MUME, Multi-Users in Middle-earth, is a DikuMUD based upon J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth that has been continuously running, enhanced, and remastered since fall of 1991. In MUME, players are encouraged to role-play as they live in this meticulously crafted world exploring the conflict leading into the War of the Ring during the late Third Age. The action takes place nearly 100 years prior to The Hobbit but long after the loss of the One Ring by Sauron. The key to Erebor has just been found by Gandalf in Dol Guldur and all the epic tales narrated in The Lord of the Rings may take place.

MUME covers 28,000+ original rooms from the mighty Dwarven Halls beyond the Gulf of the Lhûn in the West to the Mountains of Mirkwood in the East, and from the ruins of Fornost Erain in the North to the fortress of Isengard in the South.

Players can choose among several different races, each with some unique characteristics. The races are separated into three striving factions. Dwarves, Elves, Half-Elves, Hobbits and Men — among them are the shapeshifting Beornings — are eternally at war with the Orcs, Trolls and Black Númenóreans. Moreover, the orkish tribe of the Zaugurz is trying to expand its territory at the expense of the Tarkhnarb Orcs of Goblin Gate. Most of this conflict takes place to the east and south of the town of Bree, but rare raids or solitary agents of the Red Eye have made it to as far west as the Dwarven homes in the Blue Mountains.

MUME has been around a number of years and has a lot of interesting features. It has thousands of rooms, covering the Blue Mountains in the west, the Grey Havens, Bree, the Shire, Fornost in the north, Tharbad in the south, Rivendell, the Misty Mountains, the Carrock and Lórien to the east. There are other places such as the dreaded Mines of Moria, the Orc Caves, the dark and ancient Old Forest, the forest of Mirkwood, the mysterious forest Fangorn and the Troll Warrens.

You can meet a lot of interesting people, such as the elves Cirdan, Elrond, Arwen, Celeborn or Galadriel, the leader of the Istari-Council Saruman, the mean trolls Bill, Bert and Tom or you can just buy a beer in Barliman's famous Inn. The mysterious Tom Bombadil sings his songs in the Old Forest, in which Old Man Willow has taken its roots long ago. And deep down in the earth, in the deepest mines of Moria, you may find a horror that was forgotten a long time ago. You will also meet many others from whom you heard the one or other tale or who are new to you.