The Trollshaws stretch east of Bree and the Shire, beyond the Lone-lands, in the area long ago inhabited by the Men of Rhûdaur and into the territory that was once the North Kingdom of Arnor. When the Witch-king was defeated and the lands of Rhûdaur were cast into ruin, the region became known as the Trollshaws, a wooded land inhabited by evil trolls. The Trollshaws are filled with towering pine and beech trees, and the horizons are often blocked by high hills and steep, impassable cliffs that shadow deep gorges and dead-end ravines.

Nestled between the Lone-lands to the west, the Misty Mountains to the east, the Ettenmoors to the north, and Eregion to the south, the Trollshaws have been largely uninhabited by the civilized races and are dotted with ruined fortifications that serve as lairs to some of Middle-earth's most savage beasts. With an eastern border of the River Hoarwell, spanned by the Last Bridge, intersected by the River Bruinen, and closed off by the western impasse of the Misty Mountains, the Trollshaws are an isolated region full of powerful and corrupt monsters that prey upon those bound for Rivendell or Moria.

It is here that Bilbo Baggins came upon the Stone-trolls Tom, Bert, and William, and where Gandalf tricked the latter three into arguing until dawn when the sun came up and returned them to stone. Gandalf discovered his sword Glamdring in this region, the Dwarf Thorin Oakenshield found the blade Orcist, and Bilbo claimed the knife known as Sting. Years later, Aragorn led a company of Hobbits into the Trollshaws to escape the Nazgûl who had attacked and pursued them from Weathertop.

The Trollshaws are a mid-level zone targeted at Heroes of 30th level or higher and are home to the hidden Elf-refuge of Rivendell. This region is a great place to gain additional experience and items through Quests, Deeds, and exploration. If you are in search of Quests and to advance the Epic storyline, then you had best set your sights on reaching Rivendell. However, if you are in search of slayer or exploration Deeds or off the beaten trail adventure, then the Trollshaws has more than enough to offer.

Map of the Trollshaws and surrounding region.