29th Anniversary of the Valar Guild

October 4, 2026 Sunday


Valar Guild members visit the LotRO kinhouse from their games
by Eonwe-(Valar)
October 2026

From back to front, left to right:
Arien, Ar-Pharazon, Falco, Sandalf, Nar
Earendil
Eonwe, Varda, Fangorn

Click the image to enlarge

• Theme: Adventures
  
• Marathon Chat
  
• Forum anniversary greetings
  
• Gaming Screenshots of anniversary events:
  
• Lord of the Rings Online
  
• Tolkien Site anniversary contributions:
• Themed Images
• Art
• Article
• Humor
• Poetry
• Stories
• Games Site Mass Update Letter
• State of Valar Gaming 2026

More entries will be taken for this page through October. Please email it to Varda (NOSPAMvarda.elentari (AT) gmail (dot) com)  including a note that it is for the anniversary, using your name in the guild 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!

top

Theme:

This year's theme voted for in our Discord poll is "Adventures".

The theme(s) can give suggestions for your screenshots from your favorite games, real life pictures, stories, poems, songs, and articles.

#

top

Marathon Chat:

• When: September 27th meeting continuously through the Oct 4th 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:

Arien, Ar-Pharazon, Earendil, Elwing, Eonwe, Eowyn, Falco, Fangorn, Irmo, Leod, Sandalf, Varda.

top

Forum:

Forum thread at this handy "link". Feel free to post your comments/cheers about the anniversary on our forum thread!

top

Gaming Screenshots of Anniversary events:

How do I take a screenshot?

In LotRO, F11 removes quickslots etc from the display. N toggles names on and off. The keyboard key for Print Screen (PRT SCR on mine) makes a screenshot that goes into your computer's Documents folder under The Lord of the Rings Online.

In WoW, use your keyboard's version of Print Screen 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, email it to Varda (and let her know your in-guild name!): NOSPAMvarda.elentari (AT) g mail (dot) com.

Lord of the Rings Online Anniversary screenshots:

Riders of the Nooning! (noon Eastern aka /servertime)

Participants: Earendil (bear-form Beorning) as Jagocraal, Fangorn as Fangbark (elf), and Varda as Fainan (elf).

• Bree:
• Image: Riding towards Bree. by Fangorn.
• Image: Despite a brief shower and a wet bear, we continue riding through Bree. by Fangorn.
• Image: Riding up the entry road from the West Gate, the weather improved. by Fangorn.
• Image: Riding up the entry road, but seeing the no-rain view behind us with a bridge and the West Gate back of that. by Fangorn.
• Image: Dismounted and in perfect place at the Boar Fountain. Close-up of Earendil, Fangorn, and Varda. by Varda.
• Image: At the Boar Fountain shooting fireworks; Earendil took human form and is on the viewer's left. A mounted player traveler views the fireworks and we try to give him pipeweed. Yes, that's a shirtless player Longbeard dwarf standing on the boar. by Fangorn.
• Image: At the Boar Fountain shooting fireworks. by Fangorn.
• Michel Delving:
• Image: Riders before the memorial area statue of Marco and Blanco, co-founders of the Shire, as a home for just hobbits with the permission of King Arthedain. From left to right Earendil-(V) aka bear, Fangorn-(Valar), and Varda-(Valar). by Fangorn-(Valar)
• Image: Fireworks time! by Fangorn
• Image: Blasting away! by Fangorn
• Image: Potting plants under the light of fireworks and a new lantern. by Fangorn
• Image: Fireworks finale. by Fangorn
• Thorin's Hall:
• Image: Ride starts from the front door of Thorin's Hall headed towards Frerin's Court. by Fangorn
• Image: Did we mention that dwarves built a lot of stairs between those two spots? by Fangorn
• Image: Statue of Frerin, snow face on the mountainside in back. Valarites Assemble. by Earendil.
• Image: Group from above, with Frerin's feet behind them for scale. by Earendil.
• Image: Ride ends before the statue of Frerin in his "court", as in courtyard. by Fangorn
• Image: Group view from the side. More of the courtyard. by Earendil.
• Image: Fireworks time at last! by Fangorn
• Image: Great ball of white fire. Has a star been formed? by Earendil.
• Image: Fireworks and, perhaps, litter. (Salt crystals from Harad, to keep horses from slipping.) by Fangorn
• Rivendell:
• The river bridge entrance:
• Image: The mounted company stops on the bridge, seeing two other bridges beyond. by Earendil.
• Image: The group dismounts on the bridge. The view behind it is visible, including the road on which it rode in. by Earendil.
• Image: View of two waterfalls. There's enough water for safety, so the fireworks begin. by Earendil.
• Image: Fireworks are set off on the bridge looking towards the Last Homely House. Elves demand equal time with the dwarves, so we let them know we're coming. by Fangorn
• Image: Just to be sure they know, more fireworks! by Fangorn
• The Last Homely House:
• Image: At the front door on our "rides"; yes, Earendil has a fast bear form and therefore needs no horse. by Fangorn
• Image: We blast fireworks, respectfully away from the potentially flammable door and porch. by Fangorn

~*~

Riders of the Evening! (4 PM Eastern aka /servertime)

Participants: Arien (Arriehn, wearing blue), Earendil (Jagocraal, Beorning), Fangorn (Fangbark, elf), Leod (Cilly, hobbit), Varda (Fainan, elf)

The Riding!

• Bree:
  • Image: The ride ends at the fountain in front of the Prancing Pony. Arien (in blue), Leod, Varda, Earendil (bear), and Fangorn. by Fangorn
  • Image: Fireworks! The bear needed to protect his fur and shoot fireworks in human form. Behind and to the image's right is the Bree stage. by Fangorn
• Michel Delving:
  • Image: Ride into the memorial grounds. Note that the largest horse is ridden by the smallest character: Leod's hobbit rides a farming draft horse. by Fangorn.
  • Image: The horses, used to the rain, pose with their riders in front of the statue of Marco and Blanco. Varda, Leod, Arien, Fangorn, and Earendil. by Fangorn.
  • Image: The statues watch fireworks swirling by. by Fangorn.
• Thorin's Hall
• Image: While light snow falls at the statue of Frerin in the courtyard named for him, the group shows their mounts. Fangorn's elf rides a Silver stag, Earendil's Beorning sports his own four feet, Arien rides a matching blue festival horse, Leod rides a little pony with fancy green barding, and Varda rides a steed of Regal Revelry. by Fangorn.
• Image: Snow and fiery stars! Earendil gifts a dwarven visitor. by Fangorn.
• Image: Fireworks and a dance. by Fangorn.
• Rivendell:
• Bridge:
• Image: The ride enters Rivendell on a bridge over flowing water. All five riders have lasted the whole trip! by Fangorn.
• Image: The ride stops on the bridge, taking in the view of the Last Homely House and the waterfall. by Fangorn.
• Image: Viewed from slightly below the bridge, the party sends off fireworks back towards the surrounding forested cliffs. by Fangorn.
• The Last Homely House:
• Image: The party shows their rides in front of the door, including the bear that may be easy to miss to an orc's peril. by Fangorn.
• Image: Fireworking! by Fangorn.
• Image: Dragon and Star fireworks as seen when coming out of the door onto the porch. by Fangorn.

top

Tolkien Site Contributions for the Anniversary!

Art:

• Kinhouse Group: Composited screenshots from more than one of our games. by Eonwe-(Valar)

Articles:

• "Bregalad/Quickbeam" by Eru-(Valar) and Varda-(Valar).

Poems:

• "title" by author

Stories:

• An Apple's Adventure by Arien-(Valar).
• Adventure or Errantry by Eonwe-(Valar).

Screenshots - Adventure theme

• Hobbit adventurer: A Took goes boating, but the boat becomes holed. Screenshot in LotRO by Varda.

top

State of Valar Gaming:

The State of Online Gaming. (On the Games Site).

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

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

top