Sunday, September 29, 2024
5:00pm Eastern Time
Discord: Valar Guild/meeting_place
Attending: Arien, Ar-Pharazon, Eonwe, Lenwe, Leod, Pallando, Sandalf, Varda (presiding).
Side chat: Ioreth on phone Discord.
September 28, 2024
[12:12 AM]Eönwë Valar: 5 days left to vote on the Anniversary Theme in the polls channel. If you haven't done it yet, get over there and vote! Don't make me get out the vote here!
September 27, 2024
[7:27 PM]Eönwë Valar: Just less than 2 days left to vote on the Anniversary theme. If you're waiting until the last minute, this is it. YouTube -This IS the last minute!
September 29, 2024
[3:58 PM]Varda: Aiya!
[3:58 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Aiya!
[3:59 PM]Varda: Looks as if we still have a couple of minutes. Alarm went off a tad early, hah.
[3:59 PM]Varda: Good to see you!
[3:59 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Better early than late
[4:01 PM]Varda: Aye! If you're not a wizard, that's a good plan.
[4:01 PM]Varda: Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo!
[4:02 PM]Varda: @Bounder @Guild-friend Aiya! Valar Guild meeting time! and beginning of the chat marathon for our 27th Anniversary celebration of Oct 4
[4:02 PM]Varda: Membership:
[4:02 PM]Varda: Hi to Ar-Pharazon!
[4:02 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: waves
[4:03 PM]Varda: Fangorn and Eowyn are just now joining up for Starcraft 2.
[4:03 PM]Arien Valar: AIya
[4:03 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Aiya Arien!
[4:03 PM]Varda: Aiya Sunshine!
[4:03 PM]Varda: That last hurricane lowered the number of people in LotRO. Here's hoping it's not impacting our folks.
[4:04 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Blew them away?
[4:04 PM]Varda: Any sightings of Valarites in-game? We are setting up the Membership and Gaming pages.
[4:04 PM]Varda: Pretty literally, aye. : )
[4:05 PM]Varda: I see some folk on the side of the channel, quite a few, actually.
[4:06 PM]Sandalf13: Aiya All
[4:06 PM]Eönwë Valar: Heya all.
[4:06 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Aiya both!
[4:06 PM]Eönwë Valar: 66 minutes left on the vote for the Anniversary theme, and we're looking at a 3-way tie.
[4:06 PM]Varda: Yikes!
[4:07 PM]Varda: Aiya Sandalf and Eonwe. : )
[4:07 PM]Eönwë Valar: Also 66 minutes left on the fun poll we started 2 weeks ago: meeting_place
[4:07 PM]Eönwë Valar: So far more people would rather spend the night on a turtle's back than hear a semi-divine woman sing. Take that for what you will, lol.
[4:08 PM]Varda: I want both but that wasn't a choice. : )
[4:08 PM]Eönwë Valar: Gotta make the hard decisions sometimes :}
[4:09 PM]Varda: A vacation on a slowly moving tropical island that's a turtle, or a wonderful concert. Tough call!
[4:10 PM]Varda: We have a hello from Ioreth. : )
[4:10 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: See if we can book her on the turtle!
[1
[4:10 PM]Eönwë Valar: Phar's solving problems :}
[4:10 PM]Varda: Go go Phar!
[4:11 PM]Eönwë Valar: Maybe that's the favor someone could ask of Huan, lol. Now we've tied 3 together!
[4:11 PM]Léod: Aiya!
[4:11 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Aiya!
[4:11 PM]Varda: Aiya Horse-lord!
[4:11 PM]Sandalf13: Aiya
[4:12 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Also Aiya!
[4:13 PM]Léod: Good to see everyone!
[4:13 PM]Eönwë Valar: Heya Leod.
[4:13 PM]Varda: Looks as if everyone here has already voted in the Anniversary theme poll?
[4:13 PM]Arien Valar: yeah heard on the radio , that there was huge powercuts
[4:13 PM]Varda: Aye, power outages all over.
[4:14 PM]Varda: But here, the weather is extra pleasant from the cooling due to a distant hurricane. Crazy how things work.
[4:14 PM]Varda: So has anyone sighted fellow Valarites who may need to be mentioned for the fresh Games Site and Members page coming up?
[4:14 PM]Varda: Fladrif? Others?
[4:14 PM]Léod: My arthritis was killing me Friday and most of Saturday. That change in pressure was crazy!
[4:15 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Did notice Fladrif online during the last week, so he's around
[4:15 PM]Varda: Ugh. Sorry to hear.
[4:15 PM]Eönwë Valar: About arthritis, not Fladrif :}
[4:15 PM]Varda: O good about Fladrif! I miss the Ent at the meetings. He was fun.
[4:15 PM]Varda: Timing of typing gets crazy. : )
[4:16 PM]Varda: Web:
[4:16 PM]Pallando-Valar: Aiya
[4:16 PM]Varda: Much coding going on, but we need your fresh Anniversary content so people have something cool to read or see too!
[4:16 PM]Varda: Aiya Pallando!
[4:16 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Aiya!
[4:16 PM]Varda: Gaming:
[4:16 PM]Arien Valar: aiya Pallando
[4:17 PM]Léod: Aiya!
[4:17 PM]Varda: Pallando, our hero for giving us web space for the site!
[4:18 PM]Eönwë Valar: Btw, looks like the new moon we ordered should be arriving today, but it's only a rental.
[4:19 PM]Varda: hahahhaaha
[4:19 PM]Varda: Rental.
[4:19 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Like having an old friend over for the holidays.
[4:20 PM]Varda: aww says it probably would be hard to see with a regular telescope, or not visible to one at all. puts telescope back
[4:20 PM]Eönwë Valar: And GSMU deadline is tomorrow. If you haven't already responded, I'm requesting you do so by tomorrow. You can answer later, but it won't get included in this year's State of Valar Gaming.
[4:21 PM]Léod: That min-moon thing is seriously cool.
[4:21 PM]Varda: Answering here in Discord as a side message to Eonwe during the meeting works!
[4:21 PM]Varda: Aye, Leod : )
[4:21 PM]Sandalf13: The Dutch had a huge speculative market in mini-moons, but the market crashed rapidly. This happened at the same time as the much better known tulip mania market, and so is not nearly as well known.
[4:21 PM]Varda: hehe
[4:21 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Just think, if it was just a bit off it could crash into us
[4:21 PM]Varda: The gavel will pass to Eonwe for Gaming. whooosh!
[4:22 PM]Sandalf13: Watch out for the mini-moon!
[4:22 PM]Varda: (We might not notice, Phar)
[4:22 PM]Arien Valar: oh i just went to make a mess
[4:23 PM]Arien Valar: in Wow that is .. Phari will know the achievement ^^
[4:23 PM]Varda: hehe
[4:24 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: googles the... ICC achievement?
[@Varda
[The gavel will pass to Eonwe for Gaming. whooosh!
[4:24 PM]Eönwë Valar: YouTube - Lion-O summons the ThunderCats
[4:25 PM]Eönwë Valar: Runner-up for today's clip, to really give that old cartoon feel: YouTube - Showtime, Synergy!
[4:25 PM]Léod: Yay, Thundercats!
[4:26 PM]Varda: Been a while. : )
[4:26 PM]Eönwë Valar: World of Warcraft:
[4:26 PM]Arien Valar: yeah we did some fun achievements in Ulduar and a few in ICC 10 , so got the rusted Bronze drake
[4:26 PM]Eönwë Valar: LFR Wing 3 of Nerub-ar Palace is live.
[4:26 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Ah, grats
[4:27 PM]Eönwë Valar: Check out October's Trading Post.
[4:27 PM]Sandalf13: Got to run...will return later for Ar's report...had a busy day today, hiked up to Mount Sanitas above Boulder...steepest hike yet...about 2,000 feet in 1.3 miles. It went beyond hiking to rock scrambling and boulder climbing.
[4:27 PM]Eönwë Valar: Season of Discovery Phase 5 is live.
[4:27 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Namarie!
[4:27 PM]Eönwë Valar: Check out
[4:27 PM]Eönwë Valar: Check out this week's hotfixes.
[4:28 PM]Eönwë Valar: Hearthstone: Patch 30.4.3 is out.
[4:28 PM]Eönwë Valar: Warcraft Rumble: Seasoon 9 takes you into the Emerald Dream.
[4:28 PM]Varda: (Namarie, Sandalf!)
[4:28 PM]Eönwë Valar: Diablo 4: A new livestream will be held October 2nd.
[4:29 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Same link.
[4:29 PM]Eönwë Valar: Diablo 3:
[A preview is out for Season 33: Shades of the Nephalem.
[@Ar-Pharazon-V
[Same link.
[4:29 PM]Eönwë Valar: Better? :}
[4:30 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Good fix
[4:30 PM]Eönwë Valar: Thanks for catching it, typing too fast for my own good, heh.
[4:30 PM]Varda: Teamwork!
[4:30 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: The benefit of link previews showing, I guess!
[4:30 PM]Eönwë Valar: Heroes of the Storm: A new patch is on the PTR.
[4:31 PM]Eönwë Valar: Also of note for WoW:
[This week's Bonus Event: Battlegrounds.
[This week's PvP Brawl: Temple of Hotmogu.
[And this coming week I'm under the impression a new Delves bonus event should be entering the rotation, so don't miss out on that.
[4:32 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Ah, increased rewards. Neat.
[4:32 PM]Eönwë Valar: I'd say I like Delves so far. Can't be too hasty when working through one in your appropriate gear-range or you get dead, and decent chance at a reward for the effort.
[4:33 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Indeed! And nothing like going into a delve you've not been before and scouring every corner for the sturdy chest achievement...
[4:33 PM]Eönwë Valar: Plus I had a surprise enemy drop in on me in my Tier 7 Delve this week, got dead but apparently left me something for my trouble anyway.
[4:33 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Or is that just me?
[4:34 PM]Eönwë Valar: Hehe, I think I only got that in one delve so far, but I have no idea where the others could be hiding their sturdy chests, heh.
[4:34 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: There's a few with underwater chests. Those are annoying to find.
[4:34 PM]Eönwë Valar: Yeah, I suppose I need to take a dive in a few more Delves.
[4:35 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Take a delve!
[4:35 PM]Eönwë Valar: Delving deep, heh.
[4:35 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: And since they're loot chests, greedily?
[4:35 PM]Eönwë Valar: hehe
[4:36 PM]Eönwë Valar: Lord of the Rings Online: This week's sneak peek for the next expansion was of Umhular. "Sneak peeks at Legacy of Morgoth! We're previewing the regions of Legacy of Morgoth on Twitch.tv/LOTROstream every Wednesday starting at 2pm Eastern!"
[4:37 PM]Eönwë Valar: And that's it for my gaming news. Back to Varda.
[4:37 PM]Varda: Thank you, Eonwe. : )
[4:38 PM]Varda: For LotRO:
[4:38 PM]Varda: This is your final weekend to get The Dragon and the Storm's "Leading the Charge" deed.
[4:38 PM]Varda: Need to do Tier 1 and 2 difficulties for just the titles and frame, but Tier 3 also for the Leading the Charge title.
[4:39 PM]Varda: I managed to get into a 6-man for Tier 1 and 2, but Tier 3 has thus far eluded me. It's very tough and needs great gear, so it's tricky to get a group.
[4:40 PM]Varda: LotRO kinsfolk on this past week:
Landroval branch
Crickhollow branch
Treebeard branch
Angmar branch
Mordor branch
[4:41 PM]Varda: Starcraft 2 group this past week has been Fangorn, Eowyn, Floppa, and I believe Faramir. Anyone else? (I didn't make it this week.)
[4:42 PM]Varda: Really? Not even Phar? : )
[4:42 PM]Varda: Onward!
[4:42 PM]Varda: Tolkien!
[4:43 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Not lately, no
[4:43 PM]Varda: We have a poll most of you have already voted in for our theme for the anniversary. Ties all over!
[4:44 PM]Varda: Eucatastrophe, Lights, and Potable Delights.
[4:44 PM]Léod: All good subjects.
[4:44 PM]Varda: So, if we are going to make an article, those are all easy. Same for a story.
[4:44 PM]Varda: But for a gaming screenie, some may be tougher.
[4:45 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Challenge is a gaming screenie that has all 3!
[4:45 PM]Varda: Under Lights, we can probably go with all sorts of lights we can relate do Tolkien, like sunrise or sunset etc.
[4:45 PM]Varda: hahahaha - I like it, Phar.
[4:45 PM]Léod: Sun and moon should be easy enough.
[4:46 PM]Varda: We might work in a screenie of surviving a boss fight with something Tolkienesque that looked as if we weren't going to make it? Eucatastrophe.
[4:46 PM]Varda: What else can we think up for such a screenie?
[4:48 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Ahh yes, defeating raidfights with only 1 or 2 people out of 20+ left alive... good times.
[4:48 PM]Arien Valar: is there a low level dungeon that could be run with a highlevel character , or a few low levels with a highlevel that rescues the lot before they actually die or resurrects if it happens?
[4:49 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Let's just say our death knight tank uses "Undying" as a title for a reason
[4:49 PM]Eönwë Valar: There's a cinematic in WoW with dragons pulling a LotR Eagles in one of the raids I'm pretty sure.
[4:49 PM]Varda: Lowest level dungeons would be Great Barrows or a low skirmish in LotRO.
[4:50 PM]Varda: We can at least attempt to draw something, I guess. : )
[4:50 PM]Léod: How about Tom Bombadil showing up in Othrongroth to zap Sambrog and bring the barrow down?
[4:51 PM]Varda: That's a good one, Leod! Should fit right in.
[4:51 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Sambrog? It's been named?
[4:51 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: That the same thing that's in the book?
[4:52 PM]Léod: He's the Wight-Lord you fight at the end of the epic story instance Othrongroth.
[4:52 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Interesting.
[4:53 PM]Léod: I don't know if he's the same wight that's in the book, but I doubt it. That one has already been banished by the time you first meet Tom I think. Now this is all just in the game, there are wights galore in the Barrow-Downs.
[4:53 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: hehe, makes sense
[4:54 PM]Varda: (Arien has just added a new Rune-keeper to LotRO Crickhollow: Ariennrod.)
[4:56 PM]Varda: Their rotten brains may get confused. Could be 200 Sambrogs. Not sure how many I've killed. ; )
[4:56 PM]Léod: How very Welsh!
[4:56 PM]Varda: : )
[4:57 PM]Varda: Gets tricky making a zillion Arien name versions!
[4:57 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: All the Ariensomethings!
[4:58 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Trying to think of the cinematic Eonwe mentioned earlier. It does ring a bell.
[4:59 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Probably more than one Draco Ex Machina in WoW.
[4:59 PM]Eönwë Valar: I want to say it has something to do with Deathwing and the Dragon Soul.
[4:59 PM]Eönwë Valar: And yeah, because I'm also remembering the Wrathgate with the dragons had a bit of that feel too.
[4:59 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Well, there's Deathwing's final fight where the other aspects (and Thrall) pour the Soul into him.
[4:59 PM]Varda: If it's a cinematic, it might be linkable sometime during the marathon at least. : )
[5:00 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Oh right, Wrathgate has Alex dropping by.
[5:00 PM]Eönwë Valar: But that one was definirelty not eucatastrophe, that was just plain catastrophe.
[5:00 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: She did save Bolvar... sort of...
[5:00 PM]Léod: What a great early cinematic for WoW though.
[5:00 PM]Varda: Ah well. No Anniversary page for that one. But a link here during the week marathon? Cool.
[5:01 PM]Varda: And it would need a Valarite in it.
[5:01 PM]Varda: Ok, so we might work out Eucatastrophe.
[5:02 PM]Varda: The one for Potable Delights ought to be good for almost all games!
[5:02 PM]Varda: Not sure about Eve, but ones with live folk.
[5:03 PM]Léod: There are certainly a lot of pubs in Lotro!
[5:03 PM]Lenwe: Aiya, sorry I'm a little late
[5:03 PM]Eönwë Valar: Brewfest going on. Grab a screenie while you can!
[5:03 PM]Varda: quote from Wikipedia: "Arianrhod" - Arianrhod (Welsh pronunciation:
[arˈjanr̥ɔd]) is a figure in Welsh mythology who plays her most important role in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi. She is the daughter of Dôn and the sister of Gwydion and Gilfaethwy; the Welsh Triads give her father as Beli Mawr. In the Mabinogi her uncle Math ap Mathonwy is the King of Gwynedd, and during the ..."
[5:04 PM]Varda: Lenwe! Aiya : )
[5:04 PM]Arien Valar: Aiya Lenwe
[5:04 PM]Léod: Oh, no! Why did you tell me? I love Brewfest in WoW, and I have successfully avoided resubbing for some time!
[5:04 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Aiya!
[5:04 PM]Varda: Welcome to the beginning of the 27th Anniversary chat marathon, which starts during this meeting. : )
[5:04 PM]Léod: Aiya!
[5:04 PM]Varda: Free to play able to pop in for that?
[5:05 PM]Léod: I imagine, I don't know why not. It's not level locked.
[5:05 PM]Varda: We are trying to break the ties in the Poll for Anniversary theme. No luck so far. : )
[5:05 PM]Varda: Three ties!
[5:05 PM]Arien Valar: you can play for free up until lvl 20 , i ve got a free character on Lothar btw ^^
[5:05 PM]Eönwë Valar: If you haven't played WoW in a few years, I assure you there's nothing new with Brewfest that would require a re-sub, heh.
[5:06 PM]Léod: Potables would definitely be the easiest. Lights are pretty limited. Eucatastrophe could be done and would be the flashiest and most attention getting I think.
[5:07 PM]Eönwë Valar: Only if people could remember and screenshot some of those moments.
[5:08 PM]Léod: The eagles at the gates of Mordor?
[5:08 PM]Eönwë Valar: We're talking about in all games, i.e. WoW, Eve, even Starcraft 2, not just LotRO.
[5:09 PM]Arien Valar: Potable delights under a light in a Eucatastrophe .. how about that?
[5:09 PM]Léod: I know, but Lotro is where I've played the most lately so it's clearer in my mind.
[5:09 PM]Eönwë Valar: Also need to inspire people for poetry and stories. Certainly could write an article for our Tolkien Encyclopedia about a eucatostrophic event.
[5:09 PM]Varda: If we can combine some, that could handle the ties. ; ) Kind of sneaky but could be fun.
[5:10 PM]Varda: A picnic while escaping orcs in Rohan at the edge of Fangorn Forest comes to mind, maybe under starlight.
[5:10 PM]Arien Valar: :)
[5:11 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Having a light snack in Mordor as the glowy lava comes for you, and the eagles approach.
[5:11 PM]Eönwë Valar: OK, 2 min to go on the poll. Again I say: YouTube - This IS the last minute!
[5:12 PM]Arien Valar: having a cooked meal over open fire just before the beginning of a skirmish in Ithilien
[5:12 PM]Eönwë Valar: And there went the poll, and the fun one ending in less than a minute.
Eönwë Valar's poll - Which would you rather: has closed. — Yesterday at 5:13 PM. 1 night on Fastitocalon's back (he won't dive). Winning answer • 50%
[5:13 PM]Léod: Well, I'm headed out for a bit. Good talking to everyone!
[5:13 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Namarie!
[5:13 PM]Eönwë Valar: The result on the Theme: Unexpectedly Potable Light.
[5:14 PM]Eönwë Valar: Take care Leod.
[5:14 PM]Léod: LOL!
[5:14 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Ah, like the phial in Shelob's lair!
[5:14 PM]Varda: Later Leod : )
[5:14 PM]Varda: Hmm. Interesting.
[5:15 PM]Varda: It's after the hour.
[5:15 PM]Eönwë Valar: The result on the fun poll: A night on Fastitocalon's back wins.
[5:15 PM]Arien Valar: Namarie , Leod
[5:15 PM]Varda: hops on turtleback to ride into the starry night
[5:16 PM]Varda: gavel tries to smack the hammerpad
[5:16 PM]Varda: splash!
[5:16 PM]Varda: After-meeting!
[5:16 PM]Eönwë Valar: Because of Phar, I now challenge everyone to write a story where Luthien gives a concert on Fastiticalon's back on a bright starry night :}
[5:16 PM]Varda: We enter the full marathon chat! Happy 27th Anniversary to all!
[5:17 PM]Arien Valar: Happy 27th Anniversary , Valar Guild
[5:17 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Happy anniversary!
[5:17 PM]Varda: It's your fault. I'm imagining the scene, trying to work out why, and how it ends...
[5:17 PM]Eönwë Valar: Anniversary is this Wednesday, for those who might not know. October 4th, 1997 was our founding.
[5:18 PM]Sandalf13: My birthday is 2 October, but a lot earlier. Close.
[5:18 PM]Arien Valar: Wednesday is 2nd of october and Thursday the 3rd
[5:18 PM]Sandalf13: My youngest daughter's birthday is 6 Oct, so we sort of bracket the Valar Guild Birthday. Congratulations to you all!
[5:19 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Correct. Friday's the anniversary.
[5:19 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: And early birthday to both of you!
[5:19 PM]Varda: Happy Birthdays!
[5:19 PM]Sandalf13: Thank you! I no longer count them very much.
[5:19 PM]Eönwë Valar: Sorry, looking at my September calendar as if it's October.
[5:20 PM]Lenwe: I did not realise there are other Valarites on the Angmar LotRO server. I've a level 44 beorning, Heimthorn
[5:20 PM]Eönwë Valar: The anniversary is indeed on Friday.
[5:20 PM]Varda: Birthdays are an excuse for cake and party and fun. : )
[5:20 PM]Varda: Lenwe, would you like an invitation? You might have another group in mind?
[5:20 PM]Sandalf13: i will go out and celebrate with a Costco pizza and a friend(s).
[5:21 PM]Varda: Sounds wonderful!
[5:21 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Enjoy!
[5:21 PM]Sandalf13: The Valar Guild birthday, that is.
[5:21 PM]Varda: And more pizza for the other birthdays? ; )
[5:21 PM]Varda: Different flavors maybe.
[5:21 PM]Lenwe: I'm currently kinless
[5:21 PM]Sandalf13: Nah...I have no plans for my birthday....just some work. Shira is in Lincoln, so I will be sending a card. No chance to get together this weekend.
[5:21 PM]Varda: I'm heading to Angmar to help you with that problem
[5:22 PM]Varda: Fainan will be landing there shortly.
[5:22 PM]Lenwe: Huzzah!
[5:22 PM]Sandalf13: Take care in Angmar...I have heard some nasty rumors about that place...
[5:23 PM]Varda: I'll shine a light on it.
[5:23 PM]Arien Valar: It is kind of hard to play alone there because of those silly wraiths
[5:23 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: One does not simply land...
[5:23 PM]Varda: The wraiths are annoying. Get high enough level and gear, not as bad.
[5:23 PM]Varda: Varda can. ; )
[5:24 PM]Sandalf13: Heaven Let Your Light Shine Down
[5:24 PM]Sandalf13: You may need some heaven-sent light in Angmar.
[5:25 PM]Arien Valar: are the wraiths less in higher level areas?
[5:26 PM]Varda: Arien, yes.
[5:26 PM]Varda: What was that name again?
[5:27 PM]Varda: Heim...
[5:27 PM]Lenwe: I've been defeated more than a few times by an annoying wraith that popped up after a hard-won battle
[5:27 PM]Lenwe: Heimthorn
[5:27 PM]Varda: I like the 64-bit server, not the lore-breaking wraiths.
[5:29 PM]Varda: I am on Angmar; 44 Heimthorn does not seem present?
[5:30 PM]Arien Valar: if you /joinchannel Valar , Lenwe and then say hello she might find you
[5:31 PM]Lenwe: Ah yes, thanks
[5:34 PM]Varda: He's in, just needs to type in his Note for his promotion. : )
[5:34 PM]Varda: Hey, the Sun came out in Angmar! (Arien popped in!)
[5:35 PM]Sandalf13: Will there be a Tolkien topic today? (Please note the alliteration)
[5:37 PM]Sandalf13: BTW - I have been defeated while tryint to game by something even more sinister and diabolical, not to mention terrifying: the keyboard.
[5:37 PM]Varda: The Tolkien topic was trying to come up with ways to use the poll topics. : )
[5:38 PM]Varda: It turned more into gaming, but the intention was to use it for Tolkien as well.
[5:38 PM]Sandalf13: So that is it...ok then, at least I voted on the topic last week!
[5:38 PM]Varda: Potables like the phial in Shelob's lair. : )
[5:38 PM]Varda: And we have a 3-way tie. : )
[5:38 PM]Varda: There was hope that we might show favoritism for one of the three. hah.
[5:39 PM]Varda: We might have to find a way to splinch them all together.
[5:39 PM]Varda: Good night, Arien!
[5:39 PM]Varda: She kindly came in to help in case Lenwe and I didn't make contact.
[5:40 PM]Arien Valar: Good night all it migfht be interesting to find a combination of the three topics
[5:40 PM]Arien Valar: or at least fun
[5:40 PM]Varda: Feel free to speculate during the week. : )
[5:40 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Namarien!
[5:40 PM]Varda: hehe Namarie
[5:40 PM]Arien Valar: hehe
[5:40 PM]Varda: Only needed the one n. : )
[5:40 PM]Arien Valar: Namarie
[5:42 PM]Eönwë Valar: Namarien = contraction of "Namarië, Arien" obviously :}
[5:42 PM]Varda: Aye
[5:42 PM]Varda: Must be!
[5:42 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: That was the idea!
[5:42 PM]Varda: So no one else gets a namarie?
[5:43 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Well, Arien was the one who said good night
[5:43 PM]Varda: All your namaries belong to Arien!
[5:43 PM]Varda: I was being silly. No worries. : )
[5:43 PM]Sandalf13: Namarie
[5:43 PM]Varda: Namarie, Sandalf. And feel free to talk Tolkien here.
[5:43 PM]Varda: We can do subjects now and all week!
[5:44 PM]Varda: Sooo - what to start?
[5:45 PM]Varda: A eucatastrophe: the sudden turn from horror to good.
[5:45 PM]Eönwë Valar: "In the hole in the ground there was a spider. By some turn of great fortune, I came upon an Elf woman who caught a star in her well and poured me a glass of water. I poured the starry water on the spider and poof! No spider. The end." There, wrote a story that included all elements of our 3-way tie :}
[5:45 PM]Varda: In the depths of dark and spiders, coming outside. That was enough to make Frodo run out even tired.
[5:46 PM]Varda: Congrats, Eonwe!
[5:46 PM]Varda: Flash fiction!
[6:08 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Smitten with some elf, I believe!
[6:08 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Ah.
[6:09 PM]Varda: And Bombadil. He sounds like a Maia. A spirit of nature sounds like a Maia of Yavanna.
[6:09 PM]Varda: And Goldberry? River-woman's daughter? Maia of Ulmo?
[6:12 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: She or her mother?
[6:12 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Her mother, at least, surely
[6:12 PM]Varda: Aye, for the mother.
[6:12 PM]Varda: And who was the father?
[6:12 PM]Varda: Couldn't there be river-men?
[6:12 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: But if Maiar can only have children with mortals... yes, who's the father?
[6:13 PM]Varda: Now that's a potential draw. Having children only with mortals? Where do we see that?
[6:13 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Well, Tolkien abandoned the idea of the Valar having children, at least.
[6:13 PM]Varda: We see no children of Bombadil and Goldberry.
[6:13 PM]Varda: Aye, he did.
[6:13 PM]Varda: Immortal spirits that wear bodies like clothing.
[6:14 PM]Varda: But Melian and Thingol gave us Luthien.
[6:14 PM]Varda: So your point is excellent.
[6:15 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Hang on, let me find the original mention of their meeting...
[6:18 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Tom sits by the water, Goldberry pulls him in by his beard... he tells Goldberry to go back down and sleep, and she goes back to "her mother's house in the deepest hollow"
[6:19 PM]Varda: She sounds like a water spirit. They often are in stories drowning people.
[6:20 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Some days later he goes back and catches Goldberry, "and her heart was fluttering." Well, at least it's consensual.
[6:20 PM]Varda: She does have a mother from the water.
[6:20 PM]Varda: So probably not a rusalka.
[6:20 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: "You shall come under Hill! Never mind your mother in her deep weedy pool: there you'll find no lover!"
[6:22 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Then they get married, and the last reference to her mother is "on the bank in the reeds River-woman sighing"
[6:22 PM]Varda: Not a completly happy story. Runs along with old folklore type tales.
[6:22 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Indeed.
[6:23 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Mother's still around, at least. And it could be father was a traveler she seduced.
[6:24 PM]Varda: We know hunting was a sport they did in Middle-earth. Orome came over to hunt and he was a Vala.
[6:24 PM]Varda: So gardening, hunting, looking after the critters.
[6:24 PM]Varda: They didn't stick just to Valinor!
[6:26 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Hunting... does that include hunting men to pull them into pools and have children with?
[6:26 PM]Varda: hah! I didn't make that connection. But maybe. Sounds like a Paracelsus thing. : )
[6:27 PM]Varda: Elementals seeking humans for spouses to gain a soul and family.
[6:27 PM]Varda: Huan was a loaner from Orome for elves like Caranthir to hunt in Midde-earth.
[6:28 PM]Varda: We know that Ulmo remained present in the bodies of water, and gathered info.
[6:28 PM]Varda: So his Maiar were very likely to be present.
[6:29 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Sounds about right.
[6:29 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Did we ever find out who Melian "belonged" to?
[6:29 PM]Varda: And hey, those Maiar went to Middle-earth, so we could slip over there too...
[6:30 PM]Varda: Melian: we find her in the forest, not in the water. My guess is Yavanna.
[6:30 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Good point.
[6:30 PM]Varda: Just a guess. : )
[6:31 PM]Varda: The Maiar of Manwe and Varda were the only ones that could fly, by then. And she didn't seem inclined to fly.
[6:31 PM]Varda: We don't see her hunting like Orome.
[6:32 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: There's a power, between her and her daughter, of confusion and sleep... she could be one of Irmo.
[6:33 PM]Varda: Could be!
[6:33 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: According to this website, there might be something there in Nature of Middle-earth...
[6:33 PM]Varda: That's a good one.
[6:40 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Ah, no, it's actually in the Silmarillion, Valaquenta.
[6:41 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: "Melian was the name of a Maia who served both Vana and Este; she dwelt long in Lorien, tending the trees that flower in the gardens of Irmo, ere she came to Middle-earth. Nightingales sang about her wherever she went."
[6:42 PM]Varda: Ahhh!
[6:43 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: And a few chapters later "Melian was a Maia, of the race of the Valar. She dwelt in the gardens of Lorien, and among all his people there were none more beautiful than Melian, nor more wise, nor more skilled in songs of enchantment. It is told that the Valar would leave their works, and the birds of Valinor their mirth, that the bells of Valmar were silent and the fountains ceased to flow, when at the mingling of the lights Melian sang in Lorien. (edited)
[6:44 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Nightingales went always with her, and she taught them their song; and she loved the deep shadows of the great trees. She was akin before the World was made to Yavanna herself"
[6:44 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Well. Lorien and Yavanna. Guess we were both right
[6:44 PM]Varda: Tinuviel, the Nightingale.
[6:45 PM]Varda: That fits. : )
[7:27 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Personal gaming report:
[7:27 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: For (non)flashgaming, plenty of choices this week for older classics, and I'll choose...
[7:29 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: ""Hook" on Kongregate is a shortish, relaxing puzzle game, where you have to unhook a level by clicking circles to retract their linked hooks and lines.
Full version: Play the Hook
[7:30 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: The order is important, because if a line hits another one on its way back, you have to start the level over!
[7:31 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Gets a bit harder as you go, with moving obstacles and other timed things, but nothing too much.
[7:35 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Blizzard gaming:
[7:36 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Hearthstone: Level 98 on the reward track. Almost new skin reward!
[7:37 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: New quest event is going, A Travelmaster's Guide to Adventure!
[7:38 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Like the previous one, 3 main quests, one of which available each week, and a bunch of daily quests for low xp that you really need to work on if you want to hit the 4000 goal. This one does come with hero skins, though, so more worth doing.
[7:40 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Brawl is basically the counterpart of last week's. In Battle of Tol Barad you make a deck, and every minion you play puts a spell in your hand of the minion's cost, but for free. Rather than last week, where you play spells and summon free minions
[7:41 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: I also had a demon hunter quest going when I did this, so I made a deck of cheap demon hunter minions to have some board presence while also throwing cheap spells around. Seems to work as I won 3 out of 4 matches
[7:43 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Warcraft Rumble: New collection level, 43! Came upon a few uncommon offers in the Grid, which each got their minis to rare quality, and quality upgrades do give several collection points. Would be nice to see some more of those!
[7:43 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: In the dungeon I got my alliance leader Tirion through levels 20 and 21, and in the following Horde week I beat level 20 with Cairne. Good progress there!
[7:44 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: In the heroic sigil campaign, I defeated Onu with the remaining families, and the wolf Shadowclaw with 4 families. Next week should give me 2 more sigils at this rate.
[7:44 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Now at 113!
[7:47 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: For rarity upgrades, I got the talents for both minis I got to uncommon last week, gryphon rider and core hounds, and with the gryphon rider getting an extra level for that, I no longer have any minis below level 18.
[7:47 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: And as mentioned a bit earlier, I got both the Ghoul and the Murloc Tidehunters to rare quality, and bought new talents for them as well.
[7:48 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Diablo 4: Finally got into the season, with about 10 days left on the clock Silly WoW for taking up so much time.
[7:50 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Got myself a female barbarian, named after my fury warrior gobliness Calsjona, whom I'm leveling with dualwield spec. She's made it to level 6, completing the first quest of the season. All the other quests are locked behind gathering items from dungeons, helltides, and a new tier 3 feature, so that'll be next. I hope I can make it in time
[7:51 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: I also (finally) pre-purchased the expansion. Went for the ultimate edition, as well. I'm not too bothered with the season pass or the platinum, but I wanted to get all the wing cosmetics and the cat pets. Now I have a little tiger whelp following me around and looting gold for me
[7:51 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: The town portal cosmetic is interesting as well.
[7:52 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: And of course it means that I'll have access to the expansion releasing soon!
[7:53 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: WoW:
[7:54 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Made it to 80! Bit too low-geared for raiding, though; I've been instructed to get an ilevel of 565-570, and am currently sitting at 550. I did get two epics from the vault, though, because of delves I'd done in the previous weeks. Including my first tier piece. So I need to gear up!
[7:55 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Simplest way to do that is with higher Delves, but to get those I need to continue the leveling campaign. I did do 4 more Delves I hadn't done before, in Hallowfall, at tier 3: Mycomancer Cavern, Skittering Breach, Sinkhole, and Nightfall Sanctum. Had quests for them, so I figured, why not?
[8:00 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: For story questing, though, I completed the Ringing Deeps, unmasking the High Speaker's plans and activating the Awakening Machine. After that I continued into Hallowfall, fighting off some Nerubians and Kobyss, and taking back a Dawntower from the Order of Night. And now I'm in the zone's capital, Mereldar, mingling with locals, sparring with recruits, playing with orphans, etc. But I'm sure the peace won't last long, because those 3 enemy factions are still out there!
[8:03 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Next week, if D4 allows me enough time, I'll complete Hallowfall and dive into the fourth zone, Azj-Kahet, and hopefully start gearing up for real after that
[8:03 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: And that's my report for the week!
[8:05 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Namarie
[8:05 PM]Varda: Thank you, Phar
[9:05 PM]Sandalf13: Aiya all!
September 30, 2024
[@Varda
[Now that's a potential draw. Having children only with mortals? Where do we see that?
[12:31 AM]Eönwë Valar: Sorry, internet went out on me, and I had to go anyway, but I want to touch on this real quick:
[12:33 AM]Eönwë Valar: Yes, he abandoned the idea of Children of the Valar as such. That doesn't mean the Valar or Maiar were incapable of it. In HoME, and in direct relation to Melian actually, Tolkien explains that the acts of incarnates will tie a spiritual being to their physical form to some degree, essentially investing more in that physical body and making it more difficult to shed and reform. Some acts take more of a toll than others, among them procreation.
[12:34 AM]Eönwë Valar: Melian gave Thingol a child, and thus became bound to her physical form so long as Luthien was alive (or unless she was killed). She wasn't able to shed it until after Luthien's death, but she still stayed for Thingol.
[12:35 AM]Eönwë Valar: This carries somewhat into an examination of the first orcs as well.
[12:40 AM]Eönwë Valar: From "Myths Transformed" in Morgoth's Ring:
[12:43 AM]Eönwë Valar: "In any case is it likely or possible that even the least of the Maiar would become Orcs? Yes: both outside Arda and in it, before the fall of Utumno. Melkor had correupted many spirits — some great as Sauron, or less so, as Balrogs. The least could have been primitive (and much more powerful and perilous) Orcs; but by practising when embodied procreation they would (cf. Melian) (become) more and more earthbound, unable to return to spirit-state (even demon-form), until released by death (killing), and they would dwindle in force.
[12:45 AM]Eönwë Valar: When released they would, of course, like Sauron, be 'damned': i.e. reduced to impotence, infinitely more recessive: still hating but unable more and more to make it effective physically (or would not a very dwindled dead Orc-state be a poltergeist?)"
[12:46 AM]Eönwë Valar: It goes on about orcs, but that's the important part for the discussion.
[12:53 AM]Eönwë Valar: It's an interesting discussion, and part of why Tolkien likely ultimately rejected the idea of the Valar having children: If they were birthed within the world, through a physical act, then the Valar themselves would become bound to their bodies, and it would seem by necessity the child would be likewise bound to a body, thus creating something of a second class of Ainur. Melkor/Morgoth wouldn't so much care about the repercussions as long as it served his ultimate goal (and as long as he's not the one paying the price...though I recall some versions of the tales where he did have a son, I think Gothmog), but I suspect the Valar would be more mindful.
[4:10 AM]Arien Valar: present for the Marathon
[10:22 AM]Sandalf13: Aiya! I am here for the Marathon, at least as long as I am working at my desk!
[11:00 AM]Varda: Present and aiya!
[4:32 PM]Varda: Some beings in Middle-earth that weren't Maiar seemed to approach being Maiar, due to serving a Vala and being intelligent. Any thoughts on this concept?
[7:10 PM]Treebeard: Smarter servants only means more efficiency, not status.
[7:11 PM]Treebeard: Each serves as per their talents that they were born or conceived of and only become wiser with experience, etc.
[7:12 PM]Treebeard: Hello everyone
[7:19 PM]Varda: Aiya Fangorn
October 1, 2024
[1:07 AM]Eönwë Valar: If you mean Thorondor/Huan: 1.) The paragraph right before my quote starts specifically mentions them, says they "could" be Maiar, but also says "unfortunately" Gwaihir and Landroval in LotR are called descendants of Thorondor (<= Sorontar). So, it would seem Tolkien considers the idea of Maiar procreating a problem. So, for argument's sake, let's say all of the Great Eagles are Maiar who took the shape of eagles (only much larger). Every one of them that had children essentially imprisoned themsleves in their eagle body until they're slain.
[1:13 AM]Eönwë Valar: 2.) The text after the quote makes the point that talking is not necessarily proof of a "rational soul" like an Elf's or Man's. It's discussing the idea that Morgoth's orcs are beasts of humanized shape to mock Men and Elves. They talking was merely a recording of sorts, even the "rebellious critical words". "Melkor taught them speech and as they bred they inherited this; and they had just as much independents as have, say dogs or horses of their human masters."
[1:14 AM]Eönwë Valar: "The same sort of thing may be said of Huan and the Eagles (notice it doesn't mention Ents here): they were taught language by the Valar, and raised to a higher level— but they still had no fëar."
[1:19 AM]Eönwë Valar: A few paragraphs down: "See 'Melkor'. It will there be seen that the wills of Orcs and Balrogs tc. are part of Melkor's power 'dispersed'. Their spirit is one of hate. But hate is non-coöperative (except under direct fear). Hence the rebellions, mutinies, etc. when Morgoth seems far off. Orcs are beasts and Balrogs are corrupted Maiar. Also (n.b.) Morgoth not Sauron is the source of Orc-wills. Sauron is just another (if greater) agent. Orcs can rebel against him without losing their own irremediable allegiance to evil (Morgoth). Aulë wanted love. But of course had no thought of dispersing his power. Only Eru can give love and independence. If a finite sub-creator tries to do this he really wants absolute loving obedience, but it turns into robotic servitude and becomes evil."
[3:58 AM]Arien Valar: Aiya all
[4:07 AM]Arien Valar: As for smarter beings getting more power and Maia like I only can think of Old Man Willow.. He seemed to be first only a corrupted tree but changed into something more powerful with his own cunning and evil,. I wonder what happenened there? A minor spirit (loa) taking possession of the already corrupted plant? I remember Treebeard saying that the old trees used to be more aliive and were learning to talk from the Elves. Old Man Willow seemed to be able to coumunicate with those he captured. See Merry who was sucked into him and conveyed the message to put out the fire or he would be squeezed.
[4:08 AM]Arien Valar: On the good side maybe Goldberry, or was she a lesser Maia to begin with who grew in power due to her marriage to Tom Bombadil? Just some thoughts there.:)
October 2, 2024
[11:39 AM]Varda: Aiya fellow marathoners.
[11:54 AM]Eönwë Valar: Heya :}
[12:20 PM]Varda: From Meriadoc-(V), used as a hello in his email:
[12:20 PM]Varda: YouTube - Clamavi De Profundis - A Elbereth Gilthoniel"
[1:39 PM]Sandalf13: Aiya again...working at my laptop, and hoping to go out for a run sometime soon. Beautiful Fall day...might have some time to work on my Chapter Four as well later today...
[3:43 PM]Varda: Aiya Sandalf. : ) Sounds great!
[4:45 PM]Varda: New story up! From Eonwe:
[4:46 PM]Varda: "Making Acquaintance".
[7:51 PM]Eönwë Valar: Lobelia: "You're not Baggins—you—you're a Brandybuck!" Frodo: "Did you hear that, Merry? That was an insult, if you like." Merry: "It was a comliment, and so, of course, not true." --- Hard to tell if Merry's calling Lobelia a liar, or roasting Frodo, or maybe both.
[10:19 PM]Varda: Happy Birthday to Sandalf!!
[10:25 PM]Eönwë Valar: Happy Birthday Sandalf.
October 3, 2024
[7:54 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Happy birthday Sandalf!
[10:51 AM]Eönwë Valar: YouTube - Linkin Park - Heavy Is the Crown
[5:12 PM]Varda: Arien's Eucatastrophe screenshots are now on the Anniversary Page!
[5:13 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: So is that the new theme now, or do we have a choice of 3?
[5:13 PM]Varda: Click "Themed Images":
[5:13 PM]Varda: 27th Anniversary of the Valar Guild
[5:13 PM]Varda: All three themes are available, alone or in any combo.
[5:14 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Alright, I think I've got a drawing in mind for Lights.
[5:14 PM]Varda: Wonderful!
[5:42 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Am I wrong in remembering that Aule helped create the stars?
[6:07 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Looks like that's a really old version. No matter, it'll still work.
[7:26 PM]Varda: Aule made sparks in anger when Yavanna was insulted, Varda took the sparks and made them into Wilwarin as a way of honoring Yavanna against the insult.
[7:27 PM]Varda: Wilwarin meant butterfly in Quenya and is probably Cassiopeia
[7:38 PM]Varda: Ok - had to source where that memory came from. BoLT 1
[7:43 PM]Varda: BoLT 1 "The Silver Sickle. The seven butterflies. Aule was making a silver sickle. Melko interrupted his work telling him a lie concerning the lady Palurien. Aule so wroth that he broke the silver sickle with a blow. Seven sparks leapt up and winged into the heavens. Varda caught them and gave them a place in the heavens as a sign of Palurien's honor. They fly now ever in the shape of a sickle round and round the pole."
[7:44 PM]Varda: That's in the chapter "The Coming of the Elves", my book p 145.
[7:44 PM]Sandalf13: Aiya all! Hope you are all enjoying a wonderful week....soon drawing to a close.
[7:44 PM]Varda: Aiya Birthday Boy! Good to see you. : )
[7:44 PM]Varda: Our 27th Anniversary is tomorrow. : )
[7:45 PM]Sandalf13: Thank you so much! How did you possibly remember that yesterday was my birthday? I have no idea what your birthday date is, nor Fangorn's, nor Ar's, nor Eonwe, nor Arien....the list goes on and on.
[7:45 PM]Varda: You told us. : )
[7:45 PM]Varda: At the meeting.
[7:45 PM]Sandalf13: Here is an idea: Maybe post a list of those who are willing to share their birthdays? We can keep it on the Valar Guild site.
[7:46 PM]Varda: We used to write it on our Forum but it's now kind of a security breach to do that, so we stopped.
[7:46 PM]Sandalf13: Silly me. Typical.
[7:46 PM]Sandalf13: That is true...I can see the problem with posting birthday dates. Forget about mine.
[7:47 PM]Varda: Too many people are asked to give their birthday as a security question. Crazy thing to do when it's so public. Not smart for a security question.
[7:47 PM]Varda: tosses confetti at Sandalf
[7:47 PM]Sandalf13: You are right, of course...
[7:47 PM]Sandalf13: I caught some confetti in my hair! Whatever is left of it, that is... he he
[7:49 PM]Sandalf13: I took a walk through my subdivision this evening....it is a young neighborhood, with a few exceptions, like me and my neighbors to the north....lots of young kids, and lots of Halloween decorations are already out on the lawns. It is fun to look at them all. Last year I had quite a crowd of trick-or-treaters!
[7:49 PM]Sandalf13: I will try to post some pix later this week....
[7:49 PM]Varda: We had quite a crowd too, usually do. : )
[7:50 PM]Sandalf13: Great! I usually buy a big bag of goodies at Costco and hand those out to the little monsters...literally, this time....
[7:51 PM]Varda: hahaha
[7:52 PM]Sandalf13: Only a few teenagers showed up....and they usually come late.
[7:52 PM]Varda: They are still feeling that childhood that they are leaving. They're usually fine.
[7:53 PM]Varda: Turn off the light when you're done. It's a sign.
[7:53 PM]Sandalf13: I agree with you. Sometimes teenagers suddenly realize just what they are leaving behind as they grow out of their childhood...sort of bittersweet, yes?
[7:53 PM]Varda: I went trick or treating with some families and learned that they look not just for a light but decorations to make sure they are welcome.
[7:54 PM]Varda: Wellll, they may learn that they can be on the other side, still dress up if they like, and give out candy. Then eat the left-overs.
[7:54 PM]Varda: We were watching over the little ones, as escort.
[7:55 PM]Varda: Also, they have a phone app that tells where there are houses that are giving out candy. Odd that it would even be needed, but times are different.
[7:55 PM]Sandalf13: For many years, my Mother and Father put out a couple of scarecrows that they had bought at a Nursery in Manhasset. When I closed up their house just before Covid hit, I saved one of them...and it is now gracefully adorning my front door. I shall buy a few other items to keep it company...but it is still doing its job, after so many years.
[7:55 PM]Varda: Very good! And it's ok if the scarecrow gets a tattered look.
[7:56 PM]Sandalf13: Thank heavens.
[7:56 PM]Varda: For those in LotRO, we are having the Anniversary ride on Landroval server at noon and 5 pm Eastern.
[7:56 PM]Varda: Starting in Bree. Bring fireworks.
[7:57 PM]Sandalf13: I will try to take a picture of my front door once I put out my meager decorations....I do have a couple of plastic pumpkins that MY kids used as children...this would be in the 1980s to very early 1990s....but I am afraid if I set them out, they might "walk" away.
[7:58 PM]Sandalf13: Is Ar still onboard? Are we boring you with stories about Halloween? Is there a similar custom in Holland?
[7:58 PM]Varda: If they're small, load them with candy and give them to those who are sweet people and have costumes that implied effort? A prize of sorts.
[7:58 PM]Varda: Phar is not online at the moment.
[7:59 PM]Varda: He is possibly working on his art for the Anniversary page.
[7:59 PM]Sandalf13: Ah. I hope I didn't scare him away!!!
[7:59 PM]Varda: Nope. He wasn't here when you arrived.
[7:59 PM]Varda: Anyway, you can see the page looks rather bare right now. He'll be fixing that up:
[7:59 PM]Varda: 27th Anniversary of the Valar Guild
[7:59 PM]Varda: Arien sent some screenshots for the Eucatastrophe theme.
[8:00 PM]Varda: See "Themed images" and click it.
[8:01 PM]Varda: Tolkien-related. Huan, the wolfhound of Orome.
[8:01 PM]Varda: Apparently, JRRT first considered him a Maia but changed his mind later.
[8:01 PM]Varda: If he's not a Maia, what is he?
[8:02 PM]Varda: I suspect he's rather like the Eagles and Ents, thought up in the mind of a particular Vala for their special purpose.
[8:02 PM]Varda: Eagles of Manwe for scouting and sometimes a helping hand in dire need.
[8:02 PM]Sandalf13: Did my Bat Luthien get posted?
[8:02 PM]Varda: Ents of Yavanna to protect the forests.
[1
[8:02 PM]Varda: Huan of Orome to aid in the hunt.
[8:03 PM]Sandalf13:
[8:03 PM]Varda: I did message you about that. It's in your Art for the Tolkien Site.
[8:03 PM]Varda: You never mentioned it as something for the Anniversary.
[8:04 PM]Sandalf13: Yes...you did. Do you think it will get noticed there? Maybe we could move it to the anniversary page somehow?
[8:04 PM]Sandalf13: It was made with the anniversary in mind...
[8:04 PM]Varda: Ah rats. It didn't make it to the Contributors page. I'd better go do that.
[8:04 PM]Varda: It was not labeled as such. What theme was it for?
[8:05 PM]Sandalf13: Take your time. We are on Tolkien time,,,,or elf time...no rush.
[8:05 PM]Varda: Sandalf-(T)'s Cave: Artwork by Sandalf
[8:05 PM]Varda: That's your art page.
[8:05 PM]Sandalf13: Maybe eucatastrophe?
[8:05 PM]Sandalf13: After all, she and Beren as a hound did make it in time to gain their prize...
[8:08 PM]Sandalf13: Oooops...got to go close some windows...it is getting too chilly. Nights are finally getting into the 40-42 range regularly. The first frost is probably only one or two weeks away. Hope I get some more tomaters by then!
[8:08 PM]Varda: Now your Art is properly showing on the Contributors page.
[8:08 PM]Varda: Close away!
[8:08 PM]Sandalf13: Thanks!!
[8:08 PM]Sandalf13: Will do. I shall check in later after I get some work done. Sei gesund and Namarie, for now!
[8:08 PM]Varda: The three themes: Eucatastrophe, Lights, Potably drinks
[8:08 PM]Varda: Namarie
[8:22 PM]Varda: It's now on the Anniversary page under Themed images and under Art (which does not have to be themed.)
[8:34 PM]Varda: The magic of links. The same art linked to more than one place without having to be reposted.
[11:28 PM]Varda: Fainan is parked just outside the Bree West gate with lots of fireworks, and it's near the Bree vault. See you tomorrow!
Happy chatting!