Sunday, March 22, 2026
5:00pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time
Discord: Valar Guild/meeting_place
[March 21, 2026
[5:48 AM]Eönwë Valar: A little gift for you ladies and gents that I know some of you will be interested in if you haven't found the setting already.
[5:49 AM]Eönwë Valar: Gifs can be loads of fun, but I know sometimes if they don't move off the screen fast enough they can be annoying seeing them repeat a hundred or so times. If you'd like to stop them from playing, you can do the following (copy/paste from Google):
[5:50 AM]Eönwë Valar: Click User Settings (gear icon) in the bottom left. Select Accessibility from the left-hand menu. Toggle off "Automatically play GIFs when Discord is focused". Optional: Toggle off "Play animated emojis" to further reduce movement.
[5:50 AM]Eönwë Valar: This makes it so gifs will only play if you mouse over them. I tested it, and this is what it does for me.
[5:51 AM]Eönwë Valar: So with this setting toggled off, you can mouse over it to watch it once if you're so inclined, then move on with life not having to see it play over and over again.
[4:37 PM]Varda: Thank you 🙂
[March 22, 2026
[3:59 PM]Sandalf13: Aiya All! Or whoever is out there.
[4:00 PM]Varda:Hello chat, from the Mandolorian
[4:00 PM]Varda: Aiya Sandalf 🙂
[4:01 PM]Treebeard: Hello 🙂
[4:01 PM]Varda: Thought I'd try a gif like so many have been doing. : )
[4:01 PM]Léod [44th], : Howdy!
[4:01 PM]Sandalf13: Aiya Leod!
[4:01 PM]Varda: Aiya Fangorn and Leod 🙂
[4:02 PM]Varda: @Bounder @Guild-friend @Maia @Vala It's Valar Guild meeting time! Come on in!
[4:02 PM]Varda: Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo!
[4:03 PM]Varda: Membership:
[4:03 PM]Varda: Always great seeing the gang. : )
[4:03 PM]Varda: Web:
[4:03 PM]Varda: Stuff in the works, happy to say.
[4:03 PM]Varda: Gaming:
[4:03 PM]Arien Valar: Aiya Varda 🙂
[4:03 PM]Varda: Aiya Arien 🙂
[4:03 PM]Arien Valar: Aiya Fangorn and Leod and Sandalf
[4:03 PM]Varda: Good to know I'm visible!
[4:04 PM]Léod [44th], : Hi!
[4:04 PM]Arien Valar: l
[4:04 PM]Sandalf13: Aiya Arien!
[4:04 PM]Arien Valar: k
[4:04 PM]Treebeard: Hello all
[4:05 PM]Arien Valar: of course you are although it happens only in summer when the stars are visible when the sun is in the sky 🙂
[4:05 PM]Sandalf13: aiya Treebeard
[4:05 PM]Varda: Time is a funny thing!
[4:05 PM]Varda: Sometimes the Morning Star is visible
[4:05 PM]Arien Valar: aye true
[4:06 PM]Varda: Aiya Eonwe : )
[4:06 PM]Arien Valar: aiya Eonwe 🙂
[4:06 PM]Eönwë Valar: Heya.
[4:07 PM]Cenedra: Heya
[4:07 PM]Varda: tosses a well-polished gavel to Eonwe
[4:07 PM]Varda: Aiya Eowyn!
[4:07 PM]Arien Valar: and Eowyn aiya 🙂
[4:07 PM]Sandalf13: Aiya Eonwe
[4:07 PM]Varda: Good to see the StarCrafters crafting. : )
[4:08 PM]Varda: Eonwe, the floor is yours. And the chair. And the table.
[4:08 PM]Eönwë Valar: Thanks.
[4:08 PM]Eönwë Valar: World of Warcraft:
[4:08 PM]Eönwë Valar: This week's bonus event: Battlegrounds.
[This week's PvP Brawl: Warsong Scramble.
[The Tryle of Style is going through March 27th.
[4:09 PM]Eönwë Valar: Midnight Season 1 has begun.
[4:09 PM]Eönwë Valar: See the raid schedule for what's open and when.
[4:09 PM]Eönwë Valar: If you play the Classic Anniversary Edition, you can play the Midnight intro Scenario by May 15th for a mount there. --- Voidfeather Dragonhawk flying mount
[4:10 PM]Varda: That's really blue! Nice.
[4:10 PM]Varda: A mite angular.
[4:10 PM]Léod [44th], : It's pretty, I don't do the Classic stuff though. Already lived through that once. LOL
[4:10 PM]Varda: heh
[4:11 PM]Eönwë Valar: The next stage of Mists of Pandaria Classic, Escalations, will begin March 31st.
[4:11 PM]Eönwë Valar: See WoW Weekly for anything not mentioned above.
[4:12 PM]Eönwë Valar: Check out this week's hotfixes.
[4:12 PM]Eönwë Valar: Diablo 4:
[4:12 PM]Eönwë Valar: A new Tale is out: "The Lost & the Damned".
[4:12 PM]Eönwë Valar: See the latest patch notes.
[4:13 PM]Eönwë Valar: Diablo Immortal:
[See what Patch 4.3 brings. Put a Stop to The Taking
[4:13 PM]Eönwë Valar: Overwatch: A new Weekly Recall is out: Well, Kind Of.
[4:13 PM]Eönwë Valar: Hearthstone:
[Cataclysm is out.
[4:14 PM]Eönwë Valar: Lord of the Rings Online:
[Update 47.2 is live.
[4:14 PM]Eönwë Valar: And that's it from me.
[4:14 PM]Varda: Thank you, Eonwe. : )
[4:14 PM]Varda: A bit more for LotRO:
[4:14 PM]Varda: Universal Solvent code thru March 26: ESSENCEOFESSENCE
[4:15 PM]Varda: I was asked why LotRO gamers are trying for the pie in Clegur for the festival. Eat enough of them (75) and they give the permanent pie bauble, which can be used to summon a Hungry Hobbit (a Stoor) that talks and follows you.
[4:15 PM]Varda: Mouse-over the next pie to see if you hit the daily limit! There's a timer between eating pies. Collecting enough may take multiple characters passing the pies to a main, or advance the quest again next year.
[4:15 PM]Varda: Maramam's Bacon Pie Bauble
[4:15 PM]Treebeard: haha
[4:15 PM]Varda: Kin gamers this past week:
Peregrin branch (main):
Glamdring branch:
Meriadoc branch:
Angmar temporary branch:
Mordor temporary branch:
[4:16 PM]Varda: StarCraft 2:
[4:16 PM]Varda: StarCraft 2 gamers this past week: Eowyn, Fangorn, Varda, Faramir.
[4:16 PM]Varda: And that's my gaming news.
[
[4:16 PM]Varda: Would anyone else like to mention their favorite games played this past week? Suggestions, requests, invites needed?
[4:17 PM]Varda: Earendil has been playing his new Freefall. : )
[4:18 PM]Varda: but he is now hunting a stopping place and hopes to drop in on us soon.
[4:18 PM]Léod [44th], : I did GET on Angmar...
[4:18 PM]Varda: You did?
[4:18 PM]Léod [44th], : Yeah, long enough to pick up the gold hobbit present.
[4:19 PM]Léod [44th], : Then gone like the wind.
[4:19 PM]Varda: heh
[4:19 PM]Varda: Ok
[4:19 PM]Léod [44th], : It was on Kulinari though, He may be in a different guild.
[4:19 PM]Léod [44th], : I forgot about that.
[4:19 PM]Léod [44th], : Carry on... nothing to see here.
[4:19 PM]Varda: Then I would not see him for the report. But grats on the Hobbit gift.
[4:20 PM]Varda: hehehe I see nothing, nothing, nothing...
[4:20 PM]Varda: Any other gaming or membership before we switch over?
[4:21 PM]Varda: Eowyn/Cenedra and Fangorn/Treebeard are gaming together right now in StarCraft 2.
[4:21 PM]Arien Valar: I got a couple of toys in midnight through the sidequests 🙂 and found out Arcane mage is a lot more dps and damage than Rouge 🙂
[4:21 PM]Treebeard: Yes - split screen
[4:21 PM]Varda: Does that mean you might be doing that character more now?
[4:21 PM]Varda: Yay split screen! Sometimes. : ) 4:21 PM]Eönwë Valar:
[4:22 PM]Varda: Eonwe, exactly!
[4:22 PM]Arien Valar: hehehehehe
[4:23 PM]Arien Valar: oh thats the guy in Stalag 13 🙂 from ... what was it called .. i know in German it was Ein Kaefig voller Helden
[4:23 PM]Arien Valar: Schulz
[4:23 PM]Varda: Aye : )
[4:23 PM]Eönwë Valar: Hogan's Heroes.
[4:24 PM]Varda: That's the American name, aye.
[4:24 PM]Arien Valar: that s te one .. thanks Eonwe 🙂
[4:24 PM]Varda: On to
[4:19 PM]Léod [44th], : Then gone like the wind.
[4:19 PM]Varda: heh
[4:19 PM]Varda: Ok
[4:19 PM]Léod [44th], : It was on Kulinari though, He may be in a different guild.
[4:19 PM]Léod [44th], : I forgot about that.
[4:19 PM]Léod [44th], : Carry on... nothing to see here.
[4:19 PM]Varda: Then I would not see him for the report. But grats on the Hobbit gift.
[4:20 PM]Varda: hehehe I see nothing, nothing, nothing...
[4:20 PM]Varda: Any other gaming or membership before we switch over?
[4:21 PM]Varda: Eowyn/Cenedra and Fangorn/Treebeard are gaming together right now in StarCraft 2.
[4:21 PM]Arien Valar: I got a couple of toys in midnight through the sidequests 🙂 and found out Arcane mage is a lot more dps and damage than Rouge 🙂
[4:21 PM]Treebeard: Yes - split screen
[4:21 PM]Varda: Does that mean you might be doing that character more now?
[4:21 PM]Varda: Yay split screen! Sometimes. : )
[4:21 PM]Eönwë Valar:
[4:22 PM]Varda: Eonwe, exactly!
[4:22 PM]Arien Valar: hehehehehe
[4:23 PM]Arien Valar: oh thats the guy in Stalag 13 🙂 from ... what was it called .. i know in German it was Ein Kaefig voller Helden
[4:23 PM]Arien Valar: Schulz
[4:23 PM]Varda: Aye : )
[4:23 PM]Eönwë Valar: Hogan's Heroes.
[4:24 PM]Varda: That's the American name, aye.
[4:24 PM]Arien Valar: that s te one .. thanks Eonwe 🙂
[4:24 PM]Varda: On to
[4:24 PM]Varda: Tolkien!
[4:24 PM]Varda: I do have a topic for you, but if any of you had something to bring up first, now's the time!
[4:25 PM]Varda: (Speak up before being inundated with word balloons.)
[4:25 PM]Treebeard: 🙂
[4:25 PM]Eönwë Valar:Balloo
[4:25 PM]Arien Valar: i love word balloons 😄
[4:25 PM]Varda: hehe ok
[4:25 PM]Eönwë Valar: Oops, that's a Word Balloo.
[4:26 PM]Varda: so funny : )
[4:26 PM]Arien Valar: 🤣
[4:26 PM]Varda: I'll give the topic, then the word balloons, er, background.
[4:26 PM]Varda: Why was Ungoliant able to give Melkor so much difficulty when she went after ever more payment from him? He only held back completely when she tried to take the Silmarils.
[4:27 PM]Varda: Or better yet, just go ahead and jump on it. Then the quotes can slide in there.
[4:27 PM]Varda: That was intended to go with lots of other stuff. May not be clear.
[4:27 PM]Varda: Melkor sought revenge for his captivity by the other Valar and used Ungoliant as his tool, a being that he had corrupted.
[4:28 PM]Eönwë Valar: Well, she'd just got done feasting on the life essence of two giant glowing trees, and Melkor had invested her with some of his own power too, and that stuff doesn't grow on.... wait....
[4:28 PM]Arien Valar: "the spirits that i called ... I don 't get rid of"
[4:28 PM]Varda: heh
[4:28 PM]Varda: What was the promised payment from Melkor to Ungoliant, that overcame her fear of the job?
[4:29 PM]Varda: And what was she worried about?
[4:29 PM]Sandalf13: The light of the Two Trees
[4:29 PM]Sandalf13: The Valar
[4:30 PM]Varda: Succinct answers! Nice. : )
[4:30 PM]Varda: Here's a quote for you:
[...Melkor with Ungoliant plotted his revenge. But when Ungoliant understood the purpose of Melkor, she was torn between lust and great fear; for she was loath to dare the perils of Aman and the power of the dreadful Lords, and she would not stir from her hiding.
[Therefore Melkor said to her: "Do as I bid; and if thou hunger still when all is done, then I will give thee whatsoever thy lust may demand. Yea, with both hands."
[Lightly he made this vow, as he ever did; and he laughed in his heart. Thus did the great thief set his lure for the lesser.
[4:31 PM]Varda: End quote.
[4:31 PM]Sandalf13: I wonder what kind of a Maia Ungoliant was during the Ainulindale.
[4:31 PM]Varda: There is a little, but not much helpful on that. Something that loved power. Maybe something that loved food, gardening maybe?
[4:32 PM]Léod [44th], : Something to do with fate, weaving or spinning?
[4:32 PM]Eönwë Valar: I once speculated that if she were an Ainu, she was an Ainu like Vairë (the Weaver).
[4:32 PM]Léod [44th], : 😄
[4:32 PM]Varda: oooh, good thought!
[4:32 PM]Varda: Quote:
[The Eldar knew not whence she came; but some have said that in ages long ago before she descended from the darkness that lies about Arda, when Melkor first looked down in envy upon the Kingdom of Manwe, and that in the beginning she was one of of those that he corrupted to his service.
[But she had disowned her Master, desiring to be mistress of her own lust, taking all things to feed her emptiness; and she fled to the south, escaping the assaults of the Valar and the hunters of Orome...
[4:32 PM]Varda: End quote.
[4:33 PM]Varda: Fled. Escaping. 4:33 PM]Sandalf13: Doesn't shed too much light (no pun intended) on her earlier existence unfortunately.
[4:33 PM]Varda: Agreed.
[4:33 PM]Eönwë Valar: Makes one wonder what kinds of mischief she might've been involved in with Melkor before she disowned him.
[4:33 PM]Varda: All speculation on it.
[4:34 PM]Varda: Eating his entire larder? : )
[4:34 PM]Eönwë Valar: Also makes one wonder...
[4:34 PM]Earendil: hello guys! great question here, and man do I love to wonder after those details...
[4:34 PM]Varda: Aiya Earendil : )
[4:34 PM]Eönwë Valar: Melkor: "Well, Varda's a no-go. Arien's a no-go..." Turns to Ungoliant... Ungoliant: Already gone
[4:34 PM]Sandalf13: Ungoliant had the unfortunate habit of eating her own offspring. I wonder who the Dad was. A few of the kids must have escaped their Mom, however, otherwise where would the Spiders of Mirkwood be?
[4:34 PM]Treebeard: Hello
[4:34 PM]Varda: hehe Eonwe
[4:35 PM]Léod [44th], : Or Shelob?
[4:35 PM]Varda: I have a quote on that but meant it to be for later. : )
[4:35 PM]Sandalf13: Yup....Shelob too.
[4:36 PM]Varda: She went into a dark valley beneath Ered Gorgoroth, afterwards called Nan Dungortheb, the Valley of Dreadful Death. Other foul creatures in spider form lived there, and she bred with them and devoured them, then departed into the south. But her offspring remained, spinning hideous webs.
[4:36 PM]Varda: Quote:
[Some have said that she ended long ago, when in her uttermost famine she devoured herself at last. End Quote.
[4:36 PM]Sandalf13: Just like Pizza the Hut.
[4:36 PM]Varda: Aye : )
[4:36 PM]Earendil: ...I suspect she was one of several creatures meant to represent the idea of ancient forces that are archangel like in scale, such as the dragons. corrupted near equals to melkor himself which could stand in storytelling for alternative judeo christian interpretations in myth without travelling into different storytelling worlds.
[4:37 PM]Varda: She would then be a Maia that Morgoth corrupted, as so many were. Usually with power. With her, it might have been endless food.
[4:37 PM]Léod [44th], : At one time I thought she was a being from the before time of middle earth, trying to reach the stars for sustenance, but finding and consuming only darkness. Lovecraftian in a sense, but I didn't know that Melkor had been her master already.
[4:37 PM]Sandalf13: A Chinese buffet, perhaps? [44th],
[4:37 PM]Earendil: I can see that.
[4:37 PM]Varda: heh - the all you can eat buffet ran out.
[4:38 PM]Varda: Leod, that's poetic. Interesting.
[4:38 PM]Varda: Archangel in scale would be the Aratar.
[4:38 PM]Eönwë Valar: "foul creatures in spider-form" is an interesting choice of description. That she essentially destroyed that species and replaced it with her own is horrifying too.
[4:38 PM]Earendil: Ah yes.
[4:39 PM]Léod [44th], : Ew, I never thought of it like that.
[4:39 PM]Varda: The Ainur took forms that went along with their way of thought.
[4:39 PM]Earendil: Yeah that is terrifying...tolkien's world has some real zingers.
[4:39 PM]Varda: True!
[4:39 PM]Léod [44th], : Really. So true, crazy critters.
[4:40 PM]Varda: I would suggest than another name for Ungoliant would be She Who Hungers Insatiably. That would be the corruption that twisted her into evil.
[4:40 PM]Varda: I would suggest than another name for Ungoliant would be She Who Hungers Insatiably. That would be the corruption that twisted her into evil.
[4:40 PM]Earendil: Being ceated originaly with purpose, doesn't that mean that there was supposed to be a symbolic pre-corruption purpose of her that was spider like but meant to be natural?
[4:40 PM]Arien Valar: well doesn t it imply that she bred with that species and as spiders do devoured the males and left Ungolianth as female offspring alive?
[4:41 PM]Varda: Arien, yes.
[4:41 PM]Varda: The spider female devours the mate.
[4:41 PM]Sandalf13: I just had to check out my copy of The Silmarillion to read up on the Ainulindale...I do not believe that that tale tells explicitly when the stars in the heavens were created, unless I am missing something. If the stars were in fact created through the singing of the Ainus, then proto-Ungoliant would have had to wait for the stars to be kindled before she could lust after their light...
[4:41 PM]Earendil: perhaps the natural cycle right around the ...yeah the consumptive parts, beat me to it.
[4:42 PM]Eönwë Valar: "Spider-form" doesn't necessarily mean "spider-behavior" but they weren't necessarily sentient creatures either.
[4:42 PM]Sandalf13: Not all spiders (females) devour their "husbands."
[4:42 PM]Varda: People saying things in different ways can help understanding a subject.
[4:42 PM]Varda: It appears that Ungoliant did, though, from the text.
[4:42 PM]Léod [44th], : True, Sandalf, true.
[4:43 PM]Earendil: What about the cultural symbolism from the cultures Tolkien loved? what where their cultural interpetations of the spider?
[4:43 PM]Eönwë Valar: The stars weren't made until after the Valar and Maiar entered Ea. It says they found everything "on the cusp of happening" or some better version of those words.
[4:44 PM]Sandalf13: Then again, spiders are not picture-perfect parents, either.
[4:44 PM]Sandalf13: It is tough being a spider.
[4:45 PM]Arien Valar: (where is our Shelob when we need her 🙂 )
[4:46 PM]Treebeard: 🙂
[4:46 PM]Varda: Anyway, Ungoliant was promised payment for the job, and became powerful during the job. A problem for Melkor!
[4:46 PM]Varda: Revenge on the Valar.
[4:47 PM]Eönwë Valar: Here's a wild take for you: Ungoliant was the most successful Evil being in Arda.
[4:47 PM]Varda: hmm : )
[4:47 PM]Léod [44th], : And what happened to her in the end?
[4:47 PM]Eönwë Valar: Bear with me on this.
[4:48 PM]Varda: That is a quote above on what happened to her. See Pizza the Hut.
[4:48 PM]Sandalf13: Phylum Arthropoda includes four great classes of animals: Myriopoda (millipedes and centipeds), Chelicerata (all arachnids, sea spiders, and horseshoe crabs), all the Crustacea, and the extint Trilobita. Just FYI.
[4:48 PM]Eönwë Valar: Morgoth would've pounded everything to sub-dust and then spread out the particles so they couldn't interact, but he couldn't ultimately destroy it and make his own reality. There would always be something that existed that he didn't create. Thus he failed.
[4:49 PM]Varda: He was a nihilist in the end. Sauron wanted dominion. Of the two, I'd prefer Sauron.
[4:49 PM]Eönwë Valar: Sauron walked a similar path, and it would've led him the same place if he had the power to enact it.
[4:50 PM]Sandalf13: Iluvatar invested some of him/herself in everything that s/he created. Melkor ultimately failed because he was created by Iluvatar ex nihilo, and contrary to his own, internal
[4:50 PM]Eönwë Valar: Ungoliant's end was the ultimate goal of Evil. She devoured everything that was in her power to devour, then she devoured herself.
[4:50 PM]Léod [44th], : I read that and it just didn't sink in, lol. Hard headed I guess.
[4:50 PM]Sandalf13: logic, was not capable of creating new things,,,,only perverting already existing creation.
[4:51 PM]Varda: Quote:
[Then the Unlight of Ungoliant rose up even to the roots of the Trees, and Melkor sprang upon the mound; and with his black spear he smote each Tree to its core, wounded them deep, and their sap poured forth as it were their blood, and was spilled upon the ground.
[But Ungoliant sucked it up, and going then from Tree to Tree she set her black beak to their wounds, till they were drained; and the poison of Death that was in her went into their tissues and withered them, root, branch, and leaf; and they died.
[And still she thirsted, and going to the Wells of Varda, she drank them dry; but Ungoliant belched forth black vapors as she drank, and swelled to a shape so vast and hideous that Melkor was afraid.
[End quote.
[4:51 PM]Varda: So that was part of the job.
[4:51 PM]Varda: Note that Ungoliant is becoming very powerful during this.
[4:51 PM]Sandalf13: I betcha that the water from the Well of Varda was even more potent than Ent-draughts.
[4:52 PM]Earendil: awesome
[4:52 PM]Varda: The next part of the job was mainly done by Melkor, but probably under Ungoliant's cover.
[4:52 PM]Arien Valar: sort of the perfection or prototype forthem maybe
[4:53 PM]Varda: Quote: ...Melkor had broken the stronghold of Formenos, and taken all the jewels of the Noldor that were hoarded in that place; and the Silmarils were gone. End Quote
[4:53 PM]Varda: Finwe died to Melkor because only he had not run and he alone stood before the doors of Formenos. For this, Feanor changed Melkor's name to Morgoth
[4:53 PM]Varda: Then the whoops!
[4:54 PM]Treebeard: I was thinking that Galadriel knew Ungoliant's weakness and those that dwell in dark places
[4:54 PM]Sandalf13: A good whoop, or a bad "whooooops?"
[4:54 PM]Varda: Likely, Treebeard.
[4:54 PM]Varda: Morgoth tried to escape Ungoliant, heading back to his stronghold of Angband, but could not shake her. He had to honor his promise to give from his hands.
[4:54 PM]Varda: Quote: Then perforce Morgoth surrendered to her the gems that he bore with him, one by one and grudgingly; and she devoured them, and their beauty perished from the world. Huger and darker yet grew Ungoliant, but her lust was unsated.
[4:54 PM]Varda: "With one hand thou givest," she said; "with the left only. Open thy right hand."
[End quote.
[4:55 PM]Treebeard: There is meaning and power behind the formulation of a name
[4:55 PM]Varda: That hand held the Silmarils and Morgoth refused, claiming them for himself for ever.
[4:55 PM]Varda: Aye, there is. Used in all sorts of magic.
[4:55 PM]Arien Valar: cats know that nod
[4:55 PM]Varda: Or a good Hey you for being specific. : )
[4:56 PM]Varda:
[Quote: But Ungoliant had grown great, and he less by the power that had gone out of him; and she rose against him, and her cloud closed about him, and she enmeshed him in a web of clinging thongs to strangle him. Then Morgoth sent out a terrible cry..."
[End Quote
[4:56 PM]Varda: The cry brought the Balrogs to his aid and they used their whips to force Ungoliant away from him.
[4:56 PM]Varda: So, bad whoops?
[4:56 PM]Sandalf13: The cry that echoed through the ages....in Lammoth.
[4:56 PM]Varda: Right!
[4:58 PM]Varda: The what happened to Ungoliant that was going to go here has already been said, so have fun with comments!
[4:58 PM]Eönwë Valar: Consult the Book of Armam--- Laws of Customs of the Eldar! :}
[5:00 PM]Sandalf13: Interesting etymology that just occurred to me....Tolkien, the linguist,, used "Lammoth" to name the place where Morgoth uttered his cry....Lammoth appears to share a common root with "lament," or "lamentation," that is usually heard in a loud voice.
[5:00 PM]Sandalf13: lamentation - a loud wailing and whining in response to a usually negative or painful experiences.
[5:01 PM]Varda: Being choked to death is a mite negative.
[5:01 PM]Sandalf13: Agreed.
[5:01 PM]Treebeard: Tough to yell loud when choking, he did well
[5:01 PM]Varda: Good point!
[5:02 PM]Earendil: Imagine if he HADN'T been chocking...
[5:02 PM]Varda: Might have to do with the weird forms the Valar could take. Maybe not completely stuck yet.
[5:02 PM]Sandalf13: At one point he was, after all, the most powerful of the Valar. No surprise that he had exceptional lung capacity.
[5:02 PM]Varda: The whole of Arda might have been echoing, aye!
[5:03 PM]Eönwë Valar: ""Now both these names, the father-name and the chosen name, were 'true names', not nicknames; but the father-name was public, and the chosen name was private, especially when used alone. Private, not secret. The chosen names were regarded by the Noldor as part of their personal property, like (say) their rings, cups, or knives, or other possessions which they culd lend, or share with kindred and friends, but which could not be taken without leave. The use of a chosen name, except by members of the same house (parents, sisters, and brothers), was a token of closest intimacy and love, when permitted. It was, therefore, presumptuous or insulting to use it without permission. **
[5:04 PM]Eönwë Valar: **This sentiment had thus nothing to do with 'magic' or with taboos, such as are found among Men." -- Morgoth's Ring - Laws and Customs Among the Eldar* - "Of Naming"
[5:04 PM]Varda: Being overfamiliar.
[5:05 PM]Earendil: I would argue that the ability to take multiple forms likee Morgoth or others do is a very...cosmic-horroresque ability? if that makes sense.
[5:05 PM]Earendil: Random thought...
[5:05 PM]Léod [44th], : Sorry, I had to go AFK for a moment.
[5:05 PM]Varda: It makes sense. It was also done by the good guys. : )
[5:05 PM]Varda: Meetings tend to run an hour minimum. May be many unmentioned afk's. Luckily we can read back!
[5:06 PM]Léod [44th], : Indeed.
[5:07 PM]Arien Valar: yeah Valarites .. unfortunately the sunbark needs to set sail
[5:07 PM]Arien Valar: thank you for the interesting topic Varda 🙂
[5:08 PM]Sandalf13: I have always wondered...who flies up to meet you when you return to land?
[5:09 PM]Arien Valar: sit on a cloud and rise up in the sky 🙂 nods
[5:09 PM]Arien Valar: or try to grab me?
[5:09 PM]Léod [44th], : Yes, thank you!
[5:10 PM]Sandalf13: Namarie, Arien! May your sunbark journeys be pleasant, and may you enjoy following winds and smooth seas!
[5:10 PM]Arien Valar: Namarie !
[5:11 PM]Eönwë Valar:
[5:11 PM]Varda: Namarie!
[5:11 PM]Treebeard: Namarie 🙂
[5:11 PM]Eönwë Valar: Sleep well Arien.
[5:11 PM]Varda: the gavel trips over the hammerpad while reading our chat
[5:11 PM]Varda: thonk!
[5:11 PM]Varda: After-meeting!
[5:12 PM]Treebeard: Ha, time to go? Nice meeting, glad to see everyone. Namarie!
[5:12 PM]Eönwë Valar: Good to see you Fangorn :}
[5:12 PM]Sandalf13: Namarie, Treebeard! Enjoy the week ahead!
[5:12 PM]Varda: Some must leave, some will be arriving, some will hang aorund.
[5:13 PM]Varda: Phar will probably be along in a while.
[5:13 PM]Varda: Fortunately we can read back up. : )
[5:14 PM]Earendil: Had fun popping in. Stay well everyone!
[5:15 PM]Eönwë Valar: Take care Earendil.
[5:15 PM]Sandalf13: Namarie, Earendil!
[5:17 PM]Varda: Namarie!
[5:20 PM]Léod [44th], : See you folks later!
[5:20 PM]Varda: The Valar Guild site is under repair by Pallando. Nothing that the backup won't fix. : )
[5:21 PM]Sandalf13: Namarie, Leod!
[5:21 PM]Varda: Namarie : )
[5:21 PM]Eönwë Valar: For anyone who doesn't regonize that clip, that's billionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne dancing with Diana Prince. Call the tabloids!
[5:22 PM]Eönwë Valar: Take care Leod.
[5:23 PM]Varda: calls tabloids
[5:32 PM]Sandalf13: Thanks for the info...i was wondering.
[5:36 PM]Varda: I just found out. It's being handled by the amazing Pallando.
[5:42 PM]Eönwë Valar: Time for me to be off. Take care all, good night, sleep well, and have fun.
[5:49 PM]Sandalf13: Namarie, Eonwe, and Namarie to all. I must away before end of day, some food to obtain for dinner. Will check in later...maybe Ar will show up!
[6:10 PM]Cenedra: Namarie
[10:47 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Aiya, reading up 🙂
[11:21 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Interesting topic, too bad I was held away.
[11:25 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: I thought I'd read more about Ungoliant's origins at some point, but Morgoth's Ring gives multiple mentions of her coming out of the darkness around Arda, at least.
[11:26 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: As well as the mention of her having been in the beginning one of those Melkor had corrupted to his service.
[11:27 PM]Ar-Pharazon-V: I have to say that her story of devouring and growth until she had nothing left to devour reminds me of the Tasty Planet game series, wherein you play a creature that eats, grows, and ends up devouring the entire universe 🙂
[6:54 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Personal gaming report:
[6:54 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: For (non)flashgaming, I've got something different this week, other than the weekly badges, among which are some classics to be sure, but I've already linked them endlessly.
[6:55 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Instead, youtube reminded me of a fun "metroidvania" genre platformer series on kongregate which, while originally flash, works with the ruffle program on kongregate, which is why it's apparently excluded from being badge of the day.
[6:56 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Robot Wants Kitty is a small platformer where you have to make your way across the map, unlocking abilities and upgrades found along the way, to unlock more of the map and ultimately find kitty!
[6:57 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Easy to die, but there's some checkpoints around, infinite lives, and it's not actually that difficult 🙂
[7:05 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: And the series gets even better after that (in my opinion), with Robot Wants Fishy, and Robot Wants Ice Cream as the finale.
[7:06 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: And iiiif you still can't get enough... there's a collection on steam with all these games and a fifth installment, Robot Wants Justice, released in 2019 with some sensitive political undertones (just wait until you see the final boss) and greatly increased difficulty, from what I've seen. So you can, but I wouldn't.
[7:08 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Blizzard gaming:
[7:11 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Hearthstone:
[The CATACLYSM expansion is here! Made it to level 30 on the reward track already - first few levels are really fast - which got me a card back, 2 legendaries, The Black Blood, and Genn, Cursed King, as well as a bunch of golden cards from the expansion.
[7:11 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Also enough gold to buy a new hero skin from the shop, Gargoyl'dan for the warlock.
[7:12 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: There's also a free bundle, Rally the Dragonflights, with a signature herald card, and 2 legendaries, Ebyssian and Azshara the Ocean Lord.
[7:14 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: The quest event involves Deathwing's attack, and to no surprise, is mostly focused around Cataclysm cards, so I opened a few free packs, and got another legendary, Alexstrasza. There must be so many card versions of these aspects around now...
[7:17 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: The weekly quests are the same as usual: play 850 cards, summon or destroy 500 minions, draw 750 cards. But with bonuses for Cata cards. Final reward will be a Dragonscarred Thrall skin for shaman.
[7:19 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: The brawl is the new deck recipes from the expansion! Mostly involving heralds, Deathwing and his assistant leaders. Quite fun actually. I've had success with Death Knight and Mage, at least.
[7:19 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Oh, and warrior.
[7:20 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Oh, and a new darkmoon faire season is up, with a mythic deathwing hero and signature card, but I "just" got a golden Cataclysm pack 🙂
[7:21 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Warcraft Rumble:
[No new collection level, and not many quality upgrades, though I'm getting stars all around, so that's still helpful.
[7:23 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: 2 new skins though! The login reward track concluded with a Sylvanas Windrunner Epic Skin, and the new Lich King event (well, return of last year's event) came with a Prince Arthas Legendary Skin I didn't have yet as a new unique reward, and I went straight down the track for it.
[7:25 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: The event mostly centers around fights against Arthas in new missions, but there's also challenges for the leader Arthas, combined with other undead stuff. And the rewards contain a lot of Arthas stars, as well as 5-star bonuses for select other minions, and a lot of xp and gold going around. I don't absolutely need any of it, but it's definitely useful for progress, and I got my unique reward, so I'll just do what I can and grab whatever rewards I can reach!
[7:27 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: In the heroic sigil campaign, I defeated Emperor Thaurissan with beast family, getting me to 153 sigils (7 to go!) and got Rend Blackhand done with alliance and horde. The mechanic for that one is periodically respawning whelp eggs across the pathways around the arena, but they're not that dangerous with some focus on anti-air.
[7:28 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: My only quality upgrade is getting the Prowler to epic quality, as well as its last talent, but several more minis I've seen hit 24/25 this week, so there'll be a bit more activity there soon I think.
[7:28 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: WoW:
[7:28 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Raiding has begun this week, but I'm not level 90 yet, so I'll let the rest of my group learn the ropes so I can help them out later, on heroic difficulty probably.
[7:30 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: No weeklies for me yet, but I did participate in the Trial of Style a bit, because I was falling behind on the trading post. Even got second place once, as well as over 50 tickets... not enough to really buy the mog, but enough to make it so I just need some quests during the final surge to complete the month.
[7:32 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Splurged in the shop for a bit, after seeing the Spring Bloom pet pack, and got 2 more pets from that, Sa'bak's Blessed, and the Timbered Sky Snakelet. And then I looked around the shop a bit more and bought the Scurrywind Groveglider Collection, 4 beautiful flying squirrel mounts at half the price. I could no longer resist the fluffy beasties!
[7:33 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: And finally, questing! Headed into Eversong, and completed the main storyline, fighting some lightbloom, and chasing around cultists, during which I also got my first delve done, Shadow Enclave.
[7:33 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Got the new delve companion, Valeera Sanguinar, to level 2.
[7:34 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: After that I faced off against some Amani, though it turns out we need them as unlikely allies, so next week I'll be heading into the Zul'aman zone!
[7:34 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Also got to level 82 along the way, a smidge from level 83.
[7:36 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Next week, trolls! I'm guessing we're making allies out of another classically adversarial race, unlocking racial cosmetics for trolls as well. We'll hardly have any enemies left after this Worldsoul Saga, which I suppose is the idea.
[7:38 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: So yeah, Eversong done (for now), Zul'aman coming next, and a bunch of silvermoon decors as rewards as well. Speaking of decors, also still doing the daily decor hunts in the Housing area, and have placed some boulders over the wooden beams in my Den to make it look more like a cave. Not sure what I'm going to do next there. Been toying with the idea of making an "outdoor" area behind the fireplace, though I'll need to unlock the evening sky ceiling first.
[7:38 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: And that's my report for the week!
[7:38 AM]Ar-Pharazon-V: Namarie 🙂