Théodred son of Théoden

Théodred was the son of Théoden King and heir to the throne of the Riddermark, the only child of Théoden and Elfhild, who died bearing him. Théoden never took another wife, and thus Théodred was raised alone until Théoden adopted his sister-son and sister-daughter, Éomer and Éowyn — Théodred’s cousins. Théodred was thirteen years older than Éomer, and the younger boy developed a great respect and respect for him that endured into their adult lives. As a man, Théodred was made Second Marshal of the Mark and thus had command of the various éored of the West-mark. His base of operations was at the Hornburg, and this positioned him well to oppose Isengard, the stronghold of the treasonous Saruman the White. Early in IIIA 3019, a full-scale invasion of Rohan by Saruman seemed inevitable, but Théoden King sat in Meduseld in a fey mood, doing nothing to oppose the treachery of the White Wizard. As winter drew to a close, Théodred therefore took the defense of the Westfold into his own hands, fortifying the Fords of Isen, which Saruman must control to invade Rohan from the west.

The expected onsalught was swift and brutal. Orcs and Orc-men boiled forth from Isengard, and the waters of the ford were darkened with the blood of attacker and defender alike. Théodred’s men held the ford, but they were hard pressed. Saruman had ordered that Théodred be slain at all costs, for he perceived that the prince was one of the few forces to oppose his conquest of Rohan. Théodred did indeed fall, hewn down by a great Orc-man. When the battle had ended and his men began to lift the body of their captain, they found that Théodred yet lived, and ere he died he said, “Let me lie here — to keep the fords til Éomer comes!”

Here Théodred is seen in his meadhall and drilling the men of one of his éored, or divisions of riders. He wears a corselet of polished iron scales and mail, and a great helm carved to resemble a charging Mearh crested with a triple mane of white horsehair. He is valiant and vigourous, and high in the esteem and love of his father, but in only a short time he will be slain, among the first casualties of the war between Rohan and Isengard. While he will give his life to stem the tide of Isengard, the Fords of Isen will ultimately be lost in a second fierce attack, the defenders slain or scattered. Then, with the spilling of Saruman’s orcs into the Westfold, the defense of Rohan must fall to other heroes.

I’m flattered to occasionally receive emails from kind readers asking for suggestions about outfit concepts they have in mind. Sometimes I’m able to help and sometimes I’m stumped too! A few months ago, I heard from Daerrandir, who was inspired by the look of the NPC Théodred (which you can see in-game at Grimbold’s Camp on the west banks of the Isen in the Gap of Rohan). Today’s outfit is a variation of the suggestion I sent to Daerrandir based on NPC Théodred’s appearance, and I thought it would be a great outfit to share as we enter the run-up to the release of Helm’s Deep this autumn.

• Head: Helm of Rohan (LOTRO Store), white
• Shoulders: Zunúm’s Tarnished Shoulderguards (quest reward — East Rohan [78] The Tower by the Stream), orange
• Back: Elfmar’s Cloak (quest reward — East Rohan [80] The Defence of Faldham), sienna
• Chest: Lesser Cry of the West Breastplate (bartered — Harndirion novices quartermaster/tier 1 difficulty Captain’s armour), dark green
• Hands: Gauntlets of Just Rewards (quest reward — East Rohan [78] Swoarn Oaths), orange
• Legs: Leggings of Command (bartered — Glân Vraig Captain trader/armour sets), Rivendell green
• Feet: Strang-fótas (quest reward — epic [79] Volume 3, Book 8, Chapter 10: Shield-brothers), orange

Tips: The helm used in this outfit was at one time an extremely rare and coveted drop from (rumour has it) the rewards chests at Glân Vraig in the Ettenmoors. It is possible that it is or was an exceptionally rare world drop as well. These days, it is readily available as a purchase from the LOTRO Store. The shoulders, gloves, and boots used in this outfit are found in various incarnations as heavy armour quest rewards and reputation token barter rewards throughout East Rohan. The heavy Hytbold sets also have the same appearance. Various versions of the cloak can be found as quest rewards and reputation token barter rewards throughout East Rohan as well. Another cloak with the same appearance is the Cloak of the Norcrofts (Billowing, Embroidered, or Heavy; bartered — Harwick Eastemnet armour quartermaster/level 78).

You may also like:

Knight of
the Helmings

Fram