Editor's Note by Mapthor
Welcome back ladies and gentlemen, to The MCME Times! These past two weeks, especially this week, have been full of surprises! First off, Music Team is back with a new theme for Rivendell, some people couldn’t find the Ring because there were three posts in #news about finding the damn thing, and TikTok slapped us in the face. As of now, it’s still blowing up with almost 1 million likes and over 4 million views (Check it out for yourself down below). It’s kinda crazy how fast things can blow up on social media. Anyways, that’s the news recap. Hope you enjoy this brand new edition of the Times

Happy Sailing,
Mapthor



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

The march of progress has swept across Anorien over the past fortnight. In the Pelennor, most of the Section 5 has been planned out, mean that the planning has connected with Harlond to the south. Several of the smaller homestead have been completed with just the farmland in-between them to be filled out. Rudolphius has some work to hand out so feel free to contact him about Plots. For the terrain colouring, several plots have been completed leading us up to around Dol Caranthan, and due to this I am able to start messing around with Drúadan Forest concepts. Additionally, Rwyland constructed a small, ruined watch tower by the Bridge below the Halifrien Beacon, setting up for the start of gathering trees for the Firien Woods.




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

We've made significant progress on the main world, the majority of the exterior has now been finished. However concept work has been restarted to help make Cair Andros more "roman" in style. Because of this some small revisions to existing structures will be made. Terrain detailing has begun, and much of the base terrain has been eroded significantly. I've recently left for university and will be quite busy for sometime, so its probable that progress will slow down a bit in the foreseeable future



Harlond – Lead: @Mershy | In Progress
Report by Mershy

We have a wall! The wall, after some great jobs ran by our foreman Effie, has risen around Harlond meaning we must catch up! Alongside that, artist/foreman applicant W0rld has also done a great road concept and has ran a job to implement that. Together with Rwyland, we have slowly started to plan some more areas and giving out some plots to people. Housing exteriors and interiors are quite the focus currently since the southern commercial area is nearing completion.



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

Progress has resumed in Lond Daer. The Palace has seen a good amount of progress and the buildings surrounding the Palace have also started being planned out. Hopefully plots will be able to be handed out soon along with much more progress than the past couple of weeks



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

Slow progress in Moria these past two weeks. Daom still working away over in the WestGate area hoping to paste it in soon. Hopefully we can utilise this influx of players and run some jobs getting Moria derp fixed because since the recent update, there have been a few texture changes that need fixing. Maybe we can find some stalagmites to build as well.






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#NEWS
New Music!
Music Team is back in action with a brand new track from JandalfTheWhite1. This time, the Elven town of Rivendell got the tunes and let me tell ya, it's a banger.
Take a listen here:


Report by Givet10

Tidc: After a great trial month of tour and minigames, tidc his application has been accepted and he will now help the server with his guide rank. So if you need help or have any questions, make sure to ask him! Congrats tidc.



Interview with @_Shen

Favorite recent Discord moment?
When I got f-ing killed by a Revenant last night in Phasmaphobia. I say "hey, what's up?", turn around, and I'm dead.

What is your Mcdonald's order?
Two different one, depends on the mood
Either three plain hamburgers with large fries or two plain hamburgers, large fires, 10 piece McNuggets, and maybe a chocolate shake if I'm feeling it.

Best Publisher you or Soarz?
Soarz is trash

If you could add one thing to Minecraft what would it be and why?
Probably proper diagonal blocks that aren't just re-textures. So like corners I guess.

Welcome back,
Got some jobs ready for you

Why do you mald?
That is a simple question with a very complex answer.
3 months

Favorite MEME?
Hello there...
General Kenobi!

Interviewer: Mapthor with questions by Soarz





This week we have another round of amazing builds and Media posts. We only choose from the best every time, so hard work does pay off. Sometimes it can get competitive and that is what will win a place here. Please give a warm welcome to this Times, winners of this week.

MEDIA Winners:
It's screenshot time with Ginger. Take a peak at these beauties!

Honorable Mention: I did quite like the composition of this shot by FoolHardyFish. The fog color also certainly helps it stand out. Original shots from the Paths of the Dead are certainly hard to come by.


Honorable Mention: The angle feels a bit strange, but I love the smooth lighting mixed with the blurring here. Quite original as well, good shots in Lothlorien are a challenge. Shot by Junoknight.


Honorable Mention: Now me personally, I'd have lit up the area in the center of the shot some more. Still, Itai007 did well composition-wise with this shot of what I believe to be one of our new Pelennor Fields villages.


Honorable Mention: This poor chap tried holding off the orc hordes with his fellow Dwarves, but soon found he was holding his bow backwards. The result wasn't pretty. Shot by organsinajar.


Honorable Mention: I've never really been much of a fan of shots taken underwater, myself, but Junoknight pulls it off very well here. Very nice composition, love the colors.


Honorable Mention: Wouldn't be the Media Winners without a shot from our dear Bohemian_Beetle. Said it before and I'll say it again, I love his subtle blur, excellent, yet simplistic, composition, and perfect, yet equally simplistic, lighting. Very effective.


Honorable Mention: Pretty shot from Xmine01, though I feel the rocky shore makes a more interesting focus than Xmine himself. (No offense X!)


Honorable Mention: Although this shot is meant to be Tharbad aflame, I must point out that we only see two remarkably small flames. Still, I love the lighting, angle, and composition of this shot by HyprNinja. Good shots of Tharbad are a rare find indeed.


Honorable Mention: Generally I'm not too big a fan of shots taken this close to the water, as the water usually ends up taking a lot of the shot, but Junoknight cropped this shot well and used blurring, editing, positioning, and lighting well in order to bring all attention to the focus. ...Well, almost all of it. That spot of tall grass to the left is a bit distracting.


Honorable Mention: I feel the two statues should be a bit closer to the camera in this shot and some of the dead space at the bottom of the shot should be cropped out, but I was certainly a fan of the lighting, angle, and custom sky of this shot by TedoIsBad and edited by Itai007. A shame about the low-quality fog on the mountains in the back, though.


Honorable Mention: When it comes to epic shots with tons of editing, Lacotax beats everyone else. The fog adds to the atmosphere of the shot and helps direct attention to the focus, like a vignette. The sky looks nice and matches with the terrain well enough. Looks somewhat grainy, but beyond that, this is a nice shot.


Media Winner: Undoubtedly up there with some of the best Minas Morgul shots ever taken. Junoknight captures the dark, haunting feel of Minas Morgul well with this lighting, sky, and editing. It's rare to see a clear shot of Minas Morgul from this far off as well. Well done, Juno!



THEME-BUILD Winners
This week, we got the Rohan Farm winners, as well as the Carn Dum winners. Take a look!

(http://imgur.com/a/uqA1tsb) (http://imgur.com/a/KFJdg5K)

The Origin of the Orcs, Part II

The origin of the Orcs is one of the most debated subjects in Tolkien lore. In the previous edition of the Times I discussed one of the two likely possibilities: that Orcs are tortured and corrupted Elves. This was Tolkien’s original approach, and it has remained as the undertone of most of the published stories and narratives. Now it is time to look at the other option - that Orcs were originally Men - which was Tolkien’s later idea, however one that he never got around to implement.

Over the years Tolkien drifted away from the idea of an Elven origin to Orcs, likely due to his own fondness of the Elves. In his later writings, Tolkien attributes a sense of complete, almost divine incorruptibility to the Elves, which in turn invalidates the possibility of them being corrupted into the vile thralls of Morgoth that are known as Orcs.

It can be argued that the Mannish origin of Orcs, coupled with the absolute incorruptibility of the Elves, is a weaker narrative choice overall; however whether that is true or not, it is undeniable that this approach necessitates many significant alterations to the narratives. The implications of Elven incorruptibility on the stories of Middle-earth are abundant, and can be largely inferred from the brief overview of the instances where Elven corruptibility played a role in those stories, as given in the previous edition of the Times; perhaps the largest implication of Elven incorruptibility is the invalidation of the entire tale of the Fall of Gondolin as we know it.

Additionally, transitioning to the Mannish origin of Orcs results in major chronological issues, which Tolkien himself acknowledges, but decides that it is nonetheless the best solution:

“This view of the origin of the Orcs [= from Men] thus meets with difficulties of chronology. But though Men may take comfort in this, the theory remains nonetheless the most probable. It accords with all that is known of Melkor, and of the nature and behaviour of Orcs - and of Men. […] They could be slain, and they were subject to disease; but apart from these ills they died and were not immortal, even according to the manner of the Quendi; indeed they appear to have been by nature short-lived compared with the span of Men of higher race, such as the Edain. […]

“We may assume, then, that the idea of breeding the Orcs came from Melkor […] In that case the conception in mind of the Orcs may go far back into the night of Melkor's thought, though the beginning of their actual breeding must await the awakening of Men.”
(Morgoth’s Ring, “Myths Transformed”, text X) [emphases mine]

This, ultimately, seems to be Tolkien’s final say on the matter, written around 1960 with additional notes written as late as 1969. Furthermore, the quote above addresses one of the foremost concerns raised by a potential Elvish origin - the mortality of Orcs, as opposed to the immortality of Elves; however at the same time the statement that Orcs are “by nature short-lived compared with the span of Men of higher race” makes the longevity of certain specimens (Bolg, in particular) rather more questionable.

A central point in Tolkien’s considerations here is the question of the free-will of the Orcs; however this is too big of a subject to go into right now, so I will save it for next time, along with a discussion of the ultimate fate of the Orcs after death.

For now, I will conclude with an idea proposed by Elaran, an esteemed member of the Tolkien linguist community, which reconciles the Mannish origin of the Orcs (that Tolkien’s later writings prefer) with the notions present in the known narratives, where Men awoke with the first sunrise, already after some of the Battles of Beleriand were fought: it is possible that the Fathers of Men slept for a long while in Hildórien prior to their awakening, and that some of them were “stolen away” earlier and made into Orcs, whilst the rest yet awaited the coming of the sun.



This Week's Question:
How did the Teleri cross the windless-sea between Tol Eressëa and Eldamar?


Presented by: HoverKing




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