Valar Guild

January 2, 2022 Sunday Meeting

5:00 P.M. Eastern Standard 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): (4)
    Discord: Arien, Eonwe, Falco, Sandalf13, Varda (presiding)
Before-meeting
Meeting begins
Membership news:
Web:

Gaming:
    World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online
Tolkien:
    Topic: What brought a sense of wonder to a member of the Fellowship?
After-meeting:
    puzzle
    (non)Flashgaming Reviews (plus) by Ar-Pharazon. Includes Blizzard games.
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Before-meeting

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 3:41 PM
Aiya allo and happy new year L(!
[3:42 PM]
happy new year

Varda — Yesterday at 3:59 PM
Aiya : )
[4:00 PM]
brb

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:00 PM
Hallo!
[4:01 PM]
A good New Year to everyone! Guten Rutsch!

Varda — Yesterday at 4:02 PM
Aiya Sandalf and Happy New Year to you, too. : )
[4:03 PM]
@Bounder Hurray! We can meet up with our fellow Tolkien fans and gaming players! Say hi and make comments! Meeting time in a happy new year. : )
[4:03 PM]

Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo!
[4:03 PM]

Membership:
[4:04 PM]
A wild Eonwe appears.
[4:04 PM]
Aiya to Arien, Sandalf, and Eonwe. : )

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:04 PM
good evening all aiya

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 4:04 PM
Heya all, Happy New Year. Hope you are all off to the start of a great year. I unfortunately must be off. Hopefully more to comment on at next week's meeting (ominous music) :}

Varda — Yesterday at 4:05 PM
hehe
[4:05 PM]
Thank you for dropping by and saying hello! Good luck in your endeavors!

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:05 PM
Namarie Eonwe Valar!

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:05 PM
Namarie
[4:05 PM]
i ve got a  video for you all

Varda — Yesterday at 4:06 PM
Sounds interesting.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:06 PM
a song in german but i think yoou will get the gist at least Salf will
[4:06 PM]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMIp8aW-5EA
    YouTube
    Feuerschwanz - Topic
    Rohirrim

Varda — Yesterday at 4:07 PM
I'll check it out later and try to figure it out. : )

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:07 PM
Uh oh...I recognize "Feuer" of course, but Schwanz has some bad connotations in Yiddish...what about German?
[4:08 PM]
Swan?

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:08 PM
it catches the spirit of the battle praising the courage of them in face of superior numbers and quotes partly the chapter where the Rohirrims turn up at the field of Pellennor
firetail
thats what the name means

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:09 PM
Ah...I can now see the connection....I will not repeat the meaning of the Yiddish word Schwanz, but I can certainly see how it might be called a tail...at least a small one. Ha ha.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:09 PM
Thank you, Arien. Looks like a stirring martial song to enjoy, maybe especially while gaming?
[4:10 PM]

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Web:
[4:10 PM]
Nothing new currently.

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Gaming:
[4:10 PM]
Report from Eonwe:

World of Warcraft:
[4:10 PM]
This week's Bonus Events: Legion Timewalking and Burning Crusade Timewalking.
The Legion Timewalking Event will be ending with the next weekly maintenance. Afterwards, it will appear as part of the regular rotation of bonus events.
[4:11 PM]
The PvP Brawl: Pached House runs through Tuesday, January 4th.
Burning Crusade Classic Season 2 is ending January 11th.

Lord of the Rings Online:
[4:11 PM]
The Yule Festival is about to end. Get your goodies soon!

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:11 PM
I just got a message notification that Saoir (sp.?) sent a guest invite. Can someone tell me what that means?
On Discord, of course.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:12 PM
Saior is Arien

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:12 PM
Ah...

Varda — Yesterday at 4:12 PM
Hey, Arien, did you just send a guest invite to Sandalf? : )

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:13 PM
i wanted a friend rquest actually]

Varda — Yesterday at 4:13 PM
Ahh, nice to have.
Try again!

Meanwhile, Lord of the Rings Online report by server:
[4:13 PM]
Landroval server:
Arien
Eonwe
Falco
Fangorn
Ioreth
Lenwe
Meriadoc
Nar
Varda

Anor server:
Eonwe
Falco
Fangorn
Varda

Shadowfax server:
Varda

Treebeard server:
Varda
Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:14 PM
OK...I just sent a smiley face to Arien...and had to click on the Valara Guild symbol to get back here.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:14 PM
That works.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:14 PM
worked A:)]

Varda — Yesterday at 4:14 PM
You've learned navigation!
[4:14 PM]
A sailor on the digital seas as well as those of Ulmo.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:14 PM
Is this the best way to get to you outside of meeting hours on Discord?

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:15 PM
probabvly when i remember to sign on :)]

Varda — Yesterday at 4:15 PM
We all show up on Discord a lot during the week, and leave messages in Harbor mostly.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:15 PM
Yes...you have no idea how many wonderful hours I spend on the Bridge of muy ship, staring at the starry skies...with NO CITY LIGHTS...just like the Elves and early Men did.
[4:15 PM]
It is DARK out there on the open ocean...

Varda — Yesterday at 4:15 PM
Being able to see the stars. It helps the mind and dreaming.
[4:16 PM]
So many now have never seen a dark sky, full of stars. Not even the Milky Way.

Falco — Yesterday at 4:16 PM
Aiya

Varda — Yesterday at 4:16 PM
Falco! Aiya! Now there's a starman. : )

Falco — Yesterday at 4:16 PM
lol

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:16 PM
I graduated college when I was 20, and immediately went on active duty. I was the "father" figure to the 18-19 year old men in myu Division, as a 20 year old Ensign. Talk about a heavy load...

Varda — Yesterday at 4:17 PM
You were the ancient. : )
[4:17 PM]
Falco, how goes the Lab Padre crowd? : )

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:17 PM
Yes...at 20....and I felt like it sometimes.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:17 PM
The magic of perspective.

Falco — Yesterday at 4:17 PM
LOL sounds like me when I was 35 surrounded by my squad of 18-19 years olds

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:17 PM
In the Army?

Falco — Yesterday at 4:17 PM
Yes

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:18 PM
Wonderful! A fellow Vet!

Varda — Yesterday at 4:18 PM
You really were a lot older.
An actual adult in the crowd.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:19 PM
If anyone is interested: HEre is my weather report from the northern Great Plains...
[4:20 PM]
Minus 9 degrees F this morning...but the sun is out in an absolutely clear blue sky...the clarity of winter. It got up to 14 degrees F early afternoon, and I got my 4 mile run in. Delightful. So still and quiet. About 5 inches of snow yesterday...my Saturday dining group got moved to tonight (because of the snow) so I have to leave a bit early today, mores the pity.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:20 PM
Wow!
[4:21 PM]
Clear blue here from what we consider a cool snap. 41 F, to drop to 33 by morning.
[4:21 PM]
Then we had better get started on Tolkien!

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:21 PM
Does it every get to zero on the Gulf Coast?

Varda — Yesterday at 4:21 PM
Yes. We are barely leaving Autumn right now.
[4:22 PM]
It was 81 the other day, so it's a contrast.

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Tolkien:

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:22 PM
Hard on the old body...

Varda — Yesterday at 4:22 PM
grabs jacket and goes out anyway

We have two potential topics for tonight. Take your pick:
[4:23 PM]
1: Consequences of actions that shaped Middle-earth into what was visible and able to be active by the time of the War of the Rings.
2. World-building: which components of Middle-earth are shown to us in Lord of the Rings as relevant enough for the story, perhaps also to give the sense of wonder that comes to the characters, or perhaps they become jaded to a continuous series of wonders and barely register them as obstacles to trudge around.

Have at it. : )
Or bring on another!

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:23 PM
For number 1: are you referring to the physical world of Middle Earth?

Varda — Yesterday at 4:24 PM
Not just physical but all that broght on the War of the Rings, making up the two sides. Gigantic topic in need of whittling.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:24 PM
Wow. That is a HUGE topic, then.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:24 PM
I think Tolkien wrote some books on that subject.
[4:25 PM]
So it would be just pick one of those things. : )

Another: what brought a sense of wonder to a member of the Fellowship?
One incident.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:25 PM
The Gates of Argonath.
And that was man-made!

Varda — Yesterday at 4:26 PM
Indeed!

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:26 PM
From the natural stone!

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:26 PM
te caves of Aglarond

Varda — Yesterday at 4:26 PM
Came across that in Lord of the Rings Online and just gaped up at it, hardly paying attention to the orcs trying to get us.
Good one too!

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:27 PM
I do not believe that Aragorn himself ever saw the Gates, because of his commenty to Frodo: "Long have I desired to look on the likenesses of my forebears...:" or something like that.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:27 PM
The icy waters of Kheled-zaram where the stars reflected into a crown over Durin's head, for Gimli.

And at last he saw it! And would have understood what he was seeing better than most.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:27 PM
Beautiful. I have often thought that Kheled-zaram is a cirque lake, formed by an old glacier.
[4:28 PM]
Deep, and very COLD water.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:28 PM
Agreed, a glacier lake makes the best sense with the description.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:28 PM
one would think yes

Varda — Yesterday at 4:28 PM
Also fitting with their feelings after the loss of Gandalf, cold and deep feeling.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:29 PM
Arien: living in Scotland, you must be very familiar with the glacial geography of your land. Golf was developed as a game in the glacial terrain of Scotland, and the best courses the world over are built on old glacial till and associated glacial debris...

Varda — Yesterday at 4:29 PM
The Glittering Caves of Aglarond, as Arien mentioned. Like the surprise of finding a great treasure of beauty like underground stars when expecting a dreary storage area.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:30 PM
the moon on the waterfall at Henneth Annun in Ithilien#
or moonlight rather

Varda — Yesterday at 4:30 PM
Golf? Thought that was invented by Bullroarer Took taking the head off the orc, Golfimbul, and it falling down a rabbit hole. : )  But yours sounds much better.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:31 PM
Salt mines and iron mines are dreary...real caves in carbonate are beautiful. I suspect that the Glittering Caves were filled with calcite crystals twinkling and refracting the in the light...creating a sparkly effect all over.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:31 PM
Ahh, seeing through the waterfall with Faramir! Had to be amazing.
[4:31 PM]
That would make sense, Sandalf
[4:32 PM]
I love to go into caves. Many are beautiful, kind of alien, and all like secrets hidden in the earth.
How could this be here below such ordinary scenery? : )

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:33 PM
Ah...but did not Ithilien have groves of wonderful Lebethron trees, as well as others? I think Tolkien made up a couple of names for the trees in Ithilien as well...I don''t have the book in front of me to check...

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:34 PM
https://www.fossilera.com/minerals/giant-twinned-calcite-crystals-elmwood-mine
    FossilEra
    13.5" Giant Twinned Calcite Crystals - Elmwood Mine
    13.5" Giant Twinned Calcite Crystals - Elmwood Mine (Item #33893), Calcite for sale. FossilEra your source to quality fossil specimens.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:34 PM
For Legolas, the forest of Fangorn was a stunner. The great ents walking and herding huorns. He had heard that elves talked to trees and awakened them, and he was very keen on forests of all kinds.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:34 PM
something like that but mind there are black clalcites too
lotro-links

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:34 PM
Yes...calcite comes in lots of different colors...but the clear calcite is the best fo glittering!

Varda — Yesterday at 4:35 PM
Ack! Blasted the crystal pockets! Filled them with slurry! Couldn't they allow others to walk through instead of doing destruction?

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:36 PM
I always remember Fangorn's recitation of his poem about the Ent wives to Merry and Pippin...how he remembered wandering in the willow meads of Tasarinan, or the pine covered hills of Dorthonion in winter...sort of what it looks like here now.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:36 PM
Ahh, nice. : )
I'd like to hear our Fangorn recite that one. He has a singer's voice and it would sound great. : )

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:37 PM
mind you the garden of the Entwives must have been amazing before they turned into the Brown Lands

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:37 PM
Why can''t that be done? IS audio and video available on Discord? I would love to hear him also!

Varda — Yesterday at 4:37 PM
Aye, Arien. It was where the Entwives taught so many how to grow their own food.
It can be done.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:37 PM
I still believe tht Entwives are wandering around the Shire, but out of sight.
To mortal eyes!

Varda — Yesterday at 4:37 PM
Audio and video are right over there on Harbor where Treebeard is right now.
[4:38 PM]
Unless someone spots the Entwives and are said to have had too much to drink?

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:39 PM
Yes...that scene early in the FR, where one hobbit (I forget his name) mentions seeing some tall tree-like things walking around on the North Downs...I always thought that those were the Entwives.
They would love the Shire.
As noted by Fangorn!

Varda — Yesterday at 4:39 PM
Aye : )

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:40 PM
Hal Gamgee , Sams cousin

Varda — Yesterday at 4:40 PM
Seeing the huorns appearing near Helm's Deep when all had seemed lost. Only the orcs were lost there!
and ents were herding them.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:40 PM
it was he who saw the walking tree

Varda — Yesterday at 4:40 PM
Aye, Arien. Sam reported what Hal had told him.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:40 PM
Right on, Arien!

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:41 PM
ibtw side note i find it interesting tht the wood trolls very much look like ents
[4:42 PM]
no wonder people were confused by trhat  in Lotlro
in game

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:42 PM
Wood trolls? Where? How?

Varda — Yesterday at 4:42 PM
In the Lord of the Rings Online game.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:43 PM
there is one in a very early gaming area  near bree

Varda — Yesterday at 4:43 PM
Some in the Trollshaws.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:43 PM
Are they from the movies? I do not recall seeing any references to wood trolls in the books...

Varda — Yesterday at 4:43 PM
They are in the game.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:43 PM
Yes. Of course. Silly me. I am not a gamer, and must be missing out on a lot of good stuff.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:44 PM
It is said JRRT did not use wood trolls in the LotRO books, but did use them translating the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:44 PM
That I can certainly believe...
[4:45 PM]
Brings back memories of my English Professor Lusardi reciting Middle English poetry in Middle English...he even did a few renditions of poems in Old English.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:45 PM
At least by not gaming, maybe you're living more real life. : )  Gaming is especially nice when stuck at home and when TV is doing the usual thing of having nothing interesting, and the last book was finished.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:45 PM
https://lotro-wiki.com/index.php/Wood_Trolls
    Wood Trolls

Varda — Yesterday at 4:46 PM
Bet that was fun to hear! May be easier to understand hearing than trying to read Middle English.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:46 PM
Thanks! I will copy down the link and check it out.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:46 PM
The images are at the bottom of the page.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:47 PM
I can still recite the opening of lines of Chaucer in Middle English...it freaks out people not familiar with how old it sounds.

Varda — Yesterday at 4:47 PM
Can you not go to links from here? The library frown on that?

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:47 PM
Whan that April with his shoures sote, the drucht of March ...and so on
[4:48 PM]
Forgive my spelling.
[4:49 PM]
Oops..got to head over to the Outback Steak House in Lincoln for our Saturday evening dinner on Sunday evening. Again, my best wishes for a New Year filled with health, happiness, and prosperity for everyone and all of their families...sei gesund!

Varda — Yesterday at 4:49 PM
Here's an annoying way to read Chaucer: : )
https://chaucer.fas.harvard.edu/pages/text-and-translations
    Text and Translations
    The General Prologue The Knight's Tale The Miller's Tale The Reeve's Tale
Namarie, Sandalf!
[4:49 PM]
Enjoy the snow!

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 4:49 PM
Namarie, all!

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:50 PM
Namarie and same to you :)

Varda — Yesterday at 4:51 PM
Now is probably a good time to bring out the gavel!

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:51 PM
sounds like it since i have to head upstairs as well for an eaRLY get up

Varda — Yesterday at 4:52 PM
Perfect. And I need to start dinner, have guests.
the gavel hops to the hammerpad and begins reciting poetry in Middle English
[4:53 PM]
the hammerpad screams Augggghhh! and bops the gavel
thwonk!
The gavel laughs and hops back the shelf, mission accomplished
[4:53 PM]

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After-meeting!

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 4:55 PM
I watched the  life stream of the release event of that band s new album and they played a concert afterwards where they played Rohirim btw  so i thought it is a song i ll slhow you all here
[4:55 PM]
BUT yes namarie all

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:39 PM
Aiya, catching up

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:52 PM
Happy new year!
[5:52 PM]
wonders if Sandalf in the snow would be Snowalf

And those wood trolls remind me of the Botani in WoW, https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Botani
    Wowpedia
    Botani
    The botani are a race of intelligent, bark-skinned humanoids native to Draenor.
    They are members of the group of creatures known as the Primals, who wage an eternal war against the stone giants known as the Breakers and seek to establish dominance over them and all other organic life.
    The botani fervently serve the enormous genesaur, which they ...

[5:53 PM]
And a bit of the mutated orc in a lower picture on that page
[5:55 PM]
As for the topic, I'm also thinking of the Dwarf halls in Moria, which impressed a few people as I recall

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Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:05 PM
Right. Before I launch into personal gaming report, I want to share a channel I found this week which took up a few viewing hours on my behalf already....
[8:06 PM]
One video ended up in my suggested list at one point, and it went from there.
[8:08 PM]
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-UOdK8-mIjxBQm_ot1T-Q is the youtube channel, Cracking The Cryptic, focusing on puzzles, in particular many sudokus with tons of variations and strange rules, and a few guys solving them in really clear and understandable ways. It won't be for everyone, but even if you think you won't like it, at least give it a go  As a somewhat experienced (classic) sudoku-er myself, I'm really liking it.
    YouTube
    Cracking The Cryptic
    Vlogs explaining how to solve classic sudokus, variant sudokus, cryptic crosswords and many other puzzles too.
    Hosted by Mark Goodliffe (12 times winner of The Times Crossword Championship) and Simon Anthony (former record holder for consecutive Listener Crossword solves),
    daily videos show the tips and tricks needed for solving sudokus and all ...

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:21 PM
Back from dinner...it was good! But the cold is still here. Now I am snuggled in at home. I think I will recite some M.E. poetry to lull me to sleep.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:22 PM
Ah, sounds good

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:22 PM
We ate at Outback steak, but I ordered the outback version of fried chicken...pretty salty, but still tasty. Couldn't finish everything...so I brought some home.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:23 PM
I don't think we really do that over here in the NL.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:23 PM
NL? I am not familiar....Netherlands?
[8:23 PM]
National League?

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:24 PM
Yeah, sorry, my standard way of shortening the Netherlands as a country.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:24 PM
Near Lehigh?
[8:24 PM]
Ah...I thought so. So is Dutch your native language?

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:24 PM
Yep.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:25 PM
Your mastery of English is phenomenal...but after studying German for a while, one comes to realize that there will always be a few similarities between "sister" languages in the West Germanic family...

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:25 PM
Ah,  yes  I'm actually quite bad at German.
[8:26 PM]
English is the standard second language over here, they teach it in schools from about 9 years old. At least in my time. Might be even sooner now, with kids hitting the digital age younger and younger.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:27 PM
Do you know how the audio and video links work in "Harbor?" Varda told me earlier today that it IS possible to connect with video and audio through Discord.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:28 PM
Haven't looked into it, sorry. I have neither a camera nor a microphone, so I generally don't bother with voice/video options in these programs.
I've been in voice chats before, but only if people could alternatively still read my typing.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:28 PM
My gosh! It must be about 0230 where you are! I am sorry to keep you up! I apologize.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:28 PM
3:30, don't worry, I'm always late on sundays, and still have my personal gaming report to give

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:29 PM
So the NL is one hour earlier than merry old England?
We are Plus 6 Sierra in the eastern Great Plains. The rest of Nebraska is in the Mountain Time Zone, one hour earlier than me...

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:29 PM
Yep, we're Europe Central.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:30 PM
How do you do it? You must be a youngster (at least compared to me!). I don't think I could stay up that late anymore. Ah youth...

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:31 PM
I feel older every year, currently sitting at 36. But yes, bit of a nightowl. And since I get online late on sundays, I tend to stay on really late as well. I usually try to make it 3 at the latest, but occasionally the meeting or something online (such as this youtube channel  ) can keep me online longer than intended.
[8:32 PM]
And since I'm free on mondays I can sleep in.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:32 PM
That sounds a LOT better to me! I am really glad that you have a whole day to rest up after staying up so late.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:32 PM
Well, whole morning, in any case.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:33 PM
I will say that I have enjoyed participating in the Valar Guild Sunday afternoon talks. It is inspiring me to keep on with my Tolkien writings. Did you read the story I posted on Valar Guild that got me started on this whole thing?
[8:34 PM]
And you are young! Oh to be 36 again! But of course, life has taught me that one must be ever thankful for whatever one has at whatever age...now that is a mouthful!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:34 PM
I think I looked at it, but I'm not too much into fanworks myself. Just tend to leaf through it, as it were, if it comes recommended.
[8:35 PM]
Nothing personal of course

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:35 PM
Yes...the literature out there can be quite spotty in terms of quality...
Perhaps you will like my non-fictional Tolkien studies once I start to get them published. I am working on that with Varda.
[8:36 PM]
BTW, my regular E-Mail address is:  NOSPAMoilinvestor13 (AT) outlook (DOT) com

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:36 PM
It's not exactly quality, as such. I mean, sometimes it can just feel out of place or tone, of course. But overall I don't have too much time to read Tolkien anymore (really should re-read some again) and I don't want to like... contaminate what I know of canon
Funny, though, as I participate in the forum RP myself...

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:37 PM
If you ever would like to converse outside of Sunday hours, shoot me an E-Mail with a tine, and perhaps we can link up. I am something of an early bird...my military history has taught me "early to bed and early to rise...." and all that (thanks to Benjamin Franklin). I get up around 0500 and am at the Coffee House in downtown around 0600, when they open up for the day.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:38 PM
Even with our timezone differences, I think that's too early for me. Even on regular days I don't tend to go online until 5 or later in the afternoon.
But we might see

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:38 PM
I always reserve one hour every day for reading before I drift off to sleep.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:39 PM
Not a bad idea, but I tend to browse/game myself into exhaustion.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:39 PM
Hey...I am available in the afternoon. If you go online around five, that would be only 1000 here...a great time for me. I usually run over the noon hour, from 1200 to 1300 or so.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:39 PM
Got a Shakespeare book up here on the shelf that's been waiting for years...
Hah, who knows

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:39 PM
Which play?

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:39 PM
37 plays and all the sonnets in one book.
[8:40 PM]
It's a work of art, really. Even the way it's made.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:40 PM
Wow. One of the better essays that I have written (at least I think so) about the LoTR compares Denethor to Macbeth....and is MUCH, MUCH more charitable to Denethor than Peter Jackson is. I think he missed Tolkien's points about Denethor completely.
[8:41 PM]
My two favorite Shakespeare plays are King Lear and Macbeth.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:41 PM
Heh, yes, movie Denethor is a caricature, really.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:41 PM
Gotcha, Digger!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:42 PM
Well, I started the book, and I know stuff about most of the plays, but I've only read about 3 or 4 plays so far and have even restarted it because it's been years already.
[8:42 PM]
I just need to find time somewhere :)

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:42 PM
What do you do for a living?
[8:43 PM]
I still hold my Professional Licenses as a Professional Geologist in both Nebraska and Wyoming. I still do consulting work in geology, and I also serve as the Business Manager of the Lincoln Friends of Chamber Music.
Besides drinking coffee at the coffee house and working on writing several books at one time...:)

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:44 PM
I actually studied Earth Sciences for a few years, but while I enjoyed it, the academic world with research papers etc, I found out is absolutely not my thing.
Currently volunteering at a few places, like a city archive and a florist, while having a job coach to find me a paid job. But that's kinda on halt because of covid.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:45 PM
Yes. I have written more than several professional papers that have been published in peer-reviewed journals and bulletins. I can well understand why that does not appeal to everyone.
Oy Weh! I hope something GOOD turns up for you SOON! Maybe in this New Year! I have a feeling 2022 will be even better than 2021 in terms of Covid...and other things, as well.
[8:46 PM]
May this New Year be filled with health, happiness, and prosperity for you and all of your family!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:47 PM
You too, and hoping so :)

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 8:48 PM
I shall not keep you up any longer...my bedtime book is calling to me from my bedside...and I am drooping. Have a wonderful week, and I hope that we can talk again sometime over Discord! Sei gesund! And Namarie!

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Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:48 PM
Anyway, personal gaming report time, which is a thing I do at the end of every meeting since it got too much for the gaming news
[8:48 PM]
Alright, namarie!
[8:49 PM]
K, for (non)flashgaming this week we've got 3 old badges...
[8:49 PM]
https://www.kongregate.com/games/bontegames/black is one of the color-themed bontegames, where you have to turn each level black using different rules, so you gotta think outside the box sometimes, but they're not too complicated
    Kongregate
    black
    Black, another puzzle game for you!
    Can you make the screen black in all 25 levels? Each level has its own logic.
    You can also get the FREE mobile version wi...

[8:50 PM]
https://www.kongregate.com/games/Rob1221/hp-atk-def for the second game! A puzzle/dungeon game where you have to make your way through each level, collecting pickups and fighting enemies in the right order to get to the exit. Some planning required, but there's always a logical solution, even if you're going with trial and error.
    Kongregate
    HP Atk Def
    Collect the pickups in each level and defeat the enemies in this grid-based puzzle game.

[8:53 PM]
https://www.kongregate.com/games/TadasGloom/doodle-alive is the last game! Both platformer and top-view, like a game I linked last time but now with one character. Move across a vertical playing field and a desk at the same time as the doodle come alive, collecting gems and unlocking doors. Also planning needed, but usually just gotta keep trying things out.
collecting gems and unlocking doors. Also planning needed, but usually just gotta keep trying things out.
    Kongregate
    Doodle Alive
    Puzzle game where a little doodle comes to life.

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[8:53 PM]
Blizzard gaming:
[8:55 PM]
Hearthstone:
Reward track up to 58! More gold, in fact, got enough to buy a new class skin, the Thunder King for shaman.
Can't have too many more remaining...
Reached Knight-Lieutenant rank now for honor, and going to up my honor gain to 90 a day so I can get to the next rank in 6 sessions.
[8:58 PM]
Brawl is Wacky Waxy Winter Veil, with each side getting 4 gifts which, when slain, give the opponent a legendary minion at a cheap cost. Was kinda cheap, but I got myself an evolve-based shaman deck which often saw me putting my own gifts out of commission quite early by evolving them into random units... and denying the enemy their otherwise inevitable legendaries. People didn't like that
[9:00 PM]
Got a bunch of new mercenaries! Getting to the point that several epic mercenaries are hitting their crafting minimum through random coin rewards, and that allowed me to craft Baron Geddon, Saurfang, Antonidas and Brightwing. And on top of that I got a free pack which gave me Natalie Seline. They're all mostly caster mercenaries, but that's okay
Also got Bru'kan and Mukla to level 30, while having enough high-level tasks to clean out a few more Winterspring max level bounties, completing a story task. In fact I think that's where the pack came from, not sure.
[9:01 PM]
But with a bunch of new low ones, might be set back to lower bounties again in the nearby future.
Still progress!
[9:01 PM]
WoW:
[9:02 PM]
Still no raids, starting again the upcoming reset
Fought Greench a few more times, did not get my flames of ragnaros, alas.
Did open the gifts with all my alts, getting a few of them some rep with my guild, both to Friendly I believe
[9:04 PM]
Got my first reward from a Torghast Adamant Vaults boss! Toy called the Adamant Vaults Cell, putting you into an iron maiden-like cage from which someone else can free you. But if you're in it you can't click it off or have an exit button, so if you do it while alone (like in Torghast after looting it) you can be stuck until you use a certain command, which fortunately I found online.
[9:05 PM]
And for anima, bought a new cloak appearance, Winterwoven Branches
Finally, poked alts some more! Some rogue, getting me through Black Rook Hold, and then having to do two quests for world quest and missions. Almost done with that now.
[9:06 PM]
And in the meantime poked the mage as well, completing the Dalaran intro and now on the edge of the Icecrown scenario for my first mage artifact, the sword Felo'melorn (fire spec).
Neither of them got a new level, but they're both really close
[9:07 PM]
And that's my report for the week!
[9:08 PM]
namarie :)

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