*Taur Hithlin: The Hidden Grove of the Elves* Taur Hithlin, a secluded woodland lying far from the well-trodden paths of Middle-earth, is a region known only to a few. Nestled in the northern reaches of what once was the great Greenwood the Great, this grove is rich with the echoes of ancient elven songs and the wisdom of ages long past. Taur Hithlin, in its very name, speaks of silence and shadow, for "Hithlin" in the elven tongue refers to mist, and in the early hours of the day, when the sun is yet to rise, this place is often cloaked in a fine veil of silver mist. Yet, beneath the mist lies a land of great beauty, unmarred by the darkening of Greenwood and untouched by the hand of Sauron. For centuries, the Elves have watched over Taur Hithlin, knowing that its isolation made it both a haven and a target. The trees here, far from being mere guardians of the forest, are ancient and wise, their roots digging deep into the history of Middle-earth. It is said that some of these trees stood even before the great change that befell the lands of Beleriand, survivors of that cataclysmic age. Their leaves are ever-green, and their boughs spread wide, casting a shadow that is as comforting as it is impenetrable. The Elves of Rivendell, under the leadership of Elrond, maintained a vigilant watch over these lands, for Taur Hithlin held not only beauty but strategic importance in the struggle against the forces of darkness. Taur Hithlin was a site of refuge during the Third Age, a time when the shadow of Dol Guldur grew ever more ominous. The fortress of the Necromancer, with its fell servants, cast a long shadow over the woods of southern Mirkwood, corrupting the land and turning it against all living things. Yet Taur Hithlin remained untouched, a sanctuary from the encroaching darkness. Its remoteness shielded it from the eyes of Sauron’s agents, though many times they sought to discover its location. The Elves knew that to lose Taur Hithlin would be to lose one of the last unspoiled places in the north, and so they guarded it fiercely, never revealing its secrets to the outside world. In addition to its beauty and seclusion, Taur Hithlin also held tactical significance. The grove lay on a hidden road that connected the realms of Rivendell and Lórien, a road known only to the Elves and their closest allies. This secret path allowed the Elves to travel between their strongholds in relative safety, bypassing the dangers of Mirkwood and the watchful eyes of Dol Guldur. During times of war, the road was used to transport troops and supplies, and more than once, an elven host had mustered beneath the boughs of Taur Hithlin before launching a surprise assault on the forces of darkness. The beauty of Taur Hithlin also drew the attention of more than just the Elves. Throughout history, there were whispers of Men and even Dwarves who sought to discover this hidden sanctuary. Tales of its wonders, of trees that whispered ancient knowledge and waters that could heal the deepest wounds, spread far and wide. Yet the Elves, ever cautious of the designs of others, kept the location of Taur Hithlin a closely guarded secret. Only a few among the Free Peoples ever laid eyes upon it, and those who did were bound by oath never to speak of it. As the Third Age waned and the forces of darkness gathered their strength, Taur Hithlin became a place of refuge for those fleeing the growing shadow. Many Elves, driven from their homes by the marauding forces of Dol Guldur and other evils, found solace beneath the trees of Taur Hithlin. Here, they could rest and regain their strength, knowing that they were safe, if only for a time, from the reach of Sauron and his servants. Yet, for all its beauty and secrecy, Taur Hithlin was not immune to the threat of war. As the shadow of Dol Guldur spread across Mirkwood, the forces of the Necromancer turned their gaze northward, seeking to extinguish the light of the Elves wherever it could be found. And so, Taur Hithlin, once a place of peace and quiet reflection, became a battleground. Elves and orcs clashed beneath the ancient trees, their blood soaking into the earth. The fate of Taur Hithlin hung in the balance, and it was only through the courage and strength of the Elves of Rivendell that the grove remained unspoiled, a symbol of hope in a world growing ever darker. Taur Hithlin’s legacy is one of resilience and hidden strength. Though the shadow of Dol Guldur pressed close, it could not snuff out the light of this ancient grove. The Elves, bound by their love for the land and their desire to preserve the beauty of Middle-earth, stood firm, and their victory ensured that Taur Hithlin would remain a sanctuary for generations to come.
Thanks! I considered doing commentary at some point a while back, but decided against it. I'm not the most competitive or strategic of players, so the commentary would just end up being something like "...um...so...let's just train some more archers" and likely wouldn't be very interesting.
No, I don't think that it is on Steam. It's generally considered abandonware, and you can easily download and install it using the patch launcher utility: www.moddb.com/mods/battle-for-middle-earth-patch-222/downloads/patch-222
Agreed. This was easy to achieve until very recently, but the Zoom-Out mod was removed from the launcher and now it seems to be impractical to change the maximum zoom-out level without hacking the map files directly. Sigh. Maybe the Zoom-Out mod will return to the launcher soon?
You can also use the Worldbuilder which comes with the game, that way you don't have to dig into the code or files or anything . It's a pretty simple method. But still, the hassle of having to do that every time you wanna play a map....
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
*Taur Hithlin: The Hidden Grove of the Elves*
Taur Hithlin, a secluded woodland lying far from the well-trodden paths of Middle-earth, is a region known only to a few. Nestled in the northern reaches of what once was the great Greenwood the Great, this grove is rich with the echoes of ancient elven songs and the wisdom of ages long past. Taur Hithlin, in its very name, speaks of silence and shadow, for "Hithlin" in the elven tongue refers to mist, and in the early hours of the day, when the sun is yet to rise, this place is often cloaked in a fine veil of silver mist. Yet, beneath the mist lies a land of great beauty, unmarred by the darkening of Greenwood and untouched by the hand of Sauron.
For centuries, the Elves have watched over Taur Hithlin, knowing that its isolation made it both a haven and a target. The trees here, far from being mere guardians of the forest, are ancient and wise, their roots digging deep into the history of Middle-earth. It is said that some of these trees stood even before the great change that befell the lands of Beleriand, survivors of that cataclysmic age. Their leaves are ever-green, and their boughs spread wide, casting a shadow that is as comforting as it is impenetrable. The Elves of Rivendell, under the leadership of Elrond, maintained a vigilant watch over these lands, for Taur Hithlin held not only beauty but strategic importance in the struggle against the forces of darkness.
Taur Hithlin was a site of refuge during the Third Age, a time when the shadow of Dol Guldur grew ever more ominous. The fortress of the Necromancer, with its fell servants, cast a long shadow over the woods of southern Mirkwood, corrupting the land and turning it against all living things. Yet Taur Hithlin remained untouched, a sanctuary from the encroaching darkness. Its remoteness shielded it from the eyes of Sauron’s agents, though many times they sought to discover its location. The Elves knew that to lose Taur Hithlin would be to lose one of the last unspoiled places in the north, and so they guarded it fiercely, never revealing its secrets to the outside world.
In addition to its beauty and seclusion, Taur Hithlin also held tactical significance. The grove lay on a hidden road that connected the realms of Rivendell and Lórien, a road known only to the Elves and their closest allies. This secret path allowed the Elves to travel between their strongholds in relative safety, bypassing the dangers of Mirkwood and the watchful eyes of Dol Guldur. During times of war, the road was used to transport troops and supplies, and more than once, an elven host had mustered beneath the boughs of Taur Hithlin before launching a surprise assault on the forces of darkness.
The beauty of Taur Hithlin also drew the attention of more than just the Elves. Throughout history, there were whispers of Men and even Dwarves who sought to discover this hidden sanctuary. Tales of its wonders, of trees that whispered ancient knowledge and waters that could heal the deepest wounds, spread far and wide. Yet the Elves, ever cautious of the designs of others, kept the location of Taur Hithlin a closely guarded secret. Only a few among the Free Peoples ever laid eyes upon it, and those who did were bound by oath never to speak of it.
As the Third Age waned and the forces of darkness gathered their strength, Taur Hithlin became a place of refuge for those fleeing the growing shadow. Many Elves, driven from their homes by the marauding forces of Dol Guldur and other evils, found solace beneath the trees of Taur Hithlin. Here, they could rest and regain their strength, knowing that they were safe, if only for a time, from the reach of Sauron and his servants.
Yet, for all its beauty and secrecy, Taur Hithlin was not immune to the threat of war. As the shadow of Dol Guldur spread across Mirkwood, the forces of the Necromancer turned their gaze northward, seeking to extinguish the light of the Elves wherever it could be found. And so, Taur Hithlin, once a place of peace and quiet reflection, became a battleground. Elves and orcs clashed beneath the ancient trees, their blood soaking into the earth. The fate of Taur Hithlin hung in the balance, and it was only through the courage and strength of the Elves of Rivendell that the grove remained unspoiled, a symbol of hope in a world growing ever darker.
Taur Hithlin’s legacy is one of resilience and hidden strength. Though the shadow of Dol Guldur pressed close, it could not snuff out the light of this ancient grove. The Elves, bound by their love for the land and their desire to preserve the beauty of Middle-earth, stood firm, and their victory ensured that Taur Hithlin would remain a sanctuary for generations to come.
Best game
Thank you!
how did you the frame rate and graphics this good without your game slowing down
Great video bit why no commentary?
Thanks! I considered doing commentary at some point a while back, but decided against it. I'm not the most competitive or strategic of players, so the commentary would just end up being something like "...um...so...let's just train some more archers" and likely wouldn't be very interesting.
Man, i remember this game, good times as a kid
Had fun in the custom champion creation tool, too
Its not on steam though is it
No, I don't think that it is on Steam. It's generally considered abandonware, and you can easily download and install it using the patch launcher utility:
www.moddb.com/mods/battle-for-middle-earth-patch-222/downloads/patch-222
You can find it online
Amazing game, I wish its FoV was 4 times as big though.
Agreed. This was easy to achieve until very recently, but the Zoom-Out mod was removed from the launcher and now it seems to be impractical to change the maximum zoom-out level without hacking the map files directly. Sigh. Maybe the Zoom-Out mod will return to the launcher soon?
You can also use the Worldbuilder which comes with the game, that way you don't have to dig into the code or files or anything . It's a pretty simple method. But still, the hassle of having to do that every time you wanna play a map....
How do you like this mod?
I love it! The overall quality and the technical upgrades they've be able to achieve with this mod is staggering IMHO.