The Fabulous Belladonna Took

The infamous (and trouble-making) wizard, Gandalf the Grey, had been a friend to (and dubious influence on) Gerontius Took and his family for no small tale of years. It may have been partly the wizard’s influence and partly the rumour that some distant forefather of the Tooks had taken a fairy bride (which is, of course, nonsense), but whatever the reason, some Tooks went on adventures. It was very disreputable; they would simply disappear discreetly and the family would hush it up.

The Old Took had three remarkable daughters, and Belladonna was the eldest of these. She was fondly remembered by Gandalf, so they must have been friends and possibly gone on adventures together. Whether accompanied by Gandalf or not, though, Belladonna most certainly did have adventures, for we are told that Belladonna never “had any adventures after becoming Mrs Bungo Baggins” (emphasis mine). Therefore, her adventures all took place before her marriage and before Bilbo’s birth. Nevertheless, she continued to be remarkable in her later years; after her husband’s death, she became the head of the Baggins clan. It is possible that she was named for the belladonna lilly, but given her queer character (as far as respectable hobbits are concerned) it’s fitting that her name also alludes to deadly nightshade, the poisonous plant whose berries can cause madness if eaten. Here Belladonna is dressed for one of her adventures in bold purple and orange clothing. Her magnificent wide-brimmed hat is decorated with an enormous snow-white plume, the feather of some unknown and exotic bird. Her cloak matches her clothing and features an intricately embroidered device reminiscent of a tree and roots. Looking the part, this bold lass is ready for any adventure!

I always thought the wide-brimmed, feathered hat you obtain early on in the game if you begin as an Elf was a bit out of place in Middle-earth. Nevertheless, it’s a nice design and if anyone in Middle-earth is going to wear this thing, it’s a hobbit described as “fabulous”! (Though some editions of The Hobbit substitute “famous”. Personally I like fabulous better!) I wonder what sort of adventures Belladonna had? Maybe Bilbo had heard some stories, and it was his mother’s adventures to which he referred when he mentioned climbing trees and visiting elves and sailing in ships in the first chapter of The Hobbit.

• Head: Plumed Hat (quest reward — Intro [5] Into the Shadow or Intro [5] Medicine of the Elves), purple
• Shoulders: Ceremonial Shoulders of the Written Word (bartered — skirmish camp cosmetics quartermaster/Moria cosmetic clothing – light), purple
• Back: Cloak of Mordirith’s Bane (quest reward — epic [52] Volume 1, Book 15, Epilogue: Laerdan’s Parcel), default
• Chest: Jacket of Fém (quest reward — Angmar [43] Crannog’s Fifth Challenge), purple
• Hands: Ceremonial Gloves of the Poet’s Heart (bartered — skirmish camp cosmetics quartermaster/Moria cosmetic clothing – light), purple
• Legs: Dwarf-make Campaigner’s Leggings (crafted — tailor T5; or looted — world drop/general), purple

Tips: The brimmed hat that I used can also be found as a world drop called the Brimmed Hat. There are two similar cosmetic hats available from the Store as well, the Elegant Plumed Hat and Fancy Plumed Hat (both purchased — LOTRO Store). A cosmetic version of the Cloak of Mordirith is available in the LOTRO Store and you can also get a cloak with the same skin at skirmish camps: Nengol (bartered — skirmish camp classic quartermaster/Fornost — Light). The Jacket of Fém shares its appearance with the Jacket of the Sun-lands (looted — world drop/general) and with the Jacket of the Wayward Hunter (bartered — skirmish camp medium armour quartermaster/Odothuilan campaign armour). The shoulders and gloves used in this outfit are also available as part of the Lore-master and Rune-keeper level 60 Mines of Moria instance cluster sets, and as the Lothlórien Shoulders and Gloves (crafted — tailor T6/ Galadhrim reputation).

Mount-matching! This outfit has been matched with a mount.