Misty Mountains

The Misty Mountains, also known as the Hithaeglir, are the highest mountain range of Middle-earth, created by Melkor back in the Years of the Trees. The name comes from the mist that lies in the air coming from and surrounding this cold climate.

The Misty Mountains are completely covered with thick snow and consist only of high mountains up to around layer 250. The snowline here lies on y=94.

Don't get any ideas about making this your vacation home; the "Misties" are no nice place to travel or live. The terrain is nearly impassable and full of Gundabad Orcs, Uruks, and Wargs, but it's the only region where Mithril can be found and mined.

Under the High Pass waypoint, around Y=15, one can find everyone's favourite friend in the nearest cave. For best results, bring large amounts of raw fish, a fishing pole, water, and a large amount of patience.

Appropriately, a dense mist covers the Misty Mountains, which makes the mountains hard to navigate. This can be avoided by going under a block or placing a light source, such as a torch, near you. If you want un-misty Misty Mountains, you can turn the mist off in the config file by accessing the "Misty Misty Mountains" tag.

Upon entering either the true mountains or the Misty Mountains foothills, you will get the achievement "The Mountains Cold." By climbing mountains above the cloud level, you will get the achievement "Mountaineer."

Sub-biomes Edit

Misty Mountains FoothillsEdit

This region marks the borders of the Misty Mountains and has far smaller hills, no snow and no mist. While the mountains themselves have no vegetation, the valleys in the foothills have spruces and larches (but nearly no flowers, herbs or other plants). This sub-biome has a two variants next to the standard version:

• Forest - Forest covered lands.
• Light Forest - Lightly forested lands.

The forests can be dominated by one species, creating:

• Aspen Forest - A forest dominated with aspen trees.
• Larch Forest - A forest dominated with larch trees.
• Pine Forest - A forest dominated with pine trees.

Variants Edit

The core of the Misty Mountains has no variants, but small patches of Misty Mountains Foothills can occur amidst the mountain ranges. The Misty Mountains Foothills are coded as the Mountain variant of the standard Misty Mountains biome. That variant has, by default, two dependent variants: Forest and Light Forest.

The light forest variant of the Misty Mountains.

The foothills of the Misty Mountains.

An older screenshot of the Misty Mountains.

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Mobs Edit

The mountains are populated by Gundabad Orcs, Uruks and Wargs, which spawn quite often. As in most biomes, they only spawn in dark places or during the night. The Misty Mountains are the homeland of the Gundabad Orcs, who trouble the northern lands from their bases of Mount Gundabad, Mount Gram, Goblin-Town, and Moria, which are not yet in the mod.

• Gundabad Orc - Orcs from Mount Gundabad in the Misty Mountains allied only to themselves. They use random pieces of armour and equipment from various orc and neutral sets.
• Gundabad Orc Archer - Gundabad Orcs with bows and arrows.
• Gundabad Warg - Wargs (giant wolves) allied with the Gundabad Orcs. They can be ridden by Gundabad Orcs or archers.
• Gundabad Uruk - Powerful Uruk-hai who have left their old homes for the Misty Mountains, and now fight for Gundabad. They wield cleavers, waraxes, and bludgeons.
• Gundabad Uruk archers - Gundabad Uruks armed with orc bows.
• Gundabad Orc Chieftains - leaders of the Gundabad Orcs who spawn in ruined towers. They allow you to hire all of the above and more.

Prior to Public Beta 24, mobs allied with Isengard could spawn in these mountains.

Structures Edit

Next to hidden Orc Dungeons and scattered Stone Ruins, the only noteworthy structures that can be found here are:

• Ruined Dwarven Tower - Souvenirs of their former Dwarven owners to the new Gundabad occupants. These are handy bases for the local Gundabad Orc Chieftains and their bands of irregular troops. These often prove to be helpful, as they allow the player to smelt mithril without having to go to the Iron Hills or Erebor.
• Ruined Dwarven Mine - the abandoned remains of the dwarves' extensive mining efforts. They still may contain treasure chests deep beneath the earth.

Fixed structures Edit

• Eagle's Eyrie
• Mount Gundabad
• Mount gram

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Mount Gundabad Edit

This mountain, located at the northernmost point of the Misties, was home to one of the most feared tribes of Orcs in Middle-earth. This mountain was originally a Dwarven fortress, and the birthplace of Durin the Deathless, but was taken over by Orcs and made into a place of great evil. Players with negative Gundabad alignment cannot fast-travel here. In the mod, Mount Gundabad appears much rockier and less conical than other mountains. It peaks at about y=241 and is found at the Mount Gundabad waypoint at about 49272, -17568.

Mount Gram Edit

Mount Gram is a mountain on a westward spur of the Misty Mountains. The caverns beneath were home to a clan of Gundabad Orcs, which led an attack on the Shire, but were defeated by the Bullroarer in the Battle of Greenfields.

Eagle's Eyrie Edit

Eagles' Eyrie is a hill on the eastern side of the Misty Mountains near the Vales of Anduin and north of the road to the pass. It is located in the Misty Mountains foothills region of the map. This mountain housed the eyries of the Great Eagles of the Misty Mountains. Alignment does not affect this fast travel waypoint. As the mountain is mostly snowy, it is relatively barren; however, trees do grow at the base of it.

Mount Caradhras Edit

Caradhras, otherwise known as Redhorn or Barazinbar, is the northernmost and tallest of the three mountains of Moria. It was under Caradhras that the greatest mithril veins were, and deep under the mountain the dwarves awoke a balrog of Morgoth, which was named Durin's Bane after it slew Durin VI, their king.

Mount Celebdil Edit

Celebdil, otherwise known as Silvertine or Zirakzigil, is one of the three mountains of Moria. The majority of Moria was dug under Celebdil, but now the dark halls are stalked by hordes of Gundabad Orcs.

Mount Fanuidhol Edit

Fanuidhol, otherwise known as Cloudyhead or Bundushathur, was the third Mountain of Moria.

Mount Methedras Edit

Methedras was the southernmost peak of the Misty Mountains, and was tall enough to remain snowcapped despite being far south.

Mining Edit

All the normal ores spawn in the Misty Mountains, but one ore in particular is exclusive to this biome: Mithril ore is the most valuable ore in the game, and can only be found here. It can be found in layer y=16 and below, and is about twice as rare as diamond ore is in the overworld. This is the strongest metal in Middle-earth, and can be made into Mithril equipment. It's strongly recommended to have at least a full iron armour set equipped when you mine in the caves! Danger lurks behind every corner, including lava, and the Great Uruks of Gundabad are not to be taken lightly. In Public Beta 29 you can even find Glowstone ore here.

Vegetation Edit

The mountains themselves have no vegetation, but spruces (normal and huge variant), firs, pines, and larches grow in small valleys and in the Misty Mountains foothills.

LoreEdit

The Misty Mountains were originally risen by Melkor to hinder the riding of Oromë in the Years of the Trees. When they were discovered by the elves they were named the "Hithaeglir", or the Towering Mists. Later, Aulë created the Dwarves, and they were awoken underneath the Misty Mountains by Ilúvatar. These Dwarves established Khazad-dûm, or Moria in Sindarin. They maintained this stronghold until the Second Age when Eregion was overrun by Orcs, and the gates to Moria were shut. Later, during the Third Age, Sauron began to rise again, a balrog awoke and drove the dwarves from Moria, later to be back by Orcs of the Misty Mountains and all recolonization attempts have ended in utter failure.

The Hosts of Gundabad

NPCs: Orc (Archer, Banner Bearer) • Uruk (Archer) • Warg Traders: Chieftain • Scrounger Items: Armour • Chain • Equipment • Skull Staff Blocks: Bed • Crafting Table • Forge • Torch Structures: Camp • Dungeon