You have acquired the Eagle-friend (Ember-eagle) skill.

I've waited 3 years for this. Now he is mine.
Nostalgia of the old real good Shadows of Angmar days hits me.

v3b2: Who's creeping there in the shadows?

I felt an urge to explore the other day while doing the amazing v3b2, and... I saw IT.
IT lasted only a few seconds before my eyes, I watched in amazement as HE crossed the tunnel and evaporated in a cloud of smoke on the other side, too puzzled to press PrntScrn in time... Gandalf? Here?!

I leave it up to you to find out where, and to guess why! Because he's not really supposed to be there. Or is he..?

I realised He was there all the time, Elladan mentions he he felt an presence watching over them as they went down the ramps and that it was ancient and intelligent.

You can supposedly catch a glimpse of him for the second time after you pull the leaver too.
Even though he was not named, I believe it's Gandalf - we don't really have too many characters "assuming" other character's appearance (and Amarthiel had to kill for that) and Turbine was always careful to make modles of main characters distinctive.
Gandalf himself could be out of Lothlorien by now, I am no LotR lore expert, but hobbits met him near Isengard and the time of the Battle of Hemls Deep wasn't far away. He could have very well had watched over the Dunadain as they crossed.

On the other hand, we know Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas mistook Saruman for Gandalf - not at the time of sighting, but when they realised Gandalf was actually around. The difference was a dented wizard hat... Gandalf's hat was always pointy in LotRO model, this person however has a dented hat...
Mystery deapens!

Credit for this screenshot goes to Grimmy.
Thank you Grim, it wouldn't be possible without you!
Guest Appearance post made by Grimdoin on Codemasters forum

Have the Valar heard my pleas?

I was swearing I'll never go back to LotRO, especially not with F2P, but here I am again, enjoying Endewaith and pyromancing through stuff... but this part I'll elaborate somewhere else and later because...

OMG!!!11!11one!11!!11eleven!!!!!!!!!!
!BIND ON ACCOUNT!

Yes I know it's no big news for you out there keeping up with LotRO, but noone ever tells me anything. I only hope that devs will introduce BoA on more items, like... Skeleton Horse maybe?

Inapropriate

Norgu is. Very.

Sign of playing too much...

I was planning to go back to Guild Wars only to make some of the loose ends meet: getting myself a Legendary Defender of Ascalon on my my account, buying the last three Tormented weapons I am missing in my collection, maybe Party Animal title...
I never, EVER suspected I'd end up in any kind of PvP, but there I was, first time in Heroes Ascent with a group or Ride the Lightning Elementalists: I started Thursday with Zaishen quest and stayed throughout the weekend for the special fame bonus. In the end, I am 50 fame short of rank 6 in just four days!!! And I can't help regretting I started doing it so late... I will barely be able to get rank 8 to put it in Hall of Monuments, and I might not make it to 9 for the awesome tiger emote... snif...

Anyway, I've really played hard during this weekend: like in my old days of no-lifing.
Sunday saw gathering of storm clouds and a storm woke me up in the middle of the night with thunder and lightning. I rose my head and thought Those RTL's are still kicking it off!* and went back to sleep. It wasn't until the morning that I realized how much I really no-lifed for that to be my only tought at a site of a storm!

* RTL - short for Ride the Lightning elementalists

Blog merge

I've decided to merge both my game blogs (Guild Wars and Lord of the Rings) into this one as it became too tedious to keep both updated and polished.

LDoA, the chain of failures

My attempt at Legendary Defender of Ascalon is a chain of failures...
First, long time ago when I made the LDoA-to-be, I accepted my secondary profession, not to mention I missed out on War Preparations, Message from a Friend and Gwen's Flute.
So yesterday - with my character at 14 - I realized I missed out on quite a lot. Foolishly though, I was too impatient to count down on how a-lot exactly and I deleted the character... while it was only 1600 exp, 16 charrs! Doh... *facepalm*

So here I am, going for it AGAIN.
Wish me luck.

Edit: the full gravity of what I've done just got to me. WTF was I thinking? I must have Mad Cow or something...

Wicked Wave!

After spending few weeks playing Bayonetta (such an awesome game, I am totally in love!) I took a bit of a break from torturing angels and brought my Lore-master to Mirkwood where she encountered Shards of Twilight.

My continuing thoughts were - and still are:

Wicked wave!

Please excuse the poor screen-shot of the Shard of Twilight, if I get anything better, I'll update it!

It was nice playing LotRO. Bye.

Codemasters will make LotrO Free to Play with Premium Shop starting this Autumn.

For me, it's been nice playing LotRO but now it's time to go buy that xBox and wait for Guild Wars 2.

http://www.lotro-europe.com/freetoplay/info/

Protector Of Thangulhad

I enjoyed the collection of dark poetry I came across here.
Very well written. A bit too harsh but good poetry is good poetry. That sorcerer is not getting it back..!

Forded Bruinen

"If you want him, come and claim him!"
Actually, I profoundly dislike Arwen, especially in the movies (she stole my Glorfie's horse and sacked him out!), she is a flat, empty shell with no character, no characteristic apart from an extreme Luthien-wannabe... but meh.

Silirien will not let Glorfindel get hurt. Only please don't tell Rhyaewald she still cares.

Stood at Amon Sul

Weathertop is on the other hand one of my favourite skirmishes.
Maybe its because the escort is - for once! - actually quite useful and skill-wise impressive? Maybe because of the general feel and pace of the fight?

Gondamon Siege Breaker

Not much to say, really. One of my least favourite skirmishes, probably because the encounters gave me the most pain here. One specifically - I always seem to get the gate dwarves (including Agi Gatebreaker) and so far I've only seen the goblin once...
I have my own theory about randomization seeds being generated once per character and reused which would lead some characters with unequal, polarised seeds...
All it took for me to get the goblin was to pair up with a friend who - on the contrary - was getting him all the time. He lead and goblin showed up. Try this for some of the more elusive encounters!

Tuckborough Troublemaker

If you live forever, you inevitably get bored and start doing really silly things: messing with poor little hobbits' minds, to name one.
Bad, bad elves.

Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder.
Elves are marvelous. They cause marvels.
Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies.
Elves are glamorous. They project glamour.
Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment.
Elves are terrific. They beget terror.
No one ever said elves are nice.

Terry Pratchett

Stopper of Thievery and Mischief

Yes, I've saved the red squirrels from the grey flood, I am that awesome.

PS. Please note the extremely rare to Middle Earth example of large, see-through glass windows.

Defender of the Priancing Pony

I guess every male of the race of man or hobbit, or any dwarv regardless their sex dream of the title and of the day when they'll acheve it, or respectively cherish the memory of the day they did.
I am an elf, and a female thus I can't understand what the commotion is all about...

Lothlorien Goat

I was very sceptic about the Wild Goat as a reward for becoming Saviour of Lothlorien - elves on goats? Over my dead body!
But apparently I am quite easyto convince with enough of aesthetic stimulation. Andthe goat's visual apperance is simply... amazing and totally elf worthy. And if I need to use a bloody goat, it's better be a pretty one and if it also matches my outfit, I am more than happy.
And it does! the goat is in great synergy with my all-time favourite Annuminas set.

In other words, I am in love yet again. And with a goat!!!

Rescuer of Nurz Gashu

I love Titles, I collect them with passion.
Thus I hope I will be able to overcome my legendary laziness and create a series of posts showcasing at least some of them.

Rescuer of Nurz Gashu shall be the first of the series, if it ever comes to be.
I must say I do enjoy the skirmish (mosly). While quite dull and boring while solo, you get to look at in from a completely new perspective if in duo or bigger fellowship! Only `but` is the annoying dialogue at the end... do I really have to stand there for a minute every time listening to it, is that neccessary? Well, at least I get a decent chance of finally getting Kindred with Eldgang on my Rune-tard.

Anyway, beware: Silirien the Flame of the Rift! or something. Burning hot, as usual.

The Grey Flood

One of those little, small LOLs scattered around the Middle Earth ;)
I actually screen-capped this one because when I managed to stop laughing I remembered - or tought I remember - that Tolkien strongly disliked grey squirrels and was personally upset about them pushing natural to British Islands red squirells out.
I was googling for anything that would back this statement hard but to no wain. Maybe I made it up? Wouldn't be the first time...

Fishing with the enemy

This is something I wanted to do back in a times Silirien was still a wielder of bow and arrow - to join this little merry group of Angmarim in fishing amongst the ruins of Annuminas. Back in the days they would rudely chase me away, but now they seem friendlier somehow...

He is right behind me, isn't he?

Nazgul with their steeds are arguably the best thing there is about the whole Dol Guldur. I will disagree - Unwelcoming Matt is xD

The concept is by /roll100 who posted a screenie like that a few months ago. I must say I l.o.v.e.d it, so I arranged for a photo session for myself ;)

Sleepy Hollow

In my Siege of Mirkwood first impressions written a few months ago I've mentioned how atmospheric the newarea is. Evey step you take it always feel like you were in a haunted forrest out of Tim Burton's imagination... and indeed, you are - in both!

Remember Sleepy Hollow? I had sooo many reasons to love that movie:

• made by my favourite director (Burton, of course)
  
• starring two of my favourite actors - Deep and Walken
• also starring the unforgetable Claudia from Interview with a Vampire - Dunst
• as every Buron movie being creepy, gothic, dark and absolutely enchanting..!

...and when you near the infamous Dol Guldur, you will more likely than not and defenetly lead by a cruel fate come acroll the Tree of Suffering overlooking what once was Greenwood the Great, dressed in skeletons and skull flags...

I do wonder why was the Tree of Suffering placed where it is. I can't recall any quest line evolving around it, and yet there it is, for a Burton fan like me a must-be token of admiration for his work! Is it?

The true story behind Legendary Items

Silirien brushed away sweat from her forehead only to realize with utter disgust that her gloves were covered with slime as if she was walking in Dar Narbugud on her hands, scribing Words of Power with her feet.

Rhyaewald jumped over the carcass of the Mistress of Pestilence and proceeded towards the circle of throbbing eggs, crushing them one by one. Nameless creatures not fully formed yet fell to the floor in fountains of (ewww) slime to die under the Warden's boots, others were quick to help.

And then, instead of the usual *plop*, a much more desirable sound of *bling* reached their ears - in the faint light of a few fires (and a few pillars of flame - after all, Sil was a Rune-keeper) they saw the unmistakable shine of Gold. Dwarves, naturally, got an instant +3 modifier to Mood.

"So the Mistress was indeed female", someone commented, looking at a pile of golden leaves and some other shinies.

And then... she saw it... the unmistakable shape of a Rune-stone with the power of the Word simply radiating from it, calling her... As if in a trance, she approached the pile of loot and took it in her hands. Even through her slime-covered gloves she could feel warmth emanating from it and she knew before she even laid her eyes on the runes covering it that this stone has told many tales of Fire and that they were scorching to the core of the Earth. Its intricate beauty was unmistakeably elf-made, with delicate lines of ornaments following natural lines of existence.

This was the most amazing Rune-stone she had ever seen but nothing in her centuries of elven life had prepared her for the shock she was about to experience when she saw the signature of the maker...

...Fëanor...

A few months later, in Ost Galadh...
Legindir, Relic Master: *with clear panic in his voice* You want me to do what?
Silirien the Alluring, Rune-keeper: I want you to deconstruct these.
Legindir: But... but... they are works of immeasurable value, you surely are aware of that?! This Rune-stone... I would never believe it if I wasn't holding it in my hands. It was crafted by Fëanor for the love of the Valar! And these satchels here, Yavanna bless me, are the works of our beloved ladies Melian and Luthien..!
Silirien: Yes. but... I kinda don't need them anymore...

Legindir: *with tears in his eyes* ...and this Rune here, a work of Celebrimbor...
Silirien: A personal gift from the last era, a pretty trinket, but...
Legindir: Rune-keeper, have you any idea what you ask of me?!
Silirien: *a tad irritated* Yeah, I just did kinda... Destroy them! I need some settings to decorate this rune. A very nice aspiring hobbit tinker from Stock created it for me last week and his younger sister sewed this satchel here. Lovely, ain't it? It has the Bullroarer stitched on it! And next week I am planning to maybe make my own stone, I'm quite good with metals, you know, and I have those miserable trinkets from the fabled works of Celebrimbor that I can use to improve the overall design. I'm going to attach it to my stone and create a true avatar of pew pew!
Legindir: Silirien...
Silirien: What? I can't help it! Apparently the schooling work of this hobbit tinker from Stock holds more power than the creation of the legendary maker of the Silmarils. So destroy them, as I'm still asking nicely and not by making a barbecue out of you, and give me back some relics!

Legindir, crying, shatters the rune stone made by the hand of Fëanor and tears apart satchels stitched by Fey Queen Melian and her daughter, fabled Luthien Tinuviel in Nargothrond thousands of years before. The relics they hold and that he is able to extract he delivers with a shaking hand to Silirien the Alluring, proudly wielding her Rune-stone of the Third Age, made by Bobbie, a young tinker's apprentice from Stock.

Silirien: What the..? Copper settings..?
Legindir: *cries*
Silirien: Out of my three First-Agers and one Second-Ager? I was planning to update my Third-agers with the left-overs and all I get is this crap?!
Legindir: *races to the top of Minas Celebolf and leaps to his death*
Silirien: ...

Many thanks to Raedwulf for proof-reading and refining this little story!

Grenth and Dwayna costumes

Being the great Guild Wars fan that I am, I got myself those fluff little costumes. Not because I particularly like them (tho I am impressed by the design) nor because I am a spoiled brat (as I've seen some players referring to costume wearers), but because I wanted to somehow support NCSoft while they are developing GW2.

There is something bending in human minds with the word FREE, and now in a good way. Regrettably, free is rarely of any decent quality or the price comes in at some point. After all, you get what you pay for. Guild Wars is awesome, but with the project being discontinued, what kind of support were we left with? Balance went to hell ages ago, broken skills became part of the game culture because noone bother to fix them, serious exploits are left unattended for weeks... No, GW doesn't have a good vibe with it for me anymore. And even in the times it shone, there's something it was lacking and of which I know now that I've played a subscription-based game - in-game support. A little thing that sometimes changes so much..!

But I am still looking forward to GW2 and this is why I bought the costume pack - to support it's developement.

Dwayna's costume rocked my socks off. I love the details, I adore the wing-like sleeves and the mesh of the dress! It does clip like hell when running, but when standing - it's marvelous!


Grenth... for the first time in known history I am not impressed with something grenth-like. But still, I like.

The Best Epic Chapter EVER

This weekend I've finally forced myself to press on with the Mirkwood Epic Book - took me a while because I _hate_ soloing, and with the introduction of the Skirmishes chapters tend to be either solo (the joy...) or said Skirmishes which - regrettably - don't have duo-option...

Anyway - I got to chapter I-don't-remember, I guess it was 17th and I got literally blown away by the plot. It very much resembles the annoying little solo instance from Volume I where we get to see images from Narmeleth's past, but here... oh joy... here we see Gandalf investigating the shadow falling over Greenwood the Great..!

I was very, very much impressed with Turbine lore-monkey's grasp of lore and creativity. Everything felt like being in the right place, everything made sense and... oooh... just do the Chapter ;)

Happy 2010!

Snowfall in the most unexpected places prompts Tyrians to decorate their abodes to welcome Dwayna and Grenth in their yearly war visit!

And I must say that apart from one (major! but all in due time) f*ckup, this is my favorite year yet when it comes to headgear! Finally, gifts suitable for beautiful, proud lady that do not require Cherrie to attempt a drastic hair makeover!

Predacious, cold and yet gentle - Grenth rarely let me down when it comes to gifts (ECTO! <3).
But this year I think it's Dwayna who wins... Gentle, delicate, meticulous, ultimately feminine and an andunmistakable snow symbol, this is truly Snow Queen's crown.
Grenth's one - a crown for a king still!