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Old 08-26-2003, 01:50 PM   #209
The Squatter of Amon Rûdh
Spectre of Decay
 
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Bar-en-Danwedh
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Sting

As Estelyn and Sharkû have so ably described, not so long ago I met both the two of them and, were that not sufficient to glut the worm of greed, Our Revered Founder himself. It was the prospect of such an illustrious conclave that led me to fly out especially for the meeting, which solved the problem of where to go on holiday this summer.

I arrived a day early, and a little before Sharkû. We were picked up in turn by the Barrow-Wight and whisked off to stay with his relatives, which involved food, beer and a lot of conversations I couldn't understand. We had a couple of lengthly discussions (thankfully in English, since my German isn't very steady on its feet) on topics ranging from the Downs by way of various television comedies to how hot it was everywhere, which was absolutely great fun. I was delighted to find more fans of The Young Ones (that's the anarchic comedy series, not the Cliff Richard song) among the longest-serving forum members. We had a late night on the Sunday, and were therefore perfectly prepared for a meeting with Estelyn the following morning.

I'll skip the events of Monday, since they've already been covered. Suffice it to say that Estelyn was extremely well prepared, having got hold of a guide to Trier, which left us with plenty to do other than the all-day pub trip that would have become inevitable had the planning been up to me. Suffice it to say that the day seemed rather too short, and it didn't seem as though we'd been in Trier for more than a couple of hours before we were on our way home. Those pictures by the Porta Nigra are from the end of the day, just before we met up with our respective lifts home.

My impressions of the others were much as I'd expected, since I've had more than a few conversations with all of them in chat, not to mention having met Estelyn in London last summer. The Barrow-Wight is a man who keeps conversations going, not letting other people remain silent for too long. He's friendly and welcoming, always eager to hear what others have to say and ready with his own thoughts or a new subject should conversation flag. As one would expect from this site, he's usually got some idea on the boil, which he's ever-eager to share. He was very generous both with his time and in offering myself and Sharkû somewhere to stay, and meeting him clarified in my mind why this site has become so successful. As with most of the members with actual lives to lead I'm amazed that he can hold down a career, a family and the ubiquitous Downs with only twenty-four hours to a day.

As Estelyn mentioned, Sharkû is a man who speaks when he has something worthwhile to say and doesn't seem to have much time for small-talk. Given a decent subject, though, he can discourse at great length, particularly on Tolkien. We had a marathon conversation on one night when we were supposed to get some sleep that began with a quotation he'd unearthed in the depths of the Histories of Middle-earth (of which we had two volumes between us, taken for the journey). We covered a lot of ground and though we suffered for it in the morning it was an absolute privilege to hear what he had to say. When Sharkû gives his considered opinion wise people listen.

Estelyn is a great organiser, as one would expect. I received a lot of help from her with my travel plans and as I mentioned earlier she made a great tour guide. Also, like the others, she has a lot of interesting things to say and an enthusiasm for Tolkien that encourages that sort of conversation. Her other enthusiasm for RPGs, particularly The Revenge of the Entish Bow is quite infectious, and I came up with quite a few ideas while I was in Germany, although there were mild complaints from certain quarters about the volume of roleplay talk. Estelyn's seldom idle for long, and always seems to be looking for something to do (possibly the source of the boundless energy required to carry out so much moderating work). She also plays some mean jazz piano and can sign her name in music, which is a rare skill.

All in all my trip to Germany was a lot of fun. Not only did I meet three of those who put the most into the Downs, but I had a great time with some fellow fans into the bargain. We laughed, we got lost in Roman tunnels and we Balrog-winged as though the books were going out of fashion. Also we had the opportunity to find out a bit more about some of the other people who spend their lives in this realm of the unquiet dead. I can recommend such activities wholeheartedly.
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