Werewolf XLVIII: When Virtual Becomes Reality

[Brinniel]

The Barrow-Wight could not sleep. His mind kept racing back to the events of the evening. He had sounded so confident in his speech, but in truth he couldn’t help but worry about the possibility that he could be wrong. What if the hackers weren’t even here? Then everyone would be accusing innocents. This whole situation could turn very messy. The what-ifs continued to flood the Barrow-Wight’s mind until a noise outside the tent caused him to freeze in his thoughts.

“Who’s there?” the Barrow-Wight asked, his voice wavering.

The Barrow-Wight sat up and turned on his flashlight. Large shadows surrounded his tent. No humans could possibly be so large. Were there bears in this part of the woods? Then the zipper of the tent door slowly slid open. The Barrow-Wight shook so hard he dropped his flashlight and the tent was consumed by darkness. The sound of evil laughter erupted into the tent followed by a “Surprise!” and the Barrow-Wight heard no more.

When the Barrow-Wight regained consciousness his head was throbbing. He tried to move only to discover his hands and feet were bound. The sound of shovels freeing dirt could be heard nearby.

“Hey, he’s awake,” said a voice.
“Well then, make sure he doesn’t shout for help,” said another. “We’re almost done here.”

One of the shapes leaned down towards the Barrow-Wight and a face came into view. A furry face. “You know, you’ve been causing us a lot of trouble lately,” it grunted.
“Yeah,” said a third. “It didn’t have to be this way.”
“What do you mean?” asked the Barrow-Wight. “You’re the ones who started all this.”
“Ah, silly B-W. It’s just a website…one that happens to discriminate against our kind. Whoever said that we were the bad guys? All we wanted was for you to step down. But then you to arrange all of this. And now, mobs will be coming after us with pitchforks and torches….just like the old days. So you have left us with no choice; if killing is what it takes to end all this, that’s what we’ll do.”
“You’ll never get away with this,” the Barrow-Wight said.
“Well, we’ll just see about that,” said the closest shape as it gagged the Barrow-Wight. “But I guess you won’t, will you?”
The last thing the Barrow-Wight ever saw was a set of large grinning teeth.

--------------------
The Barrow Downers woke to a cool, breezy morning. They ate breakfast as they waited for further instructions. But they did not come.

Finally Nogrod asked, “Where is the Barrow-Wight?”
“I don’t know,” replied Kitanna. “Is he in his tent? Maybe he overslept.”
“Nope,” replied Eomer. “I just checked.”
“Perhaps he just went on a walk,” said Kath.
“Without telling us?” asked Mithalwen.
“Hey guys…was that there yesterday?” Durelin was pointing to a large mound only meters away from the camp.

The nineteen BDers approached the mound. It was covered with fresh dirt.
“Look, there’s a sign over here,” McCaber observed.
It read: Here lies The Barrow-Wight. May he not rest in peace.

“Oh dear,” sighed Sally.
“Why would someone do something like that?” asked The Sixth Wizard.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Rikae commented. “These hackers don’t want to be discovered.”
“Well now that the B-W is dead, what are we going to do?” THE Ka asked.
“The only thing we should do,” Boromir replied. “We must finish what the Barrow-Wight started and find these hackers.”

----------------------

The Living:

Nilpaurion Felagund~Ainulindalë Addict
Kitanna~the self-righteous know-it-all
Aganzir~non-anonymous neg-repper
Shastanis Althreduin~chatspeak translator
Nerwen~rabid fangirl
Boromir88~the one upper
Kath~artiste
Rikae~the person who tries to fake knowledge of the books and fails miserably
Durelin~Unreliable RPG Addict
Eomer of the Rohirrim~easily-offended trendy
Nogrod~the wanna-be moderator
The Elf-Warrior~nitpicker
satansaloser2005~a fan of everything but Tolkien
THE Ka~Artful Dodger
Eönwë~conspiracy theorist
The Sixth Wizard~grammar Nazi
Formendacil~Tolkien Canonist
Mithalwen~therapist
McCaber~does it 4 teh lulz

The Dead:

The Barrow-Wight~took up permanent residence in a barrow (mod)

---------------

Day 1 has begun.

Hackers/Wolves stop PMing. Everyone now may discuss.

[Kath]

Ah, hadn't realised this was already open. Well, as I said, won't be here much toDay so as I'm the first and only one here I'll just make my presence known and head to bed. Hopefully will be able to get a post in come morning (RL) and then I should be around for a couple of hours in the evening.

[The Elf-warrior]

We are in a heap of trouble, and no mistake about it. Ok, who among you all here is a murdering hacker? Anyone want to confess? Just thought a direct question wouldn't hurt. Hey, hackers, may The Barrow-Wight rest in peace. Can I have a second to this motion?

[Nerwen]

ware iz eVry1? hav teh haxOrs got U all??!!!1!!

talk 2 me plz ppl

EDIT: X'd with EW.

[The Elf-warrior]

Nerwen, you said for us to talk. Ok, here goes. Nerwen, are you a party in the murder of The Barrow-Wight? I want a yes or no answer. You too, Kath. Answer this same question. For the record, I am not a party to the murder of the Barrow-Wight.

[Formendacil]

Well, this is rather discomfiting, to be sure, but no one should be taking any alarm here. I mean, really... good guys die all the time in Tolkien--especially if they're leaderly sorts. Take a quick glance over the Silmarillion, if you don't believe me. In fewer pages than it takes Robert Jordan to waffle about whether or not one character is dead or not, Tolkien manages to kill off five High Kings of the Noldor, six sons of Fëanor (and his mum), the whole kingdom of Doriath, and more secondary and tertiary characters than you can count on an army's worth of thumbs.

What should really be taken as crucially problematic here is that the Barrow-Wight wasn't just the forum's Fingolfin or Fingon--he was more in the line of Manwë or Eru. If he's dead, what chance does any of us have.

Still, Melkor can't win. Or Sauron. Or Herumor. Or any of the other successive waves of evil that Gandalf predicted.

All the same, let's not find ourselves in a latter-day Kin-slaying, as I rather fear we have.

[Boromir88]

Elf-warrior, I wouldn't be such a Bleak Bill, let's look at the positives of the situation.

1. We have the numerical advantage
2. We have mods to help us
3. I have the best virus protection programs available and have been trained by hackers to know how they operate and thus am a far better hacker than these amatuers running around causing some tiny glitches.

[Kitanna]

Originally Posted by Boromir88

3. I have the best virus protection programs available and have been trained by hackers to know how they operate and thus am a far better hacker than these amatuers running around causing some tiny glitches.

Oh really? So you can keep those viruses out? I bet then you can toss them into a forum so modest as this...
And trained by far better hackers, eh? I bet holding that sort of knowledge easily corrupts one.

Originally Posted by Nerwen

thier wAsnt any canons in teh movies!!111 IT wAs mideval with sords & arrws!!!111!!! tehy didnt hav canons then!!!111 U R stpid!!!1111!! u dont no anythn abuot lord of teh rigns!!!111!!

What is a sord? And a rigns?

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by The Elf-warrior

Nerwen, you said for us to talk. Ok, here goes. Nerwen, are you a party in the murder of The Barrow-Wight?

no IM not. r U? Y R U accusng oThr Ppl???!! u must hav somthn 2 hide!!!111!!!

Originally Posted by Formendacil

Well, this is rather discomfiting, to be sure, but no one should be taking any alarm here. I mean, really... good guys die all the time in Tolkien--especially if they're leaderly sorts. Take a quick glance over the Silmarillion, if you don't believe me. In fewer pages than it takes Robert Jordan to waffle about whether or not one character is dead or not,

mi bRuther thnks wot rocks he has all teh books

i tried to rAed teh i of teH world but its borng!!! evry1 dRinks T all teh time!!! LEGGY ISNT IN IT!!!111!!! IT SUX!!!111!!!

Originally Posted by Formendacil

Tolkien manages to kill off five High Kings of the Noldor, six sons of Fëanor (and his mum), the whole kingdom of Doriath, and more secondary and tertiary characters than you can count on an army's worth of thumbs.

waht r u takling abuot???!! tHat wasnt in teh movie??!!!

Originally Posted by The Elf-warrior

What should really be taken as crucially problematic here is that the Barrow-Wight wasn't just the forum's Fingolfin or Fingon--he was more in the line of Manwë or Eru. If he's dead, what chance does any of us have.

Still, Melkor can't win. Or Sauron. Or Herumor. Or any of the other successive waves of evil that Gandalf predicted.

Huh??!! suaron was taht big eVol dude but who r teh other gyus????!!! u R confsng me!1111!!!

Originally Posted by The Elf-warrior

All the same, let's not find ourselves in a latter-day Kin-slaying, as I rather fear we have.

i read that bit lews theriN killd hsi famly ppl called him teh kinslaer

EDIT: X'd with Nilp, Boro, Formendacil.

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

waht r u takling abuot???!! tHat wasnt in teh movie??!!!

Taken phonetically, you just asked me: "wat er you tackling a-boat? That wasn't in tea movie"

Seriously?

"Water, you tackling a boat? That wasn't in Tea Movie."

First of all, my name is not "water;" though your spelling makes me feel like I've had a lot of it--cold--dumped all over me. Secondly, I've never seen Tea Movie. Is it a sequel to Bee Movie, perchance?

Caustic criticism of your appalling lack of English (Tolkien must be rolling in his grave, chair at Oxford that he was) aside, you appear to be asking if something I said was in the movies. Allow me to be as crystal clear as possible: No.

The movies are not canon. Nor are the movies even capable of covering the entire Lord of the Rings, let alone the entire Silmarillion. Though, now that it's brought up... there should be a High King of the Noldor getting killed off in the Prologue. If they're going to mess with the order of the tale and take the recounting of the Last Alliance from its proper place at the "Council of Elrond," the least they could do is include a quick sideways visual of a dead Gil-galad as a hint that they have a clue what actually takes place in the work they're butchering.

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

The movies are not canon.

thier wAsnt any canons in teh movies!!111 IT wAs mideval with sords & arrws!!!111!!! tehy didnt hav canons then!!!111 U R stpid!!!1111!! u dont no anythn abuot lord of teh rigns!!!111!!

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Repent! for was it not of old writ that:

Thou Melko shalt see that no theme can be played save it come in the end of Ilúvatar's self, nor can any alter the music in Ilúvatar's despite. He that attempts this finds himself in the end but aiding me in devising a thing of still greater grandeur and more complex wonder: -- for lo! through Melko have terror as fire, and sorrow like dark waters, wrath like thunder, and evil as far from my light as the depths if the uttermost of dark places, come into the design that I laid before you. Through him has pain and misery been made in the clash of overwhelming musics; and with confusion of sounds have cruelty, and ravening, and darkness, loathly mire and all putrescence of thought or thing, foul mists and violent flame, cold without mercy, been born, and death without hope. Yet is this through him and not by him; and he shall see, and ye all likewise, and even shall those beings, who must now dwell among his evil and endure through Melko misery and sorrow, terror and wickedness, declare in the end that it redoundeth only to my great glory, and doth but make the theme more worth the hearing, Life worth more the living, and the World so much the more wonderful and marvellous, and that of all the deeds of Ilúvatar it shall be called his mightiest and loveliest.

HoME I 2

And later was it not inscribed
When famed most three-part masterpiece
Of him that wrought in mind the holy musics
Began he to fashion fairest tale of Phantasie:

[T]hou, Melko, shalt see that no theme may be played that has not its uttermost source in me, nor can any alter the music in my despite. For he that attempts this shall but aid me in devising things yet more wonderful, which he himself has not imagined. Through Melko have terror as fire, and sorrow like dark waters, wrath like thunder, and evil as far from my light as the uttermost depths of the dark place come into my design. In the confusion of sound were made pain and cruelty, devouring flame and cold without mercy, and death without hope. Yet he shall see that in the end this redounds only to the glory of the world, and this world shall be called of all the deeds of Ilúvatar the mightiest and most lovely.

HoME V 2 iv

Alas! that in my hand I not
The later designs and histories have,
Or yet, that I should have misplaced
My copy of that which Christopher cobbled,
His son, out of his myriad manuscripts.
Yet I implore you, I entreat upon your soul
O hackers three, to turn from
Your treacherous treading and beg
Forgiveness from him who
This fair site founded.

Return I shall, when respite from
Academic abomination have I gained
and hope that here shall I find
Ravagers repenting of their wrack.

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Nilpaurion Felagund

Alas! that in my hand I not
The later designs and histories have,
Or yet, that I should have misplaced
My copy of that which Christopher cobbled,
His son, out of his myriad manuscripts.
Yet I implore you, I entreat upon your soul
O hackers three, to turn from
Your treacherous treading and beg
Forgiveness from him who
This fair site founded.

Return I shall, when respite from
Academic abomination have I gained
and hope that here shall I find
Ravagers repenting of their wrack.

*cough cough* Indulging in first-person Tolkien fanfiction? And poorly done blank verse at that? Bless me! I would not have expected that from you, Master Ainulindalephiliac.

The fact that you see the forest and utterly miss the individual Ents--that I do find typical of your limited perspecture. Certainly, from the point of view outside Time that is the Music of the Ainur, there is no need to worry that in the long run, all things shall redound to Eru's glory, but to leave it at that, as your quotes would seem to do, is to utterly forget the entire corpus of the Middle-earth canon, which expressly requires darkness and death to achieve eucatastrophe. And while I certainly look forward to the eucatastrophe, I think we should perhaps consider whether we would rather be the Entwives--enslaved and destroyed along the way--or like the Hobbits who persevere toward a victory. Mark me well, though: it is a long, hard road to Orodruin.

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

*cough cough* Indulging in first-person Tolkien fanfiction? And poorly done blank verse at that? Bless me! I would not have expected that from you, Master Ainulindalephiliac. (FormenDAGA)

It has been foresung that I should do what I have done. Dare you take arms against fate, Master Canonist? Know you then what befell Túrin, who in his ignorance called himself Turambar, but was caught in the fate he thought he had mastered?

The fact that you see the forest and utterly miss the individual Ents--that I do find typical of your limited perspecture. Certainly, from the point of view outside Time that is the Music of the Ainur, there is no need to worry that in the long run, all things shall redound to Eru's glory, but to leave it at that, as your quotes would seem to do, is to utterly forget the entire corpus of the Middle-earth canon, which expressly requires darkness and death to achieve eucatastrophe. And while I certainly look forward to the eucatastrophe, I think we should perhaps consider whether we would rather be the Entwives--enslaved and destroyed along the way--or like the Hobbits who persevere toward a victory. Mark me well, though: it is a long, hard road to Orodruin. (FormenDAGA)

Why have we been called here together? Are we not all here to take the selfsame journey to Orodruin, using to the utmost all the strength of our wits and intuition, and trusting Eru that he will step into the resounding theme of evil and repay our estel?

No, actually. You're here to get rid of the hackers.

I see . . . then to arms, my fellows! Let the cowards keep the site! Follow me to the dread fortress of the hackers, and we shall wrest from them what is rightfully ours!

[Eönwë]

Wow, I can't believe the Barrow-Wight is dead. How will we survive without him? How will this forum survive without him? What are we going to do?

I say we get these hackers!

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

It has been sung that the environment has an effect on a person's mind. Why, look at Morgoth; he started camping in the shadows, and thus darkness he brought to the Ainulindalë. So where would our mysterious hacker come from?

Almost, but not quite, Aman:
Kitanna
Shastanis Althreduin
Rikae
Durelin
The Elf-Warrior
satansaloser2005
THE Ka
McCaber

Almost, but not quite, Araman:
Nerwen
Boromir88
Formendacil

Almost, but not quite, foundered Beleriand:
Kath
Eomer of the Rohirrim
Eönwë
Mithalwen
The Sixth Wizard

Almost, but not quite, the land of Quenya:
Aganzir
Nogrod

And then there's me, the Easterling. *gulps* Is it that Eru has ordained an early death for me?