27th Anniversary of the Valar Guild

October 4, 2024 Friday



"Making Stars"

by Ar-Pharazon-(V)
October 4, 2024
Aulë and Varda

• Theme: triple threat of Eucatastophe, Lights, and Potable Delights.
• Themed images
• Marathon Chat
• Forum anniversary greetings
• Gaming Screenshots of anniversary events:
• Lord of the Rings Online
• Tolkien Site anniversary contributions:
• Art
  
• Articles
• Poems
• Stories
• Other
• Games Site Mass Update letter
• State of Valar Gaming 2024

More entries will be taken for this page through October and November. Please email yours to Varda (NOSPAMvarda.elentari (AT) gmail (dot) com) including a note that it is for the anniversary, using your name in the guild (such as Anarion-V) for credit. Thanks!

Please note that all of these entries are presents from the Valar Guild folk for all folk to enjoy made especially for this wonderful time, but not intended to be taken without permission. Thank you to the contributors from all of us who are fortunate enough to receive them. Yay!

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Theme:

This year's theme is a tie of three, so all may be used separately or in challenge combinations: "Eucatastophe; Lights; Potable Delights".

The theme(s) can give suggestions for your screenshots from your favorite games, real life pictures, stories, poems, songs, and articles. Take your choice or try your hand at multiples!

#

Suggestions for the theme from the membership were then voted on by members in a poll on Discord in the text channel named #poll.

The suggestions were:

• Eucatastrophe
• Food
• Fauna
• Mounts
• Pets
• Lights
• Potable delights (drinks)

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Marathon Chat:

• When: September 29 meeting continuously through the Oct 6th meeting.
• Where: The marathon chat is in the Valar Guild's Discord chat program in "meeting_place".
• What: Free chat including fun chat and fun safe links. Also we enjoy Tolkien Moments and url's related to Tolkien and the anniversary.
• Who: all the same folks that are welcome at meetings such as members, polite family and friends and fellow Tolkien fans.

Participants:

So far: Arien, Ar-Pharazon, Eonwe, Fangorn, Leod, Lenwe, Pallando, Sandalf, Shelob, Varda

Side chat on Discord on phone with: Ioreth

Forum:

Forum thread. Feel free to post your comments/cheers about the anniversary on our forum thread!

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Gaming Screenshots of Anniversary events:

How do I take a screenshot?

In LotRO, F12 removes quickslots etc from the display. N toggles names on and off. F11 makes a screenshot that goes into your computer's Documents folder under Lord of the Rings Online.

In WoW, use your keyboard's version of PrintScreen (PrntScrn on the top row on mine) to make the screenshot. The image goes into the game's folder under Screenshots.

If you can't join a group, feel free to take solo screenshots in your game of choice.

To send the image for this page, do it by way of sending to Varda's email (and let her know your guild-name for credit!): NOSPAMvarda.elentari (AT) g mail (dot) com.

Lord of the Rings Online Anniversary screenshots:

We started at Bree Oct 4 at noon and at 5 P.M. Eastern time (which is /servertime) to give everyone a chance to come. For those who could not come at those times, show up when you can, do the same thing, take screenshots for this page, and maybe coordinate with friends in-game or in Discord.

The plan:

Rode into the main towns and shot fireworks, /yell Happy 27th Anniversary, Valar Guild! We also danced, handed out pipeweed (Nar did this) and fireworks (Varda). We took screenshots for this page.

Riders of the Nooning!

Participants: Fangorn (as Fangbark) and Varda (as Fainan)

What happened. Experiments! We rode to Bree, Thorin's, Michel Delving, and Rivendell. We shot fireworks, danced, and tried out new emotes and timing to do things in the towns (with varying success), and a few unusual places to see how they worked out. Screenies taken for this page.

• Bree. Rode from outside the West Gate to the Boar Fountain.
• The West Gate of Bree. Varda views the gate from horseback. Image by Varda-(Valar).
• Gathering outside Bree's West Gate. Two types of sword pose by Fangorn (swashbuckle) and Varda (heropose). Image by Fangorn-(Valar)
• Mount up. Fangorn and Varda prepare for the slow ride through Bree. Image by Varda.
• Fireworks in front of the Boar Fountain. Image by Fangorn.
• Thorin's Hall. We rode from the gate of Thorin's Hall down to Frerin's statue in the courtyard. Prince Frerin was the younger brother of Thorin and older brother of Dis, honored as a "burned dwarf" who died in the last part of the Battle of Azanulbizar.
• Before Thorin's Hall. Image by Varda.
• Arrival at Frerin's Courtyard. Image by Varda.
• Posing with Frerin. Image by Varda.
• Frerin seems to enjoy the fireworks. Image by Fangorn.
• Michel Delving. Rode from the VIP lady to the statue of Marco and Blanco (founders of the Shire, having come from Bree with the permission of the King in Arthedain to found a homeland just for hobbits) in the memorial grounds, which are also the memorials of servers that were retired.
• The memorial area is for Marco and Blanco, but also has markers for each of the lost servers, all of whom have refugees that came to our Landroval server. Image by Varda.
• No words. Riding into the memorial area. Image by Varda.
• One hobbit statue watches the fireworks. Image by Fangorn.
• Rivendell. Rode from above the main area of Imladris to the steps of the Last Homely House. We took side trips to other bridges for the views.
  • Looking downriver. Image by Varda.
  • Viewing from a bridge while on horseback. Image by Fangorn.
  • Above. Above and behind us. Image by Varda.
  • Waterfall. Image by Varda.
  • By the path. Image by Varda.
  • Riding from the woods to the Last Homely House. Image by Varda.
  • Riding over the bridge nearest the house. Image by Varda.
  • Viewing from Elrond's porch while on horseback. Image by Fangorn.
  • Porch view another angle. Image by Varda.
  • Dandelion. Peaceful natural firework. Image by Varda.
  • Fireworks of our own. Image by Varda.
  • Getting ready. Image by Varda.
  • Swashbuckling guardians of the Last Homely House. Image by Fangorn.
  • Swashbuckling fight. Image by Fangorn.
  • It was all in fun. Image by Varda.

~*~

Riders of the Evening!

Participants: Eonwe (Auros), Fangorn (Fangbark), Mirabella (Magthecook), Nar (Thenar), Varda; guild-friends Xaviervonhoot and Kelliewyn.

What happened. We rode to Bree, Thorin's (Nar and Mirabella needed to leave after this), Michel Delving, and Rivendell. We shot fireworks, danced, and handed out pipeweed (Nar) and fireworks (Varda). Screenies taken for this page.

• Bree:
• Gathering. We start gathering for the ride into Bree. Names showing. Image by Varda.
• Ride into Bree. Left to right: Eonwe, Fangorn, Nar, Xaviervonhoot, Varda. Image by Fangorn.
• Riding into Bree. Names showing. Image by Varda.
• Around the fountain. We gather around the fountain in front of the Prancing Pony. Image by Varda.
• Fireworks. Croix sees us coming. Image by Varda.
• Fireworks show. Croix covers his head with his "hat". Image by Varda.
• Sending stars. L to R: Kelliewyn, Xaviervonhoot, Nar, Varda, Fangorn, Eonwe, Mirabella on the boar. Image by Fangorn.
• Lining up and colors. L to R: Xav, Kellie, Nar, Varda, Fangorn, Eonwe, Mirabella. Image by Fangorn.
• Brilliant with patterns. L to R: Xav, Kellie, Nar, Varda, Fangorn, Eonwe, Mirabella. Image by Fangorn.
• Starlight. L to R: Xaviervonhoot, Kelliewyn, Nar, Varda, Fangorn, Eonwe, Mirabella. Image by Fangorn.
• Thorin's Hall:
• Ride from the gates of Thorin's Hall to Frerin's Courtyard. It looks cold! We'll warm the place up. L to R: Varda, Xaviervonhoot, Nar, Mirabella, Fangorn, Kelliewyn, Eonwe. Image by Fangorn.
• Frerin appears worried. Image by Varda.
• Frerin gets a face full of fireworks. Good thing he's a statue. Image by Varda.
• Michel Delving:
• Action poses in front of Marco and Polo.
Image by Varda.
• Kellie lines it up. Image by Varda.
• Firework cannon start! L to R: Varda, Fangorn, Eonwe, Xaviervonhoot, Kelliewyn. Image by Fangorn.
• Spiral fireworks. L to R: Varda, Fangorn, Xaviervonhoot, Kelliewyn. Image by Fangorn.
• Dance. L to R: Fangorn, Varda, Eonwe, Kelliewyn. Image by Fangorn.
• Dancing. Kellie gets Xav's attention. Image by Varda.
• Varda looks into the blue orb while Xav and Kellie dance in synch. Image by Varda.
• Rivendell:
• The Bridge of Rivendell. Riding across the bridge into Rivendell. L to R: Varda, Kelliewyn, Xaviervonhoot, Eonwe, Fangorn. Image by Fangorn.
• Riding across the Bridge of Rivendell. L to R: Varda, Kelliewyn, Xaviervonhoot, Eonwe, Fangorn. Image by Fangorn.
• The approach to the Last Homely House. Image by Varda.
• Solemn group in front of the great house of Elrond, the Last Homely House. L to R: Eonwe, Xaviervonhoot, Kelliewyn, Varda, Fangorn. Image by Fangorn.
• Not so solemn group blowing up fireworks in front of the house. L to R: Eonwe, Varda, Xaviervonhoot, Kelliewyn, Fangorn. Image by Fangorn.
• Eonwe blasts fireworks. Image by Fangorn.
• Ghost of fireworks past. Xav calls up his ghost Grandpappy because ghosts need fireworks too. Image by Fangorn.

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Theme screenshots, real life pictures, art:


Theme: Eucatastrophe (and Light)

The Eucastrophe for the doomed adventurer:

Inside the barrow of the Barrow-wight Sambrog, an adventurer is about to die until this great good appears. For the wight, this is an unexpected catastrophe. Screenshots by Arien-(Valar):

• Image: The wight becomes aware that something is going wrong.
• Image: The wight is right, as disaster walks in.
• Image: Bye-bye.

Theme: Eucatastrophe

The eucatastrophe of Lúthien as a bat and Beren as a hound used their disguises to gain the silmaril from Morgoth's iron crown.

• Image: Lúthien disguised as a bat. Clay sculpture made by Sandalf13-(T). (Also under Art.)

Theme: Eucatastrophe and Light

Aulë's sparks from the forge go towards heaven, where Varda places them to make the constellation Wilwarin to honor Yavanna (the lady Palúrien), BoLT 1.

• Image: "Making Stars". Artwork by Ar-Pharazon-(V), October 4, 2024.
• The book quote for "Making Stars":
• BoLT 1 "The Silver Sickle. The seven butterflies. Aulë was making a silver sickle. Melko interrupted his work telling him a lie concerning the lady Palúrien. Aulë so wroth that he broke the silver sickle with a blow. Seven sparks leapt up and winged into the heavens. Varda caught them and gave them a place in the heavens as a sign of Palúrien's honor. They fly now ever in the shape of a sickle round and round the pole."

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Tolkien Site Contributions for the 27th Anniversary!

Art:

• Image: Lúthien disguised as a bat. Clay sculpture made by Sandalf13-(T). (Also under Themed images, for eucatastrophe.)
• Image: "Making Stars". Artwork by Ar-Pharazon-(V), October 4, 2024.

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Articles:

• "Article" by Author.

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Poems:

• "Poem" by Author

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Stories:

• "In Your Dreams" by Eonwe-(Valar).

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State of Valar Gaming 2024:

The State of Online Gaming 2024. (On the Games Site). This is Eonwe-(Valar)'s annual report on current gaming by members, as sent in by members, for the Games Site Mass Update 2024 (GSMU 2024).

The Letter for updating the Games Site but also including the year's news by Eonwe-(Valar)

Feel free to update any time by emailing Eonwe (NOSPAMdeneltir@hotmail.com).

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