LOTRO: Elf captain of Mirkwood

This is going to be an interesting post, because it is as much a fashion post as it is a plea for elf captains. Above you see captain Ravenwyn looking over the Mirkwood forest, contemplating the challenges that lie ahead of her. She is a female human captain, but today she dresses up as an elf captain and thinks about what could have been...

...because, even though Ost Galadh is crowded by elf captain NPCs that quarrel about what offensive strategy to follow until your ears are sore, players are not able to pick an elf as race for their captain. The only option for a player wanting to play a captain is the human race. Okay, I see how hobbit captains are perhaps not what I want to encounter running around. Dwarf captains? They might have been there, but I can understand it's a less suitable choice, as dwarves usually don't form armies and fight in great battles. But elf captains? There were numerous notable elf captains in the history of Middle-earth, and there still are today, during the siege of Mirkwood. These are two legendary elf captains that you might have heard of:

Fingolfin

When the boats were burned after the sad events of the first kinslaying and there was no safe way of crossing the water to Middle-earth, Fingolfin decided to lead his people over the Helcaraxë, the icecap that formed the only connection between Aman and Middle-earth, instead. It was a terrible journey, during which many elves perished, but they made it in the end because of Fingolfin's determination. Many battles against Angband were won under his leadership, and he became a legend among his own people. He ruled as a high king over Hithlum, keeping the lands safe for almost four hundred years. In the end, he rode against Morgoth himself, enraged of all the slaughter that was caused during a sudden outbreak of Angband forces. He died in an epic duel with Morgorth, injuring him greatly. Morgorth limped ever after.

Glorfindel

He lived in Gondolin under Turgon, high king of the Noldor, and was chief of the House of the Golden Flower. When Gondolin was attacked, he accomplished many brave deeds leading his house, but the fall of Gondolin was inevitable. He dueled with a Balrog to hold off enemy forces to buy the last surviving Gondolindhrim time to escape using a secret passage. They fought long, and Glorfindel defeated the beast, but in the end perished as well. When his spirit arrived at the Hall of Mandos, he was re-embodied by the Valar for his loyalty and noble deeds. He was sent back to Middle-earth to aid against Sauron and was granted great powers, almost equal to the maiar themselves. After his return he without doubt continued to influence the events during the War of the Ring greatly, but we are told little of his deeds during this time.

I don't seriously believe they will ever introduce elf captains to LotRO, even if only to avoid the granted enrage of some players ("why wasn't I able to pick an elf captain when I started playing five years ago?") - but I do think that's a shame. In the meanwhile, the only thing I can do is dressing up as an elf captain from time to time, using the outfit featured in this article. I like how it makes you blend in with the elves in Mirkwood. It is also one of the few outfits I find fitting with the Blue Roan Steed, which was available during the Spring Festival of 2010 and 2011 (I think you can still buy it in the Store). Even though it's a congregation of many pieces, it feels like one set: an elf captain set.

       Outfit of the elf captain      

• Runemaker's Hat (rune-keeper Barad Guldur hat piece)
• Malledhrim Pauldrons of the Awakened (crafted supreme (tier 6) Mirkwood-style shoulders) - grey
• Strong Dunlending Battle Armour (crafted Westfold (tier 7) Dunland chest piece) - grey
• Officer's Gloves (crafted supreme (tier 6) Lothlórien-style gloves) - grey
• Shoes of the Stone-student (lore-master Moria former no-radiance set) - grey

In the meanwhile, my captain keeps contemplating about her future, hoping for true elf captains to come...