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Characters / The Lord Of The Rings Online Epic Book Characters

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The Lord of the Rings Online | Main Character Index
Recurring Epic Book Characters | Inhabitants of Middle-Earth | Antagonists | Historical Characters

Recurring Epic Book Characters

Here is a list of characters who play an important reoccuring role in the narrative of The Lord of the Rings Online. They include characters canon to the books as well as original characters created by Turbine and Standing Stone Games.

Be warned of Spoilers below!

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Introduced in Volume I: The Legacy of Angmar

    The Fellowship of the Ring 
The famous Fellowship of the Ring, who are tasked by the Council of Rivendell with journeying to Mordor and destroying the One Ring. For their book counterparts, see here.
  • Breaking the Fellowship: Their book counterparts are the Trope Namer for this. You don't personally see it happen yourself, but Vol. III Book 7 is all about investigating the aftermath of the events at Parth Galen, experiencing Session Plays from the perspective of Frodo and Boromor, and piecing together what happened out of that.
  • Early-Bird Cameo: Most of them appear in early introduction quests depending on what race you start as:
    • Frodo, Sam, and Pippin are briefly met on the road from Tuckborough to Buckland while your hobbit is out for a night-time stroll.
    • Dwarves encounter Gimli and Gandalf at the entrance of the Silver Deep mine.
    • Aragorn is the one who busts Hobbit and Men characters out of jail.
    • Averted with Legolas and Boromir, who are first met in the main story, though in Boromir's case he's met while travelling to Rivendell from Gondor if you choose the Before the Shadow introduction.

Frodo Baggins

First Epic Book Appearance: Intro (Hobbit), Instance: A Road Through the Dark

The Master of Bag End and bearer of the One Ring, who is fated to carry it and bring about it's destruction. Though Frodo's involvement in the Epic Story is sparse, his influence on the story is nevertheless felt throughout a few different places, especially in the Shire and Rohan. Hobbit characters briefly stumble across him in the very first instance after character creation, while other characters encounter him much later in Bilbo's Room in Rivendell.
  • A Day in the Limelight: The Quest Frodo's Burden has you talk to the titular hobbit, where he confides in you his fears and hopes for the upcoming journey to Mordor.
  • Supernatural Fear Inducer: Though not consciously or by any malice of his own. When encountered in Bilbo's Room in Rivendell, he gives off a +1 Dread Aura that's easy to miss or overlook since he's standing next to Gandalf, who gives you a whooping +8 Hope modifier that will easily overpower it. This is actually the malevolence of the Ring that he's carrying.

Samwise Gamgee

First Epic Book Appearance: Intro (Hobbit), Instance: A Road Through the Dark

Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. II Prologue, Instance: The Fellowship Departs

Peregrin "Pippin" Took

First Epic Book Appearance: Intro (Hobbit), Instance: A Road Through the Dark

Gimli

First Epic Book Appearance: Intro (Dwarf), Instance: Into the Silver Deep

The son of Glóin of Durin's Folk, Gimli is first met by Dwarf characters in the first Dwarven introduction instance, seeing off the Thorin's Company as they prepare to journey to Erebor. Decades later, he is initially encountered by all other characters in Rivendell, where he helps the player in tracking down one of the missing Nazgûl.
  • Guest-Star Party Member: He and Legolas each have a chapter in Books 4 and 5 where they accompany you in your quest to find out what happened to the missing Nazgûl rider at the Fords of Bruinen. In his case, he joins you searching the Dourhand stronghold of Gabilazan in the Misty Mountains.

Legolas

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. I, Book 4, Chapter 7: The Aid of Mirkwood

  • Guest-Star Party Member: He and Gimli each have a chapter in Books 4 and 5 where they accompany you in your quest to find out what happened to the missing Nazgûl rider at the Fords of Bruinen. For Legolas, he joins you in investigating the Wood Trolls of the Gladdalf.

Aragorn

First Epic Book Appearance: Intro (Man), Instance: Jail Break

The Heir of Isildur and Chieftain of the Dúnedain in the north. Aragorn is first encountered by Men and Hobbits in Bree-land, where he breaks you out of jail and enlists your help in rescuing Mundo Sackville-Baggins from the Nazgûl.
  • Big Damn Heroes: Men and Hobbits first encounter him breaking them out of jail as they're waking up from being kidnapped by brigands. Later on in Book 1, he saves you and the ranger Torthann from the Nazgûl by chasing them off with nothing but a lit torch in his hand.
  • The Chains of Commanding: Like Halbarad, Aragorn sometimes chafes under the mantle of leadership. It's especially obvious during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields where a few rangers die; He repeatedly tells the player that there will be time to mourn after the battle is won.
  • Stranger in a Familiar Land: When an Elf challenges you to bring Aragorn to Cerin Amroth again, he refuses, stating that he stays away from Cerin Amroth because of it's beauty, not in spite of it. Though he doesn't say why exactly, the implication is that he would rather preserve his memory of Cerin Amroth as it was when he first visited as a young man, since that was the place where he and Arwen first fell in love and plighted their troth.

Boromir

First Epic Book Appearance: Before the Shadow, Book 2, Chapter 2: Boromir, Son of Gondor

Son of Denethor, Steward of Gondor, characters who start in the Before the Shadow introduction meet Boromir in Tharbad, where he is on his way to Rivendell. Otherwise, he is first found in the guest rooms of Rivendell, although he's only involved in a few sidequests at first. He's much more prominent in Vol. III Book 7, while the player character is investigating the aftermath of the Breaking of the Fellowship at Parth Galen.
  • A Day in the Limelight: His involvement in the Before the Shadow storyline is this, where he's introduced earlier and becomes a travelling companion to the Player Character, travelling up from the south to get to Rivendell.
  • It's All About Me: Heavily downplayed, but this version of Boromir doesn't seem to care overly much for his other companions, preferring to focus on his stated goal of getting to Minas Tirith. It's justified as we play as him shortly before the Fellowship breaks apart at Parth Galen, meaning he's already likely been falling under the Ring's influence by then. Humourously, when examining the other members of the Fellowship in his Session Play, you can quickly see he's only ever bothered to remember Aragorn and Frodo's names properly — Merry and Pippin are tagged as "That Hobbit" and "That Other Hobbit", Gimli is "The Dwarf", and Legolas is simply "The Elf". Samwise has the dubious honour of being "Frodo's Servant".
  • Out of Focus: Boromir doesn't get much to do in Vol. I, being more of a Bit Character with a single sidequest involvement and later a Captain class quest. It's only in Vol. III where we get to see more of him and his iconic last stand at Parth Galen. He's later fleshed out a little better with the addition of the Before the Shadow alternate starting zone, where he eventually joins you as a travelling companion for a time.
  • Promoted to Playable: Through Session Plays at Parth Galen, you get to experience the breaking of the Fellowship from his point of view, as well as his encounter with Frodo and his subsequent death.

Gandalf the Grey

First Epic Book Appearance: Intro (Dwarf), Instance: Into the Silver Deep

    Rangers 

Calenglad

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. I, Book 9, Chapter 4: Amarthiel's Trail

An old friend of Aragorn. Leader of the Wardens of Annúminas, a sub-group of Dúnedain who watch over the old capital of Arnor and the lands surrounding Lake Evendim.
  • Be Careful What You Wish For: In Vol. III, Book 1, he prepares to leave Evendim to join the Grey Company, and brings you along to hunt Tomb-robbers in Annúminas, though it becomes pretty obvious that he just wanted to say goodbye to Gwindeth and was hoping for a warm send-off from her. That hope gets brutally thrashed when Gwindeth appears to say goodbye to only the player instead, prompting him to lash out for a moment and be on the receiving end of a very thorough verbal lashing that leaves him unbalanced, even though he is later acknowledged:
    Gwindeth: 'There will be trials upon the road. It is a long way to that land.'
    Calenglad: 'I care not, Gwindeth! All my concerns are for...those I leave behind.'
    Gwindeth: 'Such concerns are a weakness in Man.'
    Calenglad: 'Is that all you have to say to me? Have I not spent a lifetime....'
    Gwindeth: 'Calenglad. Short are the lives of Men, even those of the Dúnedain. Even proud Elendil came in the end to death, and I mourned his passing. But I mourned not for a season, nor for a single span of years. My grief will last for many lifetimes. And so it is I give my love to that which can outlast the lifetime of a single Man. Men may die, Calenglad. Indeed, I see death upon your road. But if through your actions Aragorn takes his throne, a kingdom shall return that should never have ended. And is that not worth some measure of sorrow?'
    Calenglad: 'I...I do not know, Gwindeth.'
  • Character Death: Taken and dropped to his death by a Nazgûl's Fell Beast during the Battle of the Morannon.
  • Go Out with a Smile: Lives long enough for the player to hear his last words, which he smiles as he says.
    Calenglad: From above... I saw light. It cannot... be quenched... The new age...
  • Hopeless Suitor: Calenglad is in love with Gwindeth, the Blue Lady of the Nenuial, but she doesn't return his feelings as he is but one mortal Man and she is older than Arnor itself.

Candaith

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. I, Book 2, Foreword: Aiding the Order

A Ranger who watches over the Lone-lands.
  • Call-Back: When summoned to the Grey Company, he gives a small speech about how he will miss the lands that he call home, but that he will go nonetheless. This speech makes a return during a cutscene that plays after his death.
  • Dead Person Conversation: Reappears in a Nightmare Sequence that the player character has for reassurance.
  • King Incognito: Inverted, the Rangers of the Grey Company each carry an imitation of the Ring of Barahir, heirloom of Aragorn's line, to confuse enemies if one of them is captured. The ruse fails Candaith when he tries to convince the leader of a host of Oathbreakers that he is Aragorn.
  • Sacrificial Lion: During Epic Volume 3, Book 3, he is killed by the Oathbreaker shades after their leader sees through his deception. His death serves as the first instance of a string of familiar and recurring characters being given the axe, showing how dangerous the Grey Company's errand is.
  • Spirit Advisor: Appears in one of the player's dreams to guide them through their nightmare.
  • The Storyteller/Mr. Exposition: He tells the player a lot about the backstory of the Dúnedain, and how it relates to what happens in the game.
  • Tragic Keepsake: The player is given one in the form of his old equipment after he dies.

Corunir

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. I, Book 6, Chapter 2: Against His Lord

A Ranger who followed Golodir into Angmar, but was separated from him.
  • Informed Deformity: Despite sharing the same character model with almost all the other Rangers, Corunir is described as "relatively plump for a Ranger" in one of the session plays.
  • Living Emotional Crutch: It's pretty clear that Golodir would probably have gone downhill even faster if he didn't have Corunir around to rein him in.
  • Undying Loyalty: Remains loyal to Golodir despite the latter's disappearance and will go to great lengths to ensure Golodir's safety.

Daervunn

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. I, Book 6, Chapter 1: Of Golodir and Angmar

Halbarad's right-hand man. He's initially met outside Halbarad's study in Esteldín and sends the player out to Angmar to look for Golodir and his missing ranger company.

Golodir

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/golodir_dunland_0.jpg
"Mordirith has been defeated, but only for a time. Still, it is a reprieve."

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. I, Book 7, Instance: The Gates of Carn Dûm

A Ranger who led a company of Rangers into Angmar and hadn't been heard from since.
  • Arch-Enemy: Mordirith. Mordirith is responsible for Lorniel's death and Golodir's continued torment. As Gothmog, he later taunts the player by pointing out that he and Golodir are now inexplicably linked together through his broken sword, and that that is how he managed to come back to serve Sauron. It's only when Golodir dies that Gothmog becomes vulnerable to permanent death.
  • Byronic Hero: Golodir is a deeply flawed man who was broken and tormented for years by Mordirith and his daughter Lorniel's death. He's moody, grumpy, quick to resort to violence, and even quicker to anger if he feels slighted, in addition to suffering from Survivor's Guilt and self-loathing for his role in Lorniel's death. Being betrayed by Lheu Brenin makes his temper fly off the handle even faster, and by the time you meet up with the Grey Company in Pelargir he's coming off a fresh shouting match with Corunir. Nonetheless, he never actually falls to evil and serves his chieftain faithfully until his death.
  • Character Death: He is slain during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
  • Cool Sword: Dúnachar, which used to be Golodir's old sword before it was reforged by Elf-smiths in Rivendell. It's name, which means "Avenger of the West" in Sindarin, was even given to it by Elrond, who expressly says it was made to avenge Lorniel's death.
  • Crusading Widower: In this case, a crusading father.
  • Cynicism Catalyst: The death of his daughter Lorniel, which is used to characterize him further.
  • Distressed Dude: When the player first hears of him, he is being held captive by Mordirith.
  • Don't You Dare Pity Me!: Golodir hates being pitied or perceived as weak or helpless. In Pelargir, he snaps at the other rangers for treating him as if he was delicate around the Dead Men of Dunharrow. Corunir remarks that his mood had been managing fine until they passed the Paths of the Dead, and talking to Golodir himself reveals that he's not really sure where all this anger is coming from. It's the first hint that Mordirith has returned as Gothmog.
  • Go Out with a Smile: As he lays dying, he is happy knowing that he is finally free from Mordirith and can at last be with Lorniel.
  • Heroic BSoD: Golodir suffers this from Lorniel's death, and it's up to the player to snap him out of it.
  • Mutual Kill: He leaps unto the massive Olog Thrúgrath and drives his sword into the troll's chest, but is pummeled in the attempt, and mortally wounded when Thrúgrath's carcass falls on him.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: He is not happy that his freedom was paid for with his daughter's life, and is angry at the player for allowing her to be a part of the rescue. He does get over his anger when given a chance for revenge, however.
  • Outliving One's Offspring: Tragically, Mordirith's mercy comes at the cost of his daughter's life. The wraith manages to send him off with one final, cruel parting gift to ensure Golodir would never find peace after his release.
  • Papa Wolf: He's fiercely protective of Lorniel and takes a shining to the Dunlending girl Wenda in the Vol. III Book 10 Interludes, protecting her and helping her out of the prisoner's pit that she and fellow Falcon defectors were thrown in. The narration notes that the sight of Wenda on the ground in pain reminds Golodir of Lorniel lying in front of the gates of Carn Dûm.
  • Rescue Introduction: He is introduced being presented and released by Mordirith at the gates of Carn Dûm — only to witness his daughter's murder.
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge: When he gets his reforged armour and weapons back, he uses them to go on a lengthy revenge quest against Mordirith.

Halbarad

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/halbarad_eregion.jpg
"These are strange times, with even stranger allies."

First Epic Book Appearance: Before the Shadow, Book 3, Chapter 2: The Body in the Brush

Second in command to Aragorn. Leader of the Rangers of Esteldín and later the Grey Company.
  • Ascended Extra: Other than Aragorn, he is the only named Ranger of the North to make an appearance in the book.
  • The Chains of Commanding: The interlude quest "Many Worries" make it clear that Halbarad is starting to feel weighed down by the burdens of leading the Grey Company, especially with several rangers dead in the aftermath of the Falcon clan's betrayal. Nonetheless, he gives leave for Saeradan to return north with the bodies of the fallen, and tries to keep Golodir in line when his judgement is clouded by his desire to get revenge on Lheu Brenin.
  • The Captain: Halbarad is regarded as Aragorn's captain and leads the rangers of the north in his absence.
  • Character Death: Predictably, he meets his end on the Pelennor.
  • Doomed by Canon: Halbarad is mentioned in the books as having died during the battle of the Pelennor Fields, though he is part of much of the game's story before that point. During the battle, he is personally slain by Gothmog.
  • Narrator: Narrates many of the cutscenes and storyline-instances on the road towards Rohan, though he shares the role with a few other characters.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: Gothmog stuns Aragorn, and Halbarad throws himself in front of his Chieftain to save him.
  • Overshadowed by Awesome: At one point in the Rise of Isengard storyline, he self-deprecatingly admits that he's come to feel this about the player, impressed with their ability to so easily win trust and friendship from a wide variety of people, noting that just one word of counsel from them was enough to convince Prince Théodred to pursue a course of action, whereas his own attempts had failed several times.

Halros

First Epic Book Appearance: Prologue (Hobbit): The Aid of Halros

A Ranger who watches over the Shire.
  • Contrived Coincidence: Deciding whether Halros leaves or stays in the Shire is a major choice that directly ends up influencing, of all things, whether Horn survives or not.
  • Conflicting Loyalty: When summoned to ride with the Grey Company to Rohan, and the aid of his chieftain Aragorn, he cannot decide whether to go, or to stay and protect the Shire (as originally charged by Aragorn), which he fears will come to harm in his absence. He leaves it to the player to decide.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: If he was persuaded to leave to Shire, he dies from a lethal attack meant for Horn.
  • Story Branching: And a very far-flung example of it at that! The above choice to allow Halros to stay in the Shire or leave was seen as a fairly benign one at the time of it's writing (2010), but it ends up bringing absolutely massive consequences to your main companions in the Riders of Rohan expansion six years later.
  • Taking the Bullet: Like Halbarad, Halros will die taking a lethal blow for Horn if he was convinced to leave the Shire. Watching someone he'd only known for a few minutes at best die for him is what finally breaks Horn completely.

Lorniel

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. I, Book 7, Chapter 1: Hidden in Shadow

Golodir's daughter, who seeks to free him from Mordirith.
  • Action Girl: She charges into the fray right alongside the Player Character, which is notable because Dúnadan women are rarely seen in combat roles in canon.
  • Plot Pants: She's first met in a comfortable and casual dress, but for Golodir's rescue she changes into more sensible fighting gear.
  • Roaring Rampage of Rescue: To save her father Golodir. Unfortunately, Golodir is saved, but she is killed.
  • Sacrificial Lion: Her death by Mordirith serves to characterize Golodir and drive him into a quest for revenge against the wraith.
  • Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: As formidable a combatant Lorniel is, she's no Aragorn despite being a Dúnadan and is clearly outmatched by Mordirith, who is a powerful wraith.

Lothrandir

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. I, Book 13, Chapter 6: The Dwarf-mines

A far-traveling Ranger, currently dwelling with the Lossoth of Forochel.
  • Badass Boast: And a gutsy one, at that. With the Grey Company betrayed by Dunlendings, the player character and Lothrandir are taken to Isengard as prisoners. The long (off-screen) journey leaves Lothrandir in great pain, yet, he still manages to pull one of these off, before defiantly running straight into Isengard itself.
    Lothrandir: I am Lothrandir of the Dúnedain. I have walked among the frozen wastes and the fiery south-lands. I do not fear this place.
  • Corporal Punishment: When you rescue Lothrandir in the dungeons of Isengard, he shows clear signs of mental and physical torture.
  • Defiant Captive: A session play has him repeatedly antagonize his Uruk captors until they attack him, upon which he defeats them with his bare hands.
  • Going Native: Lothrandir has lived among the Lossoth for a long time and sees them as his people as well.
  • Heroic Willpower: Lothrandir's mental fortitude is so strong that even Saruman with his Compelling Voice had to eventually give up on trying to break his spirit.
  • I Can Still Fight!: When you meet him again in Pelargir, he's still recovering from his ordeal in Orthanc but trying to do his own part to help Aragorn's host, even with the other rangers taking over his duties to get him to rest. His weakened state is something that upsets him greatly.
  • Mind Rape: Gun Ain says that Saruman tried this and other forms of mind control on Lothrandir, but he resisted until the wizard was forced to give up.
  • No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Lothrandir's decision to spare Gun Ain indirectly leads to his capture at the hands of Saruman.
  • Sole Survivor: Him and Radanir are the only survivors of the six or seven rangers you personally recruit into the Grey Company in Vol. III, Book 1. Lothrandir's survival is especially poignant since he spent around three-fourths of Vol. III as a captive in Isengard.
  • Meaningful Name: Possibly. His name could mean either "flower-pilgrim" or "snow-pilgrim" (depending on if the loth in his name is the Sindarin for flower(s) or the word los, "snow", lenited to loth when placed before randir). The latter would be appropriate as he dwells in the frozen North.
  • Walking the Earth: He is known for wandering farther abroad than most other Rangers.

Mincham

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. I, Book 3, Chapter 1: Ranger of the Fields

A ranger stationed near Fornost who has much experience dealing with the Dead.
  • Cunning Linguist: Understands Black Speech, which few of the Free Peoples do. This knowledge proves useful a few times in the Epic Quests when Black Speech is encountered.
  • Occult Detective: He's very interested in learning about supernatural phenomena and is usually encountered in places where the Dead walk again, like Fornost or the Lich Bluffs in Enedwaith.

Saeradan

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. I, Book 2, Foreword: Aiding the Order

Leader of the Rangers in Bree-land. More settled than most Rangers.
  • Bald of Authority: Saeradan's model shows him bald, and he leads the rangers protecting Bree-land.
  • Due to the Dead: He and Radanir decide to leave the Grey Company to return north with the bodies of their fallen kinsmen and lay them to rest. Radanir eventually turns back to return to Dunland, but Saeradan continues on.
  • Going Native: Perhaps not to the extent of Lothrandir, but he is on better terms with the Men of Bree than the other Rangers.
  • The Reliable One: Described as being calm and wise.
  • Walking the Earth: Inverted. Most of his kindred do this, but Saeradan is more settled than the rest and lives in a cabin. This makes him more trusted by the folk of Bree-land.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: As of the Umbar expansion, it's unknown whether Saeradan ever made it safely back north with the slain rangers' bodies.

    Men 

Barliman Butterbur

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. I, Book 1, Foreword: An Unwanted Guest

    Elves 

Elladan and Elrohir

First Epic Book Appearance: Intro (Dwarf/Elf): Elrond's Errand

Elrond Half-elven

First Epic Book Appearance: Intro (High Elf): Into Darkness Falls a Star

Glorfindel

First Epic Book Appearance: Intro (High Elf): Into Darkness Falls a Star

Laerdan

First Epic Book Appearance: Before the Shadow, Book 1, Chapter 7: Instance: The Giver of Gifts

An elf who is first encountered at Gath Forthnir in Angmar. He is the father of Narmeleth/Amarthiel, whom he imprisoned after her split personality was revealed.
  • Love Makes You Crazy: His time as a prisoner in Sammath Baul has not been kind to him. He directs the player to collect the two halves of Narchuil, then sends the player off to retrieve his breastplate in Angmar only for him to abscond with Narchuil in a desperate attempt to bring Narmeleth back for good.
    Dwarves 

Glóin

First Epic Book Appearance: Intro (Dwarf), Instance: Into the Silver Deep

Dwalin

First Epic Book Appearance: Intro (Dwarf), Instance: Into the Silver Deep

Dori

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. I, Book 3, Chapter 4, Part II: Freeing Dori

    Hobbits 

Bilbo Baggins:

First Epic Book Appearance: None

Lobelia Sackville-Baggins

First Epic Book Appearance: Prologue (Hobbit): Flourdumpling's Stand

Mundo Sackville-Baggins

First Epic Book Appearance: Prologue (Hobbit): Flourdumpling's Stand

Introduced in Volume II: Mines of Moria

    The Iron Garrison 

Bori

First Epic Book Appearance: Volume II, Book 1, Chapter 5: Handling the Situation

Bósi

First Epic Book Appearance: Volume II, Book 1, Chapter 3: Bósi the Dwarf

Brogur

First Epic Book Appearance: Volume II, Book 1, Chapter 6: Cousin Brogur

Bróin

First Epic Book Appearance: Volume II, Book 1, Chapter 7: Wolf-voices on the Wind

Son of Brogur, one of the leaders of the Iron Garrison expedition to Moria.
  • Big Damn Heroes:
    • When the elf Issuriel falls ill to a deadly poison, Bróin braves the forest of Mirkwood to find a rare flower that forms part of the antidote (the player had achieved the same task prior, but the antidote then was only enough to save the orc-prisoner Mazog, at the insistence of Issuriel herself), and returns with it just in time to disprove Mazog's claim that the dwarves had abandoned the elves just as things turned for the worst.
    • He does it again just moments later, during the negotiations where Mazog was to be exchanged for the imprisoned dwarf Bori, when the sorcerer Gorothûl casts a spell that renders the player, and the elves of the Hidden Guard, frozen and immobilized. Tired from the journey to Dol Guldur and resting a few paces behind (so that the company would not appear weak), Bróin alone was saved from Gorothûl's spell, and he subsequently broke it by striking Gorothûl with his walking staff, allowing the company to escape.
  • But Thou Must!: When the orc-chieftain Mazog is captured, Bróin asks you for your opinion on what to do with him; Keep him alive so that he might be traded at Dol Guldur in exchange for Bróin's imprisoned cousin Bori, or slay him. Bróin, however, has already decided to keep Mazog alive, and overrules any suggestion to the contrary.
  • Call-Back: When you first meet Bróin, he mentions that he hopes to become a great hero, and that "The Glorious Tale of Bróin the Mighty" will serve to inspire young dwarves in years to come. During the later stages of the storyline, he once again names the tale, wondering if the main verse of the tale would tell how he desperately sought the flower that would be the cure against the deadly poison plaguing the elf Issuriel, and remarking that it didn't seem very glorious when he was hurrying through the darkness of Mirkwood, tripping over stones and roots, searching for a flower that might not even be found.
  • Glory Seeker: Bróin is introduced daydreaming of his own glorious tales and adventures. This gets deconstructed hard after he gets abducted by the Watcher; He gets dragged through the pool before the Doors of Moria, is dumped into an old, flooded treasury with nothing but a mithril axe claimed from the Watcher's previous victim, and even then he spends days, if not weeks, having to fend off against the creature with absolutely no indication help would be coming any time soon — it's no wonder that he then promptly decides to stop chasing glory and recognition.

    The Galadhrim and Malledhrim 

Alfirimbes

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. II, Book 9, Foreword: The Dark Shore

Celeborn

First Epic Book Appearance: Before the Shadow, Book 1, Instance: The Giver of Gifts

Fuirgam

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. II, Book 9, Foreword: The Dark Shore

Galadriel

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. II, Book 6, Instance: The Mirror of Galadriel

Haldir

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. II, Book 6, Chapter 1: Desperate Times

    The Hidden Guard 
A group of Elves assembled on a daring mission by Lady Galadriel: Take the Orc prisoner Mazog to Dol Guldur in exchange for the dwarf Bori while the Golden Host assaults Mirkwood as a diversion. It consists of the Player Character and the Elves Archador, Issuriel, Raddir, Cúcheron, and Sigileth.
  • Dwindling Party: The group starts to grow smaller as more misfortunes pile up on them. Half the group is put out of commission by the time of the prisoner exchange: Raddir is the first to die during the trek through the Drownholt, Issuriel gets poisoned going through the Scuttledells and spends the rest of the book recovering from the ordeal, and Achardor sacrifices himself to allow the others to escape when negotiations go awry.

Achardor

First Epic Book Appearance: Volume II, Book 9, Instance: Plans of the Golden Host

One of the members of the Hidden Guard, which brings Mazog to Dol Guldur in secret to exchange hostages.
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: Achardor is very easy to provoke into a rage. He starts flying off the handle whenever things go wrong for the group.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: When the hostage exchange falls to pieces and three of the Nazgûl join the fray, he holds off all three of them so the player and the other members of the Hidden guard can escape.
  • Hot-Blooded: If it were up to him, he would march to Dol Guldur in the most direct path, doing away with secrecy, and facing Goruthûl head-on. He is also furious when Raddir dies and Issuriel is poisoned, and Issuriel passes on the single antidote to keep Mazog alive. The only thing that holds him back from murdering Mazog there and then is his duty to fulfill the Hidden Guard's mission.
  • Jerkass Has a Point: While taking the quickest path to Dol Guldur would surely put the Hidden Guard at highest risk of discovery, Achardor isn't wrong to point out that taking the secret, dangerous path through the Drownholt ultimately cost Raddir his life.
  • Revenge Before Reason: He nearly falls victim to this a few times, particularly right after Raddir dies.
  • Sour Supporter: He's not thrilled with the prisoner exchange plan and believes it will fail, but he goes along with it for the sake of his duty.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Achardor is not pleased when the player decides to give the antidote to Mazog instead of Issuriel, but unlike his previous open displays of anger, he chooses to admonish them in a calm, precise, but no less furious manner.

Cúcheron

First Epic Book Appearance: Volume II, Book 9, Instance: Plans of the Golden Host

An elf of Lothlórien and a member of the Hidden Guard.

Issuriel

First Epic Book Appearance: Volume II, Book 8, Chapter 1: Escape from Rushdurinul

A lore-master of Lothlórien and one of the members of the Hidden Guard.
  • Badass Bookworm: In contrast to the other members of the Hidden Guard, Issuriel is a lore-master and not a warrior, but she holds her own in the battles in instances.
  • But Thou Must!: There is only enough antidote for one patient, and the character is forced to choose between offering it to Issuriel or Mazog. If you choose Issuriel, she refuses because if Mazog were to die then the whole objective of the Hidden Guard would fail.
  • The Medic: In addition to lore, she has also studied medicine. Unfortunately, debilitated from being poisoned by spiders, she is unable to gather the ingredients and make the antidote herself, so the player gathers the ingredients and the antidote is made by another elf at Ost Galadh.

Raddir

First Epic Book Appearance: Volume II, Book 9, Instance: Plans of the Golden Host

A tracker from Lothlórien who is said to know the forests of southern Mirkwood very well.
  • Flat Character: There's really not much that can be said about Raddir since he dies so quickly after being introduced.
  • Sacrificial Lamb: His death serves to highlight how perilous the journey through Mirkwood will be, and how cunning Mazog can be if given the opportunity.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: He's introduced and then killed off only two chapters after his introduction.

Sigileth

First Epic Book Appearance: Volume II, Book 9, Instance: Plans of the Golden Host

An elf of Lothlórien, sister of Corudan, and one of the members of the Hidden Guard. She wields two knives which she has named Egnassigil and Lanchigil.
  • Action Girl: She's implicitly recruited to the Hidden Guard for her combat prowess and wields knives in melee.
  • The Bus Came Back: Sigileth returns to the story with the Mordor expansion and as part of the Lothlórien Allegiance narrative, eight years after her original disappearance. She's then Put on a Bus and comes back again in the Umbar expansion, joining the player's voyage to Umbar to search for her missing brother Corudan.
  • Dreaming of Things to Come: It foreshadows her own apparent death:
    Sigileth: 'In the dream I am climbing a long staircase, but there are no walls on either side. Shadows press close all around me, and far below a single light twinkles in the darkness. I can see no foes, but a great feeling of dread hangs upon me and I cannot breathe but with a great effort. I reach for Lanchigil, but he is gone; with my other hand I grasp Egnassigil, but it is too late! I am falling, falling, falling from the stairway, and before waking I hear a voice call out from a high place, 'It grieves me that they will no longer strike fear into the hearts of her foes.'
  • Dual Wielding: She wields two knives in battle.
  • Kill Tally: She keeps one on the Orcs she kills by carving marks into the hilts of her knives.
  • Meaningful Name: Her name means "Dagger-woman" in Sindarin, and she primarily fights using knives.
  • Never Found the Body: The player is conspiciously told that Sigileth fell in battle off-screen during the assault in Barad Guldur. Sure enough, no body being found means she shows up later after the razing of Dol Guldur, having survived in the hidden caverns beneath the tower.
  • Prized Possession Giveaway: What she intends to do with her beloved knives. One of the knives becomes a Tragic Keepsake for your character following her death; After presenting the knives to Galadriel and Celeborn, you're allowed to pick which one you get to keep, with the other being given away to the Lord and Lady.
  • Weapon Specialization: Knives, making her one of the few Elves in the game to not be associated with the typical bow or sword. She made Lanchigil and Egnassigil herself and intends to present them to Celeborn and Galadriel once the hilts are full of carved markings.

Introduced in Volume III: Allies of the King

    The Grey Company 
A company of Dúnadan rangers who are sent south at the behest of Galadriel and Elrond to join their chieftain Aragorn in his quest against Sauron. Most of the Grey Company are composed of rangers who players will have already met in Vol. I. The only exception is Radanir, who is first introduced in this volume.
  • A Million Is a Statistic: Defied to the extreme. Barring a few exceptions here and there, almost every Grey Company ranger you encounter is a named character you've met elsewhere in-game before, whether as a background NPC or a quest-giver. It makes their gradual dwindling numbers even more tragic, especially once several prominent characters start kicking the bucket. Each death the Grey Company experiences weighs on the surviving members.
  • Dwindling Party: In the beginning they're counted to be upwards of sixty in total, but thanks to numerous mishaps on the road, including a run-in with murderous oath-breaker shades, being spied on by Saruman, and getting betrayed by their new Falcon-clan allies, they slowly start to dwindle down to the canonical number of thirty rangers by the time they meet up with Aragorn — and that's not even counting all the rangers who die on the Pelennor Fields. Of all the named rangers who you're sent out to recruit in Vol. III Book 1, Candaith, Calenglad, Halbarad, Golodir, and possibly Halros all die, leaving Lothrandir and Radanir as the only survivors.
    • Those who die on the journey through Dunland include Braigiar, Candaith and Andreg.
    • Celairant, Idhrenfair, and Prestadír are Killed Offscreen in the Pelennor.
    • Golodir and Halbarad each get a Dying Moment of Awesome in the same battle.
    • Calenglad dies after being picked up and dropped to his death by a Fell Beast at the Battle of Morannon.
  • Meaningful Gift: Completing all the Epic Books in Vol. III rewards you with an ensemble portrait of the Grey Company in Rivendell — specifically, the rangers you personally recruited all the way back in Book 1.
  • Sworn Brothers: They are all brought together through their sworn oath to Aragorn, and later by the mission given to them by Galadriel and Elrond.
  • The Fellowship Has Ended: Once the War of the Ring is over and Aragorn is crowned king, the Grey Company permanently disbands. Some resolve to return back to the north, like Techeron, while others, like Faeron and Mithrendan, decide to remain in Gondor and join expeditions into Minas Morgul and Mordor.

Radanir

First Epic Book Appearance: Volume III, Book 1, Chapter 1: Gallant as Elf-lords

A Ranger who sometimes dwells in Rivendell and wanders the Trollshaws.
  • Due to the Dead: He and Saeradan decide to leave the Grey Company to return north with the bodies of their fallen kinsmen and lay them to rest. Radanir eventually turns back to return to Dunland, but Saeradan continues on.
  • Implied Love Interest: While it's never made specific, Radanir is a close friend to the Elf-maiden Elweleth. Elrohir makes mention of the fact that Radanir only ever seems to truly lighten up around her, and when you play as Radanir in a Vol. III interlude quest, one of the skills he has reveals that he has Elweleth's hairpin as a "token of affection". It's apparently sharp enough to be used as an impromptu stabbing implement.
  • Interspecies Friendship: With Elweleth. Possibly Interspecies Romance as noted above, but if so it never gets anywhere. He later mentions that "she has gone away, and will never return", so it seems that ship has literally sailed.
  • Remember the New Guy?: Of the Rangers gathered in Volume III Book 1, he is the only named Ranger that the player has never encountered before.
  • The Promise: He makes you promise to meet up with him in a tavern for drinks once the Grey Company fulfills it's mission. You later get to follow up on it at Aragorn and Arwen's wedding ceremony.
  • Sole Survivor: Him and Lothrandir are the only survivors of the six or seven rangers you personally recruit into the Grey Company in Vol. III, Book 1. Radanir is especially notable for being the last new ranger character you're introduced to in the Epic Story.
  • The Stoic: Has a reputation for being slow to laugh and smile, except in Elweleth's presence.

    Galadriel's Secret Task-Bearers 
A group headed by the Player Character themselves while travelling through Rohan. When Galadriel assigns the player to find out what happened to the Fellowship of the Ring at Parth Galen, they sail down the Anduin with Corudan and Nona to investigate. They are then joined by the Rohirrim minstrel Horn in Stangard, and his mentor Gléowine after being banished from Edoras.
  • Big Damn Reunion: Eleven real-life years after the group splits up in the Westemnet, the player, Nona, Corudan, Gléowine, and Horn (if he didn't die on the Pelennor) finally reunite during the Interlude: The Ghost Returns. Though it starts out on a somber note — with the team either mourning Horn's death or trying to reconcile him and Nona — it becomes happier by the end as you reminisce on your adventures together.
  • Breaking the Fellowship: Happens gradually from Book 12 to Book 13. Nona and Horn leave to pursue the Falcon clan at the end of Book 12, Gléowine is sentenced to accompany Théoden King on his ride to war, and Corudan disappears shortly before the Battle of Helm's Deep, leaving the player by themselves at the end of Vol. III. You get to reunite with your companions in an interlude during The Song of the Waves and Wind.
  • Fire-Forged Friends: Though the group starts out rocky over several culture-clashes and differing points of view, by the end they all come to regard each other as this.
  • Five-Man Band: When including the player:
    • The Hero: The Player Character, obviously.
    • The Lancer: Gléowine, the older Non-Action Guy who occasionally offers advice and his own perspective on certain situations.
    • The Heart: Horn, who is well-liked by everyone for his songs and his gentle nature, even Nona.
    • The Smart Guy: Corudan, who comes up with the group's tactical plans and is responsible for charting their path through Rohan.
    • The Big Guy: Nona, the most martially-inclined person in the group and the most formidable melee fighter aside from possibly the player themselves.
  • Four-Temperament Ensemble: When excluding the player:
    • Horn is Phlegmatic, being a kind, sensitive and gentle minstrel who hates fighting and prefers to sing songs.
    • Gléowine is Melancholic, serving as Horn's older, wiser mentor who has already endured a few hardships.
    • Corudan is Sanguine, being overall pleasant, helpful, extroverted and willing to crack a few jokes.
    • Nona is Choleric, a hot-tempered, passionate warrior of the Dunlendings who readily fights for her friends.
  • Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: Horn is a kind minstrel who prefers to sing songs and use diplomacy to solve problems, while Nona is a Hot-Blooded warrior who doesn't hesitate to get into a scrap and trade verbal or physical blows. They later fall in love and get together.
  • Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: Downplayed, but the group starts out fairly mismatched and sticks out like a sore thumb upon entering Rohan, since it's composed of an Elven archer, a disgraced and exiled Rohirrim bard, a Dunlending warrior, and an old, washed up minstrel.

Corudan

First Epic Book Appearance: Volume III, Book 7, Chapter 3: The River-walker

An elf of Lothlórien and brother to Sigileth, he joins the player character, Nona, and Horn as they journey down the Anduin in the Fellowship's wake.

Gléowine

First Epic Book Appearance: Volume III, Book 9, Instance: Night Falls on Meduseld

Théoden King's elderly minstrel and Horn's former mentor.
  • Action Survivor: Probably the biggest example of this in Vol. III and IV. Gléowine is only a minstrel and an old man to boot, yet he somehow manages to survive the Battle of Helm's Deep AND the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, riding into the fray alongside Théoden King himself, even though he doesn't have any warrior training to speak of.
  • Ascended Extra: He's named in a single chapter of The Return of the King and composes Théoden's funeral song, the last song he would ever write.
  • The Bard: He used to be Théoden's minstrel before he was banished from Edoras.
  • Cool Old Guy: Gléowine is fairly easygoing and friendly, though he has his moments of jaded bitterness here and there.
  • Cool and Unusual Punishment: For disobeying Théoden and returning to Edoras, Gléowine is sentenced to ride by Théoden's side and compose the ballad for what may be the king's final ride to battle.
  • Drowning My Sorrows: After his banishment, he is found hung over in Snowbourn, and one quest has the player try a variety of hangover cures to sober him up.
  • The Exile: He is first encountered being banished from Edoras by Gríma. He is later convinced to return anyway, because...
  • Non-Action Guy: Gléowine is the only person in the group who can't fight. Even on the Pelennor, he doesn't take up any arms despite charging into battle alongside the rest of the Rohirrim cavalry.
  • Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Like Horn and the player character, he returns to Edoras despite his banishment, because of the great threat Saruman poses to Rohan.

Horn

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/horn.jpg
"I was called disloyal and changeable in the hall of Théoden King, but that is not so. I love Rohan. I want only to protect her."

First Epic Book Appearance: Volume III, Book 6, Chapter 7: Enemies of Old

A good-hearted minstrel who never seems to be welcome anywhere before meeting the player. He is first encountered in the penal colony of Stangard before deciding to join the Player Character on their adventure south.
  • Ascended Extra: A more extreme example than most in this game. He is mentioned only once in the books, as one among many, in a lament for those that fell at the Fields of Pelennor. In the game, he is a major character who accompanies the player throughout Rohan.
  • The Bard: He's introduced as being fond of history and storytelling.
  • Black Sheep: Of the Eaworth ruling family. Unlike his more martially-inclined father and brother, Horn is a storyteller with a soft heart and gentle disposition, and chose to become a minstrel instead of pursuing a warrior's life. This puts him at odds with Ingbert, who expects his sons to be dutiful and skillful warriors.
  • The Bus Came Back: If you had Halros go and die in his stead, Horn disappears from the story until you get to Umbar, where he can be discovered as the vagabond Driftwood, a whooping seven years in real life after his disappearance.
  • Butt-Monkey: Bordering on Cosmic Plaything. Is Eru conspiring to make this man's life as miserable as can be?
  • Dare to Be Badass: After refusing to help with rescuing Corudan, he's on the receiving end of this from Sigileth, who asks Horn whether he'd be content to rest on his laurels, knowing his friend would do everything to save him if the roles were reversed.
  • Dating What Daddy Hates: Gender-inverted. Ingbert does not approve of Nona due to her Dunlending blood and dislikes her the moment she's introduced to the family.
  • Despair Event Horizon: He wobbles on this between books, but fully sails over the horizon at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Should he survive, he's so traumatized by war and suffering that he renounces his name, declares the glorious battle songs and tales he used to sing of as lies, and runs off. It takes more than forty levels in-game before you meet him again, and by then he's in an absolutely sorry state and getting sloshed out of his mind at a tavern.
  • The Exile: He was banished from the Riddermark for slandering Gríma and questioning the ancient feud with the Dunlendings, leading him to be sent to Stangard. And then, he's banished from Stangard after deciding to help Nona when she's wounded. However he soon decides to ignore this for the greater good, pointing out the latter banishment is the reason it's not his fault he's been forced to disobey Théoden's mandate to remain in Stangard.
  • Everyone Can See It: Corudan is the first to notice that Horn is attracted to Nona, and the player follows shortly after. Then the party gets to Rohan, and even the Rohirrim start commenting on it. In Faldham in particular, Elfmar comments that Nona and Horn's sparring match seems more like a lover's quarrel than actual training contest.
  • Doomed by Canon: One of the fallen Rohirrim mentioned in the Song of the Mounds of Mundburg. Like many of the Rohirrim to fall at the Pelennor Fields, this is literally the only thing the canon has to say about him. This can be subverted however is Halros dies instead, otherwise Horn dies as he was foretold to do.
  • Drowning My Sorrows: This is how the player finds him again in Umbar; He's stumbled across in a tavern, a few cups deep into his drink.
  • Heartbroken Badass: Throughout the later bits of the Riders of Rohan epic storyline Horn suffers this as a result of Nona's departure. He becomes morose and despondent and has to be set straight by the Player Character and Corudan whenever he gets too unfocused. He loses this after Nona rejoins the group and the two acknowledge their feelings for one another.
  • Maligned Mixed Marriage: Since Dunlendings and Rohirrim deeply loathe each other, Nona and Horn's relationship by default becomes this in Rohan after they get together. Many Rohirrim characters express confusion or incredulity at the fact that Horn would take a Dunlending woman as a bride.
  • Meaningful Rename: If spared at Pelennor, he resurfaces in Umbar with the name "Driftwood". Fitting for an aimless wanderer with no fixed abode or goals, like Horn became after leaving Gondor.
  • Nice Guy: He's the friendliest individual in Stangard the player meets and the only one willing to help Nona when she's injured.
  • No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: This leads to him being banished twice.
  • Opposites Attract: He falls for Nona, the blunt, quick-tempered Dunlending warrior.
  • Punished for Sympathy: Horn finds he is no longer welcome in Stangard after helping the injured Nona.
  • Reassigned to Antarctica: Gríma Wormtongue had him banished to Stangard for slandering him in song.
  • Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: His primary characteristic, despite it often leaving him worse off than when he started.
  • Shell-Shocked Veteran: The Battle of the Pelennor Fields isn't very kind on Horn, should he survive. After he leaves he's rediscovered getting sloshed out of his mind at a tavern, and he's clearly traumatized by the entire ordeal, initially refusing the player's offer to join their crew on The Wave-hunter. He reconsiders and joins after getting a well-needed chewing out by Sigileth.
  • Spared by the Adaptation: He can actually survive the Battle of the Pelennor Fields if Halros was convinced to leave the Shire.
  • That Man Is Dead: If Halros dies in his place during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Horn remarks that the man who was Horn already died on the battlefield. He leaves for parts unknown after that. He returns in Umbar as an aimless vagabond who goes by the name of "Driftwood".
  • The Un-Favourite: He's clearly Ingbert's least favourite child, and Ingbert himself is displeased to see him when he breaks his exile to return to Eaworth. He doesn't hesitate to remind Horn that he considers him a disappointment to the family.
  • Will They or Won't They?: This is a huge part of Horn's struggles in the middle of Vol. 3 — coming to terms with his feelings for Nona. They eventually do hook up at the end of Vol. 3, Book 10.

Nona

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nona_edoras.jpg
"That girl does not know her beloved is dead, and none here wish her to know! Is that because they fear the truth would kill her, that her grief would be too much for her to bear? She should take the sadness and turn it to anger, and wield a sword against the Orcs that slew her love!"

First Epic Book Appearance: Volume III, Book 2, Chapter 13: The Sword Returned

Wadu's sister, who becomes a major character in Epic Volume III. Nona is a proud Dunlending warrior from the Uch-lûth of Lhanuch who later accompanies the player character into Rohan.
  • Action Girl: Nona is a warrior first and foremost, and initially defines herself and her sense of self-worth on her martial prowess.
  • Anger Born of Worry: After listening to Hildegard the Soothsayer's prophecy on Horn's death, she gets into a fight with Horn over the impending war with Mordor. Horn wants to ride to defend his new wife, but Nona fears he would end up getting himself killed instead. Sadly, her fears end up justified if Horn dies in Gondor.
  • Blood Knight: Nona is eager to fight and accompany the Player Character on their adventures, relishing any chance she gets to get into a scrap. She starts to mature out of this mindset upon seeing the horrors of a war-torn Rohan, and eventually ends up trying to convince Horn to give up fighting once she reveals she's pregnant to him, fearing for his life.
  • Cool Sword: Nona wields an ancient Rohirrim sword that her brother carried for awhile. The sword has some as-yet unexplained properties that helped drive off a Nazgûl.
  • The "I Love You" Stigma: Nona starts to distance herself from Horn after realizing she is attracted to him. She outright leaves the group after receiving a cold reception from his family, fearing that her feelings would make her weak and that she would never be accepted by his contemporaries.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Nona is prone to Brutal Honesty, Cultural Posturing and is often Hot-Blooded, but demonstrates Undying Loyalty towards those she regards as friends. Over the course of the storyline, she frequently thanks the player for all they have done for her and for showing her new lands and cultures (even if she finds them strange).
    • When Elthengels - a settlement of Rohan - is raided by orcs, Nona is quick to step up in defense of its villagers, explaining that her feud is with Rohan's kings and rulers, and not its innocent commonfolk.
  • Love Epiphany: For Horn, while the two of them travel through Rohan with Corudan and the player character.
  • Maligned Mixed Marriage: With Horn after they get together. Several Rohirrim make comments on how strange it is that Horn would take a Dunlending woman for a wife.
  • Please, Don't Leave Me: The player never gets to see it themselves, but according to Horn, Nona was begging him not to ride off to war.
  • Put on a Bus: Nona completely disappears from the story after Vol. III, only mentioned by Horn as having been left behind as she was with child. She returns in The Song of Waves and Wind, ten years after her last in-game appearance.
  • Retired Badass: She retires from adventuring after becoming pregnant, and returns to Lhanuch after Horn leaves for war.
  • Someone to Remember Him By: Tragically, if Horn dies at the Pelennor Fields, then his and Nona's unborn child becomes this.
  • Token Religious Teammate: While it's secondary to her headstrong personality, Nona is noted to be more superstitious than everyone else in the Rohan group, readily interpreting that the player's dream sequence — and Galadriel's appearance in it — has meaning. This aspect of her character ends up getting dragged to the forefront when Hildegard prophesizes Horn's death, causing Nona to grow fearful and paranoid for his safety.
  • Tragic Keepsake: Wadu's sword, which she picks up in her brother's stead after he dies. She eventually leaves it behind after leaving the group to sort out her feelings, but takes it back after the Wildermore Epic. She puts the sword down permanently after getting pregnant.
  • Will They or Won't They?: This is a huge part of her character arc in the middle of Vol. 3 — coming to terms with her feelings for Horn. They eventually do hook up at the end of Vol. 3, Book 10.
  • You Killed My Brother: The death of her brother Wadu drives Nona to call herself "Wadu's Ghost" and to prey on the turncoat Dunlendings responsible for his death. She sheds the name permanently after leaving the group and encountering them again in Vol. III, Book 10.
  • Woman Scorned: After returning to Lhanuch with Horn, Corudan and company, Nona is understandably none too thrilled about seeing Horn again after he abandoned her to ride to war in Gondor. It takes the player character making a joke about one of Horn's mishaps to get her to calm down and avert Death by Woman Scorned.

    Rohirrim 

Elfhelm

First Epic Book Appearance: Volume III, Book 5, Instance: The Prince of Rohan, Night

Marshall of Rohan and former Thane of Faldham in the Norcrofts.
  • Big Damn Heroes: Just as things seems to have turned for the worst, Elfhelm arrives with a company of riders to turn the tide of the battle.
  • The Cavalry: He leads the cavalry that arrives for the First Battle of the Fords of Isen.
  • Horseback Heroism: Strikes down the Uruk who gave Théodred his mortal wound (though off-screen).
  • Outliving One's Offspring: He outlives his son Elfmar after the Battle of Pelennor Fields.
  • Secret-Keeper: While Éowyn riding along with the Rohirrim War-Host as Dernhelm is an Open Secret among the troops, no one, save for Elfhelm, knew that she was actually carrying her cousin Théodred's sword with her into battle. He gave it to her when she refused to stay behind in Rohan.

Éomer

First Epic Book Appearance: Before the Shadow, Book 2, Instance: A Long Way From Gondor

Éowyn

First Epic Book Appearance: Before the Shadow, Book 2, Instance: A Long Way From Gondor

Grimbold of Grimslade

First Epic Book Appearance: Volume III, Book 5, Chapter 2: Grimbold

Thane of Grimslade in the Westfold and Captain of Rohan.
  • Batman Gambit: His plan to get Daervunn out of the Rohirrim camp hinges on exploiting a guard's love for alcohol.
  • Could Say It, But...: Uses this trope masterfully to tip off the player about a way to break Daervunn out of captivity AND take out a possible spy of Saruman's without getting themselves into trouble.
    Grimbold: 'I happen to know that this fellow is more fond of strong drink than is good for him. If he were to be swayed by such temptations during his watch, there is a danger that the Ranger would slip away. That would be most unfortunate, as dereliction of duty is a severe offence that carries a stiff punishment. In any case, I have little more to say on the matter. Good day, <Player Name>.'
  • Heroic BSoD: The player finds him in this state after the second battle at the Fords of Isen, guarding Prince Théodred's grave in the middle of the fords. It takes a bit of prodding to get him to pull himself together and retreat.
  • Doomed by Canon: Grimbold dies at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, as recounted in the Song of the Mounds of Mundburg. It is Gothmog's fell beast that slays him, during the Throne of the Dread Terror raid.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: During the Fords of Isen campaign in Vol. III, Book 5. He sees through Saruman's attempts to pit the Rohirrim against the rangers right away, and tries to keep troop morale up even with the battle going downhill.

Reeve Ingbert

First Epic Book Appearance: Volume III, Book 8, Chapter 12: Homecoming

The ruling lord of the Entwash Vale, ruling from Eaworth. Ingbert was the former captain of King Théoden's personal guard. He is torn between staying loyal to the king's (Gríma's) commands to leave the orcs and uruks and riding out to destroy them, as advocated by his mother Góda and his son Ingmar respectively.
  • Blind Obedience: Góda wants Ingbert to blindly follow Théoden's commands to stop hunting the orcs, even though Eaworth has already been raided and near-burned to the ground. Ingbert himself, though torn on the orders, is something of a stickler for the rules, and does not take kindly to his exiled son Horn coming back and breaking them.
  • Broken Pedestal: The family does not take it well when it turns out that Góda, whose advice Ingbert was always receptive to, is in league with Saruman.
  • Fantastic Racism: He's very unpleasant to Nona and insults her several times because of her Dunlending blood.
  • Foil: To Suvulch, Nona's father. They have yet to interact with each other, but their differences can be seen in the way they treat their children. Like Ingbert, Suvulch has a son he considered a disappointment, but where Ingbert continues to be patronizing and unpleasant to Horn, Suvulch repents and learns to see Wadu in a better light after learning of his deeds against the slain Gwiber. Suvulch, though blunt and unused to acting fatherly, genuinely loves his daughter and wants the best for her, while Ingbert considers Horn to be the family shame and has no problem saying so. In addition, they each react to their child's return home differently — Suvulch welcomes Nona back into Lhanuch with open arms, while Ingbert immediately tries to domineer and impose on Horn.
  • Jerkass to One: He's mostly pleasant to everyone except poor Horn. He belittles, antagonizes and dismisses him when they first reunite, and they part on rather bad terms. When you meet Horn and Ingbert again on the Rohirrim ride to Gondor, Ingbert is on better terms with Horn, but only because Horn had left Nona and decided to join his father in riding to Minas Tirith. Ingbert can't help but gloat that Horn finally saw sense and is finally being the obedient son he always wanted. What he doesn't know is that Horn is only pretending to follow his father, and chose to fight because of Nona and their unborn child.
  • Love-Obstructing Parents: Ingbert very vocally disapproves of Nona, to the point where he nearly provokes her into a fight. Even though Nona disapproves of the way Horn's family is handling the subject of Théodred's death to Ingyth (his fiancée), it's primarily his frosty reception that drives her to run away from the group to clear her head.
  • I Have No Son!: The reception of his son Horn when the latter, the player character, Nona, and Corudan arrive at Eaworth is dripping with this. Horn insulted Gríma Wormtongue and was thus sentenced to serve at the outpost of Stangard, however, he has now defied the King's wish and returned to Rohan before his sentence was complete. Ingbert is also displeased that Horn is a traveling companion of Nona, a woman of the Dunlendings and the sworn enemies of the Rohirrim.

Théoden King

First Epic Book Appearance: Before the Shadow, Book 2, Instance: A Long Way From Gondor

Théodred, Prince of Rohan

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thodred.jpg
"It has been a long time since the Dunlendings crossed into my father's kingdom with design of conquest. Without the urging I fear Saruman is giving to them, they would not have the courage to do so again. The Wizard has done my people a great wrong with this, and he must pay for it."

First Epic Book Appearance: Before the Shadow, Book 2, Instance: A Long Way From Gondor

The Prince of Rohan, son and heir of Théoden King.
  • Ascended Extra: His role in the books was a minor one, used as a means to characterize Théoden more than anything. In the game, he is given a much more expanded role, and it is easier to relate to his death after fighting alongside him.
  • Deadpan Snarker: He has a rather dry wit.
    Théodred: Grimbold estimates that each one of us is worth at least twenty uruks, but he is from Grimslade, and the men of that place are not known for their mastery of numbers.
  • Doomed by Canon: Players familiar with Tolkien's work knew that he was bound to die as soon as they met him. Finally happens when he, and the player character, takes part in the First Battle of the Fords of Isen.
  • Last Request: As part of his dying speech, he asks to be left at the Fords of Isen, to be buried there to ever guard it, rather than to be taken to Edoras and buried.
  • Never Say "Die": Averted. He does not want the death of his squire to be sugar-coated for him.
    Théodred: Cynstan... where is...
    Grimbold: You need your rest, my Prince. We will speak of Cynstan another time...
    Théodred: Grimbold... I am not... a child...
    Grimbold: Cynstan fell defending you from the Orcs, my Prince. He was very brave.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: After all the aid you lend him and his riders, he does not hesitate for a moment when it comes to aiding you in the rescue of the Rangers imprisoned by the Dunlendings of Tûr Morva.
    • It's later mentioned that Théodred had wavered in whether or not to follow Halbarad's advice regarding taking the fight to Saruman, until one word of your counsel was enough to convince him, implying that part of his willingness to aid the Grey Company is out of respect for the player's choice of allies.
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: He's often leading the charge and fighting alongside his men during the battles.
  • Warrior Prince: Very evident during the course of the storyline. Sadly, this doesn't save him during the ill-fated Battle of the Fords of the Isen.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: When meeting him for the first time, he isn't entirely happy about the player character having spent time helping the Dunlendings, the ancient enemies of Rohan. He gets over it rather quick, though.

Introduced in Volume IV: The Strength of Sauron

    Gondorians 

Derufin and Duilin

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. IV, Book 3, Chapter 5: Into Ithilien

The twin sons of Duinhir, Lord of the Blackroot Vale. Derufin and Duilin are keen hunters out for adventure, accompanying the Player Character to Minas Tirith as they search for Faramir. They consider the mûmak their greatest prey and dream of taking one down.
  • Ascended Extra: Mentioned in passing as the leaders of Morthond's skilled bowmen, they get more fleshed out in this game.
  • Boisterous Bruiser: Both Derufin and Duilin tend to play up their hunting skills. In Bâr Húrin they're noted to bring more cheer and amusement to the Rangers of Ithilien thanks to their larger-than-life personalities.
  • Challenge Seeker: They go hunting for Mûmakil in Ithilien because they hear that none of the Rangers yet have managed to slay any of the creatures.
  • Character Death: In the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, the brothers aid the player character and Reeve Ingert by drawing away a trio of Mûmakil, but they're trampled in the process
  • Doomed by Canon: They die during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields as in canon, they were trampled by the mighty mûmakil
  • Friendly Sniper: Both are archers who eagerly invite the player character to hunt with them, though this is downplayed somewhat with Derufin making use of a sword in addition to his bow.
  • Like Father, Like Son: They take after Duinhir in being brash and bold, and get him to stand down from his scolding by appealing to his strategic sense.
  • Loose Lips: They land in hot water over this after it's revealed that some Gondorian soldiers have begun to curse Golodir for his part in making Gothmog unkillable. When the player character chastises them for blabbing, they justify it by pointing out that the soldiers of Gondor deserve to know what they're going up against, and that they would be more ferocious in battle with someone to blame.
  • Short Range Guy, Long Range Guy: Duilin prefers the longbow, while Derufin hunts at close-range with a sword.
  • Sibling Team: Both of them work together during their hunts, though they usual separate to more effectively track and catch their prey.

Duinhir

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. IV, Book 6, Chapter 9: The City Stands

Lord of the Blackroot Vale, father to Derufin and Duilin.
  • Heroic B So D: Duinhir is devastated by the deaths of his boys on the Pelennor. In the immediate aftermath of the battle, you find him sobbing uncontrollably into his hands, ignoring any of your character's attempts to comfort him.
  • Out Living Ones Offspring: He survives the Battle for the Pelennor, but his sons do not. He turns down your request for help because he can't bear to identify their bodies, leaving you to do the work.
  • Survivor's Guilt: Experiences this as a result of Derufin and Duilin's deaths. A few months after the War of the Ring, he decides to step away from his duties as Lord of the Blackroot Vale to mourn with his wife, and privately admits to the player that he wonders whether they'd still be alive had he not raised them to be so bold and brash like him.

Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. IV, Book 4, Chapter 2: Too Far from the City

The prince of Dol Amroth. Leader of the Swan-Knights and a capable commander and warrior, Imrahil initially rides east to war against Mordor, leaving the city in charge of his daughter, Lothiriel. For his book counterpart, see here.
  • Bling of War: He's dressed in very elaborate swan-themed armour like the rest of his Swan-Knights, but adds in additional gold trimmings and reliefs to his outfit, as well as a feathered helmet.
  • Adapted Out: In regards to his family. He has three other sons in canon who do not appear in this adaption. Lothíriel seems to be his only daughter here.

Lothíriel

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. IV, Book 1, Chapter 9: A Message for Lothíriel

Daughter to Imrahil, the Prince of Dol Amroth, she leads the city while her father is away at war to the east.
  • A Child Shall Lead Them: Downplayed. Lothíriel is an adult, but by the time of Vol. IV she's barely twenty years old when charged with ruling Dol Amroth in her father's stead (She was born in T.A. 2999).
  • Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Her arranged betrothal to Boromir was never present in the books.
  • Cute Bookworm: She's an avid reader of books and very kind and sweet-natured.
  • Arranged Marriage: Unwillingly brokered by Denethor between her and his son Boromir.
  • Honour Before Reason: Though it would've been an unhappy match, Lothíriel was willing to marry Boromir at her uncle Denethor's command for the sake of her duty and country. She confesses that a part of her is relieved the wedding won't go through once she's informed of Boromir's passing.
  • Interspecies Friendship: She's very close to Dorthaneth, the leader of the Avorrim and an Elf.
  • Kissing Cousins: One of her concerns over her arranged marriage, aside from the fact that neither party is particularly interested, is that she and Boromir are first cousins, since her aunt Finduilas was Denethor's wife and Boromir's mother.
  • Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: She's quite pale and noted to be "dark of hair".
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: Lothíriel is not one to remain idle, actively giving out orders to people and recalling Swan Knights she dispatched into the country to bolster Dol Amroth's defenses. When Balakhôr the Scourge invites Lothíriel to personally come aboard his vessel for a parley, Lothíriel at first desires to go herself for the sake of her people. Dorthaneth counsels against this, pointing out that sending the only remaining member of Dol Amroth's ruling family on to a hostile power's vessel — by herself — is begging for trouble. To his credit, Balakhôr concedes that she was wise to send the player in her stead, since he would actually have kidnapped her and held her ransom had she gone alone.
  • Ship Tease: With Éomer after the War of the Ring. Post-War Lothíriel has a few sidequests requesting information about Rohan and later Éomer himself. Anyone who's read the books, however, knows that this is Foreshadowing Lothíriel's eventual marriage to the king of Rohan.
  • Trying Not to Cry: Lothíriel briefly tears up a little after being told of Boromir's death, but holds her composure enough to wipe away the dampness in her eyes before she can cry. She's not actually sure how she feels — a part of her is angry at herself for being relieved, since this means she won't have to marry him, but she still loved and respected her cousin nonetheless.
  • Uneven Hybrid: She has Elven blood in her family line from her father's side. When the player first meets Lothíriel, the quest text notes that she has a somewhat Elvish appearance.

Forlong

First Epic Book Appearance: Vol. IV, Book 6, Chapter 4: The Foe Resurgent

Lord of Lossarnach.
  • Big Fun: Nicknamed "the Fat" and loves to spend time feasting and reminiscing with his friends.
  • Big Beautiful Man: His wife Lady Vanyalos remarks that she found him attractive and gallant despite his girth. He was also supposed to marry her sister, Teneris, at first.
  • Character Death: Mortally wounded during the Battle of Pelennor Fields, and lives just long enough to have one last talk with Aragorn - the man he knew as Thorongil.
  • Sibling Triangle: He was originally betrothed to Lady Terenis, Denethor's sister, but ended up falling for and ultimately marrying their other sister Lady Vanyalos. Teneris to this day hasn't forgiven Lady Vanyalos for this.

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