The Astronomer

From Of the Coming of the Elves, in The Silmarillion:

“Then Varda went forth from the council, and she looked out from the height of Taniquetil, and beheld the darkness of Middle-earth beneath the innumerable stars, faint and far.  Then she began a great labour, greatest of all the works of the Valar since their coming into Arda.  She took the silver dews from the vats of Telperion, and therewith she made new stars and brighter against the coming of the Firstborn…”

This Elf is a watcher of the skies, a scholar of those stars made so long ago from Telperion’s immeasurable light and set in their patterns far above.  He wears the rich, dark brown of earth and the cool, dark blue of the night sky.  The Tactical Eastemnet Campaign Robe and the cloak Ceremonial Wig-feld are joined by the Pristine Elven Shoulder Guards, the Ceremonial Spear-shaker’s Gauntlets, and the Fine Elven Circlet.

A Sage of the Blue Mountains

I do love Dwarves.  And I love scholar-types, and someday – someday! – I will do a Dwarven scholar outfit up at Nar’s Peak, with all the books in the woooorld!

But for right now, Dwarven model Gundri Gladstone has other ideas.  He’s taking a tour of Eriador’s halls of records.  This post, he’s starting at the Dwarf-fortress of Gondamon and then traveling across the Shire and Bree-land to reach the Archives at Bree-town.  He’s formally dressed, of course; it doesn’t do to be rude to the locals, or to not show his home halls off to their most splendid and noble effect.

Starring items in this outfit are the Hauberk of Rhun, available in the LOTRO Store, and the Hat of the Concerned Elf, which is a Great River epic quest reward.  I know it’s an Elfy sort of hat, but Gundri travels far, works with Elves and Men and Hobbits alike…and if he finds a practical hat that keeps the sun off his increasingly bald pate, he’s going to use it.  Supporting players include the Sturdy West-guard Shoulder Guards of Strength and the Rusted Boots of the Dunland Beserker.  I did not realize until after that I gave him a rather patriotic red-white-and-blue look, but the blue is for his home mountains, the red was in the hauberk already, and …it just looks classy!

Blue Caste Sorcerer

Well, sorta.

If you let Ered Luin’s spider-filled hinterlands fill in for the Brown Lands, and a level 15 substitute for a Blue Caste level 75 NPC, we’re golden!  That said, I’ve been fascinated by the Blue Caste Sorcerers since I first ran across them in the Brown Lands — powerful warriors with arcane might.  I decided to make an outfit in homage to these creepy, cranky NPCs.

My character’s outfit centers around the (Ceremonial) Robe of the Stone-Student, which is one of the many Moria pieces you can currently pick up in the LOTRO store.  I dyed it navy to approximate the Blue Caste’s robe colors.  Important supporting pieces include the Padded Mantle of the Dunland Soothsayer (umber), the Plain Cloak (Ered Luin blue), and the navy-dyed Battle-mask of Rhun.

Dress It Up: The Carpenter’s Robe

Here are the basic “Dress It Up” rules:  Dress it up however you like, on either gender, any race, in any fashion, and leave a comment with a link to your outfit, whether it’s on your own blog or in one of the many photo hosting sites.

The Carpenter’s Robe gets so little love.  I get it, in part.  It’s a plain item.  The cut of it makes female avatars look like linebackers.  What I adore is the item’s medieval look.  We outfitters have an interesting time of things, as I’ve said before:  Rohan is straight out of Beowulf, Gondor is high medieval fantasy, and the Shire screams of 19th century pastoral England.  There is no time period consistency.  That hardly matters to me in a made-up world, BUT.  Top hats and Victorian-style Yule items co-exist with elaborate armour and cheery Shire hats and …yes, the occasional very simple medieval robe.

“First…walls. No. Roof. Walls then roof. Roof then walls. Hrrrrm.”

You call that straight? I’ve seen SPIRALS straighter than that!”

The Sculptor

The Dwarven lands of Arda are dotted with sculptures, from small busts to the huge statues that decorate Thorin’s Hall and Khazad-dûm.  The sculptor makes it happen.  Half mason, half artist, he renders from stone faithful likenesses of great Dwarves of yore.  In his most vainglorious moments, he wonders if Mahal the Maker (the Dwarvish name for Aulë the Smith, who created Dwarf-kind) felt much the same way when he shaped his special children.

I really like the “Isengard Prisoner” cosmetics from Volume III, Book 4 (see Cosmetic Lotro’s Escape from Isengard outfit as a nifty example of these pieces in use), but I rarely like using items for their original intent.  This outfit uses several of the pieces to show a laborer, a craftsman so involved in his work that he hardly cares that his leggings are ripped and the wrappings at his hands and legs are faded.  All he cares about is his art and his stone.

The choice of materials is crucial.

A wise craftsman spends much time contemplating the work of those who have gone before.

Where DID I leave that chisel?

• Head:  Isengard Prisoner Bandanna (Vol. III quest reward)
• Shoulders:  Unnar’s Shoulder Guards (low-level quest reward)
• Back:  Cloak of the Grey Company (Vol. III quest reward, dyed navy)
• Chest:  Westernesse Quilted Shirt of Fleetness (Random drop in the Misty Mountains, dyed navy)
• Hands:  Isengard Prisoner Gloves (Vol. III quest reward)
• Legs:  Isengard Prisoner Leggings (Vol. III quest reward, dyed navy)
• Feet:  Embroidered Shoes of the Dunland Healer (Dunland quest reward)

The Brew-master

Some Dwarves’ fortunes lies in shale and stone.  Others hold tightly to their gems and gold, and others still to their water-wheels and mining-carts.  Young Dwarves full of ambition seek fortune in tunnels too deep for sense.  The brew-master’s fortune is tied to barrel and grain and good, clear mountain water.  This is a Dwarf of means, a craftsman no less knowledgeable and exact than his smithing brethren.  When songs are sung and toasts offered, he will be there ready to pass the finest of brews into his fellows’ hands.

This is no swilling dorf stereotype.  This is a proud craftsman proud of the fruit of his labor.

Ladder? Do I need a ladder? What are you implying?

A Dwarf of means.

This one’s empty, brothers.  TO THE NEXT KEG.

• Head:  none
• Shoulders:  Potent Calenard War Pauldrons (Craftable, tier 7 metalsmith recipe)
• Back:  Cloak of the Raven (Fall Festival barter reward, dyed navy)
• Chest:  Hill-man’s Cracked Leather Jacket (Isengard quest reward, dyed navy)
• Hands:  Dunland Marcher’s Leather Gauntlets (Isengard quest reward)
• Legs:  none (ooOOOoooo)
• Boots:  Scout’s Weathered Leather Boots (Isengard quest reward)

Dress It Up: Fine Shirt and Pants

Here are the basic “Dress It Up” rules:  Dress it up however you like, on either gender, any race, in any fashion, and leave a comment with a link to your outfit, whether it’s on your own blog or in one of the many photo hosting sites.

Thank you, Glyngaris, for participating last week!  I love me some sea blue.

This week’s item is cheap and easy:  the Fine Shirt and Pants, available from Bree outfitter Dot Leafbottom for the bargain price of 8s12c.  This is a tricksy one!  There’s a lot of detail, a lot of look, and the chest, legs, and shoes are included.  So this basically becomes a “what wonky thing can you do with dyes, race/gender choices, shoulders and a cloak” challenge.

I am wearing a variant on a powder-blue pantsuit. I am this close to breaking into “Disco Inferno.”

Maybe this would look better on a Hobbit. Or a Dwarf with some flair. My cravat bounces around when I walk. Eugh!

Of course there aren’t any back pockets. Bree-sewn leisure suits never seem to have back pockets. Grumble.

Have fun!  Thanks!