Double Outfit and A Blogging Departure

Back in late 2024, I did say that my return to Material Middle-earth would be a temporary one. The details are irrelevant at this point, but these are highly likely to be my final outfits. I'm on an indefinite break from LOTRO and probably not returning this time. I haven't felt inspired in some time and I feel comfortable where I currently am.

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Despite in-game bugs, a busy life, and sporadic posting, thank you for showing your support these past 18 months with these 22 outfits. I hope these will serve as inspiration for your own creations!

Here are the last two outfits from my Hunter.

Head: Brilliant Forest Defender's Mask (White, Curator NPC)

Shoulders: Medium Nadhin Shoulders (Shire peach, reward from the Vol. 4 quest The Ruthless Dead)**

Back: Silvan Quiver (Washed, LOTRO Store)

Chest: Robe of Faramir's Faithful (Shire peach, Quartermaster found in Eastern Gondor)

Hands: Rakish Charmer's Gloves (Walnut brown, Rakish Patron's Enhanced Coffer)

Feet: Rakish Charmer's Boots (Walnut brown, Rakish Patron's Enhanced Coffer)

Swords: Malledhhrim Sword of Warding (T6 Weaponsmith recipe)

Bow: Well-worn Mumak Rider's Bow (This version only drops on T1 of the Osgiliath cluster)

**The shoulders also drop from random kills on the landscape, although this is rare. Can also be bartered at the Dol Amroth Quartermaster for medium armor.

Head: Potent Skirmish Helm of the Mark (Belegaer blue, T8 Tailor recipe)

Shoulders: Embroidered Mantle of the Doomfold (Walnut brown, T13 Tailor  recipe)

Back: Scholar's Ebullient Silk-weave Cloak (Walnut brown, Remmorchant Quartermaster in Estolad Lân)

Chest: Breastplate of the Slayer's Raiment (Belegaer blue, Keeper of Mysteries vendor in Mordor - figment barter)

Hands: Quick Gages of the Wyrm (Umber, Keeper of Mysteries vendor in Mordor - mote barter)

Feet: Nimble Boots of the Wyrn (Umber, Keeper of Mysteries vendor in Mordor - mote barter)

Swords: Sword of the Steady Mind (Bartered from the Riders of Stangard rep vendors)

Bow: Ornate Lebethron Bow of Speed (T4 Woodworker recipe)

Whimsical Autumn

I apologize for the unexpectedly lengthy absence. Unfortunately, there's only so much I can control between two jobs. I'm often exhausted when I get home. I seldom have the time or energy for gaming, let alone LOTRO. Despite that, my desire to continue making new outfits is still going strong. I'm on vacation in the upcoming weeks and I plan to upload as much as I can for scheduled content.

If you've been lucky and are on the LOTRO Official Discord server, you may have noticed I'm periodically dropping screenshots of new outfits either in progress or completed.

Simple Fashion - Robes, Pt. 2

When I was blogging prior to 2021, I was obsessed with filling every outfit slot. If something was missing, I felt naked or that an outfit felt incomplete despite it looking fully functional. Sometimes I had an actual theme for my character's appearance, but most of the time I shoehorned circlets (still obsessed to this day) and cloaks when they weren't actually necessary. Since my return, I've been leaning towards simpler outfits. This would be the third "Simple Fashion" entry in four months, as opposed to six entries between 2012 and 2021.

The downside to this particular posting category is that I burn through outfits at a rapid pace. Personally, as much as I've love making these, I've never felt the need to give each one their own blog entry with lengthy exposition or pictures from multiple angles. These outfits these have always been intended as quick ideas to inspire the community. 

Anyway, after ten and a half years, enjoy the second set of "Simple Fashion" robes!

Head: Fine Elven Circlet (Default, Anniversary Festival barter reward)

Shoulders: Disused Mantle of the Dunland Soothsayer (White, reward from the quest Mean, Old Big Bloodtusk)*

Chest: Robe of Leisure (Dark mossy green, LOTRO Store)

Feet: Westemnet Campaign Shoes of Fate (Dark mossy green, crafted from the Westemnet Campaign Shoes tailor recipe)

Stone-cleaver

 

In honor of purchasing Gundabad, my first impulse was creating another dwarven outfit. Two cosmetic bundles came with the Ultimate tier, the Fateful Gundabad set and the Gundabad Reclaimer set. I didn't particularly like the Reclaimer one, given how bulky and plain it was. Neither did it dye very well. However, the Fateful set offered far more flexibility. Largely a grey colored set, dyes affected the  dwarven patterns etched across the midsection of the chestplate and the central cloth tasset of the leggings. 

I've always been curious as to why, as of Update 23, Where Dragons Dwell, dwarven clothing became characterized by a stylized celtic block pattern. It made it easier to coordinate what other pieces I'd mix with the Fateful set. I drew, mainly, from the Ironfold crafting tier and Grey Mountains reputation vendors.

Silvered Feather

 

After nearly eleven years of playing LOTRO, there are still many cosmetics I haven't collected. Most of them, unfortunately, are from raids like Throne of Dread Terror, Amdan Dammul, and Remmorchant or faction rewards that require high reputation. And then there are some that I've had my eye on for years, like the Faramir-themed sets. Back in January, I collected my final Morgul Crest from a Roving Threat in the North Downs, later spending all twenty on the Robe of Faramir's Faithful. Thanks to the wonderful Gracelenrose and Narufind of Gladden and their weekly RT and Scourge runs, collecting this robe was possible. I wish these crests had a better drop rate from RTs. because those Faramir sets are gorgeous! The only other way to earn these crests is by trading Ithil-coins earned from Throne of Dread Terror, which is rarely run nowadays.

(Just a quick and shameless plug: if you are on Gladden, Grace and Nar scout a scheduled set of RTs or Scourges every Tuesday and publicly share the coords on the RT Discord server. Every Saturday night at 7 PM EST is the live RT/Scourge group, which is pre-scouted. These are scheduled in advance and will either fall into one of three categories: Eriador, Gondor and The Wastes, or Scourges and the Nine. If you'd like in on these groups, watch for advertisements or PM Gracelenrose for the server info.)

Autumn Leaf Fashion

I need to put it out there that if I missed LOTRO's Fall Festival--my favorite one by the way--I might have quit LOTRO permanently. As most of my readers and Twitter followers know, this has been a rough year investing in LOTRO. It's been one thing after another, all in rapid succession. A pandemic that forced me into 60+ hour work weeks from April to September. (I had one afternoon of playtime this past July, and that was it.) I came back to an unstable game, due to a combination of issues with SSG's service provider and their server infrastructure. Once the connection issues stabilized early October, my PC monitor died. I replaced it, only to have my PC's motherboard and processor kick the proverbial bucket nearly a week later. I had no choice but to rebuild my PC, which took approximately three weeks. 

Although these circumstances have been out of my control, I feel terrible leaving this blog all but abandoned this year. To make up for lost time, I'll be sharing three new outfits, each featuring a new cosmetic from the 2020 Fall Festival. Golden leaf motifs and tattered, perhaps more accurate to say leafy, fabric are the core components of this year's theme. Between the Leaf-turner cosmetics, which are somewhat reminiscent of pre-Isengard elven design, the spookier looking Autumn Sage ones, I'd say SSG has captured the festival's essence. I haven't been this impressed with the seasonal fall designs since 2018!

Head: Woodland Crown (Default, Yule Festival token barter reward)
Shoulders: Fur Mantle (Orange, Yule Festival token barter reward)
Chest: Vestments of the Autumn Sage (White, Fall Festival token barter reward)
Feet: Embroidered Shoes of the Dunland Healer (Rust, reward from Missing Persons)**

Weapon: Smooth Holly Staff (From the T6 Woodworker Holly Staff recipe)

Penchant for Plum

I loved Minas Morgul. Definitely one of my favorite expansions to have graced LOTRO these past twelve years. Between Mordor Besieged and the Morgul Vale, the story was amazing and the landscape design phenomenal. However, the Vale itself was one of the darkest regions added to the game. My Rune-keeper, known for wearing dark or earthen-toned clothing, was blending into the landscape. It was difficult to play while traveling through light underbrush or while moving against the ethereal glow of the citadel's high stone walls. Sometimes, I didn't know where I was unless I was flinging lightning in some unsuspecting warg's face or roasting spiders in the web-covered Taurlingol. To fix the problem, I took some unusual measures and dived into my dwindling supply of shire plum, which I'll have to replenish next Spring.

Winter's Wings

Another year has come and gone in LOTRO. The Yule Festival's here (running from December 12, 2019 to Janurary 8, 2020) and it's a time of year marked by mirth and warmth, celebration, charitable acts, and the comfort of friends and family. Keep an eye on global channels, the forums, and social media for special seasonal events! Secret Santas and kinship parties are very popular through New Years. This is when I temporarily slow down with Material Middle-earth, as there are a variety of events to enjoy!

With the start of Yule Festival, I also break out the cold weather outfits. This latest appearance uses two of the Ice Flower skins, available at Frostbluff for the first time. They're a delightful reskin, and a more universal one in my opinion, of the Fall Festival's Autumn Traveller cosmetics. With a larger variety of color, they boast a greater flexibility and are easier to mix with other sets. And this year, I made another warm and feathered appearance suited to adventuring in inclement and often snowy regions, drawing on skins from various regions of Middle-earth.

Silver Dawn

This outfit was actually inspired by Hymne of Cosmetic LOTRO. Having seen her use the Jacket of the Wild Hills in this outfit, I felt the desire to do the same. Originally, I started with a similar color scheme as my base, keeping the jacket lórien gold to match the braided celtic knot pattern.  However, no matter what I did, I couldn't get anything to match the chest very well. Days of trying new skins, only to run into the same exact problem--serious clipping. Not just movement clipping, but stationary clipping. The Jacket of the Wilds is one of the bulkier pieces and doesn't exactly sit skin-tight on the body. It was so frustrating that I almost tossed in the proverbial towel and moved on.

Unfinished Appearances & Outfitting Reflections

Every now and then, I've made an outfit that leaves me with mixed feelings. I've let those sit for a few weeks then revisit them and reassess the work I've done. Sometimes they've made it to this blog. Sometimes they haven't. Sometimes an outfit's sat there indefinitely because something feels off, but has the potential to be finished without any indication as to how. And that would be this outfit. The Watchman of the Northern Lands, which was posted last month, was the redesigned product. I still have this original version saved to an outfit slot, still not quite sure what to do with it, but my hopes of completing it have dwindled. Since Material Middle-earth is a blog for outfit ideas, I've uploaded it should someone want to make something out of it.

Ancient Master

My absolute favorite staff has always been the Staff of Storied Past. Although recently introduced through the LOTRO Store, this staff has been in the game's coding for years. Originally, it was called the Lore-master's Staff of the First Age (level 58). In my decade of playing LOTRO, I've never seen this staff drop. Nor have I seen any other First Age weaponry from level 53-58 drop. It's still a mystery, but I've never known the reason why these beautiful weapons weren't introduced into the loot pools. Luckily, the developers at SSG introduced some of those skins to the LOTRO Store as limited time items, appearing for approximately one week every couple of months. I purchased this staff on its initial release day.

Finally, I had the chance to make an outfit revolving around it. It was an interesting approach too!

Barbed Executioner

The Barbed Executioner is one of my more interesting outfits. I figured I'd try pairing two distinctly different sets of armor skins and see what I could create. The "Mordor's Bane" and "Mordor's Vanguard" gear from the High-enchanter seldom gets used outside their own sets. Most of those pieces were darkly colored, covered in scales, rivets, shingled plates, and spikes, creating a unique aesthetic. And then there's the dwarven-themed cosmetics from U23, covered in celtic knot-like patterns and intricately weaved leather interlaced with detailed and highly decorated steel. It was a challenge attempting to mesh these styles together and, even though it's not the most realistic appearance, I was satisfied with the result.

Bare-chested Bard

It all started in September of 2016 when Gamutdorok, of Crickhollow's amazing Second Breakfast kinship, started the LOTRO hashtag #NakeDwarfGo on Twitter. (Of course, it's safe. I wouldn't intentionally link questionable content on this family-friendly blog!) What was a completely innocuous joke then has transformed into a cheerful, hilarious, and addictive subculture showcasing any and every dwarf encountered using the Bare-chested cosmetic. It's filled with dwarves parading in hot pants, dwarven bands singing and strumming shirtless, dwarves proudly displaying carefully sculpted beards, dwarves that...well, the list is endless. Frankly, I'm surprised nobody started the racy "Dwarves of Middle-earth" calendar, which would have better funded the expedition into Ered Mithrin! (If anyone asks, you didn't hear that from me!)

I couldn't resist and joined the fun, adding my own to the Twitter collection!

Ward of the Mountains

As this was my second dwarf outfit, I thought I'd just dive in, not put too much thought into what pieces I would use, and follow my fashionable instincts. What resulted was a heavily armored dwarf  that was also armed to the teeth (lots of pointy weapons, too). The outfit itself does feel a bit cumbersome, but it works. The only thing I'm not particularly fond of is the hauberk-style heavy chest piece, the Reinforced Chestplate of the Adventurer. I'm not quite sure if it was that only the top half was plated or how flat and curveless it appears when donned by a stocky dwarf. Then again, I've been getting used to dwarven body structure these past couple months and the U23 skins have made it easier.

Tempered and Sagacious

Material Middle-earth returns this week with another PvMP-centric appearance. Unlike December's Garrison Commander outfit, this one can be acquired, in full, without entering the Moors, but requires mithril coins to purchase. Normally, I don't post outfits that rely so heavily on real money (or ungodly luck from Hobbit Presents), but this something I love sporting on my Lore-master. And it feeds my shameless and often unsatiated love for the color purple.

Garrison Commander

Can I say how much I've loved having Bullroarer? Whenever I've finished testing what I wanted to test, and after giving appropriate feedback of course, I like to indulge my outfitting urges. Thanks to the Eyes and Guard Tavern located in Archet and Thorin's Hall, many of LOTRO's currencies are infinite. I've created or transferred multiple characters and completed the dailies found in the Tavern to cap my commendations, stockpile mithril coins, or collect whatever else I've desired. I'd been waiting for an opportunity to create this outfit, one that complimented the Great Axe of the Khazad-dûm Vaults, a weapons periodically available in the LOTRO Store.

Gondomon General

About a week ago, when my work, home, social, and gaming life finally achieved some balance (can't forget the end of the Harvest Festival too, which I'd been grinding like crazy), I took the plunge and purchased the U23 content, Where Dragons Dwell. I've actually enjoyed most of it. And I'm excited that the dwarves have gotten some much needed love for the first time since Mines of Moria. Yes, they've popped up from time to time--the Mirkwood Epics, Thror's Coomb in Enedwaith, and Erebor, most notably--but have had no fully fleshed, substantial, and dedicated content until LOTRO's last update.

And the best thing about it, outside of the new storylines? The impressive and beautiful new dwarven cosmetics, all obtained from questing, the Figments of Splendor vendors, and the instances. Gloredh from Wandering Around Arda graciously uploaded two entries, both of which can be found here and here.

Alliance Vanguard

This was the first outfit I'd made for my High Elf Captain, Gwaimallin. Ironically, it's also the one that's taken me the longest to share. As much as I've loved the outfit itself, I've never been satisfied with the screenshot location. Honestly, it blended in with much more landscape and instanced scenery than anticipated. Each time, I'd get halfway through a photo session before scrapping it entirely. I told myself this would be the last attempt and that if I didn't share it soon, I should remove the outfit and not bother at all. I was glad to finally get this completed, and even though the screenshots aren't the best, I'm satisfied with the final product!

Scaled Spellweaver

Getting away from dark landscapes and fiery outfits for a short time, I've decided to post an outfit my low level Lore-master uses. It's not often I've focused on the Draigoch armor skins--I usually use gloves and boots to accessorize--but I discovered that my main Lore-master and my Warden still have their sets sitting in storage. Just that tiny bit of nostalgia, and the fact that my kin has been running Draigoch lately, was enough to motivate me. Other than that, and the fact I'm trying different gear combinations, there's really no story to this outfit.

Martial Weapons Master

Orange. When have I ever made an orange outfit? I've only done it once for a seasonal harvest outfit. Otherwise, it's been a color I've avoided. But why did I decide to use it again? I've been obsessed with the Winged Blade, is one of the few purely cosmetic greatswords found in LOTRO. I've had trouble incorporating into an already existing outfit. Nothing seemed to work. Instead, I used my High Elf Captain--as I've been doing lately--to make an outfit that revolved around the sword, using the colors and designs in the hilt, pommel, and guard as a base.