View source for Third Age: Total War

{{Mod Information Table
 |Platform=[[Medieval II: Total War: Kingdoms]]
 |Mod Type=Total Conversion
 |Era=Third Age
 |Mod Leader=[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=21891 King Kong]
 |Release Status=Full Release 3.2
 |Forum=[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=654 Here]
 |Campaign Map=[[Image:TATWmap.png|The map]]
}}


Third Age: Total War is a [[Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms]] total-conversion mod. It brings you directly into the world of Middle Earth, where you can choose from different races, such as humans, dwarves, elves, and orcs, to free the peoples of Middle Earth, or you can help the Dark Lord Sauron to spread his shadow. The mod isn't developed anymore, but there are many submods with continuing developement, such as [[Divide and Conquer]].

== Features ==
=== The Middle-earth Map ===

Play on an extensive historically accurate [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=209328 Map of Middle-Earth] as it was in the Third Age, including 120 settlements taken straight from Middle-earth lore and completed with several fictional locations.

Visit the wonders of Middle-earth, like the Three Towers, the Argonath or Durin's tower and see all the unique locations of Middle-earth like Minas Tirith, the Black Gate or Isengard. Explore the hills of Rohan, the huge forest of the Mirkwood and the dark ash of Mordor.

From the evil South, where the Haradrims united under the Dark Lord to the cold North wherefrom the Goblins of the Mountains follow the call of the Great Eye you will not only be able to see Middle Earths most important places, but you will also find creatures, older and meaner as the world itself come out of every corner of Tolkien's world.

[[Image:Third Age - Total War Map.jpg|thumb|right]]

=== The Factions ===

Play with all important factions of the Third Age, including [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=169460 Gondor], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=230463 Rohan], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=160903 High and Silvan Elves], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=195998 Dwarves], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=343032 Eriador], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=299238 Dale], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=227087 Isengard], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=215038 Mordor], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=247660 Rhûn], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=180156 Harad], the Orcs of Gundabad and the [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=228281 Orcs of the Misty Mountains], and if you are able to lead your kingdom to former glory even the reunited [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=343032 Arnor].

Every faction has its own strengths and weaknesses, benefits and disadvantages on the battle as well as the campaign map. Decide if you want to face your enemy with a small, but trained and heavily armored army or if you count on masses of units to overrun your foes.

The unit design is based on visual references of the Lord of the rings movie trilogy, completed with fictional units and artwork, all based on the lore of Middle-earth.

Each faction has it's own goals to reach the freedom of Middle Earth, but the evil sides might unite under the Great Eye and try to invade the last free lands in the west.

=== The Gameplay ===

The end of the Third Age is a time where good and evil wage a decisive war for the final domination of Middle-Earth. Both ways, freeing the good people of Middle-Earth, as well as bringing the world under the shadow will not be an easy task for the player.

A new campaign and battle AI will make the player's life much harder.  Additionally, a unit recruitment based on a cultural level and a regional recruitment requires strategically decisions and will slow down your expansion if not properly planned.

The AI will also receive certain bonuses such as extra money or additional armies if they get in serious trouble; to compensate for the lack of human intelligence and the lack of income through missions.

=== The Design ===

In order to reflect the world of Middle-Earth as well as possible, there is an almost complete rework of the 2D and 3D design, including the menu, the interface, the symbols, pictures and much more.

To create an even deeper atmosphere, all cultures have a unique set of music and unit sounds, and voices were completely changed for many factions.
Lastly, there is a huge amount of new videos, including the intro, the faction intros, victory videos and many in-game events.

=== The Fellowship Campaign ===

A completely new and heavily scripted role-playing campaign that is going to be totally different from any other "usual" campaign that you know from Total War games. You can play with all famous heroes of the books and the movies, aswell with several of your ally's armies with the final goal to destroy the One Ring in Mount Doom and to rescue Middle-Earth from the Shadow of Mordor.

The story is roughly based on the story of the books, but also includes fictional parts and events and everything is told with atmospheric texts, pictures and videos.

To get there you will have to follow the footsteps of Frodo and his companions and you will have to fight several famous battles of Middle-Earth, but you will also have to succede in smaller missions to be victorious over The Dark Lord of Mordor.

=== Heroes ===

On your journey through Middle-Earth you will also meet many heroes known from the books and/or the movies such as Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Frodo and Theoden but of course also Treebeard, the Balrog, Nazgûls and more.

== List of Factions ==
[[image:Icons3.png]]

;Arnor
At its greatest, [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=343032 Arnor] encompassed almost the whole region of Eriador between Bruinen, Gwathló and Lhûn, and the region which would later be known as the Shire. Arnor's population was composed by Dúnedain in western-central regions and mixed or indigenous (and reluctant as citizens) peoples. Its capital was Annúminas near the lake Nenuial.
Arnor was founded at the end of the Second Age by Elendil, whose sons Isildur and Anárion founded Gondor at the same time. The history of the two kingdoms is intertwined; both kingdoms are known as the Realms of the Dúnedain in Exile.
For several centuries, Arnor's rulers styled themselves High King, following the precedent of Elendil, who ruled Arnor directly while holding suzerainty over Gondor; the rulers of Gondor, by contrast, were merely styled King. Nevertheless, Valandil and his successors never made any serious attempt to assert their overlordship; after the death of Isildur, the two realms developed as equal and independent states.
After the death of its tenth king, Eärendur, in T.A. 861, Arnor was shaken by civil war between his three sons. The eldest son, Amlaith, claimed Kingship over all Arnor but was reduced to only ruling the region of Arthedain as his kingdom, while the other sons founded the kingdoms of Cardolan and Rhudaur. The former capital, Annúminas, became depopulated and fell into ruin.
The last Kings of Rhudaur were not of Númenórean blood, but were descended of Men in the service of Angmar. Under their rule the land became a vassal of Angmar, and thus enemies of Cardolan and Arthedain.

The player might be able to reunite the proud old kingdom of Arnor, once he has met several goals that need to be fullfilled to lead the once proud kingdom back to former glory. These are conquering the old territory as well as rebuilding Annúminas, the heart of the great kingdom. With Gondor as your ally and Aragorn as king you might be able to achieve these goals as far as the evil orcs from the north don't interrupt you and invade your lands. Once you succeeded, you will be able to lead an army into battle, greater than any other forces in Middle-Earth. 

;Dale
[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=299238 Dale] is the most northerly of the kingdoms of Men and also the newest. Yet Dale has noble and ancient roots dating back to the first Northmen and related to Gondor, through the Kingdom of Rhovanion. This once great realm stretched as far east as the inland Sea of Rhûn; north to the Grey Mountains and Iron Hills, west to the Misty Mountains; and south to the line marked by the Limlight river, Anduin, Emyn Muil, Dagorlad, and the Ered Lithui. Rivers were essential to the kingdom, boasting the Anduin or Great River, the Celduin or River Running, and the Carnen or Redwater. Greenwood the Great, later known as Mirkwood was also an important part of the region. Wilderland itself is notorious for its extreme and varied weather, which includes severe winter cold, brutal summer heat, some areas of desert, and sudden violent storms.

Rhovanion however, great as it was, was broken by the Wainriders, a people related to the men of Rhûn, around 1850. Fragments of Rhovanion’s cavalry forces retreated westwards, in time establishing the kingdom of Rohan. Other survivors sought refuge in the Greenwood, it was probably there that many of the Northmen learnt to master the bow from the Silvan Elves. No doubt as ambushers and guerillas operating from Greenwood, these Northmen archers or Woodmen managed to reclaim enclaves around the Long Lake of Esgaroth and Dale itself, and when the Dwarves returned to Erebor the Lonely Mountain, rivermen used the Celduin and Anduin to ferry trade of dwarfen artifacts such as weapons and armour in all directions. 

Centred on the city of Dale and incorporating the cosmopolitan crossroads of Laketown, a kingdom of Northmen slowly arose over the next centuries. Seeing itself as the heir and new home of the refugees of Rhovanion the kingdom of Dale began to stretch southwards along the waterways reclaiming some of the old realm. With the horse, bow and rivership as part of the rich identity of Dale, and with the Dwarves and Elves as allies, the many fearsome and powerful foes that surround the kingdom may yet be withstood.

;Dwarves
Some time after the Elves had awoken at Cuiviénen, the Seven Fathers of the [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=195998 Dwarves] were released from their stone chambers. The eldest of them, called Durin, wandered until he founded the city of Khazad-dûm in the natural caves beneath three peaks: Caradhras, Celebdil, and Fanuidhol.

Far to the west of Khazad-dûm, the great dwarven cities of Belegost and Nogrod were founded in Ered Luin (The Blue Mountains) during the First Age, before the arrival of the Elves in Beleriand.

During the Third Age the Dwarves of Moria continued to prosper until the year 1980, when, in pursuing a vein of mithril, they broke open a chamber containing the last balrog known in the histories of Middle-Earth, called Durin's Bane. They battled against the demon for one year, and after the death of two kings, the Dwarves who had not been killed fled from the Misty Mountains. For almost two decades they had no kingdom, but in the year 1999, Thráin I founded a kingdom at the Lonely Mountain.

The player has to start with a splitted kingdom. In the East, there are still the dwarves of the Lonly Mountain remaining while the major dwarvesn territories lie in the North-West. Will you be able to unite their kingdom and regain their former glory although orcs do spread all around the Misty Mountains ?

;Eriador
[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=343032 Eriador] is a large region in the world of Middle-Earth. In the Second Age, it was largely forested, but the Dúnedain felled most of the forests to build ships. Much of it was encompassed in the early Third Age by the kingdom of Arnor, which later split into the rival kingdoms of Rhudaur, Arthedain and Cardolan. The Shire occupies part of the former kingdom of Arthedain, while Bree and its neighbouring villages lie on the border with the former Cardolan. Other important places in Eriador are Rivendell, the Grey Havens and the abandoned kingdoms of Eregion and Angmar. By the time of the War of the Ring, Eriador was sparsely populated, save for the Shire, Bree-land, Rivendell, the Grey Havens, the Angle south of Rivendell, and villages in western Eriador. Communities of Dwarves still mined the Ered Lindon, and a small population of former enemies of Númenor survived in southern Minhiriath.

Eriador isn't a kingdom, it isn't a state, it's just a region encompassing the lands west of the River Greyflood to the River Lune. Because of this there was no central authority. The small villages and towns (like Bree) were completely independent. The northern lands, once prime Arnorian territory, has been completely abandoned except for a few Dunedain camps. While rebels might make for satisfactory filler for the area; a full fledge faction can offer the player the opportunity for unique challenges. 

;Gondor
The territory of future [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=169460 Gondor] [[Gondor]] had been widely colonised by the Númenóreans from around mid-Second Age, especially by the Elf-friends loyal to the house of Elendil. When his sons Isildur and Anárion landed in Middle-earth after the drowning of Númenor, they were welcomed by the colonists and their claim of lordship was accepted, while Elendil was held to be the High King of all lands of the Dúnedain. Within the South-kingdom, the hometowns of Isildur and Anárion were Minas Ithil and Minas Anor respectively, and the capital city Osgiliath was situated between them.

Sauron, however, had survived the destruction of Númenor and secretly returned to his realm of Mordor just to the east of Gondor. Soon he launched a war against the Númenórean kingdoms, hoping to destroy them before their power was established.

Elendil and the Elven-king Gil-galad formed the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, and together with Isildur and Anárion they besieged and defeated Mordor. Sauron was overthrown, but the One Ring that Isildur took from him was not destroyed, and thus Sauron was able to regain power in the next age.

Isildur's remaining son Valandil did not attempt to reclaim his father's place in Gondor monarchy, and therefore the kingdom was ruled solely by Meneldil and his descendants until their line died out with Eärnur.

At the loss of childless Eärnur, the rule of Gondor was left to the Stewards, due to fears of a new civil war and the absence of a more or less legitimate Heir of Anárion with enough authority and support. By this time Arnor had been destroyed and the Line of Isildur had gone into hiding, so no more claims were expected. The early Stewards enjoyed four centuries of uneasy quiet, known as the Watchful Peace, during which Gondor slowly declined and Sauron's strength grew. In 2475 the Peace was broken with a large attack of Uruk-hai on eastern borders, which, though beaten off, led to the inhabitants' migration from Ithilien and final desolation of Osgiliath. From this time onwards there was never full peace again in Gondor, and its borders were under constant threat. The later Stewards had to contend with Orcs in Ithilien and with Corsairs of Umbar raiding the coasts. In 2758 Gondor faced another great invasion when five great fleets from Umbar and Harad ravaged the southern shores, and no help was expected from Rohan as the latter was assailed by the Dunlendings and Easterlings, further weakened by the Long Winter. The invasions were beaten off only in the following year, and help was then sent to Rohan.

Several decades later the region Ithilien was evacuated due to increased Orc attacks and hidden refuges were built for the Rangers of Ithilien to continue to strike at the enemy.

The time has come for the evil forces to invade the eastern borders of the kingdom of Gondor. The player must not only fight the orcs in the East, he also has to deal with the Haradrim from the South and may be, the Easterlings will also invade Gondor's lands soon.

;Harad
[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=180156 Harad] was the name for the immense lands south of Gondor and Mordor. Called Haradwaith from the people who lived there; it literally means "South-folk", from the Sindarin harad, "South" and gwaith, "people". It is also referred to as the Sunlands. 

To the east of Harad lay the land of Khand. Historically its northern border was held to be the river Harnen, but by the time of the War of the Ring all the land south of the river Poros was under the influence of the Haradrim. Harad had jungle and desert regions. In its jungles there also lived their well known animals, the mûmakil, which were elephant-like but larger and more aggressive.

The Men of Harad were called Haradrim, "South-multitude", or Southrons. "Haradrim" was merely a Gondorian generic description of any of the men that came from south of their borders. They are a collection of proud and warlike races. Harad's tribes were divided into those of Near and Far Harad, although there were many tribes of the Haradrim, often mutually hostile.

For many centuries of the Third Age, many Haradrim were still ruled by Black Númenórean Lords, or further north by the Kings of Gondor, but ultimately, Harad fell under the influence of Mordor, for much of the Age. Near Harad later formed an alliance with the Corsairs of Umbar, and was involved in a series of continual battles with Gondor over South Gondor or Harondor.

At the time of the War of the Ring, the Southrons were in league with Sauron and fought alongside his orc army.

;High Elves
The Calaquendi are the Elves of Light, those who had seen the light of the Two Trees in Valinor. They include the Vanyar, Noldor, and those Teleri who passed over Belegaer, as well as the Sindarin king Thingol alone of all his people. Another name for them is Amanyar (with the exception of Thingol, who was not of the Amanyar), "Those of Aman". Those kindreds who settled in Aman or descended from them were also referred to as [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=160903 High Elves], or "Tareldar".

The territory of the High Elves is split as well. While the great main lands of the remaining Elves were the western shores, the House of Elrond at the Misty Mountains is also still under their control.

Especially these eastern parts have to face the raising shadow of the orcs and the last High Elves of an once great age have to fight their final battle.

;Isengard
Lying at the southern spur of the Misty Mountains, [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=227087 Isengard] commands a position of great strategic importance, for to its south lies the Gap of Rohan, the only reliable passage from one side of the mountain range to the other. Isengard itself is a fortress of carefully crafted stone, built in the earliest years of Gondor's existence. At its centre stands the tower of Orthanc, a massive edifice of polished black stone, bound tight with sufficient magic to render it virtually indestructible to physical assault. Though originally constructed as part of Gondor's western defences, Isengard is little mentioned in the histories, which would suggest it remained empty for much of the time.

The first notable resident of Isengard was the Wizard Saruman the White. Doubtless, the kings of Rohan welcomed this, for they were often embattled and in Saruman they had a powerful ally. Though initially Saruman doubtless comported himself merely as a lieutenant in the service of Gondor, he soon became a power in his own right and threw off any pretence at subservience. 

Over the following centuries, the White Wizard's thoughts turned more and more to possession of the One Ring. He began to add to Isengard's defences, recruiting to him an army of all manner of unruly creatures: wild Men, Orcs, Uruk-hai, Warg Riders and Goblins. The caverns below Orthanc given over to the smithying of weapons and armour, the trees upon the mountainside felled and burnt to feed the furnaces of Saruman's army. It was in this way that the fortress of Isengard became a threat ever-present upon Rohan's northern border.

;Mordor
Sauron was originally a mere servant, the Lieutenant of Morgoth. After the defeat of his master at the end of the First Age, he hid himself in a dark place in Middle Earth, only to emerge 500 years later as Annatar, supposedly as an emissary of the Valar. His beautiful visage and cunning performance seduced the Elves of Eregion. They crafted the rings of power, desiring to sustain all things. Yet in secret, he secretly forged a ring through which he could dominate all the others. However, the elves deduced his plan immediately and took off the rings. Furious, Sauron unleashed the armies he had been building in the black land of Mordor, thus initiating the of War of Elves and Sauron. The slaughter was terrible, with the lands west of the Anduin being completely overrun by his hordes of orcs. Yet Gil-Galad and his elven subjects did not submit, and with the aid of a powerful Númenórean host, his forces were decimated and forced to retreat back to [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=215038 Mordor].

From then on Sauron would be the Dark Lord of Mordor. Barad-Dur would finally be completed, it serving as the citadel from which he would direct his armies of Orcs and Trolls. The evil men to the south and east would come under his dominion as their God-King. He was at the height of his power. Ar-Pharazôn the Golden, last and strongest of the kings of Numenor, believed it was right to rule Middle Earth though. He set sail with a vast host and cornered Sauron, whose army had deserted him when faced the glory of Man. In a humiliating display, he surrendered to Ar-Pharazon, who took him as a captive. Yet Sauron managed to reverse his situation and even acheive the impossible: the corruption and destruction of Numenor.

Sauron was furious when he first learned of the Kingdoms in Exile. He ordered an attack upon these kingdoms, seeking to wipe out the last vestiges of Numenor. Yet his blow would prove too hasty. His armies were routed by an alliance of Elves and Men; Barad-Dur itself was besieged. There the valour of men and the shapness of a sword would prove to be his downfall. Once again he fled into thte deep shadows.

Yet all this is in the past. Gondor lies withered like the tree she fights for. Arnor lies dead, killed by his faithful servant while he was exiled. The Elves are a laughable remant of their former glory. The Dwarves stew in their own muck deep in the mountains. NOW is the time for the final conquest of Middle Earth. Now is the time when Sauron will smother the Earth in shadow. For against the power of the Dark Lord of Mordor, there is no hope of victory. 

;Orcs of Gundabad
In the very North of the Misty Mountains, Gundabad was the capital of various orcs tribes from the surrounding lands.
[http://redirectingat.com/?id=3054X598607&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCarn_D%25C3%25BBm&sref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twcenter.net%2Fforums%2Fshowthread.php%3Fp%3D8601072%23post8601072 Carn Dûm], where the [http://redirectingat.com/?id=3054X598607&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FWitch-king_of_Angmar&sref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twcenter.net%2Fforums%2Fshowthread.php%3Fp%3D8601072%23post8601072 Witch-king of Angmar] resided for several centuries in the Third Age, lay between a western spur of the northern extreme of the Misty Mountains, known as the Mountains of Angmar.

A mountain at the northern extremity of the Misty Mountains, a stronghold of Dwarves and later, Orcs. According to the Dwarves, Durin the Deathless, oldest of the Fathers of the Dwarves, awoke at Mount Gundabad some time after the awakening of the Elves. Mount Gundabad remained a sacred place to the Dwarves ever after.

In the middle of the Second Age, Orcs (servants of Sauron) invaded Gundabad. The site would not be cleansed until very late in the Second Age, possibly around or after the fall of Sauron and the loss of the One Ring.

In the Third Age, the Orcs of Angmar yet again claimed it as their capital, which was one of the reasons for the Dwarves' special hatred of this people. After the fall of Angmar Gundabad remained an Orc stronghold, even after it was sacked during the War of the Dwarves and Orcs. The army of goblins that fought in the Battle of the Five Armies was said to have mustered at the mountain.

Now it's time again for the northern orc tribes to follow the call fo the Dark Lord. Spreading fear into the free lands of men and elves and invading their countries with endless orcs could bring a final turn in this war.

;Orcs of the Misty Mountains
After the War of Wrath near the end of the First Age when Morgoth, the first of the Dark Lords, was cast down many of his minions had been slain, scattered and driven into hiding. It was at this time that a part of his vast orcish army escaped across the Blue Mountains and the region of Eriador to settle in the caverns within the Misty Mountains. Bereft of organization and a strong will to guide them the newly founded [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=228281 Orcs of the Misty Mountains] became wild and turned to governing themselves through brute strength. Over the centuries their bodies changed to adapt to their subterranean surroundings. Many orcs took on a "crouched" appearance from constantly navigating the low narrow passages and even became smaller in stature so as to better cope with the underground and mountainous geography. They learned to live by their quick wits and reflexes existing as a rustic tribal society mostly scavenging, looting or hunting whatever they needed. In the Second Age when Sauron arose again he took some control of these mountain orcs but that was soon lost when he fell once more in the War of the Last Alliance.

During the War of the Ring, the Misty Mountain orcs came under Sauron's sway for the second time though they always retained a certain level of independence and their chieftains often waged war for their own interests. By this time the Orcs of the Misty Mountains were a well known menace often clashing with men and rangers who still lived in Eriador, the elves of Mirkwood and especially their chief rivals the dwarves who resided within the Grey and Misty Mountains. In war these orcs were not unlike the wolves and other beasts they sometimes allied with, stalking and encircling their prey until they are ready to tear it apart in one savage swoop and indeed any victory for the Orcs of the Misty Mountains would often end in a bloody feast.

A strong and fearsome goblin chief could unite these orcs to form a sea of jagged blades and wicked spikes, enough to drown the bravest of soldiers. As the War of the Ring escalates the sea is boiling and soon it will spill over in a wave of rage and hunger into Eriador, Mirkwood and the Grey Mountains and even beyond if none should rise to stay the tide. 

;Rhûn
[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=247660 Rhûn][[Rhûn]] (which is also the Elvish word for "east") was the name used for all lands lying east of Rhovanion, around and beyond the inland Sea of Rhûn, whence came many attacks on Gondor and its allies during the Third Age of Middle-Earth.

Rhûn was the domain of the Easterlings, Men of Darkness who were ready to follow both the Dark Lords and fought as their allies in war. These lands, too, were peopled by lost Elves, Avari and Úmanyar, and by four of the seven clans of the Dwarves.

During the Third Age, Rhûn was visited by three Wizards; Saruman, Alatar and Pallando, and though Saruman returned into the west, the two Blue Wizards remained or went to the south to the lands of Khand and beyond. Sauron himself journeyed into the eastward lands, hiding there from the White Council during the centuries known in the west as the Watchful Peace. He seems to have had a second fortress somewhere in Rhûn where he dwelt during that time and earlier during the Second Age, as his original realms were in the East, not in Mordor.

Dorwinion lay on the west side of the Sea of Rhûn. The Easterlings of the Balchoth and Wainriders mostly occupied the lands to the far east of the Sea of Rhûn, where they lived on the nomadic steppes.

;Rohan

[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=230463 Rohan] is a realm in Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy. It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry. Rohan is also referred to as Riddermark or the Mark.

The countryside of Rohan is described as a land of pastures and lush tall grassland which is frequently windswept. At the time of the War of the Ring, Rohan was roughly a third the size of Gondor, whose borders had slowly been shrinking for centuries.

Its warm-continental climate generally brings hot summers and brisk but short winters, marking a midpoint between the harsh winters of Rhovanion and the long, subtropical summers of southern Gondor. 

The borders of Rohan are: The rivers Isen and Adorn in the west, where Rohan borders Isengard and the land of the Dunlendings; the White Mountains and the Mering Stream, which separate it from Gondor, in the south; the mouths of Entwash in the east; and the river Limlight in the north. The Isen and Adorn rivers flow from the gap between the Misty Mountains and White Mountains - as a result, the area is known as the Gap of Rohan.

The capital of Rohan is the hill fort of Edoras which is located on a hill in a valley of the White Mountains. Meduseld, the Golden Hall of the King of Rohan, is located there.

The name Rohirrim is Sindarin for People of the Horse-lords and was mostly used by outsiders: the name they had for themselves was Eorlingas, after their king Eorl the Young who had first brought them to Rohan.

The first line of kings lasted for 249 years, until the ninth king Helm Hammerhand died. His sons had been killed earlier, and his nephew Fréaláf Hildeson began the second line of kings, which lasted until the end of the Third Age.

In 2758, Rohan was invaded by Dunlendings under Wulf, son of Freca, of mixed Dunland and Rohan blood. The King, Helm Hammerhand, took refuge in the Hornburg until aid from Gondor and Dunharrow (a refuge of the Rohirrim) arrived a year later and defeated the invaders. It was soon after this that Saruman arrived and took over Isengard, and was welcomed as a strong ally, since it would take Rohan close to 200 years to recover its strength after the invasion.

In 3014, Saruman began using his influence to weaken the King, Théoden, as part of a campaign to invade or take over the kingdom. In 3019, he launched a great invasion of Rohan, with victory in the two first battles and defeat at the Battle of the Hornburg, where the Huorns came to the aid of the Rohirrim.

;Silvan Elves
The best known [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=160903 Silvan Elves] of Middle-earth are the Elves of northern Mirkwood and Lothlórien. In the First Age the Elves of Ossiriand, or Laiquendi, were also referred to as wood-elves.

Silvan Elves are a multicultural society; mainly Nandorin descent but also mixed with Avari, Sindar and Noldor and governed by Sindarin rulers. Examples of these rulers are Thranduil king of northern Mirkwood, Amdír, and his son, Amroth, the last Sindarin prince of Lórien before the rule of Galadriel and Celeborn (of Noldorin/Telerin and Sindarin descent, respectively).

Silvan Elves are less wise than other Eldar, and some of them almost are indistinguishable from the Avari, those who never joined the Great Journey.
The Silvan Elves of Mirkwood are described as distrustful of Dwarves, but friendly to Men, with whom they trade. The Silvan Elves of Lórien are also called the Galadhrim, literally "tree-folk". After the departure of Amroth in the T.A. 1981, they were ruled by Celeborn and Galadriel. During the War of the Ring the Galadhrim were the strongest of all the elven kingdoms and aided in banishing Sauron the Necromancer from Dol Guldur.

== The Team ==
;TEAM LEADER
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=21891 King Kong]

;MODELLING
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=13289 SHREDDER]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=21891 King Kong]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=25119 Disgruntled Goat]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=22702 Alletun]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=38101 DrAgUt (CaPtAiN Of PiRaTeS)]

;SKINNING
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=13289 SHREDDER]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=21891 King Kong]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=25119 Disgruntled Goat]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=22702 Alletun]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=38101 DrAgUt (CaPtAiN Of PiRaTeS)]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=59023 bilwit]

;MAPPING
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=21891 King Kong]

;2D ART AND DESIGN
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=26580 Rogu3granny]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=21891 King Kong]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=32360 Code_Knight]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=39441 IVIark121]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=46374 Devils_Advocate]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=43492 Louis Lux]

;SCRIPTING
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=21891 King Kong]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=46063 Amon Amarth 93]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=38980 Presbiter]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=43373 Jean=A=Luc]

;MOVIE MAKERS
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=58275 MasterBigAb]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=45762 jản]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=20101 Dmitry] & [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=41511 Timorfeys]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=15720 Linkinsander]

;MUSIC & SOUNDS
: [http://redirectingat.com/?id=3054X598607&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Flotr-tw.net%2F&sref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twcenter.net%2Fforums%2Fshowthread.php%3Fp%3D8599639%23post8599639 Lord of the Rings: Total War Team]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 Amroth & The Fourth Age Total War Team]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=14004 Jones King]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=55519 Smirk]

;MOD CONCEPTION/RESEARCH
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=21891 King Kong]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=34757 Varjon]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=7352 Hross]

;BETA TESTERS
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=21891 King Kong]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=46063 Amon Amarth 93]

;SPECIAL THANKS
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=43373 Jean=A=Luc] for his countless texts and his help
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=22888 Point Blank] for his endless ideas
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=22134 Knight Errant] for his animation utilities
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=56473 maxmazi] for the unit info cards and all his support!
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=1732 Tokus*Maximus] for the faction symbols
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=46147 Legolose] for the moderation moddb.com
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=36271 King Crab] for his great music research
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=20688 Banzai!] for his Rome animation pack
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=2515 SigniferOne] for SigniferOne's Animations Pack v0.1
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=22420 Yeoman] for new animations
: EA Games for some sound clips & few textures
: [http://redirectingat.com/?id=3054X598607&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmbx.streetofeyes.com%2Findex.php%3Fboard%3D20.0&sref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twcenter.net%2Fforums%2Fshowthread.php%3Fp%3D8599639%23post8599639 The Last Days of the Third Age] for concept art and few textures
: [http://redirectingat.com/?id=3054X598607&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Flotr-tw.net%2F&sref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twcenter.net%2Fforums%2Fshowthread.php%3Fp%3D8599639%23post8599639 W. Lesmana & LOTRTW Team]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89 Fourth Age - Total War] for ship descriptions
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1117 The Rusichi - Total War Team]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=76077 glassiakas for the Snow Troll model]
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=62357 Hermes Trismegistos], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=39624 Elphir of Dol Amroth], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=53486 Beregond], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=48794 Irish Blood], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=49263 JorisofHolland], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=63260 Raiven], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=75475 Valandur] & [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=72498 patrician1] for various descriptions
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=65699 cedric37] & [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=59378 el Cid] for parts of their interfaces
: [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=45762 jan], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=47852 Isildor], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=58626 Inarus], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=10301 Zikko], [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=75443 Wesserd] & [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=79863 Red Devil] for custom battle maps
: [http://www.twcenter.net/ twcenter.net] forum and all it's great people
: [http://redirectingat.com/?id=3054X598607&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.moddb.com%2Fmods%2Fthird-age-total-war&sref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twcenter.net%2Fforums%2Fshowthread.php%3Fp%3D8599639%23post8599639 moddb.com] (and [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=46147 Legolose] for the moderation)

== Included Mods ==
;USED SUB-MODS
: [[Lusted]] - Campaign AI
: [[Germanicu5]] - Battle AI TATW 1.1
: [[Nevada]] - Smoother coastlines
: [[Xeryx]] - Battle AI TATW 1.0
: [[Argent Usher]] - Real Horses Project
: [[matko]] - Reworked Gondor Militias
: [[Magus]] - Crimson Tide (Blood Mod)
: [[Agart]] - New city strat models
: [[Tsarsies]] - Garrison Script
: [[Louis Lux]] & [[maxmazi]] - Visual Enhancement
: [[Archaon]] - Non-breakable alliances

== Visual Material ==
<gallery>
Image:Amumakil3ua2.jpg
Image:Entsv.jpg
Image:Mordorsiege3.jpg
Image:Urukpikeendyz5.jpg
</gallery>

[[Category:M2TW Mods (Released)]]