Gil-galad was an elven-king....
Of him the harpers sadly sing...
The last whose realm was fair and free...
Between the Mountains and the Sea.
Mae govannen, mellon-in, and welcome to the twentieth suggestion in the series of biome improvements. In this we shall be focusing on the Last Fair Realm, my favorite faction in Middle-earth, and also the Ered Luin and Western Isles. The prior suggestions can be found below:
Biome Improvements:
The Amon Ereb waypoint should really not be in the mod, seeing how it was too far westward to survive the Ruin of Beleriand.
In Lindon, a blue-grey mist should permeate the screen, and the sky should be bright blue, rather like a grey Lothlorien.
The grass should also be a little brighter too, so on the map I made it more bluish, light green.
High Elves should be far rarer in Lindon, as they were a declining race.
White Towers should probably be removed from the Tower Hills. It's said there were only three of them there.
It's very inaccurate that Gundabad and Angmar can invade both Lindon and Ered Luin. I advise that these be removed, as it doesn't make much sense.
The Ered Luin should be much lower than they currently are. In the books, they were not even snowcapped. A blue mist should also spawn faintly in the mountains, to represent the distance effect that makes mountains seem blue.
The fortress of Nogrod should be under the Gulf of Lune atm, so it would be best to remove that waypoint and replace it with Thorin's Halls.
New Biomes:- Lindon: The current land of of Lindon, but with far fewer High Elves and their structures. This is divided between Forlindon and Harlindon.-Harlindon is a more flowered, warm plain while Forlindon is a cooler plain with more towns and mist.
- Lindon Falas: The coastal parts of Lindon, and the most populous. High Elves are still less common than they are curently.
- Abandoned Blue Mountains: An empty part of the Ered Luin, with no Dwarves. Only ruines structures spawn here.
- Himling: A flat, green island with Elven Ruins all about it.
- Tol Fuin: A hilly, moor region on the island. Heather, boulders, and small lakes are common here, and Numenorean and High Elven ruins are rare.
- Tol Fuin Mountains: The rocky and tangled mountains of Dorthonion in the center of the island. No structures spawn here save rare High Elven ruins.
- Tol Morwen: A tiny, rocky and forested island with Numenorean ruins.
- Beleriand Shelf: I saw this in another suggestion (can't remember whose :P) but this would be a slightly shallower area west in the area of Beleriand. Elven Ruins and islands would spawn here, the former being confined to this area alone. It's impossible to see the difference on the map, but it spans from Andrast north to the edge of the map and back to the Cape of Forochel.
NPCs:
- High Elven Traders who sell goods. These include: Vintner, Fisher, Hunter, Blacksmith, Shipwright, and Gardener (Florist).
-Lindon Mariners: The remnant of the Falathrim of the West, these hardy Sindar man ships and fight in aquatic battles. They can move exceptionally fast in water, are armed with a javelin and sword, and wear Falathrim Armor. They are perfect for amphibious assaults or boarding an enemy vessel.
- Noldorin Lord: A hireable unit, but more like a captain that follows you. These are the best warriors of the Free People in Middle-earth, but require 700 alignment, a quest involving lots of Orc-slaughtering, and an exorbitant amount of coin. They wear Noldorin armor with a cape, use Noldorin Blades, have 35 (40?) HP, and permanent speed and strength buffs. They also grand an aura of power and hope, so all near them recieve Resistance. These do not spawn in invasions or naturally, save in a Noldorin Council Hall. When they go into battle, they sing songs about Elbereth and Earendil.
I know I'll get complaints that this will be OP, namely because it is OP. Besides the huge amount of money and alignment required, and the quest, I have another Good debuff in mind to balance it out. Here it is:
Dwarves are short. Gimli himself said he found Hillmen a little large for him to fight. As such, I propose that for Hobbits and Dwarves (and maybe Snagae?) when fighting an enemy that is taller than an Uruk, they would recieve debuffs. As such, humans would be an excellent choice for Evil players to hire, as they would slaughter Dwarves. However, Orcs wouldn't stand a chance. This makes it a little harder for Dwarven players (currently a really powerful faction) and adds immersion to the gameplay.
Items:
High Elven Wine: A delicious, golden liquor found in High-elven buildings. It replaces Miruvor, the Cordial of Imladris, but performs all the same functions.
High Elven Bread: A white bread made with wheat, sugar and berries. It is very sustaining and replaces Lembas in High Elven structures.
Noldorin Blade: This master blade is one of the sharpest in Middle-earth. It does devastating damage to any foe, yet is fast and light. It might make sense for it to be uncraftable, and only able to be purchased from a High Elven Smith.
Noldorin Armor: With Dwarven-level protection, this work of art in blue and silver mail is a terrifying sight for any Orc. It would have to be purchased for a large fee from High Elven Smith, but once gained it makes the bearer a pure terror on the battlefield.
Falas Armor: A cyan jacket over grey chainmail, this is relatively weak armor for the Elves, but still exceptionally strong. It grants speed in water and
Structures:
- Abandoned Blue Dwarven Mine: A deserted mine in the Abandoned Blue Mountains.
- High Elven House: A home made of stone and birchwood, found in Villages or rarely alone in the biome. They have slanted roofs, a porch, and a small balcony on the top.
- High Elven Village: A collection of Houses surrounded by a circular birch wall. There is a Noldorin Council Hall in the middle.
- High Elven Town: A larger town with a circular stone wall, Halls, and paved streets. There are several towers and a Council Hall in the center.
- Noldorin Council Hall: A very large birch and stone hall, with a flat clay roof, and central bell tower. A High Elven Lord and a single Noldorin Lord spawns here.
Texture Changes:
High Elven brick should be grey-blue, because the Grey Havens shouldn't be golden.
I changed the textures in my texture pack to a silver and aquamarine for the High Elves, as I believe it fits better with their seafaring culture than the gold currently used. The weaponry is also improved.
I've made some blue and silver skins for the High Elves as well, which I far prefer to the current ones.
Finally, High Elven Torches should have gold and silver variants like the book did.
Thank you for reading this suggestion! As always, comments, Kudos, and contructive critiscism is most welcome.
Ithilion, Discussions Moderator(Auta i lome) 05:03, January 7, 2017 (UTC)