Valar Guild

January 22, 2012 Sunday Meeting

5pm EDT (GMT - 5)
AIM: Valar Guild Meetingplace

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Transcript work by Ar-Pharazon and Varda.

Attending: (8)
       AriehnV, ArPharazonV, Eonwe Valar (presiding), fladrifv, Glorfindel VG, Indis-(V)/karakedi25, Menelvagor Valar, and VardaValar1

Before-meeting
Meeting begins
Membership:
    Arien
Web:
Gaming:
    SW:TOR
    WoW
    LotRO
    Team Fortress 2
    flashgame: Symphony
Tolkien:
    Topic: In LotRO, most of us high level are running around Isengard dealing with Saruman. What abilities did this old villain show in the books?
After-meeting:
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Before-meeting:
You have just entered room "valarguildmeetingplace."
VardaValar1 has entered the room.
VardaValar1: Aiya Phar :-)
ArPharazonV: Aiya!
Eonwe Valar has entered the room.
fladrifv has entered the room.
ArPharazonV: Aiya
Eonwe Valar: Heya.
VardaValar1: Aiya Eonwe and Fladrif :-)
fladrifv: Aiya
Glorfindel VG has entered the room.
VardaValar1: Aiya Glorfindel :-)
Glorfindel VG: Aiya. Happy Sunday
VardaValar1: hehe
VardaValar1: Found a safish spot to park
VardaValar1: Irmo says to send you his greetings.
Eonwe Valar: Heya to Irmo.
VardaValar1: ok, not so safe, but logging out anyway. *whew*
Eonwe Valar: Hehe.
VardaValar1: Eonwe has the gavel today. :-)
Eonwe Valar: Looks like now is a good time to begin the meeting.
VardaValar1: Aye
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Eonwe Valar: Elen Sila Lumenn Omentielvo!
VardaValar1: Any others invited show "busy".
Eonwe Valar: Membership:
Eonwe Valar: Anyone have any Membership news?
VardaValar1: Fangorn may be available again for gaming Wednesday. :-)
Eonwe Valar: :}
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Eonwe Valar: Web:
Eonwe Valar: Nothing new from me at the moment.
VardaValar1: From ours:
VardaValar1: We had a blackout on January 18 in honor of the general protest from the internet on the proposed censorship in two bills: SOPA and PIPA.
AriehnV has entered the room.
VardaValar1: For more information:
VardaValar1: http://gizmodo.com/5877000/what-is-sopa
VardaValar1: Aiya Arien :-)
AriehnV: aiya there
VardaValar1: That's all my web news.
Eonwe Valar: Thanks Varda.
Eonwe Valar: Gaming:
ArPharazonV: Hmmm, good thing, too. I learned about those bills somewhere early December and was immediately worried about what it could do to my favorite sites.
VardaValar1: That one is about SOPA but PIPA is similar.
VardaValar1: Just from different houses.
ArPharazonV: Aye, PIPA was Senate, I think.
VardaValar1: It would not just affect the US, unfortunately
VardaValar1: Right, Phar.
Eonwe Valar: That it would affect the US is also unfortunate, hehe.
VardaValar1: That would be disaster.
ArPharazonV: Seems the copyright proponents retaliated the day after the protest, since Megaupload was taken down.
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Eonwe Valar: On with Gaming:

Eonwe Valar: We now have an official guild branch on Star Wars: The Old Republic. Or rather, two of them.
Eonwe Valar: Both are on Rubat Crystal. On Republic side, the branch's name is Valar. On Empire side, it's Valar Guild.
Eonwe Valar: Of course the usual friend channel ("Valar") is available there.
Eonwe Valar: Sauron is our guy on the ground there.
Eonwe Valar: Anything I miss, Varda?
VardaValar1: We have a Ventrilo section for it also
Eonwe Valar: Founding members, for the record, were: Sauron, Oromë, Fundin, and Thranduil.
Eonwe Valar: Menelvagor joined in afterward. [Note: Gimli joined after the meeting.]
Eonwe Valar: Guild branch pages and a section on the Forum will be going up after the meeting. [Note: Menelvagor put up the forum spot while the WoW group was going.]
VardaValar1: Thanks for that, Eonwe. :-)
Eonwe Valar: MP :}

Eonwe Valar: WoW:
Eonwe Valar: Lunar Festival is going now. There's a new pet and new Eldars to go meet.
VardaValar1: Do we know which pet?
ArPharazonV: 2 lanterns, one for each faction
Eonwe Valar: A Lantern. Different for Alliance and Horde.
ArPharazonV: Lunar for alliance, and.. Festival for Horde?
Eonwe Valar: Sounds right.
Eonwe Valar: Guild Runs:
Eonwe Valar: Sunday:
Eonwe Valar: Attending:Members: Eonwe, Varda, Bilbo, Eowyn. Guild Friends: Kaz (i.e. Lumierre, Rayearth, Dreamkast, etc.) First, we took on a whale shark to get the achievement "From Hell's Heart I Stab At Thee..."We then went into Tempest Keep for transmogrification gear. The T5 Priest shoulder piece dropped and Varda got it. Bilbo got the T5 Mage piece. Eowyn called it a night here.The remaining four of us went into Black Temple for more transmogrification gear. We cleared 6 of the nine bosses, and plan to pick up from there next week.
Eonwe Valar: Friday: We didn't have enough interested in running something, so we didn't run anything.
Eonwe Valar: Today's goals are to finish Black Temple, then to go into Sunwell Plateau, and if there's time left at the end of that, possibly Serpentshrine Cavern.
VardaValar1: Is that to help with guild achievements?
Eonwe Valar: Black Temple and Sunwell are for transmogrification gear, although there's a chance we'll pick up a legendary in the latter. Getting that would give us a guild achievement.
ArPharazonV: Well, could get legendaries in Black Temple too.
Eonwe Valar: Serpentshrine has a personal achievement for fishing up a boss, which some of us don't have yet.
Eonwe Valar: Aye, could also get legendaries in Black Temple.
Eonwe Valar: Blades of Azzinoth in Black Temple, And a bow (THoridal I think?) in Sunwell.
ArPharazonV: Yep.

Eonwe Valar: LotRO:
Eonwe Valar: Go ahead, Varda.
VardaValar1: Thanks, Eonwe.
VardaValar1: The Yule Festival continues until Jan 30.
VardaValar1: Items that give deeds for emotes can be used in raids to give the whole raid credit, such as fireworks or grim crystals.
VardaValar1: Monday:
VardaValar1: Two 6-mans were completed:
VardaValar1: Battle of the Tower
VardaValar1: Sammath Gul
VardaValar1: These helped some of us complete the Volume 2 Book Epilogue at least somewhat farther. : )
VardaValar1: It's a very long set of quests and instances for the Epilogue.
VardaValar1: Wednesday we didn't have enough to do a 6-man that could stay at the scheduled time.
VardaValar1: We run lots of unreported stuff at off-times. :-)
VardaValar1: Saturday we did well at the 12-man skirmishes, getting smooth.
VardaValar1: We had unusually good luck, as on two of the three runs the Worn Symbol of Celebrimbor dropped.
VardaValar1: Eomer-(V) was one of the lucky recipients.
VardaValar1: Druiel, who has joined our friend channel and bookmarked our Tolkien Site, won the other Symbol.
VardaValar1: We ran Assault on the Ringwraith's Lair, Attack at Dawn. and Breaching the Necromancer's Gate
VardaValar1: That's the end of the report.
Eonwe Valar: Thanks :}
Eonwe Valar: Any other gaming news before we move to Tolkien? Take this chance to whisper me Tolkien topics as well.
AriehnV: a lot of help and encouragement from Indis to a slightly frustated burglar
AriehnV: yesterday and today

Glorfindel VG: Any one play team fortress 2? Just installed it (again) on my pc last week
VardaValar1: From Miriel, actually. :-)
ArPharazonV: Played more flashgames this week, I'll present one to you.
AriehnV: Miriel it was aye :-D
AriehnV: said Burglar is now 48
ArPharazonV: I can't find an official website for it, but I did find two sites where it's featured, including the one I usually play new flashgames on.
ArPharazonV: http://onemorelevel.com/game/symphony http://www.silvergames.com/symphony
ArPharazonV: The game is called Symphony, a bit of a puzzle game, not too hard. You have several streams of colored particles and you need to guide those to the right targets with the placement of objects that turn them into a certain direction, or mix them into new colors, or divide them into separate streams.
VardaValar1: and if you cross the streams...
ArPharazonV: Nothing happens, Varda ;-)
VardaValar1: heh
AriehnV: isnt that a bad thing :-)?
VardaValar1: Beats an apocolypse.
AriehnV: hehe A po ca lypse *growly voice*
ArPharazonV: The reward when a target gets filled up is a little looped melody that plays, different per color, and increasing in volume as it's closer to getting filled up. As a result, when you finish a level, you get a symphony of the little melodies, depending on the color combination of the targets in the level. That's why the game is called Symphony.
ArPharazonV: There are 30 levels, lvls 10, 20 and 30 are "reward" levels where you don't need to do anything but can just listen to the colors used in those 10 levels. It's not a very large game, but still fun and relaxing.
ArPharazonV: So I hope you enjoy it!
ArPharazonV: I must correct myself, on a small replay. It seems that the music for a particular color is not always the same.
ArPharazonV: Anyway, I think I've said what I wanted to say about it.
Eonwe Valar: Thanks Phar :}
VardaValar1: Vector mechanics :-)
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Eonwe Valar: Tolkien:
Eonwe Valar: Who do we have here?
ArPharazonV: Present.
VardaValar1: Present
Glorfindel VG: ^
Eonwe Valar: Varda has a topic :}
VardaValar1: In LotRO, most of us high level are running around Isengard dealing with Saruman. What abilities did this old villain show in the books?
ArPharazonV: His voice was his main weapon. Very convincing guy.
ArPharazonV: He also managed to capture Gandalf, but I don't know if the book gave any details on how.
ArPharazonV: Movie in the brain, and all.
VardaValar1: Aye, very difficult to resist. But as he became more focused on power and do this or do that, his persuasion ability suffered.
Glorfindel VG: He was well studied in ring lore; could make his own imitations of rings of power
Glorfindel VG: less powerful of course
ArPharazonV: He also had an effect on Theoden from afar, though how much that was his doing and how much Wormtongue's, not sure.
Glorfindel VG: And his palantir gave him some special insights
VardaValar1: Using agents could be considered a power, finding the weak point for bribery, like promising Eowyn to Grima Wormtongue.
Glorfindel VG: aye and exploiting the hobbits of the shire
VardaValar1: True, he was working on Rings. Would have been interesting to find out what measure of success he had.
ArPharazonV: One could consider that part of the power of his voice.
Eonwe Valar: The forward to my FotR would seem to imply he wasn't too far off.
VardaValar1: Saruman was wearing one of his own rings.
VardaValar1: Aye on the palantir too. Although, as for Denethor, Sauron controlled who knows how much of what he saw, or slanted it to show just what he wanted.
Glorfindel VG: IIRC, he considered trapping nazgul. that would require some abilities :-)
ArPharazonV: That would be part of the UT, right?
Eonwe Valar: Aye, that would be in UT. I'd like to think I'd remember that part of LotR :}
Glorfindel VG: Either that or rings of power third age section
Eonwe Valar: It's not in the Sil.
Glorfindel VG: he also posessed the ability, like the other wizards, to disguise himself
VardaValar1: Even the Fellowship wasn't sure of the difference between Saruman and Gandalf on occasion.
Eonwe Valar: Aye.
ArPharazonV: Didn't help that Gandalf started wearing white, of course.
Eonwe Valar: Hehe, aye. Didn't he know clothes make the man? :}
VardaValar1: hehe
ArPharazonV: So was his voice power merely in his tone and choice of words, to make others doubt themselves and their loyalties, or was there actually some enchanting power in it, closer to what we would call magic?
Glorfindel VG: The line between is probably very fine
VardaValar1: I'm thinking he needed both.
VardaValar1: Otherwise he'd merely be another persuasive speaker.
ArPharazonV: Yes, but a very good one :-)
ArPharazonV: Even I found myself doubting myself when I first read his words at the end of Book 3 ;-)
VardaValar1: He was a Wizard, after all. Radagast could work with animals and plants. Gandalf could work with visions and with the ring he worked with fire. Not sure if he could work with fire without it.
VardaValar1: JRRT knows how to handle words, alright. ^^
Glorfindel VG: Do you suppose wormtongue had a similiar ability, or was his tongue enchanted throug saruman?
Glorfindel VG: or a little of both
VardaValar1: Good question.
ArPharazonV: Well, he had been Theoden's advisor for some time before his betrayal and sabotage, so I'm assuming he had some ability of his own.
ArPharazonV: Saruman might simply have honed it, with or without the use of enchantment.
VardaValar1: It is implied that Grima may have been given some additional boost to his natural talent. We know Morgoth and Sauron both put some of their power in others, weakening them.
Eonwe Valar: Maybe Grima had a ring?
Glorfindel VG: that's a thought
Glorfindel VG: He did go through a somewhat gollum-like disintegration though less extreme
ArPharazonV: That's a good point. Carrying a Ring made by a master who treats him so badly, but still under his power...
VardaValar1: In-teresting. We nevery hear of a ring, but maybe because it didn't seem the least bit obvious. He may have worn lots of rings on both hands and that one hidden in the lot.
VardaValar1: And aye, Saruman probably gave instruction in persuasive speaking. : )
ArPharazonV: Well, Wormtongue seems to have been Saruman's closest servant, especially at the time of the War of the Ring. If Saruman did own several home-made rings, it wouldn't be unthinkable for Wormtongue to own one.
VardaValar1: Agreed.
VardaValar1: How about his improvements in Orcs? Sounds Sauronesque too.
ArPharazonV: Try Morgothian :-)
VardaValar1: Morgoth had Sauron doing the work for him, best I could tell. But aye, it started back then.
VardaValar1: Morgoth seduced others to work for him. Sauron then worked with the materials to make new servants presumably better suited to the need.
VardaValar1: Sauron being one of those persuaded.
VardaValar1: That's another good point. Saruman was mimicing Morgoth in the persuasion department.
ArPharazonV: Well, that wasn't just his own thing. Gandalf was quite skilled in persuasion himself.
Eonwe Valar: Persuasion for those who don't yet serve you, intimidation once they're way in over their heads.
ArPharazonV: I imagine all 5 wizards had some skill in inspiring and persuading people.
VardaValar1: Aye
VardaValar1: All the Wizards were intended to be Advisors, right.
Eonwe Valar: I would say the "persuasion" of Gandalf and the "persuasion" of Saruman were quite different.
Glorfindel VG: Convincing a Hobbit to run off after a dragon with dwarves may be the most remarkable bit of persuasion of all
Eonwe Valar: Gandalf inspired hope, but didn't sugar-coat the situation. Saruman inspired fear while promising protection, influence, and power.
Glorfindel VG: Can we compare them to current GOP candidates ;-)
VardaValar1: We try not to go into politics too much. :-)
Eonwe Valar: I follow the Fangorn school of political thought: "I am not altogether on anyone's side, because no one is altogether on my side" :} I think that's about as far as we need to go with that during a Tolkien discussion :}
Glorfindel VG: hehe very good
ArPharazonV: That, and being anti-SOPA ;-)
VardaValar1: Well said!
Eonwe Valar: Unless of course, we're specificalyl discussing the politics of Middle-Earth :}
VardaValar1: That is actually relevant to our website. which has in the past been banned on all parts other than the main page.
VardaValar1: in another country.
VardaValar1: Middle-earth politics and religion are fair game. ^^
Eonwe Valar: Anythign further about Saruman? :}
Eonwe Valar: In reference to the hobbit following Dwarves, it helped that he picked a hobbit with a bit of Took in him :}
VardaValar1: Aye! :-)
VardaValar1: and Bullroarer Took at that.
Glorfindel VG: aye to that
ArPharazonV: a bit of Fallohide even :-)
VardaValar1: Frodo had Took, Brandybuck, Fallohide
VardaValar1: and Baggins!
Eonwe Valar: Gandalf couldn't just say "Here's your cloak" so he brought a party to Bilbo's door and then some stories got told amongst the revelry, and Gandalf knew it was time to strike, hehe.
Glorfindel VG: Or maybe Bilbo was just trying to be polite
Glorfindel VG: And before he knew it he was on his way
Eonwe Valar: Serving all those Dwarves, yeah, but the stories did start that desire for adventure stirring in him.
Glorfindel VG: aye, the songs and the maps
Eonwe Valar: Ok, I guess this is a good time to bang the gavel :}
Eonwe Valar: *Raises gavel into the air*
Eonwe Valar: *bang*
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Eonwe Valar: Aftermeeting :}
Menelvagor Valar has entered the room.
Menelvagor Valar: Aiya :-)
AriehnV: aiya Menel :-)
ArPharazonV: Aiya
Eonwe Valar: Heya Menel :}
Eonwe Valar: Just in time for After-meeting again :}
Menelvagor Valar: *quickly pushes a padded sheepsskin on top of the gavel anvil thingy... you know what I mean*
Eonwe Valar: Too late :}
Eonwe Valar: I already banged the gavel :}
Menelvagor Valar: *steals and hides the gavel*
VardaValar1: Aiya Menel :-)
Menelvagor Valar: Aiya Varda!
VardaValar1: In other news, Gimli phoned and is making a character on Rubat Crystal.
Menelvagor Valar: *looks innocent* I blame Sauron!
VardaValar1: The gavel appears when it is needed. :-)
Menelvagor Valar: awww.. drat!
Menelvagor Valar: Uhh.. I mean.. goood! :-D
Menelvagor Valar: Sauron's been corrupting me with Rings :S
Menelvagor Valar: :s*
VardaValar1: Surrrre, any excuse.
Menelvagor Valar: Meh, smily doesn't work the way I want to :-)
Menelvagor Valar: :-$
VardaValar1: Osse was maybe the only one with the intestinal fortitude to return. Unless we count the elves who didn't quite go to the Helcaraxe or board the boats.
karakedi25 has entered the room.
karakedi25: Aiya
Menelvagor Valar: Hmmm... sounds like he was the only one who was not completely affected by some epidemic of a bowel disease.... sorry, bad joke, I know.
Menelvagor Valar: Aiya Indis.
ArPharazonV: Aiya
VardaValar1: Aiya Indis :-)
VardaValar1: Welcome to After-meeting. :-)
Menelvagor Valar: And in case you're now frowning at my message, Varda just said something about Osse and intestinal fortitude ^^
karakedi25: I'm not frowning, was just curious
VardaValar1: Supposed to have meant courage. : )
karakedi25: that's what it usually means
Menelvagor Valar: I know :-)
Menelvagor Valar: I was also explaining to Varda that Sauron's been corrupting me.
Menelvagor Valar: He's succeeding rather (in)admirably *grin*
karakedi25: would you expect anything else from Sauron?
VardaValar1: Sauron is just an excuse. You could be like Aragorn and wrest the Palantir from his control but, in this case, your mind.
Menelvagor Valar: Sauron's had that effect on me since I visited him in Texas a couple years ago ^^
karakedi25: sad...more like Saruman than Aragorn, I fear
Menelvagor Valar: Though I must also admit, the combined presence of Varda, Fangorn, Elwing, Eowyn and Bilbo did (somewhat) negate the corruption *wink wink*
Menelvagor Valar: Unfortunately, they were not present when I last met him on Coruscant :-)
Menelvagor Valar: And in case you're wondering, I'm talking about Sauron Valar, son of Varda, and incidentally one of the coolest and (though I think he would not be so quick to admit it) one of the noblest guys I could ever hope to meet.
AriehnV: hehe nice glad you actually know the faces of some of the folks we are having fun with :-)
VardaValar1: He took pictures and they are on our site. :-)
Menelvagor Valar: they are? :-)
AriehnV: whats the link there?
VardaValar1: Do you know how to reach the main site? http://valarguild.org
VardaValar1: art, look under Menelvagor
VardaValar1: I still need to tidy up his page, but you can see.
AriehnV: is that the ones from 2008?
Menelvagor Valar: aye :-)
Menelvagor Valar: I'm the guy who replaces Fangorn in the second picture :-)
Menelvagor Valar: Though I remember them being taken the other way around :-)
AriehnV: :-)
Menelvagor Valar: Was still mega uber awesome Fangorn came home just for me :-)
AriehnV: nice nice
AriehnV: Bedtime for me though :-) oh i forgot to say in member section i am on holiday for this week :-D but still need serious resting up hehe, and dont want to break my bed time habits too bad
VardaValar1: Nighty night Sunshine :-)
AriehnV: NN Varda :-)
AriehnV: Namarie all
AriehnV has left the room.
fladrifv has left the room.
ArPharazonV: saving and sending transcript
ArPharazon-V: saved
ArPharazon-V: sent
ArPharazon-V: Namarie!
ArPharazon-V (ArPharazonV) has left the room.
karakedi25 has left the room.

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