Basically this occurs in the First Age of Middle-Earth, where the mighty High Elves strove against Morgoth (aka Melkor), a God that walked the world, for 3 jewels called the Silmarils, crafted by Feanor the greatest craftsman that ever was, who captured the Light of the Creation of the world within his perfect creations.
To give a quick comparison to the 3rd Age of Middle-Earth - Sauron is essentially similar to Gandalf, both are of essence Spirits (called Maia), whereas Morgoth was a God that predated the creation of the world. The Balrog that Gandalf encountered in Moria is also considered a Spirit-level being, and Morgoth in his time, ruled over all the Balrogs there were, and moved them in regiments over battlefields. Morgoth himself also was the creator of Orcs, and later on, Werewolves, Wyrms, Wyrms made of pure Iron or Flame, and Winged Dragons.
The Elves were by no means the pale pathetic shadow of the 3rd Age. Despite Morgoth's power, the forefathers of Elrond besieged his realm Angband and the fortress of Thangorodrim, with relative ease, keeping it up for more than half of the First Age, almost 400 years.
The mod begins at the Havens, where you are a commander of Earendil and the remnants of the peoples there. Earendil has not yet set sail, but the Havens is under frequent attacks by Morgoth's forces, and Earendil himself has taken ill, a condition unheard of among Elves. Elwing reveals that there is some disturbance in the timestream of the past, by an unknown force, and Earendil is channeling his powers to prevent its effects from washing over the Havens. Take a party back to the past, and get more party members to fix up all the events.
Scenario Listings
A "scenario" may be composed of more than one map/sub-scenario. so don't be confused below. The following is roughly the order of increasing difficulty level during the Mod.
1) Tale of Beren and Luthien - non-war but MUST have the human Beren falls in loves with Luthien, the immortal daughter of Elven King Thingol, and departing together, they destroy Sauron the Lord of Werewolves Castle, where Finrod firstborn of Finarfin (the oldest brother of Galadriel) dies to defend Beren. After that they infiltrate Morgoth's castle and pry a Silmaril out of his iron crown. Beren's hand gets bitten off by the greatest of Werewolves, Carcharoth, who goes berserk and then is later hunted down and killed, and the Silmarillion retrieved. Beren is mortally wounded and dies, but Luthien visits the Halls of the Dead and manages to get him back. She chooses mortality of a human rather than the immortality of her heritage and they depart from Thingols' kingdom to live quietly.
FINROD Obtainable
2) Turin's Travels - adventures of Turin from his days of raiding and how he slew his best friend Beleg who rescued him, successfully, from being enslaved by the orcs. He claims the broken Blacksword (Anglachel, also known as Gurthang) from Beleg and goes to Nargothrond
BELEG Obtainable
3) Death of Thingol - Thingol is given the Necklace of Dwarves and invites Dwarven smiths to forge it together with the Silmaril that Beren retrieved. The dwarves do it flawlessly, but refuse to return it. The smiths kill Thingol, and are in turn slain by their elven hosts. PLUS
First War of Doriath - dwarves attack Doriath kingdom of Thingol for the Silmaril and Necklace of Dwarves. they succeed but are destroyed in an ambush by an army of elves led by Beren, who claims the Silmaril. Optional.
GHARIN Obtainable
4) Father of Dragons - The emergence of Glaurung, first of dragons, also known as Father of Dragons. He was eventually driven back by elves led by Fingon son of Fingolfin.
EMAEVA Obtainable
5) Fall of Nargothrond - Turin reforges the Blacksword, then he and Orodreth the king of Nargothrond the hidden and prospering hidden citadel of stone, belonging to the high elves, do battle against the invading army of orcs led by Glaurung Father of Dragons. They are defeated and Nargothrond is utterly destroyed. Turin survives and flees to Brethil where he marries his sister Nienor, who he has never met and who has lost her memory, including that of her name. PLUS
Death of Glaurung - Glaurung heads to Brethil, but before he can reach it he is slain by Turin who takes him by surprise while he is crossing a gorge, plunging the Blacksword into his underbelly. As he dies he lifts the spell cast on Turin's sister and she commits suicide knowing that she has married her brother. Turin, awakening to know the full tale, also kills himself on the tip of the Blacksword.
TURIN Obtainable
6) Destruction of Doriath, the 2nd Kinslaying - Dior son of Beren, now holding the Silmaril after the death of Beren, is attacked by all 7 sons of Feanor. Dior is slain, while Celegorm Caranthir and Curufin of the sons of Feanor are killed as well, and Doriath is utterly destroyed. The Silmaril is borne by Dior's daughter Elwing to the Havens at the Mouth of Sirion
IMARI Obtainable
7) Kinslaying at Alqualonde - The Noldor slay the Teleri at the Swan Havens to capture their ships, with Feanor starting the fight against their Kin. Difficult due to the mass deployment required
FINARFIN Obtainable
The Glorious Battle - The elves, led by Fingolfin and Maedhros, crush the orcish forces of Morgoth on Beleriand and Middle-Earth, and begins the 400 year Siege of Angband (Morgoth's Fortress)9) Death of Feanor - how the freshly landed Noldor (High Elves), barely establishing a foothold, and only less than 1/3 of them was there under the command of Feanor's house, devastated the orc army sent upon them in the dark. Feanor pursued almost halfway to Angband before a Balrog ambush took him and his bodyguards that had outstripped the rest, and he fought Gothmog Lord of Balrogs son of Morgoth to a standstill until his bodyguards were all dead and one of the Balrogs crept up behind him and sliced his helm and head open.
10) The Battle of Sudden Flame - ends the Siege of Angband. Fingolfin rides single handedly (through hosts of orcs occupying an area probably twice the size of Rohan, which is the approximate size of Ard-Galen) to the gates of Thangorodrim, and shouts a personal combat challenge to Morgoth. Morgoth emerges, and suffers 7 wounds at his hand, before he finally manages to kill Fingolfin the Valiant. Fingon his firstborn is made High King of the High Elves
11) The Battle of Unnumbered Tears - the betrayal of the elves by men. Morgoth's reign of power basically begins from here. Fingon is slain and Turgon his second brother is made High King of the High Elves
12) Fall of Gondolin - the hidden city of Gondolin has its location betrayed by Maeglin and is assaulted by the fullest might of Morgoth. Morgoth fields wyrms of pure fire and wyrms of iron as orcish transports for the first time in this battle ; however, it is also in this battle that some Balrogs are finally destroyed ; Tuor and Ecthelion of the Fountain slay 9 of them, but they meet Gothmog son of Morgoth Lord of Balrogs, and in the battle Ecthelion is killed, but Gothmog also perishes. the King's Guard manages to kill a Wyrm of Flame by forcing it into the depths of the Fountain, but the rising scalding steam wipes out the remnants of the King's Guard. Turgon is slain, and Tuor and Idril with their son Earendil escape from the back. Glorfindel the Golden, as the rearguard of the entourage, slays a Balrog on the steep cliffs, but the dying demon drags him down into the chasm where he is killed. The remnants arrive at the Havens at the Mouth of Sirion
<< this battle is described in great detail in one of Tolkeins book and is very epic Must-have! It will likely be broken down into at least 4 or 5 maps. Possibly broken down into separate scenarios, for eg. the Ramparts of Gondolin, the Death of Gothmog, the Last Stand of the King's Guard, and Escape through the Encircling Hills.>>
NOTE : The following 3 scenarios can only be played ONCE. They are not repeatable, are considered DIFFICULT, and must end favourably for the PC to Survive.
13) Fall of the Havens - the destruction of the Havens under the assault of the Sons of Feanor while Earendil is away on his voyage for the Valar. Elwing throws herself into the Sea, Elrond and Elros are captured. Note that if you have Finarfin in your party, he will not be present for this scenario, making it harder.
14) War of the Wrath - the Valar arrive from the West to wage War upon Morgoth. the climax has Morgoth send out his race of Winged Dragons, which you have to slay continuously until Ancalagon the Black emerges, and then have Earendil slay Ancalagon. Earendil must survive.
15) Into the Void - Find Morgoth within the Void and dislodge him from the Chambers of Time. This isn't really a scenario, it is more BG2 style, although there will still be level-sensitive spawns. At the end of it, defeat Morgoth to drive him off and prevent further tampering with the timestreams.
Edited by Zyraen, 17 February 2008 - 08:40 PM.
