Escaping for Ales & Tales

There I was, face to face with a drooling growling Warg scout, eyes blood shot red with anger. I was so close that the condensation of his hot breath collected on the sleek sheen of my lute. With a swift stroke of my strings, I released a resounding series of notes as my ballad drove the terror of the Lone Lands kneeling to the ground. With a swipe of my Herald’s strike, the final bit of life left the ferocious fiend as it laid crumpled upon the Great East Road. Yet again, the roads are safe for travel for any riders heading towards the Misty Mountains. But, this is enough stress to befuddle the tunes of any Bard!

To relieve the tension of such a fight, I made my way to Bree. For a Hobbit, who is used to the grassy rolling knolls of the Green Hill Country, Bree is full of just so much more, and everything is just….bigger! So, there I was strolling through market stalls I could barely reach up to as I followed the road from the West Gate of Bree till I turned left just before the Inn Gate. Heading north I followed the trail as it led up the nearby Bree Hill as it wound around the slope as I passed a few Hobbit holes, that was surprisingly planted on the hill of a land known for the race of Man. Continuing, the path lead around the slope as I found my way to a bit of crumbled ruins that looked to be the remains of a watch tower. But, tour guide aside, the reason I made my way to this point was for the gathering of so many people. Standing and dancing about were peoples from all parts of Middle-Earth. There were Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves, and Man alike all gathered together!

Standing proudly, against the nearby walls of the ruin stood the rag tag band of the talented musicians “Runic Knights Orchestra.” As their music reverberated through the rocks, others danced and cheered in appreciation. This is just part of what one might expect at Ales & Tales.

What is Ales & Tales you ask? It is a weekly get together of people to enjoy the pleasures of the drink, a bit of food, the performance of music, the telling of tales whether they are true or not, and the reciting of poetry all by the audience itself! As the website states, “Its a great place to unwind after a hard day of fighting the shadow, as you kick back with a mug of ale and socialize with your fellow adventurers.”

So, if you find yourself caked in the grimy filth of your recent adventures, and are in need of a visit to the public baths of your local town, keep an ear out for the local herald for where the next gathering of Ales & Tales.

Every Monday night, starting at 9:30pm EST on the Landroval server, The Lonely Mountain Band hosts Ales & Tales, and  finds its self at a different location. So, if it’s a Monday night and your in the mood for a bit of relaxing with such a spirited bunch, be sure to /joinchannel alesandtales. The location will be announced in the channel each Monday.

You can now follow @alesandtales to keep up with the latest news on this event. Pictures and names of performers are live-tweeted during the show. In addition, names of the MC and Stage Manager for the evening will be announced ahead of time in the Twitter feed, so that you know whom to tell if you wish to perform an act during Ales and Tales. You can contact the Stage Manager in game or sign up for the program by directing a tweet to @alesandtales.

Want a story written about your music concert, rp tavern, or other happenings in the LOTRO music community on your specific server?
Send an email to fortemaestro@gmail.com.