Summary
WithTales of the Shireconfirmed to take place betweenThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Rings, there’s massive potential for this cozy little farm life sim to subtly foreshadow the War of the Ring and therefore one of Bywater’s most historic events: the Battle of Bywater. InThe Lord of the Rings, theBattle of Bywateris the last battle fought in the War of the Ring, in the year 3019, making it not just an important event for Bywater but for all of Middle-earth. WithTales of the Shiredoing everything it can to be as true to its source material as possible, there is little reason why it wouldn’t find some way to reference the iconic war and the final battle that ended it.
There’s no indication of a specific year thatTales of the Shireis set in, but since there are only 77 years betweenThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Rings, there is plenty of opportunity forTales of the Shireto at least hint at an impending war coming. While talk of a war as oppressive as the War of the Ring and the Battle of Bywater that followed it might seem out of place in a farm life sim likeTales of the Shire, it might actually be the perfect way for the game to offset its bright, joyous tones every once in a while and expand its worldbuilding in the process.
Tales of the Shire Should at Least Foreshadow the Battle of Bywater
InThe Lord of the Rings, once theOne Ring is destroyed and Sauron is defeated, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin return home to the Shire, expecting to find everything is still the way they left it. Instead, they discover that Saruman’s henchmen have taken over the Shire and industrialized it for the fallen wizard’s purposes. The Hobbits then organize a resistance and overwhelm the ruffians in a coordinated ambush near the village of Bywater, freeing the Shire and its inhabitants from Saruman’s control.
There’s no indication of a specific year thatTales of the Shireis set in, but since there are only 77 years betweenThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Rings, there is plenty of opportunity forTales of the Shireto at least hint at an impending war coming.
As Saruman is ultimately the driving force of the threat against Bywater, perhapsTales of the Shirecould hint at the wizard’s growing influence and the potential for a hostile takeover of the Shire.Saruman’s industrialization of the Shirelikely would have been in its earliest stages just before the start of the War of the Ring, so it’s possible (depending on how close it is set to the war) forTales of the Shireto somehow weave Saruman’s plot into its narrative. Perhaps Hobbits around Bywater might gossip about trouble in Bree, mysterious movements along the Greenway, or strange activity around Isengard.
As players are exploring Bywater and its outskirts inTales of the Shire, perhaps they might come across peculiar tools or unfamiliar items, hinting at Saruman’s industrial ambitions. It might make sense for certain parts of the Shire to begin showing signs of decay as well, if not just as a symbolic way of foreshadowing the war to come. Furthermore, since it seemsGandalf will make an appearance inTales of the Shire, according to what is shown in its various trailers, the wizard could even drop hints about potential dangers throughout the wider Middle-earth and caution the villagers of Bywater to stay safe.
As an Easter egg for fans ofLord of the Ringslore, characters could even vaguely reference someone nicknamed “Sharkey,” Saruman’s alias during his gradual takeover of the Shire.
In the end,Tales of the Shirehas a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between its cozy, casual farm life sim persona and thedeeper lore and narrative ofThe Lord of the Ringsby foreshadowing the impending war and its concluding Battle of Bywater. By incorporating subtle hints of Saruman’s growing influence, whispers of unrest in Middle-earth, and symbolic representations of the looming threat,Tales of the Shirecan innovate on the cozy farm life sim tones it is expected to maintain to make its story and world much more than it seems.
