Lord Of The Rings Online: Exploring Middle-earth: Thorin's Halls

"So Thráin and Thorin with what remained of their following...wandered in Eriador, until at last they made a home in exile in the east of the Ered Luin beyond the Lune."
- The Return of the King, Appendix A, Part III Durin's Folk

The great halls of Thorin, delved beneath the Ered Luin in western Middle-earth are amongst the greatest wonders of craftsmanship and building found anywhere in the world. It has been nearly 80 years since Thorin himself journeyed away from this Dwarf-mansion of soaring stone to reclaim his rightful place beneath Erebor, in his noble quest to Lonely Mountain to defeat the dragon Smaug (a well-documented adventure, indeed!). Though Thorin was never to return to this place, having fallen in the Battle of the Five Armies after successfully reclaiming his throne, Thorin's Halls in the Blue Mountains remain a vibrant center of activity in the region.

Dwarf characters new to Middle-earth will begin their grand adventures here in the Ered Luin, within Thorin's Halls and down into the darkness of the nearby Silverdeep Mines. The region, situated along the western shores of Middle-earth, not far from the Grey Havens of the Elves, and also quite close to the Shire of the Hobbits, is designed as a vibrant crossroads of many of Middle-earth's diverse races. The Ered Luin, also known as the Blue Mountains, is an area rich in the history of Middle-earth, figuring prominently throughout the ages, however, there are very few adventures documented in detail here within The Lord of the Rings books, making it a perfect place for new players to discover never-before-experienced regions as they begin their exploration of the lands.