Meditation in the dusk

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{[["☆","★"]]}

Ladriell has set off for a difficult quest. Her beloved raven flew out to stretch his wings a little, and didn't come back! It's been a few days already, so young lore-master knew there was something wrong. They were staying in Thorenhad when she let the raven go, so she started searching the surrounding hills.

There were so many fierce beasts that she lost all hopes to ever see her raven again. She stopped counting how many vile hawks has she killed, when she caught a glimpse of white feathers. The raven was watching her, and luring her deeper into the valley! She communicated with him in her mind, but he didn't want to reveal his plan. Only when they reached the most beautiful meadow inside the colorful forest, he told her: "I brought you here to find what I saw - peace in mind. You, my dear master, will be much wiser when you rest a bit and concentrate only on leaves shimmering in the sunset - it will help you become a better lore-master." She listened, and spent long hours alongside her friend, because she realized he was not the lost one - she was.

I wanted to make an outfit featuring Angolgol ever since I've obtained it in Tâl Methedras, but somehow I couldn't find items with the right color scheme. When I got the Robe of the Stone-student, I thought it could match, and I was right! The turquoise and greyish-blue clicked perfectly on both pieces. I didn't want the outfit to be too solemn though, so I decided to bring gold accents to the front with shoulder and head piece.

Please let me know what do you think about the outfit in comments, or simply rate below the post's title :)

Chest: Ceremonial Robe of the Stone-student, turquoise dye (Moria lore-master level 60 set; also available from skirmish barterer or limited store sale)
Head: Hat of the Stone-student, turquoise dye (Moria lore-master level 60 set; also available from skirmish barterer or limited store sale)
Shoulders: Shoulders of the Swift Arrow, turquoise dye (Mirkwood hunter level 65 set; also available as drop from level 75 skirmishes)
Hands: Ceremonial Gloves of the Stone-student, turquoise dye (Moria lore-master level 60 set; also available from skirmish barterer or limited store sale)
Feet: Embroidered Shoes of the Dunland Healer, black dye (Dunland quest)
Back: Angolgol, default dye (Dunland quest)

Apprentice of the lore

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{[["☆","★"]]}

Ladriell, Cenlieg's apprentice, has been riding through Forochel for two days already. Her master sent poor gal to search for their fellowship to the west, where Cenlieg's raven has headed before he got stuck in wargs' den. Luckily, Ladriell found them just before the sun set, as they settled in Pynti-peldot for the night. The fellowship has entered heavy snow storm the day before, so their advance has been slow and painful.

Her friends welcomed her, but she knew there's more danger that she must face alone - master Cenlieg is a wise, but old lore-master. Hence he stayed in Kauppa-kohta, waiting for his apprentice, whom he considered dear as own daughter. She ate fine deer with their fellows and set off for a journey back, to accompany Cenlieg. No night is dark enough for Ladriell to ride through, if her dear teacher's life is endangered!

It's really hard to compete with Hymne's matching outfit for the Steed of the Lore-master - her color match is unbeatable! I also bought the mount last week when it came out (it will be available in store until August 16th) and started building an outfit around it - but damn, the blanket color is really hard to achieve with dyes. However, I love the other details - maps and scrolls are just perfect for my Eriador Cartographile :)

After a while I surrendered trying to get a perfect match and started composing something which I simply liked both matched to the horse and alone. In the end I settled for this robe, as its small details match other small details of the horse - the sleeves, the sienna patches... and thanks to metallic details, it adds a little fierceness to the whole composition (as the steed itself is very feminine and gentle).  Although some people call this robe a bath gown :), I really like it and the patterns on it.

I've always considered Forochel one of the most beautiful areas in LOTRO, but I don't think I've ever appreciated the sunset and dusk there. Today, while taking screenshots of the outfit, I managed to catch a glimpse of the wonderful lilac shadows on the land, and I felt like in paradise. I hope that it helped to underline the outfit's color scheme and derive attention away from the not-so-matching color of the robe and the horse :)

Please let me know what do you think about the outfit in comments, or simply rate below the post's title :)

Chest: Ceremonial Wandering Bard's Robe, navy dye (Skirmish cosmetics vendor - Rift light)
Head: Hat of the Learned Master, sienna dye (Ettenmoors Lore-master trader; shares similar appearance with Stone-reader's Hat)
Shoulders: Ceremonial Shoulders of the North Star, Evendim blue dye (Skirmish cosmetics vendor - Rift heavy)
Hands: Traveller's Road-worn Bracers, sienna dye (Dunland quest)
Feet: Embroidered Shoes of the Dunland Healer, sienna dye (Dunland quest)
Back: Map-maker's Travel Pack, umber dye (Skirmish vendor; also available from Store)

Mount: Steed of the Lore-master (Store)

Inspiration: Rían of Bëor and Simbelmynë

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{[["☆","★"]]}

Simbelmynë, translated as Evermind, is a beautiful white flower that grows in any season on graves and tombs. Gandalf once said about it:
"How fair are the bright eyes in the grass! Evermind they are called, simbelmynë in this land of Men, for they blossom in all the seasons of the year, and grow where dead men rest."

Gandalf, The Two Towers III 6 The King of the Golden Hall

Who knows if they are not tears of poor Rían, great-grandmother of Elrond Half-elven. She was born into House of Bëor in F.A. 450 and was known to everyone for having gentle heart. She loved neither hunting nor war, her love was given to trees and to the flowers in the wild, and she was a singer and maker of songs. When she was just 5 years old, she fled before the Battle of Sudden Flame with other women and children to safety. Six years later, her beloved father died.

When she was 20 years old, she married Huor of the House of Marach (and a brother of Húrin). Three years later, when Rían was expecting their firstborn son, poor Huor was slain by a poison arrow in the fifth battle against Morgoth, Battle of Unnumbered Tears. Rían, struck by grief, gave birth to Tuor and entrusted him to Sindar (Grey-elves) of Mithrim for fosterage. She went to Haudh-en-Nirnaeth (Hill of Tears) to seek tidings of her husband. All she found were thousands of dead bodies and weapons of soldiers who died alongside Huor, never seeing his own body. On this moment she pined away, laid down on the mound and died of grief at the age of 23.

This lore inspiration is a very sad one. It was a pure chance that I chose it - I read about simbelmynë in connection to this year's spring festival. Then I wanted to read something more about various characters of Silmarillion, seeking inspiration for my next outfit, and the first name I picked up on wiki was Rían. The strong coincidence shocked me - as well as very difficult life of Elrond's great-grandmother. In the story, she was just as old as I am now when she died, having endured so much in her short life.

I'd like this outfit to be my tribute to her, picturing her in her happy years, let's say just before marrying Huor, still being a joyful maiden and enjoying the most beautiful part of her life. The beautiful flowers she loved and wore gracefully on her dress later became symbol of remembering fallen heroes of all battles. Let us remember her as well.

Please let me know what do you think about the outfit in comments, or simply rate below the post's title.

Chest: Simbelmynë Dress, gold dye (Spring festival)
Head: Hat of Deep Lore, white dye (Moria level 60 lore-master purple set; shares appearance with minstrel's and rune-keeper's Moria pieces)
Back: Cloak of the Northern Lights, gold dye (Store)

Emotes:
./hail
./dance_elf2

Joy of wisdom (and jewels)

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{[["☆","★"]]}

Ladriell is a knowledge seeker. She is a scholar and a lore-master, always trying to broaden her horizons. She is still a girl though, and if she manages to buy some nice clothes and jewellery on her journeys to distant forgotten places, she is twice as happy. This is her scholarly outfit she uses when battle is far away, and she is alone in peace to study artifacts and ancient parchments.

This is the last of my submissions for the Fashion Week 2012 screenshot contest. I submitted it into Professionally Minded category, as a lore-master outfit. It's certainly not very original (I've seen many very similar outfits and even created some in the recent past), but it's something I see my lore-master Ladriell really wearing as it fits her personality. I also adore the cloak, which has amazing plastic textures in the correct light, and the dress shares this feature. The infamous red neckline of the shoulder piece matches the jewellery on the Anniversary dress, and I also tried to match Ladriell's hairstyle to the attire. I hope the result will please some of you as it did myself when I put it on Ladriell :)

Do you like this outfit? Please let me know in the comments! :) And I promise the next outfit made by me will be something heavier - too many dresses recently :D

Chest: Ceremonial Dress, default dye (Summer festival, white variant - watch out, there are 3 different undyable variations)
Head: Baladeer's Hat, white dye (Moria level 60 minstrel purple set; shares appearance with lore-master's and rune-keeper's Moria pieces)
Shoulders: Gwir-palvais, white dye (Drop from Isengard instance cluster)
Back: Anniversary Cloak, white dye (Anniversary event)

Revel among Arnorian ruins

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{[["☆","★"]]}

Recently everybody's been talking about a gorgeous lady who had visited the Rangers encamped in Tinnudír. She came just before dusk and seemed to be in a hurry at first - it was clear that dark thoughts burdened her mind. While they were talking, a local treasure hunter heard fragments of her speech like "shadow", "threat to the King", "our support", as well as part of Calenglad's answer: "We stand ready."

This must have reassured the mysterious lady, because a smile suddenly appeared on her face. She stayed with the Rangers until the late watches, contemplating with goblets of wine and dancing. Then she set off for a journey, heading further to the east of Eriador. As she was riding away on the Men Erain (Road of the Kings), the local people could have seen more horse riders joining her. "Who are these people?", they asked. It may take long before they find out the answer.

This is third of Rhûnen ladies we've met in the Middle-earth, bringing mysterious news to the warriors of Eriador. So far they've visited Elves of Falathorn, Lossoth of Forochel and Rangers of Tinnudír. Based on the news we have learned so far they arrived to Ered Luin harbour and are journeying further east into the Eriador. Are there more of them? If so, where will we meet them next time?

It's funny how differently some outfit designs develop. It might seem I wanted to create a matching outfit for the Anniversary steed here, but it's not true. I was tidying up my outfit pieces and ran into Elf-queen's Dress, which is one of not-too-many dresses I really like. I've also recently bartered the beautiful Moria helm and found out it looks beautiful in pastel colours, such as sea blue. I built the outfit around these two pieces and it wasn't until I started taking screenshots for the blog when I realized it matches the Anniversary horse. I'm quite happy how it turned out, because I never really used the horse and didn't have any matching outfit for it (as I didn't like the matching Anniversary cosmetics very much).

Do you like the outfit? Please let me know in the comments! :)

Chest: Elf-queen's Dress, white dye (Store)
Head: Hat of the Stone-student, sea blue dye (Moria level 60 lore-master purple set; shares appearance with minstrel's and rune-keeper's Moria pieces)
Shoulders: Gwir-palvais, sea blue dye (Drop from Isengard instance cluster)
Back: Cloak of the Ibis, sea blue dye (Store)

Shadow of the night

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{[["☆","★"]]}

A mysterious lady, accompanied only by her horse and snow-white lynx, recently arrived in the night's midst to Great Lodge of Sûri-kylä and requested immediate audience with Lossoth chieftain, Council Elder Yrjänä. Dressed warm for the freezing chill of Forochel winds, she still seemed a little exotic even to southerners traveling by. One of the visiting elves knew her and whispered to his companion: "She looks like one of the Rhûnen ambssador's companions, remember, in the harbours!" The lady disappeared right after her discussion with the chieftain, still covered by shadow of the night, and only the strange feeling of noble presence was left in those she passed by.

This outfit is basically remastered winter version of Lady of Rhûn outfit I decided to make after Hymne shared her discovery that we can put Ettenmoors armour into our wardrobe as well (we just need tradable Spirit Stones to barter for them). I've been in love with this lore-master's hat since I first saw it on My Precious blog, so I must have got it immediately for my lore-master, who is slowly approaching level 50 :)



How do you like this outfit? Please, leave your feedback in comments!

Chest: Herald's Armour, burgundy dye (T6 crafted)
Legs: Clanweave Leggings, burgundy dye (Dunland quest)
Head: Hat of the Learned Master, burgundy dye (Ettenmoors Lore-master trader; shares similar appearance with Stone-reader's Hat)
Shoulders: Disused Mantle of the Dunland Soothsayer, burgundy dye (Dunland quest)
Hands: (August) Resilient Gauntlets of the Golden Wood, burgundy dye (T6 crafted)
Feet: Embroidered Shoes of the Dunland Healer, burgundy dye (Dunland quest)
Back: Cloak of the Algraig, burgundy dye (Store)

Northern light

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{[["☆","★"]]}

Ladriell is currently venturing thought cold lands of Forochel, slowly gaining the trust of its distant people. She and her companions run errands for the Lossoth, help them with provisions in these fierce long nights and in the meantime, admire beautiful northern lights shining up the sky and showing hope in the future. Sometimes just one look at sky above Jä-rannit makes Ladriell's heart rejoice.

I fell in love on the first sight with this year's festival cloak. It is so beautiful and rough at the same time, although its violet and golden shades are hard to combine. I rarely use violet dye, but this time it was perfect - I aimed for gentle, feminine, yet very protective outfit for my lore-mistress. Do you like it? Please let me know in comments :)

Chest: Tattered Robe of the Dunland Sage, violet dye (Dunland quest) 

Shoulders: Vibrant Calenard War Pauldrons, violet dye (T7 crafted) 
Hands: Heavy Plated Dunlending Gauntlets, violet dye (Dunland quest)
Feet: Embroidered Shoes of the Dunland Healer, grey dye (Dunland quest)
Back: Cloak of Autumn Nights, default dye (Fall festival)

Robbing from the rich and giving to the poor

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{[["☆","★"]]}

For within his mind he imagined
That when such matches were,
Those outlaws stout, without [all] doubt,
Would be the bowmen there.

So an arrow with a golden head
And shaft of silver white,
Who won the day should bear away
For his own proper right.

Tidings came to brave Robin Hood,
Under the green-wood tree:
'Come prepare you then, my merry men,
We'll go yon sport to see.' 

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads: Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow 

I couldn't resist making an outfit around another wonderful hat found in Dunland. The Robin Hood inspiration was suggested by my kinnie and fellow reader Brrokk. I've decided to use female model, because some of the Dunland cosmetics look weird on women - and luckily this one is not the case :) 

I also started new way of posting outfits - my best critic Loki suggested I should include bigger action screenshots, displaying the attire within the surroundings fitting role-playing background of the character. Sometimes it will be difficult, because I use the same race model for all classes (Ladriell portraying a hunter here is a lore-master in reality) so I usually won't be able to work with class skills, but I hope I will find a way how to boost the RP in other ways :) Please let me know if you like this way of posting more!

Chest: Scout's Weathered Leather Jacket, Rivendell green dye (Dunland quest)
Head: Scout's Weathered Leather Helmet, umber dye (Dunland quest)
Shoulders: Padded Mantle of the Dunland Soothsayer, umber dye (Dunland quest)
Hands: Heavy Plated Dunlending Gauntlets, umber dye (Dunland quest)
Feet: Weathered Leather Scout's Boots, umber dye (Dunland quest)
Back: Cloak of the Fallen Leaves, Rivendell green dye (store)

Playful grace

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{[["☆","★"]]}

"The Lore-Master is a seeker of knowledge and a guardian of wisdom. He wields ancient secrets and lore to confound his foes and aid his friends, protecting them against the dark powers of the Enemy" blah blah blah... Ladriell, a teenage lore-mistress in training, is already fed up with this jibber-jabber they teach her at school. She follows the "practice makes perfect" path of learning and although she sometimes bits off more than she can chew, her fellow raven always saves her (or flies for help). Together they make a great combo and have a lot of fun! And even more when they meet some nice guys on the road :)

Chest: Enduring Elven Leather Jacket of Might, purple dye (world drop; also available from Rivendell medium armoursmith or T4 crafted)
Legs: Leggings of Determination, purple dye (world drop)
Head: White Rose Circlet, default dye (spring festival)
Shoulders: Pristine Elven Shoulder Guards, purple dye (T5 crafted)
Hands: Scout's Gloves, purple dye (T6 crafted)
Feet: Gaerdail, purple dye (drop from the Rift)
Back: Swan-cloak, purple dye (store)

Wandering bard

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{[["☆","★"]]}

Is there anything better than a nice stroll around the shores of Evendim? Almost feels like vacation! Ladriell thinks it's the most beautiful place in all Middle-earth (at least out of what she has seen of it) and doesn't even care about the brigands trying to jump on her back sometimes. She just distracts them with her songs and walks away. What a lovely peaceful afternoon!

Chest: Westernesse Cloth Jacket of Fate, turquoise dye (world drop)
Legs: Leggings of the West-lands, turquoise dye (world drop)
Head: Tindr's Ward, turquoise dye (Quest: Sprung a Leak)
Shoulders: Calenglad's Wrap, turquoise dye (Quest: Vol. I, Book 10, Chapter 5: Springing the Trap; also available crafted)
Hands: Scout's Gloves, turquoise dye (T6 crafted)
Feet: Elven Leather Boots of Fleetness, turquoise dye (world drop)
Back: Ceremonial Defender's Cloak, turquoise dye (store)

Casual huntress

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{[["☆","★"]]}

Many visitors pass through Rivendell on their journeys. Some seek shelter, advice or serenity of this peaceful place, one of the last in Middle-earth in these dark times. Ladriell sought neither of those - she came here to shop :)
Rivendell merchants are famous for selling some of the most beautiful pieces of attire available in all regions. Ladriel is a young hunter in training, and she needed some pretty, yet casual clothes to wear both in the town and on hunt. She wasn't disappointed - the elven pants fit her perfectly.

Chest: Elven Cloth Jacket of Vigour, white dye (world drop)
Legs: Elven Cloth Pants, white dye (Light armourer in Rivendell)
Head: Chopley's Hat, rivendell green dye (Quest: Curious Number of Bears)
Hands: Scout's Gloves, orange dye (T6 crafted)
Feet: Ceremonial Nenuial's Boots, default dye (Annuminas cosmetics)
Back: Golden Tree Summer Cloak, rivendell green dye (Summer festival)

Her Eminence Lore-Mistress

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{[["☆","★"]]}

Ladriell served as a model for my first submission based on readers' wish. Fellow lore-master Loki commented on her first outfit asking for a more noble outfit for a lore-master. Ladriell is only level 15, so I can't access endgame lore-master robes, which mostly look very classy. Therefore I couldn't resist using recently popular Silken Robe of Golden Splendor - almost everyone wears one, but I've never seen it crimson dyed. This outfit reminds me of medieval cardinals very much, so it might be more suitable for bishop classes in other games. I'd be very grateful for your opinions in comments.

Chest: Silken Robe of Golden Splendor, crimson dye (Anniversary Event 2011)
Head: Turquoise Summer Circlet, default dye (Summer Festival)
Shoulders: Shoulders of the Sun-Lands, sea blue dye (world drop)
Feet: Boots of the Sun-Lands, sea blue dye (world drop)
Back: Cloak of the Shining Star, crimson dye (Anniversary Event 2011)

Middle-Earth explorer

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{[["☆","★"]]}

 

Ladriell is a lore-master and scholar in training (she’s just turned 15), but she is very keen on exploring Middle-Earth and various fashion shops. This is her exploring and hunting outfit, which I hope she will proudly wear as Eriador Cartographile one day.

Chest: Golgallon’s Armour, umber dye (Quest: The Thieves’ Trail)

Legs: Sturdy Westernesse Leather Leggings, umber dye (T5 Crafted)

Shoulders: Calenglad’s Wrap, umber dye (Quest: Chapter 5: Springing the Trap)

Hands: Golden Host Gloves of the Awakened, umber dye (T6 Crafted) 

Feet: Ceremonial Nenuial’s Boots, default dye (Medium Annuminas Armour)

Back: Map-maker’s Travel Pack, default dye (Skirmish Cosmetic)