Open the Mines of Moria!

Book 14 of Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar went live yesterday, bringing us to the close of the vanilla game. Book 14 is the last free content update before the expansion, Mines of Moria, arrives this fall. In addition to the progression of the storyline, a series of daily quests has popped up, allowing a race between the servers to see who can unlock the mines first!

Here's the press release:

WESTWOOD, MA – July 23, 2008 - Turbine, Inc. announced the details of the sixth content update for subscribers to The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™. Book 14: Ring-forge of Eregion delivers the climax to the epic story from Volume I of The Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO). The story takes center stage in Book 14 with several new storytelling mechanics combined with live in-world events that allow players to work together to be part of the rise and fall of Amarthiel at the Ring-forges of Eregion! This will unlock the prelude quests that will lead players to the Mines of Moria™, the first expansion pack to the 2007 PC MMO Game of the Year* scheduled to be released this fall. Book 14: Ring-forge of Eregion is now available to subscribers of The Lord of the Rings Online in North America and Europe.

“The Lord of the Rings Online is one of the only MMOs to successfully integrate story into game play,” said Jeffrey Steefel, Executive Producer of The Lord of the Rings Online. “With Book 14 we continue to create new ways for players to experience the epic story in Middle-earth from the dramatic moments unfolding throughout the story to the new adventure instances that require players to work together across their server to unlock new content and advance the story. The live events planned in Book 14 will provide incredibly dynamic adventures for our players and set the tone for our journey this fall into the Mines of Moria.”

NEW FEATURES:

Ø The Finale of the Epic Story – As the epic story of Volume I reaches its climax, Book 14 will take LOTRO’s unique storytelling to a new level. The story continues as Laerdan leaves for Mirobel, the Ring-forges of Hollin, to reforge the ring Narchuil. Players will set out after him and engage in an epic battle with Amarthiel’s minions that ultimately reveals the true enemy. The story will use several new storytelling mechanics and feature a series of live events hosted by Turbine’s Game Masters who will be playing the role of Amarthiel.

Ø New Battlefield Adventure Instances – Book 14 introduces a new style of gameplay for LOTRO through a series of 6-player experiences calling on the heroes of Middle-earth to hold the line against the invading forces of Angmar. Players across each world must complete a series of chained quests a certain number of times in order to unlock additional content for the entire server.

Ø New Animation Technology – LOTRO continues to improve the award-winning experience for players with major improvements to player animations and the introduction of new emotes for Monster Players.

For more information on the daily quests, please check here and for the patch notes, please check the Lord of the Rings Online Official Site.