Lord of the Rings Online MMO News, Guides, and Features at Ten Ton Hammer

Today saw the launch of the Lord of the Ring Online's 2011 Fall Festival, also known as Harvestmath. The Haunted Burrow, a new feature introduced at last year's Harvestmath Festival just after F2P went live, makes its triumphant return, with the same 7 quests, daily lootable chests and madcap zaniness as last year. And with the Haunted Burrow comes the Skeleton Painted Steed, a rare drop from one of the chests inside the trap-filled maze. And, like last year, it's very rare, so don't give up if you don't get it within the first day or so. Last year, I got mine on the very last day on the festival, on the very last of my 12 or so toons that was able to enter the burrow.

There are the same "festival standard" events that have been around since the beginning: item-collecting in each of the racial starting areas (apples in the Shire, pumpkins in Bree, geodes in Thorin's Hall, scrolls in Duillond), the unrelenting power-struggle between the venerated Inn League and the Dwarven upstart Ale Association, dancing instruction, and horse races. And for those Farmers who planted a mushroom during the Spring Festival, the mushroom is now ready to harvest in the tent near the Party Tree in Hobbiton. Also returning this year are the Troves and Trickeries events in Thorin's Hall, Duillond, Hobbiton and Bree-town. This mini-event requires the player to find 4 NPCs and use the proper /emote at them before time runs out. To help you out, here's a quick guide:

Hobbiton

• Farmer near Ted Sandyman's place - /shiver
• Fisherman on the pier behind the Ivy Bush - /tantrum
• Hobbit lady in the gazebo up the hill from the Ivy Bush - /burp
• Hobbit on the stone fence near Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, up hill from the Party Tree - /pick

Thorin's Hall

• Labourer in hallway outside the tavern - /whistle
• Dwarf in crafting hall by Weaponsmith's Guild - /drink
• Dwarf by the Champion and Guardian trainers - /mock
• Dwarf by the northwesternmost forge in the crafting area - /flex
  

Duillond

• Elf by the far tower overlooking the river - /look
• Guardsman up in the vendors area - /hail
• Musician near the stable - /dance
• Elf in the cooking area - /eat
  

Bree-town

• Sleeping man in alley near Stone Quarter - /scold
• Guy dancing on his elevated porch in Beggar's Alley - /crazy
• Lady by Auction House - /no
• Lady on her porch near Prancing Pony - /whippitydo
  

The events aren't new, but some of the rewards are. In addition to the usual assortment of pranks, housing items, masks and the lovely Cloak of Falling Leaves from last year, there are two new cloaks, a new tunic for the fellas and gown for the dames, 4 new maps for your house (and for the Cartographer deed), and a new horse to be won at the races. This year's new mount, the Autumnfest Steed, wears barding that matches the look of some of the new character cosmetics.

And, while not directly related to the festival, there's another new horse for sale from the LotRO store: the awesome Painted Skeleton Steed: Glowing Green. This is a store-exclusive mount with 250 morale and +68% run speed, and it does indeed glow in the dark, making it at least triple the awesome and worth every one of the 1995 Turbine Points it costs to buy it.

The festival came as part of a package with the first Rise of Isengard patch, which fixes a number of nasty bugs and glitches that shipped with Dunland. The Patch Notes can be found at Update 4, Rise of Isngard, Patch 1, Official. Some particular highlights:

• Landscape treasure containers are returned to Dunland.
  
• Greater Scrolls of Delving added as a quest reward for Volume III Book 4
• All classes except Hunters have received some minor tweaks or fixes
• Creeps get amped up for PvMP - all Creep damage is increased 20 - 30%
• Pit of Iron gets an attitude adjustment, fixing the broken pathing on platforms - mentioned in LotRO's Rise of Isengard: The Road to Level 75, Last Stretch
  
• It's now possible to complete the quest-completion deeds in Dunland
  
• Superior Third Marks have been rendered useless.

• Previously that thing you were looking for was always found in the last place you looked. This has now been randomized.

The 2011 Harvestmath Festival runs until November 7.