Location: Eregion, south from the Hollin Road at the ruined gate of Ost-in-Edhil.
Quest: Both darkies and whities can solve this quest, thus I will write solutions for both sides. Whities get the quest from Elrond (must be at least hero level to be able and actually get the key from Elrond - you also need to be “sent on arda” align, if not he will talk about the quest but will not offer you the option to help him), darkies from the BN sage: ask them about 'Ost-in-Edhil' (not case-sensitive).
You can ask them in any language, but Elrond doesn't understand Westron well, as well as Sage doesn't speak Orkish. So, if you speak Sindarin/Morbeth well, ask in these languages. They will start to talk if no one is solving this quest at the same time (if they don't it means someone is solving it already, just wait a bit), and then they will give you a key. Then go to the castle in Ost-in-Edhil and find the tower in the center of it. Beware: there are tons of different dts in the area - eastern part of zone is 6 instant dts; near are 3 times ones (slowly drag you to the east - and there instant dts kill you); vines trap you and slowly kill (considered dtdeath though) - but you can kill vines of course, like hero level needed; n and e from the mother eagle on the top of tower are dts too (noflee, as usual).
At the bottom of tower there is door which can be opened with amethyst: type 'put amethyst inset'. To get it back later, indeed, 'get amethyst inset'. Wait till door opens and proceed n. You can get gem back (as both close and open are delayed), but then you will be trapped inside - so be sure that you know how to do monsters/get away via underwater. Here starts a noport area. In the center of this hidden square is one more instant dt. Somewhere in this area loads hidden main quest item - Book of Kormanole (loads beyond the doors to the ne and nw). There are 2 excavators in this area, and they will ask you to give them book: don't - they are minions of Saruman. If you give them book, they will reward you with whole 2 gold, give you 'treasure map' leading to dt, and disappear (no way to track, kill and get book back). Kill them instead, they load Cardolan+russet+aged flask (useless, but can be sold). They shoot/flee after attacked, so just stay in room after they flee, and spam search q/nuke. Then the quest divides into two parts: either bring the book and the key to Elrond, Sage, or Saruman and get your reward (from Elrond - silver-leaf brooch and chance for a miruvor; from sage - around 20 gold; from saruman - see RohanNews page), or claim the book and forge a ring.
You will need 35% Quenya in order to read the book. If it says, “You cannot decipher the flowing letters!” you need more skill in Quenya.
If you decide to forge, in the northern part of the square is the entrance to the underground part. There live several bats and 4 scaled guardians. These mobs instafollow, call eachother, instahit, choose random targets and can instaheal themselves for like 1/3 hps. So: at least 1 buffer and 1 nuker need to kill them. Guardians can't follow further north than 2s from entrance, and also to Gem/Gless/etc -works (max w and max e rooms), so rest there after each one is killed. First buffer enters, guardians hit him, then casters enter, nuke one dead (should be 2.guardian for the first 3) and leave n, then only buffer flees. Have swim off while doing guardians, otherwise you can flee into water (central room); 2n from it is instant dt, and as one who flees from guardians will spam n to reach safe room, it can ends in dt here. Though, if someone dies here, corpse will be recoverable: current will drag it southwards, away from dt. Before you fight, unfollow everyone in case you flee. You don't want to meet up after flee and lead each other onto the collapsing bridges. If you kill 1.guardian first, go 2e one by one - otherwise bridge will collapse under your feet, throwing you into current below. Kill second guardian (now safe room ne from it), get full, then someone must lure guardians from the central room (if you kill 2.guardian first, you can avoid having to lure)- nuke them dead too. Then find golden band (in each room in this area - random too), it is sometimes hidden, sometimes just lies on the ground.
The level is symmetrical here:
!
S*=*S
+@+
S*=*S
! is where you enter = is collapsing bridge S are safe rooms * are Coruscate Hall + are rooms with a single guardian @ has 2 guardians and the dt to north.
Central room is start of noboat current. 2n from this room is dt; some s/d (follow current) - underwater room where in the skeleton loads hammer which helps to fix your armour (even fine/shining!) as whetstone fixes weapons. All swim on. One (not leader) must wear harness (on chain in room 1w from central). He must enter central room and open silverpanel. It is delayed door in room with current, but harness will keep him there while he opens door. When door is open, remove harness, narrate for others to come, and quickly go d. Wait till water goes away and metaldoor opens, then go 2w to noldor statues. Btw, you cant remove harness while fighting, and cant flee either - so dont wear it while mobs alive, and try not be caught by opposite side players ;)
You can not forge a ring of your own choice. Only rings read from the book can be forged; which one exactly is written in the book. Ring must be forged from the band and some gem. There are five types of jewelled rings. Book can give you a hint - which ring can be created on current repop: it's colour of gem. Red glow goes for ruby, maroon for garnet, hard and rare blue for topaz, fiery blue for opal and deep green for emerald. These rings are considered powerrings, and can not be worn at the same time as old powerrings (ruby/iron/ copper). Btw, don't be scared by Elrond's/Sage's words that reading book can be harmful ;) Still no one died while reading it.
To forge ring rest full, and try pass statues. The higher your will, the higher chance you have (no alignment involved though). If you fail - just rest full and try again (more chance to pass with full stats). Noldor can pass statues without any problems; Unqalome bracelets can help non-noldor to pass, rumours that Elrond's brooch does the same are groundless. If you are neither Noldo, nor know Unqa zone to get bracelet, get dispeller here: statues are not alive (not mobs but items, in MUME terms), they don't block entrance themselves - their magic does. With no dispeller, just try to walk in (sometimes takes hour rl or more). Once you are in, wield band, hold gem (or vise versa) and 'forge ring'.
Forging a ring is a delayed action. If you are interrupted while doing it, or you interrupt it yourself, the ring and the gem disintegrate. If you have a wound that bleeds on a tick, it will interrupt forging also. Thus make sure you don't have ANY kinds of wounds (it is rare, but has happens that unbound light wound becomes deep). In that place, it just doesn't pay to be spammy.
Once you leave zone all mobs repop straight away. Its nice xp to go round in circles ;)
Some more notes: Only the person who read the book can forge. The knowledge decays so you can only do it for a limited (random) period of time after. Don't know how long exactly but sometimes 2 rl days is too long, and sometimes rl week is ok…
To use cross-pein hammer you must make a camp fire, hold hammer, remove armour then 'use hammer <armour>'. It seems you can mend most things to 'brand new' but thick/heavy metal and ring/chain mail can only be repaired to 'used'.
There is complete list of “gem - effect”.
Reward: Brooch (and miruvor) from Elrond, gold from Sage, or jewelled ring.
Does necklace s e of Tharbad load in any room or just underwater? And do I have to reveal it or does it lie on the ground?-Titanius