Free Range Games recently released brand new Lord of the Rings video game – Return to Moria! Since the SAG-AFTRA strike is still in place and struck work is still struck I want to dive in and explore some of the characters and important features of gameplay for you in the new game. We want all Spoilerites to have the best playing experience possible and have the widest knowledge base about the Fourth Age of Middle-Earth. This is a weekly Let’s Get Nerdy article series highlighting a different piece of Tolkien I think you need to know about!
Last week I wrote about the release of Free Range Games’ brand new Lord of the Rings video game – Return to Moria! Since the SAG-AFTRA strike is still in place and struck work is still struck I want to dive in and explore some of the characters and important features of gameplay for you in the new game.
As I wrote last week, the star of Return to Moria is no other than Gimli, son of Glóin, the very same character many of you will know and love from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. He’s a single character in The Lord of the Rings mythology being the only dwarf in The Fellowship of the Ring and, for casual fans, many peoples only – or main – representation of dwarvish culture in Middle-Earth.
The game refers to this legendary dwarf as “Gimli Lockbearer”, which is a Tolkien-canon name for Gimli, as well as the classic Gimli son of Glóin, and Elf-friend – inspired by Gimli’s close bond of brotherhood and friendship with Legolas of Mirkwood, another member of The Fellowship of the Ring.
Lockbearer was the moniker given Gimli be the Lady Galadriel, herself – another elf with whom this dwarf shares a special bond. As Galadriel states in The Two Towers:
“To Gimli son of Glóin, give his Lady’s greeting. Lockbearer, wherever thou goest my thought goes with thee. But have a care to lay thine axe to the right tree!“
Gimli was also not the first of his coin to travel and undertake great deed in aid of hobbits. His father Glóin and his uncle Óin were members of Thorin Oakenshield’s party who travelled with Bilbo Baggins to the Lonely Mountain during the events of The Hobbit.
Gimli is of the Longbeard clan of dwarves and a descendant of the House of Durin. He is a proud warrior with great strength, known to wield a heavy ax in battle. It was after his tenure as a member of The Fellowship of the Ring and the defeat of Sauron that Gimli was granted lordship over the Glittering Caves at Helm’s Deep. He reigned lord of the Glittering Caves until he departed Middle-Earth for Valinor. He was the first dwarf to set foot in The Undying Lands.
The settlement Gimli did set up in The Glittering Caves was a new one for dwarves, not being one of their ancestral homes in Middle-Earth and its success reflected mightily on Gimli’s leadership and skill as a monarch. He and his people leant their immense talents as craftsmen to both Rohan and Gondor even repairing the Great Gate of Minas Tirith, which was damaged during the War of the Ring. They replaced the original gate with much stronger Mithril and steel.
For Return to Moria game players, hairs may be standing up on the backs of your necks – that doesn’t seem like what the game is telling me!
Well, that’s because it’s not.
There is no mention in Tolkien canon about Gimli Lockbearer – or any dwarf for that matter – ever returning to Moria following the defeat of Sauron and the beginning of The Fourth Age of Middle-Earth.
In past articles I have answered the question:
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- What Are the Rings of Power?
- What is Númenor?
- What is the Second Age?
- Who are the Harfoots?
- Who is Prince Durin IV?
- What is Khazad-dûm?
- Who is Celebrimbor?
- What is the Last Alliance of Men and Elves?
- Who is Elendil?
- New Pics! Who are Bronwyn and Theo?
- What is Rivendell?
- The Rings of Power First Reactions Are In!
- What is Lindon?
- What are the Nine Human Rings?
- Empire Magazine’s The Rings of Power Covers
- New Character Pictures
- Will Wizards Appear in The Rings of Power?
- New Promo for The Rings of Power
- What is Eregion?
- Leaked! Rings of Power Trailer Breakdown
- The Rings of Power Teaser Breakdown
- New EW Rings of Power Pictures
- SDCC Rings of Power Trailer Breakdown
- Who is Isildur?
- The Rings of Power is Here! Read the Reactions
- Who is the Stranger?
- Who is Queen Míriel?
- Who is Ar-Pharazôn?
- What is the broken black blade?
- What is Mordor?
- What is Mithril?
- What are the Silmarils?
- What is Narsil?
- Who founded Númenor?
- Who is Galadriel’s Brother Finrod?
- Rings of Power Adds 15 New Cast Members for Season 2
- Who is Círdan?
- Will Celeborn Appear in The Rings of Power?
- Are Galadriel and Sauron Enemies in Book Canon?
- Who is Narvi?
- Jamie Bisping Cast as Viran
- Will the Harfoots Settle The Shire?
- What to Watch Before The Rings of Power Season 2
- Will We See More Rings in The Rings of Power Season 2?
- Will Lord Belzagar Appear in The Rings of Power Season 2?
- Who is Diarmid?
- Will Ringwraiths appear in The Rings of Power Season 2?
- Will Gil-Galad Lead an Army in The Rings of Power Season 2?
- Is the Balrog Durin’s Bane?
- Who is Isildur’s sister Eärien?
- What is Rhûn Where Nori & The Stranger are Headed?
- Will Galadriel Go Dark in The Rings of Power Season 2?
- Where are the Southlanders Going?
- Is Durin Still a Prince?
- How Eärien will use the Palantir in The Rings of Power Season 2
- Is the Rings of Power close to canon? Will it get closer in Season 2?
- What is The War of the Elves and Sauron?
- Who are the Three New Rings of Power Cast Members? Ciarán Hinds, Rory Kinnear and Tanya Moodie
- Who are the Three Witches Trying to Rescue Sauron?
- Rings of Power season 2 Reportedly Wraps Filming
- Nenya will Appear in The Rings of Power season 2
- Will We see Shelob in The Rings of Power season 2?
- How Celeborn Could Appear in The Rings of Power season 2
- Will The Rings of Power be at San Diego Comic-Con?
- How are Hobbits and Harfoots Different?
- Who is Galadriel?
- What are Noldor Elves?
- Who are “Durin’s Folk”?
- What are the Seven Dwarf-Lord Rings?
- How did Humans come to Middle-Earth?
- Who is High King Gil-Galad?
- What are Sindar Elves?
- What is Hobbit Day?
- Finding all the Lord of the Rings at New York Comic Con
- Who are the Rohirrim?
- New Lord of the Rings Video Game – Return to Moria – is Here!
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