Those who travel the Old Forest, never returned, which made it out spoke of the enigmatic and eccentric Tom Bombadil and the massive tree known as Old Man WillowYour character has an opportunity to meet these two legends.
Tom Bombadil lives in a large glade in the eastern portion of the Old ForestTaller than a Hobbit but shorter than the people of Bree, Tom's Hobbit-like eyes, ruddy face, blue eyes and bristling beard have etched themselves into nearby resident's memoriesDressed in a blue jacket, yellow boots, and an old battered hat, he is known for singing songs with lyrics that have meaning only to himTom Bombadil has been deemed slightly mad by nearly all who have met himThe more learned and wise who have encountered him-mostly Elves he has dealt with through the years-believe he is a powerful being as old as the world itselfFor sure no ones know but one thing is certain that Tom Bombadil knows more than he lets on about the Old Forest and the surrounding lands
Tom Bombadil and the Old Forest play an important part in your character's first Epic Quest, Book 1: Stirrings in the DarknessIn Chapter 8: Master of the Woods, Strider asks you to track down a rogue flock of crebain, the feathered servants of the Dark Lord SauronThese crebain might know something of Frodo and the One-Ring, and they must be found and stopped before they pass along any information to their vile master.
Tom agrees to help you only if you collect lilies for his wife-GoldberryHe warns you that the lilies are guarded by the ancient tree know as Old Man WillowSome say that this venerable tree and its dark heart is the source of all that is evil within the Old ForestIf you're successful in winning the lilies from Old Man Willow, Tom tells you where to find the crebain.
Once you've thoroughly explored the Old Forest, you'll find that many quests are leading you into the Barrow-downsThere you'll find some great adventures and impressive rewards before you embark into the more dangerous territories of the Lone-lands.
The Old Forest provides you with many opportunities for your character after 10th levelIn this region, the most common quests and deeds are slayer and explorationSince all quests and deeds fall within the boundaries of the Old Forest, getting as many of them as possible prior to entering should make adventuring easierWhat to look for and what to avoid, here is a recap of the primary quests and deeds in this areaActually some of the quests within the Old Forest begin in the surrounding territories
In this deed your hero needs to find the following locations: Bald Hill, The Weaver's Den, Tom Bombadil's House, Goldberry's spring and Bonfire GladeOf these three, only The Weaver's Den is not located in the northern half of the Old ForestCompleting these exploration deeds earns a Virtue of Wisdom +1.
As part of pursuing deed levels in Fortitude, your character can achieve another Virtue level at 15th by slaying 40 of the evil trees that plague Bree-land and the Old ForestGaining a level in Fortitude increases your character's Might and disease resistance
Bringing your character to the Old Forest is possible starting at around 10th to 12th levelThe place offers an excellent variety of quests and deeds for soloing and for small and large size fellowships through 20th levelThere're several locations and collection deeds when soloing around the northern fringes of the Old Forest