In a broad, open field in Hobbiton, not far from Bag End, there stands a majestic tree, taller than any within sight for miles. The Party Tree, as it is called by the Hobbits, is a gathering place for merriment, eating, and storytelling, where all Shire-folk are warmly welcomed. It was here that Bilbo Baggins celebrated his magnificent birthday (his eleventy-first), and it was from this location that some say he simply vanished from sight forever. Few are certain of the Tree’s origins, and even fewer actually give its history a second thought. The Party Tree is decorated year-round with bright lanterns and yards of colourful woven streamers, for it seems logical to all Hobbits that a decorated tree is reason enough for a celebration — why risk missing the opportunity for a feast by bringing down the festive arrangements? Besides, it’s far too tall these days for Hobbits to reach the limbs, even if one had a mind to.

The Party Tree, as readers of The Lord of the Rings well know, is one of the first locations described in The Fellowship of the Ring and one of the best known landmarks in the Shire. Towering over the surrounding field and offering a nice shady place to meet friends, exchange stories, and trade goods, The Party Tree is a landmark that players are able to see from great distances and is designed to be an important social center for the Shire.

While on the surface, Michel Delving seems little different than any other village in the Westfarthing, it is in truth the urban center of the Shire. Farming and agriculture give way to skilled trades, politics, and the latest gossip from the furthest corners of the Four Farthings. Whether a hobbit is looking for a new ploughshare or the rumor of the day, Michel Delving is the center of activity.

Michel Delving is home to Town Hole, the mayoral seat of Will “Flourdumpling” Whitfoot, the topic of most of the political talk, local gossip, and jeers and jibes of the village. The chief Shirriff-house and offices of the Bounders are also located here, as well as the central offices of the Shire’s postal service. One of the most popular attractions in Michel Delving is the Mathom-house, where relics of Shire-history, including the legendary club of Bandobras “Bullroarer” Took, hero of the Battle of Greenfields, reside.

While Michel Delving is only briefly seen in Professor Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, specifically the old storage tunnels converted to the Lockholes by Sharkey’s Men, it is a familiar location from the book. Town Hole plays a prominent role in the tale of how Will Whitfoot gained his nickname, and the Mathom-house is mentioned as the place where Bilbo Baggins’ old Elf-knife Sting and his mithril shirt had long been on display. In The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, players will be able to interact with characters from the book, like Mayor Whitfoot, and visit many prominent landmarks, such as the Mathom-house.

Weary adventurers in the Shire looking for a bit of rest and a tale or two amongst friends would do well to make their way to The Green Dragon Inn in Bywater. This local favorite is well-known for its friendly atmosphere, not to mention the tales of events both far and near, some of which are as large as the great room of The Dragon itself, if the truth of it be told. Located near the tranquil Bywater Pool in the village that proudly shares the Bywater name, The Green Dragon Inn welcomes all, so long as they come with a story to tell.

The Green Dragon Inn stands near the center of the Shire, just to the south and east of Hobbiton, and near to the Great East Road. Despite the growing shadows in Angmar to the north and Mordor in the east, The Green Dragon Inn remains one of the Shire’s most pleasant places to rest and learn of the goings-on in and around the Shire. Constructed with a broad great room to accommodate a large number of travellers, adventurers and storytellers, The Green Dragon is as the place to go for the latest news (and gossip, of course), as well as a destination to meet with potential allies and strike out on quests into the wild areas beyond the relative safety of the Shire, as Bilbo Baggins did with the company of Dwarves from this very inn so long ago. 

The Great Smials, or the Great Place of the Tooks, were excavated in Tuckborough by Isengrim II, the tenth Thain of the Shire and grandfather of the famous Bandobras “Bullroarer” Took. A great family hole akin to the Brandybucks’ Brandy Hall, the Great Smials are deep and many-tunnelled. They were not only designed to provide a home for many generations of Tooks, but also to defend against incursion in dark times.

Though the Shire has existed in peace and harmony for many long years, trouble stirs upon its borders, ever so slowly encroaching on the rustic lives of the hobbits who dwell there. Black Riders seeking a hobbit named Baggins have swept through the land, and ruffians in the employ of the mysterious brigand leader “Sharkey” begin to appear. Even some hobbits rally to Sharkey’s cause in the name of bettering the Shire. The Great Smials may soon be forced to become a fortress; a bastion of war as the Shadow draws across Middle-earth.

While the Shire is only beginning to be touched by the turmoil beyond its borders, the Tooks of the Great Smials are among the staunchest and most adventurous of hobbits and stand against the threat of Sharkey’s Men.

The Great Smials are only one of many prominent landmarks from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings that will play an important part in The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar.

In Buckland, not far to the north of Brandy Hall in the hills rising away from the path of the Brandywine, travelers will come upon Crickhollow, an often-visited retreat for those Hobbits who wish to spend a few days away from their daily routine, or simply rest and eat more peacefully than they are used to resting and eating at home. Those who live near Crickhollow are pleasant enough folk, though generally they like to be left alone to their peace and quiet.

Many of the old-timers in the area tell stories of travelers who have ventured beyond the High Hay and into the Old Forest beyond, many of whom never returned to tell the conclusion of their tales. In these days of the growing darkness in the north, many indeed have been the strangers who have ridden into the region to ask questions, though none can, or will, say what specifically these dark figures pursue.

Crickhollow plays a significant role early in the journey of Frodo Baggins and his companions in The Lord of the Rings. It is here that Frodo buys his house after leaving Bag End, not with the intention to stay in Crickhollow, but with the goal of diverting would-be pursuers from his trail. Adventurers familiar with the tale will no doubt want to seek out Frodo’s home, though the locals may tell the travelers that, although the home of Mr. Baggins is filled with his many possessions, he has not been seen in these parts since the day he first arrived. Most doubt he has closed himself in his new residence and believe he has gone off on some personal quest, perhaps to locate his old uncle Bilbo who disappeared so many years ago.

The village of Bywater is located In the Westfarthing of the Shire. As its name suggests, it lies along the banks of the Bywater Pool, a widening of the river Water. This river runs from the North Moors, through nearby Hobbiton to the northwest, and on through Bywater to eventually join the Brandywine to the east. A tranquil village, Bywater is perhaps best known for The Green Dragon Inn, a friendly place renowned for great drink, local gossip, and lively conversations with folks from around the Shire. Bywater’s post office is one of the busiest in the region, Hobbits being quite fond of sending presents to one another for birthdays, holidays, or just about any other time that seems fit for gift-giving or celebration – which is most days on the calendar.

Bywater is mentioned in the pages of both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Working from these brief descriptions, the Turbine development team set out to bring life to this lesser-known region of the Shire by creating dwellings and social areas in a style similar to that found in Hobbiton and other nearby areas, while adding elements unique to a region so close to the water’s edge. The land of Bywater has been designed with a great deal of greenery, including gardens, trees, finely tended lawns, and other areas of natural beauty and color. Surely this will be a pleasant place to explore and spend time with friends, before heading off into the dangers that await in regions just beyond the boundaries of the Shire.

In the Eastfarthing of the Shire, adventurers will discover the River Baranduin, commonly referred to as the “Brandywine” by Hobbit-folk, flowing out from the Hills of Evendim far to the north. One of the often-used crossings of this large and slow-moving river is The Bucklebury Ferry, located in the eastern lands of the Shire, connecting The Marish on the western banks to Buckland on the eastern side. The Bucklebury Ferry is a simple arrangement of wooden landings (one on either side) and a small boat running between the two. In these dark days, however, the boat has gone missing, perhaps pulled from the water to protect against intruders, or simply abandoned to drift down the Brandywine to places unknown. Travelers in this land may need to find a more suitable place to ford the broad waters or consider heading to the Brandywine Bridge (also known as the Bridge of Stonebows), not far upriver to the north.

Designing the Bucklebury Ferry and other familiar landmarks along Frodo’s journey is one of the most exciting, and daunting, challenges for the Turbine design team. Following the path of the hobbits out of the Shire, and indeed the entire route of the Fellowship of the Ring, will no doubt be a fan-favorite in LOTRO, so special care has been taken to ensure accuracy at every step along the way. From the whitewashed stones lining the road leading to the Ferry, to the twinkling lights of Brandy Hall on the far banks, this crossing, from the initial conceptual drawings, through to its final modeling in 3D for the game, has been designed to be as true as possible to the location as described in the source material. Players may want to follow the lead of Frodo and his companions and remember that this location provides an excellent opportunity to leave pursuing Black Riders behind.

The Bridge of Stonebows, as the Brandywine Bridge was once called, was built originally by the Men of Arnor as a causeway across the Barandúin River on the Great East Road. When the founders of the Shire were granted their land by the king of Arthedain, the price was simple: to maintain and care for the Bridge so that travel into the West would never be impeded. The Hobbits of the Shire performed their duty, even long after the North-kingdom failed, and maintained the great stone bridge, denying none passage, Man, Elf, or Dwarf. Though the river’s name was changed to the Brandywine and the bridge itself became the Brandywine Bridge, the Hobbits of the Shire continue to care for and keep watch on the Bridge.

As trouble brews in the Shire, gates with locks are installed into the great archways and Shirriffs posted at either end. While the Shire-folk have always been distrustful of “Outsiders,” the increased traffic of rough Men and other folk have forced them to be on guard against encroaching dangers from beyond their borders. Fortunately, the trouble the Land of the Halflings has seen thus far is but a trifle in comparison to the shadows growing outside.

The Brandywine Bridge is a prominent landmark of the Shire drawn straight from the pages of The Lord of the Rings. It is the means by which the Ringwraiths leave the Shire to assault Frodo Baggins’ home at Crickhollow in Buckland, and it is where Frodo and his companions are “arrested” by Shirriffs at the command of the mysterious Sharkey as they return from the Quest of the Ring. It is certain that famous landmarks such as this will play a major role in LOTRO as The Shadows of Angmar unfold.

Bamfurlong is the home of old Farmer Maggot, one of the most respected – though unusual – inhabitants of the Eastfarthing in the Shire. Maggot’s sprawling and fertile farm is located in the Marish, an area known for its bogs and marshes, to which Maggot owes much of his success in farming (particularly of that delicacy adored by all hobbits: Mushrooms!).

Above the lane known as Bagshot Row in Hobbiton, adventurers will find the former dwelling of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, known as Bag End. An unassuming Hobbit hole, if slightly better appointed than most, Bag End is a series of rooms and corridors build into Hobbiton Hill and entered through a simple, circular wooden door. However, it is not so much the dwelling itself that is of such great interest, but the tales of its inhabitants and what occurred within that are the makings of many a Hobbit legend. This is the gathering place of Thorin and Company, the dwarves that adventured to Lonely Mountain to slay the dragon Smaug and reclaim their ancestral home beneath Erebor. It is said that Bilbo Baggins himself went along on that journey and brought back untold riches from the dragon’s hoard, but few believe that the treasure actually exists (and even fewer believe that old Bilbo had a hand in the slaying of anything, much less a dragon). The Wizard Gandalf was often seen entering Bag End to visit Bilbo, and later his cousin and heir Frodo, but on what business, none could say. With Frodo now moved to Buckland, to live amongst his Brandybuck relations, Lobelia and Lotho Sackville-Baggins – as unpleasant a couple of Hobbits as you are likely to meet – now live within. The once well-tended gardens and warm lights of Bag End are not as merry as they once were; yet the dwelling remains a favoured topic amongst the Hobbits of the Shire and probably will for generations to come.

Of the Shire landmarks likely to be visited first by players of The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, the home of Bilbo and Frodo is likely one of the foremost. Much was written about the dwelling and the surrounding garden, hills and countryside in Professor Tolkien’s works (including both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit), so great care was taken to thoroughly research the source material and existing maps when conceptualizing Bilbo’s home, and then modelling it for the game. No doubt players will want to pay a visit to this particular Hobbit hole, but as the days since Frodo’s departure grow darker, adventurers can expect a far different welcome from the less trustworthy, and certainly less friendly, residents that now call Bag End home.