Ruins of ancient Arnor and Rhudaur are present throughout the Lone-lands, arrayed facing the Great East Road. There are dozens of small ruins that comprise little more than a ring of pillars or a few fallen stones, which are not catalogued here (but which may be of value to the traveler who needs some shelter from wind or snow). Major ruins are presented here from west to east.
Gondrinn: Other than the watch-tower atop Weathertop, Gondrinn is perhaps the highest ruins reachable within the Lone-lands, standing in the Weather Hills near Midgewater Pass. No more than a ring of stone pillars, these ruins provide scant shelter, and serve little purpose save as a point of meeting for scouts or travelers in the northwest.
Forsaken Inn: It is perhaps unfair to list this amongst the ruins, since this inn was built long after the passing of Rhudaur. However, if you've ever taken a good look at the roof, or visited the underground lodging chambers, you may well conclude the Inn belongs in a listing of ruins after all. (And in any case, this book contains no other chapter better suited to it.) Its occupants dwell in it not that unlike how the Eglain live in our Ruin-holds, simply using what was left behind and making few if any changes to it. The Inn is (or at least attempts to be) welcoming to travelers, providing stabling (adequate), rooms (often infested by bugs or other vermin), food (technically edible, though the wise visitor checks bread for insects and mold, and eats around them), and ale (recommended only for the truly desperate). There is an air about the place that brings melancholy; in a single night's visit, one scarcely notices the effect, but those who stay any longer become dour and gloomy. Still, the Inn is a vitally useful stop for travelers, before (or after, if heading west) the unwelcoming and dry lands. See the Perils chapter for advice on drinking water; do not rely on Anlaf's ale to sustain life or health.
Broken Bridge: Not far from the Forsaken Inn, a bridge once stood as part of the Great East Road, spanning what must have been a vigorous stream. The center of the bridge's arch is collapsed now, but since the water is long gone, a path has been beaten by many feet down into its gap and back up. The bridge is of little note, but see the Geography chapter for a note about the pool of water near it, and the perils that attend that water.
Minas Eriol: The largest by far of the complexes of ruins in the Lone-lands, this region comprises enough ruins to have once been a city, or large fortification, nestled in a ringed valley surrounded by the peaks of the South Downs. In days past, it has proven to be the most fertile ground for the Eglain to find relics of ancient Arnor (such as coins, shards of pottery, rusted tools, and scraps of ancient scrolls). Until recently, a small contingent of Eglain headed by the Munce brothers were always present there, maintaining, if not an actual Ruin-hold, at least a permanent camp, to gather relics and trade goods with which to barter for food and other necessities for the Eglain. However, the goblins of the tunnels beneath the South Downs have emerged here (and nowhere else in the South Downs as yet), and in such numbers that this camp has been conquered, and the Eglain can venture into these ruins only briefly and with great care. Scouts have reported the goblins have spread over the entire region, building camps and occupying the ruins, and bringing with them fouler, unnamed creatures; it seems that, more than any other in the Lone-lands, this region is lost to us. Fortunately the goblins have shown little interest (thus far) in spreading beyond these sheltered ruins, for if they did, the Eglain have little hope of holding them back, and less hope of recruiting any help from either the Rangers or the Bree-landers, whose prosperous lives provide little reason to involve themselves in the troubles of their neighbors.
Weathertop: Walls, pillars, and remnants of vast towers ring the mountain, but are nothing but scraps of whatever watch-tower once stood straddling the mountain. The largest part of what can still be seen and walked through is at the peak itself, but very little stands of whatever was here once (little more than a large ring of pillars and a few paving-stones at the flat summit). The majesty of what once was is probably greater here than anywhere else in the Lone-lands (and that's saying something), but so too is the gap between what was, and what remains. This may make the ruins at the peak a melancholy place, but the view cannot be equaled.
Lornspan: Spanning a great gulch in the South Downs within Nain Enidh, the Lornspan is a high, strong bridge of carved stone which probably crossed the river that flowed through this narrow channel long ago. It leads to a cliffside path that approaches the fortress of Mithrenost. In remarkable condition (unlike the Broken Bridge) the Lornspan is of little use now, as Mithrenost can be reached from the other direction.
Mithrenost: Almost as large as Minas Eriol, Mithrenost seems more like a fortress than a city because it comprises one vast edifice. As it stands in better condition than any other ruin in the Lone-lands (with many chambers complete with walls and roof, and the most defensible outer perimeter), it might seem a logical choice for a Ruin-hold for the Eglain, and it was used as such many years ago. However, it has no drinkable water nearby, as the ancient well dried up long ago, and never recovered. There are probably few if any relics left in it, so the Eglain do not visit. Recent reports speak of a group of Dwarves who have taken claim of it, but unless Dwarves do not need water, their stay may prove brief.
Thandobel: Perhaps once part of the same complex as Mithrenost, serving as a set of outbuildings such as farms or stables, and an attendant watch-tower, these ruins have suffered far more from the passing of years (and are little more than broken walls now). The Dwarves that are exploring Mithrenost have used this as a staging camp, and a few also explore at the nearby rock of Iorvinas (in which stand caves and underground ruins which serve as excellent shelter from the worst weather); the Eglain have done some trade with these for weapons, tools, and metal-workings.
Naerost: For many years, and until about two years ago, Naerost was the Ruin-hold in which the largest part of the Eglain dwelled. Many of the Eglain think that it once was a trade city, built around several market squares and auction blocks, with relatively little defensive construction suggesting little military use. However, markings on some doors and doorways seem similar to those used in fortifications. The Ruin-hold was proving difficult to sustain due to the well being unable to meet the needs of the Eglain, and preparations were underway to move to another Ruin-hold (something which happens every few years due to wells requiring time to recover from use), when a clan of violent brigands with deformed features, perhaps of goblin breed but larger than those we're familiar with, perhaps not, emerged from underground warrens nearby and attacked. In the surprise, many Eglain were lost, and more injured. We might have been able to drive them back, but as we were planning to relocate anyway, the tribe decided to hasten its retreat, allowing the beasts the conquest uncontested. Thus far they seem content with their holding and only a few venture out into Nain Enidh (and are usually made quick work of by Eglain scouts when found away from their hold).
Ost Cyrn: Slightly larger than Ost Guruth, and located just across the road from it, Ost Cyrn was a strong consideration for a new Ruin-hold when the Eglain were driven from Naerost. Though slightly larger, Ost Cyrn proved less suitable for two reasons. First, it contains very little space that is covered and provides shelter (for it is almost totally exposed to the sky), where Ost Guruth had three enclosed chambers. Second, it has no well, and while it is near the Ruin-Pool, the lack of a well within makes it more vulnerable. It is deserted, though the Eglain sometimes see goblins at its outskirts, perhaps simply wanderers, or perhaps scouts.
Ost Guruth: These ruins were perhaps once a keep or military outpost, as they are ringed in high, strong walls which still (in large part) stand, providing one of the more defensible Ruin-holds the Eglain have known. In whatever ancient tongue was used to name things in Arnor that is fallen, it was called the City of Death, which seems ill-omened, but probably speaks more to its military use than any ominous interpretation. These ruins also sport a working well (for now, though to make it last, the Eglain supplement with barrels filled from the Hoarwell, and collect rain and snow in cisterns), a double-ringed tower in nearly perfect condition (mostly occupied by the tribe's elders when they are not about the business of the tribe), the nearby Ruin-Pool (see the Geography chapter), and two large enclosed chambers, one of which is used by our craftsmen, the other as our main living quarters (with a few tiny private rooms at the back for guests and scouts, while the bulk of the tribe sleeps in the common area). A patch of arable land at the western edge grows vegetables and herbs, nowhere enough to feed the Eglain, only to supplement to what is traded, foraged, or hunted. It has been several years since the Eglain have made this their primary Ruin-hold, and with the loss of the camp in Minas Eriol, it is now the only lasting settlement of the Eglain, and thus, our home. Travelers are made welcome here (though the harsh life of the Lone-lands does not allow the Eglain to share as much hospitality as some might be accustomed to), and trade-caravans even more so (the Eglain maintain a stable below the ruins just to allow for caravans to reach it without having to navigate the slopes).
Agamaur: A complex of ruins (including the towers of Barad Dhorn and the markets and fortresses of Garth Agarwen) lurks behind the narrow entrance cut into the hills behind and above the swamp of Haragmar. The Eglain have generally avoided this area entirely, only scouting it enough to determine that it offers more danger than resources. The red-shimmered, tainted waters of Haragmar (see the Geography chapter) extend through these ruins, making them unwholesome and unwelcoming. Scouts that have visited these lands sometimes come back telling impossible tales of walking dead, shambling trees, or strange lights in the water, suggesting that prolonged exposure to the waters may cause hallucinations.
Nindor: At the farther reaches of the swamps of Harloeg, a variety of ruins stand which perhaps once were a small city (along with the fortress of Ost Haer). While many walls stand, they are in poor condition, without any roofs. The swamps have almost completely claimed these ruins (see the Geography chapter for the perils of this marsh-water) rendering them of no value for anything besides the search for relics to be offered in trade, and the occasional meal of mushrooms.
Nan Dhelu: An old fortress which climbs the side of the Weather Hills near where they overlook the Hoarwell, these stones are utterly abandoned (even animals avoid them for reasons unknown). While some relics can be found here, scouts of the Eglain only enter for short times, as the deep unease which settles into the mind while there can make even the strongest of wills fray, and those who linger too long return raving of horrors behind every shadow, and an ache in the heart that both dreads and longs for the release of death. Even at a distance, some see ghostly shapes moving amongst the towers at night, though these always melt away on approach like tricks of the light.
