Silver Whispers

It's a shame that cosmetics bartered with Figments of Splendor don't see much use, at least from what I've observed. I have a handful of them myself from over the years, generally bartering for them as the seasonal vendors change or from the elusive Curator, who only appears at specific times of the year. Honestly, I think the Curator should be available year-round that way good cosmetics don't go to waste. It would encourage players to convert excess motes and embers into figments for bartering, versus holding onto them and wasting them when currency caps are reached. However, that's my humble opinion. SSG has been petitioned in the past, but to no avail. I can remain hopeful that it may change someday, but I won't hold my breath.

Two figment cosmetics are featured here, central to not just this outfit but to my self-imposed theme of masks. Those two pieces would be the Jacket of the Wild Hills and the Mask of the Golden Forest Defender, both of which are only obtainable from the Curator. It's an eclectic ensemble for sure, intertwining cosmetics suiting the Mirkwood, Morgul Vale, Elderslades, and Gondorian areas. Despite how busy this clothing combination is, I feel it flows well. And it breathes some life into pieces that have been available for several years.

As much as I love the chestpiece, it's one of the more difficult pieces to incorporate into an outfit. Only the areas beneath the leather straps on the upper arms and waist will dye. Bright dyes don't work very well, as they tend to create garish color combinations. Should some of my readers use this piece themselves, I strongly recommend subdued or earthier colors.

Head: Mask of the Golden Forest Defender (Moria silver, bartered from the Curator)

Shoulders: Shoulders of the Anorien Fields (Moria silver, rewards from Several Mendings)

Back: Morgul Explorer's Heavy Cloak (Moria silver, Reclamation of Minas Ithil reputation barter reward)

Chest: Jacket of the Wild Hills (Moria silver, bartered from the Curator)

Hands: Gauntlets of the Anorien Fields (Moria silver, reward from The Broken Causeway)

Feet: Boots of the Anorien Fields (Moria silver, reward from The Seven Gates)

Swords: Ceremonial Sword of Rivendell (Reward from any Rivendell Supporter Pack)

Bow: Cumaeth (Reward from Vol 2, Book 9 Epilogue: Cúcheron's Bow

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And now for some extra content on this post. I had been so enamored with the Jacket of the Wild Hills and the combination of another mask that a second outfit was born from this one. In the past, I've shown behind-the-scenes work that goes into what my characters wear. I frequently experiment with both colors and gear and, if time and resources permit, I burn extra dyes and take the test outfit into the game world. I can't stress enough that, given how well something can look in the dressing room, flaws, mismatching colors, clipping and other oddities don't present themselves I interact with the outdoor environment. I also shared these alternate versions with Discord community members and take feedback to heart.

The final version of the appearance below will be the next blog entry, which has already been drafted and scheduled. Consider these a teaser, the second one being closer to the upcoming outfit...