Visions Unseen

"And here in Rivendell there live still some of his chief foes: the Elven-wise, lords of the Eldar from beyond the furthest seas. They do not fear the Ringwraiths, for those who have dwelt in the Blessed Realm live at once in both worlds, and against both the Seen and the Unseen they have great power."

          ― The Fellowship of the Ring, "Many Meetings"

I've been reading the LOTR books again and this passage spoken by Gandalf caught my attention. It speaks of two worlds, the Seen (the one in which corporeal beings exist) and the Unseen (the one in which non-corporeal beings exist). Very few beings had the ability to cross between the realms--namely the Valar, Wizards (the Maiar), and the Elves who once lived in Valinor. The Ring-wraiths could also exist in both worlds simultaneously, though I'm not quite sure if the wraith-world they exist in qualifies as the Unseen. The One Ring also had the ability to draw the wearer into the wraith-world. At the very least, these realms were similar. And within the Unseen realms, the beings that freely walked them appeared differently. The spectral man-like forms of the Nazgul would be one example. The brilliant white aura manifesting itself around certain Elves like Glorfindel, which Frodo saw as he was succumbing to the Morgul-steel's curse, would be another. In Jackson's film interpretations, this aura also manifested itself around Arwen and Elrond. As interesting as this was, not much else is mentioned by Tolkien regarding the Unseen realm and it remains a largely speculative subject.

Verdant Grace

Quite often I repurpose slotted or old outfits. A splash of a different color, the exchange of at least one piece...that's all it's taken to transform an old character appearances into something new, fresh, and exciting. I've always been surprised how a subtle change in color, either in tint, shade, or tone, has altered the concept and emotion of an outfit. For those that have regularly visited Material Middle-earth, this particular clothing combination should look familiar. It's mostly a recolor of Silvan Elegance, which was posted in February 2018, almost a year from today.

Silvan Elegance

I was SO FREAKING EXCITED when the Replica of Elor dropped from one of my Gorgoroth Lootboxes back in late October with a daily key. I screamed. I danced. I cheered. I made everyone where I live panic moments after it appeared in my inventory. (Of course, it didn't take long for it to be added to the Vendor of Rare Oddities in Magh Ashtu and take away from it's specialness.) I've been eyeing this unique two-handed sword skin since I discovered it with ItemTreasury, a database mining LOTRO plugin, back in 2015. So many unused weapon skins exist in there...especially staves! Anyway, before I start drooling over unique weapons again, this outfit was made specifically to compliment the sleek and elegant Elor.

Oh yes, meet my High Elf Captain, Gwaimallin. She'll be the focus of multiple outfits for the next several months, each with unique weapons skins to match her attire.

Ithil-watcher

Sometimes, I feel like I'm always playing catch up in the LOTRO cosmetics blogosphere. Taking that extended break from game content from the release of U14 (Western Gondor) until U18 (The Battle of Pelennor Fields) due to feeling burned out, I missed out on the opportunity to tinker with the newest cosmetic skins as they were released. I missed out on the Osgilliath sets while that content was relevant (I rarely see the cluster run anymore), the Morgul-crest bartered Faramir sets, and, by the time I caught up story-wise, the Pelennor and Throne sets. I had logged in for that long stretch of time only to make outfits. It's only now, after a significant amount of effort, that I've gotten around to showcasing some of the spectacularly designed U19 gear from the North Ithilien/post-Pelennor quests.

Scaled Scourge

This week's entry began with an overwhelming question: "What cosmetics have I NOT used?" For starters, I've avoided most of the crafted gear after level 65. That's when gear skins started deforming the bodies of our characters. I also haven't put any of the Eastern Gondor gear to good use. I've been reluctant to use a good portion of the Helegrod and Rifts armor sets. I've often ignored the Draigoch sets, since I can rarely get them to mesh well with gear outside the sets. Suffice it to say, the list was extensive. It boils down to personal tastes, but those tastes, in retrospect, have been restrictive. Taking a chance, I settled for some pieces I've either rarely seen worn by anyone in LOTRO, on the cosmetics thread of the forums, or by fellow bloggers.

Hobbit-skald - Pennycandy of Gladden

This here is the final outfit request I'll be honoring. As you know, Saturday will be my final day updating this blog. I understand that there are other creations that some of you would have liked me to make, but I'm out of time. It's taking all of my willpower to stick to my guns and retire, as planned, this weekend. Thank you for strongly encouraging me to continue, but the longer I stay, the harder it will be to leave. Let's get back to the outfit, shall we?

I had a brief conversation with Lilyrose, the leader of Rangers of the West on the Gladden server. Some of you may recall that I've had the pleasure judging two server fashion events hosted by her wonderful kinship between 2013 and 2014. Anyway, she was wondering if I could make some sort of warrior-skald outfit. Usually she dons her Draigoch set and charges headfirst into battle on her hobbit mini. I'm hoping this gives her (and other similar halfling characters) another combat-ready option.

Revisiting the Early Days of MME

As promised in late November, I've gone back in time to 2012, taken old outfits from this blog, and reposted them here in bigger, brighter pictures with much improved graphical quality. It was difficult to choose from over fifty outfits, but I narrowed that list down to eight. With each picture, I've included the name of the outfit (most sound soooo corny!) and a link back to the original post for the dyes and skins. I almost changed some of the pieces, but decided to leave them as is.

Normally I post new outfits on Saturday, but I thought this would be a refreshing change of pace.

You might be wondering what was my reasoning for doing this? Here's my first reason. I never had the followers in 2012 that I have nowadays. When Material Middle-earth was in its infancy, I was lucky to get a hundred views a month. Nowadays, it nets at least several thousand. By not establishing myself on Facebook until late 2013 and Twitter in 2014, many LOTRO players didn't have the chance to see my early work as it was posted. I am hoping, today, that you'll join me on a sentimental journey and see where it all began. And for the second reason, this week's entry allowed me to exhaust whatever marks, medallions, and dyes remained simply by recreating these.

Also, don't forget that next Saturday I'll be posting my farewell entry with a new outfit! Before then, I'll be honoring one last outfit concept from a follower. If all goes well, that ensemble will appear here on Wednesday morning.

The War-forged Defender

A Warm Yuletide - Satella of Gladden

By far, my most shameless winter and holiday outfit to date. Why I say that? This outfit was heavily influenced by the mountie dress uniform a friend wore for Halloween. So, not only do you have an ensemble using Christmas colors, you have, arguably, LOTRO's first reinterpreted and embellished mountie. At least the traditional brown felt campaign hat isn't in the game, because that would be too much! This year, I've given you the perfect blend of security, hilarity, and holiday cheer...and a "virtual" tribute to one of the world's well known police forces!

Midnight Chill - Nathrien of Gladden

Today kicks off the first outfit featured in this year's Winter Series. Versus doing something in a traditional blue and white theme, I've decided to try something new and experiment with skins that have gone unused in the two to three years they've been in storage. The first being the Battered Dunlending Chestguard (or any the Dunland pieces sharing this skin), which features a chain mail undergarment covered with a fur-lined coat, topped off with a strap-laden leather jerkin. Until this post, I've never been able to match it very well with anything else. The second piece, the Yule Hoodless Cloak, displaying a blizzard-like pattern and a highly unique white trim with a difficult to match silvery sheen. This sheen is only found in this cloak and often stands out in any outfit, even at a distance. If it were a pure white, I'd have used it a very long time ago.

Here's winter for you...in a sleek, efficient, combat-oriented style!

Elven Mettle - Faewynn of Gladden

When I make an outfit, I do my best to confine myself either to the lore of books or the lore of LOTRO (I do make the distinction) and avoid the films. I've never been a big fan of Jackson's interpretation and constant lore-breaking, but sometimes images, no matter how brief, get burned into my mind. Two images from The Two Towers during the Helm's Deep scenes became the inspiration for this elven battle outfit (the one here and then the other) reminiscent of the Mirkwood days.

Eorlsmead Marksman - Emeridir of Gladden

When I was deeding on my hunter some several months ago, I felt inspired by the landscape existing between Stangard in the Eorlsmead and Haldirith in Thinglad to make a suitable outfit. The area is rich in earthen tones and shades of grey while maintaining a somewhat simplistic atmosphere. It's been at least a year, perhaps two, since I completed any quests out here and I had forgotten how beautiful it was. In recent weeks, I returned to take pictures of this outfit, which I hope caught the feel of the Great River zone.

Nomadic Easterling - Aerthain of Gladden

Ah, my next steel blue creation. Unlike my last attempt, Midnight Magic, the blueish properties of the dye are more noticeable. The more I've been experimenting with the color, the more I've come to the conclusion steel blue is best used on place, chain mail, or scale mail. Not to stereotype the dye, but eighty percent of the cloth and leather skins look too metallic. If you've got a muted or darker base on light armor, you'll have a bluer shade.

Shieldmaiden's Return - Satella of Gladden

This is a bittersweet post for me. My champion, the only character that had some semblance of a background story, has returned to her home of Aldburg. If you had asked me almost four years ago if I expected to see this historic town in LOTRO, I would have said never. Not once was it mentioned in the LOTR Trilogy, and even then, only briefly in the legendarium's Appendices. As I write this, I recall memories of my character's adventures across Middle-earth--Moria, the Golden Wood, Dunland--along with each and every outfit she wore. I'd have to say, of all of my toons, this one's story has progressed the most. A shield-maiden, barely known, that ventured from Aldburg some years ago into the heart of Eriador returns a seasoned soldier, clad in the garb of the races she encountered.

Red Dawn - Satella of Gladden

Lalia's Market has been something I've often avoided. I've never been an advocate for a cash shop that featured items that can be earned, with patience, through leveling, crafting, and accruing instance currencies. However, there have been certain pieces I have purchased because, without being a subscriber, I've never been able to access them. The ceremonial versions of the Ettenmoors gear, specifically.  Anything else, I've earned over the years with some hard work. The LOTRO Store is the other exception I make. The majority of cosmetic pieces found there are exclusive to the store. (This is this blogger's humble opinion and it not intended to insult anybody with outfits featured on the mannequins over the past year.)

Anyway, I finally decided to dip into my pool of mithril coins for this outfit. Sometime early last year, many store items were made obsolete and were converted into these coins. I had accrued so many revival tomes and tomes of dread removal from lootboxes that when the conversion happened, I found myself with a little over 300 coins.

Westfold Scout - Cirilyn of Gladden

I wish it hadn't taken so long to use the walnut brown dye for the first time. Helm's Deep has been out for five months at this point, and it was the first new dye since the "In Their Absence" instances were released, I believe. I'd have to say that I've fallen in love with it. If you haven't had the chance to use it, I'd describe it as a color falling between umber and black on LOTRO's scale, making it a wonderfully deep and dark brown. Often times I've found sienna to be too warm and umber not dark enough for my purposes. Due to that, black became a common fallback color, especially for boots. Now I have the perfect intermediary color!

Mithril Guard - Andalost of Gladden

I nearly forgot that I had this pre-order cosmetic from Mines of Moria. It's an interesting piece, the Hauberk of the Mithril Guard, because of it's heavy blue base color. You can dye it yellow and it'll appear green, very much like rose will give you a brilliant purple. This makes it a royal pain to coordinate with other pieces. You'll generally have two options with this hauberk--use dark colors for the entire outfit (blues are easiest) or dye the robe the color of your choice and forego most of the ability to accessorize it. Either way, it makes an amazing base for Moria gear and any gold-accented piece.

Sentinel of the Golden Wood - Aldebaraan of Gladden

Until I resumed leveling my Warden, I hadn't set foot in Lothlórien in over a year. Due to the epic quest chain from the mail that leads into Rohan, I had to visit the lovely Galadriel. On the way back from Stangard, I began to remember the changes made to the reputation requirements just to enter the Golden Wood. At one time, you had to reach acquaintance to pass the first border. With the release of U7 and Great River, that reputation requirement was removed. That's when my knowledge of the lore kicked in, followed shortly by the voice of the role-player within, and I thought "With all these people and other foul creatures passing though the Golden Wood unobstructed, the Galadhrim could probably use another hand!" And that's how this particular outfit began. I logged to an Elven character and put my nose to the grindstone.

Winter Series - Steel-clad Santa

It began with a simple shout-out in GLFF meant to relieve a bit of boredom waiting for this year's festivities to start. I jokingly dared someone to cosmetically challenge me for the holiday season. I seriously wasn't expecting to hear anything. Then BAM! A single tell rolled in from an anonymous player--"Make a Santa that rides to war in Rohan!" My initial reaction? Forehead met palm with a loud smack. Good grief. I kinda dug myself a hole and I had to find a way to climb out of it. It took about three days, but here we are...a chainmail-wearing, pauldron-toting, backpack-slinging interpretation of St. Nick that can still deliver gifts to children scattered across the open plains of Rohan. Isengard and Mordor beware!

Barad Guldur Armor Sets - New and Old

Courtesy of Bullroarer, I have screenshots of the new level 85 Barad Guldur armor sets available at your local skirmish camp. I found it surprising that the new end-game gear is available without any special prerequisites, such as Dark Emblems from the actual raid. They'll be sitting here alongside the 65 6-piece sets at the Classic skirmish vendor. Make sure to click each picture for an enlarged version.  With the number of pictures here, I didn't want to make this post too long. Two sections here -- the 85 and 65 armor.

Level 85 Sets

(Heavy, Medium, Light from left to right)

The latest BG armor doesn't quite feature new skins. In fact, only the coloration appears to be different. If you notice closely, provided you are already familiar with the 65 BG armor, each set is a mish-mash of the original pieces from its respective classes. A helmet from one set here, leggings from another, and so on. The heavy set is for Champ, Guards, and Cappies. The medium set is for Hunters, Wardens, and Burglars. The light set is for Minstrels, Lore-masters, and Rune-keepers. Each class does have its own statted gear though! As for the dyable portions of this armor, only the silver-grey areas can be recolored.

Each piece costs 1554 Marks and 538 Medallions

   

Halloween Costume Collection - Triple Feature

It's that wonderful time of year again. Black cats, bubbling cauldrons, sticky cobwebs...and all sorts of little tricks among the treats. I am actually holding a kinship Halloween Costume Contest this season for Turning of the Tide. I've given them the task of creating either something scary or finding an ingenious way to dress like a character from LOTR lore. The submission deadline will be October 26, after which the players will be able to vote for the top 3 outfits until November 2. I'll be revealing the winners on November 3, each receiving a prize for their efforts. I'll be posting all the outfits submitted on my blog : ) If I knew I was going to judge a server event sooner, I might have opened this up to everybody!

In an attempt to inspire kinnies to create the best outfits they can create, I'll post some of my ideas here. I've opted to move towards the scary and away from the lore for now. I might post a few lore-based outfits in a couple of weeks. Enjoy!

Black Pyromancer