~Linhalaith's The Lord of the Rings Online Picture Diary~

The Lord of the Rings Online is a well-established MMORPG set in Middle-earth, the richly detailed European fantasy world immortalised in J.R.R. Tolkien's literary works. I decided to make an SSLP in it.

What you're about to read is the picture diary of Linhalaith, a kind and courageous Elvish warrior with a camera and a very full scrapbook. I aim to cover everything from the tutorial lands of Thorin's Gate, to the unknown place where I'll probably get bored of The Lord of the Rings Online in a few months.

Chapter 5: Some of the Fun of the Faire

Before the daring rescue of Avorthal and subsequent battle in defence of Ered Luin, Linhalaith spent a week in the Shire, which luckily coincided with the Farmers Faire. With great enthusiasm did she join the festivities, learning how to fish and dance as a Hobbit does, trying fresh produce from the Shire's farms, and in the finest tradition of MMORPGs, buying new clothes.

The Farmers Faire was a harvest festival, held in late summer by farmers and farming enthusiasts of the Shire. There would be dances and fireworks displays at the Party Tree over Hobbiton, a market in Bywater, and fishing by the Bywater waterway.

Sandson's Farm near Michel Delving held a daily egg-grabbing contest, which was certainly a delight for the chickens. Over at Bamfurlong, the bolshier sort of festival-goer would compete to grab mushrooms from Farmer Maggot's field, which was at least partially responsible for his blood pressure.

People came from as far afield as Umbar, Gondor and Mirkwood to see the Faire. Its biggest fan by far, though, was Will Whitfoot, the Mayor of Michel Delving, for the simple fact that everyone kept giving him food to try.

Linhalaith, wondering whether it would be rude to ask for a drumstick

As if to rehearse for the day's eating, Whitfoot invited Linhalaith on a picnic. This would turn out to be one of the most harrowing missions, as she and five other travellers escorted the Mayor's pony up to the picnic spot, fighting through hordes of apparitions spawned by the summer's heat.

Linhalaith and Penny, on a rare moment of quiet between bouts of brutal, desparate violence

No sooner had Linhalaith and her entourage reached the picnic spot than the heavens opened. Hundreds of storm-wraiths and thunder-valkyries descended upon the hill. For hours stood Middle-earth's stalwart defenders, facing the wrath of the sky itself, until at last the exhausted clouds slunk off to re-dampen themselves in the sea.

A beautiful rainbow shone out over the scene, just as Whitfoot finally rocked up to start the picnic.

None of the other five warriors would stand still for long enough to be in the picture.

Thoroughly fed up of picnics, Linhalaith put her mind towards the art of the catch. She borrowed a fishing rod and practiced yoinking fish from the river known simply as The Water. This time, you'll see on her right (left from your perspective) another player, wielding an invisible fishing rod.

The night after fishing came dancing, as Linhalaith found her way to a dance class near to the Party Tree. The much-celebrated party animal Oger Brockhouse was willing to teach outsiders some of the Shire's most popular dances, and Linhalaith proved an eager student.

The following day, she stumbled on something quite impresive. A wandering band, all real players of The Lord of the Rings Online, holding a concert in Michel Delving! It was quite a special moment, as was the conga line I didn't get a picture of.

The Farmers Faire had been a lovely time, and between fishing, dancing, picnics, getting drunk and swearing off picnics for ever more, Linhalaith could truly say it had been a lovely time. No less gay were the new clothes for which she'd bartered favours during the Faire.

Linhalaith's sun hat was a gift from the fisher-folk she'd helped gather lost mathoms from the river. Her new boots and gloves had come from Tansy Tighfield, who'd bought them some years ago without realising they were Elf-sized. And her magnificent new cloak, which she so loved, was a spare picnic blanket Mayor Whitfoot given her to assuage his guilt.

Not pictured: Linhalaith's lovely new sun hat