Minstrel Love & Spoilers

I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting things on the internet to spice up webpages and our kin-site.  Stumbled across Tagxedo.com today and had to see what it came up with from my blog site:

Yes, of course it's in Shades of Red, that went without saying.  Wonder what it's telling me about my posts when "run" is the most common word?  LOL - anyways, on with the adventures!

Congrats to Slyrond (L62 hunter) for winning my blog prize from last week.  I will contact you in-game shortly with your gift!

Alegra, Delques, Hendai and Jugg join me for a run through GS. I was reading in the forums the other day all the grumblings about Grand Stairs - personally, I love this instance.  Whether running daily (hard or easy mode), or a full clear, I love healing in here.  PUG groups are never the same, and every time I run it there's usually something crazy that occurs.  I do however, have a greater appreciation for my mentor healer Acidor, who put up with a lot of crap from my hunter Sarharien when I first used to run through here.  As my kin-leader was quoted as saying once: "There are three speeds in LOTRO - walking, running, and Sarharien."  >.<  ouch.  Hehe.

Banoon and I enjoy being a "barrel of laughs" at Nonos expense.  Oh, and for those of you wondering, you can fit two elves in a barrel!  Seriously, hasn't that been keeping YOU up at night?!?

My goal this week was to finish Volume I completely on my minstrel, Kierraen, and earn my pretty new reward horse.  Here I am having some heated words with Goeolgon.  He had such a hot temper...

***SPOILER ALERT***

If you haven't completed Volume I yet, and don't want the end of the story ruined, then stop reading now.

A bit later on, Laerdan and I were called to the principal's office, er, I mean to see Elrond.  Seems that Laerdan has been pissing off some of the elf high council with his antics about his daughter and some ring.

Got sent on a wild goose chase up into Forochel at one point.  I seriously need to rethink my wardrobe for adventuring days like this.  I swear I froze my bra that day.

Thankfully, just when I thought I would completely freeze to death, I suddenly found myself warm and inside with friends.  Okay, so it happened to be inside Samath Gul, but at least it wasn't fourty-below-zero!  There were 5 of us with Bigdennis, but unfortunately I didn't keep notes on who they all were (sorry!), but we did finish all four bosses with no wipes.  A few deaths-and-rezzes here and there, but nothing too bad.

After SG, I was back running around Forochel.  Me and my buddy SlimJim posed for a photo.  The flash pissed him off though, and we ended up exchanging blows (his hammer hurts btw).

Bumped into the famous Torahammas elite mammoth in Forochel.  I remember duoing this guy with my hunter Sarharien a long while back, and figured I'd try to solo it with my mini, Kierraen.  Heh.  Was going fine until he called 6 adds down on me from the mountain.  Feign death ftw!

A lot of the final chapters in Vol I focus on Mordrambor as you race him to find all the pieces of Laerdan's broken ring.  Here he's rubbing it in my face that he defeated the dragon of Forochel before I could get there.  Why he gets a StarTrek teleport skill and I have to stick with horses, I'll never know.  Warp envy.  'Nuff said.

As the volume nears it's end, I have a few epic showdowns with Amarthiel, the great sorceress that took over Narmeleth mind and body under the power of the ring crafted by her father.

At one point, we get a flash-back into Narmeleth's past through some session play.  Here she is with her best friend (me), taking a walk in that beautiful dress I want, reassuring me that it will just be a short walk (liar!).

Me, the best friend: "Hey, Narmeleth.  So, when you die, can I have your dress?"
Narmeleth: "Death?  What are you talking about honey, it's not like I ever do anything exciting around here."
Me, the best friend: "Still, so can I have it?  The dress?"
Narmeleth: "Shhh.  Did you hear that?  Why does it smell like orc here?"

<Battle ensues.  Best friend turns into some ***** in a red dress.> Crap. Well, no harm in asking. <sigh>

Nearing the end of one book, Amarthiel, Mordrambor and Mordirith face off in Eregion.

Some pretty awesome special effects and battle scenes ensue (you just sit it out and enjoy some popcorn), and eventually Amarthiel is defeated, gets her hand chopped off by Mordrambor (typical guy - can't slip the ring off her limp finger - just HAS to pull a Darth Vader), and is left to die with you to care for her wounds.

Pretty good bandage job, right?  I mean, I am a minstrel, and we always carry our first aid kits with us, right?  At least I had my best friend Narmeleth back, sans-dress though.  :(  My guess is some stupid orc is running around Mordor in it, just to mock me.

Sure enough, a few horsey rides later, and my good friend Narmeleth has prepared herself for a showdown battle with Mordirith atop some Angmar peak near Carn Dum.

<snicker> You gotta love it when the UI storyline stuff just doesn't "quite" match up it's NPC animations.  Somehow the session animation at the end of the final battle with Mordirith screwed up, and the two NPCs ended up about 2 feet apart, but still animating their final struggle and death blow (go Narmeleth!) as if they were physically locked together in combat.

Ta da!  Volume I completed, and I received my "Grey Horse".  Seriously, it's white - maybe a bit dirty around the edges, but it's nearly as white as my Galladrhim reputation mount from Lothlorien.  Either way, free horse and pretty too!

Okay, time to pick on a kinmate.  Today it's "mob-train-Khelrion".  Hehe.  He wanted some help fast-leveling in Eregion, so I mounted up, put him on follow, and took a bunch of pictures while he ran around trying to find the quest NPC agents.  When you're five levels below the region's average, you become a bit of a mob-magnet...

Khelrion picked up every mob in Eregion I think.  :)  A stinging fly, a walking tree, half-orcs, worms...

...Fell Holly Tenders... at one point our little "follow" train was probably 5-6 mobs deep (no good pics tho).  But Khelrion was persistent found all his quest items, and no, I didn't let him die.  :)

Bigdennis makes us all vibrate with his magic finger, just before Vahnya, Bludo, Gilles, Katon join me as we head into Skumfil.  They were graciously helping me get a minstrel legendary quest item from one of the bosses (thank you!).

Here I am running laps during a School/Library STM run, with about 20 mobs in tow.  Shields up!

Galleott, Khfalis and I pose for a photo after defeating the last boss in a School/Library run.

Dark Delvings - not a fun instance to heal, especially with a PUG group that's learning how it all works, and when I can't remember all the correct advice because it's been months since I've been in here with my hunter.  Sorry for the repair bills!  >.<  Hats off to Larandir, Baramire, Spartite, Suzietta, and Stevena for a good number of attempts.

Posing with Fluddo, Astariele, Esten, Mstone, Dregs, Recken, Hulken, Andjil, Lufinstor, and Galegbant, before our turtle run.  Everyone lived (yay!).

During one of the Vol II instances (battle of the 21st hall?) I took this shot after we defeated the troll boss.  Love the armor detailing on this NPC.

Nearing the end of my night, we enjoy a kinship run through Grand Stairs.  At the end we pose for a photo: Caliath, Delques, Nevwyn, Acidor, Orglock and myself.

Enjoyed a quiet moment alone with Galadriel in her garden.  She let me look into her mirrored pool for a preview of my harrowing adventures to come (eeek!).  Another awesome place to just sit and relax in - such wonderful details and beauty, especially at night.

Love and hugs to all my fellow Dwarrowdelfians,

Sarharien -- Bowchick of Red and Collector of Shoes

Kierraen -- Minstrel of Delightful Octaves of Pain
Niphredila -- Warden of Gleeful Green Giggles