Cressy is immune to the spooks from the Haunted Burrow Museum

As a full blown (and full grown) hobbit, Cressy is and always has been in love with the Shire and its many lovely quirks. There are so many trees to climb, patches of grass to roll around in, flowers to pick, and distant relations to avoid. Hobbits are simple folk and aren't much for adventure, but when the Fall Festival comes around, they gather for scary stories and daring forays into the Haunted Burrow. She's not scared of anything...right?

At the beginning of the festival, the entrance to the Haunted Burrow is essentially guarded by... Lobelia Sackville-Baggins... and a spoon. Really.

Wait, where'd she go?

Talk about scary!

Anyway, as Cressy finds her way around the haunted burrow, she can't help but find a seat and watch people get scared. She gets quite the kick out of it.

One of the quests for the burrow is to find scared hobbits. She finds hobbits all right, who *claim* to be scared, but most of them really aren't. Take this guy, for example. He's practically brewing potions as we speak! He's probably plotting some massive plague. Verdict? Not actually scared.

And then Cressy comes upon this hobbit, who is literally a stoned grim reaper. Verdict? Not actually scared.

Now, this hobbit is pretty much the only scared hobbit of the bunch. There was another one who was crying, but not necessarily scared. This one looks like he's scared of.....the player. Yep. He's scared of Cressy. She probably didn't do anything to scare him (...actually, knowing her, she likely did.). Verdict? Actually scared.

Once Cressy is done finding the hobbits and doing some of the other burrow quests, she decides to go exploring! Let's just sit back and enjoy the beauty of the dungeon design for the Haunted Burrow. First, there's this thing, whatever it is. It seriously looks like Darth Sidious playing the cowbell. Prove me wrong. And he moves. Ever so slightly, but enough to kinda creep Cressy out.

Also, this door looks like a demented, scary smiley face.

"Enough of that," Cressy says with a grunt. "Let's look at the paintings!"

This one is a vintage canvas of Bagshot Row in Hobbiton, as viewed from the South side. Painted by Rose Goodbody in T.A. 2660, "Scene of a Home" serves as the first of three canvas paintings in the "Scenes" series. Of her handiwork, the artist once exclaimed, "It really was no bother. More of a sketch, really."

Self-portrait of...

Tolkien??!

"Serpent's Demise" is a classical Second Age work made famous by an anonymous artisan, displayed here as a rough copy. The ingenuity of the depiction lies in the ambiguity of the title. Demise of the serpent? Or demise by the serpent? Or something else entirely?

Over on this wall lies... Okay, LOTRO. Let's stop breaking the fourth wall. Flaxen hair, with a helm and Rohirrim gear? That cannot be anyone other than Eowyn. She doesn't even exist in the story yet. Maybe whoever painted this one can see the future. So.... Elrond. Elrond painted this one.

Meanwhile, Cressy finds this gem littered on the floor. It's an original map of Eriador.

And all of a sudden, in the basement, Cressy is surrounded by... creepy dead things. Like this sarcophagus.

Or this ACTUAL DEAD BODY.

*Shudder*

"Okay," Cressy whispers, her face as white as a sheet, "let's get out of here."

Yes. Let's.

Current level: 26

Well it's about time, Legolas!

So there happens to be an update coming out for the game tomorrow. Update 23: Where Dragons Dwell. A big part of this update is the introduction of the new areas of Erebor and The Iron Hills. While this is all fun and great, my characters are light years away from being near those zone levels. But as I read through the patch notes, I couldn't help but notice what other things this update offers. I'd like to point out some of the more fun changes with this latest/next update.

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1. Legolas!

You would think with Legolas being an awesome, notable, worthy, talented, handsome, and friggin awesome elf, he would know how to shoot a bow! I was curious as to how he held a bow before, so I set out on Cynfleda to unmask this mystery. She enters the forest with Legolas, and...

He's holding his bow backwards! Legolas, my dear, I don't think you'll kill much with that kind of stance. Fix it or nix it.

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2. Bassoon!

I don't do much music-playing with my characters, but you can bet your bottom dollar that when I eventually bring a minstrel into the LOTRO world (I'm still crossing my fingers for female dwarves), she will have her bassoon in her arsenal, fighting evil with the power of double reeds.

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3. More seating!

Giving the people what they truly want in the depths of their hearts. Sometimes I just wanna sit and enjoy the experience.

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4. Character selection!

This is a nice change for people who have more than one character....which is probably every player out there. The default sorting before was A-Z, but I think it's awesome that I will soon be able to sort my characters by, say, recently played.

Should be a good update.

As for now,

As Darbur freezes and finds friends in Forochel

Alliteration is awesome.

Anyway, in the spirit of [or lack of] variety, Darbur decides he likes the cold and the snow. He first journeyed in the Misty Mountains, helping out his fellow dwarves in fighting off snow beasts and worms and the like. He staved off some Nazgul threats with the help of his friend Gloin, ransacked Goblin-town, and met some friends named Floid and Dewitt while exploring the vicinity.

He proceeds to Forochel because, well, because he's already got his snow gear on. And it's spiffy and he loves his scarf. Who says dwarves couldn't have a little fashion sense now and then? As he goes through the various settlements of Forochel, he learns that the Lossoth are not very friendly to outsiders. As in, they purposefully settled in the frigid north so that they wouldn't be bothered. Unfortunately for them, they STILL get bothered. By baddies from Angmar. And Dourhand dwarves. They don't like to admit it, but they need Darbur's help in taking out their enemies.

And that's exactly what he does! Because Darbur is a bro. So, he dons his spiffy coat and scarf and boots, summons his pet flame to keep him company (and warm (although, it doesn't actually provide a warmth buff)), and rides about the vast expanse of Forochel, saving the day one settlement at a time.

After a bit of travelling, he ends up in Suri-kyla, which is essentially the capital of the region. And by capital, I mean Quest Hubs of Quest Hubs. You see, most settlements give Darbur, oh, maybe 4 or so quest lines. He does those quest lines, and he moves on to the next settlement. But when he arrives at Suri-kyla, he accepts not 4, not 8, not 12, but 14 (fourteen!) quests. Wowza. It's like a whole 'nother region. So before he sets off on those quests, he buys a spiffy new cloak to keep him extra warm, and he's on his way. These quests take him everywhere. To the Angmarim keep. To beat up worms and bears at the bay. To the Guaradan camp near Zigilund. To the Kuru-leiri camp (that's on the complete opposite side of the map and it takes like 20 minutes of real time just to get there. argh.). And when he finishes those tasks, he has to go accept the rewards back in Suri-kyla. So, he essentially goes "there and back again."

In one of the camps, he gets a quest to defeat some ice wights at a nearby abandoned dwarf keep. He goes to defeat these ice wights, and finishes his quest. He's on his way back to civilization, when he spots his new friends from the Misty Mountains, Floid and Dewitt! Small world. He hangs out with them for a bit before finishing up everything he has left to do in Forochel.

Unfortunately, Darbur knows he can't stay much longer in Forochel. He still needs to go to Angmar in his Epic Quest. But he will at least be remembered among the Lossoth as a friend and ally.

Current level: 51

In which Cynfleda finds a light in the darkness that is Mirkwood

Cynfleda just can't catch a break.

All she wants to do is study, dang it!

Too many major settlements with their so-called "craft halls" and "craft areas" do not have a study with which scholars can do their crafting (*cough* Esteldin *cough* Ost Guruth *cough* Suri Kyla *cough*). Those desks are a necessity for the scholarly arts beyond expert level.

Furthermore, even among the craft areas that DO have a study, there is often something else missing. In Bree, the relic- and forge-masters are on the OTHER SIDE of town. In Rivendell, the vault is a whole floor below the study, meaning you have to leave, go down a floor, find the vault keeper, and go back upstairs to study. Don't get me started on the mailbox location. Just... don't try heavy crafting in Rivendell. Period. It's ugh. Too much having to run across Rivendell proper. Lothlorien is doable, but is too much of a maze to be worth it. Crafting in Moria is a hefty improvement. There is a vault, mailbox, auction hall, and relic- and forge-master all in fairly close proximity to each other. And as topping on the cake, they are all close to the hunter port.

When Cynfleda leaves Moria and passes through Lothlorien (because, frankly, Lothlorien is just kind of a pretty, scenic bridge between Moria and Mirkwood), her epic quest takes her to Mirkwood. She has quite the love-hate relationship with Mirkwood. The scenery is both haunting and pretty at the same time. There are orcs and wargs everywhere, mostly due to the fact that Mirkwood is on the doorstep of Dol Goldur. There are also plenty of merrevail and shades and spiders to go around. In other words, this place is RANK with evil beings, brought up by the Necromancer to take over Mirkwood (which, fun fact, used to be called "Greenwood" before it became....less green and more dreadful).

This is just a sampling of Mirkwood. 

Which is what makes the zone fun! There is no shortage of heavy, dark forests; haunting, gassy swamps; and fortresses and ghost towns, all overrun by enemies. The possibilities are endless! It's like the Barrow-downs and Fornost had a baby.

Now, you may be thinking, "Cyn, what in the Middle-Earth does this have to do with crafting?" 

One day (yesterday, in fact), Cynfleda was wandering around Mirkwood, doing random quests east of the Drownholt. She's searching for sage bushes for Bingo Boffin, and she stumbles upon a mighty fortress outpost held by the Malledrim and Galadhrim. She soon discovers that this place is called Ost Galadh, and it is EXACTLY WHAT SHE'S BEEN MISSING IN HER LIFE. There is a vault. There are 4 (FOUR!) mailboxes. There is a skirmish camp. There are relic- and forge-masters. There is a large craft hall with TWO studies. There is a second vault-keeper IN the craft hall. Hooray!

Like, oh my goodness, Cynfleda could live there forever. Forget purging Mirkwood of the Necromancer. It's study time.

The only downfalls, which are fairly forgivable, are that there's no auction hall, and the hunter port isn't very close. But other than that, Cynfleda finds that Ost Galadh is quite the light in the darkness that is Mirkwood.

Current level: 68

Theofwig visits the North Downs and gets a cat!

Theofwig's journey takes him to Trestlebridge. It looks like it used to be a nice town, but it's being demolished as we speak. Tarkrip orcs run rampant, harrassing the townspeoples. It's up to Theofwig and Captain Trotter to get rid of the pests.

Once he's setting out from Trestlebridge, Theofwig is warned not to go into the Fields of Fornost. He is never alone with his animal companions, and he's naturally curious enough to venture out there. Ghosts don't scare him, he thinks. So he goes, bringing Shrapnel his bog-guardian for the companionship and comfort he doesn't realize he needs. The fields are full of shades, and he even comes across a possessed woman. The ghosts in the Fields of Fornost, and the hordes of orcs in the ancient city itself, are enough to deter Theofwig, and he proceeds Eastward.

He comes across a few lonely camps, and he is more than willing to aid them if it means he can set fire to some orcs, wargs, and goblins. In the process, he finds himself in the ancient ruins of Minas Vrun. Here he unearths old treasure, which is of great interest to those at the camps.

Theofwig makes his way to some civilization when he steps into Othrikar, a dwarf keep. Here, he helps the dwarves find the sweet spot of mining in the North Downs, gathers lots of hides and meat for them, and staves off the encroaching threat of the Dourhand dwarves. He takes care of another goblin threat, and he's on his way.

Funny enough, there is also a settlement of elves in the North Downs, and in addition to orcs, they're also visited by trolls! These trolls are no match for Theofwig and Shrapnel, and Lin Giliath is safe for the time being. While Theofwig is there, he gains a new lynx companion. He names his lynx Crusher. He also gets a letter in the mail concerning lore-master business in Duillond. He keeps this letter, but proceeds to Esteldin, the hidden ranger camp.

Esteldin gives Theofwig access to his vault and crafting facilities. He joins the Woodworkers Guild and begins gaining reputation within the guild. It appears his reputation with the rangers precedes him, and he is given many tasks to affirm his standing as an ally. He hunts orcs, wargs, spiders, Angmarim, and goblins, just to name a few things. He also finds the nearby Earth-Kin settlement, and gets acquainted with its residents. It is here in Esteldin that Theofwig takes up an epic quest to gather a council of the free peoples of the North Downs to fend off more orc threats. Although the quest ends and the rangers are safe for now, more threat looms from the distance, and Theofwig feels the need to lend his aid elsewhere.

Here stands a horse, aptly named Sneezy,
 and his rider Theofwig, somewhere in the North Downs

Began at level: 27
Ended at level: 33