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Parth Odothui ~ Volume VII
Pennas Nenime ~ February Issue
Note: The following magic symbol returns you to the top
of the scroll: 
As you may know, the Host is going on an adventure, traveling through dangerous places along with the healers at the call of the Elven king of Mirkwood. These are hard times for the soldiers who will be a part of the forces that will be aiding King Thranduil. Hopefully, the united forces will be able to prevail against the unknown enemy.
The Meeting Hall was kind of crowded lately as four soldiers were advancing in the ranks of the Host. Their names are Tanequil, Endril, Etharion and Arvellas. Tanequil, Arvellas and Etharion got their second star as proof of the fact that they acquired experience inside the ranks; I, Endril, got my third star. The ceremony was attended by the captain and officers of the Host together with other soldiers who came to congratulate their comrades and attend the banquet.
Also, the training schedule goes on as planned, led by the captains and the officers. Every day the soldiers are trained in fighting, scouting and many more useful skills in the Host.
~ Endril
Word Sleuths
Regrettably, Week 7 was an easy win. It began well for Imladris, our team having scored 50 points in the first round. Good for us, but bad for the Minas Tirith team. The opposing team missed three rounds, crippling them. However, they should be commended for the best play made in the whole match, followed closely by our 50 points we got for our first round. They scored 70 points, playing SUNG, also making US and XU. Yet even with that great play, their missed rounds spelled out their defeat. Imladris won, scoring 227 points to Minas Tirith's 147. Khazad-dûm moderated the game very nicely.
Week 8, which has not yet finished, started excellently for the Shire. Their team made a smashing score of 92 for their first round, making the starting word of CAUTION. Our team made a fairly good comeback with 51, but only time can tell whether we will pull into the lead and take the win or not. The whole match so far has had many good plays. The Shire's second round scored 40 points. With Imladris' next round scoring 55 points, we were still behind by just over 25 points. The Shire's third round scored another 40 points, and ours scored a very good 74 points! However, it was bested by the Shire's 78 points for their fourth round. On a better, note, however, our team contested their most recent round that had scored those 78 points. In the end, their play was disallowed.
After four rounds for the Shire, and three for our team, the scoreboard showed their 172 points to our 180 points. As you can clearly see, we do have an edge on them, since we haven't made our fourth play yet. Even so, the Shire has been doing such a good job so far, they still have a good chance at winning the match.
Originally, Gondor was supposed to moderate the 8th Week, but for some reason couldn't. Instead Lothlórien stepped in to help out. Thank-you very much, Menthol!
Thanks to Minas Tirith for making a good effort, and to the Shire for a good match thus far. Excluding Week 8, our total point level is 2225. With this great score, we rank first over all other teams! Give a good cheer and hope for the best for our last few weeks!
Our home team, which has lost some members over time, now consists of Ealena and Merl Moriestiel as captains. The rest of the team members consist of Elenaro (Aryeh Chaim Yoel), Ilúvefailisse, Loriwaynen, Tanequil and myself, Mar-Evayávë. Please come out and root for us during out future matches! We could always do with some good cheerleaders! If you are interested, we'd eagerly welcome new members to the team. Check us out either in our most recent OOC thread (Located: Imladris-The Council of Elrond) or in the IK WS Headquarters (Located: LotR Site, Shop and Plaza Related)! You may have to scroll down a little ways if you choose the latter option.
~ Mar Evayave
The first match of the debating season went very well. All debaters did a fantastic job, and deserve a good reward for their hard efforts. The debating teams were obviously our own great team, and Lóriengard.
Our team roster consisted of Tanequil and Ilúvefailisse as our fine captains, plus Inwe Lythian, Ealena, Aryeh Chaim Yoel (more commonly known as Elenaro), Loriwaynen, Revan and myself, Mar-Evayávë. Of our team, Ilúvefailisse, Tanequil and Inwe were the main posters, and the subs were Revan, myself and Lori.
Lóriengard had no official roster, but their main posters were Hoth, Nylara and Missy, and their subs were Nen, Siana and Gia.
As said in the last Debate report, the topic of the first debate was “Lothlórien is a better vacation spot than Imladris.”; Lóriengard were debating for that statement, and our Imladris team was opposing it.
The debate finally began on February 11th, 2008. Both teams did an excellent job in all their posts. No deadlines were missed; everything arrived on time. Our official judge for the debate was Woggy Hardbotom of the Shire. He has not yet made his final decision on who has won the debate, and we are eagerly sitting on the edges of our seats, trying to wait patiently for the results. Wish us the best of luck!
The second match is scheduled to start on March 3rd, and hasn't yet begun. The other debating team is the Shire. The topic for this debate is “Frodo could not have turned Smeagol back to the good.”; this time, our team will be debating that this statement is true, and the Shire will be the doing the opposition. We again have the great Woggy Hardbotom as our judge. Naturally, since the debate hasn't started (at the time this report was submitted), nothing more can be said. However, I can mention that Revan, myself and Inwe will be the main posters, and the subs at this point are: Ilúve, Lori and Ealena.
Again, you can wish us good luck. This is my first time as a debater. The first match, I was listed as a sub, but mainly was just observing how debates run and whatnot. I must be honest. I find debating to be very hard. I'm sure that after the first or second debate I will be in, it will become easier for me. Like the saying goes, practice makes perfect. While the word “perfect” may not be quite accurate, practice and experience do assist greatly. At first I was quite overwhelmed with everything. I also must admit that I didn't pay a lot of attention to the first debate match. I was so new to it all, that it basically was over my head. I am doing better now, though. Let me say that my post is coming along pretty well. Now that I am “getting the hang of it”, I find debating to actually be kind of fun. Lots of hard work, but fun. All debaters on all the teams deserve lots of applause, because debating is hard work. *hugs all*
If you think you have what it takes to be a debater, please head over to the Debating HQ (Located: LotR Site, Shop and Plaza Related) or to the most recent debate OOC thread (Located: Imladris-The Council of Elrond) and check it out! A word of advice, however: You should take a look at one of the completed debates in any of the kingdoms. Study how the debate goes and how each post is formed and written. In order to be a good debater, you have to understand how debating generally works. Plus, checking out past debates will help you decide whether or not to join the Imladris Debating team!
~ Mar Evayave
After having a relaxing break during the 6th match, Imladris sprang back into action for the 7th match, which seems to be our last match of the season. We played against the excellent team from Fangorn. The moderating team was from the Shire, which is actually also where the match took place.
Fangorn's roster was pretty small. Only Catiri, Region and Yucaliel are part of the Fangorn team. Our roster was much larger. Revan and Tanequil are our captains. The rest of the team consisted of: Ariethil, Deluhathol, Ealena, Hithleen, Elenaro (Aryah Chaim Yoel) and myself, Mar. Even so, Fangorn did a superb job for the whole match!
The match went smoothly, but even with their few members against our many, they did very well. After both our teams surprisingly got all five rounds correct, we went into the tie-breaking rounds. The first tie-breaker question was correctly answered by both teams. The second was correctly answered by our team of Imladris. However, there was some question as to Fangorn's answer. In the end, their answer was also allowed, after some consulting. The third and last tie-breaker was not answered at all by Fangorn, and the answer our own team submitted was rejected. So, after a long match, the final score was 14-14.
However, the season is not over. The Semi-Finals are still going on. So, you are welcome to watch how the season will play out. You are also greatly encouraged to check out the Headquarters (Located: LotR Site, Shop and Plaza Related) and join us! We are the Junior Drill Team. Make sure you find the correct headquarters, since there is also a Senior Drill Team.
The only prominent difference between the Junior Drillers and the Senior Drillers is that the Junior Drillers drill over only The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion, while the Senior Drillers also drill over The Unfinished Tales, The Children of Húrin, The History of Middle-Earth series, and The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. The questions are not easy for the Junior Drillers and hard for the Senior Drillers. All questions are pretty hard for both groups.
So, if you think you've got what it takes, join the Senior Drillers. But if you aren't very knowledgeable enough for the Senior Drillers (that is to say, that you aren't very familiar with all the additional sources), you are very welcome to join the Junior Drillers. There is nothing shameful about being in the Junior Drillers and not the Senior Drillers. After all, isn't the whole point to have fun with others?
So head out and check both headquarters! The choice is yours! Will you take on the harder challenge of the Senior Drillers, what with all those sources they have, or will you settle for the basic sources? You will be very welcome with either group. One thing you could try out, is to join the Junior Drillers and spend at season or two with them, and then graduate to the Senior Drillers. Whatever you decide, have fun!
~ Mar Evayave
Elven Artists Association
Just at the coldest part of winter, it seems that the snow and ice have managed to subdue even the elves, who fare the cold better than some. The Elven Artists’ Association, known in short as the EAA, has been quiet this past month, with very few members or visitors picking up their pens or brushes. As I am sure we all know all too well, the winter snows make travel hard and cut off much communication, and this difficulty has limited the exchange between our two co-Curators, Arien Silverleaf and Tolotos. As a result, the Artist of the Month for January has not been chosen. Hopefully, when the snows have lifted a little, we will be able to congratulate a new Artist of the month, as well as our second and third place artists.
The theme for this month was “Make it Clear.” That is to say, pictures had to be drawn with as few lines at possible. Participants were required to choose from six provided subjects: Aragorn, Lord Elrond, the Crown of Gondor, Gondolin, Gimli’s Double-Bladed Axe, and Orthanc. Participants could create images for as many of the subjects as they wished, but could only submit one drawing per subject. Thus far there have been three entries: Tari, servant of Estë, has provided a portrait of Lord Elrond, Istawen a drawing of Orthanc, and Arvellas a sketch of Aragorn. This theme is also a contest, and the winners will be judged on how well the subjects are depicted and how many lines were used. As we have had so few entries so far and the curators have said nothing yet about closing the contest, I invite all to visit the “EAA: Make it Clear!” thread and submit an entry. If you have any images that do not fit the theme, feel free to share these as well, for the EAA is always open to any Plaza-appropriate artwork! Whether you are a practiced artist, or are only just dabbling with the craft, we welcome all who wish to share their work, and will gladly give comments, and if asked for it, advice.
The EAA is always glad to have new members, and if you would like to become one, I have good news! Signing up is very easy, with no forms to fill out and no information to give. All you need to do is post a piece of artwork in the current thread, and state in your post that you would like to become a member. See the thread for more details. We can’t wait to see you there!
~ Arvellas
Winter had fallen all over Imladris. Snow lay everywhere and children’s voices cried out with pleasure while they played in the snow, making snowballs and snowmen. Two orders had been finished by Rochindil and Quennar. But after the fine time of Christmas the two grandmasters of the Forge discovered that they had almost run out of one of the elementary materials the Forge needed: metal.
For a long night Fuin and Quennar debated about this and made a hard decision. The Forge would be closed down and a journey announced. A note was hung at the door for the guild members and visitors: The Tingdain has run out of supplies for crafting and will be preparing for a journey northeast to the abandoned elven mines. Tingdain members are expected to come and help. ALL are welcome to come on the journey to help, elf or otherwise. The journey will begin when preparations are finished. Come prepared for traveling in the Misty Mountains.
And so they gathered: Fuin, Quennar, Mar, Aigronding, Etharion and Fingolfin, Eosar, Cumehtar and Rochindil. They left Imladris and took the road into the mountains. Two scouts were sent forth to check the road ahead. Higher up they discovered tracks from what they believed were wolves. And now night is falling and shelters are being put up; they sit around a fire and enjoy their evening meals. But the cold wind carries the loud howling of the wolves, the signal for a hunt…
Would you like to join and help us on this perilous journey? Come on then! The greatest part of the tale is yet to come.
~ Aikari
The winter snow lays still over all Imladris. But the first signs of spring are peeking through the white tapestry, little snowdrops and the green leaves of crocuses, while the shrubs try to defy King Winter with their flowers. On a bright winter morning when the sun comes over the mountains in the East, you have a lovely view over the gardens of the healing house.
Many patients have been treated again by out dedicated aphadoer and nestoer. Ariethil is back in duty and healed a real Ent, who came by our healing house with a broken branch. The nestor helped her and the Entwife is fine again. Falswen and her baby son Minon have gone home. Another birth has taken place, aided by aphador Istawen. Siladhiel brought two elven babies into the world: a girl named Elentárië and a boy named Inthandir.
An accident happened inside the walls. One of the leading nestoer, Idhwen, fell from a ladder in the library and broke her left ankle. Two aphadoer, Mar and Endril, came to her help and learned by her instruction how to tend a broken ankle. She is resting in bed, waiting until the cast has dried around the ankle.
As always, we are always looking for new taidhrim. So if you want to take your first steps into healing, go over to the office and ask for a test. Minestor Ancalima or Tanestor Aikári is there to help you with instructions.
~ Aikari
The Library of Imladris has remained dormant throughout much of this cold winter. There have been a number of varying factors in the silence of the hall of records, not the least of which is due to the conspicuous absence of the Heads of the Library. Annean has been taken ill, and Elenaro has been left throughout occupied with many, many other activities till this very moment. A spark of life is seen behind the stained glass windows of the Library as a figure is seen running back and forth carrying materials and books.
The library of Imladris is a labour of love, and I take full responsibility for the lack of activity throughout the past months. Ambition is a pain, you know. There is so much that I would like to see happen, and yet I am not capable of implementing it all with my own two hands. I must humbly beg forgiveness to those who did show interest, and I pawned off on others or else ignored. I have been insanely busy these past few months, and as a result the Library, among other areas, has fallen into disuse. The love that I hold for the projects I may call my own is unknown to most; however I would share that passion with all of you, the readers. Words are among the most powerful tools in this world, in Middle-earth, and in the Library of Imladris. If you would like to learn more, you may contact me or drop by the Library of Imladris, and I shall be glad to discuss anything lore-related or otherwise. The Library has helpful staff, and an eager assistant. Disuse is not becoming of us, and yet it is a theme most commonly seen today. Mayhap I should be documenting this too.
I most humbly apologize for the lack of attention given to the Library and all who were interested in its thriving existence. We are going to be re-implementing the Book Club, although it shall most definitely be under a different and much more interactive format. I would open the invitation to join to the entire Plaza, not just the elves of the Valley. We shall be starting with the Silmarillion, although we are not going to read it straight through, as I will explain later. The Books Club is going to be a discussion about the History of the Eldar in Ëa, and as such, we are going to start with the Awakening at Cuiviénen. If any are interested, look to the Valley of Imladris for a sign, which shall appear shortly after this is published.
I would beg your indulgence for a moment more. I would request that best wishes be sent to Annean, who has been taken from us for longer than I have wished, to the Rulers of Imladris who have allowed us this privilege, to the Herald for publishing and supporting our works, and to you the Reader. As is often forgotten, I think, the Valley of Imladris, the Library of Imladris, and the Plaza as a whole cannot live without the support and cooperation of all of us. So if you have a spare moment, and would like to come by and discuss a point you thought interesting, the Library of Imladris shall be fielding all such ideas as best we can.
~ Elenaro
Traveling with the Imladris Racing team is a real job to me. To be honest, sometimes I feel proud knowing that maybe it is my cheers that have kept the team on the winning line with no losses and just one tie up to now. The thing is, as sad as it is to say it, we and our cheetahs are growing more tired by the day. Occasionally, the same cheetahs have to race two weeks in a row, and it is eating up the necessary time for rest.
We are currently recruiting new members, so enter the office and sign up! There is always someone waiting for you and your cheetah. If you are new to the business, just jump in; the rules are quite easy, and once you get a hold of them, the weekly races will become more fun than work.
If you are a former member and miss the old days, why not just return? We miss you, and I can bet that if you are reading this right now, you are missing us, too. That's right: YOU! Don't you want to see your name back on that roster, again? What are you waiting for?
In the meanwhile, this month has resulted in one more place for us in the Race of the Winners as Ariethil and Anar won the race against Isengard (which we won as a team, too). The season has been going on for six weeks already and we still don't have any places in the Race of the Losers. In all honesty, we are beginning to get worried. What if Imladris will not be able to send its representative there at all? On the other hand, it is so very nice to see the line of wins unbroken until now.
All in all, one could say the other results are pretty... no, even rather good. Week 4 against Fangorn ended in a tie, and the week 5 race against KD was finished with a certain win of ours. Our best individual place in both of those races was the second one; Nenuphar with Tumbleweed (week 4) and Iluve with Rilandien (week 5).
Week 7 against the Shire is still going, so thumbs up!
Go cheetahs!
~ Istawen
Kingdom Events
SCRs of the month!
There was the sound of bells pealing with joy through the silent
morning of the valley. It sounded through, disturbed the rests of some,
but no one seemed to mind. The bells were sounded in times of danger and
celebration, but the Elves of Rivendell all knew that this peal resonated
with joy and peace that could only be tied to that of the honour of some
of their very own Elven friends.
"Friends," Elrond says, "Today it is time to honor two
Elves of our fair home, both of whom have long served with dedication in
quiet or very public ways. Lagorith has been honored with the face of Erestor for her tireless commitment both to the Host and to Imladris in general. Elwing's face has been given to Arvellas for the month thanks to all of her work around the kingdom, including her work in the EAA, Herald, and in many RPGs."
Indeed, as the Lords would say, we should praise them with great praise.
Eglerio hyn!
~ Adapted by Nenuphar from an original article by Keleos Nenharma
IK Poetry Report
With the many rounds having taken place this season, only the first of which I have written up for the Herald, I must speed things up a bit to keep track of the ongoing teams and their wins. In the previous rounds, 2-4, there were many beautiful poems, and each team gave their best in said rounds; it was such close competition that all won or lost by a mere point or two, showing the judges how far this Competition has come. Leading off on some great news, we've a third council member now, a name many of you know. Alexya of Gondor has joined Shirefolk and me. We are anticipating many wonderful things from her and ourselves in running this IK Poetry Competition both smoothly and fairly for seasons to come.
For those of you who write your own poetry and are afraid you can't be on a team, I say this to you from my own personal experience. There is no better way to show off your talents than this, no way better to contribute to your Kingdom, no way better to have so much fun and walk around cheering when your team wins. What glory can be found there is only up to you. Show your support, be a part of something that is both gratifying, enjoyable, and loved by so many. Poetry is the song of the heart, and only you can give it its melody. So what are you waiting for? Stop by your local Kingdom and sign up. Give it a try, and if you fall in love like I did, you may stay there and keep that song flowing. Sorry, I really don't mean to ramble, but I see so many poets afraid that this is too difficult, when in fact, it's so much fun. No experience necessary really; one only needs to know how to speak from the heart and form words.
Now for the Round 5 updates. For this round's kick-off we had two matches. With the theme "The Gift of Men, Doom of Men" you can only imagine the fabulous poems that were brough forth. In Match 1, the teams were: Khazad-dum, Lothlorien, The Shire, Minas Tirith and Isengard. In Match 2, the teams consisted of: Riddermark, Imladris, Mordor, and Fangorn. The Forms were two great ones. Each team posted some truly fantastic poems on both.
Forms:
Trijan Refrain
The Trijan Refrain, created by Jan Turner, consists of three 9-line stanzas, for a total of 27 lines. Line 1 is the same in all three stanzas, although a variation of the form is not to repeat the same line at the beginning of each stanza. In other words, the beginning line of each stanza can be different. The first four syllables of line 5 in each stanza are repeated as the double-refrain for lines 7 and 8. The Trijan Refrain is a rhyming poem with a set meter and rhyme scheme as follows:
Rhyme scheme: a/b/a/b/c/c/d,d refrain of first 4 words of line five /c
Meter: 8/6/8/6/8/8/4,4 refrain/8
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Senryu
Senryu (also called human haiku) is an unrhymed Japanese verse consisting of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables (5, 7, 5) or 17 syllables in all. Senryu is usually written in the present tense and only refers to some aspect of human nature or emotions. They possess no references to the natural world and thus stand out from nature/seasonal haiku.
And here are how the final standings came about for each Match:
Winners by Scores: Match 1
Lorien ~~~ 178.5
Isengard ~~~ 174.0
The Shire ~~~ 173.5
Minas Tirith ~~ 171.0
Khazad-dum ~~170.0
Winners by Scores: Match 2
Rohan ~~~ 171.0
Mordor ~~~ 167.0
Imladris ~~~ 162.0
Fangorn ~~~ 153.0
And that mellyn nin, is how this past round ended, with both the Riddermark and Lorien capturing the wins. Why not come to one of these matches and see for yourself how much fun one can have, or even just watch; we always appreciate spectators. Thank you for listening to my ramblings again for this month and heres wishing you a joyous day full of fun and friendliness. Untill we meet again, le hannon for your time.
~ Goldmoon Dunami
 Good day to you. I am Morgray, one of the Istari Elders. Elder I am but not the eldest, I assure you. It is my duty to inform you of some of the events which happened not a long time ago and some others which are in motion. Right now, I am sitting just past the main doorway to Orthanc, in the cool shade of a stone room filled with various signing papers, crebain feather pens, and brand new furniture supplied by Daywalker. Many things have happened since the last report was submitted.
Hmmm, what should I start with? Let me see…ahh, yes. Actually, a lot of things have happened here at the mysterious tower in the past few months. As if there is an invisible hand which is shifting figures, a power behind the throne... First of all, I should report that Saruman has changed his colors once more. The past Curunir which called himself Trillian left the throne in silence, and a new one, known as Daywalker, has now claimed the throne. The change is notable, both in behavior and style. While Trillian was evil with her own attitude, using the dreaded pink in the most gruesome ways ever known, Daywalker gives the promise of an old evil in its primeval state of existence. Yes, the darkness is about to fall upon Isengard once more as the stormy clouds gather above the blood-thirsty Uruk hordes who call upon Saruman’s name with honor and respect. “Uruks, Saruman, Uruks, Saruman,” they yell clenching their fists high towards the sky. The White Hand will rise again on bloodstained black banners which symbolize the true power and greatness of their master. It seems that the balance of powers is shifting once more, as Middle-earth will face the threat of the wizard tower in all its might. Gandalf the White (Searogim) remains silent right now, for she is aware of a new shadow which is surprisingly not coming from the East. Curunir “the Wise” is slowly mustering his forces of mighty Uruk warriors who do not fear the sun. Day or night, they will fight for him until they kill all who stand in their way.
Isengard had a strange guest who came just a few days ago. It was Alatar, one of the blue wizards who came from the far east. What his purpose was here, no one knows for sure. Saruman was surprised to see him; angry and bitter was his reaction. He suspected that Alatar's arrival in Orthanc had something to do with his recent evil scheme to rule Middle-earth. In their reactions to each other Alatar seemed rather cheerful but Saruman pierced through his veil of deception. Both of them are powerful in their own spheres of interest, and they tend to contradict each other in sole pupose of meaning. Curunir was quite aware that one of Oromë’s Blue wizards wasn’t here to take a picnic or chat. Alatar appeared to him more as a crooked spy, to find what was cooking in the adamantine tower of the arcane. Expect more of this as I will inform you of what the future brings to us.
~ Morgray
Varkin, readers of the Herald!
The competition for choosing Mr. and Mrs. Khazad-dûm is already over and I have the pleasure of announcing to you the names of the winners! After a long and tiring discussion between the judges, four names from all the contestants were brought up. In the category of Mrs. Khazad-dûm, Nerwen was chosen as runner-up and Boraxa had the honor to be awarded with the much-expected title. In the male category, Tornihyanda won second place while Nain was chosen as the newest Mr. Khazad-dûm! The Kingdom may now show their beauty to all of Middle-earth and amaze everyone!
Finally we have some more news concerning the fate of the Anghak. After weeks of silence, a small group of scouts strode past the Kingdom, informing the Rulers that the Dwarven Army met the Host of Imladris in the High Passages of the Misty Mountains. They fought side by side in a skirmish against a gang of Goblins and now the two Armies will travel southwards in direction of the Anduin, with the intent of sweeping away the Orcish threat that has been harassing Khazad-dûm so harshly lately. Meanwhile, within the Kingdom, the King of Khazad-dûm gathered all officers, soldiers, and recruits that were left behind and is now expecting the return of the main force to engage in debate about the future of the Anghak, whether it should keep its current structure or reorganize into the Guard of Khazad-dûm. There’s also a new establishment at the pub district of Khazad-dûm. The “Brawlers Anonymous” was turned into a bar where brawling is compulsory! I still haven’t the pleasure yet of visiting such an attractive place, but if you are bored of too much quiet and peace, pick up your purse, get drunk, and brawl as you have never brawled before!
However, the Orcs haven’t been keeping the Dwarven guards busy with strikes from the outside. Due to this, King Nain and Nurbor have prepared a party of brave warriors from all over Middle-earth to dive into the depths of Khazad-dûm and annihilate the small groups of Goblins who still run free in the abandoned mines. Many have answered the calling and soon the group will leave the heart of Khazad-dûm for danger and the unknown. You may still join the group if you are willing to risk your life for the safety of the Dwarven citizens and you are looking for some thrilling adventure.
To end this article, I would just like to remind you that the Market of Khazad-dûm has been reopened and it is receiving guests and merchants interested in negotiating in Khazad-dûm. Pass by and buy the best drinks from the Merikhansar shop, or stroll into the forges of Smaug’s Breath and be warmly welcomed by the owner, who will provide you with the best and finest weapons and armour you can find!
~ Tornihyanda
Another day dawned in the Golden Wood, upon a realm covered in the same beauty and peace that it has bathed in now for longer than can be said. While the hectic craze that has swamped the Kingdom for the past two months started to cool and soothe away, everything returned to its normal state, and now there is a Lórien that is once more a place of rest and calm for all that live there. There are no Anniversaries or festivities being celebrated now, but that does not mean that the attractive quality of this place has been diminished in the least. If anything, it seems to have been hightened.
The Etelehtari seemed to be on their way to starting a new vamping, beginning with the return of old Healers and their showmanship of the knowledge that they still retained on the different subjects that had made them part of this group. And while this was done, a new Lawn opened its doors to everyone, as well as the Hollow, the latter invitingly jungle-like for those present. Apparently our Amalric had a little something in mind when he took care of the decorations that were to take place, as well as the seating. Though it seems to be rather popular with all that have visited the location thus far.
While riddles are told to pass the time and poetic songs are sung by melodic voices, a new Gardens just might open up soon, while the merriment that was known during the Winter season fades, and Spring is welcomed in little by little, with warmth to fill the days of everyone.
~ Alhana
With the snow slowly melting all across the lands of the Horse Lords, we Rohirrim find ourselves putting up those long-sleeved shirts and thick blankets and not worrying about how many logs we have for the fireplace; Springtime is coming soon. The snow melt is revealing nice ferns and small blades of grass poking through the snow, and even the horses are much more spirited these days. And why not? That nice aroma that all recognize by just smelling the nice air, tells us that flowers are beginning to bloom and things coming to life once again.
In the meantime, here is some news from the Riddermark. As I left off Rohan was at war with the Mordorian Black Guard at sunset with them taking the First Marshal Allacan under the cover of darkness; they soon escaped into the night leaving nothing but carnage in their wake. The Rohirrim were victorious in sending them back yet again, though at a high price; another Marshal was needed for the Eastmark. Funny, here I am writing you all this and I am humbled because it was myself, yes, Goldmoon Dunami whom was promoted as the new Third Marshal, and Marshal of Eastmark. Much like my step mum before me, I shall provide strength and honor and then some to keep those standards up. To say it was an honor? Indeed, and I can only hope, pray that in my days to come, I give all my Rohirrim everything I have in me to make them proud of me.
Onto more news: our shops in the Riddermarket are much safer these days, the Patrollers doing their jobs keeping all of us safe and the townfolk are under watchful eyes for those suspicious ones who may or may not be doing anything more than looking. Our Rider of the Month this month is Isolde Faeron, a lady we all know and love; she was appointed for all her wonderful activities, her eagerness in helping others, and her kind nature which keep the Rohirrim wishing her the best of everything. The Newbie of the Month award went to our very own Volane, who is wearing Stybba for the month. A great rider and super poster with a friendly personality that makes all around him smile, or laugh.
With so many things up and coming for Spring and our planning of those festivities now slowly coming to an end, why don't you all stop by this March 2nd when we start them up; you will find many of us doing much the same as you, enjoying the newness spring brings. Our Kingdom always welcomes others from the far reaches of Middle-earth; if you have the need to get out and travel, do stop by and say hello, you won't be sorry. And with those words, I bid you farewell for now. Be safe and enjoy your days; they are all special.
~ Goldmoon
February in the Shire was a quiet time, although one lass was keeping busy: Feiniel was back with another gift delivery service. After the great success of her Yule service she was raring to go again, this time in honour of Valentines Day. It proved to be quite the success too and many gifts were sent all over Middle-earth with letters of love to go with them. Near the middle of the month a few more activities appeared celebrating that most romantic of days. The first was the Valentines Ball, which was slow in getting started. Could it be that Hobbits would rather be at home tucking in to a good meal than out dancing with the Hobbit of their dreams? Actually yes, that does seem likely! But eventually a good mix of Hobbits, Dwarves, Men and Minions arrived, although I still didn’t see much dancing. The Shire Art Guild held another colouring competition to see who could make the loveliest romantic picture of all. In fact that is still going on so if you think you could win head on over.
In other parts the Shire Pony Centre is offering riding lessons. They are just about to saddle up and head off so if you’re like a lot of us out there and barely know the back of a pony from the front it might be the place for you. Over in Michel Delving a strange thing is going on. Folk are wandering around yelling Marcho and Blanco and some of them are wearing blindfolds. Now I know Marcho and Blanco were the founders of our fair land, but what it’s got to do with running around catching in the snow I’ll never know. Does look like good fun though! In another snowy part of the Shire a snow-hobbit building contest is going on... although there seems to be more than snow-hobbits being built. I believe I heard mention of a snow catapult. So if you’re passing the party field in the next few days beware of stray snowballs.
Having been closed off for a time, the Market Streets are back open to the public. And while before there was usually something going on around the streets, whether it be the lighting of the Yule Tree, snow fights, or even minion invasions, this one is a peaceful thread allowing folk to catch up on their shopping and to chat with friends. So do pay one of our fine establishments a visit! I can promise you, you won’t be bothered.
One more thing I must mention: Cel is no longer the face of Samwise Gamgee. In fact she will be leaving us entirely, at least for now. I for one would like to thank her for all she has done for the Shire and the Plaza. She is a great Hobbit and even greater friend and will be sorely missed. Do stop by her goodbye thread in the Shire if you get a chance.
That’s all from the Shire on this slow month. Lets hope there will be lots more to report next month. With a special event coming very soon I’m sure there will be.
~ Estel Underhill
Editor's note: Since the writing of Estel's article, the newest Sam Gamgee has been revealed to be... none other than Estel Underhill herself! You are welcomed to hop over to the Shire and congratulate her in her new, well-deserved position. Eglerio hyn!
The Fallen Star
Fingolfin, High King of old,
since then, there’s not been a lord so bold,
to duel with the Dark Lord,
and win such a reward.
Seven times he smote him,
his face and expression grim.
The mace rent the earth
where evil deeds had taken berth.
Death smote him fierce,
his armor it did pierce.
Fallen upon his knees,
yet, his death did not please.
With a mighty blow,
crying at his foe,
He hewed the giant heel,
such a pain, Morgoth never did feel.
A shining star had been lost,
the mighty lord had never been crossed.
Such a pain he’d never felt,
before the fall of the leaguer’s belt.
~ Elenaro
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