Helm’s Deep – West Rohan Summary

 

Along with the recently announced release date and pre-orders for Helm’s Deep, Turbine also created a new page giving teasing snippets of various aspects of the upcoming expansion.

For this article we will be looking at the different regions of West Rohan.

 

Broadacres

GEOGRAPHY
A flat and fertile land of rich soil and swaying, grey-green grass, growing so high in places that it reaches the knees of a man on horseback. The land is among the least rocky in the Mark, and while a few chestnuts and elms dot the landscape, most of it is treeless.
LORE
Reeve Fríthild is the sole woman to rule a Riding in the Mark. A shield-maiden by birth and training, she was the only child of the former knight, Fríthgist, who raised her like a son. When Éowyn visited Edoras as a child, Fríthild treated her like a foster-sister. Ever since, Éowyn has wanted to follow her footsteps and wield a sword in battle.

 

Stonedeans

GEOGRAPHY
A region among the foothills of the Misty Mountains, the Stonedeans consists of crags, broken stones, tall oaks and firs, and rushing rivers. A source of many of the metals worked by the Rohirrim, particularly iron mined from the low mountains that surround Nan Curunír.
LORE
By no coincidence is this Riding the most similar to Dunland. Historically poor and uncivilized, compared with the remainder of the Westemnet, the Stonedeans have seen many marriages between Eorlingas the Dunlendings. Rohirrim from more prosperous lands even call it “Deanland” in jest.

 

Kingstead

GEOGRAPHY
Kingstead, royal Riding of the Mark, is among the most fertile and pleasant of all Rohan’s provinces. Stretches of rich green grassland and farms are scattered between the rivers Snowbourn and Swiftwater, where the land grows damp and marshy, dotted with willow trees.
LORE
Behind Edoras, deep into the White Mountains, lies the valley of Harrowdale, once plagued by Orcs that were wiped out over a century ago by King Folca the Hunter. Some whisper, however, that not all the Orcs were slain, and that some are biding their time, waiting for a chance to exact vengeance upon the Mark.

 

Westfold

GEOGRAPHY
Rocky meadows dotted by elms and alders, many chopped and hewn by raiders, the Westfold is cut by the rushing river of Swiftwater. Three other rivers, the Deeping-stream, the Grimbrook, and the Woodwell, flow from the White Mountains, their banks peppered with stony outcroppings.
LORE
Helm’s Deep is protected by a raised and semi-fortified earthwork known as Helm’s Dike and the ancient Númenórean keep, the Hornburg. Beyond the Hornburg, the mighty Deeping-wall shelters the rest of the valley. The Deeping-stream runs through the wall’s base.

 

Eastfold

GEOGRAPHY
Eastfold’s lands divide into three areas: the Folde, the Fenmarch, and the Everholt. The Folde is rich farmland that has long served the realm. The Fenmarch blooms with wildflowers, tussocks, reeds. Everholt is an old oak forest and royal hunting ground running uphill to the White Mountains.
LORE
Home of Éomer, Third Marshal of the Riddermark, Eastfold is among the oldest Ridings in the Mark; it was the seat of Eorl the Young when he first became King. The capital moved to Edoras during the reign of his son Brego, but the Eastfold remains the site of many important moments of Rohan’s history.

 

Just looking at the screenshots here I can tell that from a landscape point of view, West Rohan is going to be amazing. I like that each area seems to have its own story and uniqueness in its appearance. Hopefully this is done as seamless as possible like East Rohan was, as Mirkwood and Enedwaith tended to be quite obvious when transitioning.

To be honest this aspect is what I was looking forward to most, and I don’t think I am going to be disappointed.