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Specifically, northeastern Rhovanion, say between the Iron Hills and the southern leg of the Grey Mountains, and east of the Iron Hills, north of Dorwinion?

I believe the Players' Map has a listing for The Waste, but is it ever detailed in a TOR sourcebook?

Beyond that, any other resource I could utilize if I'd like to use it as a setting?

We really don't know very much about that region, do we? Can we assume that the Upper Marches (or a portion of them) are considered to be territory held by Dale? We do see the borders of Dorwinion outlined on the Loremaster's Wilderland map for Journeys & Maps. We have tailored hazards for Rhûn, but not for the regions just to the west of the Redwater. Still, J&M provides some additional general guidance that might be useful, including the expanded rules for water travel (which might also come in handy for the Sea of Rhûn).

You could place a colony of Eastern Dwarves in the mountains bordering Dorwinion, on the coast of the Sea of Rhûn. However, you are going to need to work out how those Dwarves differ from their kindred in the Iron Hills, Erebor and the Blue Mountains.

The woods on the north-east shore of the inland sea are off the map, but might Avari Elves dwell there?

There is some great info on the Waste in Tales from Wilderland. Also, Erebor sounds like it might have something you could use, though I have no idea when that will come out, especially as it was announced only recently.

zedturtle wrote:There is some great info on the Waste in Tales from Wilderland. Also, Erebor sounds like it might have something you could use, though I have no idea when that will come out, especially as it was announced only recently.

Thanks, zed! I had forgotten about the notes for traveling through the Waste in the TfW adventure "The Watch on the Heath". There are specific Hazard suggestions and the introduction of the Loremaster character Witherfinger. The old Dwarf-Road that gets a mention might even continue eastward to the Iron Hills.

One question that I've long had about the Sea of Rhûn involves a stippled area on the maps of Christopher Tolkien that is unexplained. It might be a good-sized island, or it might represent the seabed at the lowest depth of the inland sea. Of course, from a gaming perspective, an island might be the far more interesting possibility.

http://www.donsmaps.com/images29/middle ... rstill.jpg

You might look at http://othermindsmagazine.com/ where there plenty of idea, articles and map of ME. You can download for free their magazine (Number 1 to 15 so far). Some of them on the demographic of Middle Earth are really eye opener of the emptiness of Middle Earth. Rhovanion and Eriador are technically deserts, almost entirely devoid of humanoid presence save some pocket of life.

Take a look also at Other Hands magazine. You can find them on the net with a little research.

zedturtle wrote:There is some great info on the Waste in Tales from Wilderland. Also, Erebor sounds like it might have something you could use, though I have no idea when that will come out, especially as it was announced only recently.

Crossings of Celduin has a fair bit about the Upper and Nether Marches too.

Andrew wrote:Crossings of Celduin has a fair bit about the Upper and Nether Marches too.

Ah. That's the trouble with adventures that I've only looked over but haven't played. They don't stay in my mind in the way they might otherwise. Yes, that adventure includes some new Hazard suggestions that could apply to both the Upper Marches and the Nether Marches (but especially the latter), as well as descriptions of those regions and their inhabitants.

What it comes down to is that Tales from Wilderland is a valuable resource for filling in some of the regions east of Mirkwood that are neglected in The Heart of the Wild.

You can always use the old M.E.R.P rules and expansions as backup for whatever you feel you are missing.