Valar Guild

December 24, 2017 Sunday Meeting

5pm EST (UTC/GMT - 5)
AIM: Valar Guild Meetingplace

Back to News
Transcript work by
Varda.

Attending: (5)
    Discord: Arien, Ar-Pharazon, Gorlim (After-meeting), Varda (presiding)

Before-meeting
Meeting begins
Membership:
    Happy New Year's Eve!
Web:
    Timeline
Gaming:
    General gaming report
Tolkien:
    Topic: What were some moments that seemed to be endings that were also beginnings?
After-meeting:
    Flashgaming Reviews by Ar-Pharazon
    LotR TV show
top

Before-meeting
(times are in Central from Varda)
Varda - Today at 3:57 PM
Aiya
Varda - Today at 4:01 PM
It's meeting time!
Anyone present, please type Aule in meeting_place. 
Aule
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:07 PM
Aule
sorry
Varda - Today at 4:07 PM
Aiya Phar 
No worries. Just you and me answering so far. Yay us!
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:07 PM
Btw, an hour from now it's 2018, so I'll be afk for periods of time to toast, watch fireworks, etc.
Varda - Today at 4:07 PM
Huzzah!
ArienV - Today at 4:08 PM
Aule  sorry had to get out of a Troll place first
Varda - Today at 4:08 PM
Scary!
top

Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo!
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:08 PM
Aiya both!
Varda - Today at 4:08 PM
Membership:
ArienV - Today at 4:08 PM
Aiya Phari
Varda - Today at 4:08 PM
Happy New Year's Eve to all!
In Discord speaking we have Arien, Ar-Pharazon, and Varda.
In LotRO we have Arien, Gorlim, and Varda.
top

Web:
I've been tweaking on the Timeline again. It can make a good navigation trail on our site.
Added a new page to it: End of Arda.
http://valarguild.org/varda/Tolkien/encyc/events/timeline/End.htm
Be great to see which articles you think would be good to add in there, maybe make some new ones just to help the progression.
top

Gaming:
Eonwe has not yet been able to upload new Gaming news to the Games Site.

Any WoW news from y'all?
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:13 PM
Pandaria timewalk week.
Gifts under the winter veil tree.
Varda - Today at 4:13 PM
Fun!

LotRO:
Yule festival continues until Jan 7
Grab your Anfalas star-lit crystals and scrolls, winter elk, and snow owl.
Any other gaming news from your games?
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:15 PM
Hmm, just personal stuff, I'm thinking.
Varda - Today at 4:15 PM
ok
LotRO kin mates seen this past week:
Arien
Bregalad
Dis
Fangorn
Gil-galad
Gorlim
Luthien
Meriadoc
Nar
Nimrodel
Thranduil
Varda
Have you seen any fellow Valarites in our other branches?
or games?
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:16 PM
Fladrif's still around!
Varda - Today at 4:16 PM
Yay!
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:16 PM
actually, nevermind
Varda - Today at 4:16 PM
heh
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:16 PM
last online 8 days ago
But I did see Arien in WoW!
Varda - Today at 4:17 PM
Almost made it to this week. 
Yay Arien!
I saw her in LotRO this week, and right now.
The Sun gets around.
Any other business, gaming stuff?
ArienV - Today at 4:18 PM
yeah he means he saw me in his High Guard
and  ive seen Helm over the holidays in person in the shop
Varda - Today at 4:19 PM
Fangorn says hi from this side of the screen
Hi to Helm
ArienV - Today at 4:19 PM
aiya back to Fangorn
Varda - Today at 4:19 PM
top

Tolkien:
This January 3, very soon, be sure to /toast JRRT for his birthday!
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:20 PM
Aiya Fangorn!
And congrats John Ronald Reueul!
-u

Varda - Today at 4:21 PM
For a chat topic, hope is important in Tolkien's works. One way he showed it was that most endings then showed a new beginning. One door closes, one door opens.
ArienV - Today at 4:21 PM
Beppy Hirthday to Daddy Tolkien  Have a good one up there @:D
Varda - Today at 4:21 PM
Can we think of any places like that?
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:22 PM
Minas Tirith lost a steward and was nearly lost competely, but in swoops a new king
ArienV - Today at 4:22 PM
hmmmm  not places really  but  the present Galadriel gives to sam .. the Mallorn seed and the soil of her garden in a situation when it was less than certain he would return home at all
Varda - Today at 4:22 PM
Pardon, book places as in bookmarks, not landscape intended.
Ahh, beautiful.
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:24 PM
Durin's heir was killed during the Battle of the Five Armies, but the dwarves did win Erebor back.
Varda - Today at 4:25 PM
The elves left their dominance of Middle-earth going to a heavenly place to live, their vacuum filled by the newly strengthened race of Man with a queen who was from the elves.
ArienV - Today at 4:26 PM
let me think ..  two little hobbits stumbling through  a  vast misty forest , they see light on top of a  hill .. kind of any way and get found by a walking tree .. err pardon me Ent
Varda - Today at 4:26 PM
I like the steward traded for a king. Also, we traded a hostile steward for one that was glad to see the new King and worked for him as a real Steward.
Nice
ArienV - Today at 4:28 PM
the green stone Glorfindel left behind for Aragorn on the Road to Rivendell just before   they actually meet him .. it encourages Aragorn to go ahead
Varda - Today at 4:29 PM
The woses have to trade their anonymity to help the Men get rid of Sauron's forces, but also receive protection from the King for their help.
Sometimes a hobbit finds its good to be overlooked. As by a Witch-king.
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:32 PM
Making it possible stab him in the back. Or knee.
Varda - Today at 4:32 PM
and save the girl and the world
Theoden's death was a harsh thing, but he regained his honor so that he felt he would be able to stand among his ancestors with head held high.
Valhalla-esque
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:36 PM
Nice observation
Varda - Today at 4:39 PM
Grima Wormtongue's snapping after Saruman destroyed his hope of starting over in the Shire in a nice home also meant that Saruman's cruel doings to so many finally stopped. He was in a unique position to do so, with Saruman's belief that he was completely beaten into submission.
Arda will finally end. Will any good come of something so Apocolyptic?
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:40 PM
Arda renewed, I think the term was?
Varda - Today at 4:41 PM
Aye
A new world, made from a song sung by all with the understanding of Eru's song gained from the earlier Arda. A far improved new world.
It's about time to let you both go ring in the new Arda. May your new year be full of wonderful things!
hammers troop to the hammerpad and tap everyone's palm
brilliant multi-colored sparks light up the sky far around us
hammers return to party behind the scenes
top

After-meeting!
Free chat
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:47 PM
Well, I can give personal gaming report a start before it's time
Varda - Today at 4:47 PM
At least flashgames.

Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:47 PM
One of the flashgame sites I use has apparently gone on holiday for a week, adding no new games.. but I'm sure I can drag up a few from Kong which I might have linked before?
Simply from this week's badges
ArienV - Today at 4:51 PM
sure
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:52 PM
https://www.kongregate.com/games/Reflexive/music-catch-2 is the first! Very nice game, good relaxing music, catch notes (or other shapes, depending on your settings) based on the rhythm of the song. Catch normal for points, yellow for multipliers, purple for large magnetic boosts. Avoid reds.
Kongregate
Music Catch 2
Catch all the new shapes, patterns, motions and songs! The task is simple...the more shapes you collect, the more points you get. Yellow shapes still multiply...

https://www.kongregate.com/games/bontegames/yellow is the one game this week I hadn't done the badge for yet, but I might have linked it from the other site... make the screen yellow in every level by puzzling to see what you need to do.
Kongregate
yellow
Yellow, a puzzle game for you! Can you make the screen yellow in all 25 levels? Each level has its own logic. You can also get the FREE mobile version wi...

Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:54 PM
For the third.. hmm...
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 4:55 PM
http://www.kongregate.com/games/Ironhidegames/kingdom-rush is always nice, classic tower defense game with upgrades. I know for a fact people in valarguild have mentioned it before :smiley: If you haven't played it yet, give it a try!
Kongregate
Kingdom Rush
The kingdom is under attack! Defend your realm against hordes of orcs, trolls, evil wizards and other nasty fiends; armed with a mighty arsenal of warriors and...

Varda - Today at 5:02 PM
(thinking we should also raise a toast to Christopher Tolkien on his birthday)
Nov 21, 1924

Happy New Year!
ArienV - Today at 5:11 PM
Happy new year for Europe :smiley:
Varda - Today at 5:11 PM
fireworks
ArienV - Today at 5:12 PM
fireworks :smiley:
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 5:18 PM
Happy new year!

Blizzard gaming!
Heroes of the Storm: Still level 239, 's fine... completed the winter veil quests, getting me a new frosty reindeer mount. Works well with some Malfurion skins in particular :wink:
Brawl this week was a new one, Trial Grounds, where 2 teams of the same random hero (so 10 times the same) face each other on a small map in a sudden-death no-revival skirmish, and a random powerful objective or buffing (or shielding) area in the middle that spawns 30 seconds in. Claim it for a huge benefit that will surely win the game for you :smiley:
Lot of fun, that one, and very short. Would like to see it again!
Diablo 3: Almost done with season! Did the remaining bounty acts and some other season journey objectives. Got a few legendaries along the way that complement the reward set rather well on my crusader, which allowed me to get through even Torment IV objectives (keywardens, Urzael) with relative ease.
All that's left now is a level 20 (equivalent to Torment IV) solo Greater Rift, which should not be too hard, and then my seasonal goals will be complete.
Hearthstone: All classes level 52 now! Also had some fun in the dungeon runs as quests sent me there, though I've yet to beat a level 8 boss.
This week's brawl was an old one, I think, but still fun; a deck filled with 30 raven idols, allowing you to discover the spells or minions you need.
Onward to level 53, and new golden cards :smiley: This tier will include shattered sun clerics and frostwolf warlords as the most commonly used basic neutral cards, nice to have golden versions of.
Couple of murlocs, too.
WoW:
No new pet from the old raids for me, though we did get the third Nefarian pet for our party, which means we can skip most of that raid from here on. No new pets otherwise either, but I did get 2 duplicate Docile Skyfins from the eggs. Now I can fight with a team of 3 if I wanted to :smiley:
Finally completed the class hall quest to get 6 champions to 925. Next up will be a couple of class hall missions, probably 1 or 2 days each, and then the next phase will be getting them to 950. Still, progress being made.
Pandaria timewalks is the weekly quest/event for this week, now almost at 10000 timewarped badges on my main. I should easily have enough for whatever the Draenor timewalks are going to offer as rewards when they put it in somewhere in the next expansion :smiley:
Doing more weekly quests all around for paragons, Argus rep and other things. Army of the Light now halfway to exalted. Bit slow, but as the quests progress I might be getting more class hall missions that give rep tokens.
Also still working on Talon's Vengeance through world quests and battlegrounds, made a lot of progress this week. Got over 60 marks, and only need 77 more. Should get it within 2 weeks, especially since I expect to get more help later next week :smiley:
Winter Veil almost over! Got all the gifts on 13 characters this week, including my official hordy, who got the horde versions of both toys, so I got 4 new toys overall. There was a bit of a bug with the Hearthstation toy gift if you'd looted all your gifts last year, which I do on all my eligible alts, but luckily it only took a day or two to hotfix.
Still raidbreak this week, but that gave me a lot of time for my side projects!
I got the rank 3 skinning queststarter I was after (after about 1600 leather skinned, whew) and moved on to complete another Argus achievement that night, to kill 10 mobs with a single lightning-strike proc from random tornadoes going around. Wait out at the right spot and it should not be much of a problem, so yay for internet guides :wink:
I've also camped Weavil a bit more until I got the toy, which grows your normal pets (if a hunter or warlock) and battlepets (for all classes) and turns them red, though only for 15 seconds out of 10 minutes cooldown. Took me 34 kills overall, which for a 3% is really straight up average, so can't complain there.
And finally, started my current project, which is basically finishing a project I started 8 years ago during Wrath of the Lich King :smiley:
Grinding the last faction to exalted that I need for the Insane in the Membrane achievement, that being Ravenholdt; a faction that can only be gotten from revered to exalted by the delivery of Heavy Junkboxes, an item that needs to be pickpocketed by rogues.
Since I got my rogue to just about the right level during the pre-Legion invasions, it's the perfect time to finish the job. Started out needing 557 boxes still, but in a few days that's gotten under 400. Should also be done in 1-2 weeks. With that, Talon's Vengeance, and the Argus factions that shouldn't be too much longer, I'll have every possible faction to exalted in the game!
(for alliance ;))
Oh! Yes, and for final mention, I finally got the toy from Xurios, who was nice enough to have it available this week. Starlight toy, transforming your character into a constellation-like shape, like the form you could get at the Elegon fight back in Pandaria. Looks really nice.
So now I'm truly done with Curious Coins. Still getting some, but I guess those will stay with me :smiley:
And that's my report for the week!

Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 6:00 PM
And that's midnight in the UK, happy new year Arien!
Gorlim - Today at 6:46 PM
checking in.. happy new year..
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 6:46 PM
Happy new year!
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 7:32 PM
Huzzah, chapter 4 D3 season finished. Now I can leave that game alone again for a while :smiley:
Nice birdwings as reward!
Varda - Today at 7:33 PM
Happy New Year :smiley:
passing by the comp :smiley:
Ar-Pharazon-V - Today at 7:34 PM
Huh. Is it true Amazon is making a tv show set in Middle-Earth?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings#Television
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 fantasy novel The Hobbit, but eventually developed into a much larger work. Written in stage...

Could be fun... could go horribly wrong.
Putting it here as a possibly epilogue to the transcript :smiley:
Varda - Today at 8:47 PM
Yes, they have been planning the TV show.
top