Battling the blizzard

Phloxie is enjoying the holiday spirit, but even in the merry times, she likes to be engaged in a little fighting. As a true warden, her heart jumped of joy when she heard Frostbluff needs driving off some frost grims to protect the poor who were forced to move outside the town walls. Dressed appropriately to resist the freezing cold, she gave the blizzard some good tanking and spanking. People of Frostbluff were so happy and grateful they invited her for some mulled wine and they sang a lot of carols together to celebrate the victory over the cold. And Phloxie was star of the show once again :)

Usually when I'm checking out items' appearance on auction hall on my hobbit main, I'm disappointed, because many items don't really 'shine' on hobbits. However, this chest piece and leggings combo got me excited immediately - altogether it makes hobbit girls look so much slimmer and taller! Paired with a furry hooded cloak, which is absolute guarantee of cuteness on hobbit lass, I like the result this festive outfit gives. The rolled up sleeves don't entirely help winter look, but I have an excuse - a good fight and a little bit of mulled wine can really make any hobbit feel very warm! :)

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

Chest: Arth-crus, Rivendell green dye (Drop from Update 5 instance cluster)
Legs: Rhuvel-socas, dark green dye (Drop from Update 5 instance cluster)
Shoulders: Padded Mantle of the Dunland Soothsayer, white dye (Dunland quest)
Hands: Reinforced Leather Dunlending Gauntlets, red dye (Dunland quest)
Feet: Ajokoira Shoes, red dye (T5 crafted)
Back: Bearskin Winter Cloak, white dye (Store)

Guest: Gwendolen of Laurelin

Dunlendings have seldom been seen within the lands of Bree, and rarer so even in the Far North. However, outcast Gwendolen, fleeing for rebelling against the White Hand, shows her Boar-clan heritage in style with this savvy outfit dedicated to the Tûrch-gwirod. She considers herself Dunland's best huntress, which is at least partly true.

Gwendolen (whose other characters' outfits were also featured: 1, 2) said about her outfit: "Dunlendings have seldom been seen within the lands of Bree, and rarer so even in the Far north. However, Outcast Gwendolen, fleeing for rebelling against the White Hand, shows her Boar-clan heritage in style with this savvy outfit dedicated to the Tûrch-gwirod. She considers herself Dunland's best huntress, which is at least, partly true."

Chest: Battle Hauberk of Rhûn, burgundy dye (Store)
Head: Boar Festival Mask, umber dye (Fall festival)
Shoulders: Fated Westfold Campaign Shoulder Guards, washed T7 crafted)
Gloves: Gloves of the Helmingas, default dye (Isengard pre-order)
Feet: Vibrant Brushed Skirmish Boots, default dye (T7 crafted)
Back: Boar Festival Cloak, umber dye (Fall festival)

The Little Match Girl

"Most terribly cold it was; it snowed, and was nearly quite dark, and evening-- the last evening of the year. In this cold and darkness there went along the street a poor little girl, bareheaded, and with naked feet. When she left home she had slippers on, it is true; but what was the good of that? They were very large slippers, which her mother had hitherto worn; so large were they; and the poor little thing lost them as she scuffled away across the street, because of two carriages that rolled by dreadfully fast."

Hans Christian Andersen: The Little Match Girl

The Little Match Girl is a very sad story and I don't really want to make Sidgrid bring it alive (I equipped her with warm headgear, boots and mittens to be sure!). I was even hesitating about using it for the title and the introduction, as this outfit isn't truly shabby, except for the cap. In the end I decided to mention it, as I wanted to express that I like the concept of Christmas in LoTRO - how they made us choose between helping poor people and gaining no fancy rewards on the first sight, and obtaining beautiful cosmetics for the cost of letting poor Little Match Girl suffer.

The cloak is one of two new Yule festival cloaks. I had opportunity to play through this year's Yule festival for the first time today and this cloak seemed to be less used compared to the other one, despite its beauty. I think the reason are undyable parts of dull pink and grey (only the ornaments change colour upon dying). The "dull pink" is exactly the shade which most of cosmetics usually dye in rose, and therefore are very rarely used in this colour (even for girly outfits). This gave me wonderful opportunity to create a match which hopefully pleases the eye even though the shades aren't really popular :)

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

Chest: Burnished Dunlending Chestpiece, rose dye (Dunland quest)
Head: Shabby Stocking Hat, default dye (Yule festival)
Shoulders: Fated Westfold Campaign Shoulders Pads, rose dye (T7 crafted)
Hands: Oven Mitts, grey dye (Skirmish barter - Rift cosmetics)
Feet: Ajokoira Shoes, grey dye (T5 crafted)
Back: Warm Winter Cloak, default dye (Yule festival)

Guest inspiration: Chaos dwarf by Brrokk

Brrokk Barrowbane heard that some of the young hobbits in Bree play a game called "Warhammer". He thought this sounded good until he heard that it featured "chaos dwarves". How disrespectful! One can't settle scores like this in Bree by beheading, but he decided to dress up as one of their bad guys to give them a fright. Here is the result. Brrokk's reign of terror didn't last long though, because Watcher Heathstraw admonished him about, "Behaviour likely to cause alarm, annoyance or astonishment". It won't happen again, honest.

This outfit is inspired by Chaos dwarves from Warhammer. I think Brrokk did pretty amazing job in dressing as scary dwarven villain :) What do you guys think? Please tell us in comments!

Warhammer Chaos dwarf

Tip: You can see other Brrokk's outfits here.

Chest: Breastplate of Durin’s Guard, red dye (Guardian Moria level 60 teal set)
Legs: Leggings of Durin’s Guard, red dye (Guardian Moria level 60 teal set)
Head: Spiked Helmet, red dye (Medium armoursmith in Thorin's Hall)
Shoulders: Dwarf Leather Shoulder Guards, red dye (Medium armoursmith near throne in Thorin's Hall)
Hands: Gauntlets of Durin’s Guard, red dye (Guardian Moria level 60 teal set)
Feet: Boots of Durin’s Guard, red dye (Guardian Moria level 60 teal set)
Back: Embroidered Cloak of the Dunland Healer, red dye (Dunland quest)

Guest: Protector of Knowledge by Kemendin of Nimrodel

Some say that the lore-master Kemendin has wandered Middle-earth since the dawning of the Second Age. Scarce are the lands through which he has not traveled, forever seeking to delve further into the deepest mysteries of lore. His is the path of knowledge, a road which is often dark and broken, eroded by time and desecrated by the Enemy in his search for power. It is Kemendin's self-appointed task to bear light into this darkness, to kindle the flame of knowledge and to shield it from the Shadow, so that the understanding of ages may be once again uncovered and preserved. Beware, then, you servants of darkness, for great is the Lore-master's wrath when the storehouses of ancient learning are threatened.

Kemendin has already shared one great lore-fitting outfit, and this is the one he wears on his main character. He said about the composition: "I think this has been a work in progress ever since Turbine gave us crimson dye, haha - my "crimson" outfit just kept evolving, and I was never quite satisfied. I think it's finally clicked though."

Chest: Spellweaver's Robe, default dye (Lore-master level 75 epic set)
Legs: Spellweaver's Leggings, default dye (Lore-master level 75 epic set)
Head: Helm of Laindehal's Watch, crimson dye (Ettenmoors Warden set - barterable for spirit stones)
Shoulders: Shoulder-guards of the Keen Eye, crimson dye (Level 75 skirmish raid drop)
Hands: Gloves of the Riddle Teller, crimson dye (Burglar level 75 epic set)
Feet: Spellweaver's Shoes, default dye (Lore-master level 75 epic set)
Back: Golden Tree Summer Cloak, crimson dye (summer festival)

Video guide: Using dyes

This is the fourth part of the very beginner's tutorial to LoTRO cosmetic system.

Using dyes

This guide covers:

• Dying armour stored in the inventory
• Dying armour stored in the wardrobe
• Using dyed items in your outfits
• Using dye wash
• Finding out if some item can be dyed

As always, I would be most grateful for any feedback, being positive or negative - please help me make my videos better!

Is there anything else you would like to know? Leave your questions or ideas for video guide topics in the comments. These are already planned guides:

• Previewing armour's appearance (released three weeks ago)
• Using cosmetic slots (released two weeks ago)
• Working with wardrobe (released last week)
• Crafting dyes
• Installing B.D.R.X. skin ("big dressing room")
• Taking good screenshots
• Outfitting tips for all races
• Outfitting tips for different occasions

Don't hesitate to follow LoTROFashion on Twitter and YouTube to be the first to know about new videos :)

Have you participated in Yule Outfit Contest?

Last poll I ran on the blog was very important to me personally - I hoped to get feedback on idea of cosmetic video guides I started this month.

I am quite happy with the results - 80% of you think the idea is good! This definitely makes me want to continue with this effort and prepare more outfitting basics vids. I am going to publish one today and more will be coming in the new year :)

Two people voted they didn't like the 1st video - this is also very important feedback for me. It's a pity the poll doesn't support leaving more detailed feedback. I would be most grateful for commenting on the videos even if you don't like them - pointing out what bothered you would be the best help I could ask for in improving the video guides!

The new poll's goal is to encourage you to participate in our Yule Outfit Contest 2011 and find out if we promoted it well enough. Please don't hesitate to comment directly on the contest announcement to find out more details you miss!

Very merry Yule! :)

In Slovakia, we celebrate Christmas Eve today by having wonderful festive dinner and opening presents from Jezisko ("Baby Jesus"). I've spent really beautiful time with my family and our four-footed family members, and now I'd like to wish you readers merry Christmas and great time spent with your beloved ones.

You will surely see some posts here until New Year's Eve, but anyway, thank you for all the comments, submissions and support you've contributed to LoTRO Fashion in 2011. Thanks to you, I still love working on this blog, creating new outfits and documenting them. Cheers! :)

Frey

On duty

It was a bleak winter day, when not even snowflakes were going to please the Free People - it was raining. Almost everyone stayed in warmth of their homes, except for one. Manequithir stood guard in Celondim, usually a vivid harbour for ships departing to Mithlond. Today even the ships stayed docked, and Manequithir had plenty of time to contemplate all the uneasy thoughts troubling his mind. There is a lot going to happen and the outcome is uncertain. But then, a single drop of rain fell on his sword and made him shine like pure chunk of mithril with all colours of the rainbow, and Manequithir realized there was still light where we would least expect it.

I've created this outfit and took the screenshots before Update 5. I've been having a very busy week at work before Christmas, plus I'm preparing to launch a new project which you will hear about soon :) So I decided to pull this outfit out to avoid much time spent ingame I can't afford. Currently, the skin of the chest piece is broken - it looks like other armour. However, it was bugged many times and we all hope it will be fixed soon. This skin is shared by armour piece under different names also (all level 66+ quest rewards) - I'm not sure which ones are broken and which ones not. You can look them all up in Devonna's guide to RoI quest rewards.

Chest: Polished Hauberk of the Dunland Shieldman, turquoise dye (Dunland quest)
Head: Polished Helmet of the Dunland Shieldman, gold dye (Dunland quest)
Shoulders: Traveller's Road-worn Mantle, grey dye (Dunland quest)
Hands: Heavy Plated Dunlending Gauntlets, grey dye (Dunland quest)
Feet: Hill-man's Cracked Leather Boots, grey dye (Dunland quest)
Back: Pendevig-clog, turquoise dye (Drop from Skûmfil)

Guest: Acromir of Crickhollow

Who watches the watchmen? There are many guards in Bree, but who knows what little secrets do they share and what kind of mischief do they plot. Acromir might be considered the villain, as he is a burglar, but instead of burgling he oversees the night town and takes care of Breelanders' safety. When you see a shadow moving between rooftops next time, maybe there's no need to be scared. But one can never know ;)

Acromir said about his outfit: "When making this costume, I tried to make it semi-realistic for a burglar. In actual night-time, there is never pure black. People who wear black clothing (the stereotypical ninja) show up really well, because there is always some light (stars, distant lights, etc) and so shadows are never that dark. Grey, however, shows up a lot at night-time and blends in with most building or natural materials. Most of this stuff is from lvl 65-70 questing in Dunland. I realized that some of the stuff looked cool, and started trying everything on before I picked a reward. I had to sacrifice some gear with better stats to get these, but it was definitely worth it."

Chest: Scout's Weathered Leather Jacket, grey dye (Dunland quest)
Shoulders: Reinforced Leather Dunlending Shoulder-Guards, grey dye (Dunland quest)
Hands: Dunland Marcher's Leather Gauntlets, grey dye (Dunland quest)
Feet: Padded Leather Boots, black dye (Outfitter in Bree)
Back: Plain Cloak, black dye (Outfitter in Bree)

Video guide: Working with wardrobe

This is the third part of the very beginner's tutorial to LoTRO cosmetic system.

Working with wardrobe

This guide covers:

• How to access the wardrobe
• Storing item's appearance in the wardrobe
• Using items stored in wardrobe for creating an outfit
• Filtering items in wardrobe, searching for items
• How to cosmetically equip armour you cannot wear (heavy armour for light classes)

Important note: In 2:00 of this video, I mention equipping Ettenmoors armour you don't have rank for via wardrobe. This is still possible if you already have the PvMP armour in your inventory (nothing changed in wardrobe restrictions). However. since Update 5, you won't be able to barter for these items (without proper class or rank) - refer to this article for more information.

Please, let me know what do you think of this video, any feedback (negative or positive) is very appreciated!

Is there anything else you would like to know? Leave your questions or ideas for video guide topics in the comments. These are already planned guides:

• Previewing armour's appearance (released two weeks ago)
• Using cosmetic slots (released last week)
• Using dyes (will be released next week)
• Crafting dyes
• Installing B.D.R.X. skin ("big dressing room")
• Taking good screenshots
• Outfitting tips for all races
• Outfitting tips for different occasions

Don't hesitate to follow LoTROFashion on Twitter and YouTube to be the first to know about new videos :)

Sad sad news :( - barter restrictions for class/rank specific armour

Outfitting system is becoming more restrictive once again. Since Update 5, we are no longer able to barter for armour we are not eligible for. Following criteria must be met:

• correct class,
• higher than minimum level of the item,
• higher than minimum rank of the item.

This is applicable for barterers who offer class specific armour, such as barterers in Ettenmoors, new Isengard instance hub and Ost Dunhoth reward barterers (these have been tried and confirmed).

Wardrobe restrictions haven't been changed, so you can still put other class' armour above your level into your wardrobe - you just won't be able to barter for it. If you acquire this armour via quest, or you purchase it from auction hall (this applies to all Bind-on-Equip items), you will still be able to equip it cosmetically via wardrobe.

My personal opinion is that this is unnecessary return to restricting cosmetic usage of items. I understand if somebody is unhappy, because he's earned rank 9 in Ettenmoors and somebody who never played PvMP can wear the same stuff as him. There a big "but" - in Ettens, where rank is matter of prestige, cosmetic armour cannot be shown anyway, so no "n00b" would be able to look as top players there. And outside of Ettens - nobody cares.

I'll rather finish my whining, because right now, I'm really disappointed about this change :(

Note: Big thanks to Kemendin for letting me know this news by e-mail and Hymne.

Seeker of wisdom

Many winters have passed since Maney started to walk the path to wisdom, studying ancient parchments and seeking enlightenment. He never entitled himself as a scholar or lore-keeper, nor has he maintained deep friendships with the Istari as many acknowledged lore-masters did. He has solely searched for deeper knowledge, and because of this purpose he often visited ancient Elrond's archives in Rivendell. He has dedicated his life to the secrets of life, not death, as he has always turned to light instead of darkness. So despite his simple human origin, he started to be called the White Wizard, and is known for his goodwill and love for learning and teaching.

There aren't many cosmetics ingame which look really good dyed white. I was very happy to discover that many of the new bind-on-equip drops from Isengard instance cluster belong to them. This outfit is a showoff of what I've been able to buy off auction hall since yesterday (I don't have much free time to explore the instances themselves these days). All of the items dye pretty well except for the chest piece - it's dyable, but always stays white (maybe a bug?).

Do you like this outfit? Please let me know and comment!

Chest: Cel-crus, default dye (Drop from Update 5 instance cluster)
Legs: Tavol-socas, white dye (Drop from Update 5 instance cluster)
Head: Steadfast Westfold Assault Hat, white dye (T7 crafted)
Shoulders: Gwir-palvais, white dye (Drop from Update 5 instance cluster)
Hands: Gloves of the Westfold, default dye (Isengard pre-order)
Feet: Rhydhid-lhopan, white dye (Drop from Update 5 instance cluster)
Back: Cloak of the Westfold, default dye (Isengard pre-order)

Guest: Gerbag of Whitywindle

In every fellowship there must be one light bearer, who brings hope even into the darkest places. When the one all of group's lives rely on is also the hope-bringer, the courage to face the evilest of evils is twice as strong. Fear not, if you have Gerbag on your side, because then you can feel perfectly safe.

Chest: Chestplate of Indomitable Protector, Evendim blue dye (Level 75 guardian epic set)
Legs: Lesser Defender of The West Leggings, Evendim blue dye (Ost Dunhoth level 65 warden epic set)
Head: Scowling Helm, Evendim blue dye (Skirmish classic barter - Halls of Night)
Shoulders: Lesser Blade of the West Shoulder Guards, Evendim blue dye (Ost Dunhoth level 65 champion epic set)
Hands: Gauntlets of Indomitable Protector, white dye (Level 75 guardian epic set)
Feet: Weathered Leather Scout's Boots, Evendim blue dye (Dunland quest)

Yule Outfit Contest 2011

Holiday season invaded us not only in real life, but also in LoTRO and especially in the fashion-positive community. Three biggest LoTRO outfitting blogs united to organize a Yule Outfit Contest for you, and the prizes will surely make any (wo)man, elf, hobbit or even dwarf happy! :)

Cosmetic Lotro, Lotro Stylist and Lotro Fashion are hosting the outfitting contest with theme: Yule or Winter. These are the prizes:

• 1st prize: 1550 TP code (sponsored by the outfit blogs)
• 2nd prize: 1000 TP code (sponsored by Turbine)
• 3rd prize: 500 TP code (sponsored by Turbine)

Rules are:

• The contest begins on Wednesday December 14th, 2011. Entries may be submitted until midnight Eastern Standard Time on Sunday January 8th, 2012.
• To enter the contest, send your entry to outfitblogs (AT) gmail.com with the subject line “Yule Outfit Contest”
• You have to send three screenshots: a front view, a back view and a third one of your own preference (close-up, side view, mounted etc.)
• All screenshots must be unedited, although cropping is allowed. Screenshots must be at least 1024x768 in resolution and be sent as email attachments in .jpg format
• All entries must include the following information: the name, class and level of the character in the screenshots, the server the character resides on, all armour and outfit pieces used in the screenshots and their respective dye colours
• All entries must be original and created and/or owned exclusively by the player submitting the screenshot
  

We (Hymne, Devonna and me) will judge the entries based on following criteria:

• Representative of the Yule or Winter theme and spirit
• Originality of the overall design
• Integration of the various pieces used
• Blending of dye colours
• Overall impression

All decisions will be made by The Outfit Blogs (Cosmetic Lotro, Lotro Stylist and Lotro Fashion) in its sole discretion and are final. Winning entries may be featured on all three Outfit Blogs.

To increase your chances for winning, here are some tips and tricks:

• Before making your screenshots, make sure that your graphics are tweaked to the max. In graphics settings put anti-aliasing on 8x. In advanced graphics settings make sure that texture detail is set to the highest settings possible. Use F12 to remove your UI-buttons and Printscreen to take your screenshots. You can find your Screenshots in your “my documents/lord of the rings online” folder.
• Just like photographs in real life, screenshots of clothing and outfits benefit from light. Try to take your screenshot in a well-lit area, preferably outside during daytime with the sun in your face and your shadow at your back.

We are looking forward to see your Yule outfits very much! :)

Remorseless treasure hunter

Freyjuska had a terrible nightmare tonight. Her dream started all good. She was digging for some gold and precious gemstones. She had a cave-claw companion, who a great gold-sniffer skills and she soon started to treat him as a friend, not just a pet. As they became richer, other treasure hunters started to envy them. She remained indifferent to them, until one morning she found her dear cave-claw friend butchered. Freyjuska went insane, swore to forever seek revenge and made herself and her horse a battle garb from cave-claw skulls. Seeing herself butchering some innocent traveler, Freyjuska woke up from the horrible nightmare covered in sweat. I bet she will never dig for gold again - or at least, until the Treasure Hunt starts again.

My recent luck amazes me. A few days ago, I won a Fleet-footed Goat in a lottery, and today I got a very unique mount from my first large treasure chest in the Treasure Hunt event sneak peak. I bet I will never get any good loot from now on :) But at least I can share this new mount pictures with you.
I've never thought I would use the terrible blood-stained cloak in any outfit. Frankly, I think this is the only evil outfit I've made so far and I didn't really feel good dressing Freyjuska like that. But for some reason, the cave-claw mask and mount seem kinda evil-ish to me. Even the weather was rainy, or rather stormy in Middle-earth tonight, so it completed the whole atmosphere of the composition.

When it comes to Treasure Hunt itself, it was up today only for 2 hours and I managed to try it for about an hour. However, even in such short time it was much fun and the rewards (especially the cosmetic ones) are very interesting and unique. As far as I've heard, there is also a goat mount given as a rare reward from treasure chests (same as this horse/pony). But there were also downsides to this event - getting pickaxes necessary for digging treasures is time-consuming (repeatable quest with 15 minutes cooldown yields only 2 pickaxes) and the other repeatable is almost impossible to complete when there are many people around (if I ever hear of berries, I will follow Freyjuska in her nightmare and get crazy). Otherwise, all good :D

Following is the sneak-peak of Jeweller's Helm, another cosmetic item from this event (and again, I was lucky to get it from a chest - otherwise it's pretty expensive on tokens). I will make next outfit around it and it will be really hard not to name it "Freyjuska of Borg"or "Resistance is futile" :))

What do you think of these items? Do you like their looks? Do they seem evil, neutral or even cute to you? Share your opinion in the comments!

Chest: Scout's Weathered Leather Jacket, umber dye (Dunland quest)
Head: Wooden Cave-claw Mask, default dye (Treasure Hunt event)
Hands: Defender's Gloves, umber dye (T3 crafted)
Feet: Scout's Weathered Leather Boots, umber dye (Dunland quest)
Back: Thin Cloak of Destruction, grey dye (Dunland quest)
Mount: Cave-claw Masked Pony (Treasure Hunt event)

Guest: Selarthil of Laurelin

Selarthil, descendant of Avari, has recently been welcomed back to the culture of the Eldar after abstaining for around three thousand years. To show her pride in being different, despite being somewhat shunned for her strange looks, Selarthil wanders around Rivendell and Lindon in stylish Windan Avarin fashion garbs. She dons the favorite colours of her kin; navy paired with a slightly dulled purple. The garbs look otherworldly and strange to the Eldar, and it really is an eyecatcher among the sea of Elves. The cloak on her back demonstrates the hills and grasslands of Rhûn, once a testament of friendship between Easterlings and Windan Avari, but that friendship has long since gone.

Selarthil (whose other character's attire was also featured here) said about her outfit: "I was inspired by the beautiful Calenard boots and gloves. They seemed perfect, so I grabbed cheap pairs off the auction hall and threw them into my wardrobe and voi-la! Due to my habit of buying tops and bottoms that have identical styles, I'd wager it looks slightly boring, but thanks to the gloves and boots, I'm pretty sure they look much better! The cloak matches the color of the shirt and leg accents, so I used that too."

Chest: Elven Cloth Jacket, default dye (Light armoursmith in Rivendell)
Legs: Elven Cloth Pants, default dye (Light armoursmith in Rivendell)
Shoulders: Footman's Shoulderpads, navy dye (T6 crafted)
Hands: Vibrant Calenard Battle Gauntlets, navy dye (T7 crafted)
Feet: Strong Westfold Battle Boots, navy dye (T7 crafted)
Back: Cloak of Durin's Crown, default dye (Moria pre-order)

Video guide: Using cosmetic slots

This is the second part of the very beginner's tutorial to LoTRO cosmetic system.

Using cosmetic slots

This guide covers:

• Difference between equipment and cosmetic slots
• Creating your first outfit using cosmetic slots
• Switching between more outfits
• Turning on/off showing of particular piece of item (shoes, headgear...)

Please, let me know what do you think of this video, any feedback (negative or positive) is very appreciated!

Is there anything else you would like to know? Leave your questions or ideas for video guide topics in the comments. These are already planned guides:

• Previewing armour's appearance (released last week)
• Working with wardrobe (coming next week)
• Using dyes
• Crafting dyes
• Installing B.D.R.X. skin ("big dressing room")
• Taking good screenshots
• Outfitting tips for all races
• Outfitting tips for different occasions

Don't hesitate to follow LoTROFashion on Twitter and YouTube to be the first to know about new videos :)

Fleet Foot

It was a freezing morning in Ered Luin and Phloxie was hurrying to Gondamon, hoping to buy lovely Yule presents for her friends. Suddenly, she noticed quick shimmer of bright white fur between the pine needles in the forest. She came closer with curiosity and was left speechless - in front of her there stood a sparkling white goat, peacefully staring at the little hobbit girl. After a while of getting closer to each other, Phloxie knew she could tame the goat, gave her a warm red blanket as a saddle and started calling her Fleet Foot. Fleet Foot seemed to understand her name, because as they ran to Gondamon together, she was trying hard to be the fastest goat ever seen by hobbits or even dwarves. But Phloxie didn't care - she was happy she found the best Yule present for herself, a good animal friend.

I was lucky to win the Fleet-footed Goat in a flash lottery on Friday for my baby warden, Phloxie. In my opinion, it's the most beautiful goat mount currently present ingame - its fur is sparkling white and it's equipped with bright red blanket, little gems and cute metal wings. I wanted to make an outfit to match this extraordinary mount, and I used its christmasy colour scheme.

You can still win the Fleet-footed Goat all weekend long in lotteries, before it comes to store. Please don't forget to let me know if you like the goat, and the outfit as well :), in the comments.

Chest: Reinforced Leather Dunlending Jacket, white dye (Dunland quest)
Head: Yule Stocking Cap, red dye (Yule festival)
Shoulders: Padded Mantle of the Dunland Soothsayer, red dye (Dunland quest)
Hands: Reinforced Leather Dunlending Gauntlets, red dye
Feet: Ajokoira Shoes, red dye (T5 crafted)
Back: Yule Hoodless Cloak, red dye (Yule festival)
Mount: Fleet-footed Goat (coming soon to the store)

Guest: Cookiereth of Withywindle

Cookiereth, a proud lore-master of Withywindle, has long been watching her friends' beautiful armours with a bit of grief. She could withstand some beating even when dressed lightly - imagine how resilient would she be in a proper battle garb! With discovery of wardrobe, she was finally able to make her dream come true and become a dangerous battle lore-master ready to march to war. She will never hide in the back lines, let the enemies come!

Chest: Armour of the Gloom-bane, Evendim blue dye (Champion Rift level 50 teal set)
Legs: Secret of the West Leggings, default dye (Burglar Ost Dunhoth level 65 teal set)
Head: Secret of the West Helmet, default dye (Burglar Ost Dunhoth level 65 teal set)
Hands: Secret of the West Gauntlets, default dye (Burglar Ost Dunhoth level 65 teal set)
Feet: Boots of the Gloom-bane, Evendim blue dye (Champion Rift level 50 teal set)

Shadow of the night

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)

Guest: Vindrayeth of Snowbourn

This is a submission I actually asked for when I saw Vindrayeth hanging out in Shire one day. Just one glance at him immediately caught my attention - this outfit is so cheerful, unique and mysterious at the same time. Magical place like Peaceful Glade just underlines the atmosphere, as well as matching goat :)

Chest: Ceremonial Mammutti Armour, sea blue dye (T5 crafted)
Legs: Clanweave Leggings, sea blue dye (Dunland quest)
Head: Makeshift Ranger Mask, sea blue dye (Skirmish cosmetic barter)
Shoulders: Far Arrow's Shoulders, sea blue dye (Hunter Mirkwood level 65 purple set)
Hands: Far Arrow's Gauntlets, sea blue dye (Hunter Mirkwood level 65 purple set)
Feet: Far Arrow's Boots, sea blue dye (Hunter Mirkwood level 65 purple set)
Back: Cloak of Shadow and Flame, sea blue dye (Quest: Quest: Vol. II, Book 6, Chapter 8: New Devilry - rare drop from last boss; ceremonial version in Store)

Winter revelry

Freyjuska has recently gained a lot prestige among Dunlending folk and even Théodred's riders, by driving off enemy forces and helping those in need. She decided to give herself a well-deserved break from serious business and get some past time for herself only. Freyjuska went on a good old fashioned hunt to her favourite district - Forochel, which always shimmers with northern light and evokes peace and serenity.

Again, I encouraged you, dear readers, to dress up in a winter outfit, and my own beloved lil' hobbit has been left neglected. Until now. After doing many skirmishes for superior 4th marks, I was left with tons of campaign marks and decided to find a decent use for them. I've never been a big fan of skirmish cosmetic rewards (especially hauberks), but sometimes just the right colour or combination is necessary to fall in love with an attire - and this happened to me just today.

I made so many action screenshots I couldn't decided which one to use as an opening picture. So I apologize for screenshot spam - I've decided to include those I liked the most. I don't usually dress up Freyjuska a lot (for some mysterious reason unknown to me, because she's adorable and I love her!) and when I do, I overenjoy it a bit :)

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

Chest: Decorative Hauberk, purple dye (Skirmish cosmetic barter)
Hands: Burnished Dunlending Gauntlets, purple dye (Dunland quest reward)
Feet: Ajokoira Shoes, purple dye (T5 crafted)
Back: Feathered-Cloak of the North-men, purple dye (Skirmish cosmetic barter)

Guest: Ardantir of Evernight

Ardantir is not only captain of his fellows, who has lead them to many victories over the years, but also an explorer and adherent of ancient ruins. Old kings of the West kingdom have always fascinated him and from them he drew the inspiration to always move forward into the evil's maw. We should learn from our ancestors' great deeds, but also mistakes. Ardantir salutes them for the wisdom they left to him and all the Free People.

Chest: Elven Knight's Armour, washed (T5 crafted)
Legs: Elven Soldier's Leggings, washed (T5 crafted)
Head: Tarchar, default dye (Mirkwood reputation vendor)
Shoulders: Shoulders of the Strong Defender, default dye (Guardian Mirkwood level 65 purple set)
Hands: Sellsword's Gloves, washed (T6 crafted)
Feet: Sellsword's Boots, washed (T6 crafted)
Back: Warden's Wrap, white dye (Annuminas reputation barter)

Inspiration: Saint Nicholas

Tomorrow's morning will be very special for all children in my country (and let's face it, us adults love this feast too :)). Saint Nicholas, called Mikuláš in Slovak and Czech, will be bringing delicious sweets and candies to all the baby hobbits who have been good for the past year. Those who have been bad should receive chuck of coal from the devil, but who knows - maybe even them will find something tasty in their polished boots placed on the windowsill :)

I couldn't resist posting this outfit, although I'm not satisfied with this composition very much. It would be so much easier to make Santa Claus using LoTRO cosmetics, but I wanted to portrait our European St. Nicholas. The tradition of him bringing little treats to those who deserve them is based on a beautiful legend, starring good-hearted Greek bishop Nikolaos of Myra:

"Legend says: a poor man had three daughters but could not afford a proper dowry for them. This meant that they would remain unmarried and probably, in absence of any other possible employment would have to become prostitutes. Hearing of the poor man's plight, Nicholas decided to help him but being too modest to help the man in public (or to save the man the humiliation of accepting charity), he went to his house under the cover of night and threw three purses (one for each daughter) filled with gold coins through the window opening into the man's house."

Wikipedia: Saint Nicholas

Mikuláš, Middle-European version of St. Nicholas

In Middle Europe, Mikuláš travels accompanied by an angel and a devil and continues in doing good deeds of his predecessor. I'm very happy that we still keep this beautiful tradition. Today on my way from work, I had opportunity to watch many St. Nicholases, angels and devils visiting little children and making them rejoice. And I rejoiced silently too :)

Chest: Survivor's Robe, white dye (Quest: Vol. II, Book 1, Chapter 8: Before the Doors of Durin)
Head: Scholar's Hat, red dye (T4 crafted)
Hands: Oven Mitts, white dye (Skirmish cosmetic barter)
Feet: Ajokoira Shoes, red dye (T5 crafted)
Back: Yule Hoodless Cloak, red dye (Yule festival)

Guest: Zaphirana of Eldar

If you asked one of Zaphirana's numerous fellows and secret admirers to describe her, they would probably tell you something like "A true beauty yet the one who stabbs down the most monsters in the Ettenmoors!" This gently and innocently looking burglar lies with her body - she is indeed a fierce opponent in any battle. Outfit inspired by Swedish national colours is simple, but also intriguing.

Chest: Elven Cloth Vest, Evendim blue dye (Light armoursmith)
Legs: Quilted Leggings, Evendim blue dye (T2 crafted)
Head: Circlet of Adamant, Evendim blue dye (Store)
Shoulders: Shield-Master's Shoulders, Evendim blue dye (Guardian level 65 Mirkwood purple set)
Feet: Padded Shoes, Evendim blue dye (T1 crafted)