Inspiration: Templar knight

This is a variation of yesterday's outfit, which portrayed game character whose role-playing background is fighter against Templar oppression. I couldn't resist making his counterpart's outfit using the same hauberk when I found this helm - it's truly medieval and beautiful. I think I will have a great problem not to use it in every chain mail outfit I make from now on :)

"We command that all the brothers’ habits should always be of one colour; that is white or black or brown. And we grant to all knight brothers in winter and in summer if possible, white cloaks; and no-one who does not belong to the aforementioned Knights of Christ is allowed to have a white cloak, so that those who have abandoned the life of darkness will recognise each other as being reconciled to their creator by the sign of the white habits: which signifies purity and complete chastity."

Templar History: Garments of the Knights Templar

I also like that Cloak of the Westfold now dyes whiter - which wonderfully suits Templar role-play. The green horse displayed on it also matches undyable sleeves of the hauberk, so instead of red cross we have symbol of green horse as the outfit's theme.

Please let me know what do you think of the outfit in the comments!

Chest: Polished Hauberk of the Dunland Shieldman, white dye (Dunland quest)
Head: Polished Helmet of the Dunland Shieldman, white dye (Dunland quest)
Shoulders: Padded Mantle of the Dunland Soothsayer, white dye (Dunland quest)
Hands: Defender's Gloves, white dye (T3 crafted)
Feet: Defender's Boots, white dye (T3 crafted)
Back: Cloak of the Westfold, default dye (Isengard pre-order)

Wish-based inspiration: Altair (Assassin's Creed)

Today's inspiration was suggested on Snowbourn globallff about a month ago. I was waiting for Rise of Isengard to be released, because I knew there would be this amazing hauberk among the quest rewards. The red belt is missing for perfection, but I compensated for it with a red cloak (although Altair did not wear any).

In the year 1190 AD, the wars of the Third Crusade engulfed the Holy Land, and Crusaders clashed with Saracens for control of the Holy City, Jerusalem. Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, a member of the Assassins, returned home to Alep from an arduous journey and found it under attack by the sworn enemies of the Assassins, the Knights Templar. Left with no choice but to repel the attack, the Assassin defeated many of them, even killing a low-ranking captain before the attack was halted.

Assassin's Creed Wiki: Altaïr's Chronicles 

Even though the role-playing background of this outfit has little in common with Middle-earth lore, it's very fitting for a human burglar. Assassins in Assassin's Creed are a secret society of warriors committed to the protection of humanity against the Templars. They oppose the Templars and their goal of complete dominance over humanity, and promote free will and the right of individuality. They abide to the Creed, a set of three rules that dictate the daily life of an Assassin. The three tenets are: stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent, hide in plain sight, do not compromise the Brotherhood.

Sounds very light-side burglar-ish to me :) Please let me know what do you think of the outfit in the comments!

Chest: Polished Hauberk of the Dunland Shieldman, default dye (Dunland quest)
Head: Hood of Night, white dye (Halls of Night cosmetic)
Shoulders: Hill-man's Cracked Leather Shoulder-guards, white dye (Dunland quest)
Hands: Enduring Dwarf Steel Gauntlets of Might, white dye (world drop)
Feet: Weathered Leather Scout's Boots, umber dye (Dunland quest)
Back: Warden's Wrap, red dye (Annuminas reputation barter)

Hunter and his prey

Wasabito appreciates a good hunt. His house if full of trophies gathered from victorious battles. He is also a little sassy and adventurous, but until now hasn't had attire to express this. Luckily, his new friends in Dunland made it possible! A little bargain here, a little errand there, and the gold stitched hauberk was his. Shiny!

Note: This hauberk is very special - probably the only race it looks rather good at are the hobbits. It really damages body shape of elves and men (although human male is also quite bearable). I think it will be pretty rare Dunland cosmetic to wear, which makes it great to use for hobbits who want to look distinguishable.

Chest: Scarred Surcoat of the Pren Gwydh Warrior, crimson dye (Dunland quest)
Shoulders: Shoulders of the Swift Arrow, crimson dye (Mirkwood level 65 hunter purple set)
Hands: Scout's Gloves, crimson dye (T6 crafted)
Feet: Hill-man's Cracked Leather Boots, crimson dye (Dunland quest)
Back: Cloak of the Shining Star, crimson dye (Anniversary item)

Guest: Gerbag of Whitywindle

Gerbag continues to show us how a proper dwarf should look like (outfit 1, 2, 3). This is his ceremonial armour, worn for special occasions.

The world is grey, the mountains old,
The forge's fire is ashen-cold;
No harp is wrung, no hammer falls:
The darkness dwells in Durin's halls;
The shadow lies upon his tomb
In Moria, in Khazad-dûm.
But still the sunken stars appear
In dark and windless Mirrormere;
There lies his crown in water deep,
Till Durin wakes again from sleep.

Song of Durin's Awakening

 

Chest: Hauberk of the Rugged Clansman, Evendim blue dye (skirmish barter)
Legs: Legs of Stalwart, Evendim blue dye (skirmish barter - Halls of Night classic)
Head: High-protector's Helm, default dye (Helegrod guardian level 50 teal set)
Shoulders: Dwarf Leather Shoulder Guards, Evendim blue dye (medium armoursmith)
Hands: Cloth Gloves, Evendim blue dye (light armoursmith)
Feet: Dwarf Steel Shoes, washed (heavy armoursmith)
Back: Ceremonial Artisan's Cloak, Evendim blue dye (store)

Lore of darkness

It is known that Maney has been an apprentice of an Istari. He never spoke of his mentor, nor revealed details of his training. People, usually amazed by lore-masters' spells and tricks, didn't like him - they suspected him of being involved with dark magic and fell spirits. Maney himself never expressed his true nature - he has spent a lot of time alone, only in his raven's company. Now, when dark clouds are gathering above the Gap of Rohan and darkness emerges from Orthanc, he set off on the road. No-one knows what his true intentions are. Who is his master? Is he going to assist Saruman with his evil deeds, or has he been summoned by Mithrandir? We will find out soon. 

Note: Unfortunately I forgot to write down the names of the quests rewarding items used in this outfit, and they are not yet available on web. I will try to specify particular quests as soon as possible - until then, I can only promise that gathering all these items doesn't take longer than 2-3 hours questing in Dunland.
Other news - Hood of Night now dyes beautifully! :) And the robe made me a little less sad about change of Robe of Viisaus. Just a little.

Update 29/09: Per reader's request, I'm adding the same outfit's screenshot on an elven model. Sorry for daylight screenshot which spoils the gothic atmosphere :)

Chest: Tattered Robe of the Dunland Sage, black dye (Dunland quest)
Head: Hood of Night, black dye (Halls of Night cosmetic)
Shoulders: Hill-man's Cracked Leather Shoulder-guards, black dye (Dunland quest)
Hands: Hyrde-folme, black dye (Dunland epic quest)
Feet: Rusted Boots of the Dunland Berserker, black dye (Dunland quest)
Back: Cloak of the Raven, black dye (fall festival)

R.I.P. Robe of Viisaus :(

Despite the big protest on official forums, violent tantrums on fashion blogs and numerous bug reports in Rise of Isengard beta, Robe of Viisaus' changed appearance made it to live.

Nothing much to talk about - there was no official word from Turbine about this as far as I know, the robe's change wasn't even mentioned in the RoI release notes (even though many other cosmetic changes were). I still hold a tiny chunk hope that this is just a very low priority bug and we will get the robe back.

Until that happens - rest in piece my beloved robe :(

 (screenshot by Hymne)

Comparison of the old and new version of Robe of Viisaus available here

Maddened chicken

After the terrible nightmare she couldn't wake up from for several hours, Brewbelly finally rose out of her sleep for the final call to depart to Dunland. Feeling great urge to get straight into the battle, she equipped the most flamboyant attire she found in her wardrobe - maybe she won't be disguised as a minstrel, but she'll surely have some fun!

Chest: (Vibrant) Combat Armour of Théodred, red dye (T7 crafted) 
Hands: Amarion's Padded Gauntlets, crimson dye (Quest: A Collar for the King)
Feet: (Strong) Combat Boots of Théodred, olive dye (T7 crafted)
Back: Wizard's Cloak of Théodred, red dye (T7 crafted)

Westfold crafted items

Whoa, I managed to get ingame! After ~6 hours of waiting in queue for patch and then another few hours trying to log ingame I finally saw the awaited loading screen - and went straight ahead to my tailor's and metalsmith's guild halls :)

I was mostly curious about how do the new crafted items dye. I was disappointed only in one case, the heavy chestpiece. I am so sorry this beautiful cosmetic cannot be dyed other than default colour, while just metallic shines would be perfectly enough :( But other cosmetics are mostly promising. Unfortunately, I didn't have very big choice for models - my metalsmith is a woman and my tailor is a hobbit lass, but at least you will see the cosmetics in a nontraditional way :)

All items are dyed red, to show (un)dyable parts.

heavy armour craftable from metalsmith guild
Armour/Helmet/Pauldrons/Gauntlets/Boots of Théodred 

medium armour craftable from tailor guild
Combat Armour/Helmet/Pauldrons/Gauntlets/Boots of Théodred

light armour craftable from tailor guild
Assault Robe/Hat/Pauldrons/Gloves/Shoes of Théodred

cloaks craftable from tailor guild
Wizard's/Ranger's/Warrior's Cloak of Théodred

shields craftable from metalsmith guild
Assault/Combat/Battle Shield of Théodred

As for me, I give a huge thumbs up especially for perfectly dyable light and heavy chestpiece, as well as the amazing cloaks. I couldn't resist doing a hobbit outfit using the chicken cloak - it made the lil' hobbit inside me dance :) However, in the next days I will try to create a little more serious outfits - I already have quite a few movie inspirations planned with which I've only been waiting for RoI to come out :) Stay tuned!

RoI release notes - cosmetics (by CosmeticLOTRO)

Hymne, fellow blogger from Cosmetic LOTRO, posted a great summary of patch notes related to cosmetics:

• Players are now able to place any piece of armour into the wardrobe, even if they cannot wear it.
• Vendors will now restrict the sale of Reputation and Glory specific items. As a player you will still be able to see all available items but will not be allowed to purchase the item unless you meet the Reputation and Glory required to use it.
• The Isengard cosmetic armor and pocket item can now be restored to the player using the /reclaim command.
• The Cloak of the Westfold (Isengard pre-order item) appearance has been adjusted to be whiter.
• Cloak of the Peacekeeper has had its appearance fixed.
• The super-sized shield Frothskold is now normal sized for a light shield.
• There were some crafted cloaks that did not support all of the available dye colors. These cloaks have been corrected to do so.
• Examining items from links in chat windows should now properly include dye and crafter info.

Thank you Hymne! For those who are interested in original Cloak of the Peacekeeper appearance, I found a nice comparison of original and bugged appearance on the forums:

Great think is our greatly anticipated lift of wardrobe restrictions really happened and cosmetic changes are very promising in general (except for the wonderful shield - see how proud it looked equipped by a hobbit :( ).

Ready for Angrenost

Everyone is getting ready to approach Isengard, the iron fortress. Even the elven hunters armour up and prepare themselves for the siege. Sidgrid is one of those to join the most elite hunters attacking Isengard, or Angrenost in Sindarin. After a long travel through southern lands, she adopted the local image, but still keeps the elven elegance - and especially efficiency. 

Chest: Armour of the Lady's Discernment, Ered Luin blue dye (Dâr Narbugud hunter level 60 set)
Legs: (Lesser) Arrow of the West Leggings, Ered Luin blue dye (Ost Dunhoth hunter level 65 set)
Head: (Lesser) Arrow of the West Helmet, Ered Luin blue dye (Ost Dunhoth hunter level 65 set)
Shoulders: Malledhrim Pauldrons of the Awakened, Ered Luin blue dye (T6 crafted)
Hands: Malledhrim Gauntlets of the Awakened, Ered Luin blue dye (T6 crafted)
Feet: Boots of the Lady's Discernment, Ered Luin blue dye (Dâr Narbugud hunter level 60 set)
Back: Cloak of the Windsinger, Ered Luin blue dye (store)

Guest: Maeglaz of Eldar

Fashionable elven hunter Maeglaz (already know from outfits 1, 2) has done some preparations for his further journey. After becoming an ally of the Grey Company, he swore an oath to follow them and depart with them to Dunland. He is ready for the adventure, are you?

Chest: High Herald’s Armour, crimson dye (T6 crafted)
Leggings: High Herald’s Leggings, crimson dye (T6 crafted)
Head: Makeshift Ranger Mask, crimson dye (skirmish barter; also available in store)
Shoulders: (Fine) Footman’s Shoulder Guards, crimson dye (T6 crafted)
Hands: (Fine) Footman’s Gloves, crimson dye (T6 crafted)
Feet: Brushed Leather Boots (Bree outfitter; also available in store)
Back: Cloak of the Helmingas, default dye (Isengard pre-order)

Danger may be near

Burglars will soon be the key fellowship members for killing Draigloch. The most renowned ones are already preparing for this important role, in terms of both training and image. The big menace cannot be struck by a burglar looking like a fella from Beggars' alley - he wouldn't start an exploit, but rather a big dragon's laugh accompanied by smelly fire-breath. Wasabito realized that and dressed appropriately - now all enemies will fear the dangerous and tricky moves on the first sight of him.

Chest: Footman's Armour, crimson dye (T6 crafted)
Legs: Shadow-stalker Leggings, crimson dye (Helegrod level 50 burglar set)
Head: Hood of the Silent Knife, crimson dye (Moria level 60 burglar epic set)
Shoulders: Bladecatcher Pauldrons, crimson dye (store; also available as Dwarf Leather Shoulder Guards from medium armoursmith in Thorin's Hall)
Hands: Gauntlets of the Silent Knife, default dye (Moria level 60 burglar epic set)
Feet: Gangalengi, crimson dye (drop from Carn Dum)
Back: Cloak of Hwîn, crimson dye (drop from Gortheron, Ost Dunhoth)

Guest: Wendelina of Snowbourn

Like most hobbits, Wendelina loves eating, that's why her tummy sticks out more through her dress than she would have liked. Aside from pies, her favorite food is ice cream, which is very hard to get in the Shire. Therefore she often travels to Needlehole to meet the dwarf traders from Ered Luin, who always bring packs of ice cream made from fresh Ered Luin snow just for her, even though she really hates the trek to Needlehole as the road is long and the march is filled with icky toads and slugs. To make the trek more bearable, she always takes a delicious pie with her. By the time she reaches Needlehole, the pie has usually disappeared inside her belly.

Chest: Extravagant Festival Dress, default dye (winter festival)
Head: Circlet of Men, default dye (anniversary gift box)

Do you comment on blog posts?

Two weeks ago, I created a poll to find outif you guys comment on posts or not and what some of your reasons might be. I find comments on posts the most valuable feedback for me (along with the e-mails you send) so I was pretty concerned when I heard there are technical problems commenting on my blog. Here are the poll's results:

This is pretty alarming, because it seems every 20th person encountered some problem with commenting here. I already received a detailed report of what some of the problems are (thank you guys a lot for that!) and I will try to find out what I can with the Blogger support.

About the other poll results, I wasn't surprised that quite a lot of people don't comment at all - I also used to comment very seldom until I started blogging myself. However, I would like you all to encourage you to drop a line or two - either positive or negative - for posts you have opinion on. We bloggers are very much interested in these opinions, because they help us improve. Praise is always great to read, but negative feedback also gives very much valued constructive criticism! So please, comment, I'm very interested in your opinions :)

As for the new poll, Rise of Isengard is scheduled to launch next week and I am absolutely thrilled about getting the new cosmetics - either from quests, raid or the crafted ones asap. What's your opinion about these new cosmetics? Let me and other readers know in the poll! :)

Sexy pirate

Ahoy mates! I hope ye be all help'n th' shipwrecked mariner at Brandywine river, cause th' fella be really unseaworthily worried bout his cargo lost in storm. He hopes t' set off today, so hurry aloft an' assist him if ye wanna look as allur'n as me!

Note: Today is the last day of The Tale of the Shipwrecked Mariner event, don't miss your chance to get some really funny cosmetics!

Chest: Fancy Waistcoat, black dye (anniversary gift-box; also available in store)
Head: Mariner's Hat, default dye (quest: The Tale of the Shipwrecked Mariners - starts near the Brandywine bridge)
Back: Stowed Threadbare Cloak, sea blue dye (skirmish barter for Inn of the Forsaken mark)

Guest: Hanfur of Laurelin

A high ranking dwarf in his kin, Hanfur needs armour that is both functional and imposing. The colour is chosen to to match the uniform of the kinship. The plain blue cloak and distinctive helm make him easily identified on the battlefield.

Chest: Breastplate of Voima, Evendim blue dye (quest: Vol. I, Book 13, Chapter 4: The Hand of Angmar)
Legs: Daerdúr Leggings, Evendim blue dye (barter Iorcheryn in Gath Fornir)
Head: Survivor of the Watcher, Evendim blue dye (quest: Vol II, Book 1, Chapter 13: The Watcher in the Water)
Shoulders: Hadoranc, Evendim blue dye (quest: Vol I, Book 14, Chapter 15: The Doom of the North)
Hands: Dwarf Steel Gauntlets, Evendim blue dye (T4 crafted)
Feet: Leather boots, Evendim blue dye (T2 crafted)
Back: Plain Cloak, Evendim blue dye (outfitter vendor)

Natural beauty

Sidgrid has never understood wardens who envied guardians their heavy armour. She thinks a warrior is able to defend his fellows better when he is agile and quick. Therefore she chose a very light armour to protect her, as well as esthetically please her companions. She wouldn't be an elf if she didn't want to look great, would she? ;)

Chest: Elven Campaigner's Armour, dark green dye (T5 crafted)
Legs: Radiant Westernesse Leggings, umber dye (T5 crafted)
Head: Fine Elven Circlet, default dye (Anniversary gift box)
Shoulders: Elven Leather Shoulder Pads, olive dye (Rivendell light armoursmith)
Hands: Scout's Gloves, olive dye (T6 crafted)
Feet: Scout's Boots, olive dye (T6 crafted)
Back: Cloak of the Autumn Wood, olive dye (store)

Guest: Eongor of Silverlode

Eongor, a rider of Rohan and his outfit are great example how to achieve good white look around level 40. All the pieces are easily acquirable (the robe is available with many different names) and look very noble altogether. This outfit would fit an elf as well - the robe doesn't have to be exactly the same, but colour must fit. A well matching horse is also a must :)

Chest: Robe of Vigour, white dye (world drop)
Shoulders: Heavy Elven Shoulder Guards, washed (Rivendell heavy armoursmith)
Hands: Heavy Elven Gauntels, washed (Rivendell heavy armoursmith)
Feet: Heavy Elven Boots, washed (Rivendell heavy armoursmith)
Back: (Hooded) Cloak of the Dove, white dye (store)
Shield: Simbi's Shield (quest: Expedition: Orders for Half-orcs)

Mount: Summerfest Horse (summer festival)

Get your pirate cosmetics today!

Tale of the Shipwrecked Mariner is back! Today, Monday 19th September is International Talk Like A Pirate Day and Turbine celebrates it by opening ingame even with very nice thematic rewards.

Don't hesitate and visit quest givers & barterers on the Bree-land side of Brandywine shore (near Brandywine bridge). The event is likely to be up until Wednesday the 21st, but it has not been confirmed, so grab your pirate hats and eyepatches as soon as possible :)

The pirate cosmetics were also made available in store as seasonal items.

Cobalt shine

Rune-keepers are masters of words. However, only some of them have been enlighten with true power of runes, so strong and intimidating. These rune-keepers are not afraid to enter Ettenmoors, former kingdom of Rhudaur, and show their mighty spirit in both damaging enemies and healing allies. Beware when you see them wearing their cobalt robes, because that's the sign of what they are willing to endure.

Chest: Padded Cobalt Robe, Ered Luin blue dye (Ettenmoors rank 4 rune-keeper set; there used to be a rank 2 Cobalt Robe with the same appearance on level 50, but I'm not sure if it's still acquirable)
Head: Circlet of Adamant, default dye (store)
Shoulders: Dwarf Steel Shoulder Guards of Fate, Ered Luin blue dye (world drop)
Hands: Bear-claws, Ered Luin blue dye (drop from Mordirith, Carn Dum)
Feet: Boots of the Learned, Ered Luin blue dye (Rift level 50 rune-keeper set)
Back: Cloak of the Windsinger, Ered Luin blue dye (store)

Guest: Maeglaz of Eldar

We have already seen one Maeglaz' outfit. He wore his attire for many days and liked it, but every hunter should blend into his environment. When he entered Mirkwood, Maeglaz realized there aren't many green trees like in Rivendell, nor golden streams, and he will need a different outfit to protect him in battles. Hence he formed this outfit, sewed for the best of footmen and heralds.

Chest: High Herald’s Armour, sienna dye (T6 crafted; shares appearance with Footman's, Scout's and Merchwarden's piece)
Legs: High Footman’s Leggings, sienna dye (T6 crafted)
Head: Traveller’s Hood, sienna dye (store)
Shoulders: Fine Footman’s Shoulder Guards, sienna dye (T6 crafted)
Hands: Fine Footman’s Gloves, sienna dye (T6 crafted)
Feet: Brushed Leather Boots, sienna dye (store)
Back: Quiver of Caras Gadahorn, sienna dye (store)

Freyjuska the Fearless

I spent some time in Angmar instances and got myself a new shiny title - the Fearless. After that I've proven to be its rightful wearer by slaying Mordirith with duo of my friends (it's not a super-big achievement, I know, but it was fun :)). While we were taking screenshots, I realized it's really the right time to create a battle outfit for Frey. She's been wearing her yellow hunting attire since 2008 and although I still love it very much, I wanted something new which would say: "Hey, I'm a top level hobbit hunter, don't mess with me!" :D

I was also feeling a bit awkward that I've created almost 100 different outfits and my own main character uses only one of her four outfit slots. So I set myself a "wish" submission, and my criteria were: red & gold colour combination, battle ready & noble, yet still hobbitly cute and fitting. I also made an exception and decided to wear boots (although I usually don't support that), to support the battle readiness.

Here I present you my creation, which I hope will be good enough to enter Dunland with. And I will also share the last screenshot of me wearing my old outfit in a fierce battle - now it's been promoted to my downtown outfit only :)

Chest: Elven Soldier's Armour, crimson dye (T5 crafted)
Legs: (Mirrored) Dwarf-make Knight's Leggings, red dye (T5 crafted)
Head: Chopley's Hat, red dye (Quest: A Curious Number of Bears)
Shoulders: Shoulders of the Swift-Arrow, red dye (Mirkwood hunter purple set)
Hands: (August) Gloves of the Golden Wood, red dye (T6 crafted)
Feet: (August) Boots of the Golden Wood, red dye (T6 crafted)
Back: Cloak of the Mallorn, red dye (store)

Guest: Fyxe of Laurelin

"Dum dum dum..." If you ever think you've heard silent footsteps on your roof while you're sleeping, you might wanna be scared it's a burglar. But it's certainly not Fyxe. You would definitely never hear this burgling lady. She comes at night in complete silence, waiting for people and hobbits to fall to their peaceful dreams and then she starts searching for treasures.

Chest: Elven cloth shirt, black dye (world drop)
Legs: Shabby leggings, black dye (winter festival)
Head: Thrillseeker's Helm, no dye (Rift burglar set; ceremonial version available at skirmish cosmetic barter)
Shoulders: Shoulders of the Eorlingas, default dye (Isengard pre-order)
Hands: Fingerless Gloves, black dye (winter festival)
Feet: Boots of the Westfold, default dye (Isengard pre-order)
Back: Cloak of the Eorlingas, default dye (Isengard pre-order)

Vain firefly

Rune-keepers usually use power of words and runes to fight and defend themselves. Sidgrid has one more weapon besides those she loves to use - her charm. A few naughty winks here, a few gentle touches there and every brigand becomes harmless. Orcs are a little tougher, but that's when she relies on the runes.

Chest: Dwarf-make Iron Armour, purple dye (T2 crafted)
Legs: Radiant Westernesse Leggings, purple dye (T5 crafted)
Head: Circlet of Men, default dye (Anniversary gift box)
Shoulders: Traveller's Shoulder Guards, purple dye (T3 crafted)
Hands: Scout's Gloves, purple dye (T6 crafted)
Feet: Scout's Boots, purple dye (T6 crafted)
Back: Cloak of the Dragonfly, purple dye (store)

Guest: Noruivae of Snowbourn

You've already met Noruivae Taranthir of Snowbourn, the golden guardian of Lothlórien. Her shiny golden armour serves her well, but it's just not enough to keep her warm when she ventures into freezing climate of Misty Mountains. At those times she turns into a frost queen, protected by the finest steel armour forged by ancient elven smiths.

Chest: Tough Elven-Steel Jacket, umber dye (drop from Barad Gúlaran)
Legs: Enduring Elven-Steel Leggings of Might, black dye (drop from Barad Gúlaran)
Hands: Fingerless Gloves, black dye (winter festival)
Feet: Boots of the Eorlingas, default dye (Isengard pre-order)
Back: Fancy Snow-cloak, washed (winter festival; also available in store)

Arivae

Elven presence is known to shine up every place, even the darkest one. This is especially true for Manequithir, several thousand years old champion. He will be greatly missed by his dear ones in Celondim once he leaves for the Grey Havens. But he sees this as only the new beginning, and knows his friends will join him. Mae govannen, mellon! Let you dragon scale armour protect you against all evils you meet.

Chest: Breastplate of the North-Drake, gold dye (drop from the Rift)
Legs: Sellsword's Leggings, gold dye (T6 crafted)
Head: Rochbenhar, gold dye (Quest: The Final Challenge)
Shoulders: Sellsword's Shoulder Guards, gold dye (T6 crafted)
Hands: Sellsword's Gloves, gold dye (T6 crafted)
Feet: Sellsword's Boots, gold dye (T6 crafted)
Back: Cloak of the Ibis, gold dye (store)

Guest: Hargorin of Withywindle

After the fall of Moria foul things have taken over the halls that once stood proud under the mountain. The tales and songs about all the heroes who perished, have inspired hundreds of Dwarves with the dream of seeing Moria restored to it's former glory. Hargorin Grimmsteel is such a dwarf. He put on the uniform of the Mithril Guard in honour of the fallen and is ready to help his kindred retake Moria. One hall at a time, they will see evil cast out. The flame that has been kindled within will never fade.
Baruk-Khazad! Khazad-ai-menu! Axes of the Dwarves! The Dwarves are upon you!

Chest: Hauberk of the Mithril Guard, Ered Luin blue dye (key giveaway)
Shoulders: Daervunn's Shoulder pads, Ered Luin blue dye (Quest: Deciphering the Black Speech)
Hands: Elven Steel Gauntlets, Ered Luin blue dye (Rivendell heavy armoursmith)
Feet: Dwarf Iron Boots, white dye (T4 crafted)

Petition for keeping old Robe of Viisaus

Hymne informed on her blog that the Robe of Viisaus has been changed in RoI beta. I feel it's very bad news, although the new version is also pretty (for someone maybe prettier than the old one).

"Old" Robe of Viisaus is the most untypical piece of chest cosmetics when it comes to texture and dying. It has violet shines and dyes very intense, which made her one of the most used cosmetics for deep black and deep crimson outfits.

Please see Hymne's screenshot of the robe's RoI version compared to my elf wearing the old one:

The ornaments on new robe are much more visible, there are no violet or blue shines and the belt is rather flat - the old one looks more "3D" or plastic to me. Both robes are pretty in my opinion, but I would be much happier if a new cosmetic was created for the updated version. I would definitely like to see the current appearance of Robe of Viisaus available after the update.

I created a petition on official forums - if you share my opinion, pretty please, go there and add your comment. Hopefully if enough people express their feelings, devs might eventually keep the old appearance ingame.

Into the fire

It's been long since Amarilwen first entered Moria. Her journeys lead her to the front lines of the fiercest war, where she fought enemies ordinary people do not speak of. But after every battle, she came out of the mine's fires stronger and more determined. Now, as she will soon cross the Gap of Rohan to reach the Isengard, she decided to gather her most precious trophies from Khazad-dûm and wear the sturdiest armour she's ever had. Now, she is ready! Arisen from the fire to enter the fires and be victorious, again!

Chest: Malledhrim Armour of Rejuvenation, default dye (T6 crafted)
Legs: Hall-general's Armour, black dye (Moria captain teal set)
Head: Helm of the Rallying Shout, black dye (Moria captain purple set)
Shoulders: Hall-general's Shoulder Guards, black dye (Moria captain teal set)
Hands: Malledhrim Gauntlets of Rejuvenation, default dye (T6 crafted)
Feet: Boots of the Brazen Call, black dye (Moria captain purple set)
Back: Cloak of the Sunset, black dye (Moria pre-order; try ./reclaim ingame to see if you are eligible for it)

Guest: Noruivae of Snowbourn

Noruivae Taranthir has been born, raised and trained in the Golden Wood. Guardians of Lothlórien count her among the most righteous of their kind, always willing to sacrifice for the good of their group. Even in the darkest of places, standing against the most terrifying enemies, she always brings light into her fellows' minds.

Chest: Hauberk of the Rugged Clansmen, gold dye (skirmish barter)
Legs: Elven Steel Leggings, gold dye (Rivendell heavy armoursmith)
Head: Survivor of the Watcher, gold dye (Quest: Vol. II, Book 1, Chapter 13: The Watcher in the Water)
Shoulders: Stoneheart's Shoulders, gold dye (Moria guardian purple set)
Hands: Gauntlets of the Iron Arm, gold dye (Moria guardian purple set)
Feet: Boots of the Iron Arm, gold dye (Moria guardian purple set)
Back: Sturdy Elven Quiver, umber dye (T2 crafted)

What armour do you have access to? + An appeal to you!

About two weeks ago, I was curious what type of armour do you guys have access to, because I was afraid I use heavy armour too often not even knowing if heavy outfits are useful to you readers. Just after launching the poll, the Rise of Isengard Beta NDA was lifted and we learnt that most probably there will be no restrictions for items to be stored in chaarcter's wardrobe. This would mean a light armour wearer could basically use wardrobe to cosmetically equip any heavy/other class specific item, as long as he can puchase or barter it (this excludes some class items which can only be obtained from class trainers who won't speak to you if you're wrong class, and are bound on acquire).

This is a great news in my opinion which made the poll and my worries obsolete :) But anyway, I'd like to share the poll's results:

Based on this, I assume that most of you have had access to heavy/medium items, so you actually might have found a usable outfits on my blog before. This makes me happy :)

Other news are I made it easier to comment on my blog. I found out that some readers had problems posting their comments because of captcha image not loading. I disabled the captcha and hope that you will be able to post without any problems.

My appeal to you is: Please comment on articles as often as you have anything to say! It doesn't have to be praise, it can be criticism, ideas how to improve the outfit etc. Your comments help me make the blog better, improve my skills as an outfitter and generally create outfits which you readers might like more and more. This is also the topic of the next poll: Do you comment on blog posts? Please, let me know the reasons why you don't - there might still even be some technical issues. I'm looking forward to your feedback :)

Warrior princess

Sidgrid comes from old noble Vanyar family. She is a great-grandniece of Indis of the Vanyar and was always raised as an elven princess. Noble, yet still humble, well-mannered and predestined to represent her house. However, this wasn't enough for her, and she decided to join her brothers in hunting and become one of the best sharpshooter. Being a distant relative of Elrond the Half-elven, she often stops at Imladris to rest in his house. Say hello when you see her there!

And please let me know your opinion on the outfit in comments :)

Chest: Protector's Armour, burgundy dye (T5 crafted)
Legs: Footman's Leggings, rust dye (T6 crafted)
Head: Circlet of Men, default dye (Anniversary gift box)
Shoulders: Shoulders of the Swift-Arrow, burgundy dye (Mirkwood hunter purple set)
Hands: Golden Host Gloves of the Awakened, burgundy dye (T6 crafted)
Feet: Golden Host Gloves of the Gloaming, burgundy dye (T6 crafted)
Back: Cloak of the Autumn Wood, burgundy dye (store)

Guest: Conjal of Brandywine

Conjal is a hunter. And hunters have always had a strong bond with nature. Conjal's favourite moments are riding one of his horses through the meadows and woods, feeling nothing but the wind in his hair. He doesn't want people to recognize him during such times, so he has a separate riding costume, which allows him to ride unknown.

Chest: Robe of Moonlight, olive dye (world drop; similar design available from outfitter vendors)
Head: Traveller’s Hood, olive dye (store)
Shoulders: Thick Pristine Shoulder Guards, olive dye (T5 crafted)
Gloves: Dwarf Padded Gloves of Rallying, olive dye (world drop; similar design available from outfitter vendors)
Shoes: Westernesse Padded Shoes of Determination, olive dye (world drop)
Back: Warden's Wrap, olive dye (Annuminas reputation barter)

Wish-based inspiration: Elendil

Today's inspiration was suggested on globallff by Earenduil, a captain of Snowbourn server. He was looking for an armour suitable for warrior of Númenór, inspired by captain archetype, Elendil. 

Elendil was the father of Isildur and Anárion, and the first High King of Gondor and Arnor and first King of all the Dúnedain. Leading the remnant of the Faithful Númenóreans to Middle-earth, he established strong regimes there and created the great alliance that put an end to Sauron's power for over a thousand years. His bloodline and spirited leadership survived in the Dúnedain of the North and South of Middle-earth, that would in turn sire the brave and heroic men that would help bring a final end to Sauron in the War of the Ring.

Luckily, we have two similar helms to one that Elendil wore in the movie. I went for the one which shows character's face and can only be more easily acquired (it can be purchased from vendor). There is also one with covered face, called Tarchar (Malledhrim reputation barter) or Enduring Helm (world drop), which can also be successfully used for a Númenórean warrior look:

 
For the other pieces, I was also going for good role-playing items. Therefore I chose westernesse  breastplate and captain specific pieces. There will hopefully be some class unspecific items in Rise of Isengard expansion to use instead of the leggings, but I haven't seen ones of similar shape with chainmail patterns.

What do you think of this outfit? Does it resemble Númenórean style? Please let me know in comments :)

Chest: Chainmail Chestpiece of Fleetness, white dye (world drop)
Legs: Leggings of the Brazen Call, white dye (Captain Moria purple set)
Head: Elven Pointed Helm, white dye (Rivendell heavy armoursmith)
Shoulders: Shining Shoulder Guards, washed (world drop)
Hands: Reinforced Westernesse Steel Gauntlets Of Might, washed (drop from Barad Gúlaran)
Feet: Boots of the Brazen Call, white dye (Captain Moria purple set)
Back: Warden's Wrap, black dye (Annuminas reputation barter)

Guest: Celendine of Snowbourn

Celendine the Naughty can generally be found anywhere where there is lots of fun to be had. Anyway, she was so proud when she received a very big new shield from one of the evil bosses in Ost Dunnoth thanks to her fabulous new kinship Nine Worlds. As this shield is very distinctively purple, she just had to have a matching outfit to go with it - she thinks she looks very heroic! Do watch out though because you may as well see her with this outfit but wearing some silly hats, as she generally keeps several in her bag to use when people need cheering up :)

Chest: Gossamer Dress, purple dye (skirmish cosmetic barter)
Head: Winged Circlet, purple dye (skirmish cosmetic barter)
Back: Cloak of the Ibis, purple dye (store)
Sheild: Forthskold (drop from OD raid)

Guarding home

Even though most of free people now fight for Middle-Earth far away from their hometowns, nearly every one of them thinks of their home in the first place. Wasabito, a hobbit guardian of great merit, thinks of his home in Shire with every shield bash or sword strike he deals to his enemies. Recently he has come for a visit and realized the place he needs to guard the most is the Shire. Pride aside, he signed up in Brockenborings militia and now serves as a proud defender against the goblin assaults. In the coming dark times, his fellows will greatly appreciate his experience from the battlefield.

Chest: Dwarf Steel Jacket of Might, evendim blue dye (world drop)
Legs: Rift-defender's Leggings, default dye (Rift guardian level 50 set)
Head: Extravagant Festival Cap, evendim blue dye (winter festival)
Shoulders: Shining Dwarf Leather Shoulder Guards, ered luin blue dye (world drop)
Hands: Rift-defender's Gloves, default dye (Rift guardian level 50 set)
Feet: Rift-defender's Boots, default dye (Rift guardian level 50 set)
Back: Cloak of the Sunset Wood, evendim blue dye (store)

Guest: Brrokk of Snowbourn

Brrokk is already known to us by his battle outfit. He is a great warrior, but he doesn't like to wear heavy armour all the time. When off-duty, it is still important to look good. Brrokk was aiming for a distinctive bright-coloured look, but not overwhelming with bright colours. Has he managed it? I think so :)

Chest: Robe of Viisaus, rust dye (Quest: Vol. I, Book 13, Chapter 4: The Hand of Angmar; also available as Robe of Vigour - lvl 56 world drop)
Feet: Elven Leather Boots, crimson dye (Rivendell medium armoursmith)
Back: Elrond's Exquisite Cloak, default dye (Quest: Vol. I, Book 12, Chapter 10: Half-truths)
Tip: Visit Brrokk's blog!

Isengard raid armour appearance

Hymne of Cosmetic Lotro has published detailed screenshots of Rise of Isengard raid armour sets for all classes. Let's have a sneak peak, for the detailed screenshots visit her blog :)

Guardian                     Captain                    Champion

Warden                     Hunter                   Burglar

 Minstrel                     Lore-Master                   Rune-Keeper

Basically the heavy, medium and light armours differ only in colour and emblem on chest. However, they look good and will be highly usable in outfits soon! :)

Hymne also published a few reputation items with high cosmetic value, which I'm looking forward to:

Rider’s Traveling Cloak                     Storyteller’s Cloak                   Widow’s Drape

It's a pity the first two cloaks are hooded :( But I'm already thinking of outfit compositions to use them :)

Thank you Hymne!