| “ | The Morthond Vale made a great bay that beat up against the sheer southern faces of the mountains. Its steep slopes were grass-grown; but all was grey in that hour, for the sun had gone, and far below lights twinkled in the homes of Men. The vale was rich and many folk dwelt there. | ” |
–The Passing of the Grey Company, The Return of the King | ||
The Blackroot Vale, also known as the Morthond Vale, or Mornan (Sindarin for black or dark valley) is a biome within Gondor, the home of the famous Blackroot Vale Bowmen. It's located in a valley in the Ered Nimrais. The Morthond Vale is home to a fiefdom of Gondor, ruled by the lord Duinhir. Some say the Dead walk in the hills near the mouth of the river from which this biome gets its name, but despite the legends no such beings are known to be present in the mod as of yet.
Upon entering the vale, you gain the achievement "Bows and Blackroots".
Glflegolas did a regional spotlight on the Blackroot Vale, which can can be found here. If you plan on visiting, make sure to check that out.
Biome Variants[]
- Standard - The normal Blackroot Vale biome.
- Flowers - The fields and the undergrowth of tree clusters teem with flowers in this biome. Flowery vegetation from both vanilla Minecraft (poppies, dandelions) and the LOTR mod (thistles and wheat grass) is abundantly present here.
- Forest - Forest covered lands.
- Light Forest - Lightly forested lands.
- Hills - A hilly landscape with a higher average elevation.
- Forested Hills - A landscape with forest covered hills.
- Dense Oak Forest - Dense forests with many large oak trees. Also huge oaks, measuring 3 m in diameter and reaching up to 30 m, are common here. Patches of podzol cover the forest floor.
- Dead Oak Forest - Lands covered in forests whose glory is passing away. The forest density is comparable to the light forest variant, but there are many stems of dead, leafless trees. This variant is very helpful for acquiring large quantities of wood, as the dead trees provide a lot of easy accessible lumber.
- Birch Forest - A forest dominated with Birch trees.
- Larch Forest - A forest dominated with Larch trees.
- Apple-Pear Orchard - An orchard containing Apple and Pear trees.
- Plum Orchard - An orchard containing Plum trees.
Structures[]
Many structures spawn in the Blackroot Vale, primarily variants of basic Gondorian structures.
- Gondor Turret - Tiny towers that spawn here that consist of an entry room and a cramped upper turret.
- Ruined Gondor Tower - Two floored tower with battlements on the top. Includes a bed and Gondorian crafting table along with other useful items.
- Gondor Ruins - Scattered ruins of some unrecognizable structure. Some have tombs beneath, which contain treasure chests and a Gondor Ruins Wraith.
- Gondor Obelisk - Slim tower with a Beacon of Gondor on top.
- Blackroot Vale Watchfort - Small watchforts of the Blackroot Vale. They consist of a main building, a bridge, and a beacon tower at the end. The main building has four floors. The first floor contains four barrels of ale and two chests, as well as Gondorian crafting tables. The second floor contains another chest, the third has an entry to the bridge, and the fourth floor is an open balcony where a Blackroot Vale Bowlord spawns. A bridge leads from the main structure to the beacon tower. Blackroot Vale Bowmen spawn on the bridge and in the fortress itself.
- Blackroot Vale Village - Small villages that are variants of the normal Gondor version. They have roads shaped like a giant cross with a ring around it. In the centre of each village lies a well. Around the well, 0-4 market stalls will spawn, with various traders. Around the village centre, 1-4 structures can spawn, ranging from cottages to taverns. Further out, some gardens and farms can be found. Around the ring of road are random cottages, smithies, or stables.
- Blackroot Vale Town - The Blackroot Vale version of the Gondor Town, one of the largest structures in the mod. They have a watchtower at each corner and a gatehouse at the front. On the way into the village, there are some benches and gardens. In the centre, there is a central well, although there are plenty of wells around the village. Around the central well are up to nine market stalls, composed of one of the many traders in the Mod. Around the central well is a bathhouse, as well as a smithy, and a chance of a tavern. Around the huge village are many other townhouses and planters, as well as other taverns, along with some obelisks. The amount of loot in each of these villages is, to say the least, plentiful, as every structure in the village (except for the bathhouse) has a chest with some form of loot inside it. These villages are also extremely profitable, as there normally are plenty of traders to sell many items to. For good players looking for trades and immersion, this is the perfect place for both. For evil players looking for loot in alignment, towns are also perfect.
- Blackroot Vale Fortress Village - Fort-villages are more militaristic settlements of the Blackroot Vale. They are walled, and have eight watchtowers surrounding them, as well as four gates with small roads leading into the centre. In the centre, instead of a well, there is a Blackroot Vale Fortress, a variant of the basic Gondor Fortress. The main entrance is marked by two paths branching out of the road to the front of the fortress/stable, which leads to two wells, one on each side. The other three paths have townhouses, stables, and smithies. Inside the central fortress is a blacksmith stall with a crafting table, armour stand with Blackroot Vale armour, and a Lebethron casket. There are also barracks in the fortress.
Fixed Structures[]
Erech[]
A tall hill at the Erech waypoint, where the dead gather in times of conflict. In the lore, it was here that Isildur planted the Stone of Erech, on which the Men of the Mountains swore oaths to him. It was also here that he cursed them to their fate when they broke their oaths. The Stone of Erech is not present in the mod, but the road to the waypoint does lead up to the crest of the hill.
Mobs[]
- Gondorian - Your average commoner in Gondor. These people live in Gondor's villages throughout the Gondor heartland and most of its sub-biomes. These people do not fight unless provoked.
- Gondor Levymen - A lower warrior class that assists the soldiers in fighting the servants of the Dark Lord.
- Blackroot Vale Soldiers - Powerful warriors armed with Gondorian swords that guard their lands against the forces of evil.
- Blackroot Vale Bowmen - Blackroot Soldiers armed with deadly Blackroot Bows.
- Blackroot Vale Bowlord - An NPC from which players can hire the aforementioned units if the price and alignment requirements are met.
- Gondor Traders - These traders spawn in the villages of Gondor, and come in a wide variety of variants. These include the Gondor Blacksmith, Baker, Bartender, Brewer, Butcher, Farmer, Fishmonger, Florist, Greengrocer, Lumberman, and Stonemason. All have unique sets of trades.
- Gondor Ruins Wraith - Wraiths who live in Gondor Ruins. They can be summoned by trying to open the loot chest in a ruin tomb.
Conquest[]
Blackroot Vale can be conquered by Gondor, Mordor, Near Harad, Rhúdel, Half-trolls and Isengard. The conquest rate is 1.0.
Mining[]
Blackroot Vale features the standard ore distribution, but unlike other biomes it also features Gondor Rock below the surface. This rock is essential for the crafting of Gondorian building materials, and can be found in a thin layer beneath the dirt surface of the biome, in patches underground, and in boulders on the surface.
Vegetation[]
The Blackroot Vale has darker grass than the rest of Gondor, but is still quite fertile due to the waters of the Morthond River. Flowers and similar plants spawn here often, as do a wide variety of trees that are common in Gondor. Athelas can spawn here rarely, as with the rest of Gondor, and Blackroots are exclusive to this biome and decently common. Blackroots are required for the creation of a number of Blackroot Vale items.
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The Tolkien Gateway has an article on:
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Blackroot Vale •
Dor-en-Ernil •
Gondor •
Harondor •
Ithilien •
Lamedon •
Lebennin |
 The Men of Gondor 
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Gondorian •
Levyman •
Soldier (Archer, Banner Bearer, Tower Guard)
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