Chapter Summaries

Li Wei confronted Saruman over his secret possession of Eärendil's Star and negotiated its return in exchange for a beacon and six Potions of Strength. Saruman tried to change the deal at the secret chamber, but Li Wei fought his way out with the Star and rode west.

• Li Wei exposed Saruman's selfish motives for hiding Eärendil's Star and resisted his magically enchanted voice.
• Saruman agreed to trade the Star for a beacon and six Potions of Strength.
• As they approached the secret chamber, Saruman tried to renegotiate and blocked Li Wei from entering.
• Li Wei drew his sword, fought Saruman in the tower, took Eärendil's Star, and escaped on horseback.
• Saruman watched Li Wei ride away, nursed his injured face, and ordered his servant to move the barrels into storage.

After receiving Turgon's letter opening Gondor's ports to trade, Li Wei visited retired friends Vede and Tabor before riding east toward Rivendell. He left as Aragorn turned twenty-one and some long-awaited truths neared revelation.

• Li Wei received Turgon's letter, which opened all of Gondor's ports to trade and made a regular maritime route possible.
• Li Wei visited Vede, who had retired and said he hoped to see more of the Territory and of Li Wei.
• Li Wei found retired Tabor in the school library, where he was reading and keeping a diary to leave something behind.
• Li Wei searched for Falrodan but did not find him, then took Eärendil's Star and rode east toward Rivendell.

Elrond prepared to reveal Estel’s identity before his departure for training, while Li Wei returned to Rivendell and promised him a gift. The chapter ended with Elrond telling Estel that his true name was Aragorn and that he was the heir to the Dúnedain chieftaincy and the royal bloodlines of Arnor and Gondor.

• Elrond told Li Wei that Estel had come of age and would soon leave Rivendell for training, so he planned to reveal Estel’s origins.
• Li Wei and Elrond watched Aragorn and Arwen meet in the garden, and Elrond worried about the sorrow their love might bring.
• Elrond set the next day for the revelation, and Li Wei said he had a gift for Estel.
• Li Wei and Elrond entered the hall the next day, where Aragorn and his mother were waiting.
• Elrond told Estel that his true name was Aragorn, his father was Arathorn, and he was the sixteenth chieftain of the Dúnedain with royal blood from Arnor and Gondor.

Aragorn learned of his royal descent and accepted his duty to the Dúnedain, receiving Eärendil's Star from Li Wei and Narsil from Elrond. After Elrond made Aragorn's marriage to Arwen conditional on becoming King of Gondor and Arnor, Aragorn left to train as an apprentice at Roadside Fortress.

• Elrond revealed Aragorn's descent from the royal houses of Arnor and Gondor, and Aragorn swore to defend his people and the Free Peoples.
• Elrond gave Aragorn the Golden Apple, and Li Wei returned Eärendil's Star to him and asked him to find Falrodan.
• Li Wei told Elrond that Saruman had hidden Eärendil's Star, then agreed with Elrond that Aragorn should train as an apprentice Ranger at Roadside Fortress.
• Elrond told Aragorn he would not allow him to marry Arwen unless he became King of Gondor and Arnor, then showed him Narsil.
• Aragorn bid farewell to Elrond and Gilraen and left for Roadside Fortress to begin his apprenticeship.

Li Wei agreed to attend the White Council in Rivendell, while Gandalf visited Saruman to remind him of the gathering. At Roadside Fortress, Aragorn joined the Rangers under the alias Thorongil, proved himself in a spar, and prepared to face Trolls and Orcs in the north.

• Elrond invited Li Wei to the next White Council gathering, and Li Wei agreed to attend.
• Gandalf visited Saruman at Orthanc to remind him about the White Council, and Saruman confirmed that he would attend.
• Aragorn arrived at the Roadside Fortress ranger camp as an exchange student and introduced himself as Thorongil.
• Thorongil sparred with Aven, and the two agreed to call their close match a draw.
• Aven issued Thorongil equipment and Healing Potion, then told the Rangers that Trolls and Orcs had exposed an outpost near the Ettenmoors.

In 2953, Rohan’s Senger took the throne, and Turgon died after speaking privately with Li Wei and entrusting Gondor’s future to Ecthelion and Denethor. Back at Roadside Fortress, Li Wei watched over the grieving Little Pink beside a small grave beneath the Mallorn Tree.

• Thorongil distinguished himself by fighting Trolls at an exposed Ranger outpost and was nominated for Roadside Fortress’s Outstanding Ranger Graduate Medal.
• Li Wei discovered Eärendil’s Star and entrusted it and the fragments of Narsil to Rivendell for safekeeping.
• After Fengel died, Rohan’s Senger returned and became its sixteenth king.
• Turgon summoned Li Wei, spoke with him about Gondor’s future, and died at age ninety-eight.
• Little Pink mourned beside a small grave as the cook continued bringing it food, until Li Wei stroked the dragon and it began to eat.

Gandalf and Li Wei attended the White Council at Rivendell, where the members debated the One Ring’s whereabouts and Saruman’s past concealment of Eärendil’s Star. The Council concluded that the Ring may have been lost in the sea, but Saruman felt a sudden foreboding when he saw Li Wei’s meaningful smile.

• Gandalf asked Galadriel, Celeborn, and Círdan about Saruman before reaching Roadside Fortress and learning from Li Wei that he had hit Saruman over Eärendil’s Star.
• Gandalf invited Li Wei to the White Council in Rivendell, and Li Wei agreed to travel with him.
• At the spring 2953 meeting, Saruman claimed the One Ring had been swept into the Anduin, while Li Wei challenged his reliability and revealed that Saruman had hidden Isildur’s possessions.
• Li Wei and Saruman argued over their dispute, and Elrond intervened by explaining that Li Wei had returned Eärendil’s Star to the Dúnedain.
• Gandalf and Galadriel urged the Council to remain vigilant, and the members generally accepted that the One Ring might be lost at sea.
• As Saruman left the meeting, his heart suddenly trembled, and he turned to see Li Wei smiling meaningfully at him.

Li Wei helped Gondor evacuate Ithilien’s refugees and restore Osgiliath before honoring the graduating rangers, while Aragorn chose to leave and help elsewhere. In Isengard, Saruman recruited Orcs and aligned them with the people of the Brown Lands, setting the stage for conflict with Rohan.

• Mount Doom erupted frequently as Ithilien’s final refugees moved into Gondor, and Li Wei came to investigate and assist their retreat.
• Li Wei repaired Osgiliath’s walls and bridge with help from Denethor and Gondor’s forces, then returned to the Roadside Fortress without asking for payment.
• Li Wei awarded medals to the graduating ranger trainees, and Aragorn declined a command position so he could help people elsewhere.
• Aragorn said farewell to his teammates, who embraced him and promised that the Roadside Fortress would always be his home.
• Saruman persuaded an Orc chieftain and his followers to serve him in secret, alongside the people of the Brown Lands.
• The people of the Brown Lands prepared to enter Rohan under the pretense of revenge and reclaiming their homeland, bringing a border conflict closer.

Saruman sent spies to investigate Gandalf, the Shire, and Roadside Fortress, but the first spies who infiltrated Roadside Fortress were quickly captured. Later, Li Wei learned that suspicious outsiders were buying Shire goods in bulk, leaving their purpose uncertain.

• Saruman ordered his agents to watch Gandalf and infiltrate Roadside Fortress.
• A group of spies entered Roadside Fortress and tried to steal documents from a community representative, but he and an Iron Golem subdued them.
• Residents sent the captured spies to a military camp for questioning, and the first group disappeared from contact.
• A ranger reported to Li Wei that suspicious outsiders in the southern Shire were watching people and buying local tobacco and food in bulk.
• The ranger noted that similar buyers had appeared years earlier, but could not tell whether they were spies or scouts investigating trade.

Li Wei confronted Saruman in Orthanc Tower over the spies sent to the Free City-State, and the two fought until Saruman was defeated. Saruman promised to stop spying on or threatening the Free City-State, and Isengard’s harassment of Rohan’s borders also ceased in the years that followed.

• Saruman wondered why his spies had sent no news before Li Wei arrived at Orthanc Tower carrying the door he had torn down.
• Li Wei accused Saruman of sending spies and offered to forgive him if he admitted his wrongdoing and promised to stop.
• Saruman refused and attacked Li Wei, who fought back with shields, weapons, Ender Pearls, and summoned Nine Hells Flame Bats.
• Li Wei used the terrain of Orthanc Tower to his advantage and eventually knocked Saruman to the ground.
• In 2954, Saruman promised to stop sending spies to Roadside Fortress or any Free City-State city and to stop threatening the Free City-State.
• In the years that followed, people from the Brown Lands stopped harassing Rohan’s borders through Isengard.

Li Wei mourned Vede and Tabor as age took his old friends, while Aragorn met Legolas in the wilderness and later arrived in Rohan, where Gandalf introduced him to Senger. The chapter ended with Gandalf suggesting that Aragorn could help Senger, setting new events in motion.

• Vede died in 2955 after bidding farewell to Li Wei, who planted a flower at his grave.
• Tabor died in 2956, and Li Wei read his notebook beside the graves of Tabor and Vede.
• Aragorn and Legolas met while fighting Orcs and Wargs in the wilderness near the Brown Lands, then parted after discussing their travels.
• Two months later, Aragorn helped Rohan's cavalry defeat Orcs and traveled to Edoras, where he met Senger.
• Gandalf introduced Aragorn to Senger and suggested the young Ranger could help him.

At Roadside Fortress, Aven won the first Legion Individual Ability Tournament and challenged Li Wei, who tested his skill in a fierce duel. Aven ultimately collapsed from exhaustion, but earned the champion’s honor and wore a cloak marking his achievement the next day.

• Aven defeated Alger in a grueling final match to become the first Legion Champion.
• Li Wei crowned Aven and invited him to challenge him after resting.
• Aven fought Li Wei, impressing him by deflecting arrows and intercepting one with a shot of his own.
• Li Wei overwhelmed Aven with relentless attacks until Aven’s sword broke, and Falrodan supplied a replacement.
• Aven collapsed from exhaustion, then accepted Alger’s help to stand as Alger congratulated him on becoming champion.
• The next day, Aven wore a cloak embroidered with the green leaf pattern marking the highest level of honor.

Li Wei replaced his name-only flag with a Starry Emblem for the Free City-State and honored those who had passed. He then approved Bard’s plan to establish outposts at North River Bend and South River Bend, opening a transport route toward Rohan and Gondor.

• Li Wei designed new emblems for the Free City-State and its territories, retired his name-only flag from official use, and added Roadside Fortress’s new emblem to Tabor’s notes in remembrance of the dead.
• Li Wei and Bard discussed Bain’s accomplishments at Eastwood Bend, where he had spotted an orc attack and led the rangers’ defense and counterattack.
• Bard proposed using nearby Rohan ruins and establishing outposts at North River Bend and South River Bend to support expansion and a safer route to Gondor.
• Li Wei agreed to the plan and assured Bard he would speak with King Senger if needed.

Li Wei oversaw the restoration of the old Kingdom of Rhovanion’s ruins and showed the Woodland Realm’s deputy that Eastwood Bend was returning to forest. He then traveled south to Rohan and arrived in Edoras, where King Senger abruptly ended a meeting after hearing urgent news.

• Li Wei told the Woodland Realm’s deputy that he planned to build an outpost near Eastwood Bend and showed him new trees spreading across the wasteland.
• The deputy admired Li Wei as the Black Forest began reclaiming the land, while Li Wei’s crew restored buildings in the old kingdom’s ruins.
• Li Wei inspected the work, rode south through the Northern Plateau, and learned that Vold Road led toward Edoras.
• Li Wei arrived in Rohan’s capital as Senger discussed matters with his officials.
• A guard whispered urgent news to Senger, who dismissed the meeting until the next day.

Li Wei visited Senger in Rohan and secured his support for developments around the North and South River Bends. In Gondor, Ecthelion proposed inspecting Pelargir and Cair Andros, but Li Wei, Ecthelion, and Denethor mysteriously vanished during their survey.

• Li Wei reunited with Senger, who described Rohan's internal affairs, border troubles, and complaints about his private life.
• Li Wei presented Senger with a map and explained his plans for the North and South River Bends, and Senger immediately agreed to support them.
• Li Wei visited Gondor and told Ecthelion and Denethor about Roadside Fortress's Legion Tournament and new developments in Rhovanion.
• Ecthelion discussed strengthening Pelargir's defenses and rebuilding Cair Andros, then invited Li Wei and Denethor to inspect the sites.
• Li Wei, Ecthelion, and Denethor rode north and suddenly vanished while surveying the island.

Ecthelion, Denethor, and Li Wei traveled to Rohan under the pretext of surveying the river and visited Senger, who joined them on their expedition. After a disastrous mushroom soup meal, they reached North River Bend, where Li Wei established a small camp as the first foothold for future construction.

• Ecthelion, Denethor, and Li Wei rowed from Gondor to Rohan, claiming they were surveying the river near Cair Andros.
• The three visited Senger in the Golden Hall, and he agreed to join them in surveying the river and nearby territory.
• Senger picked mushrooms and made soup; Denethor and Ecthelion struggled to eat it while Li Wei avoided the meal and went fishing.
• Li Wei grilled fish for the group, and Denethor volunteered to help Senger after enduring the soup.
• Three days later, the group crossed the Anduin to North River Bend, where Li Wei built a simple camp to mark the site for future construction.

Li Wei planted an oak tree in the Brown Lands, then joined Ecthelion, Senger, and Denethor in defeating an Orc and Warg raiding party. The group traveled through several settlements and fortresses before returning home, while records of their journey remained deliberately unclear; a new arc was about to begin.

• Li Wei planted an oak tree in the Brown Lands and began building a small shelter beside it.
• Denethor cut down an arrow aimed at Ecthelion, and Li Wei and the others charged the raiding party and defeated its Orcs and Wargs.
• Li Wei healed Ecthelion after he was wounded, and the four shared a campfire before setting out on a month-long journey.
• The group visited towns and fortresses, where Denethor lost a challenge to Aven and Ecthelion resolved to develop Pelargir and Cair Andros.
• Senger returned to Rohan, while Ecthelion and Denethor returned to Gondor; later accounts of their travels with Li Wei remained uncertain.

Li Wei’s construction teams completed settlements, roads, and a bridge across Rhovanion, expanding the Free City-State’s Territory and earning him the title Lord of the North. The chapter ends with Thranduil studying the new map and concluding that Li Wei’s northern lands are reassuringly well-defended by cities and allies.

• The Old Rhovanion Outpost was completed, restoring Black Forest, and construction teams continued building roads and settlements through Rhovanion.
• Orcs raided North River Bend, but the construction teams armed themselves and routed them as a trained army.
• North River Bend became a walled city, the bridge to Rohan was completed, and construction began at South River Bend.
• The cities and roads connected Dale to Rohan, and the first merchant caravans traveled across North Bridge and along Vold Road.
• Li Wei incorporated the lands from Dale to the Brown Lands into his Territory, creating the Rhovanion District and becoming known as Lord of the North.
• Thranduil studied the expanded map and considered Li Wei’s territory secure because of its defenses and nearby allies.

Li Wei discussed greening the Brown Lands with Bard while Gandalf urged him to accept the title of High King of the North. As Li Wei planned a restoration project, Gandalf said the Ents would hear of his actions and be delighted.

• Bard argued that the names North of the River and South of the River suited the cities, but Li Wei told him to stop bringing them up.
• Gandalf visited Li Wei and Bard, praised the prospect of two cities, and asked Li Wei to become High King of the North, but Li Wei declined.
• Li Wei realized he could replace the Brown Lands' lifeless topsoil with normal dirt and transplant grass blocks to spread greenery.
• Li Wei, Bard, and Gandalf ate fish Li Wei had caught while Gandalf observed that Li Wei's claim over the Brown Lands had further reduced the Orcs' range.
• Gandalf mentioned the Ents and told Li Wei that they would learn of his greening efforts through the earth and be delighted.

Li Wei and Gandalf discussed the growing peace and prosperity across Middle-earth, while the Ringwraiths secretly developed spider troops in Dol Guldur. River routes through Cairn Town completed a network of safe travel, though dangerous frontiers and the silent western gate of Moria remained under watch.

• Li Wei, Bard, and Gandalf returned to the city and recalled an old Orc ambush at First Bonfire.
• Gandalf praised the rulers of the North, South, and Dale, and reflected that Middle-earth had become more stable.
• The Ringwraiths bred powerful creatures in Dol Guldur and tamed giant spiders to form a Spider Legion and Spider Riders.
• Ships began traveling from Cairn Town along the Great Anduin, completing the final link in Middle-earth's transport routes.
• Trade and contact increased among the Woodland Realm, Lothlórien, and other regions as major wars remained absent.
• Rangers continued watching dangerous northern lands and Moria's western gate, warning travelers not to use Moria.