I was puzzling over the map for some time on a question about the red dot in the west middle vales called "Eagle's Eyrie". Since it is clearly in the area that the Beornings roam my first thought was that it was a secondary Beorning settlement, likely one founded explicitly to watch over the high pass.

After some time I started wondering if perhaps this is actually supposed to be where the great Eagles gather or call home.

I didn't find any information about it in the lore master's book. In the end, for the purposes of my game, I decided that it was where the eagle nest after all....

Part of me wonders if I'm missing something. Is there any other information about this locale that is marked on the map? What did you guys take it to mean?

I already ruled in my game on it (I wanted a Beorning outpost so I invented a small one with a different name) but I'm curious on the matter.

Yes, it's where the Eagles nest...

http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Eagles_Eyrie

... I'm just finishing writing up my adventure "To Journey's End and the Eagles' Eyrie".

Right! I really should have googled it :-)

Indeed!

Fun fact of the day: the way to say "Giant Eagles" in Latin is deus ex machina!

Remember, Thorin and Co are dropped off at the Eagle's Eyrie and, IIRC, they follow a path downward, out of the mountains. So it is a real, navigable destination although the nests might be placed precariously.

No, the eagles fly and drop them off at the top of the Carrock. I don't believe their eyrie is somewhere you could climb up to.

They drop them off at the Carrock in the film, sure. But I'm 99% sure they go to the Eyrie in the book

@Beleg: they do get flown to the Eyrie after th Warg attack and after a day or so they get flown to Carrock in the book, the movie just skimmed over the bit IN the Eyrie. So yes you can get there but I don't think it could be done on foot :/

'There was no path down on to it [the Great Shelf] save by flying; and no path down off it except by jumping over a precipice.' Probably true of the Eyrie as a whole. To make the Eyrie somewhat accessible in-game, though, maybe they had some traditional spot where they would pick up visitors (like Gandalf)?

I'm currently writing up my "To Journey's End and the Eagle's Eyrie" adventure and in that I have the following:

Around the foot of the eyrie’s steeple are other rocks. Upon one, the largest, can be seen deep gouges within the stone – this is where an Eagle may alight to receive earthbound visitors.

... And take them up to the Eyrie.

Very much looking forward to your adventure.

Try not to get too excited - it's largely derivative! Hacked together from multiple sources (eg, Marsh Bell and Don't Laave the Path adventures) with some little additions of my own. Should be posted here in a few hours...

Ah, thanks DarkTraveller, I wasn't sure I was right

Yes I was meaning they are dropped down at the Carrock after they visit the eyrie. I thought it made sense in context of the question but I can see how it could be interpreted ambiguously.

In JRRT's own illustration of Bilbo at/in the Eyrie he is clearly shown wearing black boots. That blew my tiny mind for a while.

Using the Hobbit movie for inspiration, I used the Carrock in my game as a traditional spot to interact with the Eagles. Of course it took a little more than just waiting at the top of the Carrock for the Eagles to show up. I ran Marsh Bell, Don't Stray from the Path, and then a little mini-adventure to take them to the Carrock to finish the dwarves business from Marsh Bell.

Shameless plug but I've just written mine up here: http://cubicle7.clicdev.com/f/index.php?tr...&showtopic=4043

Using the Carrock sounds like a good idea. An elevated place out in the open, where the eagles can be (reasonably) sure that noone's hiding behind some tree or rock with a big bow.

Eagles would be valuable scouts to the woodmen I guess. But would the woodmen have anything to offer them in return?

So what is the "Don't Leave the Path" adventure?

Actually in my game there is a cool relationship between the Beornings/Woodmen and the Eagles. Whether it is true or not, whenever a sheep goes missing the men look to the skies toward the Eyrie as a possible explanation. No man has seen the Eagles hunt sheep, but his father and his father before him says it happened.

The first adventure featured in the excellent "Tales from Wilderland" book.

Thanks for the answer, Bram! I still am trying to get my hands on Tales from Wilderland.

If you're going to use my "To Journey's End and the Eagles' Eyrie" adventure (as you've said you may in the thread about it) then you need to pick up a copy as I use information from it in that adventure - refering to the apropriate pages/chapters from it rather than repeating the information. Therefore if you don't have a copy then you won't be able to understand the content of my adventure.

speaking of eagles and woodsman, I remember reading a post about a woodsman reward bow, Shepard's bow i think. It references using powerful bows to defend their sheep from the eagles if I am not mistaken. In this case are they talking about great eagles or mundane ones? I couldn't help wondering if the text was implying to me that teh woodsman and eagles are on less than friendly terms.

Of course the Great Eagles are always portrayed as civilized, and are always in roles helping Gandalf and through him the free peoples against the shadow.... if I'm not mistaken they are also supposed to be servants of Manwe are they not? Still in less critical moments they are big flying creatures that need to eat lots, I wonder if from time to time an eagle is so hungry that it needs a pluck a sheep from the men of the vale, leading to disagreements and animosities.... as in they are both "good", and both opposed to the shadow, but also at odds with each other from time to time...'it seems unlikely but potentially interesting.

Of course the simpler and easier explanation is the shepherds bow is making reference to normal eagles... does everyone read it this way?

Read my adventure [ https://dl.dropbox.com/u/79541775/To%20Jour...%27%20Eyrie.pdf ], part 11, for my opinions and what I decided with regard to these queries. This wasn't just whimsy on my part but researched to some degree and put down on paper as background and interaction between the PCs and Landroval.

Posted some quotes from it here:

Introduction
Middle-earth’s most majestic hunters, the Great Eagles rule the skies above the Misty Mountains. Largest of all birds, the Eagles believe themselves directly descended from divine spirits whom Manwe, Lord of the Valar, commanded to take avian form and observe the mortal world on his behalf.

A Great Eagle’s very visage is awe-inspiring; its golden brown plumage shines magnificently in the sunlight. An adult eagle has a wingspan of approximately 30 to 40 feet, whereas Gwaihir and his brother Landroval are much larger with spans in the region of at least twice that – and with their powerful hooked beaks and razor sharp talons, the Eagles of the Misty Mountain fear no foe. It is said that the Lord of the Eagles can look at the sun unblinking, and can see a rabbit moving a mile below in moonlight. Among the swiftest of all creatures, they can dive upon their prey at speeds of over 200 miles per hour.

Few have mastered the art of befriending the Eagles. These are not kindly creatures, seeming unsentimental and domineering to others. Free to fly where they wish, Eagles tend to be proud and aloof, accustomed to the respect engendered by their great size and power. Nonetheless, the Great Eagles are noble at heart and once an Eagle’s gratitude is won, it is an ally for life, willing to bear the traveller long leagues on its back.

Exceptionally intelligent and rational, the Eagles are able to converse in the common tongue when they choose, but beware of antagonising them, for they can be a merciless foe, and never will they be persuaded or easily deceived into aiding an evil cause.

Playing Landroval
Brother of Gwaihir, Lord of the Eagles, Landroval is a great warrior in his own right and Captain of the Thoronrim (Eagle Host), Landroval is proud, brave, and swift.

When interacting with the players, move your head in short, jerky motions and blink quickly. Tilt your head to regard those who speak – as if they were a tasty morsel pleading to be spared. Landroval will look upon the company, regarding them with keen intelligent eyes. The characters will feel like they are assessed by some deadly hunter, and will suddenly have an all too real appreciation of what a rabbit must feel like in its final moments!

In order to adequately represent Landroval’s personality to the players, a number of responses to specific remarks or questions are listed below.

If any of the company refers to Landroval as Gwaihir, assuming they have been met by the Great Eagle:

“Falsely have you named me, creatures of dull wit!”

Introducing himself:

“I am Landroval the Swift. Brother to Gwaihir, the Wind Lord who is King of the Eagles of the Misty Mountains.”

Referring to the Northmen who keep cattle:

“I see there are Men of the Vale among you, yet they are not loosing their arrows upon me! This they have been known to do when I hunt for sheep or calf. Men seem yet to not understand that no creature can own another, and why does a sheep care who eats it in the end?

... But do not be concerned; for the Eagles bear your folk no real enmity, apart from this delusion, you appear to be an otherwise decent folk!”

When he speaks to an elf in the company:

“Long has it been since my Lord and yours visited each other. I trust the King of the Woodland Realm is enjoying his prerogatives?”
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I think I nailed the balance between the noble and intelligent animal, a creature of great power, and apex predator pretty well with the above and other bits contained in the adventure but not repeated here so feel free to use.