With a groan the ground crumbles under your feet, the entire section of the tunnel giving way to a deep darkness and the rush of water. There is a feeling of weightlessness, followed by the icy wet clutches of an underground river.
When Revealed: Discard all Item, Armor, Weapon and Light cards and all encounter deck cards from play, Shuffle all enemy and treachery cards in the encounter discard pile together with the Foundations of Stone encounter set. This deck becomes the new encounter deck. Remove all other encounter deck cards from the game. Then, starting with the first player, each player draws a random stage 4 quest card. Remove all other stage 4 quest cards from the game.
Setup: The first player takes control of Nalir. Set the Ancient Marsh-dweller aside, out of play. Each player searches the encounter deck for a different location and adds it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
You've entered the vast marshlands of the Nin–in–Eilph with Nalir in order to escape Bellach and his Orcs. Now, you must cross the swamp in order to reach Hollin on the other side.
When Revealed: Advance to a random stage 2A.
No traveller has entered the Nîn–in–Eilph for an age and there is no path through the shifting marshland. You must find your own way across the treacherous bog.
When Revealed: Raise each player's threat by 1.
As you trudge through endless swamp, you begin to wonder if you will ever reach the other side.
Forced: After the last time counter is removed from this stage, advance to a different stage 2A at random. Return this stage to the quest deck.
Player card effects cannot be used to gain resources or draw cards.
Forced: When the players defeat this stage, advance to a random stage 3A.
When Revealed: Raise each player's threat by 1.
As you trudge through endless swamp, you begin to wonder if you will ever reach the other side.
Forced: After the last time counter is removed from this stage, advance to a different stage 2A at random. Return this stage to the quest deck.
In order to commit characters to the quest, a player must first discard a card at random from his hand.
Forced: When the players defeat this stage, advance to a random stage 3A.
When Revealed: Raise each player's threat by 1.
As you trudge through endless swamp, you begin to wonder if you will ever reach the other side.
Forced: After the last time counter is removed from this stage, advance to a different stage 2A at random. Return this stage to the quest deck.
Each player cannot play more than 1 card each round.
Forced: When the players defeat this stage, advance to a random stage 3A.
You have escaped the dungeons of Cirith Gurat with the rescued members of Kahliel's tribe, but it's still a long way to Gondor.
Setup: Set Poros Garrison and each of the following encounter sets aside, out of play: Mountains of Shadow, Desert Sands, Desert Creatures, Harad Soldiers, and Mordor Orcs. The first player adds The Black Serpent to the staging area and shuffles the encounter deck. Each other player reveals an encounter card.
By now the Orcs will be searching for their escaped prisoners, and The Black Serpent will be seeking revenge against the outlaws who ambushed his caravan. You cannot hope to outrun your enemies with the exhausted refugees in your care, so you consult with Kahliel to decide the safest way north.
Allies enter play exhausted.
Forced: At the end of the planning phase, advance to a random stage 2.
You ask Kahliel which way you should take and he says: "The desert offers us no place to hide, and I fear my people cannot endure another desert crossing. We will take the rocky path through the hills to Gondor."
When Revealed: Shuffle the Mountains of Shadow encounter set into the encounter deck. Remove the Desert Sands encounter set and the other stage 2A from the game.
As you travel along the edge of Mordor a feeling of unease sets in and you fear that you are being watched.
Forced: After a player plays an ally, he must exhaust that ally or raise his threat by 1.
Forced: When this stage is defeated, advance to a random stage 3.
The Goblin, Urdug, has agreed to show you a secret entrance to Mount Gundabad, but only if you help him recover some things he lost in Rhovanion.
Setup: The first player takes control of Urdug, objective side face-up. Set each other objective and objective-ally aside, out of play. Shuffle the encounter deck and discard cards from the top until X locations are discarded, where X is the number of players. Add each discarded location to the staging area.
You have agreed to help the Goblin in return for his assistance, but you keep a wary eye on him all the same.
Progress cannot be placed on locations in the staging area.
Forced: When the active location is explored, if the first player controls Urdug, advance to a random stage 2A.
Urdug's friend, Tiny, turns out to be an enormous Hill–troll. You find him trapped in a deep bog and Urdug begs you to help rescue him.
The 'when revealed' effects of treachery cards cannot be canceled.
Forced: When the players defeat this stage, remove it from the game. Advance to a random stage 2A, if able. Otherwise, advance to stage 3A.
The players cannot travel to the Grey Moorland guarding Tiny unless there is at least 5 progress on this stage. This stage cannot be defeated unless the first player controls Urdug and Tiny.
You thought Urdug's story about being chased by a Giant sounded funny until you come upon a mean–looking Giant using the Goblin's horn as a tooth–pick. Urdug insists he won't lead you anywhere without that horn.
When Revealed: The first player searches the encounter deck, discard pile, and victory display for a Grey Mountain Giant adds it to the staging area, and attaches the set-aside Urdug's Horn to it as a guarded objective. Shuffle the encounter deck. Each other player reveals an encounter card.
Each enemy with 1 or more guarded attachments gets +2 
and +2 
Forced: When the players defeat this stage, remove it from the game. Advance to a random stage 2A, if able. Otherwise, advane to stage 3A.
The Grey Mountain Giant guarding Urdug's Horn cannot take damage unless there is at least 5 progress on this stage. This stage cannot be defeated unless the first player controls Urdug with Urdug's Horn attached.
You have your doubts about Durin's Key, as well as Urdug, but the Goblin insists he dropped it in a ravine as he was fleeing for his life. You follow him as he retraces his steps back to the ravine.
When Revealed: The first player searches the encounter deck, discrd pile, and victory display for a Deep Ravine, adds it to the staging area, and attaches the set-aside Durin's Key to it as a guarded objective. Shuffle the encounter deck. Each player reveals an encounter card.
Each encounter card guarding a card is immune to player card effects.
Forced: When the players defeat this stage, remove it from the game. Advance to a random stage 2A, if able. Otherwise, advance to stage 3A.
The players cannot travel to the Deep Ravine guarding Durin's Key unless there is at least 5 progress on this stage. This stage cannot be defeated unless the players control Urdug and Durin's Key.
After being pursued through the Shire by mysterious riders in black, Frodo and his friends decide that the safest way for them to continue their journey to Rivendell is to travel through the Old Forest.
Setup: Set Old Man Willow and Withywindle aside, out of play. Each player searches the encounter deck and adds 1 different location to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
When Revealed: Each player draws 1 card. Advance to a random stage 2A.
"You have left the Shire, and are now outside, and on the edge of the Old Forest." –Merry, The Fellowship of the Ring
"Everything in it is very much more alive, more aware of what is going on, so to speak, than things are in the Shire. And the trees do not like strangers."
–Merry, The Fellowship of the Ring
When Revealed: If the number of locations in the staging area is less than the number of players in the game, search the encounter deck and discard pile for a location and add it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Forced: At the beginning of the planning phase, each player must exhaust a hero he controls.
Forced: After placing progress as a result of questing successfully, if there are X or more total victory points on locations in the victory display, advance to stage 3A. Otherwise, advance to a different random stage 2A. X is the number of players in the game times 5.
"Everything in it is very much more alive, more aware of what is going on, so to speak, than things are in the Shire. And the trees do not like strangers."
–Merry, The Fellowship of the Ring
When Revealed: If the number of locations in the staging area is less than the number of players in the game, search the encounter deck and discard pile for a location and add it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Forced: At the beginning of the ropund, remove all progress from each location in play.
Forced: After placing progress as a result of questing successfully, if there are X or more total victory points on locations in the victory display, advance to stage 3A. Otherwise, advance to a different random stage 2A. X is the number of players in the game times 5.
"Everything in it is very much more alive, more aware of what is going on, so to speak, than things are in the Shire. And the trees do not like strangers."
–Merry, The Fellowship of the Ring
When Revealed: If the number of locations in the staging area is less than the number of players in the game, search the encounter deck and discard pile for a location and add it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Forced: At the end of the round, discard a random location from the victory display.
Forced: After placing progress as a result of questing successfully, if there are X or more total victory points on locations in the victory display, advance to stage 3A. Otherwise, advance to a different random stage 2A. X is the number of players in the game times 5.
"Everything in it is very much more alive, more aware of what is going on, so to speak, than things are in the Shire. And the trees do not like strangers."
–Merry, The Fellowship of the Ring
When Revealed: If the number of locations in the staging area is less than the number of players in the game, search the encounter deck and discard pile for a location and add it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Forced: The first player reveals 1 additional encounter card during the quest phase.
Forced: After placing progress as a result of questing successfully, if there are X or more total victory points on locations in the victory display, advance to stage 3A. Otherwise, advance to a different random stage 2A. X is the number of players in the game times 5.
As you trudge through endless swamp, you begin to wonder if you will ever reach the other side.
When Revealed: Raise each player's threat by 1.
Time 3.Forced: After the last time counter is removed from this stage, advance to a different stage 2A at random. Return this stage to the quest deck.
Allies enter play exhausted.
Forced: When the players defeat this stage, advance to a random stage 3A.