After a break due to writing about Festivals, I am once again picking up my Before the Shadow series. Today we’re going to look at the LOTRO Slayer of Cardolan Deed. The people of Cardolan face threat in their lands, but unlike the rumbles of troubles in Swanfleet, these are more aggressive and sinister. To make matters worse, the Dead are walking. It’s up to you to protect the Free Peoples, slay many foes and show the local that they can fight back.Let’s get into the deed.
Slayer Deed Targets
You have four groups of enemies to defeat as part of the Slayer of Cardolan Meta-Deed. Here are the sub-deeds:
I have ordered these roughly from East to West, which is the direction of travel when you follow the Epic from Swanfleet and through Cardolan.
Orc-Slayer of Cardolan
There are only two key locations for taking down Orcs. But believe me when I say they are more than enough!
This is due to the fact that both areas are huge and contain many Orcs. Furthermore, if you started your LOTRO Adventures in Swanfleet, then you will pass through the first one and trigger the Orc-Slayer Deed.
Tharbad is a sprawling ruin that lies on the border between Swanfleet and Cardolan. If you began your Epic quests in Before the Shadow, then that story will bring you through here.
Orcs can be found in Tharbad, Cardolan
The only point I have about hunting here is that, if you’re rushing, then there’s a fair amount of running to do if you want to clear the deed in Tharbad.
The eastern portion is actually called Sírlond, and is a camp mostly of Elves. But it is connected by a humungous bridge to Caranost. This structure has a few levels and all feature wonderful, slayable Orcses.
You’ll actually find clusters of Half-Orcs dotted around the region map as you wander it. And, for the Half-Orc Slayer, I’ve started with a cluster. The other two locations should be your focus for clearing this part of the Cardolan Slayer Deed, however.
Ruddymore/Sedgemead Bridge (48.4S, 41.2W)
The bridge that connects Ruddymore to Sedgemead with Half-Orcs across it.
The reason I included this is that the bridge is your primary way of travelling from South to North Cardolan. At least, it is if you don’t want to swim!
Sedgemead Bridge (Half-Orcs)
There’s a particular side-quest storyline featuring a bounty hunter (not of the Star Wars variety!) that brings you to this bridge as well.
Nímbarth (48.9S, 31.6S)
Nimbarth
Nímbarthshould be your primary focus for clearing the Cardolan Half-Orc Slayer Deed. It’s (yet another) ruin and does have a side-quest chain attached to it.
Nimbarth Location Map
You will also find a few Goblin-Slayer targets. The only ones here are Warg-riders so they’re easy to spot. But focus on the Half-Orcs as there are better hunting grounds for the Goblins.
Amon Firn (44.5S, 29.1W)
Amon Firn in Cardolan
Amon Firn is a strange one! At this location you’ll find both Half-Orcs and the Dead.
Amon Firn Location Map
My first reaction was to think they were working together. But, much like in Annúminas, they actually fight each other. For this reason, I’d say, come here for bonus Slayer Deed targets, or if someone else is farming them at Nímbarth.
As far as I can tell, there are only two key locations for Goblin-Slayer. But the bonus is, they’re not far apart, so you can switch between the two if you don’t want to wait for a respawn.
Hove Farm (42.1S, 46.6W)
Hove Farm, Cardolan
Without giving much away, it’s obvious the Goblins attacked it, set fire to its crops then took over it. Having had months in Rohan in the past, it’s a pattern common to Enemy Forces.
Hove Farm Location Map
There are not loads of Goblins here, but you can find a few more in the area around Hove Farm too.
Haudh Nírui (41.1S, 31.4W)
Haudh Nírui
This is the primary place to clear the Goblin-Slayer of Cardolan Deed. In fact, I found out that by the time you make it through the ruin, the ones at the start have respawned. Or are about to, at any rate.
Haudh Nírui Location Map
Haudh Nírui is more easily reached from the South-West than the North. And as it is a tomb, the highest level is the ground floor. There are steps downward, practically hidden in the gloom, and there are two sub-levels.
Lastly, you will find a crack in the rock leading to the South Downs. There are Goblins guarding that entrance, so take them out, then head back the way you came.
You have three options for clearing the Dead-Slayer of Cardolan Deed: landscape-only, instance-only or a combination of the two. If challenge isn’t your thing (it’s not mine), then landscape is your best option.
Landscape
Dol Ernil (40.0S, 50.7W)
Dol Ernil
If you’ve followed the Before the Shadow story through Cardolan, you eventually reach the camp of Andrath. To its South-South-West is a hill called Dol Ernil. That ruin on the hill – and the entire Tyrn Gorthad area is “home” to plenty of the Dead.
Dol Ernil Location Map
Gond Orchal (41.7S, 45.5W)
Gond Orchal
Gond Orchal is a series of low-lying barrows. But don’t worry, unlike the Barrow-Downs, you don’t have to go into any of them.
Gond Orchal Location Map
There are a few side-quests near here and a smallish number of shades who are not content with being 100% dead. Or maybe they wish they were. You don’t get a chance to ask, which is probably a good thing!
Amon Firn (44.5S, 29.1W)
A Deadmount Shade at Amon Firn
In case you skipped past Half-Orc Slayer, both Half-Orcs and the Dead can be found at Amon Firn. They all have the “Dead-mount” label, due to the prominent obelisk you can find here.
Amon Firn Location Map.
While there are not loads of either here, you can progress both. And, from what I’ve seen elsewhere in Before the Shadow, the respawn times are fairly minimal too.
Instance: Sarch Vorn, the Black Grave
There are honestly enough landscape mobs to clear this part of the Cardolan Slayer Deed. This is true especially if you travel between them and maybe clear some other deeds along the way. However, the scalable instance Sarch Vorn: The Black Grave is, as you can tell from the name, all about the Dead. You can run this in a Solo/Duo mode or with Fellowships of different sizes. As well as clearing Dead-Slayer, Sarch Vorn has its own deeds and, being an instance, its own rewards after each boss fight.
Discovery: Where is Sarch Vorn?
The entrance to Sarch Vorn can be found around 37.7S, 52.4W, which is in the southern part of the Old Forestwithin Cardolan, not Bree-land.
Extra Resources
I’ve only just run Sarch Vorn (Solo/Duo) and I did it way below my level to scope it out. So, if you want more information, you’re better asking others! Here are some starter links:
And here is the combined result of all of the above mini-maps – a full Slayer-Deed map for this zone!
I’ve provided a key to help you find things quicker. However, I’ve also noted that in the wide open areas you often find individual slayer deed targets. Sometimes, these are in “clusters”. I may add smaller clusters at a later point, but I’m confident you can clear the deed with what’s already mapped.
If you use/re-use this map, I just ask that you keep my logo on as these things take hours to create from scratch. Thanks!
The folk of Cardolan are having to face foes they never expected. Half-Orcs and Orcs were bad enough. Golins desecrating their tombs annoying and offensive. But the dead rising to oppose them? They were not really prepared for that eventuality. If you’re vaguely on-level, you can join with their hardships and face real challenges in clearing the Cardolan Slayer Deed.
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+500 (Dúnedain of Cardolan)
5 × LOTRO Points
As far as I can tell, there are only two key locations for Goblin-Slayer. But the bonus is, they’re not far apart, so you can switch between the two if you don’t want to wait for a respawn. 
+ 2,000 Virtue XP
Title: Vanquisher of Cardolan
