The Noldor are maybe the last trace of the elder races of Pendor, which vanished during the War of the Titans. During that conflict, their proud cities and much of their power was lost, but what remains of it is still beyond most human men or woman can ever dream. They now live isolated in forests being extremely hostile to anyone who tries to enter. Among the Noldor there still warlords such as Warlord Aeldarian and Warlord Ithilrandir whom posses powers that echo the old days. The Noldor, found in the forests east of Laria, work a bit differently than the other minor factions. While you are seeking to destroy all other factions, you must gain the trust and friendship of the Noldor. The Noldor are indeed elves, but do not possess magic. Their equipment, however, still bears enchantment and is thus some of the most powerful in the game. Your alliance with them will ensure access to this and their extremely powerful troops.
Troops
Noldor troops are insanely powerful. Their weakest unit, the , is on par with standard top tier units and has far stronger equipment; Noldor Composite Bows are renowned and hated by players due to their near-perfect accuracy and speed. merely capitalize on this weapon. are the horse archers and cavalry of the Noldor; the strength of these women would make the Veccavi tremble. Finally, are the foremost foot unit of the Noldor, and they upgrade into , the foremost mounted unit and perhaps the most powerful unit obtainable by the player in the game.
Commentary on the Noldor
"Looking to your raceand your deeds I can only think how infantile you all appear. You are nothingmore than children playing at being an adult with children's toys, dreaming ofconquering the world. Do you not know how pathetic a vision this is?" - Noldor Knight
"Sometimes we truly which tobelieve that humans have some potential in the future, but their actions makeit very difficult to sustain this hope..." - Noldor Lord
"One can be only out of his mindif he plans to walk in the Noldor lands, because he won't walk back."- Empire Guildmaster.
Noldor battle style
The Noldor are powerful opponents, and show great tactical flexibility, beingeffective with with both arrows and blade. They also have the fastest horses inPendor, very effective armor ( 70+ Body Armor ratings are common), relicweapons, (+45 damage with regular noldor bastard sword), but their most deadlyadvantage is their skill. Noldor warriors have great weapon skills in allcategories and very high morale (you'll rarely if ever see them run). Thismeans that a 20-member Noldor Patrol can gut a full sized (150-200 troops) armywithout careful handling. If you see some Noldor warriors garrisoning a castleor city when besiegeing it, you may want to retreat from battle and go siegesomewhere else, as it is almost impossible to capture a castle garrisoned withNoldor archers (you may well die before you can even order your troops toattack).
Locating the Noldor
Noldor can regularly be found on the Eastern side ofthe map, East of Sarleon, North of Empire lands and the great desert, among thedeep forests around the great lake. While in this region, be very careful, assmall Noldor patrols can very rapidly catch up to larger forces and stilinflict improbable casualties.
Befriending the Noldor (Spoilers)
Having positive relations with the Noldor is a requirement to finish the game,but there are many additional benefits to being on friendly terms with them.
1- With high enough relations, the player can access the noldor emporium atLaria and buy superior Noldor weapons, armor, and horseflesh. A companion armedentirely in Noldor gear (for instance, Noldor Knight armor with a Helmet andBastard sword can turn Lethaldiran into a one-man army.
2- (SPOILER) You can recruitelven warriors from the same merchant who offers Noldor gear, although this isvery expensive both in gold and qualis gems. Noldor mercenaries are worth theirweight in gold - a handful can wipe out an army, especially when defendingwalls in a siege.
3- (SPOILER) With high enoughrelations, a player may be granted access to their hidden castle Elecrai [sic](you must first finish their favor quest and destroy the Jatu army in theirhomeland)
4- Once you're friendly withe the Noldor, those small patrols that used to be aserious threat are now a significant asset, protecting your villages andcaravans passing through the area.
5- Once the Noldor armies with named personalities spawn, they can be convincedto accompany you on campaign or attack certain locations (unverified).
6- Incidentally, if you make Laria your first conquest when starting your ownkingdom you can depend on some defensive assistance from Noldor patrols in thearea.
