The Lie of the Lone-lands

Ruins of the Lost Realm is the first supplement for The One Ring: Roleplaying in the World of Lord of the Rings, which opens up new sites and new plots beyond those in both the core book and The One Ring Starter Set. It ranges far and wide beyond the borders of the sleepy Shire across what was once the great kingdom of Arnor, first split petty feuds and then destroyed by the forces of the Witch-King of Angmar. What remains are long stretches of wilderness and dark lands, punctuated by places and sites where hope may yet lie, darkness and remnants of Shadow hide, and plots await their turning and eventual culmination at the hand of factions that reach out from beyond the very borders of this land. The locations include Tharbad, a ruined river port ruled with the tightest of fists which could become an important trade stop and so help bind the peoples of the north and south together or it could become a path for the Shadow to reach into the region. Swanfleet, a refuge fiercely protected by its inhabitants, which include giant swans and talking otters—the latter prepared to act as a guide for a price, their payment saved in a riverbank!—hides secrets and great knowledge, which could prove useful or be lost. Eryn Vorn, one of the last remnants of the great forests which stretched across Middle-earth, including The Old Forest and Fangorn, inhabited by bloodthirsty savages which could be unleashed upon the region if they fall under the sway of certain factions. This is the land known as Eriador, a land rougher and wilder than Rhovanion, the region to the east of the Misty Mountains, for here in the Lone-lands there are few if any kingdoms, only isolated points of hope, let alone civilisation.

Ruins of the Lost Realm is a regional guide to the lands of southern Eriador, casting a spotlight on particular locations, important individuals at each, and the grand plots that will play out and befall the region if nothing is done to stop them. It does not include any pre-written scenarios as such, but throughout there are numerous plots, both immediate and long term, that the Loremaster can use and develop for her campaign. In two instances, the city of Tharbad and the village of Lond Daer downstream from the river port, this has required some looser interpretation of the source texts for the region, primarily for playability, but the authors are upfront about it and advise that the Loremaster can change it to fit her interpretation. The book itself is divided into three quite lengthy chapters.

‘Chapter 1: Fog Over Eriador’ explores some of the key regions and persons of note, primarily to the south of Bree. Particular attention is paid to the once great river port of Tharbad, noted for the ships it once built and the mighty bridge, with its numerous arches and towers, which once crossed the river the city stands on, but is now stands ruined. Tharbad though, remains an important trade stop on the road, and could be a significant one if its lord, Gurnow, Captain of the Haven has his way. A former bandit, he rules with an iron fist, taxing anyone who wishes to leave, especially if a craftsman or merchant who can bring Tharbad wealth. There is a seedy criminality to the city, but also a sense of desperation too. Gurnow has no designated heir, his thuggish sons ready to send the city into civil war should he die. However, there are allies for the Player-heroes to be found, including a librarian with access to great deal of lore who could become a Patron, plus, numerous factions outside the region have taken an interest in events in the city.

Other factions and regions detailed here include the aforementioned Swanfleet and Eryn Vorn, but also Lond Daer, a village downstream from Tharbad which following her slaying the serpent which threatened it, is becoming a town under Queen Nimue, aided by the occasional guidance of the Grey Wizard himself, Gandalf; the Dwarf Halls of Harmelt, ancient mines in the Blue Mountains, where a desperate band of Dwarves dig in order to prove that the gold in the mines has not played out and their wealth and standing has not been lost; and also the Ruins of Cardolan and the Lone-lands of Minhiriath. These last two are overviews, first of what remains of the last kingdom of the Núménoreans—mostly their watch towers like that at Weathertop, and the second, the seemingly empty lands of what was once Arnor. However, it is the city of Tharbad which stands out here and is given a gorgeous map in the inside front cover of the book. As potential starting point or base of operations for the Player-heroes, Thardbad is noticeably darker and dirtier than previously presented would be Havens in The One Ring, but that highlights the rougher and darker feel of the Lone-lands.

‘Chapter Two: A Gathering Storm’ provides the Loremaster with details of several external factions with designs on the region. Although others are mentioned, three are given particular attention—a band of Black Núménoreans sent by Sauron, agents of Saruman looking for ring lore, and raiders from Dunland. All come from the south, and all have unique goals, agents, and resources, which are described in detail. The Black Núménoreans are sent by Sauron, and sail up from Umbar aboard a black fortress ship, and then travel ashore up the rivers in search of Rivendell. Saruman is the most subtle of the three factions, sending agents across the region in search of ring lore, whilst the Dunlenders are the least subtle, raiding and spreading their influence through force, secretly with the backing of Saruman. Each faction also has its own ‘Dark Designs’, a year-by-year timeline of what happens if their plans come to fruition. These run from the year 2965, the default starting year for The One Ring: Roleplaying in the World of Lord of the Rings, and end in 2975.

Use of these factions and their timelines by the Loremaster are entirely optional, but they are great narrative tools around which she can frame her campaign. They are notable for two points. One is the fact that the three timelines are contradictory—and contradictory by design. This represents the competing, although they are not necessarily aware of it, goals of the three factions, so it is possible to have them clash over their goals or simply focus on one or two of the factions and still have them threaten locations. The other notable fact is the presence of Saruman who we know will have become a villain by the time of The Lord of the Rings. The Loremaster is advised not to foreshadow this in her campaign and maintain him as primarily a force for good in the region, and even a possible Patron for the Player-heroes. Overall, these factions and timelines are a great tool for the Loremaster.

‘Chapter Three: Landmarks’ is the last and largest chapter in Ruins of the Lost Realm, taking up over half of the book. As its title suggests, it deals with individual locations or landmarks, each a possible adventure site. Each comes an associated rumour and lore, background, location, and more, including artefacts, NPCs, and one or more maps. One, ‘The Queen’s Hall’ in Lond Dear, expands upon a location detailed earlier in the book, adding further detail and presenting more as a playable location. Most are new though. ‘The Queen’s Hall’ is a potential place of safety as is ‘The Ranger-haven’ south of the Trollshaws, whilst ‘The White Towers’ treasured holdings of the Elves of Lindon which house a palantír, are a potential site of learning and for Saruman, of ring lore. Other locations explore the region’s history, for example, ‘Tindailin – an Elven Refuge’ which has fallen into horror from loss and heartache, and ‘The Fields of Slaughter’, the site of the Battle of Fornost at which a host of Elves and Men (plus Hobbits) defeated the armies of the Witch-king where spirits and the unquiet dead still wander. Most though, are sites of danger and threat, the worst of which is ‘Mount Gram’, a goblin-infested, skull-faced mountain in the far north.

Ruins of the Lost Realm is not a fully fledged campaign, but rather a toolkit with which the Loremaster can build a campaign. The primary structure for the campaign will be built around which of the three factions and their projected timelines the Loremaster decides to use, and these will likely send the Player-heroes off hither and thither to the various Landmarks detailed in the supplement. This means that the Loremaster will need to undertake some development work of her own, though in some cases, the Landmarks are already pre-written as encounters and mini-scenarios. All the Loremaster has to do is find a way for the Player-heroes to get there. There is some overlap in details between chapters, but these help to enforce the links between locations rather than simply repeat content. If there is an issue perhaps, it is the lack of a starting point or way into the campaign possibilities that Ruins of the Lost Realm suggests, but that lack is one which affects The One Ring: Roleplaying in the World of Lord of the Rings as a whole rather than just this supplement.

Physically, Ruins of the Lost Realm is stunning, following the same style as the core rulebook. It is very cleanly presented in a clear, open style, and the content itself is engaging to read. In particular, the maps are excellent, whether of Tharbad, the region, or the individual Landmarks, the latter done in three dimensions rather than from overhead. The artwork is also very good, a pen and ink style that captures the old-world rustic charm of Middle-earth and its ruins and wilderness. The style and look echoes that of the classic editions of The Lord of the Rings trilogy published by Allen & Unwin, and has a more scholarly feel as if Bilbo himself sat down to write it.

Ruins of the Lost Realm is not a regional guide to Eriador nor is it a set of scenarios or a campaign, but rather the means for the Loremaster to develop a campaign of her own. That may well be a problem in its own right, since it is not providing an easy way into playing and running The One Ring, and so Ruins of the Lost Realm is very much a supplement better suited to the experienced Loremaster rather than one new to the task. Nevertheless, for the Loremaster ready to develop a campaign set in the Lone-lands of Eriador, Ruins of the Lost Realm provides the Loremaster with everything she needs—lore, legends, plots, places, monsters, and NPCs, to make the campaign her own.