Kill anything that looks interested in her and eventually she will recover her cloak, follow her a bit longer and kill her Wight Prince and finally follow her all the way  back to the Southern Bree Fields entrance when the escort quest will complete itself

If Lalia isn't where the quest marker says she is then someone else is escorting her - either wait at the quest location for her to return or go and do the next part of the guide and come back later.

5. Run back into the Barrow Downs and head south from the entrance to find Barrow of Tardan, the northern barrow, dig at the open entrance to the tomb (don't go inside the instance) to collect a lore-fragment

6. Run south again to find the Barrow of Ringdor, as before just dig at the entrance for the second lore-fragment

7. Run south once more, past a large standing stone, and down into a sunken barrow area, Barrow Orron,  is the first barrow on the right of the path - dig at the entrance for the third lore-fragment

8. From Barrow of Orron head west to the Dead Spire (see map) and pick up 3 Carved Stones from around the spire. This will check off "Find the Dead Spire" from The Barrow Downs Deed

9. Somewhere around the Dead Spire you should find a quest giver called the Wandering Shade who will give the quest A Ring Wandered Away, true to his name he wanders but he should usually be near the Dead Spire.  Once you get the quest rings will appear on the map - go to the one west of the Dead Spire and click the barrow door to trigger the quest. A signature mob appears so be ready for a fight.

10. Head south to find Andraste standing outside a ruined building surrounded with Craban Scots - the quest triggers when you get near and you have two waves of Crebain to fight and then Andraste herself.

11. Head back to the Dead Spire and turn in A Ring Wandered away to the Wandering Shade. Accept the follow up [19] Shield Brother

12. Finally, head back to the Old Forest Camp - ensure you have killed 24 rats/crawlers and 12 Barghests and then:

• Speak to Bob to turn in Lalia's Safe Passage
• To Sal Haywood Carriers of Disease, and accept [19] Fled to the South 
• Speak to Tobold Leafcutter to turn in The Dead Spire and Digging in the Dirt and accept [19] Treasures of Cardolan
• Speak to Reginald Sickleweed to turn in Calming the Wake and Howls that Shake the Spirit

13. Continue down the path and into Old Forest and return to Tom Bombadil to turn in B1C10 Into the Barrow Down.  Accept the follow up [21] B1C11 Othrongroth (note that this is quite achievable at lvl 19)

14. Talk to Tom again and travel to the instance, he will disappear but don't worry - just follow the map to the Great Barrow. Once inside kill baddies as they appear, just take it slow and replenish you health between fights if you need to.  Eventually you fight Sambrog the wight lord - despatch his two lackeys first then work on the boss - he'll heal himself twice but then Tom appears to save the day and you're done.

15. Exit the instance and speak to Tom to turn in B1C11 then accept [21] B1C12: The Black Rider's Designs.

16. Head back along the Old Barrows Road, through the camp and into the Barrow Downs, continue north until you find some old ruins, kill 6 wights and investigate the Ancient Chest.

17. Return to camp and speak to Tobold to turn in Treasures of Cardolan, only accept the follow up Collecting History if you plan to run the Great Barrow instance.

18. Return to the Dead Spire, find the wandering shade and turn in Shield Brother. Accept [20]Bone Man

The Southern Barrow-Downs (20)

1. Run east to the exit labelled "to Southern Bree Fields", just as you near the edge of the map you will reach Dead Man's Perch:

• Speak to Bob Redthistle to turn in Fled to the South and accept [21] From Death, Comes Life, [21] At the Forest Edge and [21] Unfortunate Harvest. If you plan to run Great Barrow take [24] Purging the Dead, if not then leave it.
• Speak to Edith Sweetrose to accept [20]Bounty: Barghest Eyes, [20]Bounty: Cardolan Relics and [20] Bounty: Wight Skills
• Speak to Addie Wheatly to accept [20] Addie's Missing Sons

2. Exit the camp the way you came in and bear left (south) up the hill to get into South Barrow Downs. At the top of the hill on the left there is a small ruined gateway - kill the nearby wights and investigate the corpse of Amlach Wheatly.

3. Return to Dead Man's Perch and give talk to Addie to complete Addie's Missing Sons. Accept the follow up [20] Find Malin

4. Return up the path into the Southern Barrow Downs, past to the ruins where you found Amlach and down the hill and head south west towards the marker for Find Malin. Clear the wights out and then examine Malin's Corpse, outside a small barrow (35.3,55.5) (If he isn't there then someone's just killed him - wait a minute and his Corpse will respawn)

5. Head south from Malin's Corpse and roam the southern end of the map killing (signature) Dreadful or Wretched Barrow Maples (until you have 8 seeds - about 10-12 trees) and bears (8) and large barrow crawlers (24).

6. Exit to the north west and approach the ruins, there are some stairs on the west hand side, go up them and left and you will see the Bone Man.  Kill him then exit north.

Run back north killing mobs until you have completed the 3 Bounty quests and then return to  Dead Man's Perch and:

• Talk to Addie and turn in Find Malin.
• Talk to Bob and turn in From Death Comes Life, At the Forests Edge and Unfortunate Harvest
• Talk to Edity Sweetrose and turn in the 3 bounty quests. They are repeatable so accept them again. Also accept [20]One Last Chance.

7. Run all the way back south to the ruins where you killed the Bone Man, enter the ruins from the north and stay on the grassy area between the ruined walls, at the end is a lake with a circular island -kill the Wight Lord of Cardolan

8. Return north to through the Southern Barrow-Downs ensuring you have completed the 3 bounty quests, also check you progress on the deed Lore of the Cardolan Prince - it's worth finishing and the pages drop randomly from all mobs in the Southern Barrow Downs - kill everything you see til you're done.

If you're planning to run the instance Great Barrow stop by the entrance and accept Heading West from Ardia - skip this if you're not interested in GB.

9. Return to Dead Mans Perch and speak to Addie to turn in One Last Chance and Edith to turn in the Bounty quests.

10. Leave Dead Man's Perch and turn right (north) into the north barrow downs, run to the Southern Bree Fields exit stopping at Dead Spire on your way to turn in Bone Man to the Wandering Shade, accept the follow up [21]Rest, My Brother

11. Return to Bree and head towards the Southern entrance and take the last road on the right (past the auction house)e - speak to the Lost Shade (who wanders) or use the Shade's Tomb to  turn in Rest my Brother .   Head back to the South Gate and check your mail - there is post from the mayor, open it and detach the Letter from Mayor Tenderlarch read it to  and accept [21]Graeme's Thanks.  Run north to the mayors house and turn in Graeme's Thanks and From the Shire to Bree-Town

12. Take the opportunity to train/bank etc then visit the Prancing Pony. Go to Strider's room then follow the quest prompts around the pub until you can complete Chapter 12.  This is the end of Book 1.

Moving On

It's time to continue the adventure in Book 2 as we move into the Lone Lands