So I’m on my little loremaster last night, just poking at a few quests, and find myself in the Chetwood, seeking out brigands and punishing them for their misdeeds (as one does).
And I notice this elf is following me.
That’s… interesting.
Level… 51? Okay.
A level 51 elvish minstrel, following me around the Chetwood.
Not doing anything, just following me. Closely. ‘Right up in your personal space’ close, but not “I have you on autofollow” close.
Right. Whatever. I have brigands to punish. (As one does.)
So I keep moving, find a brigand, and begin the Parade of Debuffs and Fiery Burning.
And the elf?
The elf whips out his lute and…
… get this …
Plays a fight song.
I don’t mean “plays some kind of minstrel ballad that does anything mechanically significant.”
I mean (s)he [1] played some kind of ‘background fight music’ using the /music command. Like something from a Capcom game.
“So,” I thought. “That’s… weird.”
I continued forward and engaged another brigand.
My high-level shadow whipped out its lute again and, again, played the fight music.
Throughout the Chetwood, various NPCs and 1-morale critters looked up, glanced at once another, and murmured. “Was that… Street Fighter?”
I tried to ignore it. It was late, and I pretty much just wanted to hit level 12, see what new skills I got, and call it a night.
I took down another brigand, another, and another. With each fight, the skirling notes of a digitally rendered lute mixed with the raucous calls of my raven (Quothe) and the “why does it burn?” queries from my brigand foes.
On my fifth fallen foe, I dinged.
The elf tucked away her lute, shouted “Pikachu leveled up!”, and mapped back home.
The end.
Quite possibly the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen happen in LotRO.
[1] — I can never tell the difference. It’s like dwarves, but in reverse.