Guide to Bree-Land

by Darkgolem

Bree is an enormous area in the LOTRO game.  Bree-Land contains a broad range of places, from towns, including busy Bree-Town, to peaceful farmlands, such as the various Bree-Fields, to areas of mortal danger, such as the Barrow Downs and Old Forest.  Almost any type of adventure, any type of foe, can be found in Bree-Land.

Aside from questing, there are a lot of types of crafting available in Bree-Land.  Most of the crafting in Bree-Land is done in Bree-Town, at the crafters hall.  However, there are other crafting areas found such as in the Northern Bree-Fields, and in the town of Staddle (a center for farming).

You can find all types of resources here, including tier 1,2 and 3 ore, wood and skin (though mainly tiers 1 and 2) for your crafting needs.  Bree-Land is so large an area, it is not hard to spend hours gathering resources without seeing another soul even on busy days, if you head to the distant parts of the land..

Amenities in Bree-Land
Location	Fast Transit	Mail	Vault	Notary	Grocer	Housing Broker	Bard	Milestone
Staddle		Yes			Yes	Yes
Combe	Yes	Yes				Yes	Yes
Midgewater Marches			Yes			Yes		Yes
Adso's Camp					Yes
Buckland	Yes	Yes						Yes

Towns of Bree-Land

There are several towns in Bree-Land.

Archet

Archet is a small community located in northeastern Bree-Land.  The Blackwold brigands have a foothold here, and they (in the introduction for hobbits and humans in LOTRO) attempted to burn down Archet.  After finishing your introduction here, there is little in the way of reason to go here, though certain ruins here have areas you should visit when fulfilling the deeds Bree-Land has to offer.

Bree-Town

A busy community of mixed hobbits and humans, Bree-Town is one of the busiest communities in middle earth.  Bree-Town contains almost any of the resources an adventurer could want, except farms and farmhands (which are found in next door Staddle).  Many quests are found here, most involving the Barrow Downs.

Buckland

Home of the influential and respected Brandybuck family, Buckland is the only hobbit-only community found outside of the Shire. Buckland is troubled by the agents of the shadow who were hunting the ring bearer and his friends, and (more recently) an influx of concerns from the Old Forest.  Count on most of your adventures found here to be in the forest.





Combe

A logging community, south of Archet, on the edge of the Chetwood.  The Blackwold brigands, after being driven from Archet, take up refuge in the Chetwood, again among the ruins found here.  There are several simple quests here, most involving the Chetwood and the brigands and creatures here.

Bree-Land Trainer Chart
Location	Burglar	Captain	Guardian	Champion	Hunter	Minstrel	Lore Master
Combe	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	yes	yes	Yes

Staddle

Staddle is a quiet farming community disturbed by threats from the Midgewater Marshes and southern part of the Chetwood, in the form of goblins and bandits.  There is farming available here (though not expert tier), and some other crafting equipment, though other than that, Bree-Town is the place to go for these sorts of things.

Bree-Land Crafting Chart
Location	Forge	Oven	Campfire	Workbench	Farmland	Supplies	Provisioner	Master of Apprentices
Staddle	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes
Combe	Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes
Northern Bree-Fields	Yes
Adso's Camp			Yes				Yes
Buckland	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes
Craftsman
Novice
	Weaponsmith	Farmhand	Tailor	Jeweler	Scholar	Metalsmith	Cook	Woodworker
Staddle		Yes
Combe	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Buckland	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Lands of Bree-Land

Bree-Land has several areas of note that you may visit when adventuring here.  There are both low level and mid level areas in Bree-Land, some less dangerous than others.  The terrain is varied here also, containing farmlands, marshes, several forests, hills, and lakes.  Ruins of the old kingdom of Cardolan can be found dotting the land here, indeed, parts of Bree-Town are formed from the ruins of this ancient kingdom.

Bree-Land Merchant Chart
Location	1 Handed Weaponsmith	2 Handed Weaponsmith	Heavy Armorsmith	Medium Armorsmith	Light Armorsmith	Bowyer	Tavern Keep	Healer	Horse Master	Server
Staddle	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Combe	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
The Horsefields									Yes
The Festival Grounds										Yes
Buckland	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Adso's Camp

Along the road between the Shire and Bree-Town, Adso's camp is the location of an attempt to create a hunting lodge by the unfortunate hobbit Adso.  He will need some help from those of the free people willing to help him and looking for adventure, including some in the Old Forest.






Andrath

Another, more substantial, ruin found in Bree-Land, Andrath is the base of a large group of bandits, mainly made up of half orcs and humans.  They are presently planning an alliance with the orcs of the Northern Bree-Fields, so sooner or later this threat is going to have to be dealt with.  Unfortunately, the road here is barred by the bandits, preventing travel south past their domain.

The Barrow Downs

A long time ago the Barrow Downs were a portion of the ancient Cardolan kingdom.  Many of the brave warriors of Cardolan were buried here, but since then the Witch King of Angmar sent evil spirits to occupy the dead bones interred here.  Now the cairns of the downs are occupied by barrow wights, who bring any who are ensnared by their fell traps down to death with them.  Other creatures, tainted by the blight of the restless dead, reside here, including bloated barrow worms and tainted rats.  Expect constant attack and danger if you should travel the misty hills of the barrows.  The largest of the barrows, the Great Barrows, is found in the most dangerous, southern portion of the downs.  A campfire that can be used as a destination for hunters can be found here.

The Brandy Hills

A simple wood due north of Buckland on the Bree side of the Brandybuck river, the Brandy Hills are untamed, and home to wild creatures that one might expect, including bears.  However, a giant has moved into one part of the hills, so travelers must be careful.

The Bree-Fields

There are in fact three Bree-Fields, the Southern, Northern and Eastern Bree-Fields, respectively.  All of them are occupied by boars, bears and wolves, with the variety found in the southern field being the least dangerous, and the eastern field containing the most dangerous beasts.  The Southern and Northern Bree-Fields are home to farmers, though recently a group of southern bandits (whose base of operations lies in the northern portion of the Southern Bree-Fields) has moved in and are terrorizing the area here.  The Northern Bree-Fields has the dubious distinction of being the home to a dangerous tribe of orcs. 

The Eastern Bree-Fields are free of orcs and bandits.  While the creatures here are the most dangerous of the three lands called the Bree-Fields, the area is an excellent place to harvest skins and wood for crafting without competing with others.

Chetwood North

East of Combe, Chetwood North is occupied by the Blackwold bandits (since driven from Archet) and groups of spiders and wolves.  Not a particularly large forest, it makes up for it in it's dangers for beginning adventurers who are trying to help out the community of Combe and the adjoining lumber camp.

Chetwood South

Chetwood South is occupied mainly by boars, wolves and bears, like most of the forests in Bree-Land.  However, the Blackwold bandits have a presence here, and they are sending more and more frequent forays north to harass the town of Staddle on the border of the forest.  The road here travels south and then east through the forest, eventually reaching the Lone Lands far to the east and south of the Midgewater Marshes.

The Far Chetwood

There is not much found in the Far Chetwood aside from what you might find in any forest.  However, there are still dangers here.  Many Crabain and giant sting flies are found here, and these creatures are hostile to all who intrude here.  Of note, Archet, to the Far Chetwood's south, is divided from the forest by a large extensive rock outcropping, preventing travel from one to the other. 

The Horsefields

This area, located to the west of the Eastern Bree-Fields, is a horse farm where horses can be purchased, and with some quests of various sorts can be found here.

The Festival Grounds

Just west of the Eastern Bree-Fields, and south of the Horsefields, this area is where the Bree-Land festival is held.

The Midgewater Marshes

The marshes here are named because of the many swarms of harassing insects found here.  However, aside from these pests, there are very large insects to be found also, namely the giant cousins of grasshoppers, Neekerbreekers, giant sting flies and man eating spiders  These dangers are found all over the swamp, and any person with reason to travel in this dismal country should be prepared.  Aside from insectile dangers, there are also two groups of goblins here, both of which are (obviously) a danger to the unwary.  The eastern end of the marshes climb into the Weather Hills, an area considered to be part of the Lone Lands.  South of the Midgewater Marshes is a housing area for Bree-Land



Nen Harn

A large lake found distant from the population centers of Bree-Land, Nen Harn is lonely and quiet.  The lake has several islands, most of which are inhabited by the creatures found here, including giant toads, swarms of insects, and vicious snapping turtles.  Also beware of a wood troll who lives alone on the eastern shore of the lake.  Nen Harn is the only place to find Yew wood in all of Bree-Land, though not in large quantities.

The Old Forest

Perhaps one of the most famous of the forests in Bree-Land is the Old Forest.  Unpeopled by settlers (excepting the elusive and mysterious Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry), the only regular travelers of the Old Forest are hunters and woodsmen, mainly from Buckland.  The Old Forest is a ancient and strange forest, containing many wolves, bears, and other creatures of nature, but also haunted by spiders in some portions.  Most frighteningly of all the inhabitants of the Old Forest are the Huorns.  Black hearted and foul, these thinking, moving, trees have a hate of all that go on two legs, and will waylay any who pass too close to their branches.  Whole portions of the Old Forest are inhabited by Huorns brooding in silence, and the greatest of all them is Old Man Willow, found on the Withywindle river in the heart of the forest.  A single hope in this forest of hostile animals and trees is Tom Bombadil, a free spirited and ancient being of unknown origins who bears no creature ill will and will help travelers.  Tom lives in the forest near the Withywindle, close to the haunted Barrow Downs.

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