Sunday, February 23, 2025
5:00pm Eastern Time
Discord: Valar Guild/meeting_place
Attending: Arien, Ar-Pharazon, Eonwe, Falco, Pallando, Sandalf, Varda (presiding), Xavier
Topic: Why is Grima's character arc important to the War of the Rings? And what was it?
Tolkien chat continues.
[4:00 PM]Arien Valar: aiya
[4:00 PM]Varda: Aiya Sunshine!
[4:00 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Aiya!
[4:00 PM]Varda: @Bounder @Guild-friend Valar Guild meeting time in meeting_place.
[4:00 PM]Varda: Phar! Aiya : )
[4:00 PM]Varda: Membership:
[4:01 PM]Varda: Congrats to both of you for making it here right on time! It could not have been easy.
[4:01 PM]Pallando-Valar: Aiya
[4:01 PM]Varda: Pallando too! Aiya
[4:01 PM]Eönwë Valar: Heya.
[4:02 PM]Varda: and Eonwe! yay! We have a gang. : )
[4:02 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Only by 5 minutes but it's definitely an improvement!
[4:02 PM]Varda: By my clock, you're right on time.
[4:02 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Hmm, I mean I only got online 5 minutes early.
[4:02 PM]Sandalf13: Aiya All
[4:02 PM]Varda: In Membership news, Elwing is visiting our house and gaming in LotRO Landroval. : )
[4:03 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Aiya!
[4:03 PM]Varda: Aiya Sandalf : )
[4:03 PM]Varda: And a quick shift to
[4:03 PM]Varda: Web News:
[4:03 PM]Varda: Congrats to Eonwe for completing his Valentine's month arc in his stories. : )
[4:04 PM]Varda: He sent us "Kindling"
[4:04 PM]Varda: Grats on making it through the arc and all in February, as well as fun reading. : )
[4:04 PM]Eönwë Valar: Thanks :}
[4:05 PM]Varda: and tosses a gavel in Eonwe's direction
[4:05 PM]Varda: What was that, Sandalf? : )
[4:06 PM]Varda: Gaming!
[4:06 PM]Sandalf13: Nothing from me...?
[4:07 PM]Varda: ah ok. It was a typing elsewhere, pardon.
[4:07 PM]Eönwë Valar: I also sent in "Lindon Vignettes 2" a couple of days ago for anyone who didn't catch Varda's mention in Harbor or see it on the News page.
[4:08 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: I keep reading "London Vignettes" every time I see that on the news page.
[4:08 PM]Varda: Thank you! That should have been mentioned by me above. Good to have rebound help here!
[4:08 PM]Eönwë Valar: hehe
[4:10 PM]Eönwë Valar: "Lindon Vignettes 2", like the first "Lindon Vignettes" is a series of three stories of three people on the same day.
[4:10 PM]Eönwë Valar: So you technically get 4 stories this week :}
[4:11 PM]Varda: 7!
[4:11 PM]Pallando-Valar: In Eve, the Drifter Crisis is continuing. After some changes in the behavior of the Vigilant Dreamer, the Drifters are being driven off with some regularity. There was a news update about 2 weeks ago that told us that at the time, 17 Drifters had been driven off, while 17 had completed whatever they came to do. "Cluster fights back"
[We still don't know much, but records that have been recovered so far indicate they're plotting attacks against the hearts of all four major empires. We don't know how much longer this will go on for, but I'm estimating 2-4 weeks.
[4:11 PM]Varda: 3 3 1
[4:11 PM]Pallando-Valar: a couple of the images recovered:
[4:12 PM]Pallando-Valar:
[Discord image]
[4:12 PM]Pallando-Valar:
[Discord image]
[4:12 PM]Varda: Something's going on, sounds bad!
[4:12 PM]Pallando-Valar: and now I need to go to try and drive one off right now.
[4:12 PM]Pallando-Valar: The nice thing aboput these is that they're relatively new-player accessible.
[4:13 PM]Varda: May the Valar be with you, Vala buddy. : )
[4:13 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Enjoy!
[4:13 PM]Pallando-Valar: Especially the non-dreamer sites (that you run before the final fight)
[4:13 PM]Pallando-Valar: so if you want to get in...
[4:13 PM]Varda: Sauron is about to go to work. : (
[4:13 PM]Eönwë Valar: :}
[4:13 PM]Varda: Sauron works at night. Who'd expect that...
[4:14 PM]Eönwë Valar: Does he wear his sunglasses at night? :}
[4:14 PM]Varda: May-be
[4:14 PM]Varda: Night vision goggles?
[4:14 PM]Eönwë Valar: YouTube - Sunglasses at Night
[4:14 PM]Varda: hah
[4:15 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: In case the night's not dark enough.
[4:16 PM]Eönwë Valar: But it's technically 4 stories this week. 7 for the month. Lindon Vignettes came out 2 weeks ago, but if you didn't read it yet you have a total of 7 to read for the month. So plenty to read if you want it :}
[4:17 PM]Sandalf13: What a prolific week!
[4:18 PM]Eönwë Valar: Now on to Gaming :}
[4:18 PM]Eönwë Valar: Or my gaming news. Pallando already got us going :}
[4:18 PM]Varda: Yay!
[4:19 PM]Eönwë Valar: World of Warcraft:
[4:19 PM]Falco: Aiya
[4:19 PM]Eönwë Valar: This week's bonus events: Cataclysm Timewalking. This week's PvP Brawl: Shado-Pan Showdown.
[4:19 PM]Eönwë Valar: A new short story is out: "The Tipping Point".
[4:20 PM]Varda: (more stories)
[4:20 PM]Eönwë Valar: Yep, someone at Blizzard's been writing too :}
[4:20 PM]Eönwë Valar: A new blog is out: The Making of Ratts’ Revenge: Deciphering Incognitro, the Indecipherable Felcycle.
[4:21 PM]Eönwë Valar: Dragon Soul is now live in WoW Cataclysm Classic.
[4:21 PM]Eönwë Valar: Check out WoW Weekly for anything not mentioned above.
[4:21 PM]Eönwë Valar: Check out this week's hotfixes.
[4:22 PM]Eönwë Valar: Hearthstone:
[4:22 PM]Eönwë Valar: Patch 31.6 is out this week.
[4:23 PM]Eönwë Valar: Hearthstone's next expansion will be Into the Emerald Dream.
[4:23 PM]Eönwë Valar: Warcraft Rumble:
[4:23 PM]Eönwë Valar: Blizzard is warning players a remorseless winter is upon them.
[4:23 PM]Eönwë Valar: The Priestess will be available to earn from February 26th to March 11th.
[4:24 PM]Eönwë Valar: Check out this week's hotfixes.
[4:24 PM]Eönwë Valar: Diablo Immortal: Check out the recent updates and bug fixes.
[4:24 PM]Eönwë Valar: Diablo 2: Ladder Season 10 is coming.
[4:25 PM]Eönwë Valar: Overwatch 2: A new blog is out: Season 15: Honor & Glory — Overwatch 2's Boldest Gameplay Evolution Yet.
[4:25 PM]Eönwë Valar: Heroes of the Storm: A new patch is on the PTR.
[4:25 PM]Eönwë Valar: And last but not least...
[4:26 PM]Eönwë Valar: Lord of the Rings Online: We now have details on the dates for 64-bit servers.
[4:27 PM]Varda: Dates:
[March 3: VIP reserves three names per server. Noon Eastern.
[March 4: All may transfer to the new server, but not yet game. Noon Eastern.
[March 5: All may game on the new servers. 1PM Eastern.
[4:28 PM]Xavier: Hi everyone
[4:28 PM]Eönwë Valar: That's it for my gaming news.
[4:28 PM]Varda: Aiya Xavier : )
[4:28 PM]Varda: Thank you, Eonwe!
[4:28 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Aiya!
[4:28 PM]Varda: A little more for LotRO:
[4:28 PM]Varda: Repeat, since folks keep saying they hadn't heard it yet. : )
[4:29 PM]Varda: Our Landroval branch will move to Peregrin server.
[4:29 PM]Varda: Our Crickhollow branch will move to Glamdring server.
[4:29 PM]Varda: Characters from either Landroval or Crickhollow may move to either server as they wish, but if they choose the above they will automatically be in the kinship if the kin leader has already moved into the server. If a character lands on the wrong server, it may be transferred to the correct server for free at least until October.
[4:29 PM]Varda: Our old 32-bit servers will remain at least until they are no longer supported by Microsoft, probably October or November. It is not recommended to remain after that.
[4:29 PM]Varda: Lord of the Rings gamers that came into a kin branch this past week:
Landroval kin branch: (Going to Peregrin server in March.)
Crickhollow kin branch: (Going to Glamdring server in March.)
Treebeard kin branch: (No server change.)
Angmar kin branch: (No server change.)
Mordor kin branch: (No server change.)
[4:30 PM]Varda: Any other gaming news? Requests? Invitations needed?
[4:30 PM]Falco: I will be combining most of mine into peregrine
[4:31 PM]Varda: Falco! Good to hear from you! And that sounds great, and difficult!
[4:32 PM]Eönwë Valar: Peregrine Falco.... Just gonna leave that there.
[4:32 PM]Varda: : )
[4:32 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: grin
[4:32 PM]Falco: 30 to peregrine and 18 to the other
[4:32 PM]Varda: the servers teeter and fall
[4:32 PM]Falco: Auto correct lol
[4:36 PM]Varda: Letting Xav have a chance to type before I steamroller in. ; )
[4:37 PM]Eönwë Valar: Quick mention I'll go head and sneak in here: I do hope to have a new Game Review up in the next few days, so there's something to look forward to :}
[4:37 PM]Varda: yay!
[4:37 PM]Varda: For LotRO, a quick mention: LETSRIDE is the code for free +20% Mount Speed, available through Feb 27.
[4:38 PM]Varda: Be sure to claim the items from your Reward Track, as this track session ends in two days.
[4:38 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Free mount speed? How does that work? Is it permanent?
[4:38 PM]Eönwë Valar: Consumable
[4:39 PM]Eönwë Valar: 6hrs
[4:39 PM]Varda: Not permanent. The free weekly code for a consumable object.
[4:39 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Ah, ok. Makes more sense.
[4:39 PM]Varda: On to
[4:39 PM]Varda: Tolkien!
[4:39 PM]Varda: Unless someone else has a topic first, I have one for you.
[4:39 PM]Eönwë Valar: I speak fluent WoW and conversational LotRO, hah.
[4:39 PM]Varda: There you go! : )
[4:40 PM]Arien Valar: i just wanted to mention something shortly
[4:40 PM]Varda: Gaming? Membership? Other?
[4:40 PM]Arien Valar: Ibut xavier first :L)
[4:40 PM]Xavier: Sopost to say KeK or LOL. First
[4:41 PM]Varda: hahahaha
[4:41 PM]Arien Valar:
[4:41 PM]Varda: For the Horde!
[4:41 PM]Arien Valar: its actually Tolkien sort of
[4:41 PM]Sandalf13:
[4:41 PM]Xavier: Anyway here is my sort of shoot long post...Just a FYI I will have low level toons on many servers. Biggest reason is moving stuff for the Kin I lead. Highgaurd of Numinor. In addition, long time friends with Varda and Fangorn and the rest of Valar Guild
[4:42 PM]Varda: A long-time and valued Guild-friend. : )
[4:42 PM]Xavier: Thanks everyone
[4:42 PM]Varda: Wondering if you two Highguards of Numenor are somehow related? Ar-Pharazon's group is in Europe WoW, Xavier's in US LotRO
[4:42 PM]Arien Valar:
[4:43 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Convergent evolution
[4:43 PM]Varda: I will also be moving a lot of little guys. Play with others, mules, experiments.
[4:43 PM]Varda: Likely
[4:43 PM]Arien Valar: I just sw
[4:43 PM]Arien Valar: wanted to give you a link to an excellent documentary on you tube .
[4:44 PM]Varda: Fire us that url : )
[4:45 PM]Arien Valar: YouTube - Irgendwas mit ARTE und Kultur - Tolkien: Die wahre Geschichte der Ringe | Doku HD | ARTE
[4:45 PM]Varda: Happen to have an English version?
[4:45 PM]Eönwë Valar: It's not available in my country.
[4:46 PM]Sandalf13: Video unavailable The uploader has not made this video available in your country
[4:46 PM]Xavier: You mean another guild on Wow with same name as lotro Kin ? No it's not same but it's easy for independent kin/guild since Numinor is a well known part of the Silmarillian Novel
[4:46 PM]Arien Valar: its a german documentation but i think as it contains many place and personal names and your previous knowledge it might make sense :_)
[4:46 PM]Sandalf13: Und ich wollte das Video auf Deutsch zu sehen! And I wanted to see the video in German!
[4:46 PM]Varda: Ok, some of us may be able to access. Thank you.
[4:46 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Varda's referring to my World of Warcraft guild called The High Guard, with me obviously being Numenorean by name
[4:46 PM]Arien Valar: it is all the real time events and things that influenced Tolkien in writing Lord of the Rings#
[4:47 PM]Varda: moves to Germany to watch the video
[4:47 PM]Arien Valar: events in his life
[4:47 PM]Varda: That could be long!
[4:48 PM]Xavier: Yes easy to spot like minded players sometimes with various lore reference or guild kin names
[4:48 PM]Varda: I had your kin name wrong, Phar. Apology.
[4:48 PM]Sandalf13: Indeed. Does it include his memories of the time he was borrowed from his parents' home, so that their domestic servant could show off a blond-haired wonder to his fellow tribesmen?
[4:48 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Mistake easily made in this case, Varda!
[4:48 PM]Varda: South Africa time.
[4:49 PM]Sandalf13: Yes.
[4:49 PM]Arien Valar: nope didnt mention that .. but the Southrons must come from somewhere
[4:49 PM]Sandalf13: That was pretty early in his life, yes?
[4:49 PM]Eönwë Valar: So, I'm hearing you say people started bragging about Tolkien at an early age? :}
[4:49 PM]Sandalf13: He was returned, unharmed of course, the next day, I seem to remember.
[4:50 PM]Varda: Bet his parents tore their hair out.
[4:50 PM]Eönwë Valar: Indeed.
[4:50 PM]Varda: Next topic while we have time...
[4:50 PM]Varda: Why is Grima's character arc important to the War of the Rings? And what was it?
[4:50 PM]Varda: Go for it!
[4:51 PM]Arien Valar: He was Saruman's spy in Meduseld
[4:52 PM]Xavier: OK that's what I get for not correcting silly speller checker it's Numenor
[4:52 PM]Eönwë Valar: Can we call it an "arc"? Didn't seem he grew or shrunk, he just sort of snapped.
[4:52 PM]Sandalf13: An ally of Saruman, he played an integral part in preventing Theoden from recognizing where Saruman was going with his ringlore...
[4:52 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: He was key to undermining the military efforts of Rohan, and would nearly have it overrun by Orcs and wild men if some Fellowshippers hadn't come by when they did.
[4:52 PM]Varda: Fluent garble spoken here. ; )
[4:52 PM]Sandalf13: Thus delaying Rohan's response to Saruman's encroachments on their territory and his alliance with the Dunlendings, among others.
[4:53 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Dunlendings, yes, them I meant.
[4:53 PM]Eönwë Valar: In all fairness, I could swear that there's a draft somewhere that it is called "Numinor".
[4:53 PM]Sandalf13: Yes. them thar folks.
[4:53 PM]Varda: : )
[4:53 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Nominal nomenclature.
[4:53 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: For Numenor.
[4:54 PM]Sandalf13: Dunlendings.
[Discord image]
[4:55 PM]Xavier: on you mean in some of JRRT s draft notes? I have only had privilege of reading some.of them that his Son put out in public
[4:57 PM]Varda: There are a lot!
[@Xavier
[on you mean in some of JRRT s draft notes? I have only had privilege of reading some.of them that his Son put out in public
[4:58 PM]Eönwë Valar: Yeah, either in UT or HoME.
[4:58 PM]Varda: So, the arc that makes Grima a big deal...
[4:58 PM]Sandalf13: To get back on track, so to speak...
[4:58 PM]Varda: Getting this train on that track. : )
[4:58 PM]Varda: Grima lives in Rohan. He is able to become advisor to Theoden-king.
[4:59 PM]Varda: Grima desires Eowyn to be his, but it seems impossible.
[4:59 PM]Sandalf13: He must have given good service to the King at some point, before he ran into Saruman. I wonder how they met for the first time...no mention of that anywhere.
[@Varda
[Getting this train on that track. : )
[4:59 PM]Eönwë Valar: Urge to post Chris Farley gif.... rising...
[4:59 PM]Varda: Saruman sees a way to enter his influence into Theoden's court.
[4:59 PM]Arien Valar: well he is almost turning into a sort of gollum like creature ... he seems to lose intelligence or size as the hobbits meet him after their mission ordeal in the shire
[4:59 PM]Varda: (What ever stopped an Eonwe gif from appearing?)
[4:59 PM]Arien Valar: err in Mordor i mean
[5:00 PM]Varda: Saruman offers Grima power to be the one that Theoden-king listens to and offers Eowyn to be his if he completes his mission for Saruman.
[5:00 PM]Varda: But how could that work?
[5:00 PM]Eönwë Valar: Well if you insist :}
[5:00 PM]Sandalf13: Do you think Grima just walked up to Orthanc one day, and said "Yo Saruman...care to meet for a cup of coffee sometime>?":
[5:00 PM]Varda: not insisting!
[5:00 PM]Varda: Saruman has a Voice ability that he may have offered a bit of so that Grima can persuade Theoden.
[5:00 PM]Eönwë Valar: How do we get back on the right track?
[5:00 PM]Varda: heh : )
[5:01 PM]Sandalf13: That would be a kernel of an idea for a good story, Eonwe.
[5:01 PM]Sandalf13: Maybe a bad story?
[5:01 PM]Varda: Grima had to have a weak moral compass, just enough.
[5:01 PM]Eönwë Valar: How Grima met Saruman?
[5:01 PM]Sandalf13: Yes.
[5:01 PM]Varda: Grima takes the offer and effectively takes over Rohan until stopped by Gandalf the White.
[5:02 PM]Varda: We know the Rohirrim took horse to various places. The meeting could have been done by apparent accident.
[5:02 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Whatever it was that happened to Wormtongue to diminish him so, it seems to have been caused by Saruman's influence. Groveling to his voice or something.
[5:03 PM]Eönwë Valar: Or it could be that Grima thought he was the best to speak to Saruman on behalf of Theoden/Rohan, and in the process Saruman saw a useful tool and went all in on his persuasive voice.
[5:03 PM]Arien Valar: I see a kind of parallel there .. the ring's influence diminished Smeagol to Gollum and Grima turned under Saruman's influence into worm
[5:04 PM]Sandalf13: Easy to get ensnared by Saruman's voice. Maybe he sounded like Ian McKellen or Christoper whatever-his-name-is.
[5:04 PM]Varda: After Gandalf the White truncates the time of influence, Grima flees to Saruman in Orthanc and works for him directly.
[5:04 PM]Varda: So we have the spy arc. then we move to more.
[5:04 PM]Eönwë Valar: I feel like there's some info on Grima and Saruman meeting buried somewhere, I just can't remember exactly where.
[5:05 PM]Sandalf13: By that time, Saruman's strength was largely depleted...literally....except for his voice.
[5:05 PM]Varda: Grima throws the Palantir of Orthanc presumably at Gandalf but may have also desired to hit Saruman.
[5:05 PM]Arien Valar: and Pippin picked it up ...
[5:05 PM]Varda: The Palantir winds up in the water below the Tower of Orthanc where Pippin grabs it.
[5:05 PM]Sandalf13: I mean the Ents did a job on his fortress, after cashing in their savings at the Ent Credit Union to get some funds to hire the Huorns to help..
[5:05 PM]Varda: Aye, Arien : )
[@Sandalf13
[I mean the Ents did a job on his fortress, after cashing in their savings at the Ent Credit Union to get some funds to hire the Huorns to help..
[5:06 PM]Eönwë Valar: heh
[5:06 PM]Varda: Gandalf takes it away, but it has already ensnared Pippin to want it.
[5:06 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Abusive relationship. Turning to Saruman to serve him directly despite being treated with such contempt even by him, to the point that he hated him but still could not turn away.
[5:06 PM]Sandalf13: Grima threw the Palantir, aiming for Gandalf, I believe, but he missed.
[5:06 PM]Varda: Pippin swipes it from the sleeping Gandalf and uses it.
[5:07 PM]Sandalf13: He had nothing else...even when Gandalf and Galadriel offered him a chance to redeem himself, he was beyond redemption. Sad.
[5:07 PM]Varda: Pippin is seen by Sauron as a hobbit in the Stone of Orthanc that presumably is still in the Tower of Orthanc, and dispatches a Winged Nazgul to Orthanc.
[5:07 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Gah, now I want to play Battle for Middle-Earth again and summon some huorns
[5:07 PM]Varda: hehe Phar
[5:07 PM]Xavier: Yes before Chris published Silmarillion from what I found JRRT already had 207 authorship writings with the 14 popular middle earth ones. So yes a huge amount even for his son to draw from let alone fans of his works.
[5:07 PM]Sandalf13: They do not come cheap!
[5:07 PM]Varda: Saruman does not have a hobbit and is in trouble with Sauron.
[5:08 PM]Varda: Next arc:
[5:08 PM]Sandalf13: He had no hobbit, he has no ring, he has Grima!
[5:08 PM]Varda: or partial arc
[5:08 PM]Varda: Here, take Grima!
[5:08 PM]Sandalf13: Yes.
[5:08 PM]Varda: Saruman has some of his Voice left and sweettalks Treebeard into letting him leave the Tower, with Grima as his serving man.
[5:08 PM]Sandalf13: Pippin the Hobbit aged horribly under duress at Orthanc, and changed into Grima.
[5:08 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Grima's close enough to a hobbit, right?
[5:08 PM]Sandalf13: Yes.4
[5:08 PM]Varda: hah
[5:09 PM]Varda: (Saruman glues carpet to Grima's feet.)
[5:09 PM]Varda: Grima travels with Saruman and is treated with extreme disrespect and his hatred for Saruman along with his fear fight each other.
[5:09 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: (Saruman hires Weta Workshop)
[5:09 PM]Varda: Or that.
[5:10 PM]Varda: You mentioned the meeting with the grave party already.
[@Sandalf13
[He had nothing else...even when Gandalf and Galadriel offered him a chance to redeem himself, he was beyond redemption. Sad.
[5:10 PM]Eönwë Valar: Which, I want to note, "beyond redemption" was a conscious choice by him. He was offered the chance, and again by Frodo at the end; but no offer stays on the table forever.
[5:10 PM]Sandalf13: I alwayts wondered why the Hobbits shot at Grima after he dispatched Saruman and was running away....after all, Saruman (Sharkey) was the enemy, not Grima...he was only a footman, at best.
[5:10 PM]Varda: In the Shire, the hobbits oust Saruman who has taken control there. Saruman on the way out tries to stab Frodo, but the mithril coat turns the knife so Frodo just has Saruman leave the Shire.
[5:10 PM]Varda: Frodo offers Grima a chance to leave Saruman and remain in the Shire until he is recovered, but Saruman sabotages that chance.
[5:11 PM]Varda: Saruman says Grima killed Lotho and probably ate him since he was so hungry.
[5:11 PM]Sandalf13: He revealed that Grima killed and probably ate Lotho, yes?
[5:11 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Well, they did just witness Frodo granting mercy to both, and in any case when a madman with a knife runs down the road people might tend to panic.
[5:11 PM]Sandalf13: Oy. I tupe too slowly.
[5:11 PM]Sandalf13: Tyoe
[5:11 PM]Sandalf13: THyoe
[@Sandalf13
[I alwayts wondered why the Hobbits shot at Grima after he dispatched Saruman and was running away....after all, Saruman (Sharkey) was the enemy, not Grima...he was only a footman, at best.
[5:11 PM]Eönwë Valar: My guess? Surprise at the event. An enemy attacked, therefore enemy was dangerous. No thought given in that instant to the target of the attack.
[5:11 PM]Varda: Grima snaps and attacks Saruman and cuts his throat.
[5:11 PM]Sandalf13: Type4
[5:11 PM]Varda: (Type anyway, even if slowly!)
[5:11 PM]Sandalf13: type type type type type
[5:11 PM]Varda: Grima runs and is killed by hobbit arrows.
[5:12 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: typity typity
[5:12 PM]Sandalf13: In the back, no doubt.
[5:12 PM]Sandalf13: He was running AWAY, after all....
[5:12 PM]Sandalf13: "What a way to die," said the Wicked Witch of the North...or was it east?
[5:12 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Still armed, dangerous, and not very obviously sane.
[5:12 PM]Varda: He had just committed murder in front of them, as well as presumably killing and eating Lotho. Don't want him running around town.
[5:13 PM]Varda: So Grima even then is affecting what happens to a Maia!
[5:13 PM]Eönwë Valar: I imagine it all happened so fast and there was alot of strong emotion, there wasn't alot of time (or perhaps effort) for thought by anyone except Frodo, and even he didn't have a chance to stop them.
[5:13 PM]Sandalf13: In a civilized place like the Shire, you just don''t shoot someone in the back...you need a trial, witness, prosecutors, defense attorneys, court recorders....
[5:13 PM]Varda: Saruman is a Maia and leaves the dead body, which is like clothing for him, appearing to be a grey mist like smoke from a fire.
[5:14 PM]Sandalf13: He is loojing towards the West...towards Valinor...still hoping he will be received there.
[5:14 PM]Varda: He looks to the West as if requesting going home. Aye.
[5:14 PM]Sandalf13: But a cold wind blew out of the west, and his cloud was dispersed. Where did he go?
[5:14 PM]Varda: A cold wind, presumably from Manwe, blows back.
[5:15 PM]Varda: Now is that the word No, or a blasting of the smoky body?
[5:15 PM]Eönwë Valar: Saruman: "Hey, I tried to do the job you all sent me for. It's not my fault the other 4 guys dropped the ball."
[5:15 PM]Varda: Then the shadowy form sighs and dissolves into nothing.
[5:15 PM]Varda: The body shrivels as if all its age caught up to it.
[5:15 PM]Varda: So the overall Grima arc: Grima, used as a weapon by Saruman, turns on Saruman to his utter destruction.
[5:16 PM]Sandalf13: Out, out, brief candle...Life is but a poor player, that struts and frets its hour upon the Stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of Sound and Fury, signifying NOTHING.
[5:16 PM]Sandalf13: Good old Shakespeare describes it well...
[5:17 PM]Sandalf13: William Faulkner used "The Sound the Fury" for the title of one his best novels. Had to read it in High School.
[5:17 PM]Varda: The Sound and the Fury? I think.
[5:18 PM]Sandalf13: Yes. You got it right.
[5:18 PM]Eönwë Valar: Choose your reference time: YouTube - Elton John- Candle In The Wind YouTube - Kansas - Dust in the Wind
[5:18 PM]Varda: There it is:
[5:18 PM]Varda: The Sound and the Fury is a novel by the American author William Faulkner...
[5:18 PM]Varda: Ahh, the urls. : )
[5:18 PM]Varda: And we have reached the hour and whooshed past it by 18 minutes. : )
[5:19 PM]Sandalf13: Faulkner certainly knew his Shakespeare...did he go to school U. Miss or U. Alabama?
[5:19 PM]Varda: The gavel hops a jet-powered ski and zooms to the hammerpad
[5:19 PM]Varda: fall whomp
Thus ends this week's meeting. Come back and see us next week!
After-Meeting[5:19 PM]Varda: After-meeting!
[5:19 PM]Varda: Free chat about whatever, even continuing the topic.
[5:20 PM]Varda: For those who need bed or work, freedom!
[5:20 PM]Eönwë Valar:
[5:20 PM]Varda: JRRT knew his Shakespeare too. Not a favorite author.
[5:20 PM]Varda: heh
[5:20 PM]Eönwë Valar: Sorry.
[5:20 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: ...was looking for that one, Eonwe
[5:20 PM]Sandalf13: Sorry...I do not find participation in our weekly visits to be anything less than freedom from the cares and worries of everyday life...
[5:20 PM]Varda: Thanks : )
[5:21 PM]Varda: O we agree. I just try to be kind to those who realllly need to leave around 5.
[5:21 PM]Sandalf13: I think Tolkien had mixed feelings about Shakespeare...
[5:21 PM]Varda: So we have free chat in After-meeting after the main chat. ; )
[5:21 PM]Arien Valar: "see theoden, there is a snake. but once this snake was a man and he served you in his own fashion*
[5:21 PM]Varda: Eowyn steps on the snake's head. What snake?
[5:22 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: He certainly was not a fan of Shakespeare's elves. But some of the political intrigue like Denethor's arc does seem a bit Shakespearean.
[5:22 PM]Varda: JRRT says also that Shakespeare annoyed him as younger guy because the trees marching on Dunsinane weren't trees, just soldiers wearing branches. He fixed it.
[5:22 PM]Arien Valar: Snake, why has it to be a snake?? ooops wrong franchise
[5:23 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Ah yes, improving on Shakespeare. That sounds like him
[5:23 PM]Sandalf13: I see it now...a small town in Rohan opens up a new mead hall, that in order to make ends meets, serves up coffee in the mornings...Grima is riding through one day, doing his rounds for the King, and he stops in for a cup of joe...it just so happens that that very same day, Saruman was out for a stroll, saw the coffee shop, and thought he would check it out. The place was crowded, so Grima saw an open seat at Saruman's table, and asked if he could join him....so it goes.
[5:23 PM]Varda: : )
[5:24 PM]Arien Valar:
[5:24 PM]Varda: Or they knew Grima's itinerary and waited for him.
[5:24 PM]Sandalf13: Yes...Tolkien did say that, but as you point out, he did use the VERY SAME imagery in the LoTR. Hardly a novel idea (no pun intended).
[5:25 PM]Sandalf13: He was also intrigued by Macbeth....see my chapter Five.
[5:25 PM]Varda: paper by Sandalf
[5:26 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V:
[5:27 PM]Arien Valar: oh well .. i fear i am getting intrigued by something else ....
[5:27 PM]Sandalf13: Arien: you live in Scotland. Is there some old Scottish folktale about the forest moving? I seem to remember there was a story somewhere about that...maybe it was German?
[5:28 PM]Varda: Being called away. : ) Will read back.
[5:28 PM]Sandalf13: Namarie for now! See ya later, alligator!
[5:29 PM]Eönwë Valar: I must be off. Take care all, good night, sleep well, have fun, and enjoy the stories :}
[5:29 PM]Sandalf13: Namarie, Eonwe, and have a good week.
[5:29 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Namarie!
[5:29 PM]Arien Valar: something close to it while not a moving forest as such
[5:29 PM]Arien Valar: The Legend of the Ghillie Dhu "The Ghillie Dhu is a legend from Scottish folklore, often depicted as a solitary and elusive forest spirit. In Gaelic folklore, the Ghillie Dhu is said to inhabit the dense forests of Scotland, particularly those in the Highland regions. The Ghillie Dhu is believed to be a benevolent guardian of the..."
[5:30 PM]Sandalf13: Ah....so Shakespeare may have known about this legend as well, and based his own story upon it...
[5:30 PM]Arien Valar: there are a lot of other forest mythological beings and legends in the Highland forests
[5:30 PM]Arien Valar: and aye , he might
[5:31 PM]Arien Valar: yeah but I have to go as well before my ability to type and bring it together with my brain waves vanish
[5:32 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: YouTube - CarbotAnimations - WarCrafts 3 Ep 9 "Last March of the Ents"
[5:33 PM]Sandalf13: Hah hah hah.
[5:33 PM]Arien Valar: love that
[5:34 PM]Sandalf13: I didn't see anything about that in the WoW Museum in Lafayette....
[5:34 PM]Arien Valar: Namarie , you lovely people
[5:34 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: I was actually looking for an old custom Warcraft 3 campaign I played like 20 years ago that had ents/treants marching to Montagues and Capulets, but I can't find anything like it among my bookmarks.
[5:34 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Namarie!
[5:35 PM]Sandalf13: The Ghillie Dhu sounds a lot like Tom Bombadil. I wonder if Tolkien knew this legend as well?
[5:35 PM]Sandalf13: Namarie for now, Ar!
[5:35 PM]Arien Valar: almost certainly aye
[5:35 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Was there any European legend he did not know?
[5:36 PM]Sandalf13: Wow. Another level of depth to Tolkien....he must have been EXTREMELY well-read.
[5:36 PM]Sandalf13: Right on, Ar.
[5:37 PM]Sandalf13: I just wish he included a Baba Yaga character in this book, stomping around in her mortar and pestle, looking for young children to eat....maybe Tolkien's reading didn't range that far to the east...
[5:38 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: All I remember is the house on chicken legs
[5:39 PM]Sandalf13: Baba Yaga. My Grandmother Estelle, born in Poland, told me once about her...
[5:39 PM]Sandalf13: She had tht for longer distance travel, Ar.
[5:40 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Ah yes
[5:42 PM]Sandalf13: Well...I too shall temporarily leave to take care of a few other end-of-weekend tasks....will return later, with luck...sei gesund und Namarie, y'all!
[5:43 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: namarie!
[5:58 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Ooh, remembered the name of the campaign. YouTube - Mods for Retro Games - Warcraft 3 Custom Campaign - War of Corruption - Walkthrough - Chap...
[9:04 PM]Sandalf13: Aiya Ar!
[February 24, 2025
[12:33 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: And for those of us still here, after I got a few hours of sleep... personal gaming report!
[12:33 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: For (non)flashgaming, I give you Kongregate - Hat Wizard
[12:34 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: A platformer where you have to get through levels by throwing your hat onto enemies and statues to switch places with them.
[12:35 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Not too difficult, levels are short. But that's good, because any accidental death will put you back at the beginning of the level
[12:35 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Other than that, pretty relaxed!
[12:39 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Blizzard gaming:
[12:41 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Hearthstone: Level 141 on the reward track, almost enough gold for a new skin.
[12:43 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Still no event quest so just chugging along normally.
[12:44 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Brawl is Battle of the Bans; choose 4 cards, the opponent will ban one of your four cards, you get 10 of each of the others.
[12:45 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: So basically, redundant synergy is what is required! Make sure none of the 4 cards are critical
[12:46 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: This time around you need a standard deck, though, which removes some classic combinations from previous expansions.
[12:46 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Had a rush combo deck at the start of the week, but after being inspired by one of my opponents, I switched to a zerg deck. That was pretty fun
[12:48 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Warcraft Rumble: Collection level 55! A few smaller events going that aren't too difficult, but do get you a bunch of gold and tomes, and I got some more tomes on the pvp track for this season. That definitely helps!
[12:50 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Been making more progress in the dungeon, getting the undead/horde leader Sylvanas from 11 through level 21, and in the Cenarion week I got Ysera through 20 and 21 as well. Now that most of my minis and armies are bouncing around level 24, dungeon's not giving me as much trouble as it used to do with any leader. That's good, because there's still a few to max out the dungeon with
[12:51 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Heroic sigil campaign is crawling forward, though, now that all my usual leaders are at least 1 level over the current heroic fights. Got the Tar Tyrant down with all remaining families. Not sure yet what the next boss will be
[12:53 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: As for quality upgrades... got the Core Hounds, Gryphon Rider, Chain Lightning, Bog Beast, Harpies, Stonehoof Tauren, Goblin Sappers and Dire Batlings to rare. I don't think I've ever had this many in one week
[12:54 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: And talents for Holy Nova, Core Hounds, Gryphon Rider, Chain Lightning, Jaina Proudmoore and the Bog Beast.
[12:56 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Four new rares waiting for their talents now, but I've got a decent collection of gold again, so that should be fine when they come up. Though the Priestess launch event is starting in a few days, and that'll probably take gold as well!
[12:57 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: So I shouldn't spend too frivolously
[12:58 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: WoW:
[12:59 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: I believe new patch is coming up in a few days! And one week after we'll start raiding again.
[1:01 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Got honor level 137 from last week's skirmish weekly quest, and the current weekly is another timewalking week. Not a very eventful week for events, so I got to rest a bit and have some more attempts at soloing Zek'vir the delve boss, after discussing it with Eonwe a few days ago.
[1:02 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Good to know the void blimp appearance will still be able to drop in the future, though I might give it a few more goes before the next season starts.
[1:06 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Slowly preparing to get back into questing again, which is good, because I think the new patch will require some questing to get access to the new zone, which I'll need for the new delves and the new raid. And the new delves season should take up some time again as well.
[1:10 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: As for delve rewards, it appears you can get a new warband background screen as well. Collecting those should be fun, though the idea that they can be seasonally restricted and therefore some can be missed out on permanently, is a bit annoying.
[1:15 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: And I think that's my report for this week! Next week, into the Undermine.
[1:16 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Namarie
[1:16 AM]Eönwë Valar: Sleep well :}
February 25, 2025
[12:30 AM]Eönwë Valar: Well, last try for Zekh'vir before the patch drops, and no luck.
[9:39 AM]Sandalf13: Good report, Ar! Finally got to read it,
[7:20 PM]Eönwë Valar: But you can start picking up some crests now it seems.
[7:23 PM]Eönwë Valar: And they wiped out our Valar stones. I hope they got converted to gold, but I didn't notice more gold when I logged in so I doubt it.
[10:29 PM]Eönwë Valar: Wow. Wasn't expecting to meet the Green Knight in WoW.
February 27, 2025
[12:45 AM]Eönwë Valar: I hate this "get a hundred pieces of junk that fill your inventory until you get that final piece to put it all together" thing.
March 1, 2025
[2:12 AM]Eönwë Valar: Hmm, there seems to be an invisble cap on the Restored Coffer Keys. I've getting them, but I'm stuck at 30.
[2:31 AM]Eönwë Valar: Hmm, well that got me to 31. Maybe I used one and forgot.
[3:39 AM]Eönwë Valar: Just odd because I was sure I was at 30 a few keys ago and I know I haven't used that many, heh.