Valar Guild

August 14, 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): (6)
    Discord:
Arien, Ar-Pharazon, Eonwe, Pallando, Sandalf13, Varda (presiding)
        Seen during the week in Europe: Shelob, Helm
Before-meeting
Meeting begins
Membership news:
Web:

    Tolkien Site/ Articles:
        "The Last Line in Tolkien" by Sandalf13-(T)
Gaming:
   
World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Lord of the Rings Online
Tolkien:
    Topic: How was the problem of Morgoth's harm to Arda begun and how was it handled?
After-meeting:.
    (non)Flashgaming Reviews (plus) by Ar-Pharazon. Includes Blizzard games.

 
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Before-meeting

Varda — 08/14/2022
Aiya
[4:01 PM]
@Bounder Aiya! Time to tell tales of gaming, Tolkien, and just chat, say howdy to old friends in the Valar Guild!

Eonwλ Valar — 08/14/2022
Heya.

Varda — 08/14/2022
Aiya Eonwe : )

Arien  Valar — 08/14/2022
Aiya all

Varda — 08/14/2022
Aiya Arien : )

Arien  Valar — 08/14/2022
We may meet again in a world far away. Noone shall ever ask the name of the one who tells the story ~

Varda — 08/14/2022
I might. ; )
[4:04 PM]

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Membership:

[4:04 PM]
Any sightings of fellow Valarites in Europe or just around? : )

Arien  Valar — 08/14/2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20sIhZLVJR4
    YouTube
    Rockwell185
    Blind Guardian-The Bard's Song (lyrics)

Varda — 08/14/2022
There are those that I can't see, don't game there or don't have the game.
[4:05 PM]
Thanks for the link.

Arien  Valar — 08/14/2022
I ve seen Shelob. one Ar Pharazon  and Helm

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
Sorry! Aiya All! My Discord automatically opened up to a conversation with Varda...my bad for not checking first.

Varda — 08/14/2022
O wow. Good to hear. Hope Helm is ok, haven't heard from him except through you.
[4:07 PM]
Always glad to hear from you on  my chat too. : )
Your priorities are straight. ; )
[4:08 PM]

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Web:

[4:08 PM]
Thank you to Eonwe for keeping up the Games site, huge help.
In news for the Tolkien Site,
Sandalf's "The Last Line in Tolkien" is at last ready to view.
[4:09 PM]
http://valarguild.org/varda/Tolkien/encyc/papers/Sandalf13/2LastLine.htm
Enjoy! Quite an amazing feat of scholarship.
Sandalf, would you like to tell us what you started out to do but then discovered as you went along?

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
Aiya!

Varda — 08/14/2022
Aiya Phar : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
(middle of heatwave, and busy weekend with parents still gone, will fetch dinner in a few minutes)

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
I do not know where to start. On my first reading of the LoTR back in 1970, I did not pay any attention to it, but tens of readings later, I noted that Tolkien divided each of this chapters in a variable number of short segments. I asked myself if there could be any significance to these section breaks, and wanted to know who (or what) ended each segment, so I began to tally them up. The results amazed me, because, I believe, this analysis provides a fertile field for further fundamental research into the LoTR. Some of the things I discovered are really intriguing...and that is the best word that I can use.
[4:14 PM]
The results of my study are published in a series of fourteen (14) tables in the chapter, and even now, I am discovering new things by looking at the data compilation.
There will be more coming based upon this Chapter (Chapter Two) alone!

Varda — 08/14/2022
Answer a question and find a thousand questions more.

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
What will you order for dinner, Ar?

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
I think I got some noodles and vegetables out of the fridge earlier today. Just gotta heat it up.

Varda — 08/14/2022
That works.
[4:17 PM]

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Gaming:

[4:17 PM]
Eonwe, will you be able to do a Gaming report for us?

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
Ah. I thought you were ordering some dinner from a local eatery. BTW, greetings from Hilliard, Ohio.
(image)

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
That looks amazing.
[4:19 PM]
The houses, the signs, the clear weather... it's like some idyllic town.

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
Ohio is much older and more settled than Lincoln. It took me 12 hours to drive here straight from Lincoln on Friday. About the same time it takes to get from Lincoln to Houston, TX.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
Right. Back in a few minutes then

Varda — 08/14/2022
Ok, are we ready for Gaming news, gang? Eonwe is set for it.
[4:20 PM]
Go ahead, Eonwe.

Eonwλ Valar — 08/14/2022
Thanks.
[4:21 PM]

World of Warcraft:
[4:21 PM]
This week's Bonus Event: Shadowlands Dungeons.

The PvP Brawl: Cooking Impossible runs through Tuesday, August 16th.

The Torghast event: Chorus of Dead Souls is going this week.
[4:22 PM]
See also these blogs:

World of Warcraft News and Development Updates ---
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23832636/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 in our newest update.

[4:23 PM]
Shadowlands 9.2.7 Update Notes ---
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23833174/shadowlands-927-update-notes
    World of Warcraft
    Shadowlands 9.2.7 Update Notes - WoW
    The Shadowlands 9.2.7 update arrives to World of Warcraft on August 16!

[4:23 PM]
Dragonflight Dungeon Preview: A Bounty of Adventure Ahead ---
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23816413/dragonflight-dungeon-preview-a-bounty-of-adventure-ahead
    World of Warcraft
    Dragonflight Dungeon Preview: A Bounty of Adventure Ahead - WoW
    Face new challenges and adventures in the Dragon Isles with four new level-up dungeons and four maximum-level dungeons. Danger, malice, and perhaps a bit of loot are yours to discover.

[4:23 PM]
Dragonflight Zone Preview: Ohn'ahran Plains ---
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23837377/dragonflight-zone-preview-ohnahran-plains
    World of Warcraft
    Dragonflight Zone Preview: Ohn'ahran Plains - WoW
    Explore the Ohn'ahran Plains, a verdant region filled with sweeping plateaus, mesas, groves, and valleys abundant with life.

[4:23 PM]
Wrath Classic Zone Guide: Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord ---
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23816544/wrath-classic-zone-guide-borean-tundra-and-howling-fjord
    World of Warcraft
    Wrath Classic Zone Guide: Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord - WoW
    Brave adventurers looking to start their journey in Northrend have two zones to choose from—Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord.

[4:23 PM]
Check out the latest hotfixes. ---
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23800887/hotfixes-august-12-2022
    World of Warcraft
    Hotfixes: August 12, 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.

[4:23 PM]
Overwatch:
[4:24 PM]
Overwatch Anniversary Remix Vol. 3 is now live. ---
https://playoverwatch.com/en-us/news/23833172/overwatch-anniversary-remix-vol-3-is-now-live/

    Overwatch
    Overwatch Anniversary Remix Vol. 3 is now live!
    From now until August 30, join the party, earn weekly rewards, and play all of your favorite seasonal brawls.

[4:24 PM]
Thus ends my report.

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
A good report was had by all.

Varda — 08/14/2022
Thank you, Eonwe.
[4:24 PM]
A bit more on

LotRO:
[4:24 PM]
hehe, Sandy
[4:25 PM]
The server for our Anor kin branch will shut down Aug 31.
We got ahead of it on August 10
The kinship from Anor jumped that day to Crickhollow.
Those that have room are welcome to jump to Landroval, since both Crick and Landy are regular servers.
[4:26 PM]
A number of us just had too many characters to go to Landroval and didn't want their destruction.
Anyway, if an Anorian from our kin transfers to Crickhollow, the characters automatically are in kin.
[4:27 PM]
They keep their shared and personal storages.
We already have a new kin island ready to decorate. It has a banker and some of the crafting stations already, and some deco.
Mail items do not move, so check that.

Arien  Valar — 08/14/2022
and when is the free transfer again what date?

Varda — 08/14/2022
It is going now. It started Aug 10
[4:28 PM]
That is why we moved on that date, to be available for the kin.
All automatically make it into the kin since Fainan moved already.
[4:29 PM]
If going to Landroval, holler at an officer as usual. : )
We are here for you.
Transfer is done from the Launcher, not the character list.

Arien  Valar — 08/14/2022
cool okay i ll see to it then when i get to it  hopefully on wednesday or thursday

Varda — 08/14/2022
Log in as usual, use the Transfer button under the Play button.
[4:30 PM]
Great!
[4:31 PM]
I may be reachable from Discord most of the week just to help out on the various jumps, wherever you might go.
We are doing this just to give Eonwe more programming work. ; )
[4:31 PM]

Landroval kin branch, our main, RP-encouraged but otherwise regular server:
Arien
Dis
Eonwe
Fangorn
Ioreth
Nar
Varda

Anor: no longer a kin branch present.

Crickhollow server kin branch, secondary regular server, replaces Anor branch:
Fangorn
Varda

Shadowfax server kin branch, fast difficulty slider, goes to level 100
Arien
Varda

Treebeard server kin branch, slow difficulty slider, goes to level 65.
Varda
[4:33 PM]
Any other gaming or membership news, requests, comments? Any who would like an invite on one of the branches?

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
Oh, small mention...

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
Both Markus and Caity are gamers, and I am going to sit down with Markus tomorrow and keep working on LoTRO.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
A quiz I watch regularly had a round on words made with certain letters, and someone said "beam", and a commentary was that it also used to mean tree in old english, rather than just a wooden pole...

Varda — 08/14/2022
Mainly you need to practice moving your character. It takes learning the muscle memory.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
So now Quickbeam makes sense

Varda — 08/14/2022
A beam is used in building.
[4:35 PM]
ahh, nice. : )
[4:36 PM]
Thanks for that, Phar.

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
Beam in English is derived from the same root as "Baum" in German,  that means "tree."

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
Just wanted to mention it
[4:36 PM]
Ah yes, makes sense, "boom" (pronounced boam, I suppose) in Dutch.

Varda — 08/14/2022
For movement, you can use the arrow keys or WASD, whichever is more comfortable.
[4:36 PM]
and the mouse.
[4:37 PM]
Once you get used to it, practice puts it in muscle memory and makes the rest of the game easier.
[4:38 PM]
Quick-tree
Any other comments on anything?
[4:39 PM]
Hi to Eowyn and Fangorn gaming in Starcraft 2 right now. : )

On to
[4:39 PM]

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Tolkien:

[4:39 PM]
If you have a topic you want to mention, sing out now before mine is typed in. ; )

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
or forever hold your peas

Varda — 08/14/2022
hehe

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
I was in the Hilliard Branch of the Columbus OH Public Library with Caity and 2-year-old Ingrid yesterday afternoon, and found a brand new book, "The Nature of Moddle-earth," by J.R.R. Tolkien and edited by the eminent Tolkien scholar Carl F. Hostetter. It will find its way into the references for some of my future chapters. It was published in 2021.

Varda — 08/14/2022
It's a nice one. We've mentioned it here before, and several of us have a copy.

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
That is to say, Middle-earth....Moddle-earth is located in a model factory somewhere.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
Yep, pretty recent, about a year or so maybe?
[4:42 PM]
At least it's not muddle-earth.

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
Yes...but sometimes we mere mortals do in fact, muddle through our Middle-Earth.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
Muddle-earth sticks on your boots.

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
In a middling sort of way.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
It meddles with your mood.

Varda — 08/14/2022
Here's hoping you find a copy to buy for your very own soon. : )

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
I hope so! I shal check out Amazon books when I get back to Lincoln...about one week plus from now.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
Oh, and I read over your mention of 2021 when I said it was recent, sorry
[4:45 PM]
I don't think we needed confirmation that 2021 was a year ago.

Eonwλ Valar — 08/14/2022
I don't know. For some of us it might feel like longer.

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
It seems as if the Pandemic took a two year chunk out of our lives. I find myself thinking about things pre-Covid as if they were just last year.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
That would make the book even more recent!

Varda — 08/14/2022
Here's a potential topic. Due to time constraints, maybe just the last half?
[4:52 PM]
How was the problem of Morgoth's harm to Arda begun and how was it handled?

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
Well, ultimately it was handled by destroying the world and rebuilding it without his harm

Varda — 08/14/2022
Good point.
[4:54 PM]
Arda Unmarred.
[4:55 PM]
The topic was too vaguely worded. I apologize.

Eonwλ Valar — 08/14/2022
In the meantime, the entirety of Arda was working against him.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
Well, he had his own minions, though that was mostly taken out of his own power, so it may not really count.

Varda — 08/14/2022
Even gone, Morgoth left his influence in the planet itself. Thus the book "Morgoth's Ring".

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
Tolkien made the point many times that once the seeds of evil are sown in Arda (or anywhere, for that matter), they will sprout and grow even if the hand that sowed them is long time gone.

Eonwλ Valar — 08/14/2022
Arda by its nature was good. That meant that after Morgoth's interference, it tried to get back to working order. Arda, much like a living body, tries to heal.

Arien  Valar — 08/14/2022
thats why plants grow over ruined buildings

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
Pretty sure that's just because they can  As long as there's space and light...

Arien  Valar — 08/14/2022
new life over old desruction

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
This is true, but I think Tolkien's message may be that eternal vigilance against evil is always needed...

Arien  Valar — 08/14/2022
oh aye definitely

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
For us personally as well as a society.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMjQ3hA9mEA
    YouTube
    MoovieQuotes
    Life Finds A Way

Arien  Valar — 08/14/2022
That is what the rangers obviously felt as well in their guard service , the old decendants of Numendor, or older beings like Ents , Tom Bombadil and his wife or Elrond who guarded the old knowledge and memory of the Elder Days in Rivendell

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
Yes. Tolkien provides many good examples of eternal vigilance, I believe.
[5:03 PM]
I needs apologize to everyone for an early departure this evening. Ingrid is getting cranky, as we are moving past her usual dining hour...so I must say "Namarie" early and take them all to a sandwich shop for dinner. I will try to be here next Sunday, it just depends upon when I arrive in Jolliet, Illinois, on my way back to Lincoln from NY. I will be staying overnight in Joliet. It is 7 hours further west to Lincoln from there...

Varda — 08/14/2022
It is the hour : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
Namarie! Enjoy the sandwiches

Varda — 08/14/2022
Hello to Ingrid!
[5:04 PM]
Namarie

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
Thank you! And I hope everyone enjoys their dinner as well! Sei gesund!

Varda — 08/14/2022
The gavel tosses oil into the air and jumps under it

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
Ingrid says Hello to everyone!

Varda — 08/14/2022
the hammerpad slides under both and
[5:05 PM]
thonnnnnkkkkyyyyy
[5:05 PM]

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After-meeting!

[5:05 PM]
aww /wave

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022


Varda — 08/14/2022
Nice : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
So focused on her food.

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
NAmarie!

Arien  Valar — 08/14/2022
Namarie

Varda — 08/14/2022
Namarie
[5:12 PM]
I'll be on Landroval for a bit. Easy to switch if needed.
Tinwetari the Minstrel Hobbit.
[5:18 PM]
heh, the Rings of Power is now being referred to as an acronym: RoP.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
Sounds fitting, for such an important plot point in an MMO

Varda — 08/14/2022
Comes out in 4 days for those who will be viewing it.
[5:19 PM]
It's the show on Amazon they're referring to, but aye. Acronyms all over the game!
Because JRRT has lonnnng words!

Arien  Valar — 08/14/2022
Namarie all from me

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
Namarie!

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
Have you already done your personal gaming report? We are already back from dinner...Jersey Mike's Subs...

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
Nope, not yet  Was doing some browsing and WoWing.

Sandalf13 — 08/14/2022
Good! I enjoy reading your weekly report.

Pallando-Valar — 08/14/2022
Aiya

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
Aiya!

Varda — 08/14/2022
Aiya Pallando : )

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Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
Alright then, personal gaming report, as requested
[7:12 PM]
Not that I wasn't going to do it anyway.
[7:13 PM]
For (non)flashgaming: A few gold old badges this week, and I'll give...
http://www.kongregate.com/games/tobeglad/evo-explores
    Kongregate
    Evo Explores
    PLEASE SUPPORT US ON STEAM GREENLIGHT
    http://goo.gl/x0nIQq
    iOS version: https://goo.gl/As2uFv
    • In Evo Explores you should trust your eyes. If something look...

[7:16 PM]
A puzzle game where you have to walk your little robot across levels, while also moving your mouse to manipulate the level itself, with rotations, buttons, and other stuff. Levels are quite Escher-like in their physics, making interesting gameplay.
[7:18 PM]
Make your way across 14 sets of levels, with some interesting "lessons" along the way - though making a level problem go away by hiding it is a good one to remember - and finally reach the rocket to leave that strange world

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Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
Blizzard gaming:
[8:00 PM]
Hearthstone:
Level 38 on the reward track now, getting some more gold and golden cards, as well as a few decks for the rewards.
[8:02 PM]
I did get the achievement for 800 total levels across all reward tracks along the way, giving me another choice of tier 2 class-set skins. Not really interested in using any that remain, but the Nemesis Gul'dan skin looked nice, so why not?
[8:04 PM]
And while I continue to use the old basic decks I've used for years, slowly I've been updating them with Renathal: The legendary that increases the deck size from 30 to 40, and just filling in a few extra cards on top of the decks. Might help!
[8:05 PM]
Brawl is Cloneball: You get a random deck with random legendaries, each present 4 times. Randomness indeed, and while I had a few bad runs, eventually the dice were in my favor
After all, some legendaries are much worse than others
Especially the niche ones can be annoying, for example one that buffs spells... without having spells.
[8:06 PM]
No mercing done this week, was quite busy... needed to catch up on a lot of stuff I'd recorded so there's room for my mom's stuff while she's on vacation  I think I watched about 10 hours of tv yesterday... but hey, vacation!
[8:07 PM]
Next week, mercs should be back in the picture!
WoW:
Raiding continues! And is going well. They weren't kidding when they said that while Fated has been upgraded for our ilevel, it's not supposed to be a whole new progression.
[8:08 PM]
We cleared Nathria on normal on tuesday, only our second raidnight of the reset, and with this reset's raid being Sanctum of Domination, we got to 7 out of 10 on normal in one night. With some luck we'll be able to clear that as well on tuesday.
[8:09 PM]
The week after that... we'll see. We never did kill the Jailer on normal, so I doubt we'll get him in the next reset on Fated
[8:10 PM]
But yes, progress is being made, and with it, loot! I got a few tier-slot pieces which I'm not using because I still don't have the Catalyst to make them tier, but some other pieces like a ring, a cloak and some boots have dropped for me as well.
[8:11 PM]
But my most important loot of the reset was yesterday! The weekly quest is 4 mythic dungeons, which always gives a random heroic piece, and in this season that's heroic fated... 291 ilevel. We are not planning to focus on heroic fated raids, so that might be the only way for me to get 291 pieces, and as luck would have it, my random reward was a weapon
[8:13 PM]
The weapon I was already using the non-fated normal version of, in fact, from Sepulcher: Elysia's Promise!
[8:14 PM]
https://www.wowhead.com/item=189799 Or, as I like to call it, the Cotton Swab
    Wowhead
    Elysia's Promise
    This epic staff has an item level of 226. It is looted from Prototype of War. In the Staves category. Added in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands.
[8:14 PM]
So yes, as this might be one of few top-ilevel items I get, it being a weapon is quite useful.
[8:15 PM]
I will certainly be using it into Dragonflight!
Oh, and in the brawl I hit honor level 100! With it, a new title: Unstoppable Force.
[8:16 PM]
For those in the know, I'd have preferred Immovable Object, but alas, that doesn't seem to be an unlockable title
And for the same reason I did no mercing in Hearthstone, also no alting in WoW. Next week, though, I should be able to pick up where I left off in the Penitent Hunt.
And that's my report for the week!

Eonwλ Valar — 08/14/2022
If anyone is interested in something full of 80s craziness and running on pure Refuge in Audacity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTidn2dBYbY
    YouTube
    DavidHasselhoffVEVO
    David Hasselhoff - True Survivor (from "Kung Fury") [Official Video]

Ar-Pharazon-V — 08/14/2022
namarie!

Eonwλ Valar — 08/14/2022
Sleep well

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