Seriously. Don’t go there. It eats you.
Fangorn is so incredibly well done, that it scared the wits out of me. It’s really really creepy, especially if you go there after dark. There’s dark things slithering on the ground, branches that catch up with you and hidden eyes watching you. All the time. The worst of all is there are no roads. You get lost. Very lost. It’s Fangorn. Don’t go there.

When Beta started I briefly considered doing an overview of all crafted armour and end game armour, but I changed my mind. There’s so much stuff, not just crafted but also quest rewards and barter rewards that it’s too much for me to catalogue. In stead, I’d much rather do some small sneak peeks into Beta before launch. I will continue to do previews for the Festival cosmetics but I decided that that’s where I’m going to draw the line. Unfortunately the one website that’s been our greatest outfits and cosmetics resource in terms of crafted and bartered armour, Darzil’s Armour Guide, no longer gets updated. His website is a unique archive of all armour and cosmetics in Lotro, there’s just nothing like it, so Darzil no longer updating inevitably means a huge loss for the Lotro community. He is looking for volunteers to continue his body of work, so if anyone is interested to do this, please get in touch with Darzil!

For this outfit I used a combination of Tier 8 crafted armour pieces. The new crafted pieces are all quality designs. I just love the designers team! Unfortunately dye options are somewhat limited as all the base colours are dark.
I combined the outfit with a War-steed appearance of the Burglar, and as you can see this Beta round the Mount Emotes have been fixed, so you can now rear up on your War-steed as well!

Click on images for larger screenshot.

Head: Helm of Éomer, black dye (Tier 8 crafted level 85, medium armour)
Chest: Eastenmet Campaign Robe, black dye (Tier 8 crafted level 80, light armour)
Shoulders: Eastenmet Skirmish Pauldrons, sienna dye (Tier 8 crafted level 80, medium armour)
Hands: Eastenmet Skirmish Gauntlets, sienna dye (Tier 8 crafted level 80, medium armour)
Feet: Eastenmet Campaign Shoes, black dye (Tier 8 crafted level 80, light armour)
——————————————————————————————————————-

War-steed
Body: Caparison of the Burglar – black
Head: Halter of the Burglar – black
Saddle: Saddle of the Burglar – black
Legs: Leggings of the Burglar – black
Gear: Rune-keeper’s Gear

This is my first Riders of Rohan blog post and I’m not really sure how to start it off, because I never expected to be saying the things I am going to say. My first Rohan post was supposed to be a happy post. A post showing off my new warsteed in awesome colours with a mix-‘n-match outfit. A first post of many, sharing  the amazing new possibilities using the warsteed outfit system. Unfortunately, this is not to be. Not because the new warsteed customization options aren’t there, but because those options require a hefty sum of real life money to be accessed.

If I were to give only one of my characters access to all warsteed colours, it would cost me more than the entire Riders of Rohan legendary expansion, over $70. Given the fact that I have four characters going into Rohan, I would need $280 to give each of them full access. This is without even considering additional cost for an extra warsteed outfit panel, much less an exclusive outfit set. These solid colour options have no equivalent in game. There are speckled and blotchy skins dropping from warband spoils boxes, but no solid colours. My scholars can make dyes for my outfits, but not for my warsteed items. In other words, a huge portion of the warsteed customization options is limited to my real life wallet.

It may not come as a big surprise that I cannot afford to spend $280 for my four characters. Heck I don’t even want to spend $70 for one character! These are not reasonable amounts to spend on a cosmetic game mechanic. Even if I had that kind of money available, I would much rather spend it on a noble real life cause like The Fellowship Walk or getting Sapience to shave his beard.

I am not alone in my disappointment. @ForgotMyGambits has started a petition on the forum to lower the prices. The suggestions made in that thread to make colour packs account wide and allow individual colours to be picked are all good and may make the system more accessible. Sig from warsteeds.com has posted his frustrations. He also points out that the class steed caparisons don’t even have their original colour nor include their original skin colour. And I have seen many more tweets and comments from players regarding the price issues who feel the same.

Now I understand that Turbine is free to put whatever price they want on their lotro store items. They are also free to choose which items are going to be store exclusive. I have an above average passion for outfits and have always purchased all wardrobe options from the lotro store including many store exclusive cosmetics and some steeds, but the prices for these colour packs are far beyond my means and far beyond what I am willing to spend on a cosmetic system, regardless of my passion for it. So I am sad. Sad and disappointed that something I have been looking forward to so much turns out to be nothing but a money scam.

So far I have purchased one hide colour pack and one item colour pack for my main character. That is my limit and I am not going to spend another cent on this system unless something changes drastically. Until then, I am joining the large herd of grey warsteeds that are running across the planes of Rohan right now. I will merge with the masses, and enjoy the otherwise awesome landscape and quests while my characters clad themselves in dull shades of grey to match their dull grey warsteeds.

Head: Worn Ranger’s Hood, grey dye (Vol.III Book 5 reward, cosmetic)
Shoulders: Combat Pauldrons of Éomer, white dye (T8 crafted level 85, medium armour)
Chest: Eastemnet Assault Robe, white dye (T8 crafted level 80, light armour)
Hands: Gloves of the Westfold, default dye (RoI expansion reward)
Feet: Refugee’s ragged shoes, grey dye (Rohan quest reward, light armour)

Warsteed
Legs: Hunter’s Leggings – default dye
Saddle: Hunter’s Saddle
No additional colour customziations

My minstrel reached level 85 last week and is pretty much set up in Rohan to do daylies, warbands and… well that’s all for now I suppose. I’m trying hard to find new looks but there isn’t a lot of variety in the new Rohan armour. On top of that, many of the crafted chest pieces have deformation issues. For example the medium crafted Eastemnet chest piece that she is wearing here makes her legs look like she’s suffering from anorexia. Besides the legs being deformed, they aren’t placed straight onto her feet either, which becomes very obvious when she wears shoes as her feet literally stand next to her legs. All this causes clipping issues when wearing boots. This chest piece isn’t the only one with problems. When wearing the heavy crafted Eastemnet chest piece on a man, his chest will have deep recesses. The light Robe of Eomer, crafted level 85, gives my female elf a huge inflated breast and super thin arms. In other words, these crafted pieces are potentially hazardous to your character’s health!
The warsteed halter and caparison bear the emblem of the Entwash region which is a large harp, making items with this emblem very popular with Minstrels.

As far as the warsteed appearance customization options go, I’ve pretty much given up on hope that Turbine will listen to their customers and make the steed colors more accessible. I have accepted the fact that the appearance system was never intended to resemble anything like our current outfit system, and is probably better viewed as a “design your own steed for money” system, where you create an appearance for your steed and stick with that. This means that once you finished designing your tailor made steed and purchased the necessary colors, you are back to square one where, just like in the old world, you design your outfit to match your steed. Unlike what I had expected it to be, a system where the warsteed appearance can be customized to fit my outfits. Call me dumb for having had those expectations.
For this steed I’m using the default grey hide color and for its horse tack I’m using one of the free item colors. There are 6 item colors for free: Indigo, Rust, Orange, Forest Green, Rose and Yellow. All are colors that you’re not likely to have purchased with TP, but I guess Turbine wanted to throw us a bone. So for my steed I picked Forest Green, to match the Minstrel accessory that has an undyeable green section in it.
Given that these steed colors are so expensive, I decided to buy no more than two color packs for each of my characters. If the packs would have been cheaper I would have spent double or triple the total amount that I’m spending now, but I don’t want to feel like I’m being ripped off while playing my favorite game and at the same time I don’t want to exclude myself completely from the warsteed color options. I’m fine with the prices for accessories and hide-patterns, as I see those additions as optional, while I consider reasonable access to all color options as being mandatory to a successful and enjoyable outfitting system.

Back: Cloak of the Golden Oak, forest green dye (skirmish camp, cosmetic)
Chest: Eastemnet Skirmish Armour, forest green dye (T8 crafted level 80, medium armour)
Hands: Fingerless Gloves, forest green dye (Yule festival, helping the poor quest reward)
Feet: Reclaimed Nobleman’s Shoes, forest green dye (Great River quest reward, light armour)

Warsteed
Halter: Light Halter of the Entwash – forest green
Caparison: Light Caparison of the Entwash – forest green
Legs: Light Leggings of the Entwash – forest green
Saddle: Minstrel’s Saddle
Accessory: Minstrel’s Gear
No additional color customizations

Last month my blog joined in on the Charity Auctions organized by Casual Stroll to Mordor for the Fellowship Walk for Child’s Play. There were two auctions to bid on, both offering a cosmetic make-over for your character according to your wishes. Two auctions with two winners who were extremely generous in their donation and I’m very happy to offer my time in return to design something beautiful for them!
The first make-over I finished is for Tuiliel of Landroval, an elf huntress. She gave me a couple of inspirations to work with, one of which is her title “Lady of Streams”, which she described as follows:

From the lily-laden ponds of Frogmorton to the purple waterfalls of Evendim at sunset, to the banks of the Anduin strewn with golden leaves, Tuiliel embodies the spirit of the water: turning from gentle, to playful, to fierce at a moment’s notice, and never able to settle. She feels most at home in a quiet wood with a bubbling stream, in her heart always a river-daughter. This outfit is in keeping with her title Lady of Streams.

This inspiration led to two outfits, one with a dress, suitable for more formal occasions and one for a true elf lady huntress. You will find the huntress outfit in my next post. The main ingredient of both outfits are the water colours, combining blues, greens and purple hues in swirls and wave patterns.

Head: Simbelmynë Circlet, Evendim blue dye (Spring Festival cosmetic)
Chest: Long-sleeved Elven Dress, Evendim blue dye (Rivendell kindred reputation barter)
Shoulders: Noriel’s Folly, sea blue dye (Great River quest reward)
Back: Drape of Evendim, Evendim blue dye (skirmish camp cosmetic)
Hair: Hairstyle option 19

This is the second outfit I made for Tuiliel of Landroval, Lady of Streams. Just like the dress outfit, it centers around blues and greens, swirls and wave patterns and earthy colours. The most important part of these two outfits is the shoulder piece, Noriel’s Folly, which I think is awesome for female elf huntresses. As far as I know there is currently only one way to obtain it in game, as this piece is no longer available in the Ettenmoors. Tuiliel is level 70 and has yet to enter the Great River area. Since Riders of Rohan this area has been lowered to start at level 70, which offers a great alternative to levelling in gloomy Isengard. The leggings used are also a reward from the Great River area, but a bit further into the quest lines all the way into the Brownlands. These pieces have become quite precious now that the Ettenmoors pieces have been removed from the barters.

Tuiliel was very happy happy with these two outfits and has access to all the pieces, so she didn’t really want anything changed. I was very happy with them myself as I think these two outfits really fit her title well. This was my first attempt ever at making an outfit for someone else, based on their own idea and desires, and it turned out rather well!

Head: Simbelmynë Circlet, navy dye (Spring Festival cosmetic)
Chest: Elven Hunter’s Armour, sienna dye (crafted Tier 4, medium)
Shoulders: Noriel’s Folly, navy dye (Great River quest reward)
Legs: Earthen Leggings, turquoise dye (Great River quest reward)
Hands: Golden Host Gloves, navy dye (crafted Tier 6, Mirkwood medium)
Feet: Golden Host Boots, navy dye (crafted Tier 6, Mirkwood medium)
Back: Elegant Elven Quiver, sienna dye (festival box cosmetic)
Hair: Hairstyle option 19

I have a golden steed! And her name is Laurë, which means golden light in Quenya.

Thanks to the unannounced Lotro store sale this weekend, with 50% off steed color dye packs, I’ve been able to furnish my main character with all possible color options, and my alt characters with a few selected packs. Everyone is at a loss as to how long this sale is going to last, as it isn’t announced anywhere on the store page, and while writing this post the sale is still on.
I have been looking forward to playing with my war-steed appearance options since release, but was deeply disappointed and discouraged when I saw the prices. Now with 50% off, the color packs have finally come within my reach and I busted my piggy bank of TP that I had been saving up for this purpose. I can finally make combined war-steed outfits!
The transformation from dull grey gelding to light golden mare amazed me and I totally fell in love with my steed for the first time. I’m sure I will try out many more appearances now that I have access to everything, but Laurë will always be special.

Today marks the First Anniversary of The Starry Mantle! Please hop over to her blog to tell her how absolutely awesome she is, not because you might end up winning some TP for leaving a comment, but simply because she is.
In addition, don’t forget to cast your daily vote for Harperella, every day from now on until December 21st. This most dedicated and creative Lotro kinship leader deserves the support of the entire Lotro community. She has given us so much, and this way we can give something back, so please vote!

Chest: Festive Azure Tunic & Pants, violet dye (5th Anniversary Veteran reward, cosmetic)
Head: Balladeer’s Hat, violet dye (Moria class trainers minstrel, loremaster, runekeeper or skirmish cosmetic)

War-steed:
Body color: dun
Mane/tail color: tan
Legs: Minstrel’s Leggings (violet)
Accessory: Metal Braided Tail

Like many of you who are serious Festival fans and participants, I finished my Tier 3 Yule Festival deed a few days ago. In a previous post I had stated my reservations about the huge grind required for the War-steed Appearance traits, and now that I have completed it I can recount my experience. I have completed the deed on 4 of my characters, a 5th is still in progress. The festival has been extended until January 3rd allowing for two extra days to complete the deed, so I might even be able to complete my 5th character as well. To be fair, I think the amount of quests (120 total) required for this deed is very reasonable and commensurate with the reward. What makes it hard is the time limit in which the deed needs to be completed, especially considering the Christmas Holiday. Personally, I do not enjoy this kind of time pressure at all. I think the duration of this festival is way too short for casual players with a normal and healthy family life. I managed to do it, but it required me to arrange my real life schedule around my game, rather than the other way around. That is not the way I like to consume my game time. To sum up my opinion: the requirements of 120 quests is fine, the available time in which to do it is not.
I know there are Festival Tickets available for reset quests, but I leave those out of the equation as I would never consider buying them.

The good news is that I now have these beautiful Wintry Yule War-steed cosmetics and I think they are absolutely gorgeous! My main character Hymne (minstrel) has clad her golden steed in these garments and they look stunning. My little hobbit Mayrose (burglar) has dyed hers in yellow and that looks amazing as well. You can check out that appearance on warsteeds.com. It’s a shame the tail on the ponies is currently bugged and doesn’t dye. Just like war-steed leggings cannot be dyed black nor white. Please /bug any anomalies that you encounter as the bugs seem to be different depending on race and gender even.
If you are interested in war-steed appearances you may want to take advantage of this weekend’s Class Mount sale, as a few selected steeds got a 25% discount.
Another bit of cosmetic news, as some of you have already noticed, the mannequins that stand near the various armour vendors are wearing new outfits since Update 9. Two of those outfits were assembled by me. Mind you that these outfits were combined out of already existing lotro store items, as such was Turbine’s requirement when they asked me to redesign them. What is more interesting though (from a cosmetics point of view) is that the other two mannequins are currently wearing Northmen Armour (hunter and champion). These are highly sought after pieces, so you may want to consider purchasing those in the store rather than grinding out the medallions of the Northmen needed to purchase those pieces.
I suspect that this post is my last 2012 outfit. I’m looking forward to making some more in 2013!

Chest: Gossamer Dress, gold dye (skirmish cosmetic)
Back: Hooded Cloak of the Dove, gold dye (lotro store cosmetic)
Shoulders: Shoulders of the Wall-warden level 65, gold dye (skirmish camp Classic vendor)

War-steed:
Wintry Yule Halter, gold
Wintry Yule Caparison, gold
Wintry Yule Leggings, gold
Wintry Yule Saddle
Mane/tail: tan
Hide: bay

It seems like ages ago now, but back in October my blog was part of the Charity Auctions organized by Casual Stroll to Mordor. The first auction was won by Tuiliel and her outfit “Lady of Streams” was posted shortly after. The second auction was won by Tiny, a female Elf Minstrel on Elendilmir. I started working on those outfits too but unfortunately the player was out of the country and would have no internet access until January. So I decided to wait until the player returned home and would be able to fire up Lotro once again to try out the outfits.
Tiny confessed to having a fancy for large brimmed hats, and would usually be dressed in hauberks or dresses. Favorite colors were green and purple, and no hoods please! The rest was basically up to me.

Without access to Lotro it was hard to check for availability of items in vault and wardrobe, so I concentrated on items that are relatively easy to access, especially at level cap. The cloak that I used in this outfit, was a unique item at the time when I took these screenshots, and available only from The Great River area as a quest reward. To my delight a cloak with the same appearance now also drops as a BoE item in the new Webs of the Scuttledells instance, so you will be able to find it on the Auction House as Spider-silk Cloak as well. I hope this outfit serves as an inspiration to enjoy playing Lotro again!
Just for the fun of it I made a second outfit for Tiny as well, with a very elvish appearance and definitely no brimmed hat!

Head: Plumed Hat, umber dye (world drop or crafted T6 light armour as Master’s Hat)
Shoulders: Padded Shoulder Pads of the Wold, yellow dye (Rohan quest reward or barter, light armour)
Chest: Robe of the Seven Stars, umber dye (cosmetics vendor Skirmish camp)
Hands: Hale-glofas, yellow dye (Rohan quest reward or barter, light armour)
Feet: Reclaimed Nobleman’s Shoes, umber dye (Great River quest reward, light)
Back: Cloak of the Unwelcome Guest, umber dye (Great River quest reward, light)

This second outfit for Tiny came together after Update 9, as a result of the Barad Guldur armor becoming available at the Skirmish camp. I don’t know of many serious outfitters who are not delighted with these additions, because many pieces of these level 65 armor sets are must-haves, or at least desirable items. One of those must-haves are the level 65 Loremaster’s shoulders. These are so unique and beautiful that they are a wonderful addition to any wardrobe, and can be worn with dresses, armor and robes alike. For this outfit I chose a classic Mirkwood look with crafted pieces, and only those shoulders as a finishing touch, and no cloak as to make it stand out more.

Except for the shoulders, the entire ensemble is made with crafted items. However these are crafted with Mirkwood recipes so you need a Tailor with Friend standing in Mirkwood to craft them. The recipes can be bought in Ost Galadh, and once learned are not forgotten again. At level 65 this armor set was very common, but these days the items are rare. I still like them for their natural look and leather-like base color and they are an excellent match to any other item from the Barad Guldur sets that you may want to combine with.

Head: Tawarwaith Helmet, ranger green dye (crafted T6 Mirkwood recipe, light armour)
Chest: Golden Host Coat, ranger green dye (crafted T6 Mirkwood recipe, medium armour)
Shoulders: Lore-keeper’s Shoulders, rust dye (skirmish camp Classic vendor, level 65 Barad Guldur set)
Legs: Golden Host Leggings, ranger green dye (crafted T6 Mirkwood recipe, medium armour)
Hands: Golden Host Gloves, ranger green dye (crafted T6 Mirkwood recipe, medium armour)
Feet: Tawarwaith Shoes, ranger green dye (crafted T6 Mirkwood recipe, light armour)

Players have addressed me with questions regarding the mannequin outfits which I would like to answer in this post, hoping to clarify some issues that players seem to be concerned about.

1. Why did the mannequin outfit prices go up from 20mc to 50mc?
Answer: my best guess is that the original price of 20mc was incorrect. Mannequin outfits used to cost 775TP before update 9, which is closer to 50mc than to 20mc. In my opinion, the price of 20mc for an entire outfit was too low compared to other outfits in the store.

2. Can I still buy the outfit that was on the mannequins before this update?
Answer: No you cannot. I have no idea how often or even if these outfits will rotate at all, but don’t expect it to return to the mannequins any time soon. However there are other ways to obtain the same pieces, so ask around on the cosmetics forum.

3. I want the Armour of the West set, can I buy it in the store?
Answer: Not currently, but perhaps some day the “of the West” armor sets will be sold in the store for a limited time just like the Rift and Helegrod sets are. However if you have enough medallions and can make it to Harndirion in Enedwaith (which is even possible as a chicken!), you can purchase the regular Lesser Armour of the West pieces from the vendor there and share them with your other characters through the wardrobe system. You DO NOT need to be the exact class nor a minimum level to buy these pieces, any character can purchase these.

4. Is Cosmetic Lotro the only one designing mannequin outfits?
Answer: Obviously not, as many sets that are on the mannequins are just the regular, pre-designed sets and some ensembles that were combined by the Turbine team. I have submitted a few outfits to Turbine, based on what players had asked for in the poll on this blog. My aim is to get as many rare, obsolete or hard to acquire items on there as possible, specifically the old PvMP items and unique cloaks. I have also suggested on several occasions to simply put the original complete armour sets on the mannequins, which I hope they will take to heart and do in the future.

5. Can I submit my own outfit for the mannequins?
Answer: I don’t see why not, but I have no idea if Turbine will accept such submissions. If you are interested in sending in your ideas, please contact a member of the community team through the forum.

I hope these answers are helpful, if you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask on the comment section of this post.
As for myself, I am very pleased with my new mannequin outfit, as I have obtained an obsolete Rune-keeper robe that is no longer available through any other means in game. This is true for all items in that particular outfit (displayed on a hobbit mannequin), which is a blend of Rune-keeper items and the very desirable Minstrel shoulders, so in my opinion well worth the purchase. I love to put thick robes on my super skinny Rune-keeper as it gives her a bit of shape and makes her look more normal. On top of that, the base color of this robe is a perfect match to the base color of the Rune-keeper steed caparison which is on sale this week.
I’m always happy to promote cosmetic and fluff items in the store as I’m always hoping that the revenue from those items keeps this game going, rather than items that improve your character or item stats. I’m really looking forward to loads of more fluff items coming our way with the 6th Anniversary festival that will start this week!
Just a friendly reminder to the rune-keepers: you can use ANY rune-satchel cosmetically, including those above your level, legendary and even unidentified, provided you have the Wardrobe feature and a free slot to put it in. So check the Auction House for something more attractive than the extremely dull level 85 ones that are around. I do not recommend buying the ones from the Lotro store as those cannot be dyed.

Shoulders: Lesser Arrow of the West Shoulder Guards, white dye (Harndirion barter or mannequin cosmetic)
Chest: Cer. Robe of the Word-crafter, white dye (mannequin cosmetic)
Hands: Cer. Gloves of the Word-crafter, white dye (mannequin cosmetic)
Feet: Cer. Shoes of the Word-crafter, white dye (mannequin cosmetic)
Satchel: Master’s Rune-satchel of Dagor, white dye

Just when I think I’m done posting for a while because there’s not enough time in the day, I get distracted by this awesome Spring Festival war-steed Caparison that is just begging me to be used in a screenshot. This most outrageous neon-green color has me completely fascinated, so here it is. The dawn gave me just enough time to capture a few worthwhile screenshots of my latest dark and mysterious night elf outfit.

There’s no shot of the backside of the outfit unfortunately, but this unique top, which is now for sale at Lalia’s Market in Bree, has a beautiful back, so I didn’t cover it up with a cloak. If you love the Annúminas cosmetics, this top makes a great addition to the Seven Stars set. I first saw this top during the Dressage daily in Harwick but had not seen it before and had no idea where to get it. I’m so glad it’s now available as a cosmetic!
The head piece however is no longer available in game, as it belongs to the obsolete PvMP Hunter’s armour set. I hope those sets will show up at Lalia’s too some day!

Head: Helm of the Hawk-eye, black dye (Hunter PvMP set, no longer available)
Shoulders: Shoulders of the Wall-warden, black dye (Warden BG level 65 set, Classic Vendor)
Chest: Jacket of the Woods, black dye (Lalia’s Market, cosmetic)
Hands: Gauntlets of the Hidden Paths, black dye (Great River quest reward, heavy)
Legs: Leggings of the Seven Stars, black dye (Annuminas Light Set, Cosmetics Vendor)
Feet: Boots of the Shadow-walker, black dye (Burglar BG level 65 set, Classic Vendor + Lalia’s Market)

War-steed: black hide & mane, tail
Caparison: Spring Lissuin Caparison, black
No saddle, halter or leggings. Elves ride bareback!

I think the regular Steed of Plenty is incredibly dull, but fortunately its caparison dyes very nicely so I decided to spice up its colours a bit on my warsteed to make it look more bountiful. The 120 tokens are not hard to accumulate, with only a couple of hours play you should be able to get this, which I think is wonderful as I can get it on all my warsteed riding characters.
In my view the robe is best used without any shoulder pads or hoods. It is very decorative and those decorations are covered up by most accessories.

It’s unfortunate that for the second year in a row Turbine is doing back to back festivals in summer again. While there is a very long and boring span between Yule and Anniversary, and months go by without any festivals, now we are getting them too soon too often again. Since Anniversary we got Spring festival, Treasure Hunt, Summer Festival, Farmer’s Faire, and the tale of the Shipwrecked Mariner already around the corner and a month after that Autumn Fest is already due. Not to mention the launch of the new expansion and all those Bounder’s Tokens that still need to be collected for Michel Delving. Too much to do in too little time!

Head: Tactical Eastemnet Campaign Circlet, black dye (crafted T8 light armour)
Chest: Robe of Plenty, crimson dye (Farmer’s Faire cosmetic)
Hands: The Beast-keeper’s Gloves, cannot be dyed (Ox-clan camp Loremaster armour)
Feet: Gardening Boots, black dye (Farmer’s Faire cosmetic

Mount:
Caparison of Plenty, crimson (Farmer’s Faire reward)
Halter of the Minstrel, crimson
Leggings of the Minstrel, crimson
Plain Saddle
Hide & Tail, black

Of all the seasonal outfits that I have created since starting this blog in early 2011, Autumn outfits are probably the most prominent. It is my favorite season of the year, and the Trollshaws have exactly what it takes to get in the mood. So for this year I had to stop by the area and create one more Autumn outfit yet again.

The Harvestmath Festival should be starting by the end of this month. I’m eagerly checking the calendar every day, but so far have not found the dates on there. The Festival will give us all a chance to grind some extra Bounder’s Tokens for (an extra) Steed of Michel Delving. Today’s patch changed the dye pattern on the War-steed Cosmetics of this Steed and made the trimmings able to be dyed. I love it when Turbine makes positive cosmetic changes like that!!

Head: Fine Grey Company Hood, black dye (cosmetic reward from Vol.III, Bk. 5)
Shouders: Shoulders of the Wall-warden, orange dye (skirmish Classic vendor, warden DG set level 65)
Chest: Jacket of the Clever Conselor, black dye (Galtrev, Rune-keeper raid armour)
Hands: Cer. Gloves of the Cabeddan, gold dye (cosmetic from Lalia’s market) *the non-ceremonial version from the Ox-clan camp cannot be dyed*
Legs: Cer. Doom-hunter’s Leggings, black dye (skirmish Cosmetics vendor, hunter Rift set)
Feet: Worn Ranger’s Boots, black dye (cosmetic reward from Vol.III, Bk 5)
Back: Wrap of the Turning Leaves, black dye (cosmetic from Harvestmath Festival)

It seems that many of my fellow Lotro bloggers and players are currently in a state of Lotro fatigue, and have put the game on hold, or their blogs on hold. Even the forums have been relatively quiet lately. Much of what used to be a bustling community seems to have come to a pause, as if everyone is holding their breath and waiting for what is to come.
My own gaming activities have slowed somewhat, but only slightly. I am trying to get my third character to 95 now, and finding time to play with lower level alts as well. This game is so huge and beautiful, that I will always find a place to enjoy myself as I have alts at all levels in all regions. Nevertheless the quieting down of the creative buzz within the community does not pass unnoticed.
However unsettling this all may seem, I think it is actually a good and much needed thing. With the latest reduction of staff at Turbine and Aaron “Rowan” Campbell having taken back the Helm (pun intended), interactions between Turbine and the player community seem to have become more intimate and personal. I enjoyed myself a lot at our server’s “take the Hobbit to Isengard” event and I think the life-stream talks are doing the community a lot of good. I could focus on all the things that I feel sad and angry about regarding Lotro but instead I rather choose to focus on that which I enjoy. So there, another outfit, as outfitting is still my passion. And there are still pieces around that I have never used in an outfit, just waiting to find the right match.

The chest piece in this outfit is originally a PvMP armour piece, only available if you have enough commendations. Lalia’s Market is also stocking this as a cosmetic currently, but may rotate it out of stock again by next update.
Update 13 will bring us a new dye colour: Steel Blue. It’s gated behind a reputation grind so it will be a while before I can get my hands on that one, but that’s good motivation to do the grind! I am also curious about the finalized update to the avatar appearances, and curious what my characters will look like after the update. As far as I’m concerned, male elves can’t get any worse, so any remodeling is an improvement in my opinion. However I am well aware that many disagree with that, and I also respect that, so I can only hope that the overhaul will not make too many players unhappy. I am certainly looking forward to taking some shots with the updated models.
Last but not least I would like to point out a great outfit video that my fellow blogster Cithryth made. She makes incredible outfits and showing these off in video format is really awesome.
Check it out on YouTube: http://youtu.be/CY-hFpCobTw

Shoulders: Songmaster’s Shoulders, black dye (Ost Galadh, Minstrel trainer).
Chest: Ceremonial Jacket of the Unseen, black dye (Lalia’s Market)
Hands: West-land Gloves, black dye (T4 heavy crafted)
Feet: Songmaster’s Shoes, black dye (Ost Galadh, Minstrel Trainer)

Shoulders and Boots are also available as Lothlórien Minstrel Raid Armour pieces, and sometimes as cosmetic pieces at Lalia’s Market or on the Mannequins.

So finally a new outfit again! I’ve been trough many ups and downs in terms of inspiration, mixing and matching stuff but never quite happy enough to post. There comes a time in outfitting when you have “been there, done that” and get bored easily with cosmetics and armour that have already used up their newness.
Since the launch of Update 14, the Swan theme has taken over by storm. In Dol Amroth the Swan Knight NPC’s are wearing their Swan uniforms, and it looks like quite of lot of player characters have joined their ranks as well, featuring (parts) of the new Nadhin armour line. The Nadhin armour is available from the quartermasters, but it also drops as Bind on Equip armour, thus making it possible to find pieces on the Auction House as well starting at level 50.

Some mighty fine outfit bloggers have been posting very inspiring Swan-themed outfits that I recommend looking at as well:  Shiny Steel Plate by Lotro Stylist, Alph and Mithlond Border Guard by Wandering Around Arda.
I have chosen the Black Swan theme for my elf. Unfortunately the black swans in the game are currently bugged, featuring a black neck and white body, so I couldn’t take screenshots accompanied by actual black swans. However, some day the bug will probably be fixed and I will have unique screenies of bicolored swans!

Head: Far-arrow’s Helm, steel blue dye (Classic Vendor, Barad Guldur 65 medium)
Shoulders: Heavy Nadhin Shoulders, steel blue dye (Dol Amroth, quartermaster, or drop)
Chest: Ceremonial Reinforced Threkkappi Guard, steel blue dye (Lalia’s Market)
Hands: The Beast-keeper’s Gloves, steel blue dye (Isengard Ox-clan Merchant Camp, Lore-master 75)
Legs: Ceremonial Reinforced Threkkappi Leggings, steel blue dye (Lalia’s Market)
Feet: Boots of the Shadow-walker, steel blue dye (Classic Vendor, Barad Guldur 65 medium)
Back: Cloak of the Raven, steel blue dye (Autumn Festival Cosmetic)

Yet another Swan-outfit, this time inspired by the Lothlórien Swan theme. Lothlórien is the most enchanting and alluring area in Lotro’s Middle-earth. The design and lighting of this magical place, as well as the music, genuinely capture the solemn spirit of the elves. Using some of the swan pieces from the Dol Amroth armour sets, I tried to reflect that feeling in an outfit.

The Light Nadhin Hood has a bit of a translucent quality to it, which makes the colors appear very soft and gentle when dyed. The same is true for the matching Light Nadhin shoulders, but I decided not to use those here and go with the heavy set in stead, to emphasize the swan theme. The hood leaves the neckline open, which is an uncommon feature for Lotro hoods, yet very desirable because it’s so elegant with robes.

“…sailing proudly down the stream toward them, they saw a swan of great size. The water rippled on either side of the white breast beneath its curving neck. Its beak shone like burnished gold, and its eyes glinted like jet set in yellow stones; its huge white wings were half lifted. A music came down the river as it drew nearer; and suddenly they perceived that it was a ship, wrought and carved with elven-skill in the likeness of a bird.”

Head: Light Nadhin Hood, sea blue dye (BoE drop or Dol Amroth Light Armour barter)
Shoulders: Heavy Nadhin Shoulders, sea blue dye (BoE drop or Dol Amroth Heavy Armour Barter)
Chest: Robe of the Lady’s Wisdom, white dye (Lore-master Lothlórien lvl 60 raid armour)
Hands: Leather Bracers of the Gentle Stag, sea blue dye (Dunland quest reward, light armour)
Feet: Shoes of the Lady’s Wisdom, white dye (Lore-master Lothlórien lvl60 raid armour)

I have a golden steed! And her name is Laurë, which means golden light in Quenya.

Thanks to the unannounced Lotro store sale this weekend, with 50% off steed color dye packs, I’ve been able to furnish my main character with all possible color options, and my alt characters with a few selected packs. Everyone is at a loss as to how long this sale is going to last, as it isn’t announced anywhere on the store page, and while writing this post the sale is still on.
I have been looking forward to playing with my war-steed appearance options since release, but was deeply disappointed and discouraged when I saw the prices. Now with 50% off, the color packs have finally come within my reach and I busted my piggy bank of TP that I had been saving up for this purpose. I can finally make combined war-steed outfits!
The transformation from dull grey gelding to light golden mare amazed me and I totally fell in love with my steed for the first time. I’m sure I will try out many more appearances now that I have access to everything, but Laurë will always be special.

Today marks the First Anniversary of The Starry Mantle! Please hop over to her blog to tell her how absolutely awesome she is, not because you might end up winning some TP for leaving a comment, but simply because she is.
In addition, don’t forget to cast your daily vote for Harperella, every day from now on until December 21st. This most dedicated and creative Lotro kinship leader deserves the support of the entire Lotro community. She has given us so much, and this way we can give something back, so please vote!

Chest: Festive Azure Tunic & Pants, violet dye (5th Anniversary Veteran reward, cosmetic)
Head: Balladeer’s Hat, violet dye (Moria class trainers minstrel, loremaster, runekeeper or skirmish cosmetic)

War-steed:
Body color: dun
Mane/tail color: tan
Legs: Minstrel’s Leggings (violet)
Accessory: Metal Braided Tail

The title for this outfit is taken from a song by Sarah McLachlan, singing about being alone on a winter’s night and longing for her loved one. The mood perfectly describes the loneliness one feels when traversing the Misty Mountains in Lotro. In the past people have complained that areas were unrealistic and non-immersive due to the large amount of players running around, but I assure you that going back to those older areas today, the absence of player life makes one feel totally “there”. If you are an explorer type like me, hitting the “slow walk” button and climbing up and down the dwindling High Passes is almost creepy! The sight of a campfire fills you with a sense of relief.

This the first time I have used the Light Nadhin Robe in an outfit. I always thought it was a rather boring robe with limited dye options. Dyed in a lighter color and combined with these crafted fur pauldrons that form a matching and complementary layer on the right shoulder, I found a way to make it work. The Mammutti cloak in this outfit can be obtained in Forochel at Kindred standing with the Lossoth. However only the original version can be dyed, the ceremonial version which is also for sale, cannot be dyed. As far as I know this is true for all ceremonial Lossoth cloaks.
The harp is the only one of its kind with this particular appearance. It is a reward from the epic quest line that takes one through Wildermore. It has no battle stats and is intended for musical purposes only.
I have petitioned the Lotro Store Quartermaster to release the store exclusive Winter Cloaks for sale again this winter. He responded that he will look into it, so keep an eye out on the store in case you want those.

Chest: Light Nadhin Robe, rust dye (world drop or Dol Amroth quartermaster)
Shoulders: Calenard War Pauldrons, indigo dye (Tier 7 metalsmithing recipe, heavy armour)
Hands: Ceremonial Gloves of the Graven Word, indigo dye (skirmish camp cosmetics vendor, Rift)
Feet: Skirmish Boots of the Mark, white dye (Tier 8 tailoring recipe, medium armour)
Back: Cloak of the Mammutti, indigo dye (Forochel reputation vendor)
Instrument: Gléowine’s Harp, reward from Vol.III Bk.10 quest