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.

Winter's Plumage

This year's Yule Festival has been eagerly anticipated and welcomed with equal joy. Of all LOTRO's festivals, this is my absolute favorite. There's a large variety in the cosmetics offered (robes, cloaks, tunics, and dresses) through quests and vendors, as well as a multitude of titles, steeds, and a beautifully designed Yule portrait frame. Of course, I can't neglect mentioning the gorgeous belegaer blue dye! If you haven't seen the latest rewards, other than the robe pictured in this blog entry, I'd suggest checking out Wandering Around Arda's preview. If you're like me and have had little time to spare for LOTRO this holiday season, this link may help you make some time.

His & Hers - An Ornate Yuletide

It's hard to believe another year has come and gone in LOTRO. And it's even more difficult to believe that I actually have a chance to upload some Yule outfits, let alone have a PC to upload them with (last year, I didn't have a working one)! I'll be keeping this post rather brief. As I'm finalizing this entry, and scheduling to auto-post while I'm working Saturday morning, I have a batch of mini oreo cheesecakes chilling in the fridge. Soon they'll be done, and then it's back to the kitchen for more baking! This will be my only chance to squeeze in some LOTRO time until after Christmas.

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.

Ward of the Neldoreth

With very few chances to play LOTRO between January and September, I missed out entirely on two festivals. Luckily, I was able to procure the new Nárië cosmetics from this year's Summer Festival from the auction house. I've yet to get my hands on the New Bloom cosmetics from the Spring Festival. I've been keeping an eye out for those, hoping I can grab them without having to wait for the next one. It pleased me greatly to see more surcoats and tunics making their appearance in the game. Even the Fall Festival had a new dress! I've even wondered what the Yule Festival has in store this year!

Beacon of Calmindon

The name of this outfit is borrowed from Calmindon, the great First Age lighthouse sitting in the Númenórean Bay of Rómenna. I may not be the best at recalling the lore from the Unfinished Tales or The Silmarillion, but I believe it was erected as a warning not to defy the Ban of the Valar. For the Númenóreans, it meant they could never sail so far west that their own lands would disappear from view, for attempting to see or visit the Undying Lands was forbidden. This lighthouse, along with Númenór, was sunk into the sea towards the end of the Second Age by Eru Ilúvatar, when the Númenóreans corrupted by Sauron and Melkor challenged the ban and tried to forcibly reclaim the immortality they felt they were denied. Only the Faithful, a very small group of Númenóreans loyal to the Valar, were allowed to escape destruction and found the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor some years later.

I think that's enough of a history lesson for now. Hopefully, I interpreted the lore correctly.

Cosmetic Guide to Dol Amroth Class Armor

Multiple players have been asking on the forums and in world/glff chat where else they can obtain the Dol Amroth class armor skins that came with the release of U14. As a result, I picked up this project in the hopes of creating some sort of guide. Here, I'll list as best as possible the alternative methods to collecting these armor skins. Because this post is strictly for skins, I won't be including dye colors. I'll admit there are some pieces that I don't know. I never bothered to get one of each class to level 95 or subbed long enough to have the entire cosmetic library at my fingertips. However, I'll do my best. Just to warn you, you will see *multiple* pieces listed that share the same skins. 

If you see a piece that's incorrect or an alternative item with the same skin, please leave a comment below.

And by the way, only half of these sets are cosmetically original. I know my blogs and outfits well enough to know some of these have been lifted from other sites and slightly altered, whether it's by dye color or a single piece. If that is the case, I will provide links to the original creators and the specific outfits beneath each set to give credit where it is due.

Hunter ("Of the Liberator" set)

Head: Helm of the Shadow-walker (Barad Guldur level 65 medium armor from skirm camp)
Shoulders: Treasure Hunter's Shoulder Guards (T6 Tailor light armor recipe, or its level 54 or 58 crafted equivalent)
Chest: Battle Armour of the Mark (T8 Metalsmith recipe, guilded or RoR landscape barter)
Hands: Eastemnet Battle Gauntlets (T8 Metalsmith recipe, level 80)
Feet: Woodland Ranger’s Boots (Volume 3 Wildermore Interludes)

OUTFIT ADAPTED from The Starry Mantle by the designers.

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!