[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

Happy very belated anniversary, Lush old stick. Congratulations.

Well, my own first anniversary is now upon us (my, how time flies). I'd like to thank all the people that made this possible... ect, ect, mone drone. *

Why come here? What the Lush said, and a few more:

Camaraderie: there does seem to be a lot of esprit de corps here at the jolly old downs, notwithstanding a few disputes best forgotten. Some members (no names, no pack drill) won't suffer fools gladly, but it's not difficult to evade their wrath: just don't be stupid.

Daft titles: Personal titles aside, anyone who posts long enough can expect to receive tags like "Animated Skeleton" and "Shade of Carn Dûm". Many sites have such titles, as many use the same software, but these have a certain comically ghoulish ring to them that I haven't seen elsewhere. As for the personal titles, well we're back to account semiotics there.

The cosmopolitan flavour of this forum is one that I particularly like, as nothing promotes more international understanding than this sort of community, spanning as it does so many countries and backgrounds. It has been said that he who has not learned another language knows nothing of his own, and this is just as true of society: Until we converse with people from other countries we have no benchmark by which to measure our own. Long may this mausoleum of mythology remain open to the world's dead.

* Spelling intentional. Read Down With Skool by Geoffrey Willans as soon as you can.