~☠~|~☠~ Paths of the Dead Revamp ~☠~|~☠~
Project Leader: @Alfonios
Project Co-Lead: @Wyattrox03
Project Staff: @eggomyleggo35, @Pat_TheRat, @barteldvn
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project Status
Entrance:
Section 1 – Entrance Maze: 75%
Section 2 – Split Cave: 60%
Movie & Book Routes:
Section 3 – Pre-City Connections/Caves: 40%
Section 4 – City of the Dead: 5%
Section 5 – Post-City Connections/Caves: 0%
Section 6 – Book Route: 50%
Outside:
Section 7: Exit Ravine: 0%
Section 8: Mountains: 100%
Section 9: Dimholt: 10%
Estimated Timespan:
Start: July 2026*
Finish: Late 2026/Early 2027
*Includes early concepting and resource pack development
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project Leader: @Alfonios
Project Co-Lead: @Wyattrox03
Project Staff: @eggomyleggo35, @Pat_TheRat, @barteldvn
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project Status
Entrance:
Section 1 – Entrance Maze: 75%
Section 2 – Split Cave: 60%
Movie & Book Routes:
Section 3 – Pre-City Connections/Caves: 40%
Section 4 – City of the Dead: 5%
Section 5 – Post-City Connections/Caves: 0%
Section 6 – Book Route: 50%
Outside:
Section 7: Exit Ravine: 0%
Section 8: Mountains: 100%
Section 9: Dimholt: 10%
Estimated Timespan:
Start: July 2026*
Finish: Late 2026/Early 2027
*Includes early concepting and resource pack development
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to the Paths of the Dead project post. We have decided to revamp the Paths of the Dead to bring it up to Gondor standards of build quality. To achieve this we have completely reworked the Paths of the Dead resource pack, making it the most builder friendly and blockstate efficient pack on the server. Using this pack we are reworking Despot’s 2014 Paths of the dead while still retaining the core shape and layout of the original maze. You will not need to relearn the way through. After the maze, the City of the Dead itself is being completely reimagined to bring it more in line with the movies and make use of the new custom models and blocks MCME has gained access to in the last 12 years. We are however keeping the idea of a book and movie path through the Paths of the Dead like the current one has. The development of the resource pack is ongoing, but as of the writing of this post is sufficient for this project to be on mainworld, which it is as of today.
Project Sections
Section 1: Entrance Maze
The first section of this project is a new and improved version of the iconic entrance maze from Despot’s 2014 Paths of the Dead. This section will fully keep the layout of the original project, using modern blocks and building techniques to make it feel up to date.
As of writing this, most of these tunnels have been completed by mostly myself, but also with help from @Wyattrox03, @dahllen123, @Hemiiiiii, @arttu800, @TiffBeGaming and @Human100.
Section 2: Split Cave
After the maze in the original POTD project, there was a large cave with two paths; one hidden path behind a structure taking you through the movie path through the city caves and to the exit; and one taking you through a much shorter tunnel straight to the exit. In this revamp, the Split Cave will be completely revamped, using a different layout and brand new detailing blocks but keeping the split between the movie and book paths. This cave is mostly complete as of writing this, but I have not yet added all of the detailing, nor most of the side caves, consisting of tombs similar to the one here already built by @Visas5tarfrost. The Split Cave is the first on MCME to use full smoothing using slabs, stairs and mainly vertical slabs on this scale, and this technique may or may not be used for other caves as well.
Section 3: Pre-City Connections/Caves
Between the Split Cave and the City of the Dead, there will be a few connecting caves and tunnels. These caves are where you will first start to see the ghost blocks being used. The largest cave in this section will feature a connected river system at the bottom and some more structural tomb halls, as opposed to the more cavelike tombs from before, taking inspiration from existing places on MCME like the Anorien Nardol Tombs or parts of Moria.
Section 4: City of the Dead
The City of the Dead will mainly consist of the cave we see in the Return of the King movie, where Aragorn first meets the Army of the Dead. The City will mainly be built using the new Ghost Blocks from v2.0 of RP PathsOfTheDead, as well as gray non-ghost blocks. How the buildings are to be laid out has not yet been decided, but it is possible that their purpose would mostly be to serve as pieces of infrastructure connecting the main cave into smaller caves in the walls. Currently only the cave has been dug out and the planning of the city is yet to be started. We are however looking for city structure concepts so feel free to have a try in either Freebuild (commoner+) or RP-server (team+).
Section 5: Post-City Connections/Caves
After the city, there will be plenty of caves leading out towards the end of the Paths of the Dead. How these will look is yet to be decided, but it is likely that they have a lot more structures than the book route caves. Some smaller sections here might keep the layout used in the original Paths of the Dead.
Section 6: Book Route
The book path will serve as a secondary way through the Paths of the Dead, skipping the city and going straight for the exit. This path will pass through several natural caves with little to no structures. It will feature a large river system at the end leading out of the project boundaries and connecting up with the Morthond River.
Section 7: Exit Ravine
The exit ravine in the original Paths of the Dead project has been a favorite among many members of the MCME community, and I intend on fully keeping it, only updating the detailing of it and the river.
Section 8: Mountains
At the start of the project @Wyattrox03 made the mountains above Paths of the Dead, including Western Underharrow, linking this area to Rogue’s white mountains. The mountains were not decreased in any dimension, but large gaps and pits were filled from the original shape. Together with the mountains Rogue and Wyatt have done east of Dimholt, this stretch of custom mountains now reach from Edoras all the way to Minas Tirith with only a few unfinished glaciers in them at the time of the writing of this post. Above Paths of the Dead there is one glacier, and on the south side a very imposing cliff face that looms over Blackroot/Morthond Vale. This part of the project is also part of the larger ongoing white mountains revamp, the aim of which is to reach Helm's Deep someday.
Section 9: Dimholt
The terrain for the Dimholt has been revamped along with the mountains, but it may or may not get redone to some extent to look more accurate to the movie version. This would also require expanding the Dimholt, most likely making the upper part of Dunharrow smaller in the process. Modern tree branches, trunks and leaves have been brought over from RP Human to eventually make this valley look more up to date.
Lore:
Now [the Paths of the Dead] was a way beneath the White Mountains of Gondor that no man dared to tread, because of the fell wraiths of the Forgotten Men that guarded it.
The Peoples of Middle-earth, HoME Vol 12, Part 1, Ch 9, The Making of Appendix A: The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen
[Éomer said,] 'But as for the Paths of the Dead, you have yourself walked on their first steps.... The road that we have climbed is the approach to the Door, yonder in the Dimholt. But what lies beyond no man knows.'
[Said Théoden,] 'If these old tales speak true that have come down from father to son in the House of Eorl, then the Door under Dwimorberg leads to a secret way that goes beneath the mountain to some forgotten end.'....
'It is said that when the Eorlingas came out of the North and passed at length up the Snowbourn, seeking strong places of refuge in time of need, Brego and his son Baldor climbed the Stair of the Hold and so came before the Door. On the threshold sat an old man, aged beyond guess of years; tall and kingly he had been, but now he was withered as an old stone. Indeed for stone they took him, for he moved not, and he said no word, until they sought to pass him by and enter. And then a voice came out of him, as it were out of the ground, and to their amaze it spoke in the western tongue: The way is shut.
'Then they halted and looked at him and saw that he lived still; but he did not look at them. The way is shut, his voice said again It was made by those who are Dead, and the Dead keep it, until the time comes. The way is shut.
'And when will that time be? said Baldor. But no answer did he ever get. For the old man died in that hour and fell upon his face; and no other tidings of the ancient dwellers in the mountains have our folk ever learned.'
ROTK, Book V, Ch 3, The Muster of Rohan
[They] passed into the shadows under the black Dwimorberg, the Haunted Mountain, in which was the Gate of the Dead....
ROTK, Book V, Ch 2, The Passing of the Grey Company
The light was still grey as they rode, for the sun had not yet climbed over the black ridges of the Haunted Mountain before them. A dread fell on them, even as they passed between the lines of ancient stones and so came to the Dimholt. There under the gloom of black trees... they found a hollow place opening at the mountain's root, and right in their path stood a single mighty stone like a finger of doom....
And so they came at last deep into the glen; and there stood a sheer wall of rock, and in the wall the Dark Door gaped before them like the mouth of night. Signs and figures were carved above its wide arch too dim to read, and fear flowed from it like a grey vapour.
ROTK, Book V, Ch 2, The Passing of the Grey Company
The horses would not pass the threatening stone, until the riders dismounted and led them about. And so they came at last deep into the glen; and there stood a sheer wall of rock, and in the wall the Dark Door gaped before them.... Signs and figures were carved above its wide arch too dim to read, and fear flowed from it like a grey vapour....
Then Aragorn led the way, and such was the strength of his will in that hour that all the Dúnedain and their horses followed him....
[It] seemed to [Gimli] that he dragged his feet like lead over the threshold; and at once a blindness came upon him, even upon Gimli Glóin's son who had walked unafraid in many deep places of the world....
He could see nothing but the dim flame of the torches....
Nothing assailed the company nor withstood their passage, and yet steadily fear grew on the Dwarf as he went on...; all the paths behind were thronged by an unseen host that followed in the dark....
The road was wide, as far as he could judge, but now the company came suddenly into a great empty space, and there were no longer any walls upon either side.
ROTK, Book V, Ch 2, The Passing of the Grey Company
Suddenly [Gimli] heard the tinkle of water.... [The] company passed through another gateway, high-arched and broad, and a rill ran out beside them; and beyond, going steeply down, was a road between sheer cliffs, knife-edged against the sky far above....
The Company came at last out of the ravine, as suddenly as if they had issued from a crack in a wall; and there lay the uplands of a great vale before them, and the stream beside them went down with a cold voice over many falls.
'Where in Middle-earth are we?' said Gimli; and Elladan answered: 'We have descended from the uprising of the Morthond, the long chill river that flows at last to the sea that washes the walls of Dol Amroth. You will not need to ask hereafter how comes its name: Blackroot men call it.'
The Return of the King, LoTR Book 5, Ch 2, The Passing of the Grey Company
Now [the Paths of the Dead] was a way beneath the White Mountains of Gondor that no man dared to tread, because of the fell wraiths of the Forgotten Men that guarded it.
The Peoples of Middle-earth, HoME Vol 12, Part 1, Ch 9, The Making of Appendix A: The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen
[Éomer said,] 'But as for the Paths of the Dead, you have yourself walked on their first steps.... The road that we have climbed is the approach to the Door, yonder in the Dimholt. But what lies beyond no man knows.'
[Said Théoden,] 'If these old tales speak true that have come down from father to son in the House of Eorl, then the Door under Dwimorberg leads to a secret way that goes beneath the mountain to some forgotten end.'....
'It is said that when the Eorlingas came out of the North and passed at length up the Snowbourn, seeking strong places of refuge in time of need, Brego and his son Baldor climbed the Stair of the Hold and so came before the Door. On the threshold sat an old man, aged beyond guess of years; tall and kingly he had been, but now he was withered as an old stone. Indeed for stone they took him, for he moved not, and he said no word, until they sought to pass him by and enter. And then a voice came out of him, as it were out of the ground, and to their amaze it spoke in the western tongue: The way is shut.
'Then they halted and looked at him and saw that he lived still; but he did not look at them. The way is shut, his voice said again It was made by those who are Dead, and the Dead keep it, until the time comes. The way is shut.
'And when will that time be? said Baldor. But no answer did he ever get. For the old man died in that hour and fell upon his face; and no other tidings of the ancient dwellers in the mountains have our folk ever learned.'
ROTK, Book V, Ch 3, The Muster of Rohan
[They] passed into the shadows under the black Dwimorberg, the Haunted Mountain, in which was the Gate of the Dead....
ROTK, Book V, Ch 2, The Passing of the Grey Company
The light was still grey as they rode, for the sun had not yet climbed over the black ridges of the Haunted Mountain before them. A dread fell on them, even as they passed between the lines of ancient stones and so came to the Dimholt. There under the gloom of black trees... they found a hollow place opening at the mountain's root, and right in their path stood a single mighty stone like a finger of doom....
And so they came at last deep into the glen; and there stood a sheer wall of rock, and in the wall the Dark Door gaped before them like the mouth of night. Signs and figures were carved above its wide arch too dim to read, and fear flowed from it like a grey vapour.
ROTK, Book V, Ch 2, The Passing of the Grey Company
The horses would not pass the threatening stone, until the riders dismounted and led them about. And so they came at last deep into the glen; and there stood a sheer wall of rock, and in the wall the Dark Door gaped before them.... Signs and figures were carved above its wide arch too dim to read, and fear flowed from it like a grey vapour....
Then Aragorn led the way, and such was the strength of his will in that hour that all the Dúnedain and their horses followed him....
[It] seemed to [Gimli] that he dragged his feet like lead over the threshold; and at once a blindness came upon him, even upon Gimli Glóin's son who had walked unafraid in many deep places of the world....
He could see nothing but the dim flame of the torches....
Nothing assailed the company nor withstood their passage, and yet steadily fear grew on the Dwarf as he went on...; all the paths behind were thronged by an unseen host that followed in the dark....
The road was wide, as far as he could judge, but now the company came suddenly into a great empty space, and there were no longer any walls upon either side.
ROTK, Book V, Ch 2, The Passing of the Grey Company
Suddenly [Gimli] heard the tinkle of water.... [The] company passed through another gateway, high-arched and broad, and a rill ran out beside them; and beyond, going steeply down, was a road between sheer cliffs, knife-edged against the sky far above....
The Company came at last out of the ravine, as suddenly as if they had issued from a crack in a wall; and there lay the uplands of a great vale before them, and the stream beside them went down with a cold voice over many falls.
'Where in Middle-earth are we?' said Gimli; and Elladan answered: 'We have descended from the uprising of the Morthond, the long chill river that flows at last to the sea that washes the walls of Dol Amroth. You will not need to ask hereafter how comes its name: Blackroot men call it.'
The Return of the King, LoTR Book 5, Ch 2, The Passing of the Grey Company
Rough layout for the project:
Map of the surrounding region:
Movie shot of the City of the Dead:
Last edited: