Critters Journey [45] Speed buffs and evade bonus for Forodwaith

Esnowy-fangorn-forochel-2verwhite was as much suprised by someone to talk to as Squirle about a Huorn this far up north. Everwhite tells of tales about the great Forochel forest. But with the Big winter incoming most of them seemed to have moved further south. All the tall huorns have slowly fallen into a a deep slumber trying to preserve energy leaving Everwhite and friends to fend for their own. As the ages progressed the forest have shrunken and split up the forests that remained.

Stories of Fangorn and the warm south. And that the threat of angmarim, orcs and other evil in forochel is just a tip of the several icebergs there. Everwhite decided to join squirle on his journey to gather forces for the upcoming battle that would surely follow.  But first he’s going to visit kinmates in Fangorn. But Squirle has other pressing matters. The old Forodwaith tunnel should help Everwhite evade most inhabited area’s till Fangorn. Squirle himself isnt fast enough to make it past the ancient evil that nested there.

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Pineleaf’s Pictorial Primer to Skirmishing: The Icy Crevasse

The Icy Crevasse Opening

Welcome back to the second edition of Pineleaf’s Pictorial Primer to Skirmishing. In this series, we will look at each of the skirmishes in The Lord of the Rings Online. In this installment, we will don our winter gear and brave The Icy Crevasse
The Icy Crevasse Opening
This edition updates the information up to Update 17 (the original version was posted on CSTM back when the level cap was still at 65). You can download the PDF here.

 

Let’s warm up and put the enemy on ice.

 

Skirmish Responsibly,

Pineleaf Needles

Forgotten LOTRO Lore: The Battle of Forochel

lore_forochel_cp1Within the world of LOTRO, the ice bay of Forochel is unique. When it was first added in April 2008, the region represented a solo-friendly area for acquiring end game loot and weapons prior to the launch of Moria.(1) With subsequent expansions, the region has suffered very much the same fate as the Misty Mountains, becoming a region that while once representing the most difficult content in Middle-earth, has now become a place the majority of players skip for newer and more interesting regions.(2)(3) Despite this, Forochel contains a number of features not seen elsewhere in the game which helps to develop the story of the region:

  • An extra tier of reputation with the Lossoth, reflecting their wariness of outsiders(4)
  • Cold-themed buffs which make you receive more Frost damage unless you warm yourself near a fire(5)
  • Majestic northern lights which fill the sky with colour(6), and
  • No wood resource nodes to reflect the barren and lifeless landscape.(7)

In addition to these, Forochel has another unique feature: control points.

Scattered across the landscape, these four control points are closely guarded by a large number of enemy mobs. If you manage to clear a camp out, two Lossoth quest givers will appears with repeatable quests to help you achieve Kindred with the faction, a difficult talk given that you need to achieve an extra tier of reputation above other factions. In total, eight quest givens can be unlocked across the four camps. While control points have appeared previously in LOTRO, most famously in Evendim, this is the first time quests and reputation have been rewarded directly by controlling them.

The control points are also linked to the Battle of Forochel deed, which is completed by visiting each control point.(8)

lore_forochel_cp2The control points are off the beaten track, and can be difficult to find until you know where to look. A map of their locations can be found here, and their co-ordinates in game are as follows(9)

  • Hylje-leiri (“Seal camp”) – 18.8N, 81.3W
  • Karhu-leiri (“Bear camp”) – 12.9N, 66.3W
  • Pynti-leiri (“Hunting camp”) – 8.8N, 70.5W
  • Norsu-leiri (“Elephant camp”) – 8.0N, 78.9W

The name of each camp can be translated from Finnish, a language of which Tolkien was a huge fan.(10) I’ve included the translations above.

Once inside the camp you will need to quickly eliminate all enemy mobs in order for the quest givers to appear. The enemies have a very fast respawn rate, and some are Signature tier mobs, making this task difficult for non-DPS classes. Personally I have always found Norsu-leiri the easiest to unlock. A red symbol will appear on your mini-radar when the enemy control the camp, which will turn blue once you have taken control and unlocked the quest givers.

Have you ever managed to capture the Forochel control points? What tips would you give other players?