
Gabriele^
Off the Beaten Path in Middle Earth
Lotro Style: The Best Lotro Fashion related Sites
Before Lalia's Market made fashion easy we had to rely on our own creativity. Some very dedicated players even created blogs highlighting some of the more dramatic outfits that can be put together with cosmetic gear. Many of the most popular looks include pieces that you've likely thrown away or stored in your vault and never looked at again.
Even if you're not into fashion, the outfits show off how intricate some of the armour pieces are. When you've got your graphics turned down, you definitely miss the spectacular design work in the armour, shields and weapons. So for this blog I wanted to feature a few of the best lotro related fashion sites and pass on the opportunity for you to look your very best while conquering evil in middle earth.
Lotro Fashion was established by a long time player & was one of the first of it's type on the internet. All of the featured outfits are screenshots as is and not Photoshopped. You can browse outfits by class, race, gender, and lore. If you can't find a piece, or it's just inaccessible, the developers tend to repeat designs so you can usually find a similar piece in the store or for barter. Below is a... More
by Gabriele^ on 2017-05-29 06:47:05
Deeds of the White City: Exploring Minas Tirith
The capital city of Gondor is made up of seven levels or tiers divided by walls. Each level is accessible to the citizenry via a series of ramps that are almost hidden from view and located in each tier's northern and southern wings. The outermost section of the city is called the Worker's Tier, followed by the Soldier's Tier, Craftsman's Tier, the Player's Tier, Sage's Tier and the Master's Tier. The center of the city is called the Citadel. There is no stable horse to this level and it must be accessed by using either of the two ramps on the Master's Tier.
Anyone can visit Minas Tirith. If you are under level 80 you will have to purchase a trip using Mithril Coins from the stable master in Bree. To do the deeds you must be level 100 but the city is well worth a visit at any level, if only to explore the many taverns, theatres, & other halls of the city. Designers pulled out all the stops when they created The Blue Theatre, located on the Player's Level.
Here are the locations for the individual deeds which make up the Explorer Meta-Deed:
Guests of the White City (10 Stables & Guesthouses)
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- City Stables (1st... More
by Gabriele^ on 2016-10-26 11:48:35
Exploring the White City: The Blue Theatre of Minas Tirith
Tolkien's vision of Minas Tirith has been beautifully brought to life in Update 17. Players continuing the epic story that leads to the defense of the city see it unfold tier by tier from the outer most circles occupied by the working class to the inner areas where the ruling class reside and work in white marbled buildings with terraced gardens, fine dining halls and centers for art, literature and music.
There are more areas in Minas Tirith that can be used for RP than any other region. Many of the buildings are meticulously designed for use by players inside and out. The buildings & statues have 97 Plaques highlighting points of interest you can discover to earn the Explorers of Minas Tirith Meta Deed.
- Guests of the White City (10 Stables & Guesthouses)
- Taverns of the White City (13 Taverns)
- Teachings of the White City (5 Centers for Knowledge & Learning)
- Vaults of the White City (6 Storehouses for Money & Provisions)
- Workings of the White City (4 Halls of Law & Commerce)
This introduction to the exploration of Minas Tirith will highlight the Blue Theatre, located in the Fourth Circle and the largest of three theatres in Minas Tirith. The other two, The... More
by Gabriele^ on 2016-10-08 01:18:19
Hidden Deeds in Lotro
There are many hidden deeds throughout the game and you can be rewarded with unique titles for completing them. One wonders whether they are accidentally discovered or whether there are armies of players that spend most or all of their time making mischief, spamming random terms, and leaping from high places in order to among the first to discover them. Here are a few hidden deeds that are tied to interesting spots, generally off the beaten path in the game:
A Long Way Down—one of the newest hidden deeds tied to a location, possibly a result of overwhelming numbers of player complaining that they were not able to jump from the top of the Sixth Circle of Minas Tirith. I'm betting anyone that has slogged through this region's epics has considered it at one time or another. This deed is obtained by jumping off of the pier at the top of Minas Tirith. I saw a video of someone doing it while using the emote “groundroll” and it was pretty impressive!
The Wanderer—This deed follows the adventures of Floid and Dewitt. Dewitt is an explorer and Floid is his mighty steed. Together... More
by Gabriele^ on 2016-05-19 02:14:35
Tolkien's Lost Dog
In Oatbarton, in the north of Evendim, there is a quest given by Ronald Dwale, to find his son’s toy, a small lead dog that was lost while the family was on a picnic.
If you’ve read an earlier blog, you’ll recognize the name of Ronald Dwale as one of four characters that appear in another quest at The Bird and Baby Inn, in Michel Delving. Ronald Dwale, who represents J.R.R.Tolkien, can be seen at the Inn with three npcs that represent the members of Tolkien’s literary discussion group, The Inklings, consisting of C.S. Lewis (Jack Lewisdown), Owen Barfield (Owen Farfield), and Charles Williams (Carlo Williams). You can read more about the Bird and Baby Inn Quest here.
The second quest, Lost Dog, is based upon a real life event that happened when Tolkien along with his family, wife Edith, and sons John, Michael, and Christopher, visited a seaside resort in Yorkshire, England, and Michael lost his favorite toy, a small black and white toy dog, on the beach.
Though they searched, the dog was never found. Tolkien wrote the novella Roverandom, as an adventure story about the dog, to console his son.
You can pick up the quest to find the toy dog from Dwale at (21.2s, 64.5w).
by Gabriele^ on 2015-11-05 04:02:29
Arvedui, The Last King of Arnor and the Ring of Barahir
Continuing my blog that highlights interesting sights and hidden references to Tolkien's work off the beaten path in Lord of the Rings Online, this entry deals with Arvedui, the last king of Arthedain. We meet his ghost in Volume I: Book 13 of the epic quests, taking place in Forochel. The shade of Arvedui appears at 18.8N, 81.3W.
The kingdom of Arnor was founded by Elendil at the end of the Second Age (3320). After the death of Eärendur, the 10th king of Arnor, the kingdom was shaken by civil war and was divided into three regions, Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur, each ruled by one of his three sons.
Arvedui was the son of King Araphant, the fourteenth King of Arthedain, and became king himself in TA 1964. He married Fireil, the daughter of the Ondoher, the king of Gondor. When Ondoher died, Arvedui made a claim to the throne of Gondor as a direct descendant of Isildur but he was refused.
When the Witch-King saw the people at war with one another in the northern kingdoms, he saw that they were vulnerable and descended upon them. After he sacked Fornost, the capital of Arthedain, Arvedui and his men escaped to the North Downs and took... More
by Gabriele^ on 2015-07-07 05:07:12
Baldor the Hapless
Continuing my blog that highlights interesting sights and hidden references to Tolkien's work off the beaten path in LotRO, this entry concerns the story of Baldor the Hapless whose corpse you will come across with a bit of exploring in the Paths of the Dead.
Baldor was the first son of Brego, who became the second king of Rohan in TA 2540. Brego and his son Baldor were exploring the Valley of Harrowdale when they came across a dark door leading to the Paths of the Dead. An old man standing before it warned them about entering stating
"The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead, and the Dead keep it, until the time comes” (RoTK).
The old man collapsed and died at the door without providing additional answers to Baldor's questions. Over time, Baldor’s curiosity about the door grew. During the festivities at the inauguration of Meduseld, the great Golden Hall of Edoras built by his father, Baldor stood and raised his horn and brashly vowed that he would pass through the Dark Door and enter the Paths of the Dead.
In TA 2570 he did so and Baldor was never seen alive again. When asked about the mystery, Tolkien explained the fate of Baldor stating that “enemies... More
by Gabriele^ on 2015-07-07 04:59:36
The Bird and Baby Inn and the Tolkien Connexion
The Bird and Baby Inn is the first entry in my blog that seeks to highlight interesting sights and hidden references to Tolkien's work off the beaten path in Lord of the Rings Online
The Bird and Baby Inn, in Michel Delving, is the site of a quest given by Carlo Blagrove (33.3s, 75.4w) who sends you to find a prize-winning recipe so he can enter a contest. You can find the recipe at the Great Smials in Tuckborough (33.6s, 71.1w) and upon returning it, Blagrove will reward you with a tankard of Blagrove’s Brown Ale, your coin and xp.
Take a sip of your ale and wander into a back room where you will come upon three hobbits in a room furnished with several bookcases having a discussion. This scene was inspired by Tolkien’s real life book club, The Inkling’s Literary Discussion group, which regularly met at The Eagle and Child Tavern, in Oxford, England. The Inklings here include C.S. Lewis (Jack Lewisdown), Owen Barfield (Owen Farfield) and Charles Williams (Carlo Williams), who were some of the regular members who would meet to read and discuss each other’s writing, focusing primarily on fantasy writing. The NPCs mention a character named Ronald Dwale, who represents J.R.R. Tolkien, whose middle name was Ronald.
by Gabriele^ on 2015-07-07 04:44:05