Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Gameis due to be set in Bywater, a charming hobbit village located in the Shire. Located in the heart of the Shire, Bywater offers many activities for hobbits such as fishing, cooking, gardening, hosting dinner parties, and spending time at the Green Dragon.The Lord of the Ringsprovides many different settings in Middle-Earth and, although the Shire is a relatively isolated location, it does experience some friendly relations and trade with some villages that lie close to its borders.
Onenearby location familiar to all fans ofThe Lord of the Ringscould add some variety to any hobbit’s life, and should be accessible even to hobbits suspicious of the wider world beyond the Shire. The multicultural village of Bree is just a stone’s throw away from the Shire, and has the potential to become a hub that features merchants and other mini-quests. As Bree is home to both humans and hobbits, it provides the opportunity to introduce characters original toTales of the Shire, as well as characters fans ofThe Lord of the Ringsshould be familiar with.
The Potential of Expanding Tales of the Shire to Bree
Merchants in Breecould offer ingredients and other supplies from all over Middle-Earth that can’t be obtained in the Shire. These items could come from elven or human cities and dwarven kingdoms. Exotic ingredients that don’t grow in the Shire, such as spices, could be sold in Bree, as well as other items such as small pieces of furniture crafted by other cultures of Middle-Earth, which could be used as decorations. Seeds for unusual flowers and vegetables could also be purchased in Bree to expand the garden in the Shire, or ingredients that can’t be grown or caught in the Shire could be bought from a merchant.
Introducing New Characters to The Lord of the Rings
Bree could alsoexpandTales of the Shire’s cast of characters. While players will be able to build relationships with other hobbits who live in Bywater, they would be able to do the same with Bree residents if the game expands to include them. As an example, if a character’s relationship becomes high enough, characters from Bree could perhaps be invited to sleepover at the player’s home as an event.
Expanding Tales of the Shire’s Cast
Othernotable characters fromThe Lord of the Ringscould be encountered in Bree. As Bree lies outside the Shire, but at the crossroads to Rivendell and near other characters of note, such as Tom Bombadil, it could become a hub that features characters who could realistically appear in Bree and who wouldn’t necessarily appear in the Shire. Characters who could appear in Bree inTales of the Shireinclude Tom Bombadil, Gandalf, Aragorn (as Strider), Butterbur (The Prancing Pony’s innkeeper), and Bill the Pony. As a more urban setting than Bywater, Bree could also introduce different opportunities for gathering resources and meeting different villagers.
Including a Change of Scenery
Aside from expandingTales of the Shire’s cast,including Bree as a setting inTales of the Shirewould also give players a much-needed change of scenery. Although the Shire is a gorgeous location, some variation in the geography would likely be welcomed by many, and including one semi-urban hub with different architecture would provide some variation to Bywater’s hobbit designs.
