The first time I made it into Evendim, not long after the zone opened up, I was blown away by the ruins dotting the landscape and the views across Lake Nenuial. If you have never spent any time there, you are missing out on what I think may be the most visually stunning zone in the entire game.
Lots of players quest in Evendim when they are in the 30-40 level range, but if they leave for browner pastures in Angmar and the Trollshaws after that point (perhaps after beating their heads in frustration over the Tomb of Elendil instance) and do not return, they miss out on the most challenging part of the zone, the city of Annúminas, which used to be end-game content before the Moria expansion was released in late 2008.
The devs have taken the little information in Tolkien’s writings about Evendim and a lot of creativity to give us this fantastic area. If you want to understand anything about the lore of this zone, you need to know something about a character who looms in the background throughout The Lord of the Rings.
Elendil, Founder of Arnor
Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn’ Ambar-metta!
This statement is quoted by Aragorn in The Return of the King when he is crowned King of Gondor. Its originator was Aragorn’s distant ancestor, Elendil, who had died in battle against Sauron more than 3,000 years earlier. The statement—which, in case your Elvish is rusty, is translated, “Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come. In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world”—is a reference to Elendil’s escape from the destruction of the island kingdom of Númenor in the year 3319 of the Second Age (S.A.).
In case you have not read the “Akallabêth” in The Silmarillion, Númenor was a supernatural gift to the men who had aided the elves in the wars against Morgoth (Sauron’s boss) in the First Age. It was raised out of the sea far to the west of Middle-earth, almost within sight of Valinor, the Blessed Realm (where the elves sail when they leave Middle-earth). The rulers of Númenor were given long lifespans of hundreds of years and great power, but they were forbidden from trying to sail to the Blessed Realm. When the last king of Númenor rebelled against this command and sailed west with an army, intending to conquer Valinor, Eru (Tolkien’s creation deity) opened a chasm in the sea, and Númenor fell into it, destroying the island and its inhabitants.
However, Elendil (“elf-friend”), his sons Isildur and Anárion, and their followers escaped the destruction of their home. Elendil’s family was a powerful one in Númenor; it was descended from the first king, and unlike the rulers of the island and the majority of its people, it had remained friendly with the elves.
Elendil knew that nothing good could come of an assault on Valinor, and when the king’s expedition set sail to the west, he and his sons took nine ships and stood off from Númenor to the east to see what would happen. When the island sank, Elendil’s people “fled before the black gale out of the twilight of doom and into the darkness of the world.” In the process, they were separated; Isildur and Anárion sailed eventually to the mouths of the Anduin River, and together they founded the kingdom of Gondor in that region. Elendil’s four ships arrived much further north, in Lindon near the Grey Havens, where Gil-galad, High King of the Elves in Middle-earth, reigned.
Gil-galad befriended Elendil, who traveled inland and established the kingdom of Arnor east of Ered Luin. Arnor stretched throughout Eriador, including not only the LOTRO zone of Evendim, but also those of the Shire (before there were hobbits there), Bree-land, the North Downs, the Lone-lands, and the Trollshaws. Its capital, though, was at Annúminas on the shores of Lake Nenuial (Evendim). Elendil ruled there for over 100 years. This is why the architecture in Evendim looks so much more epic than it does in other zones of Eriador.
In 3441 S.A., Elendil (as well as Gil-galad) was killed in Mordor while defeating Sauron. This event marked the end of Middle-earth’s Second Age and the beginning of its Third Age (T.A.).
Isildur intended to return to Annúminas and rule over Arnor, but he and three of his sons were killed in the Gladden Fields on the way back from Gondor in 2 T.A. Isildur’s fourth son, Valandil, had remained behind at Rivendell instead of going to the war, and he became the ruler of Arnor in 10 T.A. Tolkien writes that so many of the Arnorians had died in the war against Sauron that there were now too few to maintain the places Elendil had built, and from that time forward Arnor was in steady decline. After 861 T.A., the kingdom was divided, and Annúminas was no longer the capital of all Eriador. Ultimately, the Arnorians abandoned the city.
If you’re like me, understanding Tolkien’s history of Arnor, even though it is presented in a very skeletal fashion in The Silmarillion and the appendices of The Return of the King, can greatly increase your enjoyment while questing in Eriador, and especially in the Evendim zone. What you are seeing in Evendim is the devs’ imagining of the ruins of a powerful civilization that ruled all Eriador for almost 1,000 years. Next time you have to swim across that lake to kill salamanders or get to Gwindeth, use the time to do a camera panorama and appreciate Tolkien’s vision of an impressive lost civilization.
Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome to the CStM team! For the time being, I plan to alternate posts dealing with outside-LOTRO lore and posts discussing in-game lore. I hope you enjoy it!
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July 23, 2010 at 9:24 am
Very nice summary! Yes Evendim is one of my absolute favourite regions to play.
Every time one of my alts reaches the mid 30ies, I say “I should really level in the Trollshaws this time, they are also very nice” – only to end up doing only epic book quests there. I just love the look and the open feel of the place. (Not to mention the number of boars there…
). Tomb of Elendil and the story behind it, actually helping with the reforging of Anduril – could it get any better? Annuminas – an epic place, and with the sneaky safe paths and the street fighting scenario a challenging place to be. Eyes all over required. Something quite unique to the whole game, come to think of it.
July 23, 2010 at 9:35 am
Wonderful! Really like how you make this complicated history sound simple
Your posts definitely gives a new meaning to what we usually don’t understand in Lotro, I really like it!!
Keep up the good work!
July 23, 2010 at 9:50 am
Nice look into the lore.
It’s worth mentioning that, if I remember correctly, Aragorn (as King Elessar) will eventually restore Annunimas, and Fornost as well if I remember correctly. But that’s not ’til the Fourth Age…
-The Gneech
July 23, 2010 at 9:51 am
Wow, it must be morning. Could I have added “if I remember correctly” one more time?
-TG
July 24, 2010 at 8:58 am
Good point, TG. You do remember correctly!
July 23, 2010 at 10:45 am
Awesome post, thanks for this. When I spent my time in Evendim I looked at the huge city just off the lake many times, but never went there. Seemed like a shame. I’ll have to go back there now and invade.
July 23, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Great lore summary, Punggo, the Silmarillion is tough reading so having some of the relevant lore like this pulled out for players is great.
July 23, 2010 at 3:18 pm
I take every opportunity to mention that Lake Evendim has the most beautiful water I’ve ever seen in a game, massively multiplayer or otherwise.
July 23, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Awesome pics and background info. Nice work Punggo, I’ll remember this article the next time I level a character through Evendim. Very cool.
July 23, 2010 at 6:18 pm
I have two alts that are there now. My only complaint is the endless swimming and how expensive the boat ride is. However, I have to agree that that whole region is perhaps the prettiest in the whole game and I’m always sad to see it go when I’ve finished my quests there.
When I quested there with Isilwren I had higher lvl hunters always trying to get me into Annuminnas for rep. Through the main gates is always a scary way to go, but if you sneak around by way of the Blue Lady’s cave you can get in fairly easily to the ranger’s encampment.
July 24, 2010 at 10:07 am
And a note for those interested in the lore: I just completed the deed for the kings tombs east of Annuminas. In the book of deeds you can read tidbits about a number of kings of Arnor, Elendil among them.
July 24, 2010 at 7:06 pm
Great read, I’m always impressed with how much lore is woven all throughout this game
And for me, Evendim and Annuminas are 2 of my favorite areas both in appearance and for leveling. However, that stupid chain with the walking wolf dudes seriously needs to be changed as there’s no way I’m ever taking a toon in there solo unless I roll another Warden
July 27, 2010 at 11:21 am
Nice post, I must be the only person who does enjoy Evendim the area for questign much (love the scenary though) but always comes and does annuminas and the 6 mans in there… I need the cloak of the west tower on every character!!!
I love your articles, as I too am very keen on the lore and its back ground. It a while since I did the Tomb of Elendil so I forget if the instance’s story goes on to correct this faux par… but…. there is no tomb as far as I remeber? I was certain there is just a secret mound raised in the centre of Gondor (somewhere south of Ghan Buri Ghan’s woods) to commorate him This was where his remains were interred, and only the Kings were allowed there, though I vaguely remember something about Eorl the young who swearing his oath there? Any recollections on this?
keep up the good work?
July 27, 2010 at 11:22 am
Should read ‘doesn’t enjoy Evendim for questing much’
sorry my excuse is tiredness!
July 27, 2010 at 11:34 am
You’re right about Elendil not being buried in Evendim. The game acknowledges this and says that the “tomb” is really a monument in the deed notes for the Evendim tombs.
July 27, 2010 at 12:13 pm