The following story can be experienced by starting the quest "Book 3, Foreword: Fires in the North" in Ost Guruth at the Lone-lands

Music Accompaniment: Lord of the Rings Online - A Glimmer in the North

...

sprang from hiding and dashed down towards the Road, leaping with a cry through the heather; but even before he had moved or called, the rider had reined in his horse and halted, looking up towards the thicket where they stood. When he saw Strider, he dismounted and ran to meet him calling out:His speech and clear ringing voice left no doubt in their hearts: the rider was of the Elven-folk. ‘This is, who dwells in the house of,’ said Strider. ‘Hail, and well met at last!’ said the Elf-lord to. ‘I was sent fromto look for you. We feared that you were in danger upon the road.’ ‘Thenhas reached Rivendell?’ cried Frodo joyfully. ‘No. He had not when I departed; but that was nine days ago.’The heroes arrived inin a day’s time. In ages past, Esteldín was ancity once known as. The city resided upon a hidden pass within the mountain ranges betweenand. A shadow of it’s former self, theclaimed the city as their base of operations.The heroes met with, who headed the force of Rangers in. He told them of the growing threat to the east and was surprised to hear of what the heroes had experienced in the. With Esteldin’s strength nearly spent, the ranger knew that a council of the People of the North Downs would need to be called, but he first needed to fully grasp the scope of the threat they faced. Halbarad sent the heroes back to, who they had encountered days before, to learn of the threat looming withinWith haste, the heroes arrived back atcamp in a day’s ride. Mincham believed the only way to determine the strength of the forces ofwithinwas to test the defences erected at its gates. He has asked the heroes to bring him a report of the resistance there.The heroes steeled their resolve and made for the. They arrived to find a grand host of Orcs and Wargs defending the entrance to Fornost.did not merely send a token force to Fornost, thehad sent an army. To their dismay, Fornost had fallen once more.From such a fortified spot,would dominate all of the North.urged the heroes to return towith the dire news. thankful that the rangers were no longer ignorant of the Enemy's plans, Halbarad would call together for a council of all free peoples within the North Downs to deal with this threat.appointed the heroes as messengers to theto the north, theto the south, and theto the west to urge them to convene and discuss how to defend againstforces.