The Downs is 21 Years Old! Let's celebrate!! Birthday Party for all Members

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Estelyn sighed - how long had she been confined to her quarters? She loved her home city of Minas Tirith, but she missed travelling to other parts of the realm since the world she knew had been besieged by an invisible foe. Old tales were rediscovered, old rhymes and songs chanted about the Black Breath, and though all knew that this was not the same, there was much clamour for a new kind of athelas to heal all who were affected. The air did seem to smell fresher when the leaves spread their scent...

She decided to enjoy a breath of fresh air and took a walk around the city streets. As she passed by the thick walls she espied a door that she hadn't noticed before. It looked like it hadn't been used for a long time - the stones paving the steps were moss-covered and the door handle rusty. Obviously no one had entered here recently, and curiosity overcame her normal reticence. When she pushed the handle, expecting resistance, she was astonished that it opened quite easily.

Instead of the dusty, musty room she expected to see, she was blinded by sunshine and took a deep breath of fresh air. A door on the other side was open, but the view was not of the familiar plains and mountains surrounding Minas Tirith. It seemed that many paths and errands met at this portal, and an idea came into her mind unbidden, as if a voice had spoken:

Seek for the forum unbroken:
In the Barrow-Downs it dwells;
There shall be greetings spoken
For the birthday of which it tells.

She stood in the open doorway and spread her arms wide, speaking words of invitation:

Give me your masks, your handgels, you huddled masses yearning to breathe free...

...and knew that this was a space in which all could feel safe and at ease to celebrate together. "Twenty-one years is too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable forum members," she mused. Then she hurried home to change into her favourite festive gown, dark blue with silver stars. There was nothing to prepare in the room, for it was already ready to welcome guests. Who would join her, she wondered.

[Blind Guardian]

"Happy birthday Downs! Here's to 21 more years of quotes, readings, werewolves, and Tolkien!" Said BG, bringing over ale. "It's amazing to me that I'm only 4 years older than the Barrow-Downs. "

[Inziladun]

Inziladun, as was his wont, wandered into the Downs first thing in the morning. He feared no Great Plague, as he walked under the virtue of Moderna.

Lurking about in the corners and sipping the wondrous infusion of Coffea arabica, he watched for others to appear.

[Thinlómien]

"Happy birthday to us all!" said Lommy, grabbing a welcome drink and clinking her glass against BG's. "You know what, what you said made me realise we must now have resident wights who are younger than the 'Downs themselves! A terrifying thought, but also a heartwarming one."

She paused, and waved at Esty and Inziladun, and gestured at the wights outside the barrow to come in and join the party.

[Kuruharan]

In to the throng walked a well dressed and hooded dwarf. Strangely, or perhaps not, he was followed by a large dragon of ancient and imperial lineage who appeared to be laden down with a large variety of packages. By this point, however, none seemed to remark on it.

"Where is Boromir88?" asked the dragon. "I still feel the need to give him a piece of my mind."

The dwarf pushed back his hood. He had neatly brushed light brown hair and beard, and twinkling blue-gray eyes. His clothes were very sharp. He wore a cloak of the deepest crimson with silver fringe. Under that he wore a full length coat of dark blue with gold embroidery along the edge. His tunic was as red as a cherry, with more gold embroidery. He wore a gold belt with an axe thrust into it, and his boots were impeccably polished. On a gold chain around his neck he wore a large golden dragon pendent.

"I'm sure he will be along soon," said the dwarf to the dragon, as he walked over to the hostess.

"Merisu...I mean Estelyn, where do you want the buffet set up?"

"Over there along the far wall," replied Estelyn.

"Alrighty," said the dwarf. "Who do I give the bill to?"

[Pitchwife]

Enter Pitchwife, feeling terribly underdressed next to Esty and Kuru in his jeans and sneakers, usual chequered flannel shirt unbuttoned to reveal a black t-shirt adorned with the Dead Moon logo which had long been his avatar on the Downs, and also, truth be told, a beer belly he had been growing for some time now and which was all too likely to gain a few more mm in the course of these celebrations.

He grabbed a mug of ale and mingled with his fellow wights. He congratulated Zil on his newly acquired immunity against the plague carried on evil winds from Angband, complimented Blind Guardian on her narrations in the recent Werewolf game and pledged a toast to Lommy for her victory. Then, thinking this party could do with a little spicing up, he climbed on a chair, began to bang on a drum which he had summoned out of thin air and burst into song to the tune of an old viking chant:

Come gather round all you Downers
And raise up your cup to our Founder!
He came and gathered the ghosts of the dead
And let us run loose over board and thread.

Here‘s to the Wight and the forum he made,
Here‘s to the Downs, home of many a Shade,
Of Spectres, of Princes and old Piles o‘ Bone
And it‘s ours for the haunting, thanks to you alone!

We‘ve played some Werewolf, it‘s true,
And many rounds of Cryptic Clue
With Legate and Might in the Quiz Room so bright,
The Palantir of Fortune shone through the night.

Here‘s to the Books and learnéd dispute,
Here‘s to the Movies coz Legolas is cute.
The bots broke in and the forum was wrecked,
But we took it all back in the green and black.

Here‘s to the Downs, home of mirth and lore,
To the Professor whose work we adore.
Here‘s to the Wight who gave us a home
And it‘s ours for the haunting, thanks to you alone.

[Blind Guardian]

"Hear, hear!" Blind Guardian cheered, as she danced to Pitchwife's chant and became progressively more drunk. "And hear to Galadrial55, for her brilliant werewolf game! And of course, Boro and Urwen who keep up an excellent game of Palantir of Fortune!"