A Midnight Snack - Asphodella of Gladden

"'I know,' said Frodo. 'But all the same,' he added with a shamefaced laugh, 'I am terrified of him and his dogs. I have avoided his farm for years and years. He caught me several times trespassing after mushrooms, when I was a youngster at Brandy Hall. On the last occasion he beat me, and then took me and showed me to his dogs. "See, lads," he said, "next time this young varmint sets foot on my land, you can eat him. Now see him off!" They chased me all the way to the Ferry. I have never got over the fright – though I daresay the beasts knew their business and would not really have touched me.'"

- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, "A Shortcut to Mushrooms"

Farmer by day, thief by night, Asphodella thoroughly enjoys living a double life. Ever since the mysterious Black Riders came to the Shire, she's found it easier to sneak down the practically deserted roads after dusk. Asphodella has a weakness for fresh mushrooms--Farmer Maggot's in particular. Nothing tantalizes her tastebuds like Maggot's mouthwatering crop. Oh how she wishes that those dogs didn't guard that farm so well! Most of the time, Apshodella has to wait for them to rest or move away from the property borders...otherwise, she'd find herself caught and being chased by a bunch of barking hounds! If she had her way, she'd make a mushroom omelette for breakfast, fried mushrooms for lunch, and a savory mushroom soup for dinner every day!

Personally, I'm a huge fan of mushrooms. It's why, as I was designing this stealthy Hobbit burglar outfit, I connected the race with that particular vegetable. In fact, it's all I could think about. Actually, I was thinking about massive quantities of cheese too. I have this friend who makes this kick ass hot mushroom and cheese dip...*drools* Anyway, that's enough about me : )

I was inspired to create this character and outfit by the Budgeford quest to hunt down a Hobbit at night pretending to be one of the Black Riders.

I'm glad I finally put to use a bunch of cosmetics sitting in my wardrobe...mainly that Jacket of the-Fist way. It has a natural blackish-grey base color to it which makes dying it difficult. I don't have many cosmetic pieces that can be dyed to match those odd colors, so I settled for black, which makes up the core color scheme of this outfit. On top of that, I needed clothing that was functional and light while being neither very bulky nor restrictive. I had also used those OD gloves as a utility piece for Asphodella. She'd need a knife of some sort to cleanly and quickly harvest what she's after!

Shoulders: Padded Mantle of the Dunlendings (Black, Dunland quest rewards)
Back: Odda's Woolen Cloak (Black, Great River quest reward)
Chest: Jacket of the Fist-way (Black, Orthanc Warden class vendor)
Hands: Lesser Secret of the West Gloves (Black, OD Burglar class item)
Feet: Ceremonial Boots of the Learned (Black, skirm camp cosmetic vendor)