The Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood
Encyclopedia
The Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood is the second retail expansion pack
Expansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game...

 for the MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....

 The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar
The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar
The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game for Microsoft Windows set in a fantasy universe based upon J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings...

 and was released on December 1, 2009 in North America and December 3, 2009 in Europe. Unlike the first expansion this edition was only available via a web based download.

The expansion added the southern region of Mirkwood
Mirkwood
Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. In the First Age, the highlands of Dorthonion north of Beleriand were known as Mirkwood after falling under Morgoth's control. During the Third Age, the large forest in Rhovanion, east of the Anduin in ...

. The game's level cap has been increased to level 65, and the expansion included the conclusion to Volume II of the epic
Epic poetry
An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form...

 storyline. It also introduced a new "skirmish" system that allows for repeatable, randomised and scalable combat based instances that can be accessed from anywhere in the game world for 1, 3, 6 and 12 players and new 3, 6 and 12 player private instances that take place in Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur was Sauron's stronghold in Mirkwood in the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. It is first mentioned in The Hobbit. The hill itself, rocky and barren, was the highest point in the southwestern part of the forest. Before Sauron's occupation it was called Amon Lanc...

 proper.

Skirmish

Skirmishes are repeatable, randomized and scalable combat based instances that can be accessed from anywhere in the game world for 1, 3, 6 and 12 players. Along side the player fights a customizable soldier, a pet NPC which can be customized to resemble many in-game player classes. Several Skirmish Camps have been added worldwide that allow a player to buy weapons, equipment and upgrades for their soldier earned through points awarded during Skirmishes.

Storyline

Upon release Siege of Mirkwood concluded the Mines of Moria story, the second of the Epic books overall. The third Epic story line, Allies of the King, launched shortly afterwards and focused on the Grey Company, being completely unrelated to Mirkwood.

Volume III: Allies of the King

Book 1 - Oath of the Rangers

Elrond
Elrond
Elrond Half-elven is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Hobbit, and plays a supporting role in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.-Character overview:...

 received a mysterious message from Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....

, telling him to gather the Rangers of the North
Rangers of the North
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Rangers of the North, also known as the Dúnedain of the North, were the descendants of the Dúnedain from the lost kingdom of Arnor...

 and send them to Rohan
Rohan
Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....

 to help Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...

. The player is summoned to the Last Homely House and given a list of Rangers to recruit: Radanir of the Trollshaws, Candaith of Weathertop
Weathertop
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, Weathertop is a hill in the Eriador region of Middle-earth, the southernmost and highest summit of the Weather Hills...

, Saeradan of Bree-Land, Halros of the Shire
Shire
A shire is a traditional term for a division of land, found in the United Kingdom and in Australia. In parts of Australia, a shire is an administrative unit, but it is not synonymous with "county" there, which is a land registration unit. Individually, or as a suffix in Scotland and in the far...

, Halbarad
Halbarad
Halbarad is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.Halbarad was a Ranger of the North. He was the second in command of the Dúnedain behind Aragorn and also the leader of the Grey Company. Halbarad was among the Rangers who guarded the Shire. He said of the Hobbits "A...

 from Esteldin, Calenglad from Evendim, Lothrandir from Forochel and finally Corunir and Golodir from Angmar
Angmar
Angmar is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's continent of Middle-earth.-Synopsis:Angmar was founded in in the far north of the Misty Mountains by the evil Lord of the Ringwraiths, who became known as the "Witch-king of Angmar"...

. With the exception of Radanir, all Rangers are the ones player have interacted with during Epic Volume I. Joined by others of their kin, they form the Grey Company and meet Elrohir, Elladan and Lady Arwen
Arwen
Arwen Undómiel is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium. She appears in his novel, The Lord of the Rings, usually published in three volumes. Arwen is one of the Half-elven who lived during the Third Age.-Literature:...

, who passes Halbarad the banner she has made for Aragorn.

Book 2 - Ride of the Grey Company

Setting forth from Rivendell, the Grey Company begins the journey south. While passing the Ring-Forges of Eregion
Eregion
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Eregion or Hollin was a kingdom of the Noldorin Elves in Eriador during the Second Age, located near the West Gate of Moria under the shadow of the Hithaeglir . Its capital was Ost-in-Edhil...

, Halbarad asks a Dwarf-Jeweler to craft fake copies of the Ring of Barahir, in order to confuse their enemies and buy Aragorn time, should a member Grey Company be captured. Arriving in the lands of Enedwaith, the Rangers are trying to make peace with the local tribes and eventually discover an old and confused Dwarf
Dwarf (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting the world of Arda, a fictional prehistoric Earth which includes the continent Middle-earth....

 Nár
NAR
-Places:* Nar Jaffar Khan, a town and union council in Bannu District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan* Nar, Nepal, a village development committee in Manang District in the Gandaki Zone of northern Nepal...

, father of Ollfardh and one-time companion of Thrór. To everyone's amazement, he knows about the secret road the Company is planning to take. A man of Dunland named Wadu offers his help to the Grey Company, yet is soon found dead. Upon delivering news to his relatives, the player learns that Wadu saw to earn honor in the eyes of his father, who viewed him weak and his sister, Nona, as more of a warrior than her brother ever was.

Book 3 - Echoes of the Dead

Wadu's family learns that before his death he accomplished an act of great honor by slaying a Gwiber-Drake, which no Dunlending could do alone. His father is ashamed and his sister offers to join Grey Company to wage war against Saruman, to which Halbarad absolutely refuses. While investigating who can be trusted and who can't, the Rangers receive word that of a band of Oathbreakers from Erech in Enedwaith. An attempt to remind them of their Oath to Isildur
Isildur
Isildur is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the author's books The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....

 fails horribly when Candaith is killed. Halbarad wants to have nothing more to do with this land and leads the company on to Dunland, but as the player leaves Nár, the Dwarf reveals that Saruman the White had a hand in these events all along.

The Epic story continues with the Rise of Isengard expansion - following Siege of Mirkwood there is no longer direct correlation between expansions and Epic Volumes.

Book 4 - Rise of Isengard

Passing into the lands of Dunland, the Rangers investigate the loyalties of the local tribes of Dunlendings. Some are fiercely loyal to Saruman, other openly oppose him and many have not yet been convinced to do either. The Falcon-clan of Tur Morva village offers the Rangers shelter in exchange for their help against Saruman. The Rangers busy themselves with preparations for war while the player is send to scout the rest of Dunland. Finding a surprise ally in Nona, who insists that she does not need Halbarad's permission to travel over her own land, the player and the Rangers come into first contact with Rohirrim. Riders led by Grimbold
Grimbold
Grimbold of Grimslade is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Two Towers and The Return of the King, the second and third volumes of the fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings as originally published...

 hold the Fords of Isen
Fords of Isen
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Fords of Isen were fords in the river Isen, guarded by the Rohirrim. As the only crossing of the Isen into Rohan, they were of enormous strategic importance....

 against inevitable assault, while Théodred
Théodred
Théodred is a fictional character in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. He is the only son and heir of King Théoden of Rohan.His mother, Elfhild, died in childbirth. Théodred grew up together with his cousin Éomer...

, son of Kind Theoden
Théoden
Théoden is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel, The Lord of the Rings. He appears as a major supporting character in The Two Towers and The Return of the King.-Appearances:...

, leads a smaller scouting party into the lands of the Dunlendings, who have been sworn enemies of Rohan
Rohan
Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....

 for centuries. Returning to village of Tur Morva, the player finds a betrayal waiting for them: the clan decided that more is to be gained by siding with Saruman than by opposing him. Grey Company is caught unprepared, many Rangers are killed and the rest captured. The player and Ranger Lothrandir are send directly to Isengard as a gift to Saruman. Separated from the Ranger, the player is send working into the pits, observed by merciless Uruks. Using the dislike of Uruks for each other, the player fakes a total submission and is eventually allowed more freedom, as none believes him able to escape any longer. The player finds other prisoners, among them captured Rohirrim and Dunlendings - sworn enemies once, both find something in common after been made slaves to Saruman. Staging a diversion and freeing many prisoners at once, the player is able to sneak past confusion and escape Isengard. Théodred offers Rangers Saeradan and Radanir help in rescuing their captive friends and avenging the betrayal. The player and Rohirrim storm the village of traitors and rescue many Rangers, including Halbarad and the sons of Elrond
Elrond
Elrond Half-elven is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Hobbit, and plays a supporting role in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.-Character overview:...

. Yet they are still outnumbered - the leader of the traitorous clan gloats over Ranger's weaknesses and allows them to leave, telling them to spread the tale of how the Falcon-clan beat them. Of almost 60 named Rangers barely 30 made it out alive: Halbarad takes an oath to avenge the traitors and proclaims himself in eternal debt to Théodred, before planning the next move.

Free Updates

Like Shadows of Angmar and Mines of Moria
The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria
The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria is the first retail expansion pack for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar released on November 18, 2008. It was announced on March 14, 2008 at ....

, Siege of Mirkwood continues to regularly release updates. It was announced that future updates will not always be associated with a new book to the epic story.

Book 1: Oath of the Rangers

Book 1 was released on March 1, 2010.

Updates include (complete release notes):
  • The beginning of Volume III in the epic story line.
  • The ability to solo the Volume I epic story line.
  • A duo mode for most skirmishes.
  • Crafting updates.

Book 2: Ride of the Grey Company

Book 2 was released on September 10, 2010 in North America. (September 8, 2010 for subscribers). It was delayed in Europe, due to contractual reasons. It was released in Europe on the 2nd of November.

Updates include (complete release notes):
  • New region: Enedwaith
  • Lord of the Rings Online Free to Play subscription
  • Book 2 in the Volume III epic storyline
  • Scalable instances
  • Improvements to the vault, and a new wardrobe system for cosmetic items
  • Updates to the captain class
  • The LOTRO store, where players may purchase convenience items. Points either earned through gameplay, through the VIP program or by being purchased.
  • The introduction of Lua Scripting
  • DirectX 11 support

Update 1: Journey to Winter-Home

The first post Free-to-play update was released in the United States on the 29th of November 2010. It was released in Europe on the 7th of December 2010. Due to changes to how updates are scheduled this will not contain an update to the epic book.

Updates include (complete release notes):
  • A Barter Wallet for skirmish marks and anniversary tokens
  • Opening of Moria, Lothlórien, Mirkwood and Enedwaith to free-to-play players, Volume II and Volume III will also be available, as well the legendary item system, and the lvl 65 level cap all to free-to-play players.
  • Vault improvements
  • Tasks: a new quest type for all levels
  • Improved reputation mounts
  • Updates to the Lore-Master, and Rune-Keeper classes
  • Ered Luin starting area revamp
  • The Yule festival, including a mini zone, Winter-Home

Update 2: Echoes of the Dead

Echoes of the Dead was released on March 21 in the United States and on March 24 in Europe.

Updates include (complete release notes):
  • Two three man's, two six man's instances, and a 12 person raid, were added for level 65 players
  • A special item required to craft a first age Weapon which drops from the above raid.
  • Radiance was removed.
  • Legendary Items got the first part of a two part update.
  • Character panel and cosmetic system revamp
  • Minstrel, hunter and Burglar updates
  • Volume III Book 3 was added.
  • Volume II was revamped and made soloable, including three instances which have now been converted to skirmishes.
  • Improvements to the PvP starter tutorial.
  • Evendim was revamped, with Annuminas being scaled down to level 40

Update 3: Lost Legends of Eriador

Update 3 was released on May 23.

Updates include (complete release notes):
  • Two new three-man scalable instances starting mid-game
  • Two new skirmishes

New Areas

The Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood expanded the world of Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....

 by adding southern Mirkwood and Book 2 added the region of Enedwaith.

Southern Mirkwood

  • Ost Galadh: The base of operations for the Elves
    Elf (Middle-earth)
    In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...

     of Lórien.
  • Dol Guldur: The ancient stronghold of Sauron
    Sauron
    Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...

    .
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