Summary
- The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is a survival-crafting game where players play as Dwarves to retake the lost city of Moria.
- Six clans of Dwarves originating from different locations are working together to rebuild Moria in the Fourth Age.
- Each clan, such as the Glittering Caves Clan and the Red Mountains Clan, has a unique history and connection to other parts of Middle-Earth.
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria puts players in the shoes of the Dwarves of Middle-Earth coming from the far reaches of the land to take back the lost city of Moria after the fall of Sauron. As a survival-crafting game, it is fitting that the Dwarven race which makes their homes below mountains would be the stars of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. Players starting out on their quest to retake Moria will get to choose between one of six origin locations to be the clan they hail from, each representing a different part of the Dwarven diaspora.
After the fall of Moria, also known as Kazad-dum, to a fearsome Balrog in the Third Age, the Dwarves were forced to scatter from this magnificent city and established new clans across Middle-Earth. Now in the Fourth Age, the hero Gimli Lockbearer has sent out a call for the clans to return to Moria in an attempt to restore it to its former glory. As a result, the six clans are now working together to rebuild the city in Return to Moria.
The Glittering Caves Clan
The Glittering Caves are a region from The Lord of the Rings series located behind the Hornburg in Rohan. This site is notable as Gimli and Legolas retreat to these caves during the Siege of Helm's Deep. After the fall of Sauron, Gimli helped to establish a new Dwarven colony here with other Dwarves from Erebor, and the clan has been using it as an outpost for helping to restore Gondor and Rohan in the wake of their destruction at the hands of Sauron's forces.
The Iron Hills Clan
Located to the east of Erebor are the Iron Hills, home to a clan of Dwarves that shares a close kinship with Erebor's King Under the Mountain. The Iron Hills became a refuge for Dwarves displaced by Smaug's invasion of Erebor, and many have stayed there even after the city was reclaimed. As such, the Iron Hills clan has maintained their connection to Erebor and remains an important neighbor of the King Under the Mountain's people.
The Coastal Mountains Clan
Far to the south of Gondor is the home of the Coastal Mountains clan, the southernmost clan of Dwarves in Middle-Earth. These Dwarves were fairly isolated from their kin compared to other clans prior to the end of the Third Age. However, following the fall of Sauron and the return of Aragorn to the Reunited Kingdoms, the Coastal Mountain Dwarves have re-established connections with their Red Mountains counterparts.
The Blue Mountains Clan
The Blue Mountains clan of Dwarves was another settlement established as a refuge for those displaced from Erebor by Smaug. These mountains are located in the western portion of Eriador between the Gulf of Lune and the Shire. Many of the Blue Mountains Dwarves returned to Erebor following the defeat of Smaug, but there is still a thriving clan there in the Fourth Age of Return to Moria.
The Red Mountains Clan
The Red Mountains, also known as the Orocarni, are situated in the far northeast corner of Middle-Earth and are home to the Red Mountains Clan of Dwarves. These Dwarves were long cut off from the rest of their kin due to Sauron's occupation of Mordor and eastern Middle-Earth. However, since his fall at the end of the Third Age, these Dwarves have finally been able to reunite with the other clans.
The Lonely Mountain Clan
Erebor, or The Lonely Mountain, is home to the largest clan of Dwarves in Middle-Earth and is ruled by the King Under the Mountain. Although many of the Dwarves hailing from this clan helped to establish other clans after the Sack of Erebor, it remains the seat of the King of Durin's Folk. It's prosperity in the Fourth Age has allowed this clan to aid in the rebuilding of Gondor and Rohan as well.
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is available on PC. The PS5 version launches on December 5, and the Xbox Series X/S version is scheduled to release in early 2024.