The Lord Of The Rings Online mourns the loss of Bilbo Baggins actor Sir Ian Holm
Memorials, minstrels and fireworks
This weekend, Lord Of The Rings Online players gathered to commemorate the life of British actor Sir Ian Holm, who passed away aged 88 last Friday. Despite a filmography spanning over five decades, the late actor is best known by many as the definitive Bilbo Baggins - taking the role of the centenarian hobbit in Peter Jackson's adaptation. Fitting, then, that the denizens of the venerable Middle-Earth MMO have come together in their own fellowships to pay respects.
One memorial, performed on the roleplay-centric Laurelin server, was captured in this video by Mateusz Maciukiewicz (cheers, Eurogamer). A crowd of dozens marched their way into The Shire, gathering around Bilbo's ancestral home of Bag End. Those inside listened to Dwarven minstrels perform, while mourners outside sent fireworks careening into the sky.
Elsewhere in Middle Earth, Redditor Ch_Mell claims roughly 300 adventurers on Evernight banded together for an impromptu march to Rivendell. Once again, a Minstrel performed the song "Misty Mountains" from the game's soundtrack, as the group gathered around the Bilbo Baggins NPC at the Hall of Fire (pictured in header). On the Belegaer server, Redditor RoadRageWorker said there was "music and mourning, and we all wished Ian godspeed on this last of journeys."
For their part, LOTRO developers Standing Stone Games brought the Baggins Birthday quest back 'til July 23rd "in honour of Sir Ian Holm", and have extended the game's current Spring Festival even until July 29th.
Beyond Middle Earth, Holm was known as the android Ash in Alien (briefly appearing in likeness in Alien: Isolation), alongside performances in Chariots Of Fire, The Fifth Element, Ratatouille and many, many more. He will be missed.