Board Thread:Skin Requests/@comment-26172435-20170128070530

Dear skin wizards!

Here's a request on behalf or my friend Romz76 and Ye Aulde Augre (that would be me) for two skins that turn our regular steves into 'blue wizards'. We play as Alatar and pallando on the Second Age Server and it would add o our immersive roleplay if we would actually look like the lore characters if we wouldn't wear any armour. Not much is known about them, but the little lore based info we have indicates this:


 * They were both maiar of Oromë and send to Middle-earth by Oromë and Yavanna, in an assignment ordered by the Valar lead by Manwë, to assist the children of Ilúvatar to withstand/resist/overcome the forces of the enemy (Sauron and his minions and vassals) in the east of middle-earth. Those children would be the Avari elves, the four dwarven clans of the red mountains and any free/freeable hildor living there.


 * They presumably arrived on Middle-earth in SA 1600 together with Glorfindel. This date is based on later writings by Tolkien regarding the strength of Sauron's vassals in the late Third Age and the plausible impact the 'blue wizards' may have had on the degree of succes of Sauron's attempts to gradually rally the peoples of the east to his cause, and the most probable date of arrival of these Istari. He was quoted suggesting they must have arrived much earlier than the three Istari who arrived in TA 1000, and mentioned SA 1600 as more probable date.


 * The word 'Istar' is deliberately translated as 'Wizard' by Tolkien, but with the meaning of 'wise' / 'holder of knowledge'. The magical powers held by Maiar seemed to have been of less interest to the mission purposes of the Istari on Middle-earth. Based on this and Tolkien's later statement mentioned above, we resign the many speculations about the blue wizards failing in / diverting from their mission and starting magical cults in the east. We interpret their functional purpose as well as their behaviour as more diplomatic in nature. The way they would likely have put their mission into practise would have been by focussing on sharing knowledge, mostly the lore of the world, providing meaning and purpose to the children of Ilúvatar, in order to strengthen their self-conscienceness and resists the alternative facts presented to them by Sauron and his tale-tellers, and on forgeing bonds between those peoples in order to withstand the forces of power the enemy brought together in asnwer to their resistance.


 * Now about their looks (yes, this is a skin request after all) ... we only know they were said to be dressed in sea blue gowns and look like elder men. Not as auld as the depictions we all know of Mithrandir and Curunír, but more like a 'generation' younger, like 'seasoned but vital elders'. As Maiar of Oromë they would have possessed traits and skills that would enable them to endure long rangeing and hunting parties in the vast forests of Aman before they were sent to Middle-Earth. This would suggest their outfit to be light but functional for long, self-sustenant, travelling. A mixture of grey-green and sea blue would be a fitting colour scheme for their outfits, and possibly be a challengeing for a skin texturer.


 * Differences between Alatar and Pallando are hardly mentioned. The only indication we have is that Alatar was given the assignment and that he had requested Pallando as his companion. This may indicate Alatar (meaning something like 'grandmaster') was a more wordly, extravert, possibly charismatic character and that his buddy Pallando (meaning something like 'distant guy') was a more gentle, enigmatic, possibly more subtle and empathic character. Assuming these traits, the emission of this combination of Maiar would have made sense for Manwë and Oromë regarding the chances of success and sufficient to get their approval.

Now, we're very curious about how the above info may feed the creative process that may lead to fitting skins for these characters. Thanks in advance for any attemp and good luck!

The reward? Eternal honour with a picture and name reference in my infobox on this wiki and post on my Facebook timeline should suffice, me hopes. :^)  