Valar Guild

April 24, 2022 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.]


Attending (and typed): (7)
    Discord:
Arien, Ar-Pharazon, Celebrian, Elrond, Eonwe, Sandalf13, Varda (presiding)
Before-meeting
Meeting begins
Membership news:
Web:

    more membership chat.
Gaming:
    World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, Overwatch, Final Fantasy XIV, Guild Wars 2, EVE Online, StarCraft 2, Star Trek Online
    Question from Sandalf, non-gamer considering trying it: What is gaming to you?
Tolkien:
    RP post for our long-running forum story.
   
Tolkien Moment: The Land of Gift. A happy, beautiful moment of reward. Part of the loyalty theme in the Lord of the Rings books.
After-meeting:
    A bit more chat.
    (non)Flashgaming Reviews (plus) by Ar-Pharazon. Includes Blizzard games Hearthstone and World of Warcraft.
List of where other interesting links came up (happens a lot):
     *Kirby's idea of a good morning
    *Bible Gateway (for a comment on the Tolkien topic)
 
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Before-meeting

Varda — Yesterday at 4:00 PM
Aiya!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:00 PM
Aiya!

Varda — Yesterday at 4:00 PM
Phar! : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:00 PM
Var!

Varda — Yesterday at 4:01 PM
@Bounder Hurray! Time to say hello to old friends, tell tales of your favorite games, and maybe even talk Tolkien!
[4:01 PM]
hehe
[4:01 PM]
We rhyme!

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:01 PM
aiya

Varda — Yesterday at 4:01 PM
Aiya Sunshine : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:01 PM
Ar!

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:01 PM
\o/

Varda — Yesterday at 4:02 PM
hahaha Another rhyme!

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:02 PM
yes Phari was faster than me

Varda — Yesterday at 4:02 PM
Phar, Var, and Ar! yay!
[4:03 PM]
What are we going to do with Eonwe? Eonwar? : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:03 PM
yes, definitely hard to work with that

Varda — Yesterday at 4:04 PM
annnd...
[4:04 PM]

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Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo!
[4:04 PM]
A star shines on the hour of our meeting. : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:04 PM
Star!

Varda — Yesterday at 4:04 PM
And a star rhymes

Eonw๋ Valar — Yesterday at 4:04 PM
Heya all.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:04 PM
Eonwar!

Varda — Yesterday at 4:04 PM
Eonwar!
[4:04 PM]
heh
[4:04 PM]
Happy rhyming : )
[4:05 PM]
Fangorn sends a hi from the kitchen. : )  These guys are the greatest cooks.
[4:05 PM]
Fangar?
[4:05 PM]
Sauron is easier. Saur!
[4:06 PM]
ok - I'll stop and leave it to Phar to handle.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:06 PM
That's fa(i)r.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:06 PM
heh
[4:06 PM]
har
[4:06 PM]

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Membership:

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:07 PM
"har" always reminds me of the first Monkey Island game...

Varda — Yesterday at 4:07 PM
Any sightings we want to mention? Been seeing Nob around.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:07 PM
those 3 pirates in the inn going "Har har har" after every joke they make.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:07 PM
It's not Zillow. : )
A fun reminder.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:07 PM
Fladrif... last online 2 days ago

Varda — Yesterday at 4:07 PM
Yay Flad!
[4:07 PM]
Tulkas as Astald has been around a good bit

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:08 PM
Tulkar! \o/

Varda — Yesterday at 4:08 PM
There you go!

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:08 PM
Sandalf  said hello on Discord to me

Varda — Yesterday at 4:08 PM
Very good. He managed to come online with all that traveling!
[4:09 PM]
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Web:

[4:09 PM]
I really should work more on some content instead of just fouling up code, heh.
I see a Sandalf typing : )

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:10 PM
Hallo! I am here! In Wake Forest, North Carolina! It is already summer here...quite a change from late winter Nebraska. Beautiful! I helped my sister plant her bulbs today.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:10 PM
Wonderful!

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:10 PM
A lot more humid than the Plains.
[4:11 PM]
And a lot more traffic.

Celebrian — Yesterday at 4:11 PM
Hello!

Varda — Yesterday at 4:11 PM
My daylilies have been blooming themselves silly. The joy of being southerly. : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:11 PM
Aiya!

Varda — Yesterday at 4:11 PM
Celbrian! Aiya : )

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:11 PM
Aiya Ar and Celebrian!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:11 PM
Sandar and Celebar!

Varda — Yesterday at 4:12 PM
We have been making the silly attempt to have us all rhyme with Phar. : )

Eonw๋ Valar — Yesterday at 4:12 PM
Heya Sandalf and Celebrian.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:12 PM
Please forgive the friendly butchering of names today

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:12 PM
Har har har.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:12 PM
Pirates!

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:13 PM
in our rp all Pirates end with beard as sufffix hehe [Note: non-Valar Guild rp]

Varda — Yesterday at 4:13 PM
: )

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:14 PM
oki order order

Varda — Yesterday at 4:14 PM
Aye aye!
[4:14 PM]

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Gaming!

[4:14 PM]
Eonwe, your gavel.

Eonw๋ Valar — Yesterday at 4:14 PM
Aye aye, Captain.

Elrond — Yesterday at 4:15 PM
Aiya

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:15 PM
Aiya Elrond!

Eonw๋ Valar — Yesterday at 4:15 PM

World of Warcraft:

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:15 PM
..Yeah, I can't work with that name. Aiya

Varda — Yesterday at 4:15 PM
Aiya Elrond, or Elrar?

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:15 PM
Unless you wanna go Elrar.
[4:16 PM]
hehe

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:16 PM
Aiya Elrond

Varda — Yesterday at 4:16 PM
Go ahead, Eonwe : )  We may interrupt a few more times but want to hear your report.

Eonw๋ Valar — Yesterday at 4:16 PM
This week's Bonus Event: Battlegrounds.

The PvP Brawl: Comp Stomp runs through Tuesday, April 26th.

Sepulcher of the First Ones LFR Wing 4 is now open.

The Torghast Event: Beasts of Prodigum is running through Tuesday, April 26th.

Noblegarden is going through April 25th.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:17 PM
(battlegrounds weekly quest + comp stomp = really useful combo)

Eonw๋ Valar — Yesterday at 4:17 PM
Blizzard announced the next expansion: Dragonflight. Check out the news roundup and the deep dive.
--- https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23789251/watch-the-world-of-warcraft-expansion-reveal-now/
---https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23783667/world-of-warcraft-reveal-news-round-up
---https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23785116/world-of-warcraft-dragonflight-deep-dive
    World of Warcraft
    Watch the World of Warcraft Expansion Reveal Now! - WoW
    Watch now as the World of Warcraft team dives into the details of what august adventures await the heroes of Azeroth next.

    World of Warcraft
    World of Warcraft Reveal News Round-Up - WoW
    Learn more about the next World of Warcraft expansion Dragonflight and Wrath of the Lich King Classic in our news round-up.

    World of Warcraft
    World of Warcraftฎ: Dragonflight Deep Dive - WoW
    Join a full panel of World of Warcraft developers in this deep dive as they take you into the Dragon Isles and share insights about the new lands to explore, the creatures you’ll meet, and take you deeper into the various systems and changes that will come with the expansion.

[4:17 PM]
Also announced: World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Classic.
--- https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23793177/return-to-the-icy-realm-of-northrend-in-world-of-warcraft-wrath-of-the-lich-king-classic%E2%84%A2
    World of Warcraft
    Return to the Icy Realm of Northrend in World of Warcraftฎ: Wrath o...
    Journey through the frozen tundra of Northrend in the next expansion for World of Warcraftฎ Classic, coming later this year.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:17 PM
Got the name reserved for my Dracthyr alt already

Eonw๋ Valar — Yesterday at 4:17 PM
Check out the News and Development Updates.
--- https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23797203/world-of-warcraft-news-and-development-updates
    World of Warcraft
    World of Warcraft News and Development Updates - WoW
    Catch up on the latest World of Warcraft release dates, news, hotfixes, and more.

[4:17 PM]
Now live for WoW Classic: Season of Mastery: The Ahn’Qiraj War Effort.
--- https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23785119/season-of-mastery-the-ahnqiraj-war-effort-is-now-live
    World of Warcraft
    Season of Mastery: The Ahn’Qiraj War Effort is Now Live! - WoW
    Heroes of the Alliance and the Horde, heed the call to arms. Soon, the war effort will begin, and the Scarab Lords will open the way into the depths of Ahn’Qiraj.

[4:18 PM]
Check out the latest hotfixes.
--- https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23770463/hotfixes-april-18-2022
    World of Warcraft
    Hotfixes: April 18, 2022 - 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.

[4:18 PM]
Lord of the Rings Online:
[4:18 PM]
Update 33 came out this week.
--- https://www.lotro.com/update-notes/lotro-update-33-release-notes-en
    The Lord of the Rings Online
    Update 33 Release Notes
    Here are the Release Notes for Update 33: The Yondershire, released on Wednesday, April 20th, 2022.

[4:18 PM]
LotRO's 15th Anniversary is going. Check out the festival guide and the retrospective.
--- https://www.lotro.com/guides/lotro-anniversary-event-guide-en
--- https://www.lotro.com/news/lotro-anniversary-retrospective-en
    The Lord of the Rings Online
    The Anniversary Festival Guide
    Celebrate the anniversary of The Lord of the Rings Online! Learn how to find and get started with the Anniversary event in this guide.

    The Lord of the Rings Online
    A Retrospective Look at the Last 15 Years
    Join us for a look back at some of the game's development over the years in this behind-the-scenes Q&A!

Overwatch:
[4:19 PM]
Check out the new blog Legend of Talon and Hero of Numbani: Doomfist and Orisa's Tank Overhauls.
--- https://playoverwatch.com/en-us/news/23798984/legend-of-talon-and-hero-of-numbani-doomfist-and-orisa-s-tank-overhauls/
    Overwatch
    Legend of Talon and Hero of Numbani: Doomfist and Orisa’s tank over...
    Two opposing forces—one a benevolent protector of Numbani, the other a mighty successor to the city's Scourge—are both receiving reworks just in time for the Overwatch 2 PvP Beta.

[4:19 PM]
That's it from me.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:19 PM
Landroval server:
Bregalad/Quickbeam
Eonwe
Fangorn
Ioreth
Meriadoc
Nar
Thranduil
Varda

Anor server:
Eonwe
Falco
Fangorn
Varda

Shadowfax server:
Varda

Treebeard server:
Varda
[4:19 PM]
We have a report from Celebrian. Go ahead!

Celebrian — Yesterday at 4:20 PM
@Elrond and are playing FFXIV on the Gilgamesh (Aether) server, Character is Seraphima Laytose or Velannah Laytose (Elrond).

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:21 PM
I read "lactose" for a moment there
[4:21 PM]
I bet you get that a lot

Celebrian — Yesterday at 4:21 PM
We are also playing GW2 and we are on the Sanctum of Rall server. No news really. GW2 just had a new expansion a few months ago.
[4:21 PM]
Haha
[4:22 PM]
Seraphima Laytose is also my Eve name as well which we will probably  not go back to because they jacked the monthly fee up to $20 a month.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:22 PM
Oof.

Elrond — Yesterday at 4:22 PM
Needless to say folks are beyond ticked off

Varda — Yesterday at 4:22 PM
eek

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:23 PM
I can imagine

Varda — Yesterday at 4:23 PM
come, come to Lord of the Rings Online...

Elrond — Yesterday at 4:23 PM
That's all from us (I'm in some faerie dungeon atm)

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:23 PM
I will! Soon! I promise!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:23 PM
I'm glad WoW's stayed about the same since 2004.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:23 PM
Thank you, both of you, for the update. : )

[4:24 PM]
StarCraft 2 has the usual suspects playing this past week, including Fangorn, Eowyn, Faramir, and grandson Ciaran.
Any other gaming news?

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:25 PM
i peeked in STO shortly this week [Note: Star Trek Online]

Varda — Yesterday at 4:25 PM
How was it?

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:25 PM
Was it full of stars?

Celebrian — Yesterday at 4:25 PM
Haha

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:25 PM
full of stars and ships

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:26 PM
My god, it's full of ships!

Celebrian — Yesterday at 4:26 PM
I tried it and got frustrated at the space combat.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:26 PM
not quite as sophisticated as Eve but its more fun as it mixes ground combat and space combat
and has a definite Star Trek feeling to it
[4:27 PM]
you even get to meet Kirk and co in time travel missions
[4:28 PM]
i havent tried the newer missions for a long long time since i am a bit preoccupied with wow classic but was nice just to pop in
well episodes as they are called

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:29 PM
May I ask a question that some of you would no doubt find curious, to say the least
[4:29 PM]
least?

Varda — Yesterday at 4:29 PM
Is it gaming or Tolkien?

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:29 PM
Gaming

Varda — Yesterday at 4:29 PM
Fire away : )

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:29 PM
Is it just a pasttime? A way to spend some hours in a "fantasy" world?

Varda — Yesterday at 4:30 PM
And to be with friends and family, no matter how far away, in an active style rather than just text.

Celebrian — Yesterday at 4:31 PM
For @Elrond and me it's a pastime or hobby. We have no children so gaming has always been how we spend our time. We have made some lasting online friendships and even met a few in person.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:31 PM
It is a past time definitely .. and a better one than others such as brooding , or pitying your self or despair at  a world gone crazy

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:31 PM
Hmm... I suppose people game for different reasons. Social, playing with people or chatting in the same world... or because of story and characters... or because of gameplay and objectives to complete when you need something to make you feel good

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:32 PM
I have never played a game on a computer, and as I said, I plan to get back to LoTRO as soon as possible. Some of you seem very dedicated to the game.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:32 PM
Or all of the above!

Varda — Yesterday at 4:32 PM
Kind of like reading, to be in a world, but you actively are part of that story.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:32 PM
That all sounds very promising.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:32 PM
There are many games. Some jump from game to game several in a week, some stick with certain games quite a while.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:32 PM
I mean...even stepping up to Discord to join in these chats is a big step for me.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:33 PM
Some play several as the mood strikes.

Celebrian — Yesterday at 4:33 PM
I play MMOs but prefer to play them solo but I like to be in guilds/kinships tho to chat with people.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:33 PM
My mom plays a lot of bejeweled-like games and stuff like that, not exactly social or story-interaction (well, some of those have that) but simply for the fun gameplay and indeed a way to pass the time.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:33 PM
some :)?

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:34 PM
So somewhere between bejeweled, and fantasy books, and discord... the venn diagram overlap contains games like WoW or LotRO

Varda — Yesterday at 4:34 PM
Some with less time or other reasons stick mostly to one game.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:34 PM
yeah i mean you always decide of course how much time you spend in a game

Varda — Yesterday at 4:35 PM
Farm taters or go after a Balrog!
Same game. : )

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:35 PM
I think I would welcome farming taters.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:35 PM
or how dedicated you are and reaL life interferes at times unfortunately

Varda — Yesterday at 4:35 PM
We can sure use tater farmers!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:35 PM
I have quite a few games without subscription or free online that I play now and then as I like or have time for, though stuff like LotRO generally make you want to play more just to make the subscription worth it

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:36 PM
I am a Commander in the Navy (or was), but my fighting days are over.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:36 PM
LotRO may also be done as free to play.
This sort of fighting is much gentler. Get right up after a "defeat".

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:36 PM
Death is usually not quite so final.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:37 PM
There is hardcore play, but we're seeing much less of that these days.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:37 PM
There's stuff like Diablo hardcore mode, but... you can still make a new character after you die

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:37 PM
if something is not working straight away you get several goes until you make it

Varda — Yesterday at 4:37 PM
and can call for help from very far away.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:37 PM
Believe me, once I start, I will be calling for help!

Varda — Yesterday at 4:37 PM
Danger: gaming may be addictive.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:38 PM
Does tater farming require much help?

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:38 PM
I remember yesterday .. when we strood before King Maulgar yesterday in Gruuls lair we wiped within the first ten seconds 3 times

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:38 PM
I think that the Internet itself is addictive. It can be a black hole if you let it.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:38 PM
True

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:38 PM
And yes Sandalf that for sure

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:38 PM
Yes. Tater farming...and any farming.... is labor intensive.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:38 PM
It helps to give a certain time of day to it, rather like watching TV.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:39 PM
You could be like me and want to let it  I can see the world from my screen even though I rarely travel more than half an hour away physically.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:39 PM
Funny how we think of travel in space - time. : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:39 PM
So many of you in the States I wouldn't be able to talk to without the internet!

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:39 PM
(no need to say we made it in the end in the fifth go and noone died at the time then )

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:40 PM
But our lives are woven into the fabric of space-time.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:40 PM
Really great to hear from people outside one's own little area. I like hearing from all of you, new perspectives.
[4:40 PM]
For now...

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:40 PM
Thank you all for your answers to my question. You have given me a lot to think about.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:40 PM
(that's the thing about WoW raids, Arien... things can go downhill rapidly when people start dying, so the victories occur when strangely few people die...)

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:41 PM
Eonwe! That guy looks like your avatar!

Eonw๋ Valar — Yesterday at 4:41 PM
Hmm, that didn't work, I'm going to try again in a minute.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:41 PM
Fishing without thumbs, hmm.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:42 PM
People who have illnesses, major injuries can play in a game running and leaping and being with friends. Many good things there.

Eonw๋ Valar — Yesterday at 4:42 PM
Let's go with this one: https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/002/293/877/580
[Note: Kirby and fishing]

Varda — Yesterday at 4:42 PM
hahahaha
[4:42 PM]
And you can fish in MMO's. : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:43 PM
Or does he have thumbs? stares at picture
Oh yes, don't need to just farm taters. I've spent many an hour in the past just standing in WoW fishing.

Eonw๋ Valar — Yesterday at 4:43 PM
If Kirby wants to go fishing, then thumbs or not, Kirby is going to go fishing :}

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:43 PM
and cook and craft many things .. probably a lot you never would be able to do in real life

Varda — Yesterday at 4:43 PM
You tell 'em, Kirby!

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:44 PM
so yeah gaming is a pasttime Sandalf , but it can be a lot more , good and bad, if you let it :)(

Varda — Yesterday at 4:44 PM
Just don't let it take over. : )
[4:45 PM]
Ok, need to get to the next section while we are still inside the hour.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:45 PM
I get a bit panicky whenever I consider how much time I spend playing one game or other.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:45 PM
(and a number of us are gaming addicts, trying to keep it under control)

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:45 PM
On the other hand, I never have much better to do

Varda — Yesterday at 4:45 PM
(we have been studied for classes several times, by members. Joy of needing a paper!)

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:45 PM
"Why do you play this much, Phar?" "Why not?"

Varda — Yesterday at 4:46 PM
Just leave some time for other things you like, then you can say, but I don't just game.
On to
[4:46 PM]

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Tolkien!

[4:47 PM]
Right quick, going to mention we have another post in the forum's RP ongoing story.
[4:47 PM]
by yours truly.

Eonw๋ Valar — Yesterday at 4:47 PM
Yay :}

Varda — Yesterday at 4:47 PM
hehe

Eonw๋ Valar — Yesterday at 4:48 PM
My next post soon, just had to finalize some names :} If people want to post reaction shots like "ooh" and "ah" before that then fine :}

Varda — Yesterday at 4:48 PM
Fun : )
I had the same hang-up.

Eonw๋ Valar — Yesterday at 4:48 PM
(I kid :})

Varda — Yesterday at 4:49 PM
Pre-emptive strike: oooh! ahhh!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:49 PM
"Wow, that is some nice bow! I bet it goes back generations!" "Actually, I go through a dozen of these a year."

Varda — Yesterday at 4:49 PM
hehehe - you got it!

Eonw๋ Valar — Yesterday at 4:49 PM
hehe
[4:50 PM]
Well, a bow is quite affective when you swing it real hard, but you find it's less durable that way too :}

Varda — Yesterday at 4:50 PM
It's not a quarterstaff? oops

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:50 PM
Heh. There's a quest in the intro questline of Shadowlands where you have to find Thrall a new weapon among enemy armaments... and one of them is a crossbow.
So he just starts smacking mobs in melee with a loaded crossbow.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:51 PM
Very good weapon...but only for a very short range. A regular bow is better, I think.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:51 PM
A bow in the forest is actually short range and better not be a longbow. : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:51 PM
Very short range it might be, but still not meant for melee

Varda — Yesterday at 4:51 PM
At least it's not as bad as a sword or quarterstaff on range.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:52 PM
Cross bows are the medieval equivalent of a .45 cal. pistol...no good for long range, but you can knock an enemy over with one at short range.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:53 PM
Crossbows can be nice in the forest too. Just the extra machinery can be a problem if it has to be built from scratch from available materials.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:53 PM
oh I think Legolas in The Hobbit shows quite impressively how to use a bow close quarters dry

Varda — Yesterday at 4:53 PM
But aye - Thranduil's bunch would probably love a crossbow.
Agreed!]
and in the Lord of the Rings movies.
If all else fails, use an arrow as a dagger. : )

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:53 PM
indeed

Varda — Yesterday at 4:54 PM
Ok, I need to get this quote up before Fangorn's alarm goes off at me. : )

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:54 PM
That is what my sheath knife is for.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:54 PM
There you go.
Legolas made use of his knife also. Two in the movies.
[4:55 PM]
(Fangorn has an alarm set up for the end of the meeting today so here goes with today's quote.)
These are excerpts from a longer section talking about many things. I'm zooming in on Phar's ancestors.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:55 PM
cockadoodledoodledoo "Mother we are starving*

Varda — Yesterday at 4:55 PM
heh
[4:55 PM]
Silmarillion, "Akallabeth" The Downfall of Numenor
[4:56 PM]
"In the Great Battle when at last Morgoth was overthrown and Thangorodrim was broken, the Edain alone of the kindreds of Men fought for the Valar, whereas many others fought for Morgoth."
"When therefore Morgoth had been thrust forth, they (the Valar) held council concerning the ages that should come after."
"To the Fathers of Men of the three faithful houses rich reward also was given. Eonwe came among them and taught them; and they were given wisdom and power and life more enduring than any others of mortal race have possessed.
"A land was made for the Edain to dwell in, neither part of Middle-earth nor of Valinor, for it was sundered from either by a wide sea; yet it was nearer to Valinor.
"It was raised by Osse out of the depths of the Great Water, and it was established by Aule and enriched by Yavanna; and the Eldar brought thither flowers and fountains out of Tol Eressea.
"That land the Valar called Andor, the Land of Gift; and the Star of Earendil shone bright in the West as a token that all was made ready, and as a guide over the sea; and Men marvelled to see that silver flame in the paths of the Sun."
[4:57 PM]
(End quote)
[4:58 PM]
Loyalty is shown as a major good thing in the books to be richly rewarded one day.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 4:58 PM
And we claimed this land, and we called it "This land".

Varda — Yesterday at 4:58 PM
Hobbit!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:00 PM
And then we went against the Valar, and... as the Valar giveth, they taketh away

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:00 PM
Even here, Tolkien's world view impacts his writing. Men rise and fall, rise and fall, but in one of the most significant conversations in the LoTR, I believe that it is Legolas who points out that the line of Luthien will never fail, and that the hopes of men will rise again and again.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 5:01 PM
:)

Varda — Yesterday at 5:01 PM
Beautiful

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 5:01 PM
Those who don t find have lost already. .. that is very similar#]

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:01 PM
We get put down, but we get up again. Ain't nobody gonna keep us down.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:02 PM
The Lord gives, and the Lord takes, blessed be the name of the Lord...to quote some scripture.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:02 PM
Some book somewhere.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:03 PM
Book of Psalms, I  believe.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:03 PM
Could be

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 5:05 PM
Job 1.21 in fact i just looked it up but it did make me think of Job

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:05 PM
So you were...
[5:05 PM]
looking for a Job?

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 5:05 PM
*stuck-out tongue emote*

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:05 PM
Job 1:21 - Bible Gateway
https://www.biblegateway.com/ ›
Sorry!! I am wrong, as usual. It is from Job:
: “Naked I emerged from my mother's womb, and naked I will return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:06 PM
Thank you for looking up the actual quote and source. : )
[5:06 PM]
And if we have no further comments on the Tolkien quote?

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:07 PM
It was  beautiful selection.
Sad, in light of what happened in the Downfall....but still beautiful.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:09 PM
They did get to enjoy the Land of Gift for quite some time. Generations of Men. : )
Thinking in the lifetimes of Men instead of Elves, it was a nice long run.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:09 PM
Almost all of the Second Age.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:10 PM
Hmm, 3000 years. In real life that's pre-Roman to now. Quite a while if you think about it.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:10 PM
Aye to that!

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:10 PM
But since they all lived so much longer than we do, on average, may not have been quite as many generations as would have passed for Men and Women still in Middle-earth.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:11 PM
Middle-earth basically went through 3000 years of Dark Ages. Scary thought.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:12 PM
Have we really left the Dark Ages? I am not so sure.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:12 PM
Well, compared to Middle-earth...
[5:13 PM]
Also, if you go back to before the Dark Ages... I'm sure the Romans and Greeks and Egyptians had plenty of aspects in their societies that we would consider quite barbaric today.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:13 PM
No doubt.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 5:14 PM
According to some we are returning to themn Sandalf .. the dark ages that is

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:16 PM
I am afraid to say I agree with you, but I wonder. When I was a boy growing up, my father, who served in Patton's 6th Armored Division, and earned five battle stars during the war, and is an honorary citizen of France, would tell me stories about the horrors of that war...but he NEVER told me about the fact that his unit liberated Buchenwald Concentration Camp. It affected my father for the rest of his life, and all the years I knew him, although it was only when I was in my fifties that I discovered  that he was there...in Buchenwald. And he has pictures that are terrifying.
[5:17 PM]
That is only one lifetime ago. So have we really progressed?
I apologizze.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:18 PM
There are always downfalls. All we can do is rise up again and hope to do better.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:18 PM
At this point, I'm declaring After-meeting so we can go to free chat. : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:18 PM
Of course, what one generation calls progression may be looked upon in horror by the next.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:18 PM
gavel hops up and down. Me me!
[5:19 PM]
hammerpad slides underneath
thonk thonk thonk

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[5:19 PM]

After-meeting!

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 5:20 PM
I hold it my dad who sais *heads up! even when the neck is dirty"

Varda — Yesterday at 5:20 PM
We can only hope that we can learn from history, so as not to repeat our mistakes as badly this go-around.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:20 PM
I will be right back. I need to go upstairs and get my niece.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:20 PM
Namarie : )
[5:21 PM]
I'll be back later.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 5:21 PM
Namarie

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:21 PM
Namarie!

Varda — Yesterday at 5:21 PM
Namar.... ie, Phar

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:21 PM
:)

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:22 PM
Me too! My sister just called me to dinner. I never have anyone cook for me anymore, so this is a real treat. I will return to Lincoln...and Chapter Three....tomorrow, Monday. Sei gesund, everyone! Namarie!

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 5:22 PM
Namar .. eeeeee .. aaah
[5:22 PM]
:)#

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:22 PM
Namarie to you!

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:22 PM
Sei gesund is German for "May you be healthy."
[5:22 PM]
:)

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 5:22 PM
aye
[5:23 PM]
Namarie as i have to go to bed as well

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:23 PM
Good night!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:23 PM
Namarie to you too!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:13 PM
Oh, before I get into my gaming report... Tales from the Perilous Realm arrived this week, or well, I got to pick it up at the delivery point
[6:14 PM]
Including Roverandom, Farmer Giles of Ham, Adventurers of Tom Bombadil, Smith of Wootton Major, Leaf by Niggle, and Tolkien's lecture on Fairy-stories
[6:14 PM]
I like all the artwork as well!

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[6:16 PM]
Perrrsonal gaming report:
[6:17 PM]
For (non)flashgaming, I'll give you https://www.kongregate.com/games/targaciej/hook
    Kongregate
    Hook
    Tiny minimal puzzle game.
    Full version:
    http://playthehook.com

[6:18 PM]
A puzzle game where you have to untangle hooks without them bumping into each other, by retracting one at a time. Some good puzzling and sometimes timing required!

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[6:22 PM]
Blizzard gaming:
[6:23 PM]
Hearthstone:
Made it to level 41 on the reward track, getting a few more golden cards, card packs, and a bunch of gold.
[6:24 PM]
Still do not have the 3000 gold required to buy diamond Drek'thar, and might not be able to; game gave a warning for "last chance" to buy him about half a week ago, without giving an exact date, so basically waiting for him to disappear if I don't make it... at which I'll probably spend the saved gold on a couple more card backs.
[6:25 PM]
Got demon hunter to level 59 this week! One more to go, and then I'll be prioritizing classes on their wins. Gotta get em all to 500, and then 1000, for the cosmetic rewards
[6:26 PM]
Funnily enough, since the starter deck for demon hunter's so good compared to my other decks, he's actually the furthest ahead on wins out of all classes, at 419.
There's a few that are still below 300!
[6:28 PM]
Brawl this week is Captain Blackheart's Treasure; you get a deck filled with 2/3 generic pirates, and each turn you get to choose 1 card out of 3 options to add to your hand. Some luck needed! I've had people play legendaries at me at an alarming rate while I had gotten pretty bad cards
Still, got the needed wins.
[6:29 PM]
Mercenaries... many things!
[6:31 PM]
I added 2 new mercs to my collection, through coins gotten along the way: Eudora, the vulpera pirate.. and Jaina Proudmoore herself! Quite happy to have that legendary mercenary in the ranks.
[6:32 PM]
Leveled a bunch of them, including getting Antonidas to 30.
And maxed out all the stats on both Xyrella (healer) and Millhouse Manastorm (mage), getting all their abilities and equipment to rank 5, also earning one final stat-increase on each as a reward.
[6:34 PM]
As for tasks, Tyrande was the first mercenary, to give me her 18th task, in preparation of which I also I completed the 18th story task in Blackrock Mountain. And with Tyrande's task complete, she's also the first mercenary whose tasks are all completed.
[6:35 PM]
Alas, no specific reward for that except the mercenary pack you get for tasks 16, 17 and 18 for any mercenary.
But it does slightly lessen the pool of mercenaries and their tasks, so progress of a sort
[6:36 PM]
From the reward pack I didn't get a new merc, but I did get a new portrait for Varden Dawngrasp.
[6:37 PM]
WoW:
[6:39 PM]
More raiding! We got our fourth Anduin-kill (not literally, though, he survives), unlocking the shortcut in normal Sepulcher. Which is fine with me, since I also got my tier-gloves this week, so I just need the pieces from the bosses after Anduin
We also got Rygelon down tonight for the first time, just leaving the Jailer himself!
That's going to be quite a pain, but from an end of expansion boss, who could expect anything less?
[6:41 PM]
Weekly is battlegrounds! The quest for 4 battlegrounds is easily combined with the Comp Stomp brawl, so that was nice. Always fun to overrun Arathi Basin and keep the AI opponents locked at their homebase
[6:42 PM]
Especially as guardian tank... and, since this week, with 2-piece tier bonus!
[6:43 PM]
Noblegarden's this week! Comes with 2 new toys, which are actually toy versions of the basket and spring robes, as those have been turned into cosmetic unlocks instead.
One's a simple quest reward and the other only needs 50 chocolates to buy, so not that bad.
[6:45 PM]
Farmed a bunch of eggs with my designated noblegardener, my demon hunter, since she can fel rush and glide around. Unfortunately, while in previous years she could glide around in the bunny buff form and actually sprout wings, they changed it so she just glows fel green while gliding around in said form. Ah well!
[6:46 PM]
Still no time for the alts this week other than the egg-gathering, since I had a busy week again, including going out to dinner with all cousins and partners, 11 people in total. Fun, but doesn't leave much WoW time
[6:47 PM]
And also busy checking out articles and videos about the upcoming expansion, where I still haven't quite caught up yet.
[6:48 PM]
But I did reserve the name I chose for the Dracthyr alt I'll be making in that expansion, Calthracys
Seemed a nice combination of Warcraft and Game of Thrones styles dragon naming, with my traditional prefix of Cal
[6:50 PM]
Other than kicking "Thrac" into action when Dragonflight starts, I'm also quite interested in that dragonriding. Going to be fun to get around that way and collect a bunch of stuff, though I do hope we still get to unlock normal flying later on in the expansion.
[6:53 PM]
And that's my report for the week!

Varda — Yesterday at 8:11 PM
Thanks, Phar : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:34 PM
Namarie!

Varda — Yesterday at 8:34 PM
Namarie : )

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