Epic Book 7: Leaves of Lórien

The story of Volume II continues in the next update with Book 7: Leaves of Lórien, but unlike many of our other Epic books, this one represents a new ‘on-ramp’ onto the Epic story.  Whereas each of the books we added for Shadows of Angmar required completion of the previous one, with Volume II Book 7 we are allowing you to begin the quest chain without completing the previous book.  This means that if you’re still working to defend the Iron Garrison from the Orcs of Mazog in Volume II Book 5 or have yet to take your stand against Gwathnor in Volume II Book 6, you’ll still be able to experience the adventure of the Volume II Book 7 Epic story by earning the trust of the Elves and speaking to Haldir on his flet south of Echad Andestel.

But a word of warning about this!  You’ll be able to experience Book 7 without completing the previous books, but it is strongly recommended that you try to do them in order! If you haven’t already seen the previous books in the Volume II epic, you may very well be surprised at the fate of characters that were left in safety when last you saw them!  When exactly did Bósi get his robotic dog and machine-gun arm? If you haven’t played the first six books of Volume II before beginning Book 7, you won’t know.

(I’m only kidding about the machine-gun arm, by the way.  He doesn’t get that until Book 8.)

Buzun-ghâr, a newly-excavated cavern in the depths of Moria

The Fellowship in Lothlórien

The remaining members of the Fellowship have arrived safely in Lothlórien, and though they mourn the fall of Gandalf in Moria, they must take what comfort they can and steel themselves for the next leg of their journey.  Once you have gained access to the Golden Wood, you should pay a visit to the hill of Cerin Amroth, around which you will find Frodo, Sam, Legolas, and Gimli, and can learn something of the history of Lórien.  Merry can be found taking one of his walks in the vicinity of the hill, or resting in the nearby garden of Bain Gwaloth.  Boromir, the bold captain of Gondor, is impatient to leave the land of the Elves and broods atop a rise not far from Cerin Amroth.  His mood is not improved by the many Elves all about; he has not seen Aragorn for some time.  Aragorn is not in Cerin Amroth, and will not return there for a long, long time (as prophesied in The Fellowship of the Ring).

Pippin is asleep somewhere.  The dangerous road ahead can wait.