Welcome!
The Oaks on LoTRO is a medium sized Kinship on Laurelin. We've been here since day 1 of LotRO and have around 20 active members. This post tells you about the Kinship and how we do things.
The current Kin Leader is Phaedrus, whose alternative characters ('alts') in Middle-Earth are Bohemund (who also has officer status), Lofwyn, Eltinu, Grortun & Arthurn. Aajolea was our first Kin Leader, with Phaedrus taking over at the start of Mines of Moria.
The Oaks has two other officers, and we can usually either answer a question or find someone who can.
Current Officers (main alts in brackets) are:
Lindolwing (Dwoni)
Fatali (Fetoula)
Only the emboldened characters in the lists above have officer status so certain admin functions can only be done when we are on those alts.
To get the most from the Kinship, we recommend that you download Teamspeak (an out of game voice chat application) that is used in addition to in-game voice chat. We use TS chat a lot, so we recommend a headset with microphone. If you have trouble setting it up, contact an officer.
What We Do
We aim to play LotRO in the spirit of the game; we are completely opposed to the use of any in game exploits. We also help each other with all aspects of life in Middle-Earth. These include....
Crafting:
Kin members will be happy to craft you armour and other equipment at any level, normally for free. If you are after ‘one shot’ recipes, most crafters will ask that you provide the relevant crystal shard / flake / symbol for the item and may also want you to supply other materials. If you are crafting and find yourself short of materials, ask in the chat channels.
Questing / Deeds:
If you are stuck on a quest, or need a fellowship – ask! You can use either in-game chat, or through this site. We regularly run groups to help complete specific quests or deeds. We are members of an alliance of like minded kins and run events / raids with them.
Character Build / Traits:
There is no such thing as the optimal LotRO character build; so much depends on your style of play and what quests you are currently doing. However, if you want advice, or suggestions – just ask. Use ‘inspect’ to have a look at other players; you will find plenty of Oaks who are happy to discuss why their particular set up has been chosen. The appropriate selection of Traits & Equipment can make a big difference in Middle-Earth.
Raiding:
Although the Oaks has a reasonable history of Raiding, we are quite slow at getting around to it. All Raids require a high level of co-operation, planning and strategic awareness. The Oaks has a few Raid leaders, and a small number of experienced Raid members. The Oaks are a Kin that Raids, not a Raiding Kin. 
The Kinship House:
The Oaks Kinship House is in the Thorins Hall Homesteads at 5, Roaring Road. It has a Balrog's Sword and a Dragon's Head in the garden, plus a large number of trophies inside gathered by Kin members during their travels in Middle-Earth. Any item placed in storage at the Kinship House is for the use of any Kin member; so if you are short of pages for a book, or items for a class quest, check the house storage chests. You can also find dyes and various potions. There is usually a small store of crafting materials; use these if you are making a specific item and are short of a particular component. They should not be used to level up on crafting! If you do take something, it's expected that in due course you will replace it (when you get the bits) or substitute it (with some different bits!). Maintenance for the Kinship House can be paid by any Kinship member, but in general the Officers keep an eye on it. Housing Decoration permissions are managed by the Officers, so if you have a trophy you want to show off ask them!
Role-Play Events:
The Oaks is a 'very light' role playing Kinship; but we both run and participate in various 'light' RP events - a Bree 'Hide & Seek' quiz and the annual Great Chicken Run being examples....
The Oaks Web Site:
This site is currently administered by Lindolwing, Fatali & Soei after many years of work by Dolce & Theogarth, who worked with a site originally designed & administered by Bichir. This is as good a place as any to thank them all for their work.
