Home > News > 16th > 17th Anniversary > 18th

17th Anniversary of the Valar Guild

October 4, 2014 Saturday

Contest winner: LotRO Party Tree by Elwing

Hobbits dancing at the Party Tree, in LotRO. Screenshot contest winner: Elwing-(V).

Hobbits handled from left to right by Sauron-(Valar), Varda-(Valar), Elwing-(V), Fangorn-(Valar), and Celebrian-(V).

Theme
AIM Marathon Chat
Forum
Gaming Screenshot Contest
Tolkien Site anniversary contributions
Gaming events
State of Valar Gaming 2014

Theme:

This year's theme is comaraderie, with a secondary theme involving the Hobbit in honor of the Hobbit movies.

AIM Marathon Chat:

Sept. 28 - Oct. 5
Traditionally, we hold the AIM meeting room open from the meeting before the anniversary to the meeting after the anniversary, unless the anniversary is on a Sunday to be ended at the end of that meeting, except for keeping it open for fun and communications.

Known participants so far between meetings (thank you!): ArPharazon, Eonwe Valar, Gwaihir Valar, Pallando Valar, VardaValar1

Forum:

Feel free to post your comments about the anniversary on the forum. Here's the handy link.

A just for fun new thread: "Sauron's Evil Overlord in Retrospect List". Here's the handy link, if it hasn't been blown away yet.

Gaming Screenshot Contest:

New this year.
Please email the screenshots to Varda for posting.

Prize:
The winning screenshot or tied screenshots will take the place of the rotating images on the Valar Guild's home page for the month of October. Afterwards it may be included in the normal rotation of images.

Contest guidelines are on the forum and repeated below. Feedback may be given before the anniversary on the forum or emailed to Varda.

We have a project that we'd like to kick off with an anniversary competition. This involves taking in-game screenies, and with some thought can be done from nearly any game, maybe any game. We'll see how creative we can be. The idea is to make screenshots for the anniversary theme of camaraderie, with a bonus added theme of the Hobbit books/movie. It needs to be folks in the Valar's camaraderie, with our kin name, because it's our anniversary, not theirs. The winner would have the screenshot be the only image up for the opening page of the Valar Guild, which currently has many rotating, at valarguild.org
If there's a tie, there will probably be a shared rotation between them.

All shots will remain reachable from the Anniversary page, which will continue to be available in our archives.

1. Camaraderie theme to allow entry and a decent shot (not blurry and sideways unless it's an on-purpose drunken party of probably dwarven comrades),
2. Hobbit book or movie reference to add a bonus point,
3. Bonus point for each guild member in the shot,
4. One point for an awesome location, (includes fabulous scenery, instance, or raid boss fight)
5. One point for an appropriate location. (meaning Hobbit-themed)
6. Automatic index picture for showing the entire Thorin's Company at Rivendell made of guild members carrying our guild's name, as a first or second winner (would be rotated between the winners, no other pics up during the rest of October). This is 13 dwarves (genders unknown), one hobbit male, and one wizard male. Appropriate clothing for the tie-breaker.
7. Winning requires sending it in before the meeting time. Cool pics can still be added late to the Anniversary page for fun and some might be usable for the project of screenies illustrating all the Tolkien books.
8. Varda's screenies are automatically disqualified as having more than normal opportunities through duties.

Screenshots in the running:
    Images: Hobbits dancing at the Party Tree in LotRO. Three were in the running: Link, link, and link.
    Image: Humans dancing and shooting fireworks in front of the temple in SWTOR. by Viltaria.
    Image: Humans and elves celebrating the anniversary at various locations in LotRO.

    Winner tie!  Two Hobbit pictures: link and link, both taken by Elwing-(V).
    SWTOR pic by Viltaria aka "Doc" took second place.

top

Tolkien Site anniversary contributions:


Art:

Articles:

    "Food in the Shire" by Arien-(Valar)
    "Who Are the Elven-wise?" by Varda-(Valar)

Poetry:

Stories:

Humor (may also be included in the other categories):

Languages:

top

Gaming Events:

    Traditionally we go to major cities in our MMO's to shoot off fireworks and /yell Happy 17th Anniversary of the Valar Guild!
This may be done solo and/or in groups. Sometimes we ride in on our steeds together to a particular site. Fireworks may be provided by the guild branch, made by members, and in some games bought from vendors. Please take a screenshot of your anniversary activity and mail it to Varda to be included here.
    All screenshots here are also being considered for the Camraderie and Hobbit movie/book themed screenshot contest.
    The games are listed below in order of the time of day they ran the anniversary activity.
WoW Euro
D3
SWTOR
LotRO
WoW Uldaman
WoW Lothar

WoW Euro:
    Image: Early morning (EST): Ar-Pharazon shot fireworks on top of a shrine's roof in honor of the day! His pet accompanied him all the way up to the top.

Diablo 3:
    In honor of the anniversary, the Community in the Americas was created today by Varda called the "Valar Guild" (not a clan). Invitation-only but the friend has to be online to invite, a snag. Two of us are now in it for the anniversary (Eowyn and Varda) and plan to bring everyone else into it over time.
    Image: from Varda of her demon hunter and paladin companion next to a bright light. Portal or proto-star?

SWTOR Ebon Hawke server branch:
    Got together in the afternoon on the Light Side in front of the Jedi Temple for dancing and fireworks.
    Image: from Varda, a bit dark but shows the Jedi Temple front and the four participants at that time, all made for today's run so we could be together questing. All are Jedi Consular except Varda who is a Jedi Knight. Left to right: Varda as Vardanna, Sauron as Artana, Gimli as Elena`i, and a long-time guild-friend and now recruit (currently known as Doc, who will probably join as a Full Member) as Viltaria.
    Image: from Viltaria, close-up of the dancers and fireworks. Varda, Sauron, Viltaria, and Gimli. (in the running for the screenshot contest).
    Image: from Viltaria, dancers and fireworks showing more of the Jedi Temple. Varda, Sauron, Gimli, and Viltaria.

LotRO Landroval server branch:
    The fireworks group gathered after 8pm Eastern, using fireworks from the kin house, and started in Bree. For Bree, Michel Delving, and Thorin's Hall, the run was done by Celebrian, Elwing, Fangorn, Nar, and Varda. Gorlim joined the group for Rivendell, then as Aeronwy joined Varda in Dol Amroth.
    Bree:
       Image: from Varda. Riding towards Bree. (993)
       Image: from Fangorn. Dancing around the fountain by the Prancing Pony. Fangorn (Fangbark), Elwing, Varda (Fainan), Nar (Valiamir), and Celebrian (Dariadwen).
    Michel Delving: (all from Varda)
       Image: Riding towards MD (1000)
       Image: Dancing and fireworks (1003)
       Image: Dancing and fireworks (1005)
    Thorin's Gate:
       Image from Fangorn. Dancing in the snow patch. Elwing, Fangorn, Celebrian, Varda, and Nar.
       Image: from Varda. Dancing and fireworks.  *
    Rivendell.
      Here, Gorlim joined in after a short time (as soon as he came online). Most needed to leave after this party.
       Image: from Varda. Riding over the bridge into Rivendell, five.  (1016)
       Image: from Fangorn. Horse ride into Rivendell.  Varda, Nar, Celebrian, Fangorn, Gorlim (Morwena), and Elwing.
       Image: from Fangorn. Stopped near the bridge to shoot fireworks and dance, close up
       Image: from Fangorn: near the bridge, scenery
       Image: from Fangorn: On the steps of the Last Homely House. Five up close.
       Image: from Fangorn: On the steps of the Last Homely House All six and firework.
    Dol Amroth: 
      Gorlim (as Aeronwy) and Varda made a fireworks and firebreathing exhibition by a water fountain, for safety of course. All images from Varda.
       Image: Getting ready to perform.
       Image: Dancing
       Image: Fountain dancing
       Image: Firebreathing Gorlim!

WoW N.A Uldaman server branch:
    Image: from Varda. Troll cheering.

WoW N.A. Lothar server branch:
    Image: from Varda. Night Elf huntress among wintry evergreens.

top

State of Valar Gaming 2014:

The State of Online Gaming 2014.  This is Eonwe's annual report on current gaming by members as sent in for the Games Site Mass Update.

top