The Gathering at Bingo Boffin's

Alas, all great things must come to an end.

Not an outfit post, but I thought this deserved a place on the blog. I never got around to following Bingo Boffin on his adventure because I was too focused on end-game content. However, recently I've been stuck at outfitting due to the lack of new clothe pieces. I sought out Mr Boffins hoping his adventure would provide me some new and interesting armour/cosmetic rewards, but what I found was much more valuable.

I remember when the first Hobbit movie came out, I made a new toon just to re-xperience stepping into the wonderful yet dangerous world of Middle-earth for the first time, just like Bilbo had. Little did I know I would be much more satisfied feeling like a complete amateur adventurer on my almost maxed level Hunter, Eadyth. 

Even though I rushed through what was meant to be taken weekly (like I did with my first season of Gotham), I managed to grow very fond of the many companions I met along the way, Willem Whisker definitely being my favourite.

Yet, so many other characters who joined us were colourful (both in personality and in clothing - yes, I'm speaking about Theodore): barterers, treasure hunters, Dourhands, elves, horse-lords, skin-changers, distant kin, and even an old foe from the past now redeemed.

However, with so many friends met along the way, I have to admit I don't know many of them that well, as some were just passing acquaintances. Despite that, I think I would have appreciated each and every one of these characters as Eadyth would, were they real. 

It's moments like this too that remind me of my inevitable need to leave all my friends behind as Bingo has. The last 5 years in my high school have been the best years of my life, and there are a great many people I wish I didn't have to leave behind. I won't lie that I had not my share of ill-fortunes: falling into darkness, not knowing who I was, dealing with traitors. Thank Eru I didn't face a dragon! But if I've learnt one thing from my adventures with Bingo, it's that "it is difficult to say goodbye, but we had better leave now or we won't." 

Despite that, the fellowships made throughout the journey proves that truly special companions are those that will be remembered for long, especially when hobbit meets dwarf, skin-changer, or even great eagle! 

Perhaps I should have a gathering as Bingo has to celebrate the companionship I've had with my very own unique set of fellows, while not skin-changers or hobbits themselves, noteworthy in their own special ways. But when I do leave, I wish them all the best in their future adventures, and may they be filled with unusual happenings and great companions as well. We will see each other again - I don't leave to the Undying Lands, after all.

Mischief Maker

She's at it again! This time, to celebrate the official completion of my A Level English Literature course! After robbing the folk at Bree, she ventures off into the west with her new garments, playing the role of a gambler, risking with her 'hard earned money.' But the Dwarves of Ered Luin know a trouble maker when they see one and wouldn't let themselves be toyed by a Hobbit!

It seems she finds similar places in all areas for lodging. I wonder if she chooses to rest her silly head on those hard tiles by intent or if she simply gets butted out everywhere else! Nonetheless, her new shoulderpads should serve as good cushions for her head, considering how thick they are with the extra padding on either side.

She thinks that putting on a large green top hat and a fancy red robe will get everyone believing she's a true classy gambler that might bring good sport to the Dwarves, but these stout men know far too much more about their gold than she does and wouldn't fall for her pesky mischievous tricks!

This was the first outfit I put together for Brina as it consisted of easy-to-get cosmetics from the Skirmish Camp. Not only that, but I had at the time played the blue line called The Gambler, and that's where I got my inspiration for this outfit. I wanted to create an outfit that showed a more classy side to the burglar class, as many burglar outfits I've seen online tend to go with the more dark and shady look (one which I also have for Brina). I just thought it would be fun to be different, and fun is after all everything that Brina seeks.

Sigh... Can I not give a proper commentary on your outfit without you finding trouble with these Dwarf folk? I really enjoy mixing colours together, especially in LOTRO, where very few take the risk of bright colour contrasts in their outfits. I especially love how the greens, yellows and reds mix so well in this outfit, reminding me of the time when the Tunic and Trousers of New Bloom from the Spring Festival had the undyeable yellow belt and green top (which now has been turned into dyeable space, which I don't enjoy one bit!) - I had created a nice colourful outfit for Eadyth that never lived to see the return of this blog simply because Turbine took that feature away and I discarded the outfit almost immediately. 

And now she's throwing a tantrum. Bear with me, readers. BRINA! GET DOWN FROM THERE! Sorry about that; she's quite the child. Her buddy Halygr couldn't stand her misbehaving he simply left. I'm so sorry for her troublesome nature, but thank you so much for taking the time to help take these wonderful pictures once again!

Head: Extravagant Festival Hat (dark green);

Shoulders: Padded Mantle of the Soothsayer (olive);

Chest: Ceremonial Silver-voice Robe (red);

Hands: Extravagant Festival Gloves (olive);

Feet: Ceremonial Pathfinder's Boots (olive).

Athenian in Anguish

LORE-BREAKING! But then again, I created Eafrith for this particular outfit (I had it equipped on Eadyth before). Anyway, she stands ready to face whatever may threaten the acropolis of her Goddess Athena. Nothing will show such disrespect for the sacred temple while she still draws breath defending it.

Upon coming back from the war, Eafrith discovers that her home has been destroyed, with only a few pillars standing and a lot of rubble. She ventures into the desolation that once was familiar to her, only to find sorrow and the stench of death.

I drew inspiration for the outfit from the collective costume design of Lampito (of course, Lampito is Spartan, but whatever right?) by my classmates for our A Level drama course, as we are exploring Lysistrata, a comedy from Ancient Greece. It features the only pair of 'skirts' in the entire game that mimic the skirt-like armour that we agreed Greek warriors wore. 

Up at the acropolis, she removes the cruel beaks that prey on the bodies of her friends. Fending them off one by one, she treats them as mercilessly as they have treated the carcasses within the broken temple. I chose to expose her head and face, not using a helmet as soldiers of Athens would normally, mainly because it was hard finding a helm that was reminiscent of Athenian warriors (one that I felt looked good was the Helm of the Eastment, but it is green and undyeable), and also I wanted the show the face and marks of her face, which I felt emphasised a sense of anguish.

Thank you again, Halygr, for helping me take the pictures. Once again, I couldn't have achieved the angles I ended up using for this post without your help.

Head: Arrows of the West Helmet (umber);

Shoulders: Lesser Blade of the West Shoulder Guards (steel blue);

Chest: Isengard Prisoner Shirt (sienna);

Back: Worn Cloak of the Ranger (red);

Hands: Leather Bracers of the Learned Stag (crimson);

Legs: Threadbare Leggings of the Dunland Healer (walnut brown);

Feet: Anorien Battle Boots (steel blue).

Elf of the Wood

After joining the kinship Elves of the Wood, Eadyth decided that she would have to make herself fit in as much as possible. How she managed to do this was by constructing an outfit that disguised her as an elf as much as possible. It also helped that her skills with a bow was akin to her elven kin-mates. 

Unfortunately, the name doesn't use alliteration this time, but it describes the outfit perfectly, as this is what Eadyth is attempting to resemble. Her use of greens and browns and golds accurately match the trees and woods of Lothlórien, making her truly look like one of their kind. The outfit was largely based around the head-piece that I found really elegant and reminded me of the elves, especially due to the golden ear-like pieces on the sides. The helm, being pointy at the front, sides and back reminded me of the dwarves in Peter Jackson's films calling elves "pointy-eared princes/princesses."

It's safe to say that it is almost essential you use some sort of leaf motif in creating elven-themed outfits. Some outfitters choose to be subtle about it, like with this outfit, having them placed on gloves and feet, whereas other outfitters may choose to simply bombard the chest plate with a huge gold tree. I don't think I was ever a fan of that particular breastplate skin (I think you guys know what I'm talking about), but who knows, I might just use it for a male character one day.

I enjoy wearing this outfit when in a fellowship with fellow kin-mate Cantiflas simply because he wears a green ranger outfit most of the time. It gives a sense of unity between us when we both wear green, but there are also the differences in the actual pieces of the outfit that help distinguish one from the other. For example, the ranger outfit he wears uses more round shapes, such as the round shape of what I think is the Woodland Ranger's  Hood, whereas mine have more sharp edges. But I think it also helps that Eadyth is a woman and Cantiflas is a Hobbit.

I'd like to thank my friend Endoviel for once again helping me take pictures. I am truly lucky to have friends from different levels who are so willing to help me sustain this blog by taking better pictures than I could if I did it alone.

P.s. Check out that majestic horse-elk! 

Head: Ceremonial Helm of the Shield-wall (olive);

Shoulders: Shoulders of the Swift Arrow (dark green);

Chest: Ceremonial Town-saver's Jacket (olive);

Back: Sturdy Elven Quiver (sienna);

Hands: Majestic Marchwarden's Gloves (dark green);

Legs: Leggings of the Guard (olive);

Feet: Aculf's Leather Boots (dark green).

Mace and Mistress

You can tell it was hard to construct a name using alliteration when I refer to Eafrith's weapon as a mace instead of a Guardian's Great Club of the Second Age. Anyway, that's what this outfit was modeled after, and I tried to imitate the colour scheme and even shape of the weapon as much as possible. 

Now, I know that this outfit is very similar to Nathrien's Captain's Arm outfit, and that we both created our outfits based on the look of the weapon. In my defense, I hadn't yet seen her outfit by the time I finished making this. It's no surprise that we would do this though as cosmetic weapons are a fairly new addition to the cosmetic system in LOTRO, and I guess we're just outfit-holics trying to make use of the system as much as possible. But as I've told all my friends (in real life, anyway) Nathrien is a huge inspiration to me in the fashion of LOTRO and I have the utmost respect for her and her work. So please, if for some strange reason you know of my blog but not hers, go on and follow her, keep yourself updated, because her outfits are extraordinary! 

I love the detail on the different pieces of armour, especially how there is chainmail in almost every piece, and how it all matches in design and colour despite being from completely different sets (we all know how chainmail can differ from each other). I especially find it amazing how well the foot-piece fits with the entirety of the outfit, despite coming from an armour set that I wouldn't normally associate with the rest of the pieces. I remember trying out countless numbers of boots with more interesting designs, but in the end I realised that perhaps what I needed was something simple to fill the gaps, and that's when I turned to the 'heavy armour' filter in the Auction House. 

As you can see, I tried to recreate the star-like shape of the weapon using the shoulder and head pieces. I also deliberately used red on the gloves to imitate the small red gem-like ornaments on the handle of the club. Also, to compliment the star-like design, I used a leg piece that included an insignia of a sun also in gold. 

The location is Duillond as I love how the blue and gold stand out from the beautiful purple and green of the scenery. Aside from that, the outfit is what I thought a really high-ranked elf warrior would wear. The spiked edges are reminiscent of the sharp edges that the elves wear in Jackson's Middle-earth adaptations, but overall this outfit is more fantastical than the more realistic Lord of the Rings trilogy (well, I thought it was pretty realistic for a fantasy). Even in the darkness of the night does this outfit look beautiful against the purple sky. 

Again, let me thank my good friend Halygr for helping me take these amazing shots. I admit, this outfit has some of my favourite screenshots ever, and those could not be achieved without help from another player.

Head: Ceremonial Dragon-scale Helm (sea blue);

Shoulders: Ceremonial High-protector's Shoulders (sea blue);

Chest: Ceremonial War-captain's Breastplate (sea blue);

Hands: Sermaib (red);

Legs: Ceremonial Thunderstruck Trousers (sea blue);

Feet: Enduring Scale Shoes of Fleetness (walnut brown).