Because the fifth time is the charm!
More fun, exciting and/or quirky-looking pictures by that hobbit adventurer! If you’d like, here is Part 1, Part 2 , Part 3 and Part 4 as well. A few mini-theme-series-specials too! Do read on!
Every dog has her day
It is typical. You run around for years, and the only dog pet in LOTRO is the huge dog housing guard which is only visible in the homesteads and about three times as big as yerself. Then all of a sudden this spring, you could trade for tons of them in the wastes outside of Mordor.
So, below is Cherry, my supplier of brandy and biscuits whenever I run around the world. I kind of like this picture here, because a) I am eating, and b) I managed to make the screenshot when we both seem distracted by something in the same direction (probably more food). She's a good dog, really.
Critters in my drawings
Whenever I am out adventuring, I try to look for screenshot opportunities. One of my favourite things to look for is various creatures when they're on the screen with me. It often happens in instances and dungeons, but there are lots of opportunities out in the world too. Them's sort of mini-stories on their own.
This one time, we went looking for a huge dragon. Apparently, it was about to find us instead...
Then there was the time when a huge angry turtle started running after me. Turtles in the rear view mirror are closer than they appear.
This little furry feller ran along the roads outside of lake Evendim (Everswim?). I ran along with it, and eventually managed to line it up so it looked like it halfway photobombed me. Or, it went looking for a carrot right in front of me. Cute feller!
Fog on the burrow doors
One of my favourite "bugs" in LOTRO is the fog effect that won't let go (until you log out). I usually pick it up whenever travelling through foggy areas in Forochel and/or the Misty Mountains, more often than not when I am out delivering ales for the Inn League come festival time. Whenever the fog sticks with me, I run around making screenshots everywhere, particularly around dusk. It adds a nice effect to already grand views.
Fog pictures might warrant a blog post on its own, but here are a couple of Shire favourites. First off, the Brandywine Bridge at a foggy dusk.
And second, the Bullroarer statue as night falls.
Get me boat of here!
Hobbits don't like water. Hobbits don't like boats. Hobbits don't belong in boats. Unless yer a Bucklander, but them's strange anyway...
I tried to capture the above sentiment in one screenshot. So I found the biggest lake around (Evendim. Or Everdumb?), jumped into a boat and tried to look real worried. I'd say I succeeded...
The early bird catches the morning cheese
This one time, I tried to make a drawing of all my current "pets". This included the huge hound property guard, the wandering burrow cat and the pesky door mouse. Naturally, we had to gather around some food, and cheese is grand (not least since the mouse runs to it ever so often).
I like how the mouse runs straight for the cheese, the dog sits drooling over it, while the cat looks away trying to come across all aloof and disinterested. Cats...
Nyah!
The working title for this piece of art is "Mouth of Sauron meets mouthy hobbit". Basically, I had to work fast during one of the scripted scenes outside of the Black Gate, trying to position myself well in the picture while zooming out to catch Sauron's servant, then fire off an emote before the scene ended. Fun!
The old hobbit lantern trick
Fittingly enough, this picture was taken near the party tree. Which is just below Lobelia, the scariest hobbit around. I don't quite match her horrors, but using the in-game Alt-F10 lantern, positioning myself near a lamp post and emoting a bit, I think I came somewhat near.
A bad moon rises
The fun thing with going on adventures with hobbits is that we stop to smell the roses and eat pie at every opportunity that presents itself. Or stop to admire a special view. Like this full moon over Fornost (Foremost?).
A hazy shade of winter
Every yule, us Laurelin hobbits pull together to make a yule video. We'll do one this year too, if you would like to help out! I usually ask the other hobbits to send me individual screenshots of themselves in a yule-ish situation, and of course I try to find a good screenshot myself too.
Here is a favourite from one of my picture-seeking journeys. There is something about a cold-looking hobbit huddling near a campfire that just screams "yule", isn't it? If that's not the case, the mix of colours is pretty grand anyway.
The Laurelin hobbit yule videos
I have made hobbit yule videos ever since 2012, and whenever yule nears, I have a look at the old ones. What worked? What didn't work? Which is my favourite? That way, the ideas for the new video starts flowing.
The 2015 yule video is probably my favourite yet. Which is ironic, because I had all sorts of trouble making it. In the end, though, I like the mix between the slow, dreamy sequence with the dwarves (including the fog bug discussed above), and the fast-paced run-around in Forochel. For the latter, I pulled out every digital and in-game trick possible for those backwards tracking shots, and I am right pleased with how they turned out.
So this is my favourite hobbit yule video. I am sure yer will let me know in the comments below if yer don't agree!
[tvideo type="youtube" clip_id="eQ2SqbQAFxo"] The 2015 Laurelin hobbit yule video