Celebrimbor: 30-Day Character Study by cloudyhymns

Day 4: Home Sweet Home, Part One

A dive into Eregion and its filming location in The Lord of the Rings and The Rings of Power.

Please see below the line for citations.

Today's location pick is Eregion/Hollin. Luckily, I agree with Eregion's cinematic depictions in The Lord of the Rings and The Rings of Power, which used the same filming location for its scattered ruins in the Third Age and Ost-in-Edhil in the Second Age. (The Doors of Durin were also filmed there.)

The filming location was Earnslaw Burn in Otago, New Zealand ("A Hobbit's Journey Through New Zealand"). This is a hiking/tramping trail across rugged terrain, cut by ancient glaciers and crowned by the twin peaks of Mt Earnslaw/Pikirakatahi ("Earnslaw Burn Track"). The New Zealand Parks & Recreation considers Earnslaw Burn a difficult hike; as of January 2025, the trail has undergone slides and includes multiple unbridged river crossings ("Earnslaw Burn Track"). Its climate is unpredictable and harsh--winds are high, and the river swells in the rains. Additionally, since it is in an alpine environment, rain elsewhere (such as away on the mountains) causes unpredictable flooding patterns. It includes both forests and terrain too rocky for significant tree coverage; the overall landscape reminds me strongly of Yosemite.

As such, I would consider Eregion to be wondrous but unpredictable. Natural disasters--particularly floods and mud/land/rockslides--would be common. Ost-in-Edhil would be somewhat sheltered by being built towards rocky overhangs, but it would still certainly be on a floodplain, and nothing is ever certain in an alpine environment. The land would be largely exposed outside of the beech forests, posing issues of exposure to elements and enemies. Camouflage would rely heavily on stone and rock, and knowing how to live alongside granite and glaciers would be essential. Truly a realm suited to Celebrimbor!

Local flora and fauna would likely be alpine species. Species endemic to the New Zealand Alps include rock wrens, one species of gecko, and even a parrot (kea) (“Alpine Plants and Animals”) ! Most of the trees on the lower slopes are beech in the Eastern ranges ("Alpine Plants and Animals")--this is the side Earnslaw Burn falls on, and also the side Eregion would fall on (as well as the lee side of the mountains). Earnslaw Burn is known for its tussock grasses ("Earnslaw Burn Track"), which reach into the alpine zone ("Alpine Plants and Animals"). The Encyclopedia of New Zealand also specifies that most native flowers in its alpine zones are white or yellow, attracting insects over birds ("Alpine Plants and Animals").

Based on its alpine location, I suspect Eregion would have similar flora and fauna, particularly insect-pollinated flowers and unique birds. It would likely have species of fauna not present natively in New Zealand, however, such as some sort of goat-esque creature suited for rugged terrain. I am particularly partial to pronghorn myself, and first spotted them in Wyoming (Schaetz, "American Pronghorn"). They are the second-fastest mammal and well suited to endurance. I would love to see a migratory species similar to them roaming the foothills of the Misty Mountains--if one could be tamed and over time domesticated, perhaps they could even make for good messengers!

“A Hobbit’s Journey Through New Zealand.” Tourism New Zealand, www.newzealand.com/us/feature/hobbit-middle-earth-holiday-new-zealand/. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

“Earnslaw Burn Track.” New Zealand Department of Conservation, The New Zealand Department of Conservation, www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/otago/places/glenorchy-area/things-to-do/earnslaw-burn-track/. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

“Alpine Plants and Animals.” Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand, 13 July 2012, teara.govt.nz/en/mountains/page-4. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Schaetz, Frances. “American Pronghorn - A Species Profile.” Wyoming Game & Fish Department, Wyoming Game & Fish Department, 1 May 2024, wgfd.wyo.gov/wyoming-wildlife/wyoming-wildlife-magazine/american-pronghorn-species-profile.