The Western Alliance (TWA) was created by Methrendomir on 19 April 2007, barely days after the game launched, making it one of the oldest kinships on the server and indeed in the game as a whole. From its very beginning, TWA was unlike almost any other kinship in LOTRO, having been planned from the start as a genuinely democratic organisation, with a detailed constitution and an elected council, leader and deputy leader. As founder, Methrendomir was de facto the kin’s first leader, but just three months later, he was elected leader in TWA’s first elections, beating Thoronthor by eight votes to three; Garbo was elected deputy leader unopposed. At the next election, in December 2007, Methrendomir stepped down, thus confirming the kinship’s truly democratic nature; Thoronthor was elected leader by 18 votes to five for the runner-up, Belegwe. The rest is history…
This very earliest picture from the kinship archives shows history in the making: days after TWA’s creation, Meth is in the tap room of the Prancing Pony in Bree, seeking likely recruits. Accompanied by Garbo, Edatain amd Beogaras, he has just inducted a young captain by name of Thoronthor.