[satansaloser2005]

Then, suddenly, from over the hilltop, a four-legged duck toddled over to the scene of quiet merry-making. (Many have wondered why this duck has four legs. As it turns out, she was born in pre-Trees Valinor. If that doesn’t make sense, we’ll just add that the reason that Elves from that era glow had absolutely nothing to do with the holiness of the Valar.) Clenched in her bill were two peculiar items: a notecard, and a burlap sack.

Making her way to the center of the festivities, she dropped both items, then adeptly took the sack by the back end and tugged at it. Out of the sack’s mouth rolled a few potatoes, still covered in the vestiges of dirt. The duck hopped on top of the bag, causing a few more of the delicious spuds to roll out, and said,

“Quack! Quackety quack quack quack quack quack, honk quackery quack quack mcquackersons!”

And feeling fully justified in this speech, she nodded her head once, hopped off, and picked up the notecard again.

Now she made her way over to the barrow, and seeing that the bottom of the door had enough room within for a notecard, delicately shoved it underneath. It read thusly:

My most esteemed Deceased Ones,

This will be my first, last, and only post on this site, unless my dear owner has me proxy for her, in which case it will of course not be my own post.

I first heard of the Barrow-Downs way back in 2001, when a friend directed me to the main site and I derived approximately fifteen minutes of amusement from it and its fan fiction section. Possibly more.

But I kept it filed away as a good fansite, and when I began to get much more regular internet access in 2003 I started visiting it again, mostly for the Grave Matters (which I miss quite terribly, I might add). Once Grave Matters died, I discovered the forum and derived, again, a few days of amusement.

But I was terribly put out because I was so incredibly ignorant of everything (even on Grave Matters) and eventually I concluded that if I was to be a proper Tolkien Geek I would have to read the Silmarillion.

So I did.

And it’s been a nonstop ride ever since.

I started following the Downs again around when Werewolf started up. My favorite game is still 3, by the way—it felt almost literary, it was so good. And by now I’d matured enough intellectually to truly appreciate the rest of the forum, so during the Night phases I began to read up on everything else

You’re probably wondering why I haven’t joined.

Sometimes, so do I.

But all I can say about the matter is that it’s highly personal, and if I actually became a member of the Downs I’d run the very high risk of hurting people I know and care about, because I wouldn’t have any time for them. I hope you’ll understand.

So I just wanted to say “thank you,” to each and every one of you, but especially to you, Mr. Wight.

For having a forum in which people converse intelligently, without resorting to netspeak.

For having a forum in which I know that all the curses I will hear will be genuine Ardan, not English, and thus will not offend me.

For demonstrating that Tolkien is not just something geeky, but a genuine, intellectual pursuit, and that it’s possible to have serious discussions about his works beyond “Do Balrogs have wings?” (They totally do, by the way, except their flight is rather like a chicken trying to fly—they can flutter a bit, but if they’re in free-fall they’re screwed.)

For demonstrating to me that not all fans believe that Peter Jackson is the greatest thing since the King’s return (although some do, and actually can form an argument beyond “OMGORLIISSOHOTT!!!” or “Whooooooaaaa Helm’s Deep!”).

For the hours and hours of entertainment I’ve had as I’ve religiously read up on Werewolf games.

And a few personal thank-you’s as well, to those members whose posts have affected me more than others.

davem and Mithalwen, thank you for your shameless promotion of the BBC Radio 4 version of Lord of the Rings. You got me to check it out through Interlibrary Loan (always a great idea if you can’t afford a copy), and give it a listen, and whaddaya know, you were absolutely right. It took the strongest self-restraint not to rip myself a copy right then and there, but I’m going to buy one as soon as I have money.

Brian Sibley, thank you for joining. I nearly had an aneurysm when I first saw you post.

mark12_30, thank you for your lovely fan fiction “The Fairy Wife.” You proved to me that a good, highly canon-friendly, yet decidedly original piece of fan fiction is possible.

littlemanpoet, thank you for being so ridiculously Christian during theological tussles. (And thanks as well to his many opponents; it takes two to tango!) I’m sorry that you’re leaving, but I know that you will shine with Reflected Light wherever you are, just as strongly as you have here.

And to The Current Werewolf Crowd, thank you for taking my friend sally in without a word of complaint, even though she’s never read LotR.

And to everyone out there, another general round of thanks, be ye old-timer or n00b. Don’t think that you never have an effect outside of the Downs, because there are always lurkers like me out there.

I hope that this doesn’t creep everyone out too much. If it does, all I can say is, “The internet is a public place,” and “watch what you post.”

Happy Eighth Birthday, The Barrow-Downs, and many happy returns!

Sincerely,
Emily (aka sally’s duck)

Having pushed this note under the barrow door, the duck began to waddle away. Turning around, she gave it one last, almost wistful look before she disappeared beyond the hills.