Valar Guild

August 29, 2021 Sunday Meeting

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

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Transcript work by Varda.
[times are Central Time from Varda's Discord. Add one hour for Eastern.]


Attending (and spoke): (5)
    Discord: Arien, Ar-Pharazon, Eonwe (presiding), Irmo, Varda
Before-meeting
Meeting begins
Membership news:
    Irmo's move
    Two new Tolkien-only members: Aunt Dora Baggins-(T) and Sandalf13-(T)
Web:
    Games Site Mass Update incoming. If gamers don't receive Eonwe's email, please update your email with him and/or Varda, and email or Discord message Eonwe (or Varda who will send it to Eonwe) with which games you currently play.
    Tolkien Site story: "Chance Meeting at Rivendell" by Aunt Dora Baggins-(T)
Gaming:
    General news:
        report from Eonwe:
World of Warcraft
Tolkien:
    Topics from Eonwe:
        Can Elves have freckles?
        Did Elves gamble?
        Did any Elves go into Moria during the Third Age before it was abandoned?
        What was Lothlorien like while Amroth ruled?
        What kind of games/tests of skill would Elves have? Or Dwarves for that matter.
After-meeting:
    (non)Flashgaming Reviews (plus) by Ar-Pharazon.

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Before-meeting
Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Heya all.
[3:58 PM]
Going to begin the meeting on the dot today
[3:58 PM]
@Bounder 2 minutes to meeting time!
[3:58 PM]
Hopefully that works :}

Irmo — 08/29/2021
It actually worked!

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Good :}
[4:00 PM]
OK, here we go!
[4:00 PM]

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Elen Sila Lumenn Omentielvo!
[4:01 PM]
Membership:
[4:02 PM]
Varda's busy entertaining people out there in the analog world, so you get me chairing today :}
[4:02 PM]
Everyone here, say Taniquetil. Everyone not here, say Utumno :}

Irmo — 08/29/2021
Utumno

Arien  Valar — 08/29/2021
Aiya all

Irmo — 08/29/2021
Heya Sunmaiden

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Heya Arien :}

Arien  Valar — 08/29/2021
Taniquetil

Varda — 08/29/2021
Aiya! Utumno. : )
[4:03 PM]
Intermittently here.

Arien  Valar — 08/29/2021
so can i say Taniqutumetil?

Varda — 08/29/2021
Tricky

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
Utumno -> Taniquetil

Irmo — 08/29/2021
Wow Varda, if you are not busy entertaining crowds, mind hopping in to LOTRO and invite my champion Irmrod into the guild? [Note: this happened in LotRO Landroval server right away, so welcome to Irmrod!]

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
In other words
[4:04 PM]
Aiya

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
I don't know Arien, can you say it? ;}

Varda — 08/29/2021
Ok, I can for right now!

Arien  Valar — 08/29/2021
yeah i can actrually

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Heya Phar :}

Arien  Valar — 08/29/2021
sort of anyway hehe

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Well good because I'd be tripping over a syllable in that one :}

Varda — 08/29/2021
Say it syllable by syllable. Has a tutu in the middle.

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Any other Membership news?
[4:06 PM]
hehe Varda.

Varda — 08/29/2021
Two new Tolkien-only members

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
qutu actually

Varda — 08/29/2021
a cute tutu?

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
q^2? :}

Irmo — 08/29/2021
News: I am glad to announce that we have succeeded at boying a new house, so between Oct 1 and 15 Miriel and I will offline because we will be moving

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Congrats Irmo :}

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
Grats!

Irmo — 08/29/2021
ty ty'

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
And booh for missing anniversary.

Varda — 08/29/2021
Congratulations, Irmo!

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
True, there is that.

Varda — 08/29/2021
Guess he'll have to send in a short story early!

Irmo — 08/29/2021
Yeah Pah, busy packing and arranging things already, my bad

Varda — 08/29/2021
Sounds smart.

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Can't you just shift your entire life around to make it? (I am kidding, of course) :}

Varda — 08/29/2021
The two new Tolkien-only members are Aunt Dora Baggins-(T) and Sandalf13-(T)

[4:09 PM]
[To Irmo and Miriel, for Discord]: Pop in and say aiya in the channel on your phone, and done!

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
Gandalf with sandals?

Varda — 08/29/2021
: )
[4:09 PM]
Play on his name of Sanford

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Gandalf with Sand? It's coarse and grainy, and it gets everywhere....
[4:10 PM]
ducks

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
It gets precisely everywhere it wants to.

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Lol.
[4:11 PM]
Perfect ending.
[4:12 PM]
Punniness aside, Welcome to our new Tolkien Only Members :}

Arien  Valar — 08/29/2021
Welcome indeed

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
As already indicated, the Anniversary is coming up in a little over a month. Time to start plotting those contributions/celebrations :}(edited)
[4:14 PM]
Did we determine a theme for this year yet?
[4:14 PM]
It'll be our 24th.

Varda — 08/29/2021
Reverse of 42, hmm

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
So, the wrong answer to life, the universe, and everything?

Varda — 08/29/2021
I think we did come up with one. Have to dig it back out, but maybe we can come up with something better! Ideas welcome.
[4:15 PM]
Morgoth's Answer?

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Hehe.
[4:16 PM]
I think Morgoth would be trying for -43, to take that little bit more :}
[4:18 PM]
OK, so there you have it, see if you can come up with a theme for the Anniversary, and send it to Varda :}

Varda — 08/29/2021
Aye, and we can discuss what we get in a meeting. Might even combine for the greatest nuttiness!

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Sounds good.
[4:19 PM]

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Web:
[4:20 PM]
As you all know, right before the Anniversary comes the Games Site Mass-Update.
[4:20 PM]
I intend to have e-mails out by next week. Once they've gone out you can respond via E-mail, Discord, or the Forum.(edited)
[4:22 PM]
If you haven't checked your e-mail on the Membership page recently, or updated me and Varda on a current e-mail if you're requesting it not be listed, please do so.
[4:23 PM]

Also in web news: We have a new story on the Tolkien Site, Story Section ---
[4:24 PM]
"Chance Meeting at Rivendell" by Aunt Dora Baggins-(T). Bilbo meets young Estel at Rivendell on the way to the Lonely Mountain with Thorin's Company. ---http://valarguild.org/varda/Tolkien/encyc/fiction/authors/AuntDoraBaggins/stories/ChanceMeetingatRivendell.htm
[4:25 PM]

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Gaming:
World of Warcraft:
[4:26 PM]
Check out the Development Update and the 9.1.5 Content Update Preview. ---https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23716421/development-update-a-message-to-the-wow-community
--- https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23716422/915-content-update-preview
    World of Warcraft
    Development Update: A Message to the WoW Community - WoW
    Over the past few weeks since we shared an update, the WoW team has been focused on the immediate future—both for our people and workplace, and what’s next for players too.

World of Warcraft
9.1.5 Content Update Preview - WoW
With the arrival of the 9.1.5 PTR, we wanted to share more information on the variety of new features and updates arriving with the content update.

[4:26 PM]
Some new options for character appearances, so that might be good.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
New druid travel forms!

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
9.1.5 going up on the PTR this week, reportedly.
[4:27 PM]
Check out this week's hotfixes. --- https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23691036/hotfixes-august-26-2021
    World of Warcraft
    Hotfixes: August 26, 2021 - WoW
    Here you will find a list of hotfixes that address various issues related to World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, Burning Crusade Classic, and WoW Classic.

[4:27 PM]
This week's bonus event is Pet Battles.  This week's PvP Brawl is Warsong Scramble.
[4:28 PM]
Next Week's Bonus Event will be WotLK Timewalking.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
(Packed House brawl over here, not warsong)

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Hmm, is the Calendar wrong again?

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
Warsong's next week for me.

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
I'm going to have to stop using the in-game calendar for that if it's going to be wrong.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
Well, that's what my in-game calendar says, and I did the packed house one.

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
It must've changed after I did the news, because I have Shado-Pan Showdown for next week, but it's now showing Warsong Scramble.

Irmo — 08/29/2021
I have to be off folks, namarië and be well!

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Sleep well Irmo :}

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
namarie!

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Ok, note to self: Don't trust in-game calendar for PvP Brawl until the week it happens.
[4:32 PM]
So much for trying to get ahead of these things and save me some time, heh.
[4:33 PM]
Anyway, LFR Wing 4 came out this week as well.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
Sylvanas. Fun fight.
[4:34 PM]
We got her down on normal this week.

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Congrats.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
Thanks  And worth doing in LFR just for the interestingness of it.

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
That covers it for gaming news I'm aware of. Anyone have any other gaming news?
[4:37 PM]
Guess not :}
[4:37 PM]
Ok, so...
[4:37 PM]

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Tolkien:
[4:38 PM]
Any Tolkien topics to discuss?
[4:39 PM]
Ok, then here's some:
[4:39 PM]
Can Elves have freckles?
[4:40 PM]
Did Elves gamble?
 
Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
Having been created for circumstances other than sunlight, I guess Elves might have light-sensitive features.

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Did any Elves go into Moria during the Third Age before it was abandoned?

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
Gambling, possibly, they did like their games and fun. But what they'd gamble with, I don't know.
[4:42 PM]
Legolas went!
[4:42 PM]
Oh, before.
[4:42 PM]
Hmm.
[4:43 PM]
Moria did trade with Eregion, and the language on the door was in Elvish, so I do assume Elves were allowed to get in.

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
What was Lothlorien like while Amroth ruled?

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
More manly nods

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
I would think at least messengers would gain entry, maybe some in need of haste passing through as well.
[4:44 PM]
heh

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
Didn't you say third age?
[4:45 PM]
Eregion was already in ruin.
[4:46 PM]
So they'd have to have come from Lorien, probably. And those did not have great love for dwarves.

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Yes, but Rivendell and Lindon/ the Havens could still send messengers, Arnor for a while perhaps.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
Perhaps, at risk.

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Moria would still be trading with any kingdoms it could, so some amount of peoples other than Dwarves had to have crossed the threshold at times.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
Or set up shop outside around the lake before the monster got in.

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Yeah, that monster couldn't have been there forever.
[4:52 PM]

What kind of games/tests of skill would Elves have?
[4:53 PM]
Or Dwarves for that matter.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
Singing and storytelling could be competitive.
[4:53 PM]
They also seem like people who'd like boardgames.

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
I can imagine tournaments/jousts. Jousts among the Noldor of the First/Second Ages at least, maybe not so much among the ELves living in forests.
[4:56 PM]
Boat races for those living near water maybe.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
Archery tournaments.

Arien  Valar — 08/29/2021
awww i love this story ofl Auntie Dora
[4:57 PM]
i very much recommend it
[4:58 PM]
Archery tournaments i could imagine maybe with hobbits as well .. at least those who are bounders or the Thrain's guard
[4:59 PM]
but Elves . probably swordplay tournaments and hunting games

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
I don't feel like they'd hunt for sport.

Arien  Valar — 08/29/2021
I think Auros and his friends did something similar
[5:00 PM]
no i mean more hide and seek using tracking skills

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
ah

Arien  Valar — 08/29/2021
so if you like hunt each other

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
nods

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Yeah, I modeled sort of an odd mix between Hide and Seek and Tag.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
For dwarves, I've got this picture of throwing axes at other dwarves' braids

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
heh

Arien  Valar — 08/29/2021
drinking games for dwarves mate
[5:05 PM]
and maybe smithing competitions i could imagine

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
The drinking game comes before the axe-throwing, Arien

Arien  Valar — 08/29/2021
haha yes i could imagine that too

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
As long as it's not during the axe-throwing, heh.
[5:06 PM]
Throw axes responsibly, heh.

Arien  Valar — 08/29/2021
no .. maybe each one has to down 3 pints first and if he wins a round another 3 mugs and so on
[5:07 PM]
last one standing wins dry#

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Then you have to have one judge not drinking to make sure everyone throws the axe in the right direction.

Arien  Valar — 08/29/2021
aye
[5:09 PM]
sounds very dwarvish to me  oh yes the judge then gets to drink what the winner has left over
[5:09 PM]
so after the competiion of course

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
More likely the dwarf getting his/her braids aimed at to calm the nerves.

Arien  Valar — 08/29/2021
or that

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
But don't confuse Warcraft Dwarves with LotR Dwarves :}

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
Of course not. Warcraft dwarves have guns
[5:11 PM]
They're much more efficient at aiming games.

Eonwë Valar — 08/29/2021
Ok, I think we'll call the meeting right there.
[5:15 PM]
Bangs gavel
[5:15 PM]

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Aftermeeting:
[5:15 PM]
Thanks all for coming and entertaining those topics :}

Arien  Valar — 08/29/2021
Namarie Valarites

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
namarie!

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Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
Personal gaming report:
[7:50 PM]
(non)flashgaming: 1 new one, 1 old one, and one unbadged game I found through the old one
[7:52 PM]
https://www.kongregate.com/games/jronn/bunnies-carrot is the first one, the new one! Part of the Grim platform games, you play a bunny whose golden carrot has been stolen by a zombie. Go after him, beat each level with zombies, and actually get some combat power as you go through the 20 levels
    Kongregate
    Bunnie's Carrot
    Puzzle-platformer. Help Bunnie recover his carrot.
    Full walkthrough of all levels:
    https://youtu.be/WLB9oy2HEew

[7:53 PM]
Main mechanic is to lure or scare away zombies to get them to go where you want.
[7:56 PM]

https://www.kongregate.com/games/snowroadgames/gragyriss-captor-of-princesses is the old one! A short strategy/upgrade game where you have to grow a dragon from egg to adult through upgrading resources, including grass, sheep and wolves. Then fight the various locations on the map to gain gold, upgrade more, and capture various princesses that give you a choice of buffs.
    Kongregate
    Gragyriss, Captor of Princesses
    A strategy game about dragon life: devour lambs, grow stronger, raid settlements, fight weak humans, elves and undead, kidnap beautiful princesses

[7:57 PM]
Upgrade enough and the game basically starts to play itself

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
https://www.kongregate.com/games/snowroadgames/dragon-of-ecology is the third game, by the same maker as the previous one, and a similar idea. Feast your dragon on grass, sheep and wolves in balance, make a few choices that result in some reward or other as they come along, grow your stockpile of the resources with the buttons to the right, and fight an incoming series of tougher and tougher enemies, getting gold for upgrades and other permanent upgrades from bosses.
    Kongregate
    Dragon of Ecology
    A short idle-like game about being a dragonconsume prey from your lands, grow stronger, eliminate your foes.

[8:13 PM]
It's more of an idle game this time, and more and more stuff can get automated.
[8:14 PM]
Advice: Focus more on upgrading your defense through sheep than health through grass, since enough defense can negate attacks entirely.
[8:16 PM]
Creeper World: For those weird puzzly levels, I've been playing more of those with increasing features, and went through all the levels from a bunch of creators and themes I discovered, favoriting all the "csm" maps I'd like to play... and came up to a total of over 500  I'm sure I'll get tired before long, but still going! Though I'll try to slow it down to only play while I'm waiting for stuff in other games, because they can be quite addictive!(edited)
[8:16 PM]

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Blizzard gaming:
Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
Hearthstone:
Reward track up to 57 now!
Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/29/2021
Brawl is Cloneball! Everyone gets a random deck with random legendaries, each cloned 4 times. You also get a spell every few turns to make a specific legendary (and its clones) 3 mana cheaper, permantly.
[9:11 PM]
Randomness galore, but some strategy in which legendaries to cheapen
[9:11 PM]
WoW:
[9:11 PM]
Raiding: Sylvanas downed on normal! New cutscene, new quest
[9:12 PM]
From her I also got my 9th shard of domination, though I didn't have much luck with other loot
[9:12 PM]
But I did switch feral legendaries, after discussing it and researching it, the Convoke Spirits legendary for night fae is actually pretty good!
[9:13 PM]
And since I had enough cinders, I immediately upgraded it to rank 6, the current maximum. It's on pants too, so good stats for the ilevel
[9:13 PM]
Weekly's pet battles, as always I did 5 pvp matches from my garrison so it'll count to the Warlords of Draenor achievement
[9:14 PM]
Renown to 57! Got the last ability for my tanky soulbind, though in its very nature it is very situational. Best I can use it for is giving myself a healing boost while above 75% health.
[9:17 PM]
And a new pet! Went to Torghast, almost 4-starred layer 11 (torments and blessings were good for me this week) and got a Frenzied Mawrat from the boss
[9:18 PM]
And finished the Night Courtier's set with the shoulders. There's a backpack-cloak and a few weapons to get from the renown vendor still, but those are technically not part of the set.
[9:18 PM]
Now I'm running around in purple!
[9:19 PM]
And that's my report for the week.
[9:19 PM]
Oh, actually got renown to 58, I guess, though that didn't do much for me at this time.
[9:21 PM]
At 59 I should be able to upgrade my pvp trinkets, though, making the next brawl and other pvp activity just a bit better
[9:22 PM]
namarie!

Varda — 08/29/2021
Namarie

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