Valar Guild

July 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.]
[actual discussion has far more emoting for everyone, stripped out while collecting with only some added back in.]

Attending (and typed): (5)
    Discord:
Arien, Ar-Pharazon, Eonwe, Sandalf13, Varda
Before-meeting
Meeting begins
Membership news:
Web:

Gaming:
 
    World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, Starcraft 2, Diablo 3, Diablo Immortal
Tolkien:
    Topic 1: Who's stronger: Gandalf or the Witch-King?
    Topic 2: Riddles are serious. Not even Gollum would be expected to really cheat in a riddle-game. Why would that be?
    Topic 3: Here's an entertaining speculation on why hobbits, that we know are descended from man, might be so different. It's been suggested that they were humans that crossed in long-ago times with petty dwarves.
After-meeting:
    Tolkien chat continues.
    (non)Flashgaming Reviews (plus) by Ar-Pharazon. Includes Blizzard games.

 
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Before-meeting

Sandalf13 — Today at 3:57 PM
Aiya All!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 3:57 PM
Aiya!

Varda — Today at 3:58 PM
Aiya : )

Sandalf13 — Today at 3:58 PM
How are things today in the Low  Countries? Are you experiencing England's heat wave?

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 3:58 PM
Sure am!
[3:58 PM]
Cooled down a bit during the middle of the week, but rose again in the weekend.

Sandalf13 — Today at 3:59 PM
Do you have a place to cool off?

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 3:59 PM
Currently sitting in front of my pc in the dark so I can keep the door open without getting wasps or mosquitos.

Sandalf13 — Today at 3:59 PM
No air conditioning, I assume, as is typical of the U.K.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 3:59 PM
It's late enough now that it's cooler outside than inside
[3:59 PM]
Eh, we've got a few fans, but nothing fancy
[4:00 PM]
Pun not intended.

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:00 PM
It was 104 degress F here yesterday, buyt very dry. Felt like an oven. Today the high is only 84 F and still dry. Beautiful. We will have overnight temps in the 50s later this week.

Varda — Today at 4:00 PM
@Bounder Huzzah! Time to get together with old friends to chat gaming and Tolkien, or say hi, or just...lurk!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:00 PM
I'm not very up on the conversion rate but we probably have something similar

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:02 PM
104 Grad F = 40 Grad C.   84 Grad F = 29 Grad C.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:02 PM
Yeah, we're pretty much high twenties.

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:03 PM
Aiya Varda!

Varda — Today at 4:03 PM
Aiya Sandalf and Phar : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:03 PM
Aiya

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:03 PM
how hot are you in houston?

Varda — Today at 4:04 PM
Currently 98F, not bad. Some pretty Gulf clouds scattered about.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:04 PM
Not bad, she says...
[4:04 PM]
Blazing hot, says I!

Varda — Today at 4:04 PM
Not bad. Been in the 100's.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:05 PM
I suppose you're used to it over there.

Varda — Today at 4:05 PM
AC is a big thing. : )

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:05 PM
Yes. But Nebraska is a lot drier than Texas, humidity-wise.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:05 PM
That's fair

Varda — Today at 4:05 PM
Depends on where in Texas. Here by the Gulf, the humidity is high.
[4:05 PM]
Head west for dry.

Eonwλ Valar — Today at 4:06 PM
Heya all.

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:06 PM
Very True. I hardly broke a sweat yesterday during y 1 hour plus bike ride in the early afternoon. It was so dry I had to rub on some skin cream after my shower.

Varda — Today at 4:06 PM
Aiya Fionwe : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:06 PM
Aiya!

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:06 PM
Aiya Eonwe!

Varda — Today at 4:07 PM
West Texas is dry with chance of sandstorms. : )
[4:07 PM]

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Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo!
[4:08 PM]
A star (all of you stars!) shines on the hour of our meeting.

Membership:

Eonwλ Valar — Today at 4:08 PM
It's a nice, icy 101 F here.

Varda — Today at 4:08 PM
hehehe icy

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:08 PM
Where is here?

Varda — Today at 4:08 PM
North of me about 4 hours

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:08 PM
Between Dallas and Oklahoma City?

Varda — Today at 4:09 PM
We try not to get into too much tracking detail unless volunteered. : )

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:09 PM
Ah. Sorry.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:09 PM
hands out pin number

Varda — Today at 4:09 PM
Once upon a time, none of us knew the other's real names. Just state and country, or equivalent.
[4:09 PM]
But here's my credit card number... ; )

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:10 PM
I just remember driving over the Arbuckle Mountains between Dallas and Okla City...very unusual geology, says the professional geologist.

Varda — Today at 4:10 PM
Not so much now.
I note the change in vegetation especially, going from here towards the north.
It can be like going from summer to autumn.
(biologist)

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:11 PM
There are NO palm trees on the Great Plains!

Varda — Today at 4:11 PM
But some lovely, flowering yucca

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:11 PM
I couldn't get over seeing palm trees in Houston. Yes...we have lots of yucca and tumble weeds out on the prairie.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:12 PM
I love tumble weeds.
Never seen one in real life, but i love em.

Varda — Today at 4:12 PM
Ugh, tumbleweeds. Pulling them off when pulling things behind a tractor is like getting into sticker bushes. Yes I did that.
They dribble seeds behind them as they tumble. Look neat, though. : )

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:13 PM
They are big enough to watch out for if you are driving cross country out on the plains...you don't want to run over them as they tumble along the road in front of your car...

Varda — Today at 4:14 PM
Depends on the size, aye. And they can smack into the side of the car in some numbers while driving.

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:14 PM
Yup.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:14 PM
They just want to play.

Varda — Today at 4:14 PM
Anyway, any other membership news to pass along? Sightings of ents? Sunshine?

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:14 PM
I will let you to it...

Varda — Today at 4:14 PM
Yep. : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:14 PM
For membership...

Varda — Today at 4:15 PM
You were doing membership news already, Wizard Sandalf, all good.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:15 PM
Fladrif online 1 day ago, Shelob on bnet right now it seems, and I'm Macauley for the next 3 weeks.

Varda — Today at 4:15 PM
?

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:15 PM
Home Alone
[4:15 PM]
Parents on vacation.

Varda — Today at 4:15 PM
ahh : )

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:15 PM
:)

Varda — Today at 4:15 PM
Hey, you get to hold down the fort!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:16 PM
And take care of the cat! Muy importante.

Varda — Today at 4:16 PM
For sure! Just ask Tevildo.

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:16 PM
Was ist das "muy importante" ?
he he

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:17 PM
Very important, I just like the Spanish phrase for it

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:17 PM
muy bien
I was making a joke...worry.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:17 PM
ah

Varda — Today at 4:17 PM
Good thing we have English for a common language!

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:18 PM
I thought it was one of Tolkien's languages! Silly me.

Varda — Today at 4:18 PM
A bit of trivia, a little knowledge of Elvish can help talk between languages and make a friend quickly!
Don't even need much.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:18 PM
Like me picking up "Una mas" from the movie Shanghai Noon and saying it every time we've got one more of something to do.

Varda — Today at 4:18 PM
: )
[4:19 PM]
pulls back from making more comments from movies Ugh erk
[4:19 PM]

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Web:

[4:19 PM]
Slacker me. Did manage to put in a short RP post on the forum.
Eonwe is great about keeping up Gaming news.
[4:20 PM]
Some news is also on the General News.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:20 PM
Some news is good news!
...That's the saying, right?

Varda — Today at 4:20 PM
You guys are welcome to suggest things to put on the News during the week too!
Depends, hehe. "No news is good news."
If no one is complaining, things are ok.

Backing up to membership news:
[4:21 PM]
Ioreth could use your kind thoughts and prayers. She's going in for another invasive cancer surgery in a couple of days.
Dis is out of the hospital. She was in for pneumonia and sepsis. Knocked her out and she woke up in the hospital.
[4:22 PM]
And onwards again to Gaming.

Gaming!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:22 PM
Good for Dis, and good luck to Ioreth!

Varda — Today at 4:22 PM
Folks who've been knocked down and barely making it can run and jump and dance in-game, as our folks have been doing. Cheering.
[4:23 PM]
Thank you, Phar. : )
Gaming is a way to be around other people when one is home alone, too. : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:23 PM
Indeed!

Arien  Valar — Today at 4:23 PM
oops

Varda — Today at 4:23 PM
The sun came out! Aiya Arien!

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:24 PM
I will be sure to keep Ioreth in my thoughts and prayers.

Varda — Today at 4:24 PM
Thank you. : )

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:24 PM
Aiya Arien!

Arien  Valar — Today at 4:24 PM
Aiya all ... got held up in a warehouse on New Romulus cough but mission accomplished ^^

Varda — Today at 4:24 PM
We have such interesting reasons for delays!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:25 PM
Aiya Arien

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:25 PM
BTW, I had to break off for a moment. While doing some research on my chapter for Tolkien and Etymology, there I was looking at Wikipedia and I found a discussion on functional morphology in language, and I came across, out of nowhere, this quote:
[4:25 PM]
Fictional languages vary: among J. R. R. Tolkien's languages for the Middle-earth universe, for example, Sindarin is fusional while Quenya is agglutinative.[6] Among engineered languages, Toki Pona is completely analytic, as it contains only a limited set of words with no inflections or compounds. Lojban is analytic to the extent that every gismu (basic word, not counting particles) involves pre-determined syntactical roles for every gismu coming after it in a clause, though it does involve agglutination of roots when forming calques.[7] Ithkuil, on the other hand, contains both agglutination in its addition of affixes and extreme fusion in that these affixes often result from the fusion of numerous morphemes via ablaut.[8]
[4:26 PM]
This is the reference for the Tolkien info above: 6Tikka, Petri (2007). "The Finnicization of Quenya". Arda Philology: Proceedings of the First International Conference on J. R. R. Tolkien's Invented Languages, Omientielva Minya, Stockholm 2005. Arda Philology. Vol. 1. Arda Soci

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:26 PM
Pretty sure I got most of those words, at least

Varda — Today at 4:27 PM
Quenya had a good bit of Finnish base, aye.

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:28 PM
And Finnish is, I believe, a Uralic languaghe.

Varda — Today at 4:28 PM
Should I now be looking up Uralic? : )

Arien  Valar — Today at 4:29 PM
not sure what lt means actually .. so might be an idea cough

Varda — Today at 4:29 PM
"Uralic languages with the most native speakers are Hungarian, Finnish, and Estonian"
[4:30 PM]
Well anyway, time to call in our Gaming News master, Eonwe!

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Gaming:

[4:31 PM]
tosses shined gavel to Eonwe,

Eonwλ Valar — Today at 4:34 PM
Well, I was going to shove in a clip of one of those strongman contests from carnivals, but none are short enough, so you can just pretend I put it here.
For those of us old enough to remember what "imaginations" are, anyway, heh.

World of Warcraft:
[4:35 PM]
This week's Bonus Event: World Quests.

The PvP Brawl: Deepwind Dunk runs through Tuesday, July 26th.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:35 PM
Well, we're here because of a shared love of books, so ;)

Eonwλ Valar — Today at 4:35 PM
The Winds of Wisdom experience buff is on until Season 4 begins, so now's a good time to level alts. ---
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23813567/gain-the-winds-of-wisdom-50-experience-buff
    World of Warcraft
    Gain the Winds of Wisdom 50% Experience Buff - WoW
    It’s a great time to return to World of Warcraft, level a new character, or prepare for Shadowlands Season 4 as the Winds of Wisdom buff blows into Azeroth.

[4:35 PM]
Dragonflight Preview: Get to Know the Dracthyr Evoker ---
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23833250/dragonflight-preview-get-to-know-the-dracthyr-evoker
    World of Warcraft
    Dragonflight Preview: Get to Know the Dracthyr Evoker - WoW
    Meet the new dracthyr race and learn more about the new class—the Evoker— as we take you into who they are and what they are all about.

[4:35 PM]
Dragonflight Zone Preview: The Forbidden Reach ---
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23832633/dragonflight-zone-preview-the-forbidden-reach
    World of Warcraft
    Dragonflight Zone Preview: The Forbidden Reach - WoW
    Explore the Forbidden Reach, a broken and deserted landscape lost to the ravages of time.

[4:36 PM]
The Battle for Wintergrasp in Wrath Classic ---
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23833249/the-battle-for-wintergrasp-in-wrath-classic
    World of Warcraft
    The Battle for Wintergrasp in Wrath Classic - WoW
    An iconic part of the original Wrath of the Lich King, the WoW Classic team shares some insights on the Battle for Wintergrasp development in Wrath Classic.

[4:36 PM]
Learn the Art of Inscription in Wrath of the Lich King Classic ---
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23818250/learn-the-art-of-inscription-in-wrath-of-the-lich-king-classic
    World of Warcraft
    Learn the Art of Inscription in Wrath of the Lich King Classic - WoW
    Wrath of the Lich King Classic brings back the first iteration of a beloved profession—Inscription. Learn how to become a master scribe and get the most ink for your book right here.

[4:36 PM]
Become a Death Knight in Wrath of the Lich King Classic ---
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23818249/become-a-death-knight-in-wrath-of-the-lich-king-classic
    World of Warcraft
    Become a Death Knight in Wrath of the Lich King Classic - WoW
    The Lich King’s armies present an ever-present threat to all life on Azeroth. Some of his most terrifying servants are known as Death Knights—unliving instruments of the Lich King’s will.

[4:36 PM]
Check out the latest hotfixes. ---
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23800887/hotfixes-july-19-2022
    World of Warcraft
    Hotfixes: July 19, 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.

[4:36 PM]
Lord of the Rings Online:
Update 33.1 is out. ---
https://www.lotro.com/update-notes/lotro-update-33-1-release-notes-en
    The Lord of the Rings Online
    Update 33.1 Release Notes
    Here are the Release Notes for Update 33.1: The Further Adventures of Elladan and Elrohir, release date Wednesday, July 20th, 2022.

[4:36 PM]
Starcraft 2:
Patch 5.0.10 came out this week. ---
https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/starcraft2/23826546/starcraft-ii-5-0-10-patch-notes
    StarCraft II 5.0.10 Patch Notes
    Patch 5.0.10 has arrived. Check out the detail!

[4:37 PM]
Diablo 3:
The PTR testing period is extended through August 8th. ---
https://us.diablo3.blizzard.com/en-us/blog/23826543/diablo-iii-ptr-274-%7Cnow-live-7-8-2022
    Diablo III
    Diablo III PTR 2.7.4 |Now Live
    The Diablo III 2.7.4 PTR testing period begins on July 12 and will run for two weeks. Join us in testing a new seasonal theme, item changes, and more!

Diablo Immortal:
Check out some new features in Diablo Immortal. --
https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/diablo-immortal/23826547/class-change-and-new-features-debut-in-diablo-immortal#Class
    Class Change and New Features Debut in Diablo Immortal
    Starting on July 20, a heatwave of new content comes to Diablo Immortal! Get the details behind the new Class Change feature, upcoming in-game events, and other updates.

[4:37 PM]
Also see the recent bug fixes. ---
https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/diablo-immortal/23826549/diablo-immortal-bug-fixes-and-patch-notes-for-all-platforms
    Diablo Immortal Bug Fixes and Patch Notes for All Platforms
    We will continually update this blog with all bug fixes and patches the team implements for Diablo Immortal on all platforms.

[4:39 PM]
This concludes today's episode of "Eonwλ's Gaming News." We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Varda — Today at 4:39 PM
Thank you. : )
[4:39 PM]
A bit more on

LotRO:
[4:39 PM]
Those who play a Lore-master or who play with them will discover that the pets may no longer be set on "Aggressive".

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:40 PM
They're all good boys now.

Varda — Today at 4:40 PM
That's where the pet attacks things around you while you go have a sandwich.
If it's on Aggressive when you enter the game, it will default to "Guard".
[4:41 PM]
We just had an update and of course there are a few bugs:
Known issue: The quest of "The Further Adventures of Elladan and Elohir" is not repeatable, and will be corrected in the near future. You can still play it though.
Known issue: The new PvMP Battle Tasks are temporarily closed to fix a bug and should be back in the near future.

Eonwλ Valar — Today at 4:41 PM
On Loremaster pets: So no more of this then....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKaLBqOv07Y
    YouTube
    Sodium Burger
    Turtle attacking mans shoe

Varda — Today at 4:41 PM
Interesting side bit on PvMP is you can start it under the Free Peoples at level 20 and be scaled up.
[4:42 PM]
o my! Turtle attacking a shoe with a person in it?
Ramming!
That's wild! Definitely set on aggressive! Suppose he thinks its another turtle?

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:44 PM
I didn't even know turtles got aggressive to other turtles, let alone shoes.
[4:45 PM]
"I'm the boss of this territory, and if I say get out of the way, I'll headbutt you until you get out of the way!"

Varda — Today at 4:45 PM
That's interesting. Makes me want to go look up the behavior. Mine were reasonably friendly to each other when young.
Anyway,
Valarites who showed up this last week in one of our LotRO kin branches are: (ta-daaa!)
Landroval server branch:
Dis
Eonwe
Fangorn
Ioreth
Nar
Varda

Anor server branch: (server shuts down Aug 31)
Eonwe
Fangorn
Varda

Shadowfax server branch:
Varda

Treebeard server branch:
Varda
[4:46 PM]
Any other gaming news? Eve? Starcraft?
The usual suspects gaming in Starcraft 2 this last week. Fangorn, Eowyn, Faramir. Not so much Real Floppa though.
[4:48 PM]
Any other news? Gaming, membership, requests? Need more skarn and hides in the kin chest? Instance or deed runs?

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:48 PM
May I request you take this heat away?

Varda — Today at 4:49 PM
Arien, you have a job! Might have to wait for her to go behind the edge of Arda, should work.
Or check with Morgoth for a bit of ice. Helcaraxe, anyone?
[4:50 PM]
On to:

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Tolkien!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:50 PM
From my point of view, she already is, but it's still hot.

Varda — Today at 4:51 PM
While digging around, some spots came up purporting to be  tough questions about Middle-earth, most of which would make this gang yawn, heh.
Ok, Helcaraxe for you.
But this one might be fun to poke at, just because you can tear right into it.

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:51 PM
Better hurry before the Helcaraxe melts.

Varda — Today at 4:52 PM
Make tea? : )
Then I have another one, a bit tougher.

Who's stronger: Gandalf or the Witch-King?

Eonwλ Valar — Today at 4:53 PM
If both were allowed to cut loose? Easily Gandalf.

Varda — Today at 4:53 PM
This is in reference to the movie, in which an Extended Version scene has the Witch-king breaking Gandalf's staff.
[4:53 PM]
Aye, that's the trick. If both cut loose. : )

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:53 PM
That is so bogus. Gandalf was not afraid of the Witch King in the REAL book.
[4:54 PM]
Remember that he drove the Nazgul off Faramir and his troops as they were retreating to Minas Tirith from the Causeway Forts.

Varda — Today at 4:55 PM
Gandalf just standing in the Gate of Minas Tirth (on Shadowfax) makes a fine Shall not pass. : )
[4:55 PM]
Aye. Why is Gandalf so much stronger (in the books) than the Witch-king?

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:55 PM
I'd have to go with Gandalf, yes. White, at the least.

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:56 PM
A better question might be, who is stronger? A Balrog or a Nazgul? Gandalf was not afraid to stand up to either, when he was gray AND white.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:56 PM
Witch-king has mortal origins. He must have a weaker capacity for power than Gandalf, a Maia, even in their current forms.

Eonwλ Valar — Today at 4:56 PM
Gandalf is a Maia.
[4:57 PM]
What Phar said.

Sandalf13 — Today at 4:57 PM
No doubt, however, that Sauron must have spread some of his evil strength on his servants, the Nazgul.

Eonwλ Valar — Today at 4:57 PM
The Witch-King's power was more or less Sauron's power enacted through him.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 4:59 PM
There must still have been a limit, though. Would you say the Witch-King was more than mortal, or diminished through the Rings?
[4:59 PM]
Perhaps a bit of both.

Varda — Today at 5:00 PM
A Balrog is a Maia also.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 5:00 PM
A Balrog might be more powerful than a Nazgul, but perhaps with less control.

Sandalf13 — Today at 5:00 PM
I suspect that over time, the Nazgul lost more and more of their initial "power" as they drifted further and further from their real lives. It probably took more and more of Saurons'
 energy to keep them going at the end.

Varda — Today at 5:01 PM
The Witch-king became a wraith, with the power of dread. Apparently also good with riding a Fell Beast and handling melee weapons. No crossbow?

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 5:02 PM
When riding a flying mount, a ranged weapon might be helpful.
[5:02 PM]
Take out those pesky Legolasses.

Varda — Today at 5:02 PM
Sauron held the Rings of the Nine Nazgul, so the wraiths were completely bound to him. Also, they were drawn to the One Ring. I suspect that with their rings with Sauron, they would have even more tracking ability for the One Ring which includes some of Sauron.
[5:03 PM]
The Fell Beast was his downfall. : )
./duck

Ar-Pharazon-V — Today at 5:03 PM
He was felled and had fallen.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:03 PM
: )

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:04 PM
"Fall"...such a neat irregular verb.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:04 PM
Gandalf also was wearing one of the Three Elvish Rings of Power.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:04 PM
Hmm. Risky, taking that into battle.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:04 PM
Much to Curunir's chagrin.

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 5:05 PM
If we consider what the Rings do for mortals in relation to Elvish fading, I don't think it would take more from Sauron to do that, just not letting the Rings, which they are bound to, be destroyed.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:05 PM
As the White, Gandalf was allowed to be more physical than a pure advisor, able to join the fray. As you said, his white light from his staff driving off the Nazguls from Faramir.
[5:06 PM]
Not needed. Just had the thought that it might be like giving scent to hunting dogs. : )
[5:07 PM]
Ok, the Witch-king started as a vanilla human king. Not an Ainur. He became a wraith with special abilities, but still not on the Ainur level. His Ring is with Sauron, not with himself.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:07 PM
Now I have an image of the Nazgul sniffing a ring before heading out.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:08 PM
They are sniffers. : )  We saw that when they were tracking the hobbits in the Shire.
Adds to the hunting dog thought.

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 5:08 PM
They were already 2 thousand years old by the time of the Last Alliance. If a blip in Sauron's power was going to eliminate them, it would've been then. The fact the Ring was still there was enough to keep them from being wiped out.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:08 PM
I think the Witch-King had more than just wraith-abilities, though. He seemed to be adept at Sauron's type of magic beyond that.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:09 PM
Earlier, Gandalf said to was it Gimli? that he would meet no one more dangerous than Gandalf unless he was brought before the Dark Lord himself. That's a pretty good clue.
[5:09 PM]
Aye, a reason he's called the "witch" king

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:09 PM
Yes...when the Ring WAS destroyed (finally) the flying Nazgul fell of the sky like flaming thunderbolts.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:10 PM
The Ring was responsible for building Barad-dur also, as might be expected from Sauron, student of Aule, and that fell down without the Ring as well.
[5:11 PM]
Must have been a lot more that crashed and burned of lesser nature. Fan-fic writing time, anyone? : )

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:11 PM
Sauron did NOT consult a geologist when contemplating which stones to use in the construction of Barad Dur. A geologist could have told him...

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:12 PM
Don't build structures on tiny golden rings. It does not make for a stable foundation.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:13 PM
Like the Renaissance Italian architect, who, holding up a picture of a vertical Tower of Pisa, said "we can save 6oo Lira by not hiring a geologist..."

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:13 PM
hehe

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 5:15 PM
volcanic rock eh?

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:15 PM
Probably volcanic tuff...not a good building material.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:16 PM
You can probably build it on sponges if you have the power of a Ring to back it up.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:17 PM
Perhaps...but it is still wise to have some inherent strength in one's building materials.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:17 PM
Well, now we know!

Varda — Yesterday at 5:18 PM
Sauron no longer cared by the time it fell down. : )

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:18 PM
He was beyond caring, no doubt.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:19 PM
If you're going to fade away anyway when your Ring melts, why would you make sure your tower outlasts it?

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 5:19 PM
Krispy Kreme built their business on donuts. Tastier golden rings.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 5:19 PM
for some reason i have to think about a kid s fairy tale now or a fable even if you take it straightr as the main actors are animals with human qualities .. but i digress

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:20 PM
Maybe Krispy Kreme should add some golden onion rings to their menu?

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:21 PM
Reinaert?

Varda — Yesterday at 5:21 PM
Now for one more question, that we may not have enough data to answer, but speculate, yes!:
[5:21 PM]

top

Riddles are serious. Not even Gollum would be expected to really cheat in a riddle-game. Why would that be?

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:22 PM
Hmm. If songs have inherent power, riddles might as well. People just instinctively pick up on that?

Varda — Yesterday at 5:23 PM
Words, runes have power. Singing may increase the power. Rhyming is just the step ahead of singing. Riddles are more interactive.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 5:23 PM
the riddle game was old , ancient even and respected by almost everyone ... , sometimes even regarded as amost sacred

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:24 PM
Most importantly, if you cheat in a riddle-game... nobody will want to play with you anymore

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 5:24 PM
it is interesting that the nordic panocticum has a trickster or joker god]

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 5:25 PM
Yeah, and who was Gollum going to riddle with? The orcs?

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:25 PM
Maybe, Eonwe! There might be one or two goblins up for a game. Never know!

Varda — Yesterday at 5:25 PM
Gollum remembered back to his youth.
[5:26 PM]
Part of Gollum's interest in Bilbo was that he brought back memories he had not had for a long time. Life outside.
[5:27 PM]
The Trickster shows up in a number of places. Also in American Indian tales. Back to Tolkien...

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:27 PM
Coyote...

Varda — Yesterday at 5:27 PM
Aye : )
The Riddle Game was very important. One must not cheat.
[5:28 PM]
Gollum and Bilbo both came within a hair of doing just that, maybe evening it out on consequences.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:28 PM
There was also the riddle of the sphinx, if we're going for real-world mythology

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 5:28 PM
i think he was used to it from his childhood maybe with Deagol or even as a family tradition round a fire, led by his grandmother

Varda — Yesterday at 5:28 PM
Asking what's in his pockets, not a real riddle. Giving two answers at once, when only one should be given.
[5:29 PM]
Aye, Arien.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:29 PM
Good old Orestes...

Varda — Yesterday at 5:29 PM
His grandma was a matriarch in the clan, so they probably had large gatherings.
Going Greek on us, Sandalf? : )
[5:32 PM]
Arda was created by a group song. All through the books we see singing and runes as important. The Riddle Game implies something else that we don't get to hear more about.
Maybe the Ainur were into it, or Elves. We know for sure the Hobbits did it.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:33 PM
A world made of words. Fitting, for one that's written down
[5:33 PM]
Brb.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:33 PM
Aye : )

top

Here's an entertaining speculation on why hobbits, that we know are descended from man, might be so different.
[5:34 PM]
It's been suggested that they were humans that crossed in long-ago times with petty dwarves.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:34 PM
They might also have some Elvish in them, nicht wahr?

Varda — Yesterday at 5:34 PM
I've seen nothing to say yay or nay to that [Note: referring to petty dwarves.]. But like all humans, they migrated west towards the sun and towards Valinor.
[5:34 PM]
Not likely. We've seen crosses between humans and elves and they are not hobbit-like.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:35 PM
You know those Elves...as good looking as they were, I suspect they like to spread it around a bit...he he.

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 5:35 PM
I don't recall anything from HoME to suggest that origin.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:35 PM
Elves were very leery of crossing with mortals, including humans.
The half-elves did not look hobbit-like.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:36 PM
That is the OFFICIAL line...but what about the second line?

Varda — Yesterday at 5:36 PM
We don't know why hobbits that came from the humans are shorter and so different.

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 5:36 PM
Elves were monogamous.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:36 PM
Aye, Eonwe.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:36 PM
It has been a long week...I am just trying to be funny. Sorry.

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 5:36 PM
Dwarves were monogamous, and specifically said to be very jealous about their rights in that regard.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:37 PM
So why would hobbits be so different? Petty dwarves were short even for dwarves.
But they were mortal, as humans are, so that would not be a problem.
Petty dwarves were disappearing, going extinct.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 5:37 PM
they were also not that well regarded even among their own folk

Varda — Yesterday at 5:38 PM
Right!
But humans seem to have some that will cross with anyone. Sad to say.
It could explain the size.
Maybe the ears.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 5:38 PM
i wonder .. whether they sought to ensure that at least some of their dna survived ..

Varda — Yesterday at 5:39 PM
The furry feet are tough to explain. But we don't know how hirsute the petty dwarves were.
It's a stretch. : )
We have no good explanation, other than probable experimentation by Morgoth or Sauron.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 5:39 PM
even if they knew that as a race they would vanish but you see what i hint at :)  a long stretch indeed but not impossible

Varda — Yesterday at 5:40 PM
Aye. It's the first "maybe" I've seen to explain what cross could be made.
[5:41 PM]
We know Morgoth could not create life, but he could corrupt it to change it, if only for mockery, and also for weapons. He had Sauron take over to handle that.
So some humans might have been part of a failed experiment. Probably didn't want small folk, but ones for armies
Thrown out in the trash, so to speak.

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 5:41 PM
I somehow doubt Morgoth or Sauron had a hand in the appearance of Hobbits.
[5:42 PM]
For one, Sauron would've known about them then.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:42 PM
It can also be like Arien said, an attempt by the petty dwarves to keep some part of their line alive.

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 5:42 PM
Except Mim said he was the last.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:42 PM
Aye, that is one problem I have. Sauron didn't know.
[5:43 PM]
Mim would have been the last, if the others were hybrids.
It's really a stretch. Just tough figuring out how hobbits came to be.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:43 PM
Though they are of the Second-born, Hobbits bring some unique flavors to Arda. Perhaps that was Eru's intent in the beginning.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:44 PM
Could be one of those things where evil is turned to good.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:44 PM
We only have Mim's word that he was the last, right? There could have been others more to the east he didn't know about.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:44 PM
Perhaps a way of keeping whatever was decent from the petty dwarves rather than total annihilation.
[5:45 PM]
If these were hybrids, they would not be petty dwarves to Mim.
Don't seem to be any kind of dwarf, except for hole-dwelling and digging for homes.
And short.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:45 PM
Personally I suspect hobbits just came about by natural selection. An offshoot, though on a smaller timescale, adapted/selected for their environment.
[5:46 PM]
The mere fact that there were 3 "tribes" of hobbits to begin with, each adapted in a different way with visible differences, shows that they are quite... malleable.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:46 PM
So, they lived in an area that was very tiny and underground? Humans lost in the deep caverns?

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:46 PM
Could be?

Varda — Yesterday at 5:46 PM
They could have diverged after coming to be. Very likely and even suggested in the books. But there were early hobbits mentioned.
[5:47 PM]
Phar! Are hobbits popping up in your area?

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 5:47 PM
They could've spent a period of time living with taller humans, like the Druedain.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:47 PM
Well, I have one WoW friend who is not far from them, really.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:47 PM
heh

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:47 PM
Like the Entwives, they would probably like the Low Countries....

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 5:47 PM
That's why the Rohirrim remembered them in tales.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:48 PM
The hobbits apparently migrated from the east across the lands of the Rohirrim, and picked up some of their language.
[5:48 PM]
Druedain are also interesting. Why are they so different from ancient times? A bit more of Morgoth's attempt early on corrupting the starter humans?

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:49 PM
Or their original tongue was, in fact, Rohirric, but they dropped that and converted to Westron upon arrival in Eriador...keeping only some of their old names and things in their new language...

Varda — Yesterday at 5:50 PM
It does say they picked up some of the Rohirric language. They still have some words from then. And the Rohirrim were the first our hobbits met that seemed to have any info to speak of on them. (outside the Rangers who lived on their borders and Bree humans).

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:51 PM
Note that the "swarthy" men were smaller than the Edain, who had grown taller than their kin due to Elvish influences. If hobbits came from them, they would've been shorter and probably hairier to begin with.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:53 PM
Yet they were not swarthy...

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:53 PM
They might have been originally
Like I said, malleable.
[5:55 PM]
They certainly were friendlier than what we know of them, but that's a matter of time and perhaps influence by dwarven contacts or something.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:55 PM
They are, in the words of Winston Churchill, "A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma..."

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:55 PM
Not all dwarves were bad. Not all swarthy men were bad. If they were nice to each other, some form of hobbit might have arisen under dwarf influence.
[5:56 PM]
Note, though, that for their uniqueness to come about, hobbits must have been isolated from at least other Men for some time.

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 5:57 PM
Maybe Hobbits are the ones that didn't get picked at the Edain Awakening Draft, and the Druedain were picked last. We know that's how the Elves were divied up:
 One guy said "Those guys are cool with me. Let's go." And they became Minyar. Another said "Dudes. These guys are totally with me" and they became Tatyar. The last said "Ok, well I'll take these guys since there's more of them." And they became Nelyar.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:57 PM
I think we can dispense with any sort of evolutionary analysis here...the timeline is not correct. Too many changes in too short of a time period....best to chalk it up to the liberty of fantasy.

Varda — Yesterday at 5:58 PM
We do know that Morgoth and Sauron changed shapes with corruption and magic, trying to make new minions or for terror.

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 5:58 PM
And yes, I translated. The guy becoming the leader of the Tatyar totally said "Dudes."

Varda — Yesterday at 5:58 PM
hehe
The word they used at the time that we would now translate as "dudes". Makes sense. : )

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 5:59 PM
It was a gnarly time.

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 5:59 PM
Sounds like "Digger" in German...the word for "dude," or "bro."

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 5:59 PM
Well I'm not talking about the type of millions-of-years genetic evolution, but some sort of environmental adaptation might still have taken place.. and who knows, maybe some Vala or local Maia was interested in them and kinda "nudged" them a bit

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 6:00 PM
So it might be just "fantastical."

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 6:00 PM
given that the hobbits like farming , and flowers and colorful fruit and such we might guess which Vala that was

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:00 PM
We're still talking about a world wherein Men had been around for only 10000 years, after being sung into being, right?
[6:01 PM]
"fantastical" could surely be a factor

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:01 PM
Well, history is complicated.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:01 PM
Still, even fantasy can be the better for some underlying consistency and explainability.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 6:02 PM
and fascinating, dear Eonwe, and fascinating as a certain Pointy Ear would say

Varda — Yesterday at 6:03 PM
Space-faring Elf. : )

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 6:03 PM
giggles

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:03 PM
I'm not too sure about the underpinnings of Harry Potter's world, for example, but from what I remember from the movies it was a lot less consistent and a lot more "on the fly" than Tolkien's world or even the Discworld (after the first few novels).
[6:04 PM]
Which is why I've never really looked into the "lore" for that one.

Varda — Yesterday at 6:04 PM
Ok, so we have what explanations for hobbits? Eru bent them that way, human and petty dwarf cross, whatever happened to the Druedain could have happened to also form early hobbits.
Did that cover it?

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 6:04 PM
You nailed it.

Varda — Yesterday at 6:05 PM
Morgoth or Sauron corruption with a trash side-effect they didn't keep track of.
[Note of also mentioned: Humans trapped deep underground. Descendants of swarthy men.]

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 6:05 PM
well i got another fantastic speculation ..

Varda — Yesterday at 6:05 PM
Go for it. : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:05 PM
So if we have a fantastical world with Maiar taking an interest in mortals, and a mysterious evolutionary offshoot that we're trying to figure out... I could see a Maia nudging an isolated if rather friendly tribe of swarthy men into a sort of environmental evolution

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 6:05 PM
but that might be a bit .. well i like it somehow
[6:06 PM]
you know that both hobbits and Dunedain like smoking yes?

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 6:06 PM
Yes...and they like smoking the same thing...

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:06 PM
It would be unlikely that anyone following the Valar into Ea would mess with Eru's children.

Varda — Yesterday at 6:06 PM
We do know Maiar were on Arda. Melian for one. Orome was a Vala with many Maiar in the water. There was some slipping into Arda, maybe quite a bit.

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:06 PM
Smoking started with Hobbits as I recall.

Varda — Yesterday at 6:07 PM
Agreed, Eonwe. The Ainur on Eru's side would not want to wreck his creation.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:07 PM
"wreck"... or "save"?

Varda — Yesterday at 6:07 PM
Maybe the ... That's where I was going, Phar. : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:07 PM
Well, part of it at least.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 6:08 PM
and maybe not all the plants used were that harmless or even for religious reasons . as they do . maybe some of the herbs smoked had a negative effect of children being born smaller and less strong ? A kind of degeneration

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:08 PM
I do believe smoking can stunt your growth

Varda — Yesterday at 6:08 PM
So the trash that was thrown out was picked up and aided, probably on the quiet. They did not have their own origin in their history.
[6:08 PM]
heh

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 6:08 PM
Your idea is as good as any....

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:08 PM
A bit of both, Varda, I'd guess.

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:09 PM
Given that health and longevity tends to go with being taller (Calaquendi, Dunedain, Merry and Pippin), and falling into debasement and unhealth tends to go with getting shorter (Petty Dwarves, Orcs). It's unlikely someone on the Valar's side would steer the Hobbits into getting shorter.

Varda — Yesterday at 6:09 PM
Maybe smoking was part of a corruption process, and didn't work as intended.

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:09 PM
And keep in mind we're talking about "taller" and "shorter" in relation to the native heights of their people.

Varda — Yesterday at 6:09 PM
If the hobbits were already changed, shorter, other things, they may have been steered into being good folk instead of evil.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:10 PM
Dwarves lived longer than Men

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 6:10 PM
I must apologize and bow out. Thank you for the stimulating discussion this evening, Varda! It was a wonderful exchange of ideas. The library is telling me to get my books back in before closing...and I do want to get some Tolkien work in on my laptop this evening...so I say "Namarie" to everyone. Hope you all have a fantastic (no pun intended) week.! Sei gesund!

Varda — Yesterday at 6:10 PM
Density? : )
[6:10 PM]
We are overtime more than an hour. : )
Namarie!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:10 PM
As did Hobbits, for that matter. The "height" problem might have been circumvented by said helpful Maia.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 6:11 PM
Enjoy Sandalf and Namarie

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:11 PM
Namarie!

Sandalf13 — Yesterday at 6:11 PM
:)

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:11 PM
Take care Sandalf.

Varda — Yesterday at 6:12 PM
I need to go cook for five. They're probably pretty hungry by now. I still hear the workshop in progress.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:12 PM
Good luck

Varda — Yesterday at 6:12 PM
The gavels line up in size place

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:12 PM
Tell Sauron to fire up the volcano and cook a pteradactyl, er, fell beast, for dinner.

Varda — Yesterday at 6:12 PM
They tap the hammerpad in order

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:12 PM
How to bake your dragon.

Varda — Yesterday at 6:12 PM
TAP Tap tap tappity tap
[6:13 PM]
The hammerpad giggles

top

After-meeting!

[6:13 PM]
Hmm, dragon for dinner. Never know what's in that ground chuck.
[6:14 PM]
Fangorn says the cabinets are finished! Woot! Get to put stuff back up at last! More rooooom!
Storage, the epic struggle.

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:14 PM
And longevity of course in relation to native people as well, Phar. Whether orcs came from Elves or Edain, they were definitely shorter in height and lifespan than either one, and it took an infusion of new(?) Edain into the genetic pool to get the Uruk Hai (presumed). (edited)

Varda — Yesterday at 6:15 PM
Uruk-hai. Think they had Haradrim for that?
[6:15 PM]
If I remember correctly.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:15 PM
Hmm. If that can't be circumvented, that does lend to the idea that there's dwarf genetics in them.

Varda — Yesterday at 6:16 PM
And petty dwarf helps with size. I still think it's an intriguing idea. Kind of redemptive.

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:17 PM
Sauron might've used Haradrim. Saruman would've gone with nearer stock, possibly people who just so happened to "disappear".

Varda — Yesterday at 6:17 PM
Good point, Eonwe. : )
[6:18 PM]
Orcs do seem to have appeared before humans showed up, but the argument can certainly be made.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 6:18 PM
since that is what happened in our rp concerning the cultists we used for some time that seems likely

Varda — Yesterday at 6:18 PM
Our rp is now canon! or maybe not. ; )

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 6:18 PM
they used children mainly dry

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:19 PM
Orcs was a more generic term in its beginning, but we also aren't 100% sure on when exactly humans awoke, just on when they entered the histories of the Elves.

Varda — Yesterday at 6:19 PM
They also seem to have been picked up very early on by Morgoth.
So, potential orcs there.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 6:19 PM
But but .. i have vanish somewhere else that is neither sinister nor corruptive luckily

Varda — Yesterday at 6:19 PM
Yay!
[6:20 PM]
Shed some light on the subject over there. : )

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:20 PM
I make it a point to be sinister every day.

Varda — Yesterday at 6:20 PM
Fionwe!!

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:20 PM
Auros is also particularly sinister.

Varda — Yesterday at 6:20 PM
I guess you can look sinister as a military leader. : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:20 PM
Or just lefthanded

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:20 PM
Bingo :}

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 6:20 PM
fleshi eating duivets and killer pilows :O?

Varda — Yesterday at 6:20 PM
And yet, he is not possessed by that which he makes. Too bad all his students didn't pick up on that.
[6:21 PM]
Duvets do seem to devour coins, maybe popcorn.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:21 PM
Does that make me dextrous?

Varda — Yesterday at 6:21 PM
Left or right-handed? : )

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 6:21 PM
ambidextrous?

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:21 PM
Just the right

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:21 PM
Ok, fun time....
[6:22 PM]
Here's some words to remember,.. if I can dig them up quickly.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 6:24 PM
ah well thank you lor tonight from me  Namarie all

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:24 PM
Noldorin crumui is left-handed.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 6:25 PM
krumm  as in bent  in german comes to mind

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:25 PM
Namarie Arien! Have fun with the killer pillows.

Arien  Valar — Yesterday at 6:25 PM
and then the mind goes to "cearr( in gaelic forleft* , it also means wrong
[6:26 PM]
but yes  Namarie :)

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:27 PM
Noldorin forgam is right-handed.
[6:27 PM]
Quenya formaite is right-handed
[6:28 PM]
And I know there's another entry for left-handed but I can't remember where it is right now.
[6:28 PM]
But savor those little tidbits.
[6:32 PM]
Quenya seler is "sister"
[6:33 PM]
muinthel would be "dear sister" in Noldorin/possibly Sindarin, for anyone needing the word perhaps in a back story or anything...

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:43 PM
muindor would be "dear brother"
[6:43 PM]
That may help you, Phar.
[6:44 PM]
If we ever get to a confrontation, heh.
*another

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:44 PM
Heh, it may, though I'm not in much of a habit of throwing in Elvish in my posts.
But for the dramatic moment, maybe?

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:44 PM
Can't hurt :}
[6:46 PM]
Lol, that other entry for left-hand was closer than I thought and right where i should've expected it to be, heh.
[6:47 PM]
Pun semi-intended :}
[6:50 PM]
Quenya hyarmaite, also Noldorin hargam are left-handed. Given the more direct relation to forgam and to the related root words, I'd say hargam is probably the best word to use.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:51 PM
Now i'm just reminded of flotsam and jetsam.
A term which, by the way, I hadn't heard of before reading LotR.

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 6:53 PM
Though I will interject that since the hyarmen/formen (South/North) relating to left/right is likely from a post-Valar point in time (Since that puts West as "forward"), it's possible crumui's root stems from a time before that.
[6:55 PM]
Well as a professor of language, Tolkien would be thrilled he taught you those words I'm sure :}

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 6:55 PM
hehe

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Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:16 PM
Personal gaming report time!
[8:17 PM]
For (non)flashgaming, I've got https://www.kongregate.com/games/ZBlip/mine-of-sight for you this week.
    Kongregate
    Mine of Sight
    Minesweeper#39s weird cousin. Use a variety of clues to find all the mines. Over 100 levels.

[8:18 PM]
It's a sort of minesweeper, but with no guessing required  Puzzles that get more complex as you go, with various new types of hints introduced along the way to see where the mines are.
[8:20 PM]
Enjoy solving em all!

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 8:58 PM
Blizzard gaming:
Hearthstone:
level 139 on the reward track now.
[9:00 PM]
Brawl is Temporus Shift, where each turn, except the first turn, you get an extra turn. Double turns all the way!
[9:01 PM]
Was at a bit of a loss for what to use, but some googling gave me tips on using aggressive cheap decks to play minions and immediately have them attack on the double turn. Good old murloc warlock to the rescue
[9:03 PM]
Not much to tell for mercenaries, didn't get too many levels, despite doing a lot of tasks. Most of them were for max level ones, or just finished quickly for the lower ones.
Did get Varian's first few levels, and managed to get enough coins for a new legendary merc, Diablo! (edited)
[9:04 PM]
WoW:
[9:05 PM]
Raiding continuing, our best Rygelon attempt was somewhere in his 30s. First few main phases and intermissions are falling into place. My tanking is sorely tested, though... I've never had to stagger and time my defensives this accurately just to survive  But hey, that's the challenge, isn't it?
[9:06 PM]
Weekly is world quests, which, if nothing else, is a nice source of anima. I'll need much of it to get the last bunch of soulshapes!
[9:08 PM]
Got a new pet, somewhat rare drop from maw mobs, the Grappling Gauntlet, which a friend already had 3 of, so he had one on offer  I do not quite have the time for pet farming myself right now and it's like... 1% from a bunch of various mobs, so it saves me a grind!
[9:09 PM]
As well as a new toy! A mage friend of mine pointed out an obscure toy called the Magical Saucer from a vendor in the Mage Hall from Legion who does literally nothing else, so I completely missed him when I did the campaign with my mage.
So I sent her back into the class hall just to pick up the toy, and now I've got a nice saucer that allows all my pets to fly
[9:11 PM]
Speaking of alts, the paladin continues into Revendreth... intro goes a bit slow since she's getting side-tracked by optional questlines, but that does mean I've already got 3 out of 6 for those done in the zone. Next up will be meeting the master and then really getting into the meat of that zone, with the accuser and the penitent hunt.
And that's my report for the week!

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 9:21 PM
If I could muster the interest, now would be a good time to get my Hunter max level so I can do that Hunter stuff.

Ar-Pharazon-V — Yesterday at 9:22 PM
the dark ranger stuff, heh, yes... well, I did have plans to level my hunter later in the year, so the xp bonus might come in handy after all.
Not for the rogue and mage, though, since I'll be taking them through the 4 questing zones anyway. It'll probably just mean they'll hit 60 in Maldraxxus rather than Ardenweald.
[9:29 PM]
Well, namarie!

Eonwλ Valar — Yesterday at 9:29 PM
Sleep well Phar.

Varda — Yesterday at 11:28 PM
Nighty night


July 25, 2022

Eonwλ Valar — Today at 12:14 AM
Hmm, forgot what I was going to say, heh.
[12:15 AM]
Have the opening song to one of my favorite anime instead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2FFrrpoHIo
    YouTube
    Maaya Sakamoto - Topic
    Kiseki no umi

Varda — Today at 12:45 AM
Thanks : )

Eonwλ Valar — Today at 12:46 AM
:}

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