Valar Guild

May 1, 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): (5)
    Discord:
Arien, Ar-Pharazon, Eonwe, Sandalf13, Varda (presiding)
Before-meeting
Meeting begins
Membership news:
Web:

    Forum: New RP story posts: RP post from Auros mentioned, RP posting and how to come up with names for weapons etc, RP upcoming week's posting.
Gaming:
    World of Warcraft, Diablo Immortal, Overwatch 2, Hearthstone, Lord of the Rings Online
Tolkien:
    Topic:
Were entwives walking the Shire? How would the Ents find out if so?
    Topic (in After-meeting): problems with the geology of Tolkien's mountain ranges.
After-meeting:
    (non)Flashgaming Reviews (plus) by Ar-Pharazon:
COLORUID-2. Includes Game of Thrones; Blizzard games Hearthstone and World of Warcraft.
List of where other links came up (happens a lot):
    *Link: LotRO soundtrack on LotRO.com for the 15th Anniversary
    *Link: LotRo soundtrack on YouTube for the 15th Anniversary
    *Link: dartboard darts with image of Phar's WoW bear druid on the fletching
    *Link: Space - Female of the Species
    *Link: Clamavi de Profundis - Lament for Boromir
    *Link: Runrig - Book of Golden Stories
 
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Before-meeting

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
aiya

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Aiya!

Varda — 05/01/2022
Aiya
[4:00 PM]
Alarm didn't want to cut off, heh.

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
Hallo!

Varda — 05/01/2022
@Bounder Aiya! Time once again to say hello, chat gaming and Tolkien! Come on in!
[4:01 PM]
Aiya Arien, Phar, and Sandalf : )
[4:02 PM]

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Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo!
[4:02 PM]
A star shines on the hour of our meeting!

Membership:

Happy to say Elwing is visiting our house, and also catching up on LotRO while here. : )
[4:03 PM]
Any other membership news? Sandalf hoverboarding across a lake maybe?

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
My birthday in a few weeks!

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
I wish. I am back home in Lincoln. Spring one day, March the next.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
weeks?
[4:03 PM]
I mean days.

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
Happy Birthday!

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Thanks

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
Heya.

Varda — 05/01/2022
Aiya Eonwe : )
[4:05 PM]
Guess we'd better start on that seven-layer cake.

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
aiya Eonwe and happy birthday :)_

Varda — 05/01/2022
And May all go well for you today

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
May the First be with you!

Varda — 05/01/2022
hehe! That's right!

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
nice one

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
Doesn't Ar deserve at least an eight layer cake?

Varda — 05/01/2022
Fangorn also has a May birthday. Must be a good month.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
And about 200 candles.

Varda — 05/01/2022
starts an 8th layer

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
produces sun ray candles

Varda — 05/01/2022
O good. I was about to use 3 candles in number shape so we wouldn't be eating wax.
[4:11 PM]
That should keep the cake warm.
fences the icing to keep it attached

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Web:

[4:11 PM]
Forum: New post from Eonwe. : )
[4:11 PM]

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Gaming:

[4:12 PM]
tosses gavel to Fionwe

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
Catches gavel
[4:13 PM]

World of Warcraft:
This week's Bonus Event: Shadowlands Dungeons.

The PvP Brawl: Deepwind Dunk runs through Tuesday, May 2nd.
The Darkmoon Faire begins today and runs through Saturday, May 7th.
[4:14 PM]
Children's Week begins Monday, May 2nd and runs through May 9th. ---
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/22965339/childrens-week-has-arrived
    World of Warcraft
    Children’s Week Has Arrived! - WoW
    It’s time to give back to the children of Azeroth during Children’s Week! Take an orphan under your wing and show them the wonders of the world.

[4:14 PM]
Blizzard will be announcing the new Warcraft mobile game on May 3rd. ---
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23790112/youre-invited-to-a-warcraft-mobile-game-reveal
    World of Warcraft
    You’re Invited to a Warcraft® Mobile Game Reveal! - WoW
    Join us on May 3 at 10:00 a.m. PDT, where we’ll pull back the blue curtain to unveil our first mobile game in the Warcraft Universe, a strategy game designed from the ground up for mobile.

[4:14 PM]
Check out the latest hotfixes. ---
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23770463/hotfixes-april-26-2022
    World of Warcraft
    Hotfixes: April 26, 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.

[4:14 PM]
Diablo Immortal:
[4:15 PM]
Diablo Immortal launches June 2nd. ---
https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/diablo-immortal/23787371/diablo-immortal-a-new-plane-of-hell-opens-for-mobile-and-pc-on-june-2
    Diablo® Immortal™: A New Plane Of Hell Opens For Mobile And PC On J...
    The time to brandish your weapon and fight for Sanctuary in the free-to-play Diablo Immortal is approaching. Read on to learn about Immortal for PC and what to expect on June 2.

[4:15 PM]
Overwatch 2:
The Overwatch 2 PvP Beta began this week. ---
https://playoverwatch.com/en-us/news/23798985/welcome-to-the-first-overwatch-2-pvp-beta/
    Overwatch
    Welcome to the first Overwatch 2 PvP Beta
    FAQ, Twitch Drops, and Beta Bash Stream.

[4:15 PM]
Hearthstone:
[4:15 PM]
Patch 23.0.3 came out this week. ---
https://playhearthstone.com/en-us/news/23797160/23-0-3-patch-notes
    23.0.3 Patch Notes
    Patch 23.0.3 includes balance changes to Standard, Wild, and Battlegrounds!

[4:16 PM]
Last but not least..

Lord of the Rings Online:
Update 33.0.1 came out this week. ---
https://www.lotro.com/update-notes/lotro-update-33-0-1-release-notes-en
    The Lord of the Rings Online
    Update 33.0.1 Release Notes
    Here are the Release Notes for Update 33.0.1: The Yondershire, released on Wednesday 27, 2022.

[4:16 PM]
If you like game soundtracks, don't miss the 15th Anniversary soundtrack made available for download. ---
https://www.lotro.com/news/lotro-15th-anniversary-soundtrack-en
    The Lord of the Rings Online
    Listen to our 15th Anniversary Soundtrack Here!
    Listen to some of the best music made for LOTRO over the past five years in a new 15th Anniversary Soundtrack!

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
You put an overwatch link at hearthstone.

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
Hmm, one moment.
[4:17 PM]
Fixed :}

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
And I'm actually interested in Diablo Immortal now that it's announced for pc, as well as the horadric set they're going to put in now that 30 million people have opted in
[4:18 PM]
Time for one more version of my ranger Caliona, in demon hunter form this time!

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
That's it for gaming news from me.

Varda — 05/01/2022
Thank you, Eonwe.
[4:20 PM]
A bit more from me on Lord of the Rings Online.
[4:21 PM]
Another spot for that LotRO music is:
[4:21 PM]
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp8-eNYOqZmMJHrJmBI6Xptbt35NlDUuB
    YouTube
    15th Anniversary Soundtrack - The Lord of the Rings Online
    Over the past 15 years The Lord of the Rings Online has continued to grow and move beyond the bounds of Eriador all the way to Mordor, along with many places...

[4:21 PM]
Tier 5 of The Hiddenhoard of Abnankara will open at 12:00 PM Eastern (-4 GMT) on Thursday, May 5th.
The Leading the Charge end date for all tiers of the raid is now 3:00 AM Eastern on June 16th.
(That's the end-game raid.)

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
my difficulty 3 captain is 26 now and still en route  so yeah captain is the way to go if you plan on doing  the run for the title on the legendary server

Varda — 05/01/2022
Interesting!
[4:22 PM]
She's referring to the difficulty server, Shadowfax, rather than Anor.
Helm's Deep arrives on Shadowfax on May 4th
[4:23 PM]
The Legendary World of Shadowfax will reach Helm's Deep with a level cap of 95 on May 4th, 2022.

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
ah okay

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Do you need level cap for that title?

Varda — 05/01/2022
If it hasn't changed, need 50 on Difficulty 3 at least.
[4:24 PM]
Celeborn and Hurin were on 8 days ago but I missed spotting them in time for last week's report.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Ah. Halfway then for Arien!

Varda — 05/01/2022
: )
[4:24 PM]
Landroval server:
Elwing
Eonwe
Ioreth
Nar
Thranduil
Varda

Anor server:
Eonwe
Fangorn
Varda

Shadowfax server:
Arien
Varda

Treebeard server:
Varda
[4:26 PM]
I've been checking out the new Yondershire area. (North Farthing of the Shire.)

Any other gaming news anyone would like to mention?
[4:26 PM]
StarCraft 2: Fangorn, Eowyn, Faramir, (and Ciaran) that I know of.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Not a video game per se, but I got personalized dart flights ordered for my birthday, and they arrived a few days ago  Got a selfie picture of my WoW bear druid on them

Varda — 05/01/2022
O neat!
[4:27 PM]
Do we get to see the pic?

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
hang on, let's see if I can embed...
[4:28 PM]
https://i.imgur.com/xombRx8.jpg will do

Varda — 05/01/2022
There you go!
[4:29 PM]
Handsome stuff
[4:30 PM]
Happy pre-birthday : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
WoW selfie camera always makes it interesting
[4:30 PM]
Thanks!

Varda — 05/01/2022
If there is no other gaming news...?
[4:34 PM]
on to
[4:34 PM]

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Tolkien!

[4:35 PM]
The North Farthing, the new area (called Yondershire in LotRO) in the game includes a lot that you can recognize from the Atlas of Middle-earth.
Fabulous places such as the town of Nobottle. ; )
Also characters you may recognize: Marigold, Diamond of Long Cleeve. [Note: Gildor Inglorion too]

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Was that were a walking tree was spotted?
[4:35 PM]
*where

Varda — 05/01/2022
Yes, Long Cleeve is there.
[4:36 PM]
Pardon, that was not an answer to Phar there!
Think they said north of the Shire? I'll look...

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
One of my long term puzzlements...i think that the Entwives may be wandering around the Shire...as Fangorn points out, they would have liked that land.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Ah, is that not the North Farthing then?

Varda — 05/01/2022
(I need to get a Kindle for fast searches.)
[4:37 PM]
Agreed. Galadriel said they would meet in the west, and she may not have meant Valinor.  : )
[4:39 PM]
FotR "The Shadow of the Past":
[4:39 PM]
Sam at the Green Dragon:
[4:39 PM]
"But what about thes Tree-men, these giants, as you might call them?
Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
yup.

Varda — 05/01/2022
They do say that one bigger than a tree was seen up away beyond the North Moors not long back."
[4:40 PM]
(cutting down a bit farther below that comment):
[4:41 PM]

"But this one was as big as an elm tree, and walking -- walking seven yards to a stride, if it was an inch."
...
"But this one was walking, I tell you; and there ain't no elm tree on the North Moors."
[4:42 PM]
End quote.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Then he can't have seen one

Varda — 05/01/2022
That's  what Ted Sandyman said, all right!

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Some things just stick

Varda — 05/01/2022
Aye. : )

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
But I think he did see an Entwife....the only trouble is, if there were Entwives around the Shire somewhere, surely Gildor Inglorion or the Dunedain Rangers would have spotted them sometime over all the ages past?

Varda — 05/01/2022
But would those folk have been back to tell Treebeard?
[4:44 PM]
The elves heading West like Gildor probably did not.

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
I agree...that is why I said it is a puzzle...

Varda — 05/01/2022
The Dunedain stayed near the Shire until Aragorn called them.
[4:45 PM]
Aragorn didn't seem to get to talk to Treebeard.

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
The Hobbits themselves never strayed far fromThe Shire, but the wandering Rangers and Elves might have seen an Entwife...

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
North Moors, then. Would those not be in the North Farthing?

Varda — 05/01/2022
The map in LotRO that I'm looking at shows Yondershire as north-west of the main Shire. Does someone have the Atlas handy?
[4:46 PM]
Atlas of Middle-earth.

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
I like to think that there are Entwives keeping themselves well-hidden in the vicinity of The Shire...a perfect hideout for them.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Would've been funny if the party tree just up and left at some point. "Well, it's been fun!"

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
Yes...but the Party Tree was clearly not an Ent.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Are you sure...?

Varda — 05/01/2022
That would have been funny. : )
[4:49 PM]
I don't think it was an ent, since the Party Tree was destroyed. Replaced by a mallorn by Sam.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
True.

Varda — 05/01/2022
An ent would not have allowed such nonsense.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
But are we sure it was destroyed, or did it run away?

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
the only ent we know of anywhere near the shire is Old Man Willow and "his heart is as black as that of a black huorn*

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
And perhaps the Elves thought, in the wisdom of their vast Middle-earth history....that it would be better not to mention the existence of Entwives abroad...better to let things turn out as they will....but the Dunedain might not be so circumspect, or maybe I need to give more credit for keeping silent about the Entwives.

Varda — 05/01/2022
The Dunedain stayed in the area of Anor until Aragorn called them to battle, however, so they would probably not have met Treebeard.
[4:50 PM]
Fangorn Forest had not seen an elf in a long time.
[4:51 PM]
I do think JRRT was showing us a bit of hope (major theme) since we readers knew a tree walked north of the Shire. : )
It was a tease to us that no main character mentioned it to Treebeard! aghh
[4:52 PM]
Ok, somebody go write a fan-fic on this for our site. ; )

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
The north, the east... Merry and Pippin at least had knowledge of walking trees from before.
[4:53 PM]
You'd think they'd say something like "Oh, yeah, we see you guys around all the time."

Varda — 05/01/2022
But they had not seen such a thing themselves, apparently.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
They'd seen Willow.

Varda — 05/01/2022
Not something to make Treebeard happy.

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
Here is the applicable section from
The TT...Chapter "Treebeard."
"You have never see any, hm, Ents round there, did you?...Well, not Ents, Entwives, I should really say. "   
Later: "But they would like your country, so I just wondered."

Varda — 05/01/2022
Sam's cousin Hal was notorious for tall tales, not what they might have thought was a reliable source.
[4:55 PM]
Thanks, Sandalf!

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Still, it should've rung a few bells.
[4:56 PM]
Not ents, not entwives, really... just some cranky old willow tree.

Varda — 05/01/2022
But they personally had not seen any walking trees and might not have wanted to get hopes up?
[4:56 PM]
Aye, at least mention Old Man Willow!
Teasing us readers. sigh

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
I agree with Varda, and think that J.R.R. put that very brief hint in his text as something else to hope for....and hope is the key element.
[4:57 PM]
I think that the Entwives would feel right at home around The Shire.

Varda — 05/01/2022
Aye. : )

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
So again...in their own way, the Ents are just like us....there are good Ents, there are bad Ents, and there are Entwives.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
No need to assume all Entwives are good, either. Could be good and bad ones.
[4:59 PM]
Entwitches

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
Very true....but Tolkien does not get that far...just his hint about possible Entwives around The Shire. Like all males, and excuse me ahead of time for saying so, but I find "evil" more prevalent in the male of the species than the female. Maybe I was raised as a male Chauvinist pig, but there you are...

Varda — 05/01/2022
Interesting thought. Corruption might have hit after despair on one or two?

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
I suspect females are more subtle about it

Varda — 05/01/2022
The males might have had more chance to show it on a large scale in those times.

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
All true.

Varda — 05/01/2022
And it's possible that JRRT felt the same way, thus not a lot of Maleficents. : )
[5:01 PM]
The Rohirrim feared Galadriel as an evil sorceress.
[5:02 PM]
So in JRRT's works, the ladies might actually be more likely to be good folk.

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
There is something deeply biologic about this, too. In the famous footsteps at Laetoli, in the Afar Basin in Africa, there is evidence of a male Australopithecus leading a "herd" of other Australopithecines, some of whom appear to be women and children....so the male leads, and the females follow with the kids. Does this say anything about our human condition?

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
Thuringwethil. Ungoliant. Lobelia.

Varda — 05/01/2022
Well, it would be easy to digress to real life, but that's beyond our scope at this meeting.
[5:05 PM]
Thanks, Eonwe.

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1NBpVKWh_c
    YouTube
    Radial by The Orchard
    Space - Female Of The Species

Varda — 05/01/2022
Lobelia did redeem herself at least.

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
sorry for that i couldn t resist that
[5:05 PM]
;)

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
Agreed. And Lobelia turns out to a good person at the end. I also saw a very sympathetic article about her in "Men of the West" or some other Tolkien website.

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
but on a more serious note i wonder whether they might have been corrupted to something evil like all those rustling huorns ?#]
[5:07 PM]
since they abandoned their gardens and they became the brown lands

Varda — 05/01/2022
Thuringwethil, most likely yes.

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
Women can definitely be as evil as Men. Men and women just don't go necessarily go about either Good or Evil in the same way. (edited)

Varda — 05/01/2022
Pardon, didn't read that properly. Sure, entwives might have gone bad like any other being.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Spoken like a married man!

Varda — 05/01/2022
They had to abandon their gardens due to the attack that caused them to become the Brown Lands.
[5:08 PM]
Trying to stick to Tolkien here. : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Right, sorry

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
No. I view the Entwives as beneficent, gentle creatures who love nurturing living and growing things.

Varda — 05/01/2022
Of course in rl women can be evil too. JRRT seemed to have a gentler view.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Said attack could have had some corruption effect on them as well.

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
Entwives weren't satisfied letting things grow of their own accord and nature, so they forced them to grow how they desired them to grow.

Varda — 05/01/2022
The Entwives taught gardening to other species. They left the Brown Lands to parts unknown rather than attacking

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
I am closer to his vintage than most of you, and I agree. I was raised to believe that women are not capable of evil and are, in fact, on a higher spiritual level than men....for better or worse, real or imagined.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Well, I guess most were fine, but some bad apples perhaps?

Varda — 05/01/2022
Agriculture allowed a more comfortable lifestyle for many.
[5:10 PM]
Men in real life seem to have a natural protective feeling for women, and there I go,  digresssing. /smackhead

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
But I also know that that is not completely true.

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
there is also the possibility that they recognised the signs of corruption and retired into the unkknown rather than risking to become really evil and might have had an attempt of healing themselves and decided not to return until they were fully healed

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
If women are not capable of evil, then women are not human :}

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
which might take them until after the last battle .. according to that song

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
Yes. I believe that those feelings in men are a residue of our long evolutionary history. Protect women! A lot more is invested in them as far as the future of the species goes! Stupid men are expendable...women are not.

Varda — 05/01/2022
Women were supposed to be nurturers of the family, raising children. That's a full-time job to keep them from being busy with evil things. : )
[5:12 PM]
Smart, strong men might survive though. : )

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Well, they are more biologically suited to it, anyway... though seahorses maybe...

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
Just playing thought games here or if u want speculation

Varda — 05/01/2022
Keeping their females alive meant survival of the species.
[5:12 PM]
Ok, calling the gavels in at this  point.
[5:13 PM]
two by two, the gavels go
boo!
hammerpad jumps and drops with a THUNK!
[5:13 PM]

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After-meeting!

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
And that is a serious problem, when men and society see themselves as stupid and expendable. I see already where that leads.

Varda — 05/01/2022
Free chat. Be nice to each other. : )

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
Ouch!

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
oh i wanted to post you this little gem Tolkien related
[5:14 PM]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjPxuY9djhw
    YouTube
    Clamavi De Profundis
    Lament for Boromir - Enhanced Edition - Clamavi De Profundis

Varda — 05/01/2022
Men have to be smart and stay alive long enough to be fathers, and provide provender for all their brood.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Pff, in current years, fathers can father while the mothers bring home the bacon

Varda — 05/01/2022
We know of no children for Boromir. Faramir though, we know of at least one grandchild. : )
[5:15 PM]
Let Boromir be an uncle posthumously.

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
nice

Varda — 05/01/2022
Tough on the children. They don't see either parent with both working for most of the day.

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
i am sure though he d have liked to meet his niece was it@~\\\\\\\\/
[5:15 PM]
?
[5:16 PM]
but she likely grew up with tales of him

Varda — 05/01/2022
For sure.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Crazy uncle Boromir.

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
we all have crazy uncles...

Varda — 05/01/2022
We need tales like JRRT's to help remind people that men can be heroes.

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
and some hidden heroes i am sure
[5:23 PM]
unsung heroes

Varda — 05/01/2022
Our military, firefighters, police have been showing amazing heroism and protectiveness  for a long time.

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
I believe that Tolkien wants us all to believe that we too can be heroes or heroines, each in our own way.

Varda — 05/01/2022
Mostly men.
[5:24 PM]
True, Sandalf.

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
where would Faramir have been without Ioreth?

Varda — 05/01/2022
Eowyn wanted to show her mettle, her "quality". She and Faramir understood each other that way. : )
[5:24 PM]
I have to go.

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
or Merry

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
Sei gesund! Namarie!

Varda — 05/01/2022
Namarie for now : )

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
Take care Varda.

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
Namarie for now

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Namarie!

Varda — 05/01/2022
Teamwork is good : )

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
Yes Merry...I remember highlighting the scene of the fall of the Witch King on the Pelennor the very first time I read the LoTR...."She should not die, so young...alone...." thought Merry. He summoned up the deeply buried courage of his race and did what he had to do. So may we all be so lucky in time of need.
[5:27 PM]
I am no doubt biased, but I find Merry's actions in battle somewhat more deeply satisfying than Pippin's.
Although BOTH were good.

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
:)
[5:28 PM]
unlikely heroes our hobbits eh?#

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
Yes.

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
but there you go
[5:28 PM]
that is how life is
[5:30 PM]
some times it can be harder to live than the opposite but *as long as there is still a morning and miracles in more than i can say it's an earth that keeps me still beliving . Your memory is everything" Runrig, Book of Golden Stories

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
"For it is said in the songs of the Mark that in this deed Eowyn had the aid of Theodens esquire, and he also was not a Man but a Halfling out of a far country, though Eomer gave him honor in the Mark..."
Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
:)
[5:33 PM]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxydyQigqXg
    YouTube
    RunrigVEVO
    Runrig - Book of Golden Stories (Live at Stirling 2018 - Official V...

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
I always suspected that when Merry and Pippin return to Rohan enroute to Gondor, after they have both passed age 100, they were welcomed with a guard of honor as they entered Rohan to visit King Eomer.

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
and they lived there until they died

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
Yes...in Gondor. And they were laid to rest with Elessar after he passed away later.

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
aye

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
I think we lost Ar and Eonwe...

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
it is getting late

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
Yes indeed.
[5:35 PM]
Especially for you and Ar.

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
it s time for me to go to bed as well .. just listening out the song

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
No, I'm here
[5:36 PM]
Just watching a video and thinking I've not much to add here.

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
From here I head to the Telegraph Mill coffee house to work on Chapter Three. Sei gesund, Arien! Namarie!

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
Stay safe , Sandalf !

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Namarie!

Arien  Valar — 05/01/2022
and Namarie and stay safe Phari

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
namarie

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
How are you, Ar?

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Hmm, pretty normal I guess
[5:38 PM]
should probably buy something to get as a gift for my birthday from my parents... not sure yet

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
Do you usually pick out your own birthday gifts? I am jealous that your parents are still around to give you gifts....may it be so for a long time to come.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Right  They're in their mid-sixties. And yeah, nobody knows what to give me, so either it's money or something I pick out...
[5:40 PM]
actually, they also pay for my subscription to train at the physical therapist's place, which is usually framed as a birthday gift... so I might not need to

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
As long as you remember the gift is from them...your parents. My Mother always encouraged me to give something, not money, because "something," - a thing - lasts longer than money, and reminds you of the person who gave it to you.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Eh, I guess we're more practical
[5:42 PM]
And the idea of course is that you use the money to buy something like that.

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
Your parents sound like very special people to be so gracious to you. You are a lucky man! Sehr glücklich!

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
I am!
[5:42 PM]
Heck, I'm almost 37 and they don't even mind me still living with them.
[5:43 PM]
That should tell you enough.

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
That is wonderful.
[5:43 PM]
My youngest is now 41.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Living with you?

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
She is married and lives here in Lincoln, with her three children and a doting husband. All my other kids are far away.
[5:44 PM]
I have eight grandchildren, and counting.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Yes, I imagine that plays a big part in it as well. I still live in my parent's home and my brother and fiancee live about 3 minutes away by foot.

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
That is neat.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
They'd hate it if we moved away too far

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
That is even better!
[5:45 PM]
Do you have just the one brother, or are there others?
I have an older and a younger sister...and five grand-nieces and nephews.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Just the one. And my mother was an only child. But my dad had 2 brothers (still has 1) and in total we are 6 cousins.

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
I keep in very close touch with many of my cousins. My parents always emphasized close family relations.
[5:50 PM]
Funny...I have the most grandchildren out of my sisters and I.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Heh.

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
As a matter of fact, I am due for my biweekly phone call with one of my cousins tonight.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Ah, enjoy

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
Please take care and have a wonderful week ahead. I really hope to finish the Geology of Middle-earth this week....the problem is, that a lot of Tolkien's maps are not easily explained using the standard geologic plate tectonic models. His arrangement of mountains makes almost no geologic sense, therefore, is hard to interpret...but I am trying my best. So many incongruities do not sit well with my scientific and geologic training.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
It really was not made for what you're doing, but I'm amazed at anything you manage to get out of it

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
I hope you are right. Is it possible to conceive of a Moutain Range like the Misty Mountains, supposedly 16,000 feet tall, that is only 40 miles wide? Not very likely, geologically. The Himalayas, Appalachians-Caledonides, Rockies, usw, are HUNDREDS of miles wide.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
What about the Andes? Too low?

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
40 miles from Durin's gate to the East Gate.
[5:56 PM]
The Andes are more than one hundred miles in width, and they are as tall as the Rockies...actually, the tallest peak in the Western Hemisphere is in the Andes.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Ah. They look less wide

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
I include a table with the width of modern mountain ranges in my Chapter Three.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Still, Moria might have been a thin point.
[5:57 PM]
Right, fair enough

Sandalf13 — 05/01/2022
Yes...but still.
[5:58 PM]
Denali is the tallest peak in North America, coming in at over 20,500 feet, I believe.
[5:59 PM]
The Colorado Rockies are only 14,000 feet high....but the high plains of the Great Plains clock in at over 6,000 feet. Western Nebraska is over 5,500 feet.
[6:00 PM]
I sure notice the difference when I go running in Denver! (5,280 feet).
[6:01 PM]
So. As I said earlier, stay healthy and enjoy a good week. I need to get to the Mill while the going is good, so they say. Namarie and sei gesund, Ar!

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Namarie!

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
I hope everyone enjoyed the latest Telperos post.
[7:03 PM]
-- to the RP

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Lot of weaponry
[7:03 PM]
How do you come up with those names? I'm terrible at em.

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
I dug into the Etymologies in HoME V for some inspiration.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Ah.

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
I went through a couple of ideas, decided I didn't like those, and went with something else :}

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
hehe

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
The explanations for the sword and the bow do hint at the meanings of the names, but I thought the short sword was evident enough to not give much in that regard and give more on background :}

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
heh

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
Let me know if I assumed too much in that regard :}

Varda — 05/01/2022
Frali might need to ask at least, if those names have any meaning. : )

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
Hmm, good point. :}
[7:56 PM]
Would Frali know enough Sindarin to work with I wonder.

Varda — 05/01/2022
Maybe, after all that time in Mirkwood and Rivendell.

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Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Personal gaming report!
[8:01 PM]
For (non)flashgaming I'll give you
https://www.kongregate.com/games/PasKuda13/coloruid-2-html5 where you have to make the entire field one color, by selecting a color in each move, painting a point and letting it spread throughout another color. Is more simple than I make it sound.
    Kongregate
    COLORUID-2 [HTML5]
    Fill each level with a single color, by painting and merging existing colors within a limited amount of moves.

[8:01 PM]
Also nice music
[8:03 PM]
Additional mention: In the Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming city builder I've been playing for about 3 years now, I've finally got the resources and time gathered together to max out the military research branch and unlock the single biggest upgrade players have  generally been strategizing towards from the release of the game: Tier 4 soldiers
[8:04 PM]
Staying free to play means it took me rather longer than many other players, but it's a huge milestone!
[8:04 PM]
It should also complete the final story chapter, though they might have added in more afterwards
[8:05 PM]
In the last year or so they've also added some new content and tier 5, but tier 4 has been the "classic" endgoal, and with it a lot of gameplay should be a lot smoother for me.
[8:07 PM]
The final research is now underway, and after I let it gather up some gold overnight, I'll complete it tomorrow and start producing tier 4 armies. So yay!
[8:07 PM]

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Blizzard gaming:
[8:08 PM]
Hearthstone:
Level 50 on the reward track!
[8:09 PM]
That gave me a free random legendary card from the new expansion, in my case a warlock legendary that fits the new Abyssal Curse mechanic.
Demon Hunter is about two thirds of the way to level 60, so should get it during the next week.
[8:10 PM]
Diamond Drek'thar was indeed taken from the shop, so I suddenly had enough gold to buy 3 new card backs.
[8:11 PM]
Those being Fossil, Frostmourne and For the Hoard!, previously tied to pre-ordering 3 expansions.
I think I've only got 2 or 3 card backs to go for gold.
[8:13 PM]
Brawl is Hallucinations, where you get to discover cards from your opponent's class. Bit tough and random, but it helps to take a class whose cards the enemy is generally worse at using, such as warlock or maybe rogue. But with randomness abound, stuff like priest also works well as a general buffer.
[8:14 PM]
For mercenaries, leveled a bunch more, notably getting Uther and Sinestra started on their journey. No new max heroes, although I did complete the final task for Cornelius.
[8:15 PM]
I also completed the next story chapter, 19, by defeating emperor Thaurissan in Blackrock Mountain. Took me 2 tries at his bounty, actually, since you need to be careful not to use too much random damage and aoe, and some healing also helps
[8:16 PM]
Between the story chapter and the 18th task for Cornelius, I got 2 packs, from which I got a portrait for Tavish and a portrait for Kurtrus.
Oh, and along the way I got a new mercenary as well, Wrathion, for bounty coins.
[8:19 PM]
WoW:
[8:19 PM]
Raiding still continuing, got our second Rygelon kill, though no attempts at the Jailer yet.
[8:20 PM]
Weekly is mythic dungeons... and I got quite lucky with loot, as I got both my missing dungeon pets
[8:21 PM]
Sludge Feeler from Plaguefall, and Raw Emotion from Sanguine Depths. I especially like the second one, as it fits my red bearform in both colorscheme and, kinda, in theme. It's the one I had in mind as ideal pet to use in that form!
[8:22 PM]
Got an appearance set for anima, Garb of the Azure Dusk, the blue version of the Night Fae leather set that came with 9.1. All that's left to buy now is a bunch of expensive soulshapes!
[8:24 PM]
And finally more alting! Still rather busy between RL stuff and catching up on Dragonflight articles, but I did manage to find the time to get my mage her class mount, the Archmage's Prismatic Disc. Looks very nice with her firey outfit!
[8:25 PM]
She's now about 2 bars away from 48, but the class campaign is complete... will be sending her to Stormheim to wrap up the level and then get her into Shadowlands.
[8:26 PM]
And that's my report for the week!

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
I simply walked into Mordor this week.... in LotRO. More fun there than in WoW for me, heh.

Ar-Pharazon-V — 05/01/2022
Heh.
[8:28 PM]
Well, I'm making enough progress to enjoy it still
Well, namarie!

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
Sleep well :}
[8:30 PM]
I suppose Auros will have to do some talking in the RP soon.

Varda — 05/01/2022
Namarie Phar : )

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
I'll give a week in case any of you want to post something in the "downtime" of the meal for some more friendly banter. If nothing, Auros is going to scowl at us for not getting down to business and start putting us back to work :}

Eonwë Valar — 05/01/2022
I must be afk for a few hours. Have fun all.

Varda — 05/01/2022
Cheers

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