This post is the fifth in a series this month for International Picture Posting Month, see this post for more details.
Earlier in the week I had a free evening and decided to take a break from EQ2 to play some Lord of the Rings Online. I planned to continued with the epic storyline of Update 19 as per my last session and was soon swept up in the move north into a new region, North Ithilien.
As per usual my attempts at driving onwards to follow the main storyline were somewhat hampered by wandering off the road to mine ore nodes. The land is beautiful and mostly peaceful, at least compared to the grim state of war-torn Pelennor. That’s not to say danger doesn’t lurk in the thickset trees, however…
Ugh! I’m not getting any closer for a clearer screenshot!
My pleasure in blazing my own trail through a new area, and the chance to be inquisitive and stick my nose into everything, did lead me away from what I was supposed to be doing – talking to heralds along the way. By the time I reached the hidden Ranger camp at Aelin Veren, having meandered far to either side of the road along the way, I realised I still had two heralds to talk to right back near where I started at Osgiliath.
Thankfully, I had set a bind point back at the camp there so it was no trouble to return to the session’s starting point. Heralds were duly located and given their orders. The very next quest had me going, naturally, to the Ranger camp up north again. So more riding it was!
It’s strange, I can distinctly remember getting annoyed with long back and forth travel in LOTRO, and in other MMOs, in the past. Travel seems to be less of a feature of our virtual adventures nowadays. Not that I want every session to be dominated by long horse-rides like this, but it made quite a refreshing change to be focused on the road and the passing scenery for once, rather than fight after fight.
Back at Aelin Veren I explored the place from top to bottom, the epic storyline encouraged me to do so, and was rather taken aback at how striking this hidden Ranger post is. I left my character in this place of safety, ready for journeys further into the region another day.
A room with a view, indeed!
GamingSF 
Pingback: Nearly IntPiPoMo time | GamingSF