From time to time, the folks over at Turbine give us all a look at some of the unique places they have created for Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. This time around it's Aughaire, the Meeting-place, the Gaelic inspired tent city where the tribes of the Hillmen gather to trade and maintain relations with other tribes.
In years past, when Arthedain and Cardolan strove to drive back the forces of Angmar, the Men of Rhudaur, under the leadership of an evil chieftain of the Hillmen, fell under the sway of the Witch-king of Angmar. As the years passed, the Hillmen were displaced northward by the better-trained and "civilized" Men of Angmar in preparation for a final war against the North-kingdom of Arthedain. After the defeat of the Witch-king's forces and the near-annihilation of the Angmarim, the Hillmen in the north gradually departed from the dark path laid down for them by the Witch-king and returned to their tribal ways.
Now, the Hillmen have become nomads, wandering the frozen wastes and hills of Angmar, content to hunt the great herds of aurochs, unconcerned with the doings of the strange folk who dwell in stone cities. Yet the clans still recognize the need to maintain relations with each other, in order to avert bloodshed as one clan infringes on the territory of another. In order to facilitate peaceful relations between their clans, the nomads established a neutral colony, a great tent city they named Aughaire, the Meeting-place. Here, the clans trade in furs, meats and produce, medicines, and slaves. A clan judge also resides here, an elder who mediates peaceful resolutions to disputes between rival clans.
Read more on Aughaire and its lore here.
