Mordor Ruins Quest
The Mordor Ruins Quest (informally "chaos3") is one of the alignment-based quests in dNetHack. It is one of the random variants of the Chaos Quest. As is typically the case for dNetHack's alignment quests, it is divided into roughly three parts, though in this case the middle section is tricky to categorize.
Contents
Areas
Branch Level
The level of the main dungeon containing the portal to the Mordor Ruins Quest will have the following layout:
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This level will be initially populated by a number of elves (including an elf-lord) and orcs (including an orc-captain). As elves and orcs attack one another, this will fairly quickly be whittled down to just one type of monster.
Eight random objects can be found on this level.
Elven Forest
The elven forest is a series of four levels. Each level is connected to the next by a magic portal.
Deep Forest
The first two levels will be mines-type forest levels with networks of small elf "houses" amongst the trees. A river runs top-to-bottom on the right-hand side of the maps.
Each will be initially populated by elves and the occasional Coure Eladrin. In addition, there will be one wraith per level, and a 5% chance of a Nazgul per level. Since Nazgul are much stronger than the normal monster types, if one spawns you may need to retreat from the branch until you are strong enough to destroy it.
Each of these levels has 1-2 rings (80% chance of 2), an 80% chance of a wrathful mithril sword, and a 60% chance of a wrathful silver sword, as well as random items in the elf houses. Finally, each level has a chest containing a random potion, piece of armor, spellbook, and scroll.
River Ford
The third forest level is bisected by a river, with a shallow-water crossing in the center of the map:
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The ford guardian is found on the central island, protecting the altar. The left-hand side of the map is a forest level like the previous two, initially populated by elves and possibly including a Ghaele Eladrin (25%), an elf-lord (75%), an elf-lady (75%), an Elvenking (75%), and an Elvenqueen (75%). The right-hand side of the map is an area of diseased forest, initially populated by orcs and random wraiths and shades.
This level contains the same random loot as the previous levels.
Forest Edge
The left-hand side of this level is a second diseased forest, while the right-hand side is an open grassy plain.
The forest area is initially populated by random wraiths and shades. In addition, there is a battle between orcs and elves taking place on the right side of the map. The elves are led by an Elvenqueen and two Firre Eladrin, while the orcs are led by a Nazgul. It is likely that the two sides will kill each-other off fairly quickly. The elven side is commonly victorious, however, the presence of the Nazgul causes corpses to rise as more shades which may finish off the elven survivors.
This level contains a +3 ring of protection, a ring of invisibility, a cursed ring of aggravate monster, and up to 3 random rings (20% chance each). In addition to the two standard wrathful swords, there is a 20% chance of another wrathful mithril sword and a 20% chance of another wrathful silver sword. There is also a large quantity of discarded elven and orcish weapons throughout the level, including a morgul orcish short sword and dagger (50% chance each).
Mordor Ruins
Mordor Wall
The Mordor Wall, known also as Minas Morgul, has the following layout:
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Minas Morgul provides two ways to enter Mordor. Downstairs into the fortress can be reached near the top of the screen, for those adventures who favor the direct approach. Alternatively, a secret portal to Shelob's lair, the Spider Cave, is located on the left side of the screen. Whichever path an adventurer chooses to take first will be generated with the Second Key of Chaos placed randomly somewhere on the level.
This level includes two Nazgul, a wraith, a Mordor marhsall, six Mordor orc elite, four orc shaman, three orc-captains, and 15 Mordor orcs.
The entry portal for this level will be randomly placed somewhere in the bottom five rows of the map.
Mordor Fortress
Minas Morgul, the Mordor Fortress, has the following layout:
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The throne room on the right side of the map is the court of the ogre emperor, composed of the ogre emperor himself, three ogre mages, a marilith, three ogre kings, 12 ogre lords, eight ogres, five Mordor orcs, and a tengu. The ogre emperor carries The Mantle of Wrath, a useful artifact orcish cloak that grants fire resistance, half spell damage, and blocks all sources of aggravate monster while worn.
The treasure room immediately to the left of orge emperor's throne room includes a range of interesting weapons, such as a +1 flaming long sword, a +4 flaming two-handed sword, and a range of armor. Most of these items may not be useful for an adventurer who is already strong enough to reach this level, but these chests may hold an odd item or two that can replace a weak item or two that you may not have found a replacement for yet. One chest will also have several interesting masks for those players who have a source of polymorph, including a Faerinaal mask, a Gwynharwyf mask, and a Queen of Stars mask.
The throne room on the upper left side of the map contains a Mordor Marshal, a Mordor shaman, ten Mordor orc elite, four hobgoblins, two hill orcs, a manes, a succubus, and a vrock. The treasure room to the right of the throne includes a number of chests containing a range of archaic, crystal, and elvish armor.
In addition to these throne rooms, randomly placed through this level will two orc-captains, two orc shamans, eight Mordor orcs.
Finally, scattered throughout the level are a number of stationary, shackled lawful and neutral monsters, such as hobbits, elves, and various Eladrin. Though these monsters can be killed, they seldom have any useful items (presumably, these items are the contents of the treasure chests in the two throne rooms). Untrapping these monsters will release them, usually converting them to peaceful monsters, but sometimes taming them as well.
The portal to the Mordor cracks is in the bottom left corner of the map.
Spider Cave
Shelob's lair, the Spider Cave, has the following layout:
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This level includes 10 random arachnids, 23 giant spiders, Shelob herself, and many, many webs. Though most of the monsters on this level are not particularly difficult, some care may be necessary if mirkwood spiders are generated, as these can immobilize you with webs, making it difficult not to get swarmed.
If the Second Key of Chaos has not yet been generated, it will appear somewhere on this level. Other treasure on this level will include a potion of starlight, a wand of make invisible, a wand of death, a ring of conflict, a pair of speed boots, and an amulet versus poison.
The location of the downstairs will be randomly generated.
Mordor Cracks
The cracks of Mordor are a set of two cave-style levels and a fiery shrine to Moloch. The first cave level is randomized, and will contain upstairs to the Spider Cave, downstairs to the next level, and a magic portal back to the Mordor Fortress. This level will include random ogres, a random troll, bugbears, goblins, Mordor orcs, wargs, and a fire vortex.
The second level is also a randomized map, but will contain a large lava pool in the center of the map. This level will include fire elementals, fire vortexes, Mordor orcs, Mordor shaman, and ogres.
The fiery shrine to Moloch has the following layout:
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The upstairs will be somewhere near the top of the map, while an unaligned altar to Moloch and the downstairs to the Borehole will be near the bottom of the map. Moloch's altar will be attended by a high shaman; be careful when killing him, as you may anger Moloch and be shot at with a lighting bolt.
The map will also contain fire elementals, fire vortexes, and a balrog.
The Borehole
The Borehole is a series of descending, hollowed out rooms underground, increasing in size as they descend, and ending in the domain of the Lungorthin, Lord of the Balrogs. These levels will host a number of Mordor orc elite, Angband orcs, and balrogs, so make sure you are properly prepared to withstand the damage these monsters can deal as well as the explosive fireball death effect that is your reward for killing balrogs in dNethack.
Borehole, level 1
The first level of the Borehole has the following layout:
This level will include four Mordor orc elite.
Borehole, level 2
The second level of the Borehole has the following layout:
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This level will include four Mordor orc elite and three Angband orcs.
Borehole, level 3
The third level of the Borehole has the following layout:
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This level will include four Mordor orc elite, three Angband orcs, and two balrogs.
Borehole, level 4
The final level of the Borehole has the following layout:
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Only Lungorthin will be present on this level. With a sufficiently strong melee weapon, Lungorthin can easily defeated by engraving a ward on the up ladder and hitting him repeatedly as he comes near. Defeating Lungorthin yields the Third Key of Chaos and the Shard from Morgoth's Crown, an artifact ring that grants slotless magic resistance while carried, shock resistance while worn, and increases a user's stats by 6, even past racial caps, to a maximum of 25.
Note that the Shard from Morgoth's Crown will appear as an iron ring and will also carry the same effect provided by other iron rings in the game (unless iron rings are rings of polymorph, in which case this ring will take the form of a twisted ring and bear its effects instead). Be careful if iron rings are generated with a less-than-useful attribute, such as hunger or aggravate monster.
