“ | Bree was the chief village of the Bree-land, a small inhabited region, like an island in the empty lands round about. Besides Bree itself, there was Staddle on the other side of the hill, Combe in a deep valley a little further eastward, and Archet on the edge of the Chetwood. Lying round Bree-hill and the villages was a small country of field and tamed woodland only a few miles broad. | ” |
–The Fellowship of the Ring, At the Sign of The Prancing Pony |
Bree-land is a small plains-like biome with some forested variants. It is within the larger region of Eriador. Located east of the Barrow-downs, west of Midgewater, and south-west of Chetwood. Orcs don't spawn here as the rangers of Eriador guard the borders of this land - however, they prefer to avoid being seen there, as the Bree-folk are distrustful of them.
Bree-land is one of the few places in Middle-Earth where maple trees grow naturally.
Bree-land contains four villages: Bree, Combe, Staddle, and a town called Archet further north on the edge of the nearby forest called Chetwood. Bree-land is mainly inhabited by Hobbits and some men that share their ancestry with the Dunlendings and Rhudaur Hillmen. The Bree-folk, Men and Hobbits alike, dwell mostly in the Four villages, with relatively few dwelling in scattered hamlets, farming the fields and hills around.
Upon entering Bree-land for the first time, the player earns the achievement "Of Hobbits and Men"
Variants[]
- Bree-land Steppe - A flatter, slightly more elevated variant of Bree-land with less trees.
- Bree-land Hills - A randomly spawning variant of Bree-land that is considerably more hilly than normal Bree-land.
- Bree-land Forest Hills - A randomly spawning variant of Bree-land that is exactly like Bree-Land Hills, except there is considerably more forest cover.
- Bree-Land Light Forest- A more heavily forested version of Bree-land.
- Aspen Forest - A forest dominated with Aspen trees.
- Birch Forest - A forest dominated with Birch trees.
- Beech Forest - A forest dominated with Beech trees.
- Maple Forest - A forest dominated with Maple trees.
- Apple-Pear Orchard - An orchard containing Apple and Pear trees.
- Flowers - A variant of Bree-land with an abundance of flowers.
Structures[]
The settlements of the Bree-folk generate in this biome, and are described below. Occasionally, you may stumble about a small stone ruin or a larger stone ruin made of vanilla stone brick or Arnor brick.
- Village - Large settlements that represent the four villages of the Bree-land - Bree, Staddle, Combe, and Archet (note that villages do not spawn randomly, only in their fixed locations). Each is surrounded by a large, circular wall composed of wooden beams, fences, and leaves, with three gates - one main gate with a gatehouse and two side-gates. Roads lined with lamp-posts run through each village, always with the same pattern. Main roads run from each of the three gates to the village centre. The road leading from the gatehouse is lined by ten houses, and features two side-roads with barns, wells, and stables. Of the other main roads, one has thirteen houses, two Ruffian houses, and a smithy, while the other has nine houses, six Ruffian houses, and a smithy. The village centre contains four gardens, four wells, two markets, an inn, and the sherriff's office. The road from the main gate continues past the village centre and takes on a Z-like, shape, winding up the hill on the far side of the village; this hill is lined by twelve Hobbit burrows.
- Bree-land Gatehouse - Just off the main gate of each village is the Gatehouse, a small shack home to a Bree-land Guard. Gatehouses are quite cramped, with only a bed, a small table, and a chest of odds and ends inside.
- Bree-land House - Most Bree-Men live in cosy houses made of drystone, wood, and thatch, of which Bree-land Villages each contain 32. These houses have small exterior gardens, a kitchen containing a furnace and a chest, a main room with stairs to the upper level, regular and Bree-land crafting tables, and small tables, a small backyard, and an attic with a bed, chest, rug, and occasionally some potted plants.
- Bree-land Stables - Each village contains two stables, low, long buildings that house tamed horses for visitors to take. Each building has four stalls, each with a hay bale, a cauldron, and one to two horses; the area between has piles of hay bales and an iron sword mounted on the wall opposite the gate. A small room in the back houses the stable owner, and contains a bed, a chest, a crafting table, and a barrel.
- Bree-land Barn - Large, two-floored structures that are typically surrounded by bales of hay. Barns feature four stalls similar too (but smaller than) those found in stables, with farm animals instead of horses, as well as a gate on either end, a water trough, two large chests, and plenty of hay. The upper floor of the barn consists of a pair of hay lofts, one of which features a chest; a chest of valuables can be found in the rafters between. Two can be found in each village.
- Bree-land Smithy - Each village has two Bree-land Smithies, special houses inhabited by Blacksmiths. Smithies have a yard out front containing two armour stands, an alloy forge, a cauldron, an anvil, an unsmeltery, and a wall-mounted rolling pin. Inside can be found a chest, a small table, more weapon racks and armour stands, and both a Bree-land and a regular crafting table. Smithies also contain a small bedroom, featuring a bed and a barrel.
- Ruffian House - Broken-down, darker, overgrown variants of the Bree-land House that are home to Ruffians. These houses are largely identical to the others in the villages, but are in considerably worse shape. Eight can be found in each village.
- Bree-Hobbit Burrow - Smaller versions of the more well-known Hobbit Holes found in the Shire, Bree-Hobbit Burrows are one-room houses built into the hills on the far side of Bree-land Villages, which each contain twelve burrows. These cosy homes have small gardens out front, and an interior containing two beds, two chests, a cauldron, a furnace, and a Bree-land crafting table.
- Bree-land Market - Lively markets home to four trader stalls, each housing one of a selection of possible Bree-land Traders. These stalls are grouped around a small market centrepiece, which is built around a tree. Two markets can be found in each village.
- Bree-land Sherriff Office - Large, stately houses home to Bree-land Sherriffs, one of which spawns in each village. The ground floor of the office contains a main room with a closet containing a chest of valuables, a guest-room with two beds and a chest, and a pantry with a chest, barrel, and Hobbit oven. The upper floor contains a table with food, regular and Bree-land crafting tables, a desk, and the Sherriff's bedroom to one side. An attic, accessible by ladder, contains a bed, thatch and cobwebs, and occasionally some chests, and is presumably used as a lock-up.
- Bree-land Inn - The heart of every self-respecting village, Bree-land's inns are the largest structures in the region, one of which can be found at the centre of each village. Each inn contains a large ground-floor common room with tables and a fireplace, as well as the innkeeper's stall, which contains a furnace, cauldron, chest, and two barrels. The upper level has its own small common area with four rooms off on the sides. Two of these rooms contain a single bed and an empty chest, while the other two have two levels, with a bed on each, a table on the lower floor, and a chest on the upper floor.
- Hamlet - Smaller settlements that can be found scattered across the Bree-land. They consist of a small path area around a well, with four to five structures generating around it. These structures are all drawn from the above list, with the exception that only individual market-stalls can generate, not full markets. Occasionally, hamlets will have perimeter walls like villages.
Fixed Structures[]
There are four fixed structures in the Bree-land - the villages of Bree, Staddle, Combe, and Archet. Each is a typical Bree-land Village, as described above, though some have unique attributes. Bree and Staddle are built into the west and east sides (respectively) of Bree-hill, which is its own fixed structure. Archet's main gate faces south, connecting with the end of the road north of the Archet waypoint, sitting on the very edge of Chetwood, with Combe's facing west and Staddle's facing east, at the ends of short roads leading from their own respective waypoints.
Bree itself is located east of its waypoint, with a side road connecting the north gate to the Greenway and the Great East Road continuing on from the village at the south gate. Bree is unique in that its tavern will always be named the Prancing Pony, run by Barliman Butterbur, and in that the last Ruffian House on the south side will always be inhabited by one Bill Ferny.
Mobs[]
Due to the watchful eyes of the Rangers, this land is completely free of Orcs. However, Gundabad Orcs and Wargs do occasionally invade. This makes it quite suitable for the Bree-folk, a mix of Men and Hobbits.
- Horse - These animals spawn fairly commonly here in groups of 2-6.
- Bree-Man - The Men of Bree. Distant relatives of the Dunlendings, the Bree-Men typically have names related to wildlife, and are generally a peaceable, if insular, folk.
- Bree-hobbit - The Hobbit settlements in Bree predate those of the Shire, and the Bree-Hobbits see their western kin as odd-mannered colonists. They are nonetheless quite like their cousins, with their love of food and similar habits.
- Bree-land Guard - The protectors of the Bree-land, these guards are Men, equipped with iron swords or pikes and clad in dyed leather armour, with iron helmets.
- Bree-land Sherriff - The leaders of the Bree-land Guards, sherriffs allow players with sufficient Bree-land alignment to hire Bree-land guards and banner bearers. They appear similar to their guardsmen, but they wear leather hats and carry books. They can be found in sherriff offices.
- Bree-land Blacksmith - Bree-Men tasked with the forging of weapons, tools, and armour. They can be found in smithies, and carry blacksmith hammers.
- Bree-land Innkeeper - Bree-Men who manage the various inns of the Bree-land. They sell food and drink to those in need of it. Some of the inns in the Bree-land are managed by Hobbits, who act just like their Big Folk counterparts.
- Bree-land Farmer - Bree-Men who manage the farms of Bree-land. They sell food products and allow players with sufficient alignment to hire farmhands, as well. They can be found in barns.
- Bree-land Farmhand - Bree-Men who tend the farms of Bree-land. They can be hired from Bree-land Farmers.
- Bree-land Market Traders - The markets of Bree-land's various settlements house a wide variety of traders, a mix of Men and Hobbits. Men can be found as bakers, butchers, brewers, masons, lumbermen, and florists, while Hobbits can be found as bakers, butchers, brewers, and florists.
- Ruffian Spy - Unfriendly and often unsightly as well, Bree-land's ruffians seem to serve the Enemy, though they live amongst the Bree-folk; indeed, some appear to have Orcish blood running through their veins. Ruffian spies will give similarly-aligned players quests to steal from unsuspecting Bree-folk.
- Ruffian Brute - Even worse than the spies are the ruffian brutes, thugs that carry iron swords, daggers, and axes. Those sufficiently aligned with Isengard can hire them through quests.
- Ranger of the North - Rarely, a lonely Dúnedain ranger visits Bree-land. If they seem to come just to enjoy a mug of ale to the Prancing Pony, they may probably expect a group of halflings bearing a highly valuable object.
Conquest[]
Bree-land can be conquered by Bree-land, Gundabad, Angmar and Isengard. The conquest rate is 1.0.
Vegetation[]
Bree-land is mostly composed of plains, but trees occasionally grow here, including the uncommon maple tree, from which you can harvest some tasty maple syrup. Occasional temperate deciduous forests dot the landscape, which contain beech, birch, oak, chestnut, aspen and, of course, the seasonal maple. There are also rarely apple and pear trees. Flower growth rates are average, as well as tall grass and its variants.
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