Shire

The Shire is the biome where all players spawn when they enter Middle-Earth for the first time. It is the homeland of the Hobbits, and contains many structures. No evil spawns here except that which you bring yourself!

The Shire offers by far the most food to the player as almost every structure contains generous amounts of food, as is normal for Hobbits. It is also full of rich farmland and many animals, which is part of the thing that makes food so abundant.

The Shire is the main biome. It is mostly plains and is sparsely forested. It has bright green grass and the occasional tree. Hobbits spawn all over the Shire, outside, in Hobbit holes, at Hobbit picnic benches, in Hobbit taverns or in one of the various other structures.

Its LotR-biome ID is 3, and thus it's not the first biome that was added to the mod though many believe so; the first biome to be added to the mod was in fact River, however the first interesting biome to be added to the mod was Rohan.

Upon entering the Shire you gain the achievement "First Steps."

Sub-biomes
The Shire consists of the following sub-biomes, some of which are randomly generated within the main body of The Shire.

Shire Woodlands
The Shire Woodlands are heavily forested with different kinds of trees, but mainly Shire Pines and Oak Trees. Here spawn no hobbit buildings, though unlike the rest of the Shire, boars spawn in place of pigs. Shire Heather also spawns here. In some places, podzol and grassless dirt makes up the terrain.

Shire Orchard
In these fruit orchards, Hobbit Orcharders systematically plant fruit trees (apple, pear and cherry). The Orcharders are exclusive to this biome. The Orcharders will trade with players, selling fruit and purchasing axes and other farming equipment. Shire Orchard biomes are usually rather small compared to other biomes, but make up for it with their abundance of fruit trees (which are quite uncommon elsewhere). They are comparatively rarer than the other sub-biomes.

Shire Marshes
This is a swamp-like region in the south of the land, the Shire Marsh is a sub-biome that makes up the border with Minhiriath. It contains occasional water pools, ruined Dunedain towers, and the occaisional hobbit. But, while in the swamps, one must watch out for quagmire.

Shire Moors
A sub-biome in the north of the Shire, the Shire Moors is a large land containing pillars of rock, hills, windmills, and farms. These moors also contain Hobbits, albiet more rarely. Ruined Dunedain towers also spawn here.

Shire

 * Standard: Normal shire biome.
 * Forest: Shire with a larger abundance of trees.
 * Light Forest: Shire with lightly scattered trees.
 * Forest Hills: Bigger hills with larger population of trees.
 * Hills: Bigger hills in a normal shire like biome.
 * Flowers: Shire biome with larger amount of flowers. Similar to the vanilla biome flower forest with less trees.

Shire Woodlands

 * Standard: Normal forested Shire
 * Hills: Woodlands with very high hills and low valleys.

Shire Moors

 * Standard: Normal Shire Moors.
 * Light Forest: Shire Moors with more trees.

Shire Marshes

 * Standard: Normal Shire Marsh

Structures
The following structures spawn in the Shire biome.


 * Hobbit Hole- Houses of the Hobbits. They contain a study, a main hall, a bedroom, a foyer, a pantry, and a dining room. A Hobbit couple spawns here.
 * Hobbit Picnic Bench- Picnic benches with food and Hobbits.


 * Hobbit Tavern- An inn containing Hobbits, Hobbit shirriff chiefs, Hobbit Bartenders, and Hobbit drunkards. It has a fireplace, tables, barrels, and more.
 * Hobbit Windmill- Windmills with a upstairs living space.
 * Hobbit Farm - Farms where Hobbit farmers grow crops and raise animals and where the player can get hire-able farmhands.
 * Great trees - Large trees that spawn in the Shire Woodlands. The most common of which is the Giant Oak.
 * Ruined Dunedain Towers - Ruined towers with a sole chest at the top. They only spawn (in the Shire, at least) in the Moors and Swamps.

Note: Hobbit buildings will only spawn in the main Shire biome, not in its sub-biomes, with the exception of the Shire Moors, in which Hobbit windmills and farms can spawn.

Mobs
The following mobs spawn in the Shire.


 * Hobbits - Small creatures also known as Halflings to Men, who love eating and smoking. They can be male or female, child or adult. adult Hobbits can be married by someone with +100 Hobbit alignment with Hobbit Rings.
 * Hobbit Shirriffs - Shirriffs are the law enforcement of the Shire. Shirriffs attack evil mobs with pebbles and slings or iron daggers. They have feathers in their hats and can be hired from Hobbit shirriff chiefs.
 * Hobbit Shirriff Chiefs - Leaders of the Shirriffs. You can hire Shirriffs and mounted Shirriffs from them for silver coins.
 * Shire Ponies - Small horses that can be ridden (although they are slow) and can have chests on them.
 * Hobbit Bartenders - Traders that spawn behind the counters in Hobbit Taverns. They will sometimes buy four leaf clovers for large sums of money.
 * Hobbit Drunkards - Drunk Hobbits that talk nonsense and drinking songs. One Hobbit Drunkard spawns per hobbit tavern.
 * Hobbit Orcharders - Traders that spawn in Shire Orchards and sell the fruits of the orchard.
 * Hobbit Farmers - NPCs from which Hobbit Farmhands can be hired. You can also trade with them.
 * Hobbit Farmhands - Hireable NPCs that help with farming and are the good equivalent of the Slaves of Nurn.

Vegetation
The following plants only grow in the Shire:
 * Shire pine
 * Shire Heather
 * Pipeweed
 * 4-leaf clover (ordinary clover grow also in other biomes)

Some other vanilla-flowers (like the sunflower) may currently also appear in the Shire only.