Echoes of the Dead arrives in Lord of the Rings Online

[Zardon]

Turbine's The Lord of the Rings Online has launched "Update 2," more formally known as "Echoes of the Dead."

Starring in the update is the continuation of the epic story with the release of Volume III, Book 3: Echoes of the Dead. This epic story takes players into a journey to investigate the library at Zudrugund and the mysteries of the dwarf Nár. The epic story is included as part of the content available for free to all characters. Volume II in the storyline has also been made more solo-friendly.

Also released in the patch are four new instances and one new raid: Northcotton Farm and The Town of Stoneheight for three players, The Lost Temple and Glacier Fortress for six players, and Ost Dunhoth for a twelve player group. All of these new instances offer two tiers of difficulty and an optional "Challenge Mode" quest. Three new skirmishes, based on the old Moria battle instances, have also been introduced.

The patch also introduces major monster play updates, user interface changes, legendary item revision, and the removal of the Radiance mechanic. The Spring Festival will also arrive on March 22nd, and continue until April 12th.

Make sure to review the extensive patch notes detailing the new instances and epic questline.