Valar Guild

August 16, 2020 Sunday Meeting

5:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Savings Time
Discord: Valar Guild/meeting_place

Back to News
Transcript work by
Varda.
[times are Central Time from Varda's Discord. Add one hour for Eastern.]
["slight smile" is the same as we are used to using as a regular smiley]

Attending (and spoke): (6)
    Discord: Arien, Ar-Pharazon, Eonwe, Ioreth (After-meeting), Irmo, Pallando, Varda (presiding)

Before-meeting
Meeting begins
Membership news:
    23rd Anniversary of the Valar Guild coming in October. During this meeting, we picked the theme of "boats".
Web
Gaming:
    General reports: Lord of the Rings Online, Starcraft 2, World of Warcraft
    Request by Arien for aid in LotRO for Minas Tirith Besieged, due to vertigo problems.
    Pallando reports on Eve: 1st mention. Report.
 Tolkien:
    Forum RP: brief comments and plans.
    Topic: What were the Silmarils? Why were they important?
After-meeting:
    Music to go with our tale of the Silmarils. Night by Blind Guardian.
    Music for dwarves that mine. "Diggy Diggy Hole" with animation and lyrics.
    Flashgaming Reviews by Ar-Pharazon.
    Another YouTube but with dwarf fighters.
top

Before-meeting

Varda08/11/2020
Post

Eonwe Valar08/11/2020
Excitement

August 15, 2020
Eonwe ValarYesterday at 7:12 PM
Lol, just realized that I had not done the Freehold dungeon, not even once, all expansion until now. Shows how exciting dungeons were for me, heh.(edited)
August 16, 2020

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 3:58 PM
Aiya

Eonwe ValarToday at 3:58 PM
Salutations :}

VardaToday at 4:00 PM
Aiya!
[4:00 PM]
@Bounder Huzzah! Meeting time! Come join in!

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:01 PM
Arien last online in bnet... 13 minutes ago. Hmm.

Eonwe ValarToday at 4:01 PM
Got all the shard for Val'anyr this week, so next week I'll try again to forge the hammer. We already have guild credit for it, but I came this far so I might as well finish what I started :}

VardaToday at 4:01 PM
Ye olde crash?
[4:01 PM]
Completionism is Us. : )

Eonwe ValarToday at 4:03 PM
I went on a transmog collection binge today too, heh. Got a bunch of the PvP stuff for Marks of Honor I'd been putting off, some from vendors for gold, picked up some tabards I'd been neglecting, and yes, the free T-Shirts too :}

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:03 PM
Ah, nice

Eonwe ValarToday at 4:03 PM
Sadly, still need more marks of honor. Those weapon collections are expensive.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:04 PM
Yepyep. Easy to get em through battleground weeklies etc, though.

Eonwe ValarToday at 4:04 PM
Still 8 honor levels till 80, so still reasons to run battlegrounds, heh.(edited)

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:05 PM
12 more for me!

VardaToday at 4:06 PM
May you gain them soon!
[4:06 PM]

Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo!
[4:06 PM]
Membership:
[4:07 PM]
Here's hoping we can find ways to game together and to help each other continue to build on our Gaming and Tolkien websites in a way that aids all others who enjoy fantasy and Tolkien.
[4:07 PM]
Related to this,
[4:07 PM]
our Anniversary in October will be sneaking up on us very quickly.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:08 PM
The year goes by so fast.

VardaToday at 4:08 PM
Suggestions for a theme are welcome.
[4:08 PM]
It does!
[4:08 PM]
This year maybe we can be prepared for it, hah!
[4:08 PM]
Do we want to craft something ahead of time, such as food, housing deco?
[4:09 PM]
We can start collecting and making fireworks.
[4:09 PM]
Time to start on our drawing, making music MP's, and writing for poems, stories, articles, humor, or whatever your creative minds invent!
[4:10 PM]
The yearly horse (or other steed) rides into some major towns to shoot off fireworks could be added to, if we like.
[4:10 PM]
Dance, make music.
[4:10 PM]
Maybe we could pass around gifts to people who come by, like hobbit birthdays. Food, drink, other?

IrmoToday at 4:10 PM
This will be our 23rd right?

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:10 PM
Mathoms that nobody wants?

VardaToday at 4:11 PM
and mathoms : )  Items you no longer have use for but others might.

Eonwe ValarToday at 4:11 PM
Yes, 23rd, Irmo.

VardaToday at 4:11 PM
Irmo, yes, 23rd.

Eonwe ValarToday at 4:11 PM
Irmo, 23rd, yes? :}

VardaToday at 4:12 PM
Our baby has grown to young adult!

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:12 PM
23rd, yes, Irmo!

IrmoToday at 4:12 PM
<chuckles>

VardaToday at 4:12 PM
Hey, typing at the same time. : )

Eonwe ValarToday at 4:12 PM
:}

VardaToday at 4:12 PM
Any suggestions welcome, used this year or not.
[4:13 PM]
This is what we had last year:
[4:13 PM]
http://valarguild.org/varda/guild/NewsArchives/extras/2019/Anniv2019/anniv22nd.htm
    22nd Anniversary of the Valar Guild
    Year 2019, 22nd Anniversary celebration of the Valar
    Guild Tolkien fan club and gamers' group.
[4:13 PM]
Let's beat it this year, for fun!

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:13 PM
But then next year we'll have to do even more!
[4:14 PM]
Where does it end?

VardaToday at 4:14 PM
It can be different and just as good? : )

Eonwe ValarToday at 4:14 PM
Random thought:

ArienValarToday at 4:15 PM
Aiya all

VardaToday at 4:15 PM
Aiya Sunshine : )

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:15 PM
Aiya!

Eonwe ValarToday at 4:16 PM
From the Tale of Years: "SA 2350 was the foundation of Pelargir, which became a haven for the Faithful Numenoreans." "TA 2340 Isumbras I becomes thirteenth Thain, and first of the Took line. " Also that year "The Oldbucks occupy the Buckland." Any of those useful for the formulation of a theme?

VardaToday at 4:18 PM
Shorten it to one sentence, a few words, or one word? (A challenge!)

ArienValarToday at 4:19 PM
Safe Havens?
[4:19 PM]
or Anchorage maybe better?
[4:20 PM]
they kind of root takings , or an anchor for important happenings in the future of Middleearth

VardaToday at 4:20 PM
Haven?

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:20 PM
Boats boats boats!

VardaToday at 4:21 PM
Anchorage is interesting.
[4:21 PM]
Boats, now there's an interesting jump to the side! Would be new.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:21 PM
I do like "haven" though, considering it's both a harbor and a shelter.

VardaToday at 4:21 PM
I love you all, the creative tangents in here.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:21 PM
But the harbor part is where boats are from
[4:21 PM]
In fact, the Oldbucks probably used boats

VardaToday at 4:22 PM
Phar's bunch were big on big boats. : )

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:22 PM
Indeed!

VardaToday at 4:22 PM
Hobbit boats to Vingilot!
[4:24 PM]
We can keep thinking about it, but that would be a fun theme. New.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:25 PM
I'm already sketching in my head...

VardaToday at 4:25 PM
yay!
[4:25 PM]
The morning star shines down on the hobbit rowboat. : )

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:26 PM
I can use the silly Paint 3D style I've developed for those weekly Kongpanion silhouettes to make something horrible

VardaToday at 4:26 PM
Stick figures work too!

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:27 PM
It's similar.

ArienValarToday at 4:27 PM
sees a hobbit sailing boat with a dark blue sail and silver star .. oh no its not a star it s a pie!

VardaToday at 4:27 PM
We can use humor!
[4:27 PM]
Pie!

Eonwe ValarToday at 4:27 PM
:}

ArienValarToday at 4:27 PM
yep a star shaped pie sagenod

VardaToday at 4:29 PM
Bite marks might help with shaping.
[4:29 PM]
or neat slicing of wedges.
[4:30 PM]
Phar may be giving us a sample of how that art style works. Others might find it a possibility to play with?
[4:31 PM]
If Imgur will quit acting up. : )

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:35 PM
I'm not sure I know how to describe it, it's mostly simplistic nonshaded pallets where I don't try to use black outlines.
[4:35 PM]
https://i.imgur.com/X13NLtf.png is an example of one of my more detailed ones.

VardaToday at 4:35 PM
There you go!

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:36 PM
I prided myself more on the creativity for the silhouettes than the art, but it is a style I've had fun with

VardaToday at 4:36 PM
You could do a lot with that. : )

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:36 PM
https://i.imgur.com/VrYvxLj.png 3 rhinos in a busted hot air balloon

VardaToday at 4:37 PM
So, Paint3D for the program. And you posted on Imgur?

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:37 PM
I store them there, yes. For the kongpanions there was a specific thread on the Kongregate forum I posted them on, but storing them on imgur makes freely accessible to me and easy to link.
[4:38 PM]
Or embed.

VardaToday at 4:39 PM
For the Anniversary, they would be Tolkien-themed. This would let them go in our art site.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:40 PM
I've got a few boatrelated ideas, and I plan to create at least one of them

VardaToday at 4:40 PM
http://valarguild.org/varda/Tolkien/encyc/art/text/GlitteringCaves.htm

ArienValarToday at 4:40 PM
they are cool

VardaToday at 4:40 PM
Go for it!
[4:42 PM]
Ok, think we have a direction to play with.
[4:43 PM]
Thank you for the input, folks!
[4:43 PM]

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Web:
[4:44 PM]
It looks as if we will have new art coming in, something to do with boats... ; )
[4:44 PM]

top

Gaming:

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:44 PM
We do have about a month, right?
[4:44 PM]
*2 months

VardaToday at 4:44 PM
Eonwe has a gaming report for us. If you have additions to the gaming section on your game, please drop it in. We are not quite chaos or quite restricted. : )
[4:45 PM]
You have now and all of October, preferably before the last meeting of the Anniversary but we're flexible.

Eonwe ValarToday at 4:47 PM
Thanks.

ArienValarToday at 4:48 PM
don t forget that my story came in about four months late ...

Eonwe ValarToday at 4:48 PM

Lord of the Rings Online:

VardaToday at 4:48 PM
Preferably a bit sooner than that! But it happens. : )  Nice to have something to present for the Anniversary meeting.

Eonwe ValarToday at 4:49 PM
Update 27.2.1 came out this week.  --- https://www.lotro.com/en/content/update-2721-release-notes
[4:49 PM]
World Server Transfers are currently disabled, as well as Epic Battles on Ithil and Anor. Storied Tales, however, are working.
[4:49 PM]
Varda also has LotRO news for us.

VardaToday at 4:50 PM
The Buried Treasure Event runs through August 16th (today).
The Housing Carry-all is available in the LOTRO Store through August 16th.
[4:50 PM]
LotRO kinmates this past week:

Landroval server:
Arien
Eonwe
Erkenbrand
Fangorn
Hurin
Irmo
Lenwe
Nar
Varda

Ithil server:
Arien
Dis?
Falco
Fangorn
Varda

Anor server:
Arien
Fangorn
Varda
[4:51 PM]
Your floor. : )

Eonwe ValarToday at 4:51 PM
Thanks.

Starcraft 2:
[4:51 PM]
Check out the balance update Blizzard's planning on right now.  ---
https://starcraft2.com/en-us/news/23492549
    StarCraft II
    StarCraft II Official Game Site
    Wage war across the galaxy with three unique and powerful races. StarCraft II is a real-time strategy game from Blizzard Entertainment for the PC and Mac.

[4:52 PM]

Eonwe ValarToday at 4:52 PM
Check out this week's hotfixes. ---
https://starcraft2.com/en-us/news/23492549
    StarCraft II
    StarCraft II Official Game Site
    Wage war across the galaxy with three unique and powerful races.
    StarCraft II is a real-time strategy game from Blizzard Entertainment for the PC and Mac.

World of Warcraft:
[4:52 PM]
This week's Bonus Event: Cataclysm Timewalking.
[4:52 PM]
Today is Free T-Shirt Day.
[4:52 PM]
A preview came out: Shadowlands Preview: Adventures.  ---
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23492548/shadowlands-preview-adventures
    World of Warcraft
    Shadowlands Preview: Adventures - WoW
    Prepare to put your tactical skills to the test.
    In the expansion’s new Adventures feature, you’ll send your allies into the Shadowlands to tackle unique challenges for your chosen Covenant.
    You’ll need to be strategic about how you take on these combat puzzles, including who ...

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:52 PM
Just got all 7 from the very far away vendors

[4:52 PM]
7 sounds about right for me too :}
[4:53 PM]
Also of note:
[4:53 PM]
The PTR is up with the Shadowlands pre-expansion event, and they're bringing back the Plague from Scourge Invasion 2.0 (Aka the Wrath of the Lich King Pre-expansion event)
[4:55 PM]
Should be interesting. I hope they decide to include an Argent Emissary to turn in my Chamber of Secrets quest, but I'm not holding my breath, heh.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:56 PM
I've still got my Seal of the Dawn, but I don't think you can get scourgestones with that anymore

Eonwe ValarToday at 4:56 PM
Hmm, I haven't tried.
[4:57 PM]
That Monster-Slayer's kit is the one thing I never got to get from the last time, and it aggravated me that it ended in the middle of the night with absolutely no warning. I hope they don't do the same thing with anything in this event.(edited)
[4:58 PM]
Scourge bosses are coming back as rare spawns in Icecrown Citadel during the event.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:59 PM
Hmm, I wonder if I have that thing...
[4:59 PM]
Yep, still in the bank

Eonwe ValarToday at 5:00 PM
I've been doing my Crusader dailies to finish out my transmog collection from the Argent Tournament that I'd been putting off. Three more items and I should be done on my Paladin, which is done as far as I'm concerned :}

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:00 PM
hehe

Eonwe ValarToday at 5:00 PM
I yield the floor back to the chair :}

VardaToday at 5:01 PM
Thank you.
[5:01 PM]
Any other general gaming that anyone would like to mention? Fellow Valarites spotted?
[5:02 PM]

Also, we have a request by Arien for aid on LotRO in Minas Tirith Besieged.
[5:03 PM]
It is extra difficult for her due to a vertigo problem, but she needs to complete the epic.
[5:03 PM]
Arien, what is a good time of day for you, translated to Eastern, which is LotRO /servertime?

IrmoToday at 5:03 PM
I will be happy to help

VardaToday at 5:04 PM
Yay! you even have similar time zones!

IrmoToday at 5:04 PM
only 1 hour difference
[5:04 PM]
Scotland right?

VardaToday at 5:05 PM
Aye, Scotland.

IrmoToday at 5:05 PM
Shall we say tomorrow 20:00 your time /21:00 my time Arien?

ArienValarToday at 5:06 PM
Aye Scotland here
[5:06 PM]
we can Irmo

IrmoToday at 5:06 PM
deal

ArienValarToday at 5:06 PM
deal

VardaToday at 5:06 PM
Woot!

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:06 PM
writes up contract

VardaToday at 5:06 PM
eep

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:07 PM
Or a verbal agreement will do

VardaToday at 5:07 PM
and what kind of range for Eastern time?
[5:07 PM]
It's written here as we'll give it a shot!
[5:07 PM]
(I'm Central time)
[5:08 PM]
Moving on to
[5:08 PM]

top

Tolkien!
[5:08 PM]
We have had a posting to the forum rp during the week. : )
[5:09 PM]
We need to finish a round of posting, so that would be Phar and Arien. Eonwe will post after that, he tells us.
[5:09 PM]
Speaking of Eonwe, he's been called away for now.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:09 PM
Alright, I'll try to come up with something during the week

VardaToday at 5:09 PM
Yay!
[5:10 PM]

Since everyone here has read the Silmarillion, and some are experts with it, let's ask this:
[5:11 PM]
What are the Silmarils? (help folks who haven't read the Sil, since our requirement is just the LotR.) And why were they so important that a whole book was written with Silmaril in the name?

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:13 PM
Lessee... the Silmarils were perfect gems created by Feanor and imbued with the light of the Two Trees, the most glorious light of Valinor.
[5:13 PM]
After the trees were drained and their fruits set to the sky as sun and moon, only the Silmarils contained the original.

IrmoToday at 5:13 PM
Twas actually a cxertain Varda person who hallowed the Sils with the light of the trees

VardaToday at 5:14 PM
: )

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:14 PM
Yay Varda

ArienValarToday at 5:14 PM
When the two trees were destroyed the light in those gems was the only way of possibly healing them

VardaToday at 5:14 PM
Feanor put the Tree light in the Silmarils. Varda hallowed afterwards.
[5:14 PM]
Aye, Arien.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:15 PM
Alas, the Silmarils were stolen before Feanor could be persuaded to give em up, even had that been possible.

VardaToday at 5:15 PM
Who would do such a thing!

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:15 PM
And a couple of bad hats took em to Middle-earth. [Note: Morgoth fka Melkor and Shelob.]

VardaToday at 5:15 PM
heh

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:15 PM
Where one wanted to consume them, but the other disagreed.

VardaToday at 5:16 PM
He had offered her the other gems to consume, but she wanted it all.

Pallando-ValarToday at 5:16 PM
Aiya

VardaToday at 5:16 PM
Pallando! Aiya Blue Wizard. : )

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:16 PM
Aiya!
[5:16 PM]
But he had reinforcements, so managed to drive her off and put the 3 gems in a big heavy crown on top of his head.

Pallando-ValarToday at 5:17 PM
I am... sort of awake. I pulled a 20hour day last.. time... period trying to accomplish something in Eve for the first time ever... which we did accomplish. Victory for the forces of good.

IrmoToday at 5:17 PM
I have to call it a night folks, namarië for now

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:17 PM
Grats and Namarie

Pallando-ValarToday at 5:18 PM
I'm on 5hrs of sleep in the last.. 32 hours. Or so.

ArienValarToday at 5:18 PM
night Irmo and sweet dreams in your realm
[5:18 PM]
Namarie

VardaToday at 5:18 PM
Wow! Grats and namarie! : )

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:18 PM
Go zzz.

VardaToday at 5:18 PM
Irmo, take him away. : )

ArienValarToday at 5:18 PM
aye .. take him with ye

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:19 PM
Lately I've found myself capable of half-sleeping... closing my eyes, letting my thoughts drift and spawning silent images, shapes and movements in my sight.

VardaToday at 5:19 PM
Going elvish?

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:19 PM
While still technically awake as I can hear stuff going around me.

Pallando-ValarToday at 5:19 PM
We're not quite done, need to secure victory.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:19 PM
It's a fascinating experience.

VardaToday at 5:20 PM
The Final Chapter, by Pallando

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:22 PM
It's akin to a powernap, but more easily reached.

VardaToday at 5:22 PM
You all seem to have covered the subject. Here's  the bit to confirm and add a smidgen to what you said.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:22 PM
Well, I was going to go on about Feanor going after them, but.. go ahead

VardaToday at 5:22 PM
Oh, well, pray continue!

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:23 PM
Well, Feanor wasn't going to let his gems get stolen so easily!

VardaToday at 5:23 PM
(Fangorn can fall asleep almost instantly, learned because he had to, and get in an hour here and there.)

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:23 PM
So he rallied much of his people and went east, slaying some kin along the way, burning some boats and forcing the rest of the army to come by ice.
[5:24 PM]
But he was in over his head, got killed early on and it was up to his sons with their oath to retrieve the Silmarils.
[5:25 PM]
Some battles, some notable deaths, a duel against Morgoth that failed, and for centuries he kept all 3 silmarils on his crown.

ArienValarToday at 5:26 PM
((an ability my teen character Kiera shares with Fangorn then aparently much to my own envy and to the envy of the other teens  ))

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:26 PM
But then! A young brave fellow named Beren and his beloved Luthien came on a quest from Luthien's father, and using disguise and magic where brute force failed, managed to steal one of the Silmarils.
[5:27 PM]
There were some mishaps with a big wolf and some dwarves, but ultimately the Silmaril passed along Beren and Luthien's line to Elwing, their granddaughter.
[5:28 PM]
And was eventually used by her husband to find the way back to Valinor, ending up with him in the skies in a flying boat.
[5:29 PM]
Due to those efforts the host of Valinor came to smish Morgoth once and for all, retrieving the other 2 Silmarils.
[5:29 PM]
But the two remaining sons of Feanor stole them for their oath, only to find that they were no longer capable of wielding their hallowness.
[5:30 PM]
One ended up falling with his into earth and fire, while the other ended up tossing his into the sea, ever lamenting its loss thereafter.
[5:30 PM]
...And that's briefly the history of the Silmarils
[5:31 PM]
Varda, feel free to make your additions!
[5:32 PM]
Though I could finish by saying that their significance is that they are the cause of the great war described, and one of them helped shape the lines nobility of Elves and Men.
[5:33 PM]
*lines of

ArienValarToday at 5:35 PM
back on the topic of boats i see ;)?

VardaToday at 5:36 PM
: )

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:36 PM
I didn't mention that many

VardaToday at 5:39 PM
Thank you for that summary of a long book that some claim is difficult to read due to density and multiple names for everyone. : )

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:39 PM
I may have skimmed some things

VardaToday at 5:40 PM
May-be.
[5:40 PM]
For instance, just on the question of "What are the Silmarils", we can enjoy
[5:41 PM]
"Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor", Silmarillion (right at the beginning):
[5:41 PM]
quote:
[5:41 PM]
...Feanor, being come to his full might, was filled with a new thought, or it may be that some shadow of foreknowledge came to him of the doom that drew near; and he pondered how the light of the Trees, the glory of the Blessed Realm, might be preserved imperishable.
Then he began a long and secret labour, and he summoned all his lore, and his power, and his subtle skill; and at the end of all he made the Silmarils.
As three great jewels they were in form...
Like the crystal of diamonds it appeared, and yet was more strong than adamant, so that no violence could mar it or break it within the Kingdom of Arda.
Yet that crystal was to the Silmarils but as is the body to the Children of Iluvatar: the house of its inner fire, that is within it and yet in all parts of it, and is its life.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:42 PM
...So how did he carve them?

VardaToday at 5:42 PM
(may have hardened after making)
[5:42 PM]
And the inner fire of the Silmarils Feanor made of the blended light of the Trees of Valinor, which lives in them yet, though the Trees have long withered and shine no more.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:43 PM
(fair enough)

VardaToday at 5:43 PM
Therefore even in the darkness of the deepest treasury the Silmarils of their own radiance shone like the stars of Varda; and yet, as were they indeed living things, they rejoiced in light and received it and gave it back in hues more marvelous than before.
All who dwelt in Aman were filled with wonder and delight at the work of Feanor.
And Varda hallowed the Silmarils, so that thereafter no mortal flesh, nor hands unclean, nor anything of evil will might touch them, but it was scorched and withered;
and Mandos foretold that the fates of Arda, earth, sea, and air, lay locked within them.
The heart of Feanor was fast bound to these things that he himself had made."
[5:44 PM]
End quote
[5:44 PM]
Now, since they were so wonderful, where was the problem? Why guess who...
[5:44 PM]
"Then Melkor lusted for the Silmarils, and the very memory of their radiance was a gnawing fire in his heart.
From that time forth, inflamed by this desire, he sought ever more eagerly how he should destroy Feanor and end the friendship of the Valar and the Elves..."
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:45 PM
This is why we can't have nice things.

VardaToday at 5:45 PM
End quote.
[5:45 PM]
hehehe - aye
[5:45 PM]
That is all I had for you. Remember to post to the RP this week (or tonight)!
[5:45 PM]
the gavel sparkles its way to the hammerpad
[5:46 PM]
the table and hammerpad shine in the lights, making myriads of sparkles
[5:46 PM]
tinnnnnnng!
[5:46 PM]
the gavel returns to the shelf
[5:46 PM]

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After-meeting!

ArienValarToday at 5:46 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Azt8p7rWFaQ
    YouTube
    Jonas Schäfer
    Blind Guardian - Nightfall + lyrics

VardaToday at 5:46 PM
Free chat, gaming, sleep, etc. : )
[5:46 PM]
Thank you, Arien.

ArienValarToday at 5:48 PM
kind of fitting isnt it?

VardaToday at 5:49 PM
: )

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:58 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytWz0qVvBZ0 Moria song?
    YouTube
    YOGSCAST Lewis & Simon
    ♪ Diggy Diggy Hole

Pallando-ValarToday at 6:00 PM
So
[6:00 PM]
The Triglavians are invading known space in Eve Online, I've talked about this before
[6:01 PM]
Back in may, Chapter 3 of the invasion began, where the Triglavians started taking (specific) systems permanently (or at least, we think permanently).

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 6:02 PM
...You're taking one back?

Pallando-ValarToday at 6:02 PM
As part of this, they start harvesting the sun, causing it to go from a nice bright blue or yellow to well, this: https://i.redd.it/sgjqeq55ma251.jpg

[6:02 PM]
This seems bad.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 6:02 PM
Myes.

Pallando-ValarToday at 6:03 PM
So the invasion process works with the Trigs showing up in a system and launching a "Stellar Reconnaissance". There is a bar that tracks progress, and it begins at 50%.
[6:05 PM]
If the bar reaches 0% and it's a system in which the Trig want to harvest the sun, it goes to "First Liminality". If the system started as a high security system (so NPC police forces respond if you illegally attack someone, and certain modules are restricted) it becomes low security, where there is no more NPC police response. The bar is reset to 50% as well. If the bar goes to 0%, it enters "Final Liminality" and the defending faction declares the system lost and will not attempt to regain control. It's at this point that the sun harvesting kicks into overdrive.
[6:05 PM]
(if the bar goes to 100%, it'll hit redoubt and reset to 50%. Hitting 100% again will make it a Fortress, which the Trigs will no longer attempt to invade)
[6:08 PM]
There was a system falling yesterday, which hit that first 0% market, slipped into First Liminality and became lowsec and the harvesting of the sun began. This was around.. 10pm local time for me.
[6:10 PM]
I gathered a trusty band of adventurers and we went in initially with the goal of slaughtering those players that support the Triglavians who cannot hide behind police protection any longer but they ran. However, the system was freshly at 50%, so we decided, mostly as a lark, to start pushing towards 100%. At this point we had no serious intention of taking it back to 100%.
[6:10 PM]
The idea was just to push it for awhile so when the Trig supporters inevitably came back, they'd have to work slightly harder at it.
[6:12 PM]
However we... made more progress than expected. At first it was just "okay, let's get to 60%". Then a few player supporters came in and died to us and we felt a little energized and joked that if they kept dying to us, we'd keep going and shoot NPCs for as long as they kept dying to us.
[6:12 PM]
So we pushed some more.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 6:12 PM
So... the first is about getting it back to 100% after first Liminality?

Pallando-ValarToday at 6:12 PM
Then some real big brain supporters came in and basically ran themselves into our guns and died, miserably, for no gain. And coincidentally, the control of the system jumped 2% in our favor as we killed them.
[6:13 PM]
That was basically taken as a sign and we decided we'd push until the daily eve downtime which is at 7am my local time.
[6:14 PM]
So we pushed and ended up at 76% right as downtime hit. We called in some folks to take over, ahnded them all of th eintel and tools we could, half of us went to pass out for a few hours, half continued on with new help (which was at this point Euros waking up).(edited)
[6:17 PM]
About 2pm my time (while I was out looking at apartments) our reinforcements finished the push to 100% flipping the system from First Liminality to Redoubt, restoring police presence and halting the Transmutation of the sun.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 6:17 PM
Grats

ArienValarToday at 6:17 PM
Grats

Pallando-ValarToday at 6:17 PM
We now sit at 62%, slowly but surely pushing towards fortress. Player supporters of the Trigs have announced that they are not going to contest the system, they gave up.
[6:19 PM]
There is some... spirited discussion internally within their groups that amounts to fingerpointing and so on.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 6:19 PM
hehe

Pallando-ValarToday at 6:19 PM
So so far in this content no one had ever even come close to flipping a system that had hit that first bar either way
[6:19 PM]
They had not been able to flip a redoubt and we could not flip a liminal system
[6:19 PM]
This was the first time it was done, and there's a bunch of political stuff that feeds into it.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 6:20 PM
So does the sun return to normal?

Pallando-ValarToday at 6:20 PM
Sworn enemies were working together for this, and my particular group which led the initial charge with some close friends of ours was very much fighting inb enemy territory.
[6:20 PM]
It has returned to normal, yes.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 6:20 PM
Excellent

Pallando-ValarToday at 6:20 PM
So we saved an enemy system from what we consider a larger threat.
[6:21 PM]
We will be making some real good political hay out of that.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 6:21 PM
hehe

Pallando-ValarToday at 6:21 PM
But yeah
[6:22 PM]
I woke up at 10am or so, went to work on this around 10pm, and then did not stop until 7am.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 6:22 PM
And got up at noon?

Pallando-ValarToday at 6:22 PM
I slept until noon, went out to apartments, and then was back at it once we got back a few hours ago.

VardaToday at 6:23 PM
That is fantastic! Talking about doing good. And definitely Varda-approved!

Pallando-ValarToday at 6:23 PM
I just stood down our fleet because we were all exhausted. I was not the only one to return. But we have some... "allies" is too strong a word. People who want the same outcome as us pushing right now.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 6:23 PM
The enemy of my enemy.

Pallando-ValarToday at 6:23 PM
Slow but steady, and without serious opposition.
[6:23 PM]
Less that, more "the enemy you know"

VardaToday at 6:24 PM
Wanting the same outcome. Space-crazies want the suns to shine!

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 6:24 PM
Heh, alright.

ArienValarToday at 6:31 PM
Namarie all

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 6:31 PM
Namarie

Pallando-ValarToday at 6:31 PM
Namarie

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Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 6:40 PM
Purrrrsonal gaming report!
[6:40 PM]
For flashgaming, 1 new game this week and 2 older ones.
[6:41 PM]
https://www.kongregate.com/games/taccommandeur/hat-wizard-2 is the new game! A platformer where you throw your hat onto statues or enemies and then switch places with them.
    Kongregate
    Hat Wizard 2
    Outsmart your foes with your hat once again in a brand new adventure!
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 6:49 PM
In contrast to the first game, which had fewer but longer levels, this one has a whole bunch of shorter levels with interesting puzzles and mechanics, so you don't have to redo such long sections each time
[6:54 PM]
And there's also pages to unlock and underworld levels to get to!

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 7:10 PM
https://www.kongregate.com/games/badben/nano-war for the second game! A cell warfare type game, in fact, one of the first of its kind with simple mechanics.
    Kongregate
    Nano War
    Nano War is a RTS/action game.
    In Nano War, you have to annilihate the other entity. You are the blue entity, your opponent is red.
    Download Nano War iOS on i...
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 7:20 PM
Conquer cells by sending units from one cell to another, and the more cells you have, the more units you produce. Play strategically to conquer all the levels
[7:20 PM]
Hint: Let the opponent throw itself at neutral cells while you focus on your opponent!

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 7:40 PM
https://www.kongregate.com/games/ArmorGames/shift for the last game! A classic platformer, first in a series, where you have to shift the levels to their negative version, both reversing the gravity and turning air/ground into each other.
    Kongregate
    SHIFT
    Guide your mystery man through a plethora of mazes which will take your sense of perception to the limit in this smash hit game.
[7:41 PM]
Also collect keys, turn platforms, locks, etc.
[7:41 PM]
So a lot of planning and puzzling!
[7:41 PM]
And dodge the spikes

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Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 7:48 PM
Blizzard gaming:
[7:51 PM]
Starcraft II:
Halfway through phase 3 of the warchest now, at 2 and a half tiers  Just over a week should be enough.
[7:53 PM]
Heroes of the Storm:
1 level gained up to 426, through getting Ragnaros from level 1 to 2. Had never played him before, but gave him a try during the brawls.
[7:53 PM]
Bit of getting used to, but the living meteor seems to make for a nice build.
[7:54 PM]
Funnily enough, that was the only one of the 3 brawls in which I had to play a hero I wasn't familiar with, and the only one of the 3 brawls in which my side won
[7:54 PM]
Though the one I played Gul'dan in was quite close, and I was the most valuable player in that one. So that's fine.
[7:56 PM]
Finally completed the healer quest for the seasonal event, and the last 3 quests aren't rolespecific so should go fine in the time remaining. Next quest is bringing down 15 forts and keeps, of which I have 9 done so far.
[7:56 PM]
Only 22 days left but it shouldn't be a problem
[7:57 PM]
Hearthstone:
Completed the legendary quests, so more packs gotten  I should get around to opening them again!
[7:58 PM]
Brawl this week is a new one, where your hero power is replaced with random hero powers from dungeons, and each time you use it you get a new one.
[7:59 PM]
You need to make your own deck, and I grabbed a druid deck from the web focused on Inspire, the keyword that lets minions do stuff when you use a hero power. Combined with the pretty good hero powers you get, it makes a good combo!
[7:59 PM]
WoW:
[8:05 PM]
Another achievement raid! We headed into the Dazar'alor raid, and actually got the first 6 achievements, 3 to go! Some took a bit more work than others, but with the right coordination we got it done. We're saving the third wing for next time!
[8:06 PM]
We also have plans to try mythic Jaina in there, if we get the people, and maybe get someone a mount! Several tiers old, but mythic endbosses are still kinda tough so we'll see how it goes.
[8:07 PM]
Cleared another 4-mask Orgrimmar, getting up to 88k mementos, so I'm thinking 3 more until the mount. I'm looking out more for chests now, so should get all the mementos I can possibly get from there at 4 masks.
[8:08 PM]
Weekly is timewalks again, not much to tell there, just cruising along.
[8:09 PM]
Other than that, I actually did some story questing! In an effort to get as much done as I can before SL hits, I've delved into 8.1.5 questing once more while doing the wowhead stuff in other timeslots.
[8:09 PM]
I spied on a Horde meeting in Stormsong, watching Baine get imprisoned.
[8:10 PM]
Then I went on a Leatherworking questline to make the Mallet of Thunderous Skins, as well as set up some powerful drums to use it with all over Kul Tiras and Zandalar.
[8:11 PM]
Actually making the mallet was interesting, since it requires some unique ingredients, but if you know where to go for them it's easy enough. Still took me 2 nights to get them though, since one of them is timed.
[8:12 PM]
And after that I started diving into the Naga world quests. Hope to do it at least once in each zone, and maybe get some abyssal shards along the way. Not having any luck with that yet. Maybe I'll have to get them from the AH at some point.
[8:12 PM]
But I did get a quest starter medallion from there, leading to the Xal'atath questline, where you have to empower the old artifact dagger, and which will lead to the Crucible of Storms raid.
[8:13 PM]
This is pretty much the main questline of 8.1.5, so yay! Though the events of the questline are rather ominous, we know from 8.3 that it's all going to turn out well
[8:14 PM]
And that's it for WoW!
[8:15 PM]
For Total Annihilation,
I didn't have much time, but cleared level 5 and headed into 6. Which is a right pain, so maybe arm campaign isn't necessarily easier than core after all.
[8:16 PM]
Had to restart several times and put a lot of starting effort into missile towers because the enemy will come for you with aircraft fast and in large numbers. Spammed my entire center island with more tower density than I've needed before, but got there in the end... only to find myself besieged with more vehicles than my early scout planes could track.
[8:17 PM]
So... with another strategy change, I cranked out a few of the early fighter planes instead, to provide spotting range for my own vehicles and towers while harrassing the enemy forces into retreat several times.
[8:18 PM]
This bought me enough time to get my usual production going, and it all went smoothly from there  Nothing left now but to capture a single building and then I'll move to the next world.
[8:18 PM]
This level really had me on my toes for the early part, so this campaign could get pretty interesting after all!
[8:18 PM]
And that's my report for the week!

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 8:27 PM
Namarie!

VardaToday at 10:02 PM
Namarie Phar

IorethToday at 10:26 PM
I was exploring PTR as well. Hunters used to have 6 pages of pet storage at 10 pets per page. WE NOW HAVE 20 PAGES - wow.
[10:31 PM]
Namarie, back to lurking

VardaToday at 11:17 PM
Hiya Lurker : )

[11:17 PM]
Here's another dwarf YouTube:
[11:17 PM]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W89_lwnql_M
    YouTube
    Elias Gustavsson
    Sabaton - To Hell and back - Hobbit

August 17, 2020

VardaToday at 12:12 AM
Danger, such YouTubes lead to more. : )

Eonwe ValarToday at 12:18 AM
:}

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