Spring Series - Lord of the Dragonflies

It's been a crazy two weeks for me and I wasn't able to make a special post this past Monday, April 21st, but I would like to take a moment and wish Material Middle-earth a Happy Second Anniversary!

Anyway, I'm more than certain there's no such thing as the Lord of the Dragonflies in the lore. It's just that I've been so hellbent on using that Cloak of the Dragonfly, I had to name this outfit after it. That cloak is probably the most unique-looking one in the game due to the crazy assortment of colors found in it. I've literally spent the past two months focusing on it, making it the central piece to an outfit. That seems to be the only way to work with it, otherwise it looks shoehorned when added to a nearly finished outfit. Kudos to those of you have successfully integrated the Cloak of the Dragonfly into your creations!

I figured that blues and greens would be the easiest colors to use. I remembered Hymne from Cosmetic Lotro used it in a wonderful orange outfit in September of 2012. I even resorted to search engines for the first time to find some inspiration or direction and came up nearly empty. All the engines returned for images were Hymne's and one other, which I can't recall at all. I felt like I was flying blind while putting this together. I knew heavy and medium armor had been out of the question...I just didn't like how any of it paired with my cloak. I ran though light armor from the vendors and crafters and had no luck there. In the end, I found myself left with the various cosmetic tunics and dresses from reputation vendors and festivals.

The Long-sleeved Lorien Tunic and Trousers, a reputation gated piece I eventually found in my library, was a godsend. I was blown away by how well it dyed...and the fact that it contains at least three subtle variations of whatever dye color was used. Sea blue gave me the closest approximation to the rainbow of colors in the cloak without looking like an eyesore. I might have to work with that tunic again in the future!

Now that you've heard my long-winded story, I would like to throw a tip out there to those who take screenies of their outfits. I briefly touched upon this topic in an earlier outfit, Red Dawn, but this week, I wanted to expand upon it. I've found it's always beneficial to find a setting matching your outfit. However, sometimes the chosen place can be too much for that outfit. Too many colors in the background can distract viewing eyes from your creation. The same applies to having too many objects in the foreground. Surrounding sources of light can also affect how your outfit displays, whether it be natural or artificial.

Here's what I've done. Generally, I've wanted an open area with a pleasing vista that doesn't have too many graphical distractions. Sometimes, I have gone with graphic heavy places as well, but I've tried to remember these few tricks. One, I've used the sunlight to my advantage. The brighter the light, the brighter the outfit. Two, if the background is filled with dark colors, a bright outfit will stand out easily...and that's what I've illustrated in this post. It also works in reverse as well, having a darker, earthier outfit on a bright or well-lit background. Three, I've also used my personal lantern, which is activated with ALT+F10. Even during daytime, it can still be toggled inside caves and other various enclosed spaces.

Head: Ceremonial Circlet of Restoration (Sea Blue, Lalia's Market)
Shoulders: Shoulders of the Hopeful Melody (Sea Blue, classic skirm camp vendor, level 65 BG light armor)
Back: Cloak of the Dragonfly (Sea Blue, LOTRO Store or random lootbox reward)
Chest: Long-sleeved Lorien Tunic and Trousers (Sea Blue, Galadhrim reputation vendor, friend standing)