Board Thread:Suggestions forum/@comment-25012056-20170618171036

The kingdom of Rhudaur once controlled most of the Lone-Lands, but was long since destroyed. Those that remain are descendants of the ancient Hillmen, and of the Easterlings under Ulfang before that. They despise the Rangers of the North, the heirs to their ancient enemies, and though they’re much reduced from their former strength they are on the rise once more.

Biomes
Firstly, I think Hillman spawning in Angmar should be reduced, to make the land less of an alignment farm. Hillman structures would no longer spawn there either. However, spawning would remain the same in the Coldfells and Ettenmoors, and most Hillman structures should spawn in both biomes. These biomes would serve as the primary homes of the Hillmen.

The Lone-Lands would be split into three new biomes: the normal Lone-Lands, the Northern Angle (detailed below), and Eastern Eriador. Eastern Eriador would replace all of the Lone-Lands east of the Loudwater, and would have no Arnor ruins of any sort, nor any Hillmen, Rangers, or their structures. Eastern Eriador would be almost completely empty, with no structures or NPCs save for Hunter Orc spawns at night. The normal Lone-Lands - those west of the Angle - would rarely feature Rhudaur ruins but no inhabited Rhudaur structures. Other than this and those suggested in the Hunter Clan suggestion, there would be no changes to the Lone-Lands save for greatly decreased invasion spawns. Hillmen would remain rare.

The remaining Lone-Lands between the Loudwater and Hoarwell, except for a strip between the Trollshaws and Angle, would be replaced by the Northern Angle, the chief lands of old Rhudaur. These would be like to the Lone-Lands but more hilly, and an increased occurrence of forest variants. Ranger structures would not spawn there, and Rangers themselves would be rare. However, Hillmen and their structures would be present here, with Hillmen being moderately uncommon, as would be all their structures. Hunter Orcs would also be common here at night. Aurochs would be more common than normal here. These would be evil lands.

The Trollshaws would have a high occurrence of Rhudaur ruined structures, but inhabited structures would not generate here. Hillmen would spawn here only occasionally. Other than that, they would be left unchanged.

Crafting… or lack thereof
None of Rhudaur’s faction stuff would be craftable, except the banner, which would be made on Angmar’s table. It would, however, be used by Hillmen and found in Rhudaur ruins.
 * Rhudaur Armor - Armor with appx. the same protection as bronze armor. It would look like light chainmail covered by a fur cloak. The helmet would look similar to a combination of a fur hood and an Arnor helmet, save without wings.
 * Rhudaur Bone Armor - Rhudaur Armor “reinforced” with bones. For this… extra protection, it would have iron-level protection. The helmet would have horns, like those Viking helmets the Vikings never used.
 * Rhudaur Equipment - Iron-level weapons, including a sword, a battleaxe, a throwing axe, a spear, and a dagger. They would look similar to the iron versions, but longer and thinner for the sword and dagger and curved-bladed for the axes, and with a darker gray color, as if orc steel was mixed with iron.

As a note, the equipment of the Men of Rhudaur was indeed a fusion of iron and orc steel. The Hillmen originally were not advanced and had little to do with metal, but under the original Kingdom of Rhudaur learned metalwork from the Dúnedain, and later from Angmar.

NPCs

 * Rhudaur Hillwoman - A variant on the normal Rhudaur Hillman.
 * Rhudaur Hillman Warrior - Hillmen Warriors would now only spawn in the Ettenmoors, Coldfells, and Northern Angle. They would use a mix of Angmar reinforced fur, Rhudaur, bronze, and fur armor and a mix of Rhudaur and bronze Equipment.
 * Rhudaur Hillman Axe-Thrower - These would have the same changes as warriors, and would use Rhudaur throwing axes instead of bronze or iron.
 * Rhudaur Hillman Berserker - Berserkers should be stronger than they currently are. In addition to their health and buffs, they should also have Rhudaur Bone Armor added to their current mix, and should always use Rhudaur Equipment. They would only spawn in the Coldfells and Ettenmoors, and rarely.
 * Rhudaur Hillman Axeman - The elite unit of Rhudaur. They rarely spawn in the Northern Angle only. They would use full Rhudaur Bone Armor, would have 25 health, and would switch between Rhudaur Battleaxes and Rhudaur Throwing Axes.
 * Rhudaur Hillman Chieftains - Would now wear full Rhudaur Armor with a Rhudaur Bone helmet. They would wield Orc Skull Staffs to signify their connection with Angmar.

Structures

 * Rhudaur Hillmen Village - A bunch of houses group together is not a real village. We can do better! Villages would now have an arrangement of houses around a well and a small bonfire. They would still be fairly small, and the two types of houses within would be unchanged (except most houses would now have both a Hillman and a Hillwoman.) Dirt paths and small farms would also be present. In addition, there would be a 25% chance for a barricade of logs to generate around the village. These villages would only spawn in the Northern Angle, and single houses would be made rarer. (Single houses can also generate in the Ettenmoors and Coldfells.)
 * Rhudaur Hillmen Campfire - These are similar to Dunlending Campfires, but with Rhudaur Hillmen. These structures would spawn in the forested regions of the Northern Angle, as well as in the Ettenmoors, Coldfells, and Angmar.
 * Rhudaur Fortress - Evil fortresses built by the Hillmen of Rhudaur during their alliance with Angmar. These would follow the basic fortress format (a turret in each corner, battlemented walls, and an obelisk in the center), but would have only one gate and would look decidedly more evil. The fortresses themselves would be stone brick, but the battlements would be of Angmar brick and would be spiky, like those you would see on a Mordor fort. The obelisk in the center would be topped with fire. Inside, banners and loot chests would still be present, though barracks, trader stalls, and supply sheds would be in a state of disrepair. One in ten fortresses would actually be occupied by Hillmen, and contain a chieftain. The rest would be abandoned. Rhudaur Fortresses would generate uncommonly in the Northern Angle, the Coldfells, the Trollshaws, and the Ettenmoors, and very rarely in the Lone-Lands. Loot chests could contain relics of old Rhudaur.
 * Rhudaur Tower - Variants on the ruined Arnor Towers. These would be similar but different, with a slightly more evil look. They would be built of stone brick, instead of Arnor brick. Unlike the current Arnor Towers, Rhudaur Towers would have staircases (ruined in places), a slightly larger room at the base (with rare chests/armor stands/weapon racks and a ruined gate), and Mordor-like battlements at the top (in stone brick still.) Other than that, these towers would be very similar to Arnor Towers, and would also be uninhabited. They would generate uncommonly in the Trollshaws, Lone-Lands, Angle (even if it’s Ranger land now, it was once part of Rhudaur), Northern Angle, Coldfells, and Ettenmoors. Their chests would have loot of Old Rhudaur.
 * Rhudaur Castle - Large, abandoned fortresses of the ancient Kingdom of Rhudaur that can rarely be found in the Trollshaws, Coldfells, and Ettenmoors. They would have three parts and be built of stone brick, with Angmar Brick accents. The outer wall would be high, square, and strong, with Mordor-style battlements, a gatehouse, and a triangular pier in each corner with Rhudaur Towers at the end of the piers. The outer courtyard would have small, overgrown gardens, ruined houses similar to Hillman houses (but in stone), and a variety of buildings ranging from armories to markets. The inner wall would be higher and circular, and within would be gardens and mansions. In the center of each would be a large, Angmar-inspired tower, which would be topped by a ruined command room. The tower would be full of barracks, vaults, and armories. Rhudaur Castles would contain lots of Rhudaur loot, and occasionally Carn Dûm armor as well. There would be no dungeon section, as the Hillmen take no prisoners.

Other
The general area of Rhudaur could use a bit more love, especially in the waypoint and lore departments. Personally, I would suggest that a Troll’s Camp waypoint be added to the Trollshaws, with the current Trollshaws waypoint being renamed to Amon Dûr, the ruins of Rhudaur’s capital. A Northern Fells waypoint could be added to the Coldfells, perhaps representing an ancient hold of the Hillmen. Neither of the last two have any basis in lore, but it’d be some nice detail and cool ruins for players to build.

Titles
[Hillwoman] - Get +100 alignment with either Angmar or Dunland.

[Rhudaur Hillwoman] - Get +100 alignment with Angmar.

[Rhudaur Berserker] - Get +100 alignment with Angmar.

[Rhudaur Axeman] - Get +100 alignment with Angmar.

Achievements
[Ruins in the Hills] - Enter the Northern Angle.

[The Edge of the Wild] - Enter Eastern Eriador.

[An Ancient Enemy] - Equip a full set of Rhudaur Armor.

[Death to the Dúnedain] - Equip a full set of Rhudaur Bone Armor.

[Traitors to Arnor] - Kill a Rhudaur Hillman Berserker.

[Butchers from the Hills] - Kill a Rhudaur Axeman.

My suggestions involving Eriador have been rather scattered, so instead of moving on immediately to Dunland, my next suggestion will concern the wastelands between the Blue and Misty Mountains, and the Ruins of Arnor within.

Gen. Grievous1138 (LOTR Mod Wiki Admin) comlink 17:10, June 18, 2017 (UTC) 