Thursday, February 9, 2012

Thuringwethil, Woman of Secret Shadow

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"Once we were many, now I alone remain. This is the book of my nights that I write in my seclusion during long days in my silent hall which sunlight never enters. For I am vampire, the vampire I suppose these days, the last of my kindred. 
There was a time, in the Spring of Arda, when I enjoyed the feeling of warm light on my wings. The light of Illuin and Ormal and nothing less, and the light of the oldest stars. I was a spirit of the air, a servant of Manwë. A faithful servant I was and as messenger swifter even than Eönwë. I wore white wings like a swan. I weep now to remember my innocence, yet if I lived those times again I would make the same choices."

Thuringwethil was a Vampire servant of Sauron at the beginning of the First Age. She was his messenger, known for changing form into a bat to find valuable intelligence. For this, she is thought to be a Maia. However, she was caught in the battle between her master and Lúthien at Tol-in-Gaurhoth ("Isle of Werewolves"). She was probably slain by the Hound of Valinor, named Huan. He brought Thuringwethil's hide to Lúthien, which she used to sneak to Angband ("The Iron Prison").

I never knew vampires were mentioned in the Middle-earth's lore, until a reader of this blog,  Beorneoth, mentioned it in the comments on an outfit I've created based on wish for vampire theme. I was excited to find that Tolkien indeed mentioned vampires and werewolves in Silmarillion. It's a huge pity they didn't survive the First Age, but who knows - maybe Thuringwethil's brood is still hiding in the deep caves sunlight never penetrates and waiting for the right time to change the course of the war. 


As I mentioned earlier this week, I've created this outfit with remote inspiration from the True Blood series. In the Season 4 finale, Jessica appears disguised as a Red Riding Hood during Halloween's night. It's one of the most beautiful costumes I've ever seen - although it doesn't really shine on static pictures. The real beauty strikes when she moves, covered in the velvet cloak. Cloak of the Galadhrim available in LOTRO resembles it very much. Unfortunately, I don't know of any red & black top which could simulate the lace corset, so I used red & violet combination instead. I also love the body shape which this outfit creates on an elven maiden.

This is also my first outfit to promote LOTRO Fashion's colour of the week during the Fashion Week! If you want to recreate it, grab a free crimson dye off the store with our exclusive coupon code!

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

Chest: Elven Cloth Shirt, crimson dye (Light armoursmith in Rivendell; short-sleeved variant)
Legs: Tattered Leggings of the Dunland Sage, crimson dye (Dunland quest)
Shoulders: Padded Mantle of the Dunland Soothsayer, crimson dye (Dunland quest)
Feet: Rhydhid-lhopan, violet dye (Dunland quest)
Back: Cloak of the Galadhrim, crimson dye (Quest: Vol. II, Book 7, Chapter 9: The Worries of Lord Celeborn)

12 comments:

  1. I never knew about Thuringwethil either. Thanks for the lore lesson. I guess I shouldn't criticize those on my server who choose to RP a vampire anymore. (well I never vocalized my criticism, just silently disproved) Anyway...love the outfit! Very sexy :)

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  2. thanks so much Dev! i was really surprised how good do the level ~40 vendor shirts look on female elf. i must check back in Rivendell more often :))

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  3. There's so much fantastic stuff in the Silmarillion, you won't regret it if you give it a read! It can be a bit challenging at first, but it is so rewarding. I really believe it Tolkien's (unfinished) masterwork. I love it even more than The Lord of the Rings.

    Anyway, I can't wait to see all your crimson outfits this week!

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  4. About your poll: keep on with the stories! Well, in-game I'm a dwarf (so I don't understand elf and human outfits) and in RL I'm male (so I don't understand fashion at all): the stories are the best thing about your site for me. Well, the outfits are good too, of course. Hmm, tried to start with a compliment but whatever I do it goes wrong; no way out. Well, good stories and good outfits both, and your site is on my daily visit list. :-)

    Since you like gothic/vampiric things may I suggest another possible inspiration from the lore? Eol the dark elf smith, from the Silmarillion?

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  5. *hugs* to you brrokk, i also have very unique talent to screw up compliments :D but i got what did you want to say, thank you :))

    Eol is a great inspiration idea, i'll do my little research and see if i can come up with something :)

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  6. Well.... Cool! I thought it was interesting as well when I read it.
    I think Eol would be a great idea as well!

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  7. i already started preparing the Eol outfit, but it will take some time until i publish it - this week, i'm mainly going to spam the blog with crimson entries. but, who knows, maybe i'll find a nice way to combine crimson & black in a way dark enough to present Eol as well ;)

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  8. Actually, Thuringwethil was not a vampire. If you look at the text of the Silmarillion it clearly says that she "was wont to fly in vampire's form". It doesn't say she IS a vampire. What it basically means is that she was a Maiar spirit (like Sauron, but not as powerful) who liked to wear a bat suit when she traveled around. And then Luthien takes her bat suit to disguise herself while going through Taur-nu-Fuin.

    It is a nice outfit though. Crimson is my color of choice for my main.

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  9. wow, another nice trip to the lore - i appreciate it very much. i'm mostly illiterate about silmarillion lore as i admitted (ashamed) above, so i don't know all the context - but i guess even the sentence you mentioned could be interpreted many ways.

    i would assume that a hypothetical vampire would have human as well as vampire form (if we take the kind who could shapeshift into bat or other animals). so the sentence "was wont to fly in vampire's form" could also be interpreted the way that she preferred her vampire form to the human one. however, i think nobody except the Professor would be able to confirm or deny that :)

    anyway - that's what i love about lotro - we can debate about such a rich lore behind the game we play, yet there is still room for interpretation :)

    and i'm glad you love crimson as i do - it's also my favourite ingame dye and i'm excited it's colour of LOTRO Fashion for the Fashion Week :)

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  10. Wonderful! This is so inspiring :3

    Eöl please!

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    Replies
    1. I would also be happy to help in putting together the outfit, because I love Avari Elves on the whole, and I constantly look for more bits and infos about them.

      Give me a shout if you'd like it :3

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