In the year 3011 of the Third Age, Middle-earth stands upon a precipice, though few living beneath the shadow of the great mountains truly grasp the depth of the coming twilight. For generations, the lands have known a fragile, weary peace. The shadow that fell with the defeat of the Dark Lord Sauron long ago has been a mere memory, a whisper in old tales.
The world the Free Peoples have inherited is one of fading light and lengthening nights, a time imperiled by a rising darkness that few can yet name. The great powers are distracted: the Elves are dwindling, looking ever westward; the Dwarves are secure within their mountains but few in number; and the Men of the West are a diminished race whose kingdom of Gondor holds a long, lonely vigil.
The North remains a sparsely populated, wild expanse where ancient evils and forgotten ruins lie dormant. The Shire remains blissful in its isolation, and the quiet folk of Bree go about their business with little thought for the world beyond their borders. The Northmen, the Beornings, and the scattered Rangers are the thin line of defense that keeps the remnants of civilization safe. It is into this world that a new age of heroes must emerge, for the established orders are weary, and the old alliances are strained. The map of Middle-earth is vast, a patchwork of kingdoms and wildernesses where destiny awaits those brave enough to step away from the firelight of their homes. Far to the south and east, in the land of Mordor, the enemy is stirring again. The Dark Lord Sauron has been quietly gathering his strength, recovering lost power, and breeding armies in the shadows. He has rebuilt his tower, Barad-dûr, and the air around Mount Doom is thick with ash and evil purpose.Though his influence is subtle at first, it bleeds outward, corrupting the minds of men in the South and East and gathering fell creatures to his banner. The Nazgûl, his most terrible servants, ride forth in secret, searching for a lost object of power that holds the key to his final victory. This resurgent threat is the true context of the age, the storm on the horizon that will soon break over all the lands.
The signs of the turning tide are everywhere, if one knows where to look. The roads are becoming unsafe, haunted by desperate men and darker things. Whispers of a "Shadow" in Mirkwood are growing louder, a malign influence deep within the forest that drives all light from the canopy.
These are not isolated incidents but symptoms of a singular, growing cancer upon the world. The time for peaceful ignorance is ending, and the time for action is fast approaching. The great War of the Ring, though yet unnamed, is an inevitability. It will be a series of conflicts across the entire continent, from Minas Tirith in the West to the distant realms of the North.Your path, should you choose to walk it, will lead you out of the quiet security of the North Downs and across the vast, untamed expanses of Wilderland. Fate may push you through the shadowed paths of Mirkwood, over the Misty Mountains, and into the sun-drenched vales of the River Running. You will find yourselves drawn inexorably towards Dale and the Lonely Mountain, a beacon of Dwarf and Man resilience in the East. There, the forces of Sauron, having subdued the East, will march to conquer the only free kingdoms left in the region. While the armies of Gondor and Rohan fight for the fate of Men in the South, the North will fight a desperate battle against a powerful Eastern army of Sauron's allies. This is a campaign about the twilight of an age, where hope is a small but persistent flame in the darkness.
It's a story of ordinary people caught in extraordinary times, called to defend their homes and the memory of a free Middle-earth. The road is long, the dangers are great, but the need for heroes has never been more dire. Welcome to the Third Age, adventurers. May your swords stay sharp, and your hearts stay true.




