Editor's Note by Mapthor
G’day mates, and welcome back to another edition of The MCME Times. So I’m currently typing this at a grad party that I can’t escape, but I gotta do my job or else Shen will mald. So let’s get my job done, shall we? Tonight on our Minecraft server: Givet pushes back the Summer Events, I go insane building the Mini Middle-Earth race, and Effie exports the 15th edition of the newest YouTube Showcase. All of this and more on The MCME Times!

Happy Sailing,
Mapthor


Anorien - Lead: @draonic_slayer | In Progress
Report by Draonic_Slayer

Big progress in Pelennor Fields with the last of the old buildings being removed and the terrain underneath it being hand smoothed. A small hamlet south of the main village in the fields has also been started, with about half of the houses being completed. Rudolphius and Green_Giant have continued detailing the main village, adding more house details and exterior details. In Anorien, more of the terrain colouring plots have been completed, and loads more is to be handed out. Additionally, due to the generous "donations" from Thamso and w0rld, I have also started experimenting with forest concepts to start adding to Anorien.



Cair Andros – Lead: @Andrewpioneer | In Progress
Report by Andrewpioneer

The terrain has been pasted onto main world. Planning has now begun for the forested areas of Cair Andros. Concept work has continued with gatehouse designs, hopefully we can start getting somethings pasted in so that we can begin building on main world. Besides that, there will be a few changes to the current layout to help the fort fit better onto the new terrain.



Lond Daer – Lead: @mattlego | In Progress
Report by mattlego

Not much progress has been made recently, though Soarz has begun work on a small sea fort next to the Northern Harbor!



Moria – Lead: @DoctorDaom | In Progress
Report by Mershy

Movie Cave is DONE! A massive congratulations to aVeryAngryBadger and her resourceful workers getting things spiffing for the cutting of the red tape. Absolutely top stuff from the biscuit Brit. Onwards to the great mines? Time will tell for this old badger. Finally, Daom has almost finished the upper West Gate entrance hall, I tried out some gradient mixes for the cave connector and Duke started putting vertical trapdoors into the Moria pack.





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Do you like screenshots? Of course you do! Do you like Minecraft Middle-earth? What's not to like! You, my friend, are exactly the sort of person who glances through the Times specifically to see the Media Winners! So I won't keep you waiting. Go ahead, read on my good fellow!



MEDIA Winners:



THEME-BUILD Winners
Both won by our cursed builder MPMC. He left Freebuild twice and got what he wanted.
(http://imgur.com/a/9mq2xVD) (http://imgur.com/a/g5zOPjP)


The Brandybucks

After the Kingdom of Arthedain fell in TA 1974 (Shire Reckoning 374), the kings’ rule over the Shire ceased and the hobbits were in need of new leadership; for this reason they elected, for the first time, a Thain who would act as the ruler of the land in the kings’ stead. For this role they chose a prominent hobbit of Stoorish descent: Bucca of the Marish. Even though the authority of the Thains was mostly titular, it was a highly respected office nonetheless.

Bucca’s family were the Oldbucks, one of the most respectable hobbit families in the Shire. They lived in the Marish - a fertile region in the Eastfarthing along the banks of the Brandywine between Stock and Rushey; it was a boggy area and difficult to traverse, but Stock and Rushey were connected by a good road known as the Causeway. The inhabitants of the Marish - the Stoors - were a peculiar folk compared to the rest of the hobbits: they had many odd words in their speech, they wore boots in muddy weather, and they most preferred to dwell in houses (though that was partly due to the lands of the Marish being unsuitable for burrowing smials).

The Oldbucks held the Thainship of the Shire for 11 generations after Bucca, and the last Oldback Thain was Gorhendad Oldbuck, who eventually lead his people east of the river and settled in the strip of land now known as Buckland. Gorhendad handed the Thainship over to Isumbras Took, and himself became the Master of Buckland; he renamed his family, and to this day it is widely known as the Brandybuck family. Now living in Brandy Hall, the Brandybucks became even wealthier than they were before.

The descendants of Gorhendad Brandybuck, as Masters of Buckland, were still amongst the chiefest officials in the Shire. His eldest son, Gormadoc Brandybuck, was known as the “Deepdelver”, likely for greatly enlarging the already impressive Brandy Hall. He was succeeded by his son Madoc, often known as “Proudneck”; then came Marmadoc, known as the “Masterful”. The 5th Master of Buckland was Gorbadoc “Broadbelt” (likely known as such for his impressive girth): he was known as a kind and generous hobbit, and his wife was Mirabella Took, daughter of the Old Took and aunt of Bilbo Baggins. Gorbadoc’s youngest daughter, Primula, was the wife of Drogo Baggins and mother of Frodo Baggins.

Next came Rorimac, eldest son of Gorbadoc, commonly known as Goldfather and later in his life as Old Rory. Following the death of his sister Primula and her husband (in a boating accident, of all things), Rorimac took young Frodo under his guardianship in Brandy Hall. Bilbo would often visit Brandy Hall, and eventually proposed to take Frodo under his own wing in Hobbiton.

Old Rory’s son, Saradoc, was known as “Scattergold” - perhaps for being rather careless in his spending. He was not too notable, save for fathering one of the most famous hobbit’s in the Shire’s history - Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck, later known as “The Magnificent”. Much can be said of him and his adventures during the War of the Ring - indeed too much for me to put here.

After the War, Merry returned to the Shire and succeeded his father as Master of Buckland. He married Estella Bolger and had at least one son - though his name is not known to us. Merry wrote some scholarly works, notable among which were Herblore of the Shire, The Reckoning of Years and Old Words and Names in the Shire; he was known to travel to Rivendell occasionally, likely to aid in his research.

At the age of 102 he resigned his office and along with Pippin his friend he travelled to Rohan (at the invitation of King Éomer), where he was known as Holdwine of the Shire. Later they travelled to Minas Tirith, where eventually they passed away and were laid to rest in Rath Dínen amongst the kings and stewards of old.


This Week's Question: Why did the hobbits of Buckland lock their doors at night?


Last time Melkor got the right answer AGAIN

Presented by: HoverKing



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I've gone bald, Mapthor, I'm looking like Lex Luthor out here!! Our new motto should be 'another day, another delay'! How does that sound?

Thanks and hope you enjoyed (despite the delay),
Shen