LOTRO Update 6: Shores of the Great River to contain seven new areas

Turbine has sent over a nifty breakdown of the content players will be receiving when Update 6: Shores of the Great River is released for Lord of the Rings Online.

Upon going live, players will have the following seven new areas to traverse:

Thinglad: Thinglad is defined by its tall, grey trees with twisted, roots that drink deeply from the Great River. The forest is misty and shadowed while the skies are pale and as cheerless as the land itself. Once part of the Golden Wood, Thinglad has become a no man’s land between Lothlórien and Rohan in the last 200 years.

In the area, players will Assist the sentinels of Lothlórien in patrolling their southern border and mediate relations between the Galadhrim and the Rohirrim of Stangard who have recently been clashing during patrols. At the same time, heroes are needed to scatted Orcs and Wargs that have moved into the area before they become a larger threat to the region.

Parth Celebrant: The ruins of an ancient Gondorian keep, where brave soldiers once kept watch, stand at the southern edge of Parth Celebrant, overlooking the green plains. The site of the fiercest fighting during the Battle of the Fields of Celebrant, Parth Celebrant is also the site of a terrible betrayal. Gondorian soldiers allowed their fortress to fall to the enemy in exchange for safety and Eastern riches, condemning their countrymen to death.

Players will confront troubles both living and undead upon the fields of Parth Celebrant where a great treason once befell Gondor. Bring redemption to the traitorous shades so they may rest or destroy them if they are beyond aid.

Eorlsmead: Established on the highest rise in the rolling plains of Eorlsmead, the Rohirrim village of Stangard keeps its watch over the region. Though many men who serve at Stangard have been sent as punishment for recent, petty crimes, the village remains fiercely loyal to Rohan and Théoden, their king.

Though the soldiers of Stangard are strong and fiercely loyal to their king, the village has fallen on hard times and hope is in short supply. Lift spirits by helping with shortages of food and supplies and thinning the numbers of hostile beasts in the area. Root out the source of mistrust and discontent amongst the council.

Wailing Hills: The Wailing Hills are defined by the steep, rocky outcroppings, called tors, which stretch out from the Misty Mountains like long fingers. Statues of Cirion of Gondor and Eorl the Young rise from the earth as ancient symbols of friendship but Orcs, growing bolder, have begun to defile them. Hundreds of years ago, the forefathers of Rohan destroyed a great Easterling army in the deep valleys of the Wailing Hills to save the forces of Cirion, Steward of Gondor. The name of the land itself comes from the Rohirric word wael meaning “slaughter.

Many years have passed since the height of Rohan’s strength along the Great River and Orcs and spiders have returned to the Wailing Hills. Drive out the Orcs and prevent them from allying themselves with the White Hand.

Limlight Gorge: Caught between the rugged Misty Mountains and the northern reaches of Fangorn Forest, Limlight Gorge is a dangerous and untamed wilderness. Here, the Limlight River gushes forth over falls and rapids as it flows eastward to join the Anduin. The appearance of the unnatural storms from the North and the encroachment of Fangorn from the South gives the area an uneasy feeling as unseen forces seem to fight for dominance over the canyon.

Descend into the Limlight Gorge, where an unnatural storm has cast the land into deep shadow. Hunt fearsome trolls from the Misty Mountains who wander freely, no longer fearing the sun, and investigate the mysterious grove spreading at the base of the cliff beneath Fangorn Forest.

Brown Lands: Ravaged thousands of years ago during a terrible war, the Brown Lands are nearly inhospitable and are filled with withered scrub and stones as far as the eye can see. It is believed that the Brown Lands were devastated by the power of Sauron himself nearly 3,000 years ago during the War of the Last Alliance. Before that, many beautiful gardens were tended here though little evidence of them now remains.

Players will contend with an invading host within the desolate Brown Lands. Here the Rohirrim struggle to keep an old foe at bay while fortifying against their enemies’ mysterious new allies.

The Rushgore: A treacherous marshland, the Rushgore serves as the buffer between the fields of Parth Celebrant and the bleak Brown Lands. The eastern end of the Rushgore is one of the few places at which the Anduin can be crossed without the aid of boats. Little is now known of the Rushgore and was known has been lost to time.

Within the murky marshland of the Rushgore, ruthless brigands, once only a nuisance, have become a threat to the region. Pursue these brigands to reclaim priceless relics of Rohan and Gondor and extend aid to woodsmen who have found themselves overwhelmed while travelling north and now cannot leave.

The update is a precursor to the Riders of Rohan expansion which is set to go live in the fall and you can view the batch of screenshots Turbine sent over below.

Update 6 is scheduled to go live in the spring, and players will also be privy to an update to the Instance Finder, as well as the option to call upon their Skirmish solider anywhere in the game - except for instances.

This spring will mark the fifth Anniversary of LOTRO and Turbine’s planning to hold a large celebration it says players "won’t want to miss."