Mysterious Relics is a deed gained from finding each of the five mysterious relics, gaining the delivery quest from each one, and completing them. The reward is the title, "The Calm Before the Storm". While you're tagging the relics, you might want to go tag the related instances as well, as explained on the In Their Absence page.
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Bungo Grubb's Letter
On 11 January 2011, Turbine posted the following in the game launcher, "Bungo Grubb, Noted Pipe-weed Farmer at Oatbart has just dispatched a strongly-worded letter to Mayor Whitfoot in Michel Delving! Read what he has to say!" The "Read" link went to A Strongly-Worded Letter from Bungo Grubb This led players to the Famine Relic standing in Bongo's field. Bongo had this to say:
22 Tilled Way
Oatbarton, Shire
The Town Hole, Michel Delving, Shire
Dear Mayor Whitfoot,
I am writing this letter of complaint from my home in Oatbarton, which, as I hope you will remember, is well within the bounds of the Shire and therefore the concerns of its residents should greatly concern you as mayor. I do not doubt that when you hear all of the facts of this matter, you will be filled with as much surprise and alarm as I and my wife Opaline are, and will take decisive action to find and punish the perpetrator of this misguided prank. I believe I know who is behind it, but I will save my conjecture for the end of this letter so as not to colour your opinion; I am certain you will come to the same conclusion as I have done when you have heard the facts of the case. So, to that end, here they are:
I am a citizen in good standing of the Town of Oatbarton, in the northern reaches of the Shire, and my pipe-weed crop has taken multiple prizes at the Annual Growers’ Festival for the last three years (Sweetest-Smelling Smoke in 1416 and 1417; Most Relaxing Smoke and Best Overall in 1418). Numerous residents of Oatbarton and the surrounding communities were aware of my intention to submit plants from my pipe-weed crop to this year’s Growers’ Festival. You may contact me for names of good, honest folk who can attest to this, such as my wife Opaline or our good friend Rosalyn Smallburrow, also of Oatbarton. I have not changed my growing habits or techniques since last year, so there is little reason to expect that my submission for this year’s festival would be of lesser quality than my previous, prize-winning entries. I do not mean to boast, but my pipe-weed plants were shaping up to be of even higher quality than in years past! You can speak to the individuals noted above for their opinions, and they will certainly agree that my pipe-weed crop was proceeding exceedingly well for the season. Given those facts, you can see that I take a great deal of pride in the quality of my pipe-weed. Imagine my alarm when I woke up this morning, drank my morning tea, prepared a small breakfast, and took my customary mid-morning stroll to observe my plants… and found them withered, brown, and wilted! They will win no prizes in this state! They are fit only for compost now! Unimaginable!
Right in the middle of my field, someone had placed a tall stone block bearing unpleasant symbols. I do not know what to call it, but I would not like it anywhere, let alone in the middle of my pipe-weed field: the pipe-weed field that was thriving yesterday, but after the appearance of this horrible thing is no more! Furthermore, this stone artifact, or relic, or what-have-you, is a public nuisance! Anyone who gets too near it begins to feel most unhealthy, and cannot bear to look at the thing for too long.
I told you at the outset, Mr. Mayor, that I had my suspicions about who could have done this to me, and here they are: my neighbour, one Adaric Burrows. He is very jealous of my success at the Annual Growers’ Festival these past few years, and has been most vocal in his belief that his own pipe-weed (a very low-grade and unsatisfying smoke, if you ask true experts) deserves to beat mine. I do not know how he managed to move this large stone into my field, but I don’t doubt that he found some way, and now thinks to run his own pipe-weed unchallenged in the Growers’ Festival!
I wish you to prepare a declaration saying that Mr. Burrows is forbidden from entering his pipe-weed in this year’s Festival on account of the underhanded and unworthy prank he has pulled on me and my innocent plants, which did no harm to anyone. I await your response and said declaration, signed by any necessary parties and delivered in triplicate, and remain,
The Mysterious Relics
After using the stone and talking to Bongo, a new deed opened up (1/5 completed), letting players know that there were five stones total, hidden somewhere around Middle Earth:
The Gaunt Lords
Players soon realized that these five terms, Famine, War, Death, Pestilence, Purest Evil, to the five Gaunt-lords:
- Thadúr the Ravager (in the Great Barrow - Thadúr instance
- Drugoth the Death-monger (Dragon-wing of Helegrod instance, Misty Mountains)
- Ivar the Blood-hand (Garth Agarwen Barrows, Lone-lands)
- Ferndúr the Virulent (Imlad Bachorth, Angmar)
- Gortheron the Doom-caller (in Lhe Colvarn in the Lich Bluffs, Enedwaith).
Each of those gaunt lords has their own instance, as explained on the In Their Absence page.
Location (coordinates and maps)
The five stones are located as follows:
Famine relic in Evendim (Oatbarton)
23.6S 66.7W
(click the << in the top right corner to get a much larger map)
Clicking on the Famine relic started a new quest which allowed you to ask Bungo some questions.
I'm ruined! My pipe-weed was certain to take first prize at the annual festival, and now it's all gone! Disaster!
- I am sorry.
Couldn't nave carried it, you say? Well, he probably dragged it with a team of horses. No, I don't see any ruts in the earth, but I just know he's the one that's done it!
- It seems unlikely
- I understand
War relic in the North Downs (Annundir)
10.9S, 50.4W
(click the << in the top right corner to get a much larger map)
Clicking on the War relic started a new quest which allowed you to ask the nearby Ted Farmer some questions. "Before the burned cottage stands an evil-looking relic. Staring at the relic, your blood boils, though you can identify no good reason for it. You shake your head, and the feeling passes."
I think they were after that helmet I found, but they didn't get it! I sold it to a merchant earlier in the day!
- Who'd do that?
I have that to be pleased about, at any rate.
- It's something.
- I hope you do.
"As if Burt and I have not suffered enough at the hands of the Orcs, now we have to deal with someone setting our home afire? If we had the means, my brother and I would go somewhere, but where else could we go? We were living in this cottage because there is nowhere else to go!"
Death relic in Forochel (Jä-rannit)
16.9, 59.5
(click the << in the top right corner to get a much larger map)
Clicking on the Death relic started a new quest which allowed you to ask the nearby Noora some questions. "In the shadow of the wall stands an evil-looking relic. You stare intently at the relic, and as you do you begin to feel a mounting sense of fear. The sensation becomes stronger, and as your terror grows, so too does your desire to run as far from the relic as you can. Just as suddenly as the feeling came upon you, it passes, but still the relic divulges no secrets.
- You think so?
- I am sure.
- It never does.
"This relic is newly-placed; we came here to scout the approaches from the land of Angmar several days past, as Yrjänä desired, and it was not here then. Some servant of the Witch-king has left it here to fill us with fear, but it will not. The Lossoth cower for no one, not even the Witch-king, though he return in greater strength than before."
- [Finish Now]
Pestilence relic in the (North) Trollshaws
The Cave Entrance 24.8S, 17.7W, far back of the cave
(click the << in the top right corner to get a much larger map)
Clicking on the Pestilence relic started a new quest. "An ominous relic stands before the door. You stare warily at it, but it keeps its secrets hidden. You feel suddenly faint and are overcome by a wave of dizziness and a strong feeling of sickness. You shake your head and the sensation passes, but you find your thoughts drawn to the door in front of which the relic has been placed." Examining the door told you to go seek Elrond.
I can tell you what lies beyond the sealed door in those caves, however. Long ago, when the kingdom of Rhudaur was at its height, evil Men worshiped dark powers at a temple in the wilderness. The route overland to the temple has not been taken in many years and is surely overgrown; I have dispatched scouts from time to time to search for it.
I believe that the sealed door leads underground to that temple, <playername>. It is said that some terrible thing befell the Men of Rhudaur within its walls. Let it remain sealed, for now. If this relic signals a return of that evil, we may need to take action; but for now, let the temple remain lost.Purest Evil relic in Enedwaith (Thrór's Coomb)
67.2S, 8.3W
(click the << in the top right corner to get a much larger map)
Clicking on the Purest Evil relic started a new quest which allowed you to ask the nearby Brungos some questions. "On the slope stands an evil-looking relic. As you examine the relic, you are suddenly held in the grasp of complicated sensations: feelings of sickness, anger, and fear rush through you, and just as it seems it must be too much, they pass. You are left feeling weak and weary, and the relic keeps its secrets to itself.
- I wonder why?
- That is clear.
- Most wise.
I do not like this, <playername> It is clearly a relic of evil, but what its purpose may be, I cannot fathom. Does its presence here signal some new danger to the Grey Company? {Finish Now]
Completion
After touching all five stones, gaining then completing all of their quests, a player must travel to Barliman Butterbur in the Prancing Pony in Bree to complete the deed and gain the new title.
Hard times are ahead, if you ask me. Strange folk on the road, unpleasant news from distant parts... it's enough to make you wonder. You can't let it trouble you too much, that's what I've always said. There's just too much to be done! You'll stay calm, <playername>, no matter what lies ahead? Ha! It's good advice! More could make do with some of that, if you ask me!
I'll let you know if I hear anything. I'll just write down a bit of a note to remind me. Anything else I can do for you, <playername>? The Pony is at your service, of course...you just name what you want.
- [Finish Now]
