Dark omens trouble the Free Peoples of Middle-earth. Orc raids grow bolder, ancient evils stir in forgotten places, and a shadow lengthens in the east. The heroes are summoned to Rivendell where Elrond and Gandalf reveal a terrible truth — a Ringwraith has survived and is gathering power in the ruins of Dol Guldur, seeking a lost artifact that could resurrect the Dark Lord's will.

The path to the enemy leads through the ancient dwarf kingdom of Khazad-dûm. The heroes must brave the Mines of Moria — a labyrinth of darkness, orcs, trolls, and worse things that dwell in the deep. At its heart, a terror of flame and shadow guards the passage.

Emerging from Moria, the heroes find the lands of Rohan under siege. Orc armies led by a cunning Uruk warlord have besieged Helm's Deep. The heroes must rally the scattered Rohirrim, defend the fortress, and break the siege before Rohan falls.

With Rohan saved, the heroes march east to Dol Guldur to end the threat at its source. They must breach the fortress, fight through its undead defenders, and confront the Ringwraith before it completes the ritual to forge a new weapon of domination. The fate of Middle-earth hangs in the balance.

A vast continent of ancient kingdoms, dark forests, towering mountains, and rolling plains. Once home to great civilizations of Elves, Dwarves, and Men, now fading into a quieter age. Evil stirs in forgotten places — orc hordes breed in the mountains, undead walk in cursed lands, and in the east, a shadow grows. The Free Peoples must unite or fall separately.

The greatest dwarf kingdom ever built — vast halls of carved stone spanning miles beneath the Misty Mountains. Abandoned after Durin's Bane destroyed the colony. Now home to orc tribes, cave trolls, and nameless things in the deep. The halls echo with dripping water and distant drums. Massive pillared chambers, bottomless chasms, narrow bridges, and the legendary Bridge of Khazad-dûm where the final stand against the Balrog must be made. The Morgul Crown is sealed in a vault in the deepest level.

The Hill of Dark Sorcery — a ruined fortress in southern Mirkwood. Once Sauron's northern stronghold, now claimed by the surviving Ringwraith. Black stone towers wreathed in shadow and dark clouds. The interior is a multi-level dungeon of trapped corridors, undead guardians, and rooms warped by necromantic energy. At the summit, the Ringwraith's ritual chamber overlooks a sea of corrupted forest. The air is cold and carries the stench of death.

Capital of Rohan — a hill-top city of wooden halls and thatched roofs, crowned by Meduseld, the Golden Hall. Wind-swept and proud. When the heroes arrive, the city is subdued — Wormtongue's influence has sapped morale. Guards eye strangers with suspicion. The Golden Hall's warmth has turned cold under the traitor's shadow. Freeing Théoden transforms the city from oppressed to defiant.

Rolling hills covered in ancient burial mounds north of Bree. An unsettling mist clings to the ground at all times. The barrows contain undead wights — cursed kings and warriors from a forgotten age. Treasure lies within the mounds but carries curses. The wights grow stronger at night. Tom Bombadil's territory borders the Downs, and his songs can break the wights' power — but he must be found first.

The Ringwraith seeks a lost artifact sealed in the Mines of Moria — the Morgul Crown, a lesser ring of power. The heroes must reach it first. Travel through Moria, find the sealed vault, and secure the crown before the enemy's agents do. The crown is dangerous — whoever carries it feels the Ringwraith's attention.

Cross the ancient dwarf kingdom from west to east. Navigate goblin-infested halls, avoid or defeat a Balrog, and emerge into daylight. The mines are a dungeon crawl spanning multiple sessions. Resources are scarce and rest is dangerous.

The King of Rohan is under the influence of Wormtongue, a traitor serving the Ringwraith. Travel to Edoras, expose Wormtongue's treachery, and break the enchantment. Théoden must lead his people — without him, Rohan falls.

An orc army marches on Helm's Deep. Help the Rohirrim defend the fortress through a night-long siege. Hold the walls, protect civilians, and survive until reinforcements arrive at dawn. The fate of Rohan depends on this battle.

The crown cannot be kept — it will corrupt anyone who carries it too long. It must be destroyed, but no ordinary means can unmake it. Discover how to destroy it (Galadriel's counsel, the fires of Dol Guldur itself, or the power of the Ringwraith turned against it) and do so during the final confrontation.

March east with the allied army, breach the fortress of Dol Guldur, and confront the Ringwraith before it completes the ritual to forge a new weapon of domination. End its threat to Middle-earth permanently.

Several Rangers of the North have disappeared while scouting the enemy's movements. One was the messenger who summoned the heroes. Their last known position was near the Weather Hills. Finding them (alive or dead) reveals the extent of the Ringwraith's spy network.

Lady Galadriel gives each hero a personalized gift when they depart Lothlórien. The gifts seem modest but prove crucial in the final battle. Discovering how to use each gift is a puzzle woven through the remaining sessions.

Gimli asks the heroes to find what happened to his cousin Balin's expedition to reclaim Moria. The records in Balin's tomb tell a tragic story. Finding Balin's personal journal and returning it to Gimli brings closure — and reveals useful information about Moria's deeper levels.

The ancient burial mounds near Bree are stirring. Put the restless dead to peace and destroy the Barrow-Wight Lord. Optional side quest that provides cursed but powerful magic weapons and earns the gratitude of Bree's people.

Orc Ambush on the East Road

A warband of orc raiders attacks the heroes on the road to Rivendell. Warg-riding scouts lead the charge while orc berserkers close in. A war chief commands from the rear. The attack is coordinated — these aren't random raiders but a deliberate attempt to prevent the heroes from reaching Rivendell.

Wights of the Weather Hills

In an abandoned watchtower, spectral undead rise from ancient tombs. Wights in corroded armor wield frost-touched blades. A banshee wails from the tower's peak, demoralizing the heroes while wights close in from below. The undead are connected to the Ringwraith's growing power.

The Watcher at the Door

As the heroes solve the riddle of the Doors of Durin, a many-tentacled creature erupts from the dark lake. Massive and ancient, it tries to drag heroes into the water while they scramble through the doors. A frantic fight to get inside before the creature pulls someone under.

Goblins of Moria

In the vast halls of the Twenty-First level, goblin drums echo in the darkness. A swarm of goblins and their orc captains pour from side passages while a cave troll smashes through a doorway, scattering stone and bone. The heroes must hold their ground in a columned hall while enemies close from multiple directions.

Durin's Bane — The Bridge of Khazad-dûm

The Balrog emerges from the depths — a towering demon of shadow wreathed in flame, cracking a whip of fire. The heroes must flee through collapsing halls toward the Bridge. On the narrow span, one hero can make a stand while others cross. The bridge may break. The Balrog may fall — or pursue. This should be the most cinematic, terrifying encounter of the campaign.

Wolf Riders of the Plains

On the plains of Rohan, a mounted orc patrol on wargs intercepts the heroes. Hit-and-run tactics — the riders circle, firing arrows, while dire wolves harry the flanks. A running battle across open grassland. If the heroes have horses, this becomes a thrilling mounted chase.

The Liberation of Edoras

Confronting Wormtongue in the Golden Hall. He calls upon enchantment magic and hidden guards — hobgoblin mercenaries paid with Ringwraith gold. Wormtongue tries to flee while his guards buy time. A social encounter that can turn into combat, or a pure combat encounter if diplomacy fails.

The Battle of Helm's Deep

A massive siege in three phases. Phase 1: Hold the Deeping Wall against orc infantry and ladder assaults — waves of orcs with a troll battering the gate. Phase 2: The wall is breached — fight a desperate retreat to the Hornburg while ogres smash through. Phase 3: At dawn, reinforcements arrive — the heroes lead a cavalry charge to break the siege. An epic, multi-stage battle.

Undead Patrol in the Brown Lands

Crossing the blighted wastes toward Dol Guldur, the heroes encounter an undead patrol — wraiths and wights serving as the Ringwraith's sentinels. The undead emerge from the poisoned earth itself, clawing out of the ground in an ambush. A wraith commands them with silent gestures.

Breach of Dol Guldur

The outer defenses of the fortress. Orc captains and a vampire spawn command the gatehouse while spectral wights patrol the walls. The heroes must fight through or find a secret entrance (a collapsed sewer Wormtongue might reveal). Inside, trapped corridors and enchanted darkness slow progress.

The Ringwraith's Generals

In Dol Guldur's inner sanctum, the Ringwraith's two most powerful servants bar the final door: a Death Knight — once a great hero of Men corrupted by the morgul-blade — and a Mummy Lord — an ancient sorcerer-king preserved by dark rituals. They fight in tandem in a chamber of black stone pillars.

The Ringwraith — Final Battle

The Ringwraith stands at the summit of Dol Guldur, the Morgul Crown blazing with dark power as the ritual nears completion. Phase 1: the Ringwraith commands from a throne of shadow, raising undead and launching necrotic blasts. Phase 2: forced into direct combat, it wields a morgul-blade and fear aura. Phase 3: the heroes must destroy the Morgul Crown while the Ringwraith desperately channels its remaining power to complete the forging. Destroying the crown banishes the Ringwraith into the void.

Barrow-Wight Lord

Deep in the largest barrow mound, an ancient wight-lord sits upon a throne of corroded gold, surrounded by its cursed court. The chamber is freezing cold. The wight-lord wields a cursed blade that paralyzes on hit. Destroying it frees the spirits of the barrow — who rise briefly to thank the heroes before fading into light.