As noted last time around, I had lingered to the end in Eregion, running out of quests.  It was then time, about half way into level 53, to head into Moria.

Moria is an odd mix for me.  I have been into it enough times that I remember quite clearly some of it.  I know that at least six characters of mine have arrived through the Hollin Gate, even it only three have ever ventured out the far side into the Dimrill Dale.  The fellowship has a better record than I on that front.

Moria Zones – 2013 version of the map

But I haven’t been into Moria enough times to not run into something new or some quest segment I had never seen before or had completely forgotten about.  Again, some times I am Gandalf, sure of the way forward, and other times I am like him in the meme.

Me either man, me either

I started trying to made a version of the map above marked with arrows to chart my journey, but that quickly turned into so much red spaghetti dropped on the image, my route being quite circuitous.  Rolling in a few levels above need I didn’t run into any quests obviously above level for a long time.  You start off in the first room of the Great Delving.

Where it all starts

As usual the dwarves… and there are so many dwarves about the place that you might wonder how they all got in there and setup so quickly just after the fellowship passed through and whether or not they might be better occupied with something else… have a bunch of chores that need to be done.  Not as prosaic as the needs of hobbits, they do still seem to have misplaced or otherwise lost track of equipment and their fellows in such a constant and repetitive way that you might wonder how they organized the move into Moria in the first place.

Also, since normal mounts cannot be used underground… even Bill the faithful pony got left back in Eregion… corralling him being one of the later quests… again, the fellowship seems to leave a remarkably obvious trail behind them… you have to acquire a goat, which you don’t get until you arrive at the first major hub… unless, of course, you already have one.

The quest reward goat and the pre-order goat

Way back in… was it 2008?  I guess it was.  Way back then, I pre-ordered the Mines of Moria expansion which got me a special goat.  It doesn’t seem so special now, except for the fact that I got to start riding about 15 quests earlier than I might have.

A goat already in room one

Mounted from my first moment I made my forward… though the first quest sent me back into Eregion for a brief graveside visit to the dwarves to had fallen while we attempted to open the door… which, again, where the hell did all these dwarves come from or have the time to setup… though the Great Delving, up to Durin’s Way, then back to the Silvertine Lodes, then into Zelem-Melek, then on to the Twenty-First Hall, then down to the Waterworks, and finally back up to the Twenty-First hall.

Arrival at the Twenty-First Hall

The Twenty-First hall is important both because it is the mid-point and central hub of Moria, but also because it is where you end up getting the town a bank and a crafting hall and all the usual amenities of a town or major settlement.

I had also hit level 56 by that point, the first scheduled oil change and reforge interval for my legendary items, and not a moment too soon.  I had noticed that it was taking more and more time to defeat mobs that were close to my level, my legendary sword and bow having not had much in the way of updates since I first acquired them back in Eregion.

Perhaps now I could use some of that vast pool of Legendary Item Experience I had accumulated to boost their potential.  I mean, I must have built up a reservoir of such experience since literally every quest I had completed since showing up in Eregion had told me that my reward included Legendary Item Experience.  Look at the image I posted above.  It says right there, Legendary Item Experience.

So I went to the legendary item NPC and reforged my sword and bow, and they did appear to get upgraded noticeably.  For example, my bow before and after:

My bow, given the reforge and a tune up

So that was nearly a 10 DPS boost, plus a new slot.  Seems like a deal.  But there wasn’t any mention of Legendary Item Experience.  Following the old rule of equipment, which is that something is better than nothing, I went in search of where I could get something to put in those empty slots.

Eventually, after digging around on the Wiki, I found out about Gobeth Teithian, the Archive of Traceries, which is in Rivendell.  That was where they sell things for legendary items.

Off I went, back to Rivedell, because nothing says your a heroic adventurer on an epic quest than backtracking many leagues to head to the Elven Outlet Mall.  Surely I could spend some of no doubt piles of Legendary Item Experience I had been hording all this time on something nice there.

However, like the Canadian shops no longer honoring US Dollars, Gobeth Teithian cares not for you Legendary Item Experience.  The NPCs there want payment in Ancient Script.

Ancient Script

I had no Ancient Script.  I have no idea how to acquire Ancient Script.  What I have read seems to indicate that you need to raid or do instances to accumulated Ancient Script.

I am beginning to suspect that, like the cake, the idea of Legendary Item Experience, so prominently mentioned in every single freaking quest rewards, is all a lie.  Or, possibly worse, just a remnant of the old Legendary Item mechanics that SSG has simply not bothered to remove from the game because… I can’t think of a reason other than “reasons.”

So my bow and sword had to make do with the basic pass through the forge, with no undercoating or spray wax to enhance the experience.

That said, the reforge did seem able to put the fear of Eru Iluvatar back into the mobs of Moria.  I was back to mowing down orcs and goblins and wargs and whatever else before they could make it into melee range.

So my first check-in review of the updated Legendary Item mechanics after my reforge is that I do like the hands off path they have chosen… I recall the pain of constant trips back to camp to reforge the damn things… and I am keen on how effective items get after a reforge.  But there does seem to a pretty obvious power curve that decays noticeably relative to the mobs you face as you get close to that reforge point.  Also, it would be cool if the remnants of the old mechanics could, you know, stop being mentioned in every single freaking quest.

As for Moria so far… it has its ups and downs.  It can be a bit chaotic on how it doles out quests.  One area is a quest hub, the next you need to kill some mobs for quests to drop, while at a third you need to explore all over the have quests pop up.  On the one hand, if you like one method over another, you will get your wish at some point.  On the other hand, you do end up wondering what will be next.

And the landscape is less oppressive than I recall.  The whole place is built to the scale of giants, which when you consider the stature of the dwarves, is a bit amusing.  There are the relics and remains of their active works.

Mine cart tracks and towers

There are great open areas, like the Waterworks, where the vistas are impressive.

Through the mist of the Waterworks

And then there are just grand hallways and avenues and bridges and epic interiors.  It is all very well done.

Up another grand hall in Moria

Finally, if nothing else, the whole place is pretty well lit… even in places where you’re running around trying to adjust the mirrors that do the lighting in some deep places.  Despite the implication that some of the interior lighting depends on the sun shining down shafts and reflecting off of various mirrors, the whole place is lit the same at all times.

The day night cycle has been banished in Moria… and I am not sure I miss it.

Anyway, I am now 58 as I write this and headed into the back half of Moria, aiming for the Dimrill Dale and what lays beyond.