Newbies & Introductions

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Turien: True! Welcome back!

[Drífa]

Hi, @Turien Took ! Nice to see you. I am unsure if we ever interacted on the Old Plaza, but I hope we can now. See you around!

[Nia]

Was reminiscing with an old friend about this place just the other day, and as it cropped into my mind just now, thought I'd just pop by to check in and say hi (after a password reset or two!). Wishing everyone who has found and loved this special part of the internet all the very best! :)

[Drífa]

Hi Nia! Good to see you, and I hope you are well, too!

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Hi Nia, great to see you again! Sure thanks!

[Quill]

*pokes head in* People still around here?

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Hi Quill: Yes me and a core of people around the forum. How are you? Good to see you again!

[Pele Alarion]

Aye, alive and kicking, @Quill !

[Drífa]

Drífa is of Scandinavian origin, derived from Old Norse, which translates to snow or drifting snow. I thought it made a good dwarf name.

There is a member whose name is @Arwe Thereyet (waves to Arwe Thereyet). I always thought it was an interesting name, and it took me forever to figure out that it was the words are/we/ there/yet combined.

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Amela: Hi, welcome to the Plaza! Awesome to see you around.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Drífa is of Scandinavian origin, derived from Old Norse, which translates to snow or drifting snow. I thought it made a good dwarf name.

Drifa is a most excellent dwarf name, if I may say so. And to think, which I never did before, that your name must be related to the modern English drift, as in snow-drift.

[Drífa]

Thanks, dragon!

What about @squid, our newest member? Should we send out a welcome? I am intrigued by these intelligent bots (if squid is a bot). Who knows, they may become a new race!

[Chrysophylax Dives]

I would guess @squid is a bot. but it is hard to be sure. when amelajhone entered it said something about looking forward to learning information on this fascinating topic - the kind of generic and non-specific language of bots. but then when you asked about its name the answer given convinced me that this was not a bot after all!

I keep hearing about ChatGPT and other advances in AI. I think that with amelajhone we got our first taste of a new generation of AI bots.

[Aikári Salmarinian]

I am not curious at all to all sorts of bots or what they could become. Time to sweep them up and put them in the dustbin.

[Arella]

Hi I’m Arella. Looking forward to meeting folks.

[Pele Alarion]

Hi, @Arella ! Welcome aboard!

[Arella]

Thanks for the welcome @Pele Alarion. Nice username.

[Silky Gooseness]

Welcome @Arella - good to have you! Tell us about your journey into the Tolkien fandoms?!

[Vardarianna]

Hi everyone! I found my way here from a link I found at the Library of Annúminas Resource Center on RP Repository. This looks like a fun Middle-earth site!

About my name... Vardarianna is an original character developed within the canonical frame of Aragorn and Arwen having daughters. I am currently writing a 4th age fanfic set around the time Aragorn dies and Eldarion assumes the throne.

Anyway, I'm carrying on... I am having a look around and hope to figure out how this place works! Nice meeting all of you!

[Rivvy Elf]

@Vardarianna Nice to meet you! I'm also a writer and have a few fanfics myself lying around. The Cottage of Lost Play sub-forum is the place where you can share your writing to the public if I recall correctly. The Gondolin members-only forum could also be a spot where you can share your work for members-only.

[Vardarianna]

@Vardarianna Nice to meet you! I'm also a writer and have a few fanfics myself lying around. The Cottage of Lost Play sub-forum is the place where you can share your writing to the public if I recall correctly. The Gondolin members-only forum could also be a spot where you can share your work for members-only.

Thank you Rivvy Elf! I'll have a look at those forums. I kind of got lost in the 'Lore. forum earlier. I was looking at a couple of the 'Kingdoms' and it appears one can make as many characters to RP as they like?

[Silky Gooseness]

Welcome @Vardarianna - yes, that’s right! There is no limit, only what your imagination chooses. We do have general guidelines on roleplaying - we have a code of conduct here: viewtopic.php?t=741 and there’s also a guide to how to run a thread as well if you’d like to start your own. Tag me or any of the current admins in if you’d like help @Pele Alarion @Drífa and hope you have fun!

[Drífa]

Hi, Vardarianna! Drifa at your service! Welcome to the Plaza!

[Pele Alarion]

@Vardarianna , hi! Welcome! And do ask if you need anything. I hope you will find Plaza interesting enough to linger.

[Vardarianna]

Thanks for the welcome Silky Gooseness, and the link! I'll read up and observe for a bit before diving into roleplay.
Thanks also to you Drifta and Pele Alarion! :)

[Alator Luinsûl]

Well.... this is a trip down memory lane! I'm Alator, I used to be a member back in 2004-2005ish during my last year of high school. Feels like a lifetime ago! I hung out almost entirely in Orthanc with the other wizzies, causing shenanigans. I still remember the OUCH (Orthanc’s Unique Centre of Health), being the junior doctor there and "curing" patients via questionable methods. I really had the manic energy of a teenager discovering RPing for the first time back then :-D

Here we are now, 20 years later. Surprised to see this corner of the internet still alive, albeit quite a lot smaller!

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Hi Alator, nice to see you again. How have you been?

Hi Vardarianna, welcome to the site!

[Drífa]

Welcome back, @Alator Luinsûl! My name was kimli back in 2004-2005. Did you go by another name? Wizzies were/are cool!

[Silky Gooseness]

Welcome @Alator Luinsûl - I have fond memories of the absolute chaos energy that was Orthanc back in the day

[Eamila Bolger]

Hi all! Here I am, back again (or at least making an attempt, haha). I've been back before, but had a hard time with the Shire being so... empty.
But @Eldrith told me she was back here, and invited me too.
I came to the plaza in December 2002 or 2003, I can't remember and it doesn't show in my profile anymore. I remember years and years of fun, and ended up being Samwise Gamgee along with the lovely @Brandybuck as my Rosie Cotton. When I became a mother, I stepped down and became less active. This very first born has now graduated high school... I am feeling old.
But: I am happy to be back and although I miss the old days in the Shire, I still hope to have a good time with those of you all who are still here, in whatever Kingdom it is.

[Drífa]

Welcome back, @Eamila Bolger! It is lovely to see you again! I miss all the hobbits. I hope to see you around. I found this for you.

Eamila Bolger's Old PV

[Eldrith]

Hi hi! @Drífa . Since @Eamila Bolger tagged me, I'm reporting in here too. Not exactly new, but turning back up like a bad penny. I think I started around the same time as Eamila. Spent most of my time in Gondor first, then Rohan. I left for a bit for similar reasons. I moved overseas, I had children. One of whom has severe autism. I came back several years ago and became very active and then well.. I think that's when the plaza went down. I tried again when the Nuplaza came but... COVID didn't leave time or brain space. Now the firstborn child is in college. The second one is.. doing better and needing a bit less intensive care, plus we have a team in place. And seeing old friends that I kept in touch with made me think.. why not try again? So here I am!

[Karis Ziranphel]

Lovely to see both of you again!

[Eamila Bolger]

Ooh, my old PV! Thank you @Drífa! Oh, I miss them too, I really do. But it's good to have some familiar faces here.
Thank you for welcoming me, you too @Karis Ziranphel!

[Eldrith]

@Karis Ziranphel You were responsible for my return! (Which might be a frightening thing!)

[Karis Ziranphel]

Happy to use my influence for good

[Silky Gooseness]

Hello again @Eldrith and @Eamila Bolger! @Karis Ziranphel is now officially an influencer

[Pele Alarion]

Yay to more people! High quality ones too.

[Esme]

hearing the call for more people

[Pele Alarion]

Yay, I see you got in and all, @Esme !

[Eldrith]

hey @Esme Welcome!!!

[Esme]

Thank you @Pele Alarion, with your help I made it at last. And I will keep that quirky new password, at least for a while. It's so nice. Still, I am temped to change kingdom and "race" back to what I once was those days, or just starting new-ish as a foresty thingy. We'll see.
Thank you again
Heya @Eldrith good to see you. I remember you. Long time...

[Pele Alarion]

*whispers* Come to Gondor, @Esme ! I have honey cake and tea. *advertises shamelessly*

[Hanasian]

It's good to see more people making their way back here!

Yay to more people! High quality ones too.

As opposed to low quality n00bs???

[Esme]

where's the cake, @Pele Alarion ?
btw, @Hanasian ... low quality? hm... *raises hand*

[Pele Alarion]

Here you go, @Esme !

As for the high-low quality - who knows. People can be of various kinds.

[Eldrith]

*Glares at @Pele Alarion * Greedy. So greedy. Come to Rohan, Esme. We DON'T have spreadsheets!

It's so good to see people come back@Esme

[Eldrith]

As opposed to low quality n00bs???

This is Lord of the Rings, there ARE NO low quality n00bs!

[Hanasian]

I agree Eldrith. I was just into a dry humour phase. Pele's mention of 'high quality ones' just had me thinking about the ones these particular folk were being compared to.

Maybe we need an 'Oldbies & Reintroductions' thread for everyone returning?

I am still sore my money bag was lost in the great collapse ya know.

I'm just happy this place was reclaimed from the rubble back in 2020. Too many of the old sites from the early century have crumbled into oblivion over the decades.

By the way, my definition of 'low quality' would be the AI Spambot Army that has totally sacked Arwen Undomiel.

Anyway, I digress. Being old and sitting on the stoop smoking pipeweed tends to do that to me.

Welcome/Welcome Back one and all!

[Esme]

Oldbies and reintroductions! That’s not a bad idea.