The Lord of the Rings: War in the North

***The Lord of the Rings: War in the North*** (commonly abbreviated to **WITN**) is a role-playing video-game developed by Snowblind Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows. The game takes place during the War of the Ring but adapts the seldom-mentioned battles that took place across Eriador and Rhovanion. The game was released between 1 November and 25 November 2011.

The Mac OS X version of the game was developed and published by Feral Interactive and released on 18 September 2013.

The game is based on both the books and the films.

Although the game includes familiar locations from Middle-earth it does not revolve around the core story of *The Lord of the Rings*; instead, it creates an original tale. The player controls his own fellowship, a trio of fighters - Eradan, a Dúnadan "Ranger of the North," Andriel, an elven "Loremaster of Rivendell" and Farin, a dwarvern "Champion of Erebor" - to get behind enemy lines and have to stop Agandaûr, the game's antagonist, before his plan succeeds.

## Plot

### Prologue

The game starts with an introduction, narrated by Gandalf. Gandalf tells that heroes like Aragorn, Frodo Baggins and Gandalf are honored much, but that without a few, not well known heroes - Eradan, Andriel and Farin - the north of Middle-earth would have been lost.

The game then switches to Bree, where the three heroes make their way to the Prancing Pony, just a few days before Frodo arrived in Bree. Arrived in the Prancing Pony, they find Aragorn in a corner of the inn. They tell Aragorn that the Nazgûl attacked and defeated the Rangers at Sarn Ford, and a flashback shown in which the Witch-king meets a Black Númenórean, Agandaûr. Eradan, Andriel and Farin overhear their conservation: Agandaûr tells he has summoned an army of Orcs of the Misty Mountains and assembled an army in Fornost, to aid the Nazgûl in the Hunt of the Ring. The Witch-king sends Agandaûr back to Fornost, so he can attack immediately. The flashback ends, and the game returns to the Prancing Pony

Farin asks Aragorn why the Nazgûl attack the Shire, to which he answers that a Hobbit with an important burden is making his way to Bree. And that this "must be protected at all cost". Aragorn sends Eradan, Andriel and Farin to Fornost, where they have to stop Agandaûr's army before it can attack.

### Chapter 1: Fornost

As soon as Eradan, Andriel and Farin enter the ruins of Fornost they are attacked by a band of Orcs and Goblins. After cleaning the main gate, they end up in the pits under Fornost. There they hear an animal screaming. After finding their way out of the pits, they find the source of the noise - a giant Eagle. The three heroes unchain the Eagle and kill it's jailers. The Eagle introduces himself as Beleram, a servant of Gwaihir who gathered news but was taken out of the air by siege engines and sorcerers. Together the Eagle and the three heroes make a plan: while Beleram would attract the enemy's attention, Eradan, Andriel and Farin would make their way up to the battlements to destroy the siege weapons. The plan works out succesful, as all siege weapons as well as two Orc sorcerers are destroyed. The player, furthermore, obtains a scroll with unreadable text. When reaching the outer wards of Fornost, the players meets again with Beleram. The eagle thanks his rescuers again and tells them that he saw Elladan and Elrohir within the ruins. While searching the two Half-elves, they defeat a giant crossbow, used by Orcs, and are trapped by a Troll. Just shortly after the death of the Troll, the sons of Elrond appear. Andriel introduces Eradan and Farin to Elladan and Elrohir, and informs them about their task. They collaborate in this task, but instead of just stopping the army to attack they decide to kill Agandaûr. The sons of Elrond guide the player to the citadel. They separate, however, after defeating another giant crossbow. Eventually, they are locked on a bridge between two gates. After surviving an ambush, the sons of Elrond appear again and open the gate. After defeating another more ambushed, they arrive at the gate of the citadel. Which is protected by a magic spell, to stop intruders. While the sons of Elrond undo the magic, the player defends them against an attacking force of Orcs, Goblins and a Troll. As Eradan, Andriel, Farin, Elrohir and Elladan enter the citadel, Beleram remains outside to protect them against reinforcements. Inside, they overhear a conservation between Agandaûr and Tharzog, chieftain of the Orcs of Mount Gram. Tharzog tells Agandaûr that there are intruders in Fornost, after which Agandaûr angrily commands him to find and kill them immediately. After Agandaûr leaves, the player and the sons of Elrond go onward in the tower. Tharzog, however, notices them and as a gate is closed, the player is cut off from the sons of Elrond. Tharzog and his guard attack Eradan, Andriel and Farin, but the latter manage to kill him.

At the same time, Elladan and Elrohir fight Agandaûr on the top of the Citadel tower. Agandaûr is no match for the twins alone, but when Eradan, Andriel and Farin join them he flees on the back of a Fell beast. Beleram attempt to chase him, but Agandaûr summons a thunderstorm and escapes.

Beleram returns to Gwaihir, in the Misty Mountains, to inform him about the events in Fornost, Elladan and Elrohir return to Rivendell and Eradan, Andriel and Farin go back to Sarn's Ford to inform Halbarad.

### Chapter 2: The Barrow Downs

The leader of the camp, Halbarad, sends the party to Rivendell, to report of the events at Fornost to Aragorn. As they are to travel through the Barrow Downs, Halbarad asks them to keep an eye out for two rangers, Luin and Kilaran, who went missing in the area. Traversing the Barrow Downs, Eradan, Andriel and Farin encounter many wights as they fight their way through the tombs, following ranger clues into Amon Gorthad, the Great Barrow. There, they find Kilaran ensnared in nightmares. Luin has fallen to a great wight, controlling him, and they must defeat him to make their way out and finally head to Rivendell. The fellowship travels through the Barrow Downs, where they have to find two lost rangers.

### Chapter 3: Ettenmoors

In Rivendell the fellowship meets several members of the Council of Elrond, scout the land around Rivendell and fight Orcs with Elladan and Elrohir.

### Chapter 4: Gundabad

Whilst the Fellowship of the Ring travels towards Mordor to destroy the One Ring, Sauron has sent one of his most cruel servants, the Black Númenórean Agandaûr, to the North to destroy Rivendell and defeat the Free peoples of Eriador and Rhovanion. Eradan, Andriel and Farin travel to Gundabad to discover the strength of Agandaûr's army.

### Chapter 5: Mirkwood

Eradan, Andriel and Farin travel with Beleram to Mirkwood in search of Radagast. In the air they’re attacked by Wolfram, a sorcerer and a Fell Beast rider, after which they fall from the Eagle’s back. They defeat Wolfram, after his death Wolfram’s Fell Beast tries to escape but is killed by Beleram. Andriel leads the others deeper into Mirkwood. They are ambushed by a group of Orcs and an Orc shaman. Eventually the fellowship enter a cave where they defeat a Cave-troll.