I hope we get an update confirming they are safe. We are lucky that he has the resources and contacts to have the possibility to get his family to relative safety but I am not hopeful of a peaceful resolution. It is a very complicated situation. I fear it may get a lot worse.

Oh my goodness, what a strange feeling it is to be back here after so long an absense. Maybe no one remembers me, I was never a very large presence on the Downs, but it was a pretty big part of my life for a time. :) Visiting again reminds me of a lot of great people who I had the pleasure of RPing with, most notably maikafanawen and Arvedui III and so many others I can no longer remember the names of.

Nice to see a lot of familiar faces..er, screen names, are still frequenting the Downs. :cool: I hope you are all doing well, and that these last few years have been good to you all.

Can you believe I was 13 when I first joined? Now I am 19 :eek:...oh how time flies...

I remember you, Carlas! Had the pleasure of RPing with you in a couple RPGs, at least! (I was only 13 when I joined, too! This is as a note in case anyone goes back and looks at those RPGs... ;))

Welcome back!

Unfortunately maikafanawen and Arvedui III haven't been around in quite a long time, either...

I have it on good authority that Arvedui III just reregistered tonight on the forum because of a forgotten #$*7(@ password and is now using the handle Ilya. RPing was such a huge part of my life until high school ate it. Good to see some of the same faces are still around, or at least have felt the urge to peek back in.

Ilya!!!!!

Welcome back, Arvedui III! Missed you!!

~*~ Pio :D

Welcome back, Formely-Known-As-Arvedui! So good to see you!! :D

I remember rping with you Durelin! Good to see you again. :)

Haha, good timing Ilya! ;) Highschool really did make it difficult to continue rping didn't it. :( Not that university is any better...

Hi Carlas!

I missed your previous post here. Welcome back - nice to "see" you again.

Could you be persuaded to 'play' a little again the the RP forums? :D We have a Dwarf game opening up soon in the Shire.....:cool:

~*~ Pio

Haha, yeah, it doesn't get any easier. Thanks, Durelin, it's good to see you again too, and I've been enjoying looking over Fellowship of the 4th Age.

Carlas: If I can forestall papers that determine whether I get into the major I want in order to play around at the inn, you can too. :D

Pio- Long time no "see". :)
A dwarf RPG? That is very tempting indeed. I'll look into it.

Ilya- I will stop by sometime.:smokin: Just not this weekend, I have a lot I need to get done. :(

I don't know if anyone recently mentioned this, but I really miss Raynor!

Why?
- he was besides myself probably the only other active Romanian here on the Downs
- he had great knowledge of lore
- he always made great posts helping me learn more about M-e

Raynor, come back! :confused:

Yes, I could second that (even though I am no Romanian ;) ). And I believe there would be other people around who'd join this as well...

I greatly miss the elder days here at the Barrow Downs - not that there's anything wrong with the new days! But I miss some of the old ghouls who haunted the Downs long ago. Theodred21, who became a friend in real life - after posting here he started his own board and invited me and two other Downers to join. A great deal of my life centered around that forum, Rohan, and this one that brought us together. Eldarion and Steadfast Sam were those other two. Sam has since joined the army, been there and back again. I don't know how Eldarion is but we hear from him now and then. Telchar is another familiar name from the quiz rooms! I wonder, does he still post here? And I'm sure there are many other good people whom I would remember if I but saw their name... :)

Telchar has not been around for a while, but once in a while he drops by and say hello. . .it has been quite a while though.

I should have done this a long time ago, but for those who knew him, Garin or Craig, lost his battle with alcoholism a few months ago and died. The last 2 years were very difficult for him and he had pushed his body to the point of no return. For those interested his friend wrote this memorial. I'm sure it would make Garin extra happy if next time you play WW you were extra brash and abrasive.:)

I'm very sorry to hear that. I didn't know him well, but I played a few ww games with him and I remember the wit and the temper that clearly come through the memorial. Thanks for posting it, morm. :)

That is so sad. Addiction is a terrible affliction and so hard to deal with both for the sufferers and the people around them. I didn't know him beyond the WW games but I certainly remember him from them - it was nice not to be the only volatile player!!!

I'm very sorry to hear that. I remember Garin as an exceptionally entertaining character.

*A great rumbling within the earth is heard and felt. It grows more intense until a giant chasm opens.*

*A black-cloaked figure rises out of the rift, which promptly closes.*

*the figure lifts its hood*

I have returned. How are things going in my absence?

Oh, and my thoughts go out to Garin. He was quite the werewolf, as I recall. Lasted quite a while in a game of mine, too, until he finally decided to surrender.

[QUOTE=Brinniel;485229]
Also, what has ever happened to Beren87, Raefindel, Arien, Alkanoonion, GaladrieloftheOlden, Gorwingel, and LePetitChoux? I have not seen any of them since I came back in June.
[QUOTE]

Wow! I've been missed! That's cool! But that post is 2 years old so I imagine no one even remembers me now. I have missed all my old friends here at the BD but life marches on.

I've been through many changes in the last few years. I spent a few years caring for my grandparents, Granny died in '04 and Grandpa just this September.

I now own the home I continually wearied your ears (or eyes, I suppose) telling you I so longed for (renting's the pits!).

After 14 years as a stay-at-home mom I went back to work a year ago. I work at an elementary school and love it.

My oldest graduated high school and is going to college-that thought took a lot of getting used to.

How are all of you? Mark12:30 (Helen) and I have remained close friends despite the miles and the years I've been away form the Downs. We see each other every few years ,no thanks to me. As many times and she has traveled to see me in Lothlorien, I have never been to Hobbiton to see her.

Rae, you have not been forgotten. Once a king or queen in Narnia - oops, wrong fandom! ;) This is a forum with a long memory, and absentee members are always enthusiastically welcomed back.

Thank You Estelyn. It's so good to see you! How's life treating you?

Life is good, Rae, just a bit busier than I would like at the moment. I miss having time for discussions here like we used to have!

*peeks in*
Ummmm... hi! *waves*

:)

*waves* :)

Hi Tigerlilly! How've ya been?

Are you newly back? I wouldn't know who has stayed while I've been gone.

Tiggerlily!!! *Waves back enthusiastically!*

:D

Yes, I am newly back :)

I've been so busy lately with my fitness stuff that I haven't had much time for anything else... but I've been feeling all LOTR nostalgic lately!

Tigerlily has returned!

Stuff like this makes me happy.

Awwww *blush*

I can't promise I'll be overly active in discussions, as it's been a few years since I've read the books, therefore my thinking cap isn't really on. I need to delve back in :)

I have missed you, TG. You take care now.

*hug*

Familiar faces (er, nicknames?) :)

Hola!

And I miss you, Rune ;) Just passing by right now, but I'll pop by for some tea and biscuits some day soon, to see how you all behave in my absence!

Always nice to know that at least someone remembers me..

Hmmm
 

This is now the fourth day in a row that I've peeked in at the Downs (and using my own account too, rather than lurking as a guest...)

Perhaps it's time to roll up my sleeves and start a really good dust-up of some sort?

Gandalf: amoral manipulator or uncaring angelic guardian?

Smaug: was he really all that bad?

Gollum's "Slip" at the Crack of Doom: it just doesn't make sense!

...

CANONICITY!

50/50 collaboration between the book and the reader.

Oh how I've missed you, Doctor Jones...

Oh Hi
 

Hello.

A burned out computer where I literally lost everything :( hath prompted me to come in quest of my old BD avatar which I use for some other things as well.

Thought I should say hello.

Kuru! Hi!!

Does this mean no LOTRO for a while? :(

You should really stick around here, though. ;)

Wow, so many amazing people coming back (Tigerlily, Fordim)...to stay, I only hope!

Kuru!

ZOMG[s], everybody is coming back... It makes me feel less old to see older faces. :p

I am sure that there is other people than me who looks forward to your return.

btw I don't have any biscuits, but I have plenty of tea and other liquids.

Depends on how long it takes me to download it tonight.

EDIT: I lost all my screenshots. :(

Poor Issith has lost part of his memorial.