Valar Guild

October 21, 2012 Sunday Meeting

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

Back to News
Transcript work by
Ar-Pharazon and Varda.

Attending: (7)
    AriehnV, ArPharazonV, Eonwe Valar (presiding), Gilraen-(V)/Iryenth, Glorfindel VG), GwaihirValar, and VardaValar1

Before-meeting
Meeting begins
Membership:
Web:
    Art link 1, link 2
Gaming:
    WoW (several times)
    LotRO
    flashgames: Cloud Wars
Tolkien:
    Eowyn: heroine or villainess?
    Pics from the upcoming Hobbit movie, then back to the Eowyn discussion.
After-meeting:
    Eowyn discussion continues.
    More talk about the Hobbit movie.
    WoW level 90 group did new 3-man scenarios earning gold and rank for the guild, with cheering from the peanut gallery.
top
 
Before-meeting:
You have just entered room "valarguildmeetingplace."
ArPharazonV: Aiya
VardaValar1: Aiya Ar-Pharazon the Golden! : )
ArPharazonV: Am I late? The whole DST thing is starting to confuse me again.
VardaValar1: No, we're early.
ArPharazonV: Good.
VardaValar1: Have around 45 minutes yet.
Eonwe Valar has entered the room.
Iryenth has entered the room.
Eonwe Valar: Heya all.
ArPharazonV: Aiya
VardaValar1: Aiya Eonwe and Gilraen :-)
Iryenth: Aiya
GwaihirValar has entered the room.
Eonwe Valar: Heya Gwaihir.
VardaValar1: Aiya Eagle! : )
VardaValar1: Eonwe will be chairing tonight. : )
Eonwe Valar: Let's begin :}
top

Eonwe Valar: Elen Sila Lumenn Omentielvo!
Eonwe Valar: Membership:
Eonwe Valar: You're all here :}
VardaValar1: Yay!
Eonwe Valar: Any other Membership news?
VardaValar1: Seeing lots of folks we haven't seen in a while over in LotRO. Really hopping with people. : )
Eonwe Valar: Cool :}
top

Eonwe Valar: Web:
Eonwe Valar: Nothing from the Games Site right now.
VardaValar1: We do have new artwork up from DeepGroover-(T)
VardaValar1: One is ready to view, the other should be soon as I'm still putting it online.
Eonwe Valar: Thanks :}
VardaValar1: These two are quite appropriate for the month of October. :-)
VardaValar1: The first is "Werewolf" and shows 4 views of a bust:
VardaValar1: http://valarguild.org/varda/Tolkien/encyc/art/gallery/DeepGroover/Werewolf/werewolf.htm
VardaValar1: The other is in progress, titled "Bust of the Living Dead". Link coming in a bit. : )
VardaValar1: You can see we take a wide variety of subjects, thanks to JRRT's wide-ranging world!
VardaValar1: That's it from me for the moment. : )
Eonwe Valar: :}
top

Eonwe Valar: Gaming:
Eonwe Valar: WoW:
Eonwe Valar: Hallow's End going on.
ArPharazonV: Myes. Bit disappointed with the lack of new stuff this year.
ArPharazonV: I suppose there's the new candy buckets on Pandaria.
Eonwe Valar: I wasn't expecting anything new, so I wasn't disappointed, hehe.
ArPharazonV: I'm always disappointed by lack of new stuff for world events ;-)
Eonwe Valar: :}
Eonwe Valar: Well maybe the Thanksgiving or Christmas ones will have something new :}
ArPharazonV: Can only hope!
Eonwe Valar: Lothar:
Eonwe Valar: We're closing in on 25. Should be there by the end of the week, maybe sooner.
VardaValar1: nice!
Eonwe Valar: Last Sunday, Bofur, Nob, Glorfindel, and Eonwe ran Mogu'shan Palace and Shado-Pan Monastary.
AriehnV has entered the room.
AriehnV: Aiya all :-)
Eonwe Valar: We called it there because some of us wanted to see if the world was ending in LotRO before Riders of ROhan launched, hehe.
AriehnV: err i take it the world didnt end ^^
VardaValar1: Did in beta. Huge end of the world event. : )
Eonwe Valar: No, nothing special was going on, just another day in MIddle-Earth :}
VardaValar1: Balrogs, you name it, all over the place.
Eonwe Valar: The live servers were a much safer place :}
AriehnV: oh the expansion started :-)
Eonwe Valar: Which leads us into...

Eonwe Valar: LotRO:
Eonwe Valar: Rider of Rohan is live :}
Eonwe Valar: *Riders
Eonwe Valar: You can still buy the fancier versions for real money, or you can get the bare-bones expansion for 4295 Turbine Points.
AriehnV: meh i wish i had levelled a somewhat more stable character :-\
AriehnV: not so squishy
Eonwe Valar: Varda, anything to add for LotRO?
VardaValar1: Aye
VardaValar1: We already have two members as of yesterday who hit the level cap of 85: Tulkas and Pippin. : )
VardaValar1: Now they're working on leveling their horses and armor, as well as working the end game of Hytbold.
VardaValar1: Others of us are happily running around Rohan on our amazing new warhorses, rejoicing in autoloot and all the new content.
VardaValar1: Even those who don't have the expansion get a lot of new stuff, so be not entirely dismayed. : )
VardaValar1: Lots of new crafting goodies.
VardaValar1: A bridle for a new legendary item.
VardaValar1: All sorts of goodies for tricking out the warhorse.
VardaValar1: We have people coming in we haven't seen in a long time. Been crazy. Very fun. : )
VardaValar1: This expansion is going much better than the one for Rise of Isengard, and has more content, with more incoming.
VardaValar1: Anyone else have a comment, in case something somehow was left unsaid? ^^

ArPharazonV: I'm 90 in WoW?
VardaValar1: Woot! Yay Phar!
AriehnV: yay Grats :-D
ArPharazonV: got 90 today, and raided a few hours later... at ilevel 423
AriehnV: you werent far behind justi ;-)
ArPharazonV: Quite obviously, I didn't exactly have the highest dps!
VardaValar1: Lothar also may boast of some level 90's, but I'm not in there atm to give you the latest update.
AriehnV: ah well i dont have the highest either but its acceptable i think .. until it gets better :-)
VardaValar1: Not just may, but does have 90's.
AriehnV: my two pladadings have hit 90 yes ..
AriehnV: i ll check for you on update on lotro ^^
AriehnV: but have to update first

VardaValar1: On to other games. What games have we played this last week other than WoW and LotRO?
ArPharazonV: Flashgames. I'll share one with you.
VardaValar1: BroodWar for Fangorn, while he was here for about one day.
VardaValar1: Thanks, Phar. : )
ArPharazonV: What I'll share with you this week is a little.. well.. I suppose technically it's an RTS, though rather simple in concept, that I've kept going back to this week.
ArPharazonV: A little game called Cloud Wars.
ArPharazonV: Official URL seems to be, from what I can tell, http://www.bigdino.com/play/649/Cloud-Wars
ArPharazonV: 3 difficulties you can choose, but each has the same 15 levels; I assume it's the AI which really makes the harder ones harder.
ArPharazonV: You control some clouds, enemy controls some clouds, there's a few neutral clouds around, and your task is to take over all the clouds by sending your constantly growing armies at clouds of your choosing.
ArPharazonV: There's also upgrades possible for each individual cloud if you can pick up the spawning stars before your enemy does.
ArPharazonV: That's pretty much the extent of the game, try it out. Simple as I said, but it's going to take quite a bit of luck and strategic planning at higher difficulties.
ArPharazonV: And that's it from me!
VardaValar1: Thank you, Phar. : )

VardaValar1: Eonwe has more on the WoW levels for Lothar. Go ahead, Eonwe.
Eonwe Valar: On Lothar 90s: Still just me, Bofur, Bilbo, and Glorfindel. Nob's close at 89, Eowyn's at 88.
AriehnV has left the room.
Eonwe Valar: Any other gaming news before we move to Tolkien?
Eonwe Valar: Now would be a good time to whisper me Tolkien topics... :}

VardaValar1: I have a link to that new art from DeepGroover ready for you now.
VardaValar1: Not good if you just ate:
VardaValar1: "Bust of the Living Dead":
VardaValar1: http://valarguild.org/varda/Tolkien/encyc/art/gallery/DeepGroover/LivingDead/LivingDead.htm
Eonwe Valar: Do cheetos count as eating? :}
VardaValar1: We're about to find out!
Eonwe Valar: Apparently not. No problems here :}
VardaValar1: o good : )
top

Eonwe Valar: Tolkien:
Eonwe Valar: Ok, who all is here?
Eonwe Valar: Say Nom :}
VardaValar1: *holds up hand tentatively*
VardaValar1: Nom
ArPharazonV: Nom
fladrifv has left the room.
Eonwe Valar: That's 3 of us :}
Eonwe Valar: Hmm, Arien wasn't able to get back in...?
VardaValar1: Only need 2 to talk, so we're ok. : )
VardaValar1: Don't even see her online. The sun has darkened! Eclipse!
Eonwe Valar: OK. I'd hoped we have a few more for this shocking revelation, but this will have to do...
Eonwe Valar: hehehe :}
ArPharazonV: We will chat in the shade?
Eonwe Valar: This is Tolkientown? :}
Eonwe Valar: Anyway... :}
Eonwe Valar: *Pulls about him the most terrible form imaginable.... the suit and tie of a lawyer!*
VardaValar1: eeee
Eonwe Valar: Eowyn. Heroine?.....
Eonwe Valar: or Villainess?!
ArPharazonV: Depends on whose side you're on, I suppose.
ArPharazonV: I suppose Sauron wasn't too happy with her after what happened to the Witch King.
Eonwe Valar: This young woman, knowing full well her actions, disregarded the needs of her people to gallop off seeking fame and glory!
ArPharazonV: Oh, yes, that's true. She put her people without a leader in the middle of a war.
ArPharazonV: Granted, the most immediate threat was gone...
Eonwe Valar: She abandoned her duly-appointed post, a crime even more heinous than that committed by one Beregond of Minas Tirith, because she was in charge!
Eonwe Valar: And who was left to tend to the people in her place? Obviously no one of importance, or we'd know his name!
ArPharazonV: And what if she'd been slain, as well as her brother and uncle? Who'd be left to rule? Would the royal bloodline be severed?
Eonwe Valar: And did she face trial, as did Beregond, who owned up to his actions, *knowing* he faced certain death? Of course not! It was swept under the rug!
ArPharazonV: Nepotism, with her brother on the throne.
Eonwe Valar: Of course, such treachery could not have gone by unnoticed. Indeed, there were those in on her conspiracy to abandon her post...
ArPharazonV: Does a hobbit who shared her horse count?
ArPharazonV: One who had so recently sworn loyalty to its king?
Eonwe Valar: Elfhelm, commander of one of noble king Theoden's eored, conspired with the treacherous lady of Rohan. What he could gain from so betraying his king, I leave to you to consider.
Eonwe Valar: Beregond ultimately was cast from his position as a Guard of the Citadel, though his deeds were done with noble intent. What punishment will the glory-hungry Lady of Rohan meet?
Eonwe Valar: The prosecution rests :}
ArPharazonV: She is a dangerous mind. Independent and disobedient. I say we subjugate her by wedding her off to some noble.
ArPharazonV: What about that steward of Gondor?
Eonwe Valar: The prosecution grants that Merry was an unwitting pawn, caught up in a conspiracy that reaches far beyond his own culpability.
Eonwe Valar: So, threaten a man defending his lord with death, but get a woman to fall in love?
ArPharazonV: This is not about love. This is about enslaving her spirit. Perhaps the one she weds might have better luck keeping her under control?
ArPharazonV: Clearly she needs protection from herself?
ArPharazonV: Honestly, I have no idea where we're going with this.
Eonwe Valar: I'm playing Melkor's advocate, to put it one way. :}
ArPharazonV: Heh.
Eonwe Valar: Were I to phrase this in the form of a question, I suppose it would be, are Eowyn's actions defensible?
Eonwe Valar: And why does she get off scot-free while Beregond faces a trial?
ArPharazonV: They certainly turned out to be necessary. But she could not have known this.
ArPharazonV: While it may not excuse her leaving, it may be enough to withhold punishment.
ArPharazonV: And of course, nepotism might play a part. I'm sure her brother wouldn't have liked to see her on trial.
VardaValar1: (Sorry I've been away. Got a phone call just as Tolkien started up. Close friend passed away this morning, bad fall.)
ArPharazonV: My condolences.
VardaValar1: Thank you
Eonwe Valar: Ouch. Sorry to hear that.
VardaValar1: Eowyn did not get away Scot-free. She was also sentenced to go to Ithilien with Faramir, same as Beregond. ;-)
Eonwe Valar: Can that really be called a punishment? :}
VardaValar1: Beregond didn't seem to find it a bad thing, so probably not. : )
VardaValar1: I don't remembert who was in charge after Eowyn left. Hope it was someone competent.
VardaValar1: That might mitigate Eowyn's guilt somewhat.
Eonwe Valar: Someone who wouldn't running off, heheh.
Eonwe Valar: *wouldn't be
VardaValar1: An excellent janitor, maybe.
VardaValar1: Was Eowyn also a tad suicidal when she ran off? Maybe a good thing she had Merry to keep her under watch.
VardaValar1: She had to watch out for Merry, gave her someone to think about other than her troubles.
ArPharazonV: I don't remember suicidal. Eager to escape gender-roles and prove her skills, but not suicidal.
ArPharazonV: Possibly a bit reckless.
ArPharazonV: Btw, interested in some new The Hobbit pictures?
VardaValar1: Perhaps upset by Aragorn's rejection?
Eonwe Valar: Hmm, I remember something about how Aragorn last saw her that indicates to me suicidal might be a good description.
VardaValar1: Aye!
ArPharazonV: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151248462481558.511909.141884481557&type=1
VardaValar1: She wasn't touched by frost until after Aragorn.
VardaValar1: Thanks Phar!
VardaValar1: Nice shots. : )
VardaValar1: Singles and small groups from Thorin's Company, not just posed but in action.
VardaValar1: ok - bunch posed, heh
VardaValar1: Fili and Kil at the door, mmm.
VardaValar1: Interesting side comment about the round shapes like the Ring with the doors and windows.
ArPharazonV: Who was the one that looked like an elf?
VardaValar1: Dark-haired one is Kili, not much beard since he's young.
ArPharazonV: Right.
VardaValar1: That the one you meant?
ArPharazonV: Probably.
ArPharazonV: He also looks tall, though they might just scale him down somehow.
VardaValar1: Nice thing about the cast supposedly all being around the same shortish size, they don't need as much scaling in a lot of shots, unlike the Fellowship. Must have been a relief.
ArPharazonV: Hah, yes. Only Gandalf needs to be scaled up.
VardaValar1: Aye, and he's away a lot in the story.
Eonwe Valar: OK, it was Merry, not Aragorn...
Eonwe Valar has left the room.
VardaValar1: ouch, and the crash.
Eonwe Valar has left the room.
Eonwe Valar has entered the room.
VardaValar1: Welcome back. :-)
Eonwe Valar: "They passed down the long ranks of waiting men with stern and unmoved faces. But when they had come almost to the end of the line one looked up glancing keenly at the hobbit. A young man, Merry thought as he returned the glance, less in height and girth than most. He caught the glint of clear grey eyes; and then he shivered, for it came suddenly to him that it was the face of one without hope who goes in search of death."
Eonwe Valar: Thanks.
Eonwe Valar: Was concerned I'd lost all that quote in the disconnect.
VardaValar1: There you go. Good quote.
ArPharazonV: Allright, then. I stand corrected.
Eonwe Valar: And since the chat is dead, I shall bang the gavel.
Eonwe Valar: *bangs gavel*
top

Eonwe Valar: Aftermeeting:
ArPharazonV: Well. Actually. Who's to say that the death he/she goes to search for is his/her own?
ArPharazonV: Might just be searching to bring death to the enemy!
VardaValar1: For one thing, she seemed to be without hope.
Eonwe Valar: Hehe.
Eonwe Valar: The implication is pretty strong :}
VardaValar1: Aragorn seemed to have gone to his death on the Paths of the Dead with his compadres.
Eonwe Valar: The look to bring death to the enemy and the look for one's own death are two different looks :}
VardaValar1: Theoden wasn't expecting to survive the battle.
VardaValar1: The frost comment I think was in the House of Healing from Eomer maybe. Have to dig it up.
VardaValar1: ahh hah. She actually tells Faramir: "I looked for death in battle"
VardaValar1: That was in "The Steward and the King"
VardaValar1: Faramir reads hearts. He says, (as long-winded as I am): "You desired to have the love of the Lord Aragorn. Because he was high and puissant, and you wished to have renown and glory and to be lifted high above the mean things that crawl on the earth.
VardaValar1: "And as a great captain may to a young soldier he seemed admirable. For so he is, a lord among men, the greatest than now is.
VardaValar1: "But then he gave you only understanding and pity, then you desired to have nothing, unless a brave death in battle."
VardaValar1: end quote
Eonwe Valar: I took a peek in "Letters of Tolkien" wondering if Tolkien addressed the fact Eowyn abandoned her post. Nothing on it, in there at least.
VardaValar1: Eomer to Aragorn in the Houses of Healing: "I hold you blameless in this matter, as in all else; yet I knew not that Eowyn, my sister, was touched by any frost, until she first looked on you. Care and dread she had, and shared with me, in the days of Wormtongue and the king's bewitchment; and she tended the king in growing fear. But that did not bring her to this pass."
VardaValar1: Gandalf puts it in perspective, though. It's not just Aragorn.
VardaValar1: Gandalf: "You had horses, and deeds of arms, and the free fields; but she, born in the body of a maid, had a spirit and courage at least the match of yours.
VardaValar1: "Yet she was doomed to wait upon an old man, whom she loved as a father, and watch him falling into a mean, dishonoured dotage; and her part seemed to her more ignoble than that of the staff he leaned on.
VardaValar1: "Think you that Wormtongue had poison only for Theoden's ears?"
VardaValar1: There's more and it sets Eomer to thinking.
VardaValar1: Not finding anything on who was in charge after Eowyn left, but it may be in there buried, or just implied that they can take care of themselves just fine.
VardaValar1: The idea that people always require a ruler is not necessarily so. : )
ArPharazonV: When the cat's away...
VardaValar1: Then there's that.
VardaValar1: yet the people knew that times were not simple, and would have that to consider.

VardaValar1: Concerning the Hobbit pictures, there will be elves but there don't seem to much in the way of pictures of them. Guess that helps keep us thinking about the main characters.
ArPharazonV: Yes, all the previews appear to focus on the main cast.
VardaValar1: Good idea.
VardaValar1: but but
VardaValar1: Ok, we'll just have to wait. : )
Eonwe Valar: But the Elves, Mr. Frodo!
VardaValar1: Exactly : )
VardaValar1: some pics up though when Googled.
VardaValar1: Apparently Kili finds the lady elf captain of the guard very interesting.
ArPharazonV: Heh.

AriehnV has entered the room.
AriehnV: sorry for that folks .. unfortunately the LotrO update suffered no other programme running :-\
AriehnV: so i missed the whole meeting
ArPharazonV: Aiyata
ArPharazonV: 't was a big update then!
VardaValar1: Aiya :-)
AriehnV: aye a big update
VardaValar1: Grats on getting the update. Huge new area and lots of new quests.
AriehnV: cool even for those who dont have the expansion?
AriehnV: else i just actually thought a lot of deeding while levelling the guardian and collecting turbine points like hell lol
VardaValar1: Aye, you get a lot of new stuff even without buying the expansion. You'll see. : )
AriehnV: :-)

VardaValar1: Sounds like Legolas has about a two minute part in the movie.
AriehnV: in which movie?
ArPharazonV: The Hobbit.
ArPharazonV: What other movie? ;-)
VardaValar1: Hobbit
VardaValar1: Looks like Thranduil has mithril mail.

VardaValar1: ok, enough digging around. You in WoW, Eonwe? :-)
VardaValar1: o joy. A download for WoW.
VardaValar1: not bad tho
VardaValar1: When they change agreements, it would be nice if the changes were in a different color
VardaValar1: phone
Eonwe Valar: Aye, I'm in WoW :}
Eonwe Valar: Bofur, GLor, and I are running some scenarios.
VardaValar1: go go - um, what's a scenario?
ArPharazonV: 3-man "instance", basically an instanced groupquest
ArPharazonV: like Theramore was
AriehnV: very story driven
AriehnV: Lore if u like :-)
VardaValar1: Sounds interesting. Thanks Arien
VardaValar1: Ok, got the family fed.
AriehnV: good food? what did you have?
AriehnV: and give thanks to Eonwe and Phar as well , they said much more useful things than i did :-D
VardaValar1: Thanks!
VardaValar1: Stew with pretty much everything in it.
AriehnV: Eintopf we call that :-D
AriehnV: tastes yummy#
VardaValar1: hehe
AriehnV: my mother does it usually when she has lots of leftovers ^^
AriehnV: Namarie all
AriehnV has left the room.
Eonwe Valar: Sleep well, belatedly.
VardaValar1: Namarie
ArPharazonV: Namarielate!
VardaValar1: Aye, we had a lot of them
ArPharazonV: saving and sending transcript
top