Valar Guild

March 12, 2023 Sunday Meeting

5:00 P.M. Eastern 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, which is Valar time and LotRO /servertime.]

Attending (and typed): (6)

    Discord: 
A
rien, Ar-Pharazon, Eonwe, Pallando (After-meeting), Sandalf, Varda (presiding)
Before-meeting
Meeting begins
Membership news:
    Daylight Savings Time hits Valar Guild time today (Eastern).
Web:

    Working our way through the new webspace and waiting to see if we can regain our old domain name before going fully into the new valarguild.org
    If you have a non-working bookmark, try replacing .org with .net
Gaming:
     World of Warcraft, Overwatch 2, Hearthstone, Diablo Immortal, Lord of the Rings Online
Tolkien:
    Topic: JRRT made a mythology for England, which suggests the origin of natural phenomena. Can we think of a few?
After-meeting:
    (non)Flashgaming Reviews (plus) by Ar-Pharazon. Includes Blizzard games.

 
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Before-meeting

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:07 PM
oops, I did it again, got in Harbor.

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 4:07 PM
Aiya All! My fingers are numb. I was just sorting boxes in the garage...still cold for that type of activity.

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:07 PM
Warm up those fingers with a cup of hot chocolate? or your favorite warm drink? : )
[4:09 PM]
It's Daylight Savings Time hitting our meeting, so the time is now!
Good thing no else is confused.  : )

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:10 PM
Aiya!

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:10 PM
It is time, right? heh
Aiya  : )

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:10 PM
Well, for me it's an hour early, but y'know

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:10 PM
That would be right, then.

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:11 PM
Looks like our DST is 2 weeks from now.

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:11 PM
They want to make Daylight Savings Time permanent. It's been tried before but the parents nixed it, sending the little kids to school in the dar.
Thanks for the info, Phar
[4:11 PM]

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Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo!
[4:11 PM]

Membership:

[4:12 PM]
Daylight Savings Time started on Eastern time, which is our Valar time. So good luck to our getting together. : )
[4:13 PM]
Any membership news anyone wants to mention?
[4:14 PM]
Sandalf seems to have landed in the talk area. : )  Along with our Starcraft people.

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 4:15 PM
Ah! Thanks, Varda, I am back!!! he he heh....Here is a very funny message that my Host son Markus sent me in an E-Mail today. It is hysterical.

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:15 PM
The # next to the channel name means it's a text channel.
[4:15 PM]
Sounds fun

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:16 PM
Arien pokd.

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:17 PM
Thanks, Phar : )

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 4:17 PM
How do I turn off the snippets of conversation I keep hearing in the background? There is a green sound symbol in the upper right corner of my Valar Guild channel on my Discord page.

Eonw� Valar � 03/12/2023 4:18 PM
I think you should be able to click on it to mute it, but since I don't have one I'm guessing, heh.

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:18 PM
There you go - muted.

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:19 PM
Heh, it works with his smile as well...

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:19 PM
It was a funny message. : )

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 4:19 PM
Still don't know what I am doing, but I forge ahead regardless....

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:19 PM
You seem to be doing fine.
[4:20 PM]
You and Treebeard both disappeared from the chat channel.

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 4:20 PM
I just found a tab to turn off my voice connection and to give Discord a review. Whew. Done.

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:22 PM
Grats : )
[4:22 PM]
Hope you get a few seconds to find some finger-warming beverage cup, or other.

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 4:22 PM
I am trying. I am slowly warming up!

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:23 PM
Oh good. Adventures in moving!
On to

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Web:

[4:24 PM]
We have folks working on regaining our valarguild.org domain and have high hopes.
[4:24 PM]
Pallando has set us up with new webspace and a domain name of valarguild.org
[4:25 PM]
We have been working on putting files onto the webspace, but it's a bit interesting when the name of the site is still uncertain. We're getting there.
[4:26 PM]
Eonwe and Pallando have been really wonderful. : )

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:26 PM
Our poor bookmarks.

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:26 PM
heh
Try changing org to net and see if you have any luck.
[4:27 PM]
Unfortunately my backup was of development stuff, so a bunch of files are not as they should be for display at the moment. This will be corrected, and will be in need of sharp eyes in the future.
We are not quite ready for the sharp eyes yet, however, heh.
[4:28 PM]
On to

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Gaming!


Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:28 PM
(ah, edited bookmark works! site under construction)

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:28 PM
the gavel takes a running start and leaps to Eonwe's side of the table, across something that might be the Grand Canyon, aka a pen holder

Eonw� Valar � 03/12/2023 4:30 PM
https://youtu.be/B3dPoo_Yn8w?t=43
    YouTube
    FilmSpot Trailer
    Captain America Lifts Thor's Hammer Mjolnir Scene - AVENGERS 4 ENDG...

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:30 PM
Yay! hehe

Eonw� Valar � 03/12/2023 4:30 PM
Well, that didn't work. Moving along.
[4:31 PM]

World of Warcraft:
This week's bonus event: Wrath of the Lich King TImewalking
Pvp Brawl: Arathi Blizzard goes until Tuesday.
[4:31 PM]
Patch 10.0.7 Xontent Update goes live March 21st ---
Dragonflight: The 10.0.7 Content Update Goes Live March 21
New Recruit-a-friend rewards also coming March 21st ---
https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/23921899/recruit-a-friend-fetch-your-friends-for-fresh-rewards-on-march-21
    World of Warcraft
    Recruit A Friend: Fetch Your Friends for Fresh Rewards on March 21 ...
    Get a slew of new rewards with the Recruit A Friend program when you invite your friends to adventure in Azeroth!


Varda � 03/12/2023 4:31 PM
(Eonwe, that was definitely a flying gavel in the YouTube!)

Eonw� Valar � 03/12/2023 4:32 PM
(My discord gave me an open in youtube link for the video, and then started it at the beginning, so if yours did better than that, yay :})

Blogs on the following content update:
Developer Insights: New Upgrade System in Embers of Neltharion ---
https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/23923485/developer-insights-new-upgrade-system-in-embers-of-neltharion
    In Development: Looking Ahead to Embers of Neltharion ---
https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/23923484/in-development-looking-ahead-to-embers-of-neltharion
    World of Warcraft
    Developer Insights: New Upgrade System in Embers of Neltharion - WoW
    In this Developer Insight, WoW Developer Chimes takes you deep into the new upgrade system arriving with the release of the Embers of Neltharion content update.

    World of Warcraft
    In Development: Looking Ahead to Embers of Neltharion - WoW
    The stage is set for more adventures within the Forbidden Reach in the 10.0.7 content update.
    But much more is taking shape beyond those island shores as we delve deeper into the Dragon Isles with the next content update�Embers of Neltharion.

[4:32 PM]
Also:
https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/23921901/dragonflight-getting-into-the-wing-of-things
    World of Warcraft
    Dragonflight: Getting into the Wing of Things - WoW
    If you have yet to dip your toes into the shores of the Dragon Isles or you're bringing friends and allies back to Azeroth, we've put together a catch-up guide for you!

[4:33 PM]
Hotfixes ---
https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/23892230/hotfixes-march-10-2023
    World of Warcraft
    Hotfixes: March 10, 2023 - WoW
    Here you will find a list of hotfixes that address various issues related to World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, Wrath of the Lich King Classic, Burning Crusade Classic, and WoW Classic.

[4:33 PM]

Overwatch 2:
DIRECTOR�S TAKE � MAKING A GREAT MATCH ---
https://overwatch.blizzard.com/en-us/news/23922958/
    (Overwatch likes to yell its blog titles. All caps is their fault, hehe)
    Overwatch
    Director�s Take � Making a Great Match:23922958
    Aaron Keller is back with an update about our changes to Matchmaking from our latest patch

[4:33 PM]

Hearthstone:
Battlegrounds is Bringing Back Buddies ---
https://hearthstone.blizzard.com/en-us/news/23913672/battlegrounds-is-bringing-back-buddies
    Battlegrounds is Bringing Back Buddies!
    Catch up with old friends, or make some new ones, in the next Battlegrounds update!

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:34 PM
(also, 10.1 comes with crossfaction WoW guilds)

Eonw� Valar � 03/12/2023 4:34 PM

Diablo Immortal:
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.

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:34 PM
(within a few days I'd already locked down all the horde race/class/spec combination I'm going to make and some of their themes/appearances)

Eonw� Valar � 03/12/2023 4:35 PM
(Don't see that announcement in there, Phar)
[4:35 PM]

Lord of the Rings Online:
Update 34.3 Release Notes ---
https://www.lotro.com/update-notes/lotro-update-34-3-release-notes-en
    The Lord of the Rings Online
    Update 34.3 Release Notes
    Here are the release Notes for Update 34.3, released on Wednesday, March 8th, 2023.

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:36 PM
(really? though it was in there...)

Eonw� Valar � 03/12/2023 4:37 PM
That's it for my gaming news.

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:37 PM
Thank you, Eonwe : )
[4:37 PM]
Phar, if you can find it, feel free to toss in the url.
[4:37 PM]
Continuing for LotRO:
[4:38 PM]
Landroval:
Arien
Bregalad
Eonwe
Fangorn
Nar
Pengolodh
Thranduil
Varda

Crickhollow:
Eonwe
Fangorn
Varda

Shadowfax:
Varda

Treebeard:
Varda
[4:38 PM]
Starcraft 2 just now showed Fangorn and Eowyn playing. : )
[4:39 PM]
World of Warcraft Classic has Gorlim. : )

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 4:39 PM
aiya
[4:39 PM]
-----

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:39 PM
Any other gaming news? Requests? Suggestions?

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 4:39 PM
Aiya Arienb!

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:39 PM
Aiya Sunshine!

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 4:40 PM
Just saw that the daylight saving time hit today .. so still managed to miss it (almost0
[4:40 PM]
(almost)

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:40 PM
You made it!

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:40 PM
Well, I did find https://www.wowhead.com/news/cross-faction-guilds-coming-in-dragonflight-patch-10-1-embers-of-neltharion-331718 but the actual announcement escapes me for the moment.
    Wowhead
    Cross-Faction Guilds Coming in Dragonflight Patch 10.1: Embers of N...
    Blizzard has announced Cross-Faction Guilds are coming in Patch 10.1: Embers of Neltharion.

[4:40 PM]
Aiya Arien!

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:41 PM
Thanks for hunting. : )

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 4:41 PM
oh the guild where I put my classic era lvl 60 magde she managed a pug clean kill of emeriss , one of the world dragons (in two turns which is not bad going )
[4:42 PM]
else , nothing special in gaming for me

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:42 PM
Sounds fabulous!
[4:43 PM]
On to
[4:43 PM]

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Tolkien!

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:43 PM
" While we don't have an official preview of the feature just yet, Blizzard commented in the Embers of Neltharion Group Interview that cross-faction guilds will be available for testing starting tomorrow on the 10.1 PTR. "

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:43 PM
JRRT made a mythology for England, which suggests the origin of natural phenomena. Can we think of a few?
[4:44 PM]
Ahh thanks, Phar.

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 4:44 PM
The origin of the Sun and the Moon.
[4:45 PM]
And, of course, the evening star...Gil-Estel.

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:45 PM
Aye, he did come up with those origins for the mythology. Do we remember how those came about?

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:45 PM
Also, early on, rainbows
[4:45 PM]
As well as the origin of time, I think?

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:46 PM
Aye

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 4:48 PM
The Tale of the Sun and the Moon....Book of Lost Tales. Both were created by the Valar from the remnants of the last fruits of Telperion and Silmarien (?).

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:48 PM
I know one was a fruit, though the other was technically something different...

Eonw� Valar � 03/12/2023 4:49 PM
A flower
The moon was the last flower of Telperion, got dropped and its petals were bruised.

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:50 PM
Flower, yes, thank you!

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 4:50 PM
The Moon rose first, and was seen by the earliest Eldar, while the Sun rose second, and Men ever turn to the Sun instead of the Moon.

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 4:51 PM
and the Eldar love the moon
makes sense

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:51 PM
As a night elf, I can agree with that.

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:51 PM
The Eldar woke up beneath the stars, their one source of light

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:51 PM
(and a Princess Luna fan)

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:52 PM
heh

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 4:53 PM
ah yes true .. The valar were worried that the dark was too dangerous for the Firstborn in their awaking and would favour Melkor so decided to make lights for their protection and guidance

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:53 PM
Sparks from Aule's work, set in the sky by Varda.

Varda � 03/12/2023 4:53 PM
That was Wilwarin, in one story.

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 4:54 PM
Telperion is considered to be "male" while Laurelin was considered to be "female." Some interesting etymology here, of which TOlkien was surely well aware: in OLD English (Anglo-Saxon), we probably had "the Moon" as a masculine word, and "the Sun" as a feminine word, as we do in German today: die Sonne (feminine) and der Mond (masculine).

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:55 PM
I do believe the Greeks had a moon-goddess, though, and the Egyptians had a sun-god. So it's definitely not universal

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 4:55 PM
but in spanish la luna (female) and *el sol" (masculine)

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:56 PM
Yeah, Luna's greek  :)

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 4:56 PM
But Tolkien always preferred the proto-Germanic words to the Latin/Greek based words.

Eonw� Valar � 03/12/2023 4:56 PM
The Greeks had Helios, god of the Sun.

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 4:56 PM
Ah, there you go.

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 4:57 PM
And Helios was male...

Eonw� Valar � 03/12/2023 4:57 PM
Hence me saying "god" and not "goddess" :}

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 4:57 PM
Of course...I would expect no less from you, Eonwe!
[4:58 PM]
Tolkien especially disliked the French words that have crept into modern English.

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 4:59 PM
https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Arien here by the way a nice picture of me talking of female sun 66
    Tolkien Gateway
    Arien
    "Too bright were the eyes of Arien for even the Eldar to look on, and leaving Valinor she forsook the form and raiment which like the Valar she had worn there, and she was as a naked flame, terrible in the fullness of her splendor."
    ― Quenta Silmarillion, "Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor"
    Arien (Q, [ˈari.en]) was the Maia who guide...


Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 4:59 PM
He would have a lot in common with the French language traditionalists who are trying to root our all English-based words in French. Good luck with that. Funny, the Germans do not mind taking words from English, but they seem to disdain taking words from the French.

Eonw� Valar � 03/12/2023 5:00 PM
As I recall, their royal court (in history) spent some time speaking French. Wonder if that has anything to do with it, heh.

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 5:01 PM
might well have , while the French and German were always at loggerheads
[5:01 PM]
for a long time anyway

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 5:01 PM
For a brief time during the Enlightenment...it did not last long. After King Frederick got tired of hosting the French enlightened ones (like Voltaire), that soon fell out of favor.

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 5:02 PM
There's still people unhappy about the border between them, I believe

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 5:02 PM
It always amazes me how Europeans can pack so much long-term animosity into such a small area....

Varda � 03/12/2023 5:02 PM
Might want to move back to the Tolkien mythos. : )
[5:06 PM]
What about the Dawn?
[5:06 PM]
What was the story there?

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 5:06 PM
Well , using the sun and the moon as protection for the children of Illuvatar worked for a long time. The servants of Morgoth and sauron could not bear them and even when Saruman made his improvements of the masters they did not like them, although they could bear them
oh the mythos was that the moon was chasing the sun, that is tilion chasing Arien .. but arien was faster and she was pulled underneath arda on one end and lifted up the other , which would be the dawn if I remember right
[5:09 PM]
or did you mean something else, Varda?

Varda � 03/12/2023 5:12 PM
Elwing leaped into the sea as the city burned under Feanorian fire, and she carried the Silmaril. She would have died had not Ulmo changed her into a  bird.
[5:13 PM]
She still is seen in the sky as the dawn as she goes to meet Earendil, her husband, as he sails Vingilot across the sky as the Morning Star. He carries the Silmari that she saved, and that brought the Valar to the aid of Middle-earth.
[5:14 PM]
So that's the Dawn, that's the Morning Star. Two sights in the sky accounted for by the mythos.

[5:15 PM]
Why do we have most of the bright constellations in the night sky?

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 5:16 PM
Gil-Estel is both the morning AND the evening star...depending on the course of his travels in Vingilot

Varda � 03/12/2023 5:16 PM
Aye, Sandalf.
[5:16 PM]
Also the Dawn (Elwing) and the Morning Star (Earendil) are the parents of Elrond and Elros.

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 5:17 PM
And through them both, the legacy of the Fathers of the Three Houses of Men, a Maia (Melian), and the Elves are preserved.

Varda � 03/12/2023 5:18 PM
Also we have Arwen and Aragorn from those lines.]
Thus the future of Men.

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 5:19 PM
So the Fourth Age began with the regency of the latest children of the Elves, Men, and a Maia from the First Age. How ironic.
Talk about staying power...

Varda � 03/12/2023 5:19 PM
: )

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 5:20 PM
And imagine, the light of the Evenstar, was carried through Mordor and was thus part of the tale of the destruction of the ring
err Morning star , pardon me

Varda � 03/12/2023 5:20 PM
That's true
The light of Earendil

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 5:21 PM
aye

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 5:21 PM
Gil-Estel.
Elrond knew what he was doing when he called the two-year-old Aragorn "Estel."

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 5:21 PM
Sorry for not talking much, doing LFR here

Eonw� Valar � 03/12/2023 5:22 PM
So the light of that silmaril had been in two of the three major strongholds of evil.
Angband in the First Age, Mordor in the Third.

Varda � 03/12/2023 5:22 PM
Star-hope, yes.

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 5:23 PM

[5:23 PM]
I love the stars , they are so beautiful.
[5:24 PM]
Nothing is as impressive as a clear sky in far away from any town and in the wilderness

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 5:24 PM
Many a night on the high seas of the Atlantic or the Pacific, I too would look upon the Stars and see them the way only seafarers can....absolutely no light of civilization to hide them.
[5:25 PM]
And the Milky Way!

Varda � 03/12/2023 5:26 PM
We are past the hour by nearly half an hour, but we can continue in After-meeting  if we are able. : )
[5:26 PM]
the gavels ring as they tap each other, sparks fly
the hammerpad stands up in salute, and they tap it in turn
[5:27 PM]

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After-meeting!

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 5:29 PM
That was last week .. i didn't see it but a lot of people did 
[5:29 PM]
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/2955555989071266/
    Pinterest
    Karen Goument
    Aurora above The Storr, Isle of Skye, Scotland | Places to see, See...
    Sep 21, 2017 - Aurora above The Storr, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Varda � 03/12/2023 5:29 PM
ahhh thanks!

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 5:31 PM
hmm, supposedly it was slightly visible here as well, but missed it

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 5:33 PM
sorry that s the recent one
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/98425690877104128/1084605157301551234/334065950_189392357041432_4670348484002087882_n.jpg
[5:33 PM]
that was taken by a friend of mine

Varda � 03/12/2023 5:34 PM
Amazing
[5:34 PM]
Is there a way to give your friend credit for the photo without compromising identity? Like calling you Arien?

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 5:36 PM
Bavarien Sun  maybe ? that doesn 't identify her but suits her well

Varda � 03/12/2023 5:37 PM
: )
[5:37 PM]
Bavarian Sun?

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 5:37 PM
nod

Varda � 03/12/2023 5:38 PM
Sounds lovely : )

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 5:39 PM
I was just trying to find a beautiful quote from Tolkien, but could not find it quickly. I believe it is from the story of the seafaring of Tuor, as he felt his life's end approaching...he sailed in search of Valinor, and it is said by mariners, something like "but very bright were the stars in the heavens close by to Valinor..." It was a beautiful quote. Anyone know where it comes from exactly?
[5:40 PM]
It always reminded my of the stars at sea. I hope one day I can see them again the way I could so many years ago, but sometimes it is not possible to ever revisit the joys and beauty of our youth...

Varda � 03/12/2023 5:42 PM
Instead we find new joys and beauties. So many new things still out there.

Eonw� Valar � 03/12/2023 5:42 PM
It's not in the Silmarillion that I saw. Found the passage where he builds his ship/sails to Valinor but saw no mention of stars being brighter.

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 5:43 PM
I know I saw it....just don't know where. Maybe it will come to me this week sometime... [Note: He found it: link.]

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 5:43 PM
that reminds me of another passage  ... see whether you can identify it

Varda � 03/12/2023 5:43 PM
Might be in the HoMe

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 5:44 PM
That could be a fun tolkien game. Give a quote or passage, others gotta try to find book/chapter/context.

Varda � 03/12/2023 5:49 PM
I have a problem with that game, get distracted by other passages whilst digging.
[5:50 PM]
The descriptions of Earendil and Elwing for instance, heh.
[5:51 PM]
Earendil the Mariner sat at the helm, glistening with dust of elven-gems, and the Silmaril was bound upon his brow.

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 5:54 PM
*At the hill 's foot Frodo found Aragorn, standing still and silent at a tree; but in his hand was a small golden bloom of elanor , and a light was in his eyes. He was wrapped in some fair memory and as Frodo looked at him he knew that he beheld things as they once had been in the same place. For the grim years were removed from the face of Aragorn, and he seemed clothed in white,  a young lord, tall and fair, and he spoke words in the elvish tounge to one Frodo could not see. "Arwen vanimeld, namarie" he said , and then he took a deep breath, and returning out of his thought he looked to Frodo and smiled. "Here is the heart of elvendom on earth," he said , " and here my heart dwells ever, unless there be a light beyond the dark roads we still must tread, you and I. Come with me!" And taking Frodo by the hand in his, he left the hill of Cerin Amroth, and never came there as living man" quote end

Varda � 03/12/2023 5:55 PM
"Then the far-sighted among the Elves that dwelt in the Lonely Isle would see her (Elwing) like a white bird, shining, rose-stained in the sunset, as she soared in joy to greet the coming of Vingilot to haven."
Thank you, Arien. : )
[5:56 PM]
Hmm, did he go there as a fea at some point? Interesting word choice. Probably not, just poetic.

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 5:57 PM
I have heard something murmur that he might have been carried through his realm after he died and maybe the procession passed there ?
and did not Arwen chose that place to die there?

Varda � 03/12/2023 5:57 PM
She did.

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 5:59 PM
Cerin Amroth definitely was a special place for them both and it always remained that

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 5:59 PM
Oy Weh! I must fly...time to get some dinner at Costco and bring it home. The time flies by so quickly here...Namarie to all, and sei gesund!

Varda � 03/12/2023 5:59 PM
It is After-meeting and I need to go cook.
[5:59 PM]
Have a great evening/morning. : )

Arien  Valar � 03/12/2023 5:59 PM
enjoy your day and meal
[5:59 PM]
and night
[6:00 PM]
Namarie !

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 6:00 PM
And yet, on a final note, I have stated before and still believe, Tolkien intended always that at the final singing, dwarves, elves, and men (and hobbits) would all be gathered together again....Namarie!

Varda � 03/12/2023 6:00 PM
Aye
[6:01 PM]
The singing to create the new Arda, Arda Unmarred
[6:02 PM]
Namarie - for now.

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 6:07 PM
Namarie to Sandalf, and cook well to Varda!

Pallando-Valar � 03/12/2023 6:34 PM
Aiya. RL obligations kept me today.

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 6:35 PM
Aiya!

Varda � 03/12/2023 7:15 PM
Aiya - I just returned
Good to see you, Pallando, and many thanks for the efforts you've been putting forth!
After-meeting is handy too.

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Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 7:36 PM
Personal gaming report:
[7:36 PM]
For (non)flashgaming,
https://www.kongregate.com/games/ValettusGD/the-chamber is always a fun one.
    Kongregate
    The Chamber
    A unique puzzle game where the rules change with every level! Use ingenuity, memory, and skill to discover the solutions.
    Then once you finish see how fast yo...

[7:39 PM]
A puzzle shooter where you play a little robot its way through a set of levels, each level being a top-down maze, and having its own objective to figure out. You can ask for hints without penalty, but later on actually completing them becomes more difficult than figuring out what to do.
Shoot targets to light them up, fight enemies that come for you or chase/herd enemies that run away from you, move blocks around, and stuff like that

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 7:56 PM
Just did em all again in 17 minutes total, so it's not too long, though your first run might be a bit longer than that
[7:57 PM]
Blizzard gaming:
[7:59 PM]
Hearthstone:
Level 127 on the reward track now, still getting that gold. We're supposed to get next expansion announced in the coming week, and then it'll take a while to actually be here, so still some time to collect more gold further in this track.
[8:01 PM]
Brawl is the Great Amalgamation, where every minion counts as every minion type. Lots of room for different strategies, as you can pretty much play a beast-buffing deck, a mech-buffing deck, a pirate-buffing deck, etc, or just everything at once.
[8:02 PM]
I kept it simple, with a bunch of murloc-buffing minions (mostly murlocs themselves) as well as a few beast buffers and multi-type-buffers, but I've seen enemy decks of all sorts come by. And if you're a paladin that can summon its own minions as a hero power, they all count as all types as well, so they'll go with pretty much everything.

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 8:03 PM
WoW:
[8:05 PM]
Raiding continues, as we got Diurna the Broodmother down on heroic, just leaving Razsageth herself. Speaking of Razs, we've made some progress, making good efforts into phase 2, though there's very little dps margin to lose players or we won't complete phase 2 in time. So I guess we really need phases 1 and 2 under control, death-wise, before we can move on to trying phase 3.
[8:06 PM]
Weekly quest is timewalking, always fun, but alas the reward was no upgrade for me this week.
I did get to honor level 106 through the pvp brawl, though, so there's that.
[8:07 PM]
I spent some of my time thinking of a horde roster of alts for when the crossfaction guilds come in.
[8:09 PM]
At a total of 12 or 13 alts (not entirely settled yet on whether I'll make a separate tanky demon hunter) it'll be quite the addition! 1 will be transferred from another server - my official hordy, the moonkin troll - and 2 will be recreations of my 2 legacy classic characters - undead frost mage, tauren survival hunter - but the rest will all be made from scratch, and I'm looking forward to it

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 8:11 PM
Still holding out on creating them until more about the feature is known, and maybe waiting until it's actually here, but the race/class/spec combinations are now set for me, and I've even designed a few already in the character creation, according to the themes I've assigned them. Team Cal (my legion of characters with the Cal- prefix) is about to make some heavy recruitment
[8:18 PM]
Some of my favorites are the Red Sonja-inspired fury warrior gobliness, the shiny and bulky highmountain tauren subtlety rogue, and the pitchwork-wielding tauren survival hunter based on a comic Dutch cartoon ox with a farm and a bunch of animal friends.

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 8:21 PM
Anyway, that's for the future! In the present, I've done more questing.

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 8:22 PM
I'm Back, as said The Terminator. Great Report, Ar!

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 8:23 PM
Calaron the druid has continued into Thaldraszus questing, where I helped out Chromie with disabling the defenses around the Bronze Oathstone to free some allies and reinforcements from being frozen in time.
[8:24 PM]
After that questline I switched to the mage, who completed Bastion's last couple of main quests, reporting the situation to Oribos, and preparing to enter Maldraxxus.
[8:25 PM]
And then I went back to the druid, saving Chromie and Eternus on their tumble through time, visiting Azmerloth, the Gnoll War, the Black Empire and other places. Lot of fun to visit, even if only for a short while
[8:25 PM]
And with that, the main questline in Thaldraszus was completed, opening up world quests and other endgame systems.
[8:26 PM]
I beelined for the questline to unlock the Engine of Innovation, completed the first of Tyr's Challenges to get my first Spark of Ingenuity, which I used to get a friend to craft me the Elemental Lariat, one of the most powerful current necklaces in the game, as it empowers your gems.
[8:27 PM]
Got it made at the highest quality through me providing the best materials, dropped 2 extra sockets into it, and now it's the best it can be without mythic raid reagents
[8:29 PM]
The next Spark, I'll use to create myself a Flaring Cowl, which should make my fire-proccing rings a lot more useful. But to that I need to get the other pieces of the tier-set tiered out first, to keep the setbonuses.

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 8:31 PM
So I also unlocked the Reviving Catalyst tonight, and got my first charge right after by doing a few LFR raids, as mentioned earlier during Tolkien. So that gave me my 4-piece bonus at last by upgrading my chestpiece, and next week the shoulders will follow so I can replace the headpiece with the Cowl.
But also needed for the Cowl, if I want to make it myself, is leveling up Leatherworking, so that is my next big project, to start next week
[8:32 PM]
And that's my report for the week!
And A�yata, Sandalf

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 8:40 PM
As I said before, a great report! How is your work search going?

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 8:45 PM
No news from the job coach, but got my eye on a few places to check.

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 8:46 PM
Sounds good. How is the end-of-Winter treating you? Are you subject to SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder, otherwise known as the end-of-winter blahs)?

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 8:47 PM
Nope, not really. I enjoy the winter right now - we finally had some snow a few days ago - and am making some progress in various projects, even if online, so I'm actually pretty cheery

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 8:49 PM
Wonderful news! Although I dislike making the time shift once in the Fall and once in the Spring, I do appreciate the fact that tonight was the first night since October when I saw the Sun stay up past 1900...it set just a little while ago. Spring is on the way! Although we do expect snow on the Great Plains starting again on Wednesday and Thursday...but Spring snow usually doesn't last so long!

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 8:50 PM
Enjoy it while it lasts, then  I put on my coat, flopped down in the snow-covered grass of the backyard, and made a bit of a snow angel just for my own amusement

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 8:51 PM
That is a picture of my with my three granddaughters in Lincoln a few weeks ago...I will be going back again in a couple of weeks to see them. Since I moved to Thornton, we have four separate snowstorms...first one was 10 inches, second was 7 inches, third was 6 inches, and the fourth was 5 inches. Still have snow on the ground. Although I love snow, I am getting tired of shoveling!
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/98425690877104128/1084655058286805034/20230224_200309.jpg

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 8:52 PM
hehe, can make travel difficult

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 8:52 PM
The littles one is only two, and was a little shy about sitting in my lap for a picture.
[8:55 PM]
Maybe you could post a picture of yourself sometime? I have met Varda and her husband and one of her sons at their home last July, and I see Arien's picture (even if it is pretty tiny), but I would love to see you.

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 8:55 PM
I'm not really a picture guy. I don't think I even have one on my pc.

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 8:56 PM
Oy Weh!  You are more than handsome enough, I am sure, to take a really good picture!

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 8:56 PM
Possibly, it's just not a thing I enjoy

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 8:57 PM
Ok then. I don't often get pictures of myself, so I understand, but I can never pass up the chance to take one with my grandkids.

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 8:57 PM
Heh, maybe if I ever have kids...

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 8:57 PM
I hope that you do someday! Children are a true gift.
[8:57 PM]
And in the words of my Mother..."Get busy!!!!"

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 8:58 PM
One that you might want to return some days

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 8:58 PM
That is true too, but believe me, the good days and experiences FAR outweigh the bad days...

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 8:58 PM
I'm sure

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 8:59 PM
The easiest years are the pre-teen years. Teenagers can be a real pain, but as I get older, I realize that it is almost beyond their control to act differently. They are growing so fast, and have so many raging hormones, that they sometimes cannot help themselves.
[9:01 PM]
I read an article in Science a few years ago that reported that the average male does not reach true adult "maturity" until they are about 25 years old or so.

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 9:02 PM
Seems likely. I know I didn't really settle into who I am until the late twenties or so.

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 9:03 PM
Sounds about right. I must have been a raging idiot throughout most of my early 20s!
[9:03 PM]
I am glad that my wife could put up with me....I married at age 24, that is very young for the Kaplan male line...

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 9:05 PM
Dealing with an undiagnosed autism didn't help my case. Still single right now, though. What did help was getting neurotransmitters. Meds. Been on em for 3-4 years now, and feeling much happier and open and direct.

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 9:05 PM
That is indeed wonderful! If you get married, and if you invite me, I will be there to celebrate with you! I hope it works!

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 9:06 PM
Heh, who knows?

Sandalf13 � 03/12/2023 9:06 PM

[9:07 PM]
Like my Mother said...get busy!
[9:09 PM]
OOoooops! I am keeping you up with my blithering. I apologize. Have a wonderful week ahead. Keep your eyes open for that great job opportunity, and better yet, go to a few coffee houses and keep your eyes open for the wonderful woman that you deserve! Namarie!

Ar-Pharazon-V � 03/12/2023 9:10 PM
Heh. Namarie!


March 13, 2023

Sandalf13 � Yesterday at 6:44 AM
Ye Utuviyenes! I have found it! In "Of Tuor and his coming to Gondolin," as Tuor and Voronwe are talking on the strand of the Great Sea, the morning after Tuor's meeting with Ulmo,  Voronwe says to Tuor: "But very bright were the stars upon the margins of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside."  Indeed. Very bright are the stars upon the Great Sea, when out of sight of land, and the works of the hand s of Men.
[back]

Varda � Yesterday at 8:23 PM
Thank you, Sandalf! : )

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