Idh Ryss en Belegaer

Seldom do I attempt to name anything in Sindarin. Why? Depending on what you're trying to say, the rules are quite complicated. You have to account for word origins, how each vowel changes when going from singular to plural, and special grammatical mutations. Of course, the name I had my heart set on involved quite a few special rules. "Idh Ryss en Belegaer" means "The Whispers of the Belegaer" (Idh Ryss (pl. the whispers--singular form being I Rhoss) + en (conj. of the) + Belegaer). Just in case you're wondering, Belegaer means great/mighty (beleg) sea (aear) and refers to the expansive sea west of Arda. Of course, I may have gotten my translation into Sindarin wrong. By no means do I declare myself an expert. My only guide, currently, is a small notebook that contains the Sindarin crash course my college Tolkien professor attempted to give ten years ago. If anyone can confirm or correct my attempt, please let me know!

Grammar lesson over! *wipes sweat from brow*

Dauntless Champion

If you've been following my Twitter account in recent weeks, you may have seen the first image entered in one of the many screenshot contests held by LOTRO Family. For those on Twitter, it was a sneak peek of this combat-oriented outfit. Now I've been able to publish it here for everybody to see. I actually had this outfit tucked away for a while. Until Vol. 4, Book 8 and The Wastes had been released, I couldn't find a location that felt appropriate. By appropriate, I mean perfect. Any of the Pelennor instances could have done, but the Battle of the Morannon space was exactly what I needed.

Sentinel of the Tomb Hills

My Beorning has certainly come to wear the most atypical of outfits since I made her. At first, I wasn't sure what her particular style would be. Whatever new combination of clothing I liked I had her wear. Long before I stuck to leathery wildnerness-themed gear, I tried hauberks, robes, heavy armor, and dresses. This particular ensemble was one of the earliest she'd worn...and one I hadn't replaced yet. Considering this used a combination of pieces scattered across Eriador, I wasn't exactly sure what image this would portray.

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.

Ashen Wastes

As you may have noticed, I purchased the Ultimate Fan bundle for Mordor. I was doing very well resisting the call of the new and exclusive cosmetics, but as the release date grew closer, I caved and purchased it. So far, I have no regrets. Two sets of exclusive cosmetics--the Alliance and Ash Plains sets--and their respective steeds and war-steed sets, the High Elf, the Aria of the Valar (made a High Elf Captain you'll eventually meet), a housing item that takes the user deep into Mordor, and other things. The expansion content and packages haven't disappointed me yet...and neither have the landscape cosmetics! The new Mordor skins have breathed much needed life into the pool of clothing options.