January 20, 2008 Meeting
5pm EST (GMT - 5);
(GMT = 22:00)
AIM: Valar Guild Meetingplace
Back to News
Transcript work by: Ar-Pharazon and Varda
Attending: (7)
AriehnV, ArPharazonV, Arwen-(V)/windofhyperia,
Fangluin-(V)/MelchiahAC, Gil-galad-(V)/Xseanzee disco, Glorfindel VG,
VardaValar1 (presiding)
Before-meeting
Meeting begins
Membership
College starting is claiming many members' time right now.
Today is Gorlim-(V)'s birthday.
Web
Stories
Gaming
WoW guild servers: Argent Dawn, Lothar, Uldaman
LotRO
Tolkien:
How hobbits learned survival.
After-meeting
Before-meeting:
You have just entered room "valarguildmeetingplace."
VardaValar1 has entered the room.
ArPharazonV: Aiya
VardaValar1: Aiya Ar-Pharazon!
VardaValar1: Trying to complete some webwork.
AriehnV has entered the room.
AriehnV: :-) aiya folks strill in game
VardaValar1: Hail
MelchiahAC has entered the room.
MelchiahAC: I'm back at college. I have no access to a computer with LoTRO.
VardaValar1: Hail :-)
VardaValar1: LotRO is only a small part of what we do. Glad you could make it!
VardaValar1: We hope you get to come back to LotRO later on, and we'll keep you posted meanwhile. : )
MelchiahAC: Thank you.
VardaValar1: If you feel like relaxing by doing Tolkien subjects for
art, poetry, humor, articles, stories, language stuff, feel free to
share it with us on the Tolkien Site. : )
VardaValar1: Forum is open to make comments at your leisure.
VardaValar1: Wow, where is everyone? : )
VardaValar1: Lot of people went back to college this week. Sauron says hi from University of Houston Main Campus. : )
MelchiahAC: heheh
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VardaValar1: Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo!
MelchiahAC: Yeah. College is picking back up for me too.
VardaValar1: Since we're already doing Membership News, might as well make it easy to locate in the transcript.
VardaValar1: Like to put in a brag for your college, Fangluin? : )
MelchiahAC: Not really
MelchiahAC: hahah
VardaValar1: okie dokie : )
MelchiahAC: I go to Northwestern College
MelchiahAC: but it's... just... yeah.
MelchiahAC: I like some people. And some classes.
VardaValar1: Eowyn puts in one for U of H Downtown (not the same as the above Main Campus for Sauron).
VardaValar1: Eonwe says he hopes to make the meeting, but may not finish fixing his dad's friend's computer in time.
VardaValar1: Don't expect anything to be 100% perfect. If you like part of it, you're ahead of some!
VardaValar1: News from Pallando via email:
VardaValar1: Jan 12, he swore in as a delayed enlistment recruit to the United States Marine Corps.
VardaValar1: If all goes well, he ships on May 27th.
VardaValar1: Since he's been running our Eve Online MMORP branch, that group has a slight problem.
VardaValar1: I hope Menelvagor will be able to help out there for at least a while.
VardaValar1: This is 5:26pm EST, right?
VardaValar1: I have been known to start an hour early, and hope I've
not pulled that again! Have to do the meeting stuff twice. : )
VardaValar1: Any other membership news?
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VardaValar1: Web News:
ArPharazonV: no no, it's the right time
ArPharazonV: unless I'm mistaken as well, and I'm in a whole other timezone
VardaValar1: Thanks, Phar.
VardaValar1: Two new stories this week by different people.
VardaValar1: A Large, Bold Hand by Jay of Lasgalen. Elrohir and Ori.
VardaValar1: This is in drabble form, a challenge writing style that is supposed to be exactly 100 words long.
VardaValar1: Takes a lot of discipline and thought.
VardaValar1: http://valarguild.org/varda/Tolkien/encyc/fiction/authorsT/JayofLasgalen/stories/drabbles/ALargeBoldHand.htm
VardaValar1: Branwyn-(TV) wrote "Lost and Found", with Gandalf and young Faramir in the library of Minas Tirith.
VardaValar1: http://valarguild.org/varda/Tolkien/encyc/fiction/authors/Branwyn/stories/Bijoux/LostandFound.htm
VardaValar1: This is a vignette, a short story slice of life.
VardaValar1: Any other web news?
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VardaValar1: Gaming News:
VardaValar1: Did anyone play anything this past week besides WoW or LotRO?
AriehnV: nope not really
VardaValar1: Ok, on to WoW : )
VardaValar1: Arien, would you like to do a report for Argent Dawn server?
ArPharazonV: sorry, browsing a bit.. did some Populous The Beginning in the weekend, but otherwise nope
VardaValar1: Pardon, I should have mentioned that today is Gorlim-(V)'s birthday. : )
VardaValar1: He mostly has been playing LotRO with us, as Morwena and several other names.
VardaValar1: Thanks, Phar.
AriehnV: ok Argent dawn :-)
VardaValar1: I know you AD people are gaming, so I trust you busy folk had a good time.
VardaValar1: Go ahead.
AriehnV: let me tell you that i met a hunter in arathi with the name Turambar
AriehnV: which made me a bit curious
VardaValar1: Cool that he managed to get it!
AriehnV: so i felt a bit on his tolkien tooth , he has indeed read LotR and the sil but not recently
AriehnV: his memory was worse then when ye tested me ;-)
AriehnV: but prove enough
VardaValar1: Did you get any of his memories jogged loose? : )
AriehnV: aye i did , i gave him the website url and the time of this chat but obviously he is not herfe
windofhyperia has entered the room.
AriehnV: but may be he will come back to me
VardaValar1: Neither is most of the guild. One of the worst turn-outs in history, so we can't pick on him.
VardaValar1: Aiya Arwen!
AriehnV: hey Arwen :-)
VardaValar1: Did you give him the friend channel?
VardaValar1: Sometimes I have to walk people through how to use it.
AriehnV: not yet no i didnt want to be too niggly , but i will should
we meet again, quite likely actually he is about same level then
ardanna , end 30s
VardaValar1: It's a nice way to get in contact as friends again, even if he never joins.
VardaValar1: Cool
VardaValar1: Anything else you or Phar want to tell about Argent Dawn?
AriehnV: thats it from my side there was no teaming up this weak
AriehnV: week
VardaValar1: Thanks, Arien. Much appreciated.
VardaValar1: WoW Lothar server has been busy with a few of us all week, not always remembering to put themselves in the friend channel.
VardaValar1: Galdor, Bilbo, Fangorn, Eowyn, and myself have been playing - and I've seen Arwen on in the friend channel. : )
VardaValar1: Sauron is hoping to have his WoW setup on his college computer, but didn't have internet yet.
VardaValar1: One more bubble to 64 on my hunter, almost catching up to my 65 priest.
VardaValar1: Arwen, Fangorn, Bilbo and Sauron have 70's so someday I may catch up. : )
VardaValar1: Eowyn does too, I think? Arwen, do you remember? She hasn't been playing them lately, mostly her lower ones.
VardaValar1: Galdor should hit 70 very quickly, been playing hard and was 69 yesterday.
VardaValar1: Uldaman server:
most of us have been slacking off on our Horde characters, but hope to
play them some more, even if they never get high. A fun change of pace.
VardaValar1: LotRO:
VardaValar1: Arwen and Fangluin both have played LotRO at one time.
VardaValar1: Fangluin doesn't have it on his college computer, so his leveling is temporarily on hold.
VardaValar1: Should be lots of new fun for you when you get back. : )
VardaValar1: We are on our second round of raids in the Rift of Nurz Ghashru
Xseanzee disco has entered the room.
VardaValar1: It's a very long area that takes days to complete, resetting on Thursday.
VardaValar1: Aiya Gil-galad
Xseanzee disco: heyaaaa
VardaValar1: So we started the Rift of Narz Ghashru on Friday, killing
bosses Barz and Zurm well ahead of schedule, since we knew what to do
from the first round.
VardaValar1: Saturday, the later raid group came together and used our
workaround versus the bugged and very tough boss, then went on to the
next one, Zogtark, and took him down.
VardaValar1: Ulmo made a nice report on that on the forum, repeated on the News page.
VardaValar1: We go again tonight from 8-11pm EST against the next set of bosses, new territory. Should be interestingly hairy.
VardaValar1: We go for the next section Monday, 7-10pm EST
VardaValar1: then Tues, 9-12
VardaValar1: then if we can stand it, we'll go Wed 9-12.
VardaValar1: Actually we have several planning on that Wednesday. : )
VardaValar1: Thursday the instance resets.
VardaValar1: We are collecting rift ore and shards (I think it was called) to turn in by the giants inside the rift for coins.
VardaValar1: Then we take the coins to the ranger camp just outside the
Rift to trade for very nice set items for our own classes.
VardaValar1: February is the Book 12 Update, including the Months of the Guardian, Champion, and Burglar.
VardaValar1: End LotRO report, unless anyone wants to add something.
VardaValar1: Any further or new business, comments, suggestions?
VardaValar1: This is your chance for input into how the guild operates. : )
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VardaValar1: Tolkien:
VardaValar1: If anyone is ready for this part of the chat, please type Aye.
VardaValar1: Aye
ArPharazonV: Aye
VardaValar1: Hiya Phar. Think my LotRO report wiped the rest of them out. : )
ArPharazonV: hehe
VardaValar1: After returning to the Shire and seeing the dreadful changes, Sam comments,
VardaValar1: "This is worse than Mordor!"
VardaValar1: "Much worse in a way. It comes home to you, as they say;
VardaValar1: because it is home, and you remember it before it was all ruined."
VardaValar1: "Yes, this is Mordor," said Frodo. "Just one of its works.
VardaValar1: "Saruman was doing its work all the time, even when he thought he was working for himself.
VardaValar1: "And the same with those Saruman tricked, like Lotho."
VardaValar1: End quote.
ArPharazonV: ...and a good one it is
VardaValar1: So the hobbits continued to fight Mordor on their home
turf, as Gandalf had so carefully trained the free peoples of
Middle-earth to do.
VardaValar1: He knew what they would find, but believed they should
handle it themselves while he went to visit with Tom Bombadil.
VardaValar1: This, to me, is the true winning of Gandalf's purpose, shown admirably well.
MelchiahAC has left the room.
VardaValar1: The Valar wanted to teach the free people to fish, as the saying goes, rather than just hand them the fish.
ArPharazonV: teaching the free peoples to handle themselves so that they don't need his help
VardaValar1: Aye, Phar!
AriehnV: preparing the hobbits to fight for themselves
ArPharazonV: risky, though
ArPharazonV: if they'd failed....
AriehnV: strange way indeed
VardaValar1: Gandalf expected them not to fail. If they did, he would have come and given them more training.
VardaValar1: Freedom of Choice is the hallmark of the Valar, of the good side.
ArPharazonV: unless it killed them
VardaValar1: Without learning the strengths needed to exercise freedom of choice, then they have none.
VardaValar1: They are still children, waiting for their parents to take care of them.
VardaValar1: Education, experience were both needed.
VardaValar1: Do you think they were inadequately prepared?
ArPharazonV: They accomplished the goal Gandalf had wanted them to accomplish, therefore they must have been
ArPharazonV: adequately prepared, that is
VardaValar1: If you had been Gandalf, what would you like to have added if anything to help prepare the hobbits?
VardaValar1: I'm wondering if they got a good bit of sword fight teaching that was done "off-screen".
ArPharazonV: I
VardaValar1: They had seen many leadership styles.
ArPharazonV: I'm not sure, did they use fighting skills in the Shire? Or was it just leadership?
VardaValar1: They did use some fighting, yes.
VardaValar1: They were most needed as leaders.
ArPharazonV: I'm sure their adventure got them quite a bit of combat experience
VardaValar1: Good point. Even seeing a lot of it done by others had to help, and they saw experts.
ArPharazonV: if you need to fight to survive, you can pick up some stuff fairly quick
ArPharazonV: especially with experts by your side, aye
VardaValar1: The local hobbits had some training, since we know they used their bows well to take down Grima for instance.
VardaValar1: Aye, Phar.
VardaValar1: They were no longer sheltered, but able to handle their own defense. The Rangers had gone with Aragorn.
ArPharazonV: I suppose marksmanship was mostly a sport and an art, as there had not been a battle in quite some time
VardaValar1: They also had new alliances with Men, Elves, and Dwarves.
VardaValar1: Aye, and possibly for hunting.
ArPharazonV: it is said they sent some archers to the war with Angmar,
but how they were trained and why they were trained is not said
VardaValar1: They managed to adapt their skills.
ArPharazonV: oh, yes, hunting, though you don't hear a lot about that
VardaValar1: Hunting is a major reason to be a good archer.
VardaValar1: True.
ArPharazonV: they seemed to be fairly agricultural for a long time
VardaValar1: We mostly heard the Shire side, not so much about the Tooks and Brandybucks.
ArPharazonV: from what we hear the tooks and brandybucks make a living off of stealing from farmlands of other hobbits ;-)
VardaValar1: Agricultural types also have to protect their land and livestock from predators.
VardaValar1: Sounds more like the movies. : )
AriehnV: hehe a bit like the scottish clans with their cattle raids
VardaValar1: That is something we should take a look into the books for next time, how the Tooks and Brandybucks lived.
AriehnV: but it made them pretty adventurers this style of life , the brandybucks
AriehnV: and more willing to fight
VardaValar1: Peregrine Took was the next Thain, not likely that the Shire would recognize him if he was representing robbers.
ArPharazonV: pre-crossing time, I'm sure those hobbits living in the woods with the Elves got some hunting done
ArPharazonV: Fallohides, was it?
VardaValar1: They were right up against the Old Forest too.
ArPharazonV: the skill might have come with them
VardaValar1: Fallohides were the nearest to elves, aye.
VardaValar1: All the hobbits had to migrate from the east clear across
Rohan all the way to the Shire, and surely picked up survival skills
they passed down.
ArPharazonV: true
VardaValar1: If we have nothing more to add, shall we call it a night? : )
Glorfindel VG has entered the room.
VardaValar1: Great timing Glorfindel, we were just about to shut down.
VardaValar1: We were talking about Hobbits
VardaValar1: their survival skills, and where they picked them up.
VardaValar1: Would you like to make a comment?
Glorfindel VG: not sure
Glorfindel VG: what to say
VardaValar1: Phar, like to do a recap?
Glorfindel VG: you dont have to for me
ArPharazonV: hmm... I'm not good at that
ArPharazonV: the last sentence pretty much sums it up, though ;-)
VardaValar1: ok, then we can shift to after-meeting.
ArPharazonV: VardaValar1: All the hobbits had to migrate from the east
clear across Rohan all the way to the Shire, and surely picked up
survival skills they passed down.
ArPharazonV: I guess that covers most of their survival skills
VardaValar1: Tom Bombadil talked regularly with Muddyfoot. : )
VardaValar1: Farmer Maggot
Glorfindel VG: do you suppose hobbits looked more like children or like midgits
VardaValar1: They had to have done hunting and fishing.
VardaValar1: Midgets are short humans with normal proportions.
ArPharazonV: then probably midgets?
VardaValar1: Dwarves have a large torso and head in comparison to the rest of the body.
VardaValar1: Likely, Phar.
VardaValar1: We need to remember that not all hobbits were Shire hobbits.
VardaValar1: Tooks and Brandybucks had wilder conditions to contend with.
VardaValar1: Bree hobbits were side by side with Men.
VardaValar1: Some hobbits like the Bagginses are known to have had converse with Elves and Dwarves.
VardaValar1: Gandalf dropped by regularly.
VardaValar1: The War of the Ring brought seasoned leaders into their midst.
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After-meeting:
VardaValar1: Ok, I'm off. You guys can chat about cabbages and kings, whatever you like. : )
Glorfindel VG: alrighty
Glorfindel VG: goodnight
ArPharazonV: Namarie!
Xseanzee disco: nightttt
Xseanzee disco has left the room.
VardaValar1 has left the room.
AriehnV: all right mates i ll see you around
ArPharazonV: Namarie!
AriehnV: namarie and rest well :-)
AriehnV has left the room.
Glorfindel VG has left the room.
ArPharazonV: well, saving and sending
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