Turbine has released a few new official screenshots from their
Rise of Isengard expansion for the Lord of the Rings Online today.
These ones showcase two new areas: the Gap of Rohan and the Tower of
Orthanc, home of the White Wizard Saruman.

The Gap of Rohan features a mixture of Dunlending and Rohirrim
camps. The Dunlending town looks incredibly crowded - here's a detail
of the larger picture to illustrated my meaning:

alt="Dunlending camp - detail"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/101011" />

And here's the wider view. The detail is taken from the
lower-middle part, just above the stone wall, and as you can see, the
rest of the town is pretty much equally packed with people.

alt="Dunlending Town"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/101005" />

The Rohirrim camps are a much cleaner affair with a more
reasonable population. It looks like they have established some
military bases in the narrow pass between the mountain ranges to keep
the forces of the White Hand at bay.

alt="Rohirrim camp"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/101006" />

And of course, an army marches on its stomach. Let's just hope
that is not the leg of one of Rohan's prized horses roasting on the
spit:

alt="Rohirrim camp"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/101007" />

The Tower of Orthanc is a rather menacing-looking structure.
We are treated to a few interesting angles here, which showcase not
only the dreaded tower itself but also the eerie lighting around it.

alt="Orthanc"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/101008" />

alt="Orthanc"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/101009" />

From a somewhat safer distance, you can see the cataclysmic
devastation surrounding the tower, the aftermath of Saruman's conquest
of the wilderness to build and arm his army of orcs and Uruk-hai. A
haze of smoke surrounds the tower and its grounds, and a barren field
of stumps is all that remains of the green forest that once surrounded
the place.

alt="Orthanc"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/101010" />

Closed beta testing of Rise of Isengard starts today, and the
expansion is scheduled to go live on September 27. From the looks of
things, players will need every one of the 10 additional levels that
come with this expansion.