Sunday, October 5, 2025
5:00pm Eastern Time
Discord: Valar Guild/meeting_place
Topic: The concept of teamwork, of fellowship, even including sacrifice for others is all over Tolkien's work and one of the draws to reading. This comes not just from wishful thinking but from his real life. What examples come to mind first from his life, then in his works?
[7:00 AM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 7:00 AMEönwë Valar: Ran Coren Direbrew every day except one and still no luck getting that new mount.
[7:13 AM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 7:13 AMArien Valar: YouTube - Inglés Español y viceversa - Christy Moore - Ride on SUBTITLED
[3:46 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 3:46 PMVarda: A little difficulty with the Discord connection.
[3:58 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 3:58 PMSandalf13: Aiya all!
[4:02 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:02 PMVarda: Aiya Sandalf : )
[4:02 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:02 PMVarda: Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo!
[4:02 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:02 PMEönwë Valar: Salutations from Capt. Jack Sparrow
[4:02 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:02 PMVarda: A star shines on the hour of our meeting.
[4:02 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:02 PMVarda: Nice. : )
[4:02 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:02 PMVarda: Membership:
[4:02 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:02 PMVarda: This meeting is the final section of the Anniversary chat marathon and you are a part of it! Thank you very much for joining in.
[4:03 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:03 PMEönwë Valar: Aragorn says "Good morning"
[4:03 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:03 PMVarda: But Gandalf wants to know which good morning?
[4:03 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:03 PMEönwë Valar: Well, afternoon, but there's Aragorn having fun laughing and smoking a pipe.
[4:03 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:03 PMVarda: It's morning somewhere. : )
[4:04 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:04 PMVarda: My grandpa used to smoke a pipe. : ) Usually a brier, but a batch of others. We even got him the fancy ones with the diatomaceous earth bowl that he liked.
[4:06 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:06 PMVarda: A delight that so many joined in during the week. Thank you all!
[4:06 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:06 PMVarda: Gimli mostly joined in at Harbor, but most of us made it to the meeting channel. : )
[4:07 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:07 PMVarda: I'm going to go to Games before Web this time, because Web may give us Tolkien comments for the following Tolkien section.
[4:08 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:08 PMVarda: Gaming:
[4:08 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:08 PMVarda: No Pallando at present.
[4:08 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:08 PMVarda: Eonwe, would you like this finely crafted gavel?
[4:08 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:08 PMEönwë Valar: Sure.
[4:09 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:09 PMArien Valar: Aiya from Germany
[4:09 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:09 PMVarda: Aiya ☼ !
[4:09 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:09 PMEönwë Valar: Kirby as a judge with a gavel
[4:09 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:09 PMEönwë Valar: Gavel works.
[4:09 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:09 PMVarda: hehe
[4:09 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:09 PMEönwë Valar: Heya Arien :}
[4:10 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:10 PMVarda: @Bounder @Guild-friend Valar Guild meeting_place time!
[4:10 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:10 PMSandalf13: Aiya Arien! Was ist neu?
[4:10 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:10 PMEönwë Valar: World of Warcraft:
[4:10 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:10 PMEönwë Valar: This week's bonus event: Arena Skirmishes.
[This week's PvP Brawl: Arathi Blizzard.
[The Darkmoon Faire is going this week.
[The Harvest Festival is running through Thursday, October 9th.
[Brewfest also ends October 9th.
[4:11 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:11 PMEönwë Valar: Legion Remix starts Tuesday.
[4:11 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:11 PMEönwë Valar: So does the additional item upgrade levels of Turbo Boost if that's more your fancy. Legion Remix Content Update Notes"
[4:11 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:11 PMEönwë Valar: I think you know where my gaming time is going :}
[4:11 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:11 PMEönwë Valar: Even without my Night Elf Paladins.
[4:11 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:11 PMEönwë Valar: Several bits about the Midnight expansion have been released. Check this Wrap-Up to see them all.
[4:12 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:12 PMEönwë Valar: Shadow of the Necropolis comes to WoW Classic Anniversary Edition.
[4:12 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:12 PMEönwë Valar: Hearthstone:
[Patch 33.6 is out.
[4:13 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:13 PMEönwë Valar: Diablo 4: Check out the patch notes coming October 7th. -- https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article/24222917/diablo-iv-patch-notes Diablo IV Patch Notes We will continually update this article with all patches the development team implements for Diablo IV.
[4:13 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:13 PMEönwë Valar: Diablo 2:
[Ladder Season 12 is live.
[4:13 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:13 PMEönwë Valar: Overwatch 2:
[A new Director's Take is out: Three Strong.
[4:14 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:14 PMEönwë Valar: Starcraft 2:
[Patch 5.0.15 is live.
[4:14 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:14 PMEönwë Valar: Heroes of the Storm:
[A new patch is live.
[Games Site Mass Update, State of Valar Gaming 2025
[4:15 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:15 PMEönwë Valar: Also, in the Venn Diagram of our meeting where Membership, Web, and Gaming Converge:
[The GSMU is complete and the State of Valar Gaming Report for 2025 has been posted
[4:16 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:16 PMEönwë Valar: No big shockers here. We went from 21 games to 16 games. LotRO is still our biggest game.
[4:17 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:17 PMEönwë Valar: Please check out your gaming info and make sure it's correct. All full members are welcome to send in their gaming info during the year so they can try to find members in the games they play.
[4:18 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:18 PMEönwë Valar: Even if you didn't get the GSMU email, you can send in your gaming info via e-mail or Discord, or let us know you're not currently playing games but still want to be a member. It lets us know to keep you on the rolls. (edited)Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:18 PM
[4:19 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:19 PMEönwë Valar: Unless there's some question, I'll let the SoVG speak for itself.
[4:20 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:20 PMArien Valar: NAMARIE from me folks Happy chatying
[4:20 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:20 PMEönwë Valar: Take care Arien :}
[4:20 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:20 PMEönwë Valar: Varda, gavel is yours again.
[4:20 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:20 PMEönwë Valar:
[4:20 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:20 PMSandalf13: Namarie, arien 1
[4:21 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:21 PMVarda: Namarie Arien : )
[4:22 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:22 PMVarda: Thank you
[4:22 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:22 PMVarda: Web:
[4:23 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:23 PMVarda: Thank you to all those who have added to the Tolkien and Games sites as part of this anniversary event!
[4:23 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:23 PMVarda: This past week, the Tolkien Site has been graced with art from Ar-Pharazon, poetry from Arien, and a story from Eonwe. More is incoming but these made it on time, and deserve special mention! These, of course, are also listed on the Anniversary page.
[4:23 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:23 PMVarda: The story from Eonwe for the Anniv is not the one currently there, but one that is on they way, as it includes trees. My error on the wrong one being included, and it will be corrected.
[4:24 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:24 PMVarda: An article is underway by me, but incomplete.
[4:24 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:24 PMVarda: More art is in progress by Elwing, not ready yet.
[4:25 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:25 PMVarda: So thank you a ton to those who got goodies in there on time for the anniversary! confetti flies all around, with sparkles
[4:25 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:25 PMVarda: From Ar-Pharazon: Entwife Fruit Vendor
[4:26 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:26 PMVarda: From Arien: the poem Tree Time
[4:26 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:26 PMVarda: For a story not actually meant to be in the anniversary, but given to us Oct 3, so it is very fresh, from Eonwe:
[4:27 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:27 PMVarda: First Farewells
[4:27 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:27 PMVarda: A nice play of words for the title.
[4:28 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:28 PMVarda: And yep, I didn't give my gaming news, sorry. Here it is, out of place.
[4:28 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:28 PMVarda: StarCraft 2 this past week has seen Eowyn, Fangorn, and Varda gaming together. Also Eowyn and Faramir.
[4:28 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:28 PMVarda: Tabletop games probably don't need included in the report except that it's nice to mention for the anniversary, but tabletop Warhammer has been going in some form pretty much weekly.
[4:28 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:28 PMVarda: Valarites involved include Earendil, Gimli, Sauron, Rob Roy's Girl-T, and Doc Mortrand-T. That's the same number of players as for StarCraft 2 online.
[4:29 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:29 PMVarda: Lord of the Rings this past week has seen these members in our kin, some joining in for the Anniversary Rides and Fireworks this past Saturday Oct 4 held in Peregrin server.
Peregrin branch (US RP-encouraged. Main):
Glamdring branch (US normal):
Meriadoc branch (EU-RP)
Angmar branch (temp US VIP "Veil of the Nine"):
Mordor branch (temp EU VIP "Veil of the Nine"):
[4:29 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:29 PMVarda: Any other comments, suggestions, membership news, gaming news?
[4:30 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:30 PMVarda: Eowyn and Fangorn are gaming in StarCraft 2 right now. : )
[4:31 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:31 PMVarda: Anyone left that hasn't glazed over yet? : )
[4:32 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:32 PMVarda: On to
[4:32 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:32 PMVarda: Tolkien!
[4:32 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:32 PMVarda: Topic for you all:
[4:32 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:32 PMVarda: The concept of teamwork, of fellowship, even including sacrifice for others is all over Tolkien's work and one of the draws to reading. This comes not just from wishful thinking but from his real life. What examples come to mind first from his life, then in his works?
[4:34 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:34 PMSandalf13: Tolkiien served in the trenches of WWI as an officer (I believe it was in an Infantry Regiment, but I am not sure)...as an officer's first duty is to the leadership and protection of the men under him. Something Tolkien did in abundance during his wartime service.
[4:35 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:35 PMSandalf13: Second example would be, of course, his member in "The Inklings," a literary group of which he was a key part. Lots of fellowship there, no doubt over a few pints, on occasion, I am sure.
[4:36 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:36 PMVarda: : )
[4:36 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:36 PMVarda: Smoke-filled pub? : )
[4:36 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:36 PMSandalf13: Exactly what I had in mind.
[4:36 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:36 PMEönwë Valar: The four Hobbits in a Shire pub bumping mugs, after the War of the Ring
[4:37 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:37 PMVarda: : )
[4:37 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:37 PMVarda: (Oh, side mention just for fun. There is a comic!)
[4:37 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:37 PMVarda: Voyage Comics - Philip Kosloski
[4:38 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:38 PMVarda: Back to fellowship found with Tolkien...
[4:39 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:39 PMVarda: I'll add to your excellent list,
[4:39 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:39 PMVarda: Family most notably to us including his son Christopher and the model of Luthien who was his wife.
[4:40 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:40 PMVarda: Maybe even some fellowship with his fellows at work, such as the Oxford Dictionary, or where he taught?
[4:41 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:41 PMVarda: All of these experiences add to the reality of companionship that he shows in the books.
[4:41 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:41 PMVarda: Sam, based on an officer's yeoman, that goes with his officer through everything!
[4:42 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:42 PMVarda: Frodo offered everything he had, even his life, to carry the One Ring to Mount Doom to save the Free People, the way of life, and even the plants and animals of Middle-earth.
[4:42 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:42 PMVarda: Aragorn put his kingdom and his life on the line to decoy the forces of Mordor from Frodo and his journey.
[4:42 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:42 PMSandalf13: As a member of the larger English Department at Oxford, where he was "the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon and a Fellow of Pembroke College, both at the University of Oxford. He then moved within the same university to become the Merton Professor of English Language and Literature and Fellow of Merton College,", from Wikipedia.
[4:43 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:43 PMSandalf13: Lots of fellowship and occasional disagreement, I am sure, about the activities of the Department.
[4:44 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:44 PMSandalf13: I believe the term for the work that Sam performed for Frodo is referred to as a "batman" in the English Army.
[4:44 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:44 PMEönwë Valar: Batman pose.
[4:44 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:44 PMEönwë Valar: You all knew it was coming. Don't pretend you didn't.
[4:44 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:44 PMSandalf13: Not sure about that, but I thought I should mention it.
[4:45 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:45 PMSandalf13: There is is: I am not senile yet! he he "Senior non-commissioned officer A Batman is a senior non-commissioned officer (NCO) who serves as a personal assistant and aide-de-camp to a high-ranking officer, typically a general or admiral. The term "Batman" originates from the British Army, where it was first introduced during World War I."
[4:45 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:45 PMEönwë Valar: Now that we have that out of our system, serious: A batman in the military "A batman or orderly is a soldier or airman assigned to a commissioned officer as a personal servant. Before the advent of motorized transport, an officer's batman was also in charge of the officer's "bat-horse" that carried the officer's kit during a campaign. This British English term is derived from the obsolete bat, meaning "pack saddle" (from French: bât, from Old French: bast, from Late Latin: bastum)."
[4:46 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:46 PMSandalf13: Wow. We must be on the same wavelength today, Eonwe.
[4:46 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:46 PMEönwë Valar: Must be, hehe.
[4:47 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:47 PMVarda: Sandalf, batman is correct. And as Eonwe says, we think of a very interesting superhero. Is he the batman for the people he serves, I wonder? : )
[4:47 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:47 PMSandalf13: On a personal note, I did not have a Batman while I served onboard the USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98).
[@Varda
[Sandalf, batman is correct. And as Eonwe says, we think of a very interesting superhero. Is he the batman for the people he serves, I wonder? : )
[4:48 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:48 PMEönwë Valar: More importantly, would Robin be Batman's batman? :}
[4:48 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:48 PMVarda: Navy is just out of luck. : )
[4:48 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:48 PMVarda: Or Alfred? : )
[4:48 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:48 PMSandalf13: Yup. Unlike most other Navies, no drinking in the Wardroom on U.S. ships as well.
[4:49 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:49 PMVarda: o look! That ship is doing zig-ags and circles. Odd.
[4:49 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:49 PMVarda: Finrod (Beren's batman?) sacrificed all to save Beren to honor his oath.
[4:49 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:49 PMVarda: The Men who gave their lives to cover the escape of the Elves of Gondolin.
[4:50 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:50 PMVarda: And you know whereof I speak.
[4:50 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:50 PMSandalf13: Indeed. What a dramatic tale at the end of the battle of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad!
[4:53 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:53 PMEönwë Valar: Huor who died with a hundred or so slain orcs about him, and Hurin who was taken alive and forced to see the world through Morgoth's eyes.
[4:54 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:54 PMVarda: Selfless acts.
[4:55 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:55 PMVarda: Taking it for the team, for those they care about.
[4:55 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:55 PMSandalf13: Wow...I just checked, Huor was killed by an arrow through his eye...just like Arathorn, father of Aragorn, some two ages later...
[4:55 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:55 PMVarda: kind of batmen to the elves.
[4:55 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:55 PMVarda: And like the old history of the arrow through the eyehole of a helmet.
[4:56 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:56 PMSandalf13: Just as Ulmo related to Tuor, son of Huor, the Elves will always marvel at the willingness of Men to give their lives for the Elves, of which on Arda they had so little.
[4:59 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:59 PMAnarion: I offer up Boromir as far as selfless acts go. Granted it was a last moment thing, but nonetheless.
[4:59 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:59 PMSandalf13: Some of those Orcs must have been either very lucky or very skilled archers to put an arrow in someone's eye!
[4:59 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 4:59 PMVarda: Anarion, absolutely in agreement. He redeemed himself.
[5:00 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:00 PMVarda: And welcome to the chat. : )
[5:00 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:00 PMSandalf13: Aiya Anarion!
[5:00 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:00 PMAnarion: Aiya!
[5:01 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:01 PMAnarion: Gandalf, on more than one occasion
[5:02 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:02 PMVarda: Aye to that. LIke to mention one?
[5:03 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:03 PMAnarion: "fly you fools" is the most significant, I'm trying to think of another one. It does happen, but my memory is failing me
[5:05 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:05 PMVarda: Agreed, where Gandalf puts himself between the the Balrog and the One Ring with his friends, although tired, against a Maia that still has most of its power and memory, unlike himself. (edited)Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:05 PM
[5:05 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:05 PMEönwë Valar: Holding the door against the Balrog, though he probably didn't expect that to be his end. The Battle of Five Armies. The War of the Ring.
[5:05 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:05 PMSandalf13: Aragorn leading the Host of the West on what certainly appears to be a doomed attack from the start...simply keep the Eye off the (hopeful) advance of Frodo towards Mount Doom. It was seen as offering themselves up for the long-term good of Middle Earth.
[5:06 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:06 PMVarda: Aye, the door could not survive the forces from both sides. See me not saying Hodor... oops.
[5:07 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:07 PMVarda: Aye, Aragorn had everything: the kingdom, the girl, et cetera and threw it all on the line to be a decoy for Frodo's effort.
[5:07 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:07 PMSandalf13: As the Host of the West advance northwards along the westward slope of the Ephel Duath, no one, not even Gandalf, knew for sure if Frodo and Sam were alive, or where in the world they were...they had not been seen my "western" eyes since Frodo and Sam left Faramir in Ithilien.
[5:07 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:07 PMVarda: A very thin hope.
[5:08 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:08 PMVarda: Good that Faramir told them that! It gave a good bit of hope.
[5:08 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:08 PMSandalf13: Considering Frodo and Sam's very much starved appearance, a thin hope indeed! he he
[5:08 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:08 PMVarda: heh
[5:08 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:08 PMAnarion: Speaking of Faramir, not waylaying the ringbearer is an important act in this context.
[5:09 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:09 PMVarda: True. He had every chance.
[5:11 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:11 PMVarda: YouTube - First Timers - Peter Jackson, we NEED to talk...After watching the movie, then reading the books, Faramir comes as a shock.
[5:11 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:11 PMAnarion: Nice
[5:12 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:12 PMEönwë Valar: Ladies and gents, my time to turn my attention elsewhere has come. Take care all, good night, sleep well, and have fun.
[5:12 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:12 PMEönwë Valar: Happy 28th Anniversary :}
[5:12 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:12 PMSandalf13: Namarie, Eonwe
[5:12 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:12 PMAnarion: Namarie, Eonwe
[5:13 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:13 PMVarda: We are past the hour. : )
[5:13 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:13 PMVarda: Thus ends the chat marathon for our 28th Anniversary of the Valar Guild, on a high note!
[5:13 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:13 PMVarda: ♪
[5:13 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:13 PMVarda: After-meeting is also a great place for chat. ; )
[5:13 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:13 PMVarda: gavel pogo-sticks to the hammerpad
[5:13 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:13 PMVarda: ploing, ploing
[5:13 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:13 PMVarda: After-meeting!
[5:14 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:14 PMVarda: Free chat, even about Tolkien and gaming!
[5:14 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:14 PMAnarion: I am no wizard, I am late ;)
[5:15 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:15 PMSandalf13: But you arrived EXACTLY when you wanted to.
[5:15 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:15 PMVarda: hehe
[5:16 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:16 PMVarda: We come when we can.
[5:16 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:16 PMVarda: You made it under the wire to be part of the Anniversary chat marathon!
[5:16 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:16 PMVarda: Many work or have church at this time, or even...sleep.
[5:16 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:16 PMAnarion: Thinking further on fellowship sacrifice: the sacrifice made by Rohan's army in defending Gondor, an ancient fellowship, and the (perhaps begrudging) forgiveness necessary to do so, is one of the more significant voluntary premediated sacrifices in my (movie-addled) memory within the books.
[5:17 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:17 PMVarda: That's a good one.
[5:17 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:17 PMVarda: For Honor! and old friendships. : )
[5:17 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:17 PMVarda: Excellent example of group caring and sacrifice.
[5:36 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 5:36 PMSandalf13: For Food! For Vitals! I Must depart for some essentials, and thank you all for an enlivening discussion and fellowship. Namarie for now! I shall check in later to see what lingers...
[6:06 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 6:06 PMAnarion: Namarie
[6:07 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 6:07 PMAr-Pharazon-V: Aiya, reading up.
[6:13 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 6:13 PMAr-Pharazon-V: More Starcraft 2 players than WoW players, hm? Guess it's time for a new expansion
[6:19 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 6:19 PMAr-Pharazon-V: The Batman thing reminds me of a scene from Discworld's Monstrous Regiment where the officer needed a batman and the vampire recruit was the first to volunteer only to be immediately denied
[6:28 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 6:28 PMAr-Pharazon-V: Right, caught up. Got a bit of a cold though, so might take my sleep break early
[6:44 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 6:44 PMSandalf13: Aiya Ar!
[6:44 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 6:44 PMAr-Pharazon-V: Aiya!
[6:45 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 6:45 PMSandalf13: How are you?
[6:45 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 6:45 PMAr-Pharazon-V: Cold, even at a 21 degrees room.
[6:45 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 6:45 PMAr-Pharazon-V: Shivering. Bit of a cold, you know
[6:45 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 6:45 PMAr-Pharazon-V: Hope it's not flu.
[6:46 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 6:46 PMSandalf13: I also hope it is not the flu for you.
[7:12 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 7:12 PMSandalf13: Feed a cold, starve a fever....did you eat some dinner this evening?
[7:13 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 7:13 PMAr-Pharazon-V: I haven't yet, though I just had lunch, about 13 hours late I'll warm up some pancakes in a bit.
[7:14 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 7:14 PMSandalf13: Good! Eating good food is essential for good health, even when fighting a cold!
[8:02 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 8:02 PMXavier: Hi everyone !!!
[8:02 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 8:02 PMAr-Pharazon-V: Aiya!
[8:03 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 8:03 PMSandalf13: Aiya Xavier!
[8:14 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 8:14 PMVarda: Aiya Xavier : )
[8:18 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 8:18 PMSandalf13: Aiya Varda! Still here...
[8:39 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 8:39 PMVarda: Aiya Sandalf : )
[8:41 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 8:41 PMSandalf13: How was dinner?
[9:36 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 9:36 PMVarda: Engadget - Discord users' IDs and data compromised in customer service provide... - One of Discord's third-party customer service providers has been infiltrated by an unauthorized party who was able to gain access to users' information.
[9:37 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 9:37 PMSandalf13: Oy Weh!
[9:43 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 9:43 PMSandalf13: YouTube - Parody Cuts - Frodo Watches Amazon's Lord of the Rings Show
[9:43 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 9:43 PMSandalf13: Just found this...hysterical.
[10:03 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 10:03 PMVarda: Yep, sounds right. : )
[10:04 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 10:04 PMVarda: I couldn't handle more than two shows of it. Strong hobbits!
[10:04 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 10:04 PMSandalf13: Better than me and you, yes?
[10:39 PM]Sunday, October 5, 2025 10:39 PMVarda: hehe
[October 6, 2025
[1:40 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 1:40 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Personal gaming report:
[1:40 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 1:40 AMAr-Pharazon-V: For (non)flashgaming, we have Kongregate - Step Steve
[1:42 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 1:42 AMAr-Pharazon-V: A puzzle game with a cat who can only take 5 steps between checkpoints.
[1:44 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 1:44 AMAr-Pharazon-V: His job is to infiltrate a hostile facility to rescue a lost crew of kittens, using ice and arrow tiles to slide around, dodging spikes and even duplicating himself using grey cats to bump into. There'll probably be other mechanics, but that's how far I've gotten
[1:45 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 1:45 AMAr-Pharazon-V: There's stars to be found as well, but they take careful planning and a lot of puzzling to figure out how to reach.
[2:08 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:08 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Blizzard gaming:
[2:11 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:11 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Hearthstone:
[Level 120 on the reward track. Getting some nuggets of gold from it, almost enough gold to buy a new skin.
[2:14 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:14 AMAr-Pharazon-V: A new expansion has been announced, Across the Timeways. Using Warcraft figures from both the past and the future, that's one way to grab anything you like, I guess
[2:15 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:15 AMAr-Pharazon-V: But there's also a ton of time-related cards, usually to manipulate future turns from what I can tell.
[2:16 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:16 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Anyway, the announcement came with a free legendary on login, Mister Clocksworth.
[2:19 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:19 AMAr-Pharazon-V: There's also some cards for free in the shop for it, including a double card from the upcoming expansion and a signature version of the Robocaller, an older card from the Traveling Travel Agency Mini-set, part of the Perilous Paradise.
[2:21 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:21 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Considering the Robocaller had art which I distinctly remember noticing back in the day for its creativity, I'd say they made a good choice in which card to choose for this
[2:21 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:21 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Robocaller"
[2:24 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:24 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Announced for the start of november, I guess that explains why they pushed the Hallow's End quest event forward a month. I've completed the second weekly quest for that now, and I'm looking forward to quest 3, involving the bloated leeches, a card and mechanic that I rather liked when they first came out in the previous expansion
[2:26 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:26 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Brawl this week is Valeera's Bag of Burgled Spells. Both players play the (rogue) Valeera, with random spells from every deck, that summon a random minion of the same cost when played. Not much overall strategy here, since everyone starts with the same hero and a completely random deck. Gonna need some luck!
[2:29 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:29 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Warcraft Rumble:
[No new collection level, though I did get 2 leaders to epic, so that does progress the meter a little bit.
[2:29 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:29 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Login reward track still going, and getting to the good stuff when it comes to gold and experience.
[2:30 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:30 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Also made some progress into the heroic sigil campaign, completing Ramstein the Gorger with blackrock and undead families.
[2:31 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:31 AMAr-Pharazon-V: The two quality upgrades are the Cenarion leader Cenarius, and the undead leader Thalnos. Got their final talents as well, so that's 2 levels for each.
[2:32 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:32 AMAr-Pharazon-V: WoW:
[2:33 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:33 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Raiding continues into heroic difficulty, though neither of the last 2 bosses has fallen yet. Getting some good gear now with heroic vault slots, though, including my first heroic tier piece.
[2:34 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:34 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Pieces, actually. Got two of them which I also managed to fully upgrade along the hero track, giving them the mythic appeareances. Mythic tier set comes with a nice-looking smoke trail.
[2:35 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:35 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Weekly is arena skirmishes. Still takes a few tries per win, but I'd say it's going more smoothly than last time.
[2:38 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:38 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Continuing delves, as well. Got Brann maxed out at level 100, which means I can skip curiosities again unless the upcoming patch boost adds something useful to them like the old Titan Console did. Looking at the boost patchnotes, though, that doesn't seem to be the case.
[2:39 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:39 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Also got the Delver's Journey to rank 8, unlocking a new toy, the Delver's Mana-Bound Ethergate, opening a portal that any player can use to get back to the delver's headquarters in the main city of Dornogal, though it's on a 2 hour cooldown.
[2:40 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:40 AMAr-Pharazon-V: The "any player" part does make things interesting because people might click it out of curiosity even when outside your party when they don't want to be teleported
[2:42 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:42 AMAr-Pharazon-V: About 10k undercoins to go for all the new cosmetic rewards, which is also nice. And I'm still hunting Flickergates as well, as I found out that they are indeed guaranteed to spawn in a Bountiful delve. If it's the only thing you're lacking I suppose it's valid to get them on lower tier, easier, faster delves and do all 4 bountifuls each day.
[2:43 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:43 AMAr-Pharazon-V: More Brewfest!
[2:45 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:45 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Turns out that, indeed, you'll get a new appearance piece from the hozen boss event each day, so I have both Brewer's sets complete. Also got the last Dark Iron weapon appearance, so I was done with the boss event pretty early
[2:45 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:45 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Token-farming is right on schedule, with less than 300 tokens to go in 3 days.
[2:46 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:46 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Also got a bunch of levels on alts I've been using for the Brewfest, getting to 67 with Alcaria the paladin, 70 with Caldaera the mage, and 40 with Calmoria the shaman. Some big milestones there!
[2:47 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:47 AMAr-Pharazon-V: And between all the events and raiding going on, I've also completed the currency for October's Trading Post already, though I've not visited the place yet.
[2:48 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:48 AMAr-Pharazon-V: And finally, ordered the Collector's Edition of the upcoming Midnight expansion! No longer available on the gearstore for Europe, it goes through Amazon instead; Dutch site was sold out quickly it seems, but I managed to borrow a creditcard from a relative and bought it from the UK site, which doesn't do the Dutch payment system.
[2:49 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:49 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Also looking forward to the Legion remix coming in a few days, as I get my hell bovine warrior I've mentioned earlier this week
[2:50 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:50 AMAr-Pharazon-V:
[2:53 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:53 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Gosh, has it really been 8 years since the original Diablo crossover, actually spawning Diabolic Tauren in the game...
[2:54 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:54 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Good thing time isn't linear in the timestreams my bovine girl was lost in.
[2:57 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:57 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Anyway, that's my report for the week!
[2:57 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 2:57 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Namarie
[3:03 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 3:03 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Actually, some closer investigation tells me that the original crossover event was during Legion.
[3:03 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 3:03 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Talk about destiny!
[3:03 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 3:03 AMAr-Pharazon-V: Right, goodnight
[7:50 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 7:50 AMEönwë Valar: OK, you all got this coming to you. It's your own faults.
[7:50 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 7:50 AMEönwë Valar: YouTube - Punkey Doodles - Nothing, only this
[7:50 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 7:50 AMEönwë Valar: YouTube - Punkey Doodles - In a world of shadows, you are my light
[7:50 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 7:50 AMEönwë Valar: I hope you all are happy with yourselves.
[7:51 AM]Monday, October 6, 2025 7:51 AMEönwë Valar: First one might give you trouble playing in Discord for some reason, so just follow the link. The second one seems to work fine.
