How to Bear
A guide for cubs, big bears, and everyone in between.
The day is almost here, dear friends! Here's everything you need to know so you don't miss a moment of the fun.
🌿 We gather at 13:45 CEST · 11:45 UTC at the Stable-master in Stock (The Shire). From there we'll journey together to Bree for a bit of shenanigans and some proper bear mischief to delight the locals. Then we follow the route all the way to Beorninghûs — with plenty of time to snap some screenshots and preserve the memories!
The Event
From the Shire to Beorninghûs — a journey of bears, for bears.
📅 Sunday, 5th July
14:00–16:00 CEST · 12:00–14:00 UTC
Server: Meriadoc
Middle-earth has witnessed many great journeys. But none quite so magnificently furry as this one.
Bears and Back Again is a roleplaying adventure — born from a simple love of lumbering through the world together, of finding joy in the little things, and of being, unapologetically, a bear. Whether you walk on four legs or two, whether your costume is perfect or held together with hope and duct tape — you belong here.
We set out from the Shire and travel through the heart of Middle-earth: across the Lone-lands and the Trollshaws, over the Misty Mountains, all the way to the great house of Grimbeorn in the vales of the Anduin. Along the way, we'll pause in Bree and Rivendell — for mischief, laughter, and to show the rest of Middle-earth what it truly means to walk with bear-hearted courage.
When we arrive at Beorninghûs, the real fun begins
- 🎵 Live Music — songs and melodies to welcome us home, bear-style
- ⚔️ The Duel — settle things the honourable way, in true Beorning tradition
- 🐣 Bear School — a dedicated space for our youngest cubs to learn what it means to truly be a Beorning: skills, abilities, and the path that lies ahead as you grow into your fur. No cub gets left behind.
Who is welcome?
- 🐻 All Beornings — every level, always
- 🐾 Hobbits and other folk in bear costume
- 🌿 Low-level players — see the Bear Cubs guide below for special guidance
Program & Route
🐻 Starting point: Stock, the Shire — at the Stable-master.
We gather from 13:45 CEST for a prompt departure at 14:00 CEST.
And because bears are born swimmers — blessed with a grace, or rather… an adorableness in the water that simply must be witnessed — we shall of course cross the Brandywine River by swimming. Obviously.
The road ahead — from the Shire all the way to Grimbeorn's hall.
🗺️ Leg 1Stock → Bree
Our first major stop: Bree! Here we form up into the legendary Beartrain and make our rounds past the Prancing Pony and the Boar Fountain — with a proper photo stop, naturally. Then onward to the South Gate.
🗺️ Leg 2Bree → The Last Bridge → Trollshaws
Through the Lone-lands we travel to the Last Bridge and on into the Trollshaws. There we pay our respects to the three most famous stones in all of Middle-earth: Bert, Tom and Bill — once fearsome trolls, now excellent backdrop for a group photo 📸
🗺️ Leg 3Trollshaws → Rivendell → The Misty Mountains
From Rivendell, the route leads through Vindurhal and across the Misty Mountains. Should we encounter a Roving Threat along the way — we're taking it on! ⚔️
🐾 Little bears: please hang back a little here so you don't meet an untimely end.
🗺️ Leg 4Vales of Anduin → Beorninghûs
The final leg is not one to be taken lightly. The Vales of Anduin are full of dangers that can spell trouble for smaller travellers very quickly.
🐻 Big bears: please clear the path generously so the little ones make it safely to the finish. We leave no one behind!
🏠 ArrivalBeorninghûs
We made it! In Grimbeorn's great hall, the following awaits us:
- 🎵 Musical performance — see the concert poster on the event page
- ⚔️ Sparring matches — prove your mettle in an honourable bear duel
- 🦘 Jump puzzles — show off your light-pawed agility
- 🐻 Bear School — for curious players, we'll offer short introductions to the Beorning class in general as well as by role (Tank, Healing, Damage)
- 🎁 Claim your reward — details in the rewards thread on Discord
- 🕓 Open end — stay as long as you like!
The journey can of course be joined or left at any point along the way — but we'd love to have you with us all the way to Beorninghûs! 🐾
Bear Cubs — A Guide for Little Bears
You may be young, but your heart is that of a true bear — and that's what counts!
From Level 5 onwards, you are more than welcome to travel with us. To make sure the journey is safe and enjoyable for you, we've put together a few important pointers.
📍 Your position in the group
Always stay in the middle of the pack — you'll have big bears in front, behind, and on either side of you. Don't break formation, don't run ahead, and don't fall behind. The big bears will clear the path for you — but only if you stay within reach!
Stay in the middle — safety in fur.
⚠️ Aggro range — what does that mean?
In higher-level areas, enemies will notice you long before you ever see them. This is called aggro range — and the greater the level difference, the further it extends. That's exactly why it's so important to always have the big bears between you and any enemies.
💀 What happens if you die?
Big bears can ress you — that is, resurrect you. However, if the level difference between you and the area is too great, even a ress won't be enough to keep you there. In that case, you'll be ported straight to your last milestone or starting area.
That's not the end of the road, though! You can make your way back using Mithril Coins, via the stables in Rivendell, or by using a Stable-master Map to travel to the nearest stable-master. We'll send an escort to meet you. 🐾
👉 Communication is everything — so please join the voice channel or send your raid leader an in-game IM so we know to wait before we get too far ahead.
🗺️ Area level overview
| Area | Level |
|---|---|
| Lone-lands | 20–30 |
| Trollshaws | 30–45 |
| Misty Mountains | 40–50 |
| Vales of Anduin | ~115 |
📞 Getting summoned — how to catch up
You don't have to run the whole way! Big bears can summon you — but you'll need a minimum level for this to work:
- 🏔️ Misty Mountains: Level 25+
- 🌿 Vales of Anduin: Level 105+
A Note for Non-Beornings
Elves, Hobbits, Men, and Dwarves are all warmly welcome — but please come in disguise! 🐻
This is a bear event. If you're not a Beorning, you'll need to at least look like one. We're delighted to have every traveller along for the ride — but we do ask all non-Beornings to come dressed in a bear costume. No fur, no admission. (Well… almost.)
🎩 Bear Hat
Two ways to get your paws on one:
- 🛒 Via the LOTRO Store — the quickest and easiest route
- 🗺️ Via the Hunter Quest in Adsos Camp: The Hunter's Path (LOTRO Wiki)
🐾 Matching Footwear
To make sure the paws are on point too:
- Thick Sabatons of Thorin's Strength — a quest reward in Eryn Lasgalen, or exchangeable for Erebor reputation.
- ❄️ Alternatively, the Snow Creature Boots from the Yule Festival are a wonderful fit as well.
🎭 Bear Mask
- Archer's Cover — from Hafgrím, reputation vendor for the Council of the North, at Gath Forthnír in Angmar.
Probably the easiest mask to obtain, if you have at least one character with reputation with the Council of the North. - Visage of the Bear — available in the LOTRO Store.
Rewards & Titles
For everyone who makes it all the way to Beorninghûs!
As a little thank-you, we'll be handing out food at the end of the event — and not just any food. We've picked dishes that will help you make meaningful progress on, or even complete, some very sought-after titles. Just come and find us after the concert!
🍳 Breakfast Expert
Deed: Breakfast Expert
- 🥚 All four breakfast types must be eaten 9 times each — in any order, at any pace you like.
- ⭐ Superior versions count too.
⚠️ The deed is available from Level 1, but due to food level restrictions it cannot be completed until Level 30.
🥩 Carnivore
Deed: Carnivore
- 🍖 All 12 meat dishes must be eaten 3 times each.
- 👁️ This is a hidden deed — it won't appear in your deed log straight away.
⚠️ Due to the Delicious Steak requirement, this deed cannot be completed until Level 40.
🍐 In a Pear Tree
Deed: In a Pear Tree
- 🍗 All 5 partridge dishes must be eaten 5 times each — in any order, at any pace.
- 👁️ This is also a hidden deed.
⚠️ This deed cannot be completed until Level 95.
🏆 Special condition: The food for this title will be given exclusively to those who have successfully completed the jump puzzle!
📌 A few important notes
- 🔄 You can work on multiple deeds at the same time.
- 🍽️ Food that counts towards more than one deed will be applied to all of them simultaneously.
📍 Where & when?
After the concert in Beorninghûs — just come and find us. Please bear with us 🐻 as we'll have quite a bit of food to sort through and hand out. 🙏