Then came the arrival of the F2P update and the very unexpected changes to the LOTRO community site. MyLOTRO's blogging function was gutted, retaining only a cursory resemblance to its former self. After time spent by many of us campaigning for better blogging features in the name of the wonderful community that had taken shape on the site, it was a terrible blow. And one from which, I am sorry to say, I could not recover. For a time I seriously considered leaving the game all together. Turbine had, without warning, destroyed something I loved very much and I was very angry about it for a long time. Eventually my anger faded but I still could not return to my blog. MyLOTRO was nothing but a hollow, pathetic shell of its self and I could not face it.
I applaud all those who persevered. It was a valiant effort to try and salvage the community. I am sorry I did not help. I should have. I was, at the time, one of the pillars of the blogging community. I should have been there to try and salvage what we could. But I was too angry and hurt. And now, after nearly a year gone by, I know that the fleeting thoughts I have entertained of returning to blogging at MyLOTRO have been foolish. I know now that I will never return there. I will never trust Turbine with my creative output again.
Instead, I have, after much doubt and uncertainty, decided to create this personal space as a public repository for anything that I would like to share with the LOTRO community. It will not be the same work of loving care that Minstrel in the Gallery was. For since then I have branched out and taken up other creative projects. I will not be devoting the time to this place that I used to devote to MyLOTRO. But it will be here for those looking for my guides and my abcs and my stories. It will be the archive of all I have done and achieved in LOTRO after I am gone or the game is gone, whichever comes first.
With that in mind, I hope this place provides an interesting, enlightening and enjoyable stop along your journeys through the world wide web. And to kick it all off, here's my abc transcription of the song Carolan's Welcome by Turlough Carolan. (Look at the page linked across the top of this space if you need instructions on saving and using the file.)
X: 1
T: Carolan's Welcome by Turlough Carolan
%Transcribed by Fionnuala of Landroval.
Z: (1:49) Lute or Harp
L: 1/4
Q: 118
K: C
z17/8 c5/8 [B/2z/4] A,/8 E/8 [A9/8E13/4A,3] c3/4 [d/2z/4] [e9/8z7/8]
A,/8 A/8 [A9/8E13/4A,13/4] c3/4 [d/2z/4] [e9/8z] [D/8G/8]
[d3/4G,13/8D25/8G/8B17/8] z5/8 [e5/8z3/8] d/2 [c/2A,/2] [B9/8B,5/8]
[A/2C/2z3/8] [G,/8D/8G/8] [B13/8DG,13/4] z/8 [GB,] [G9/8B,9/8z7/8]
A,/8 [E/8A/8] [c13/8E13/8A,13/4] [B/2D/2] [A9/8C9/8z7/8] B,/8
[F/8B/8] [d13/8F13/8B,13/4] [c/2E/2] [B9/8D9/8z] A/8 [c/2E/2A,9/8A/8]
z3/8 [e/2C/2] z/8 [EA,15/8] [G9/8C9/8z7/8] A,/8 E/8 [A17/8E13/4A,3]
c/2 z/8 [B/2z/4] A,/8 A/8 [AE13/4A,3] c7/8 [d/2z/4] [e9/8z7/8] A,/8
A/8 [AE13/4A,13/4] c7/8 [d/2z/4] [e9/8z] [F/8G/8]
[d3/4G,13/8D25/8G/8B17/8] z5/8 [e5/8z/4] d5/8 [c/2A,/2] [B9/8B,/2]
[A5/8C5/8z3/8] G,/8 [D/8G/8] [B13/8DG,13/4] [G9/8B,9/8] [G9/8B,9/8]
[g13/8E13/8G13/4c13/4] [f/2D/2] [e9/8C9/8z7/8] A,/8 F/8
[a13/8F13/8A,25/8C25/8A13/4] [g/2E/2] [e/2D9/8] [d5/8z/2]
[A,/8C/8E/8] [c/2EA,3C13/4A25/8] e/2 [d5/8F,9/8] c/2 [B/2G,9/8]
[c5/8z3/8] A,/8 [E/8A/8] [A17/8C13/4A,3E25/8] c/2 [B5/8z3/8] A,/8 E/8
[AE13/4A,3] c7/8 [d/2z/4] [e9/8z7/8] A,/8 z/8 [AE13/4A,13/4] c7/8
[d/2z/4] [e9/8z] [D/8G/8] [d3/4G,13/8B17/8D25/8G/8] z5/8 [e/2z/4]
d5/8 [c/2A,/2] [B9/8B,/2] [A5/8C5/8z/2] [G,/8D/8G/8] [B13/8DG,13/4]
[G9/8B,9/8] [G9/8B,9/8z7/8] A,/8 [E/8A/8] [c13/8E13/8A/8A,13/4] z3/2
[B/2D/2] [A9/8C9/8z7/8] B,/8 [F/8B/8] [d3/2F3/2B/8B,25/8] z3/2
[c/2E/2] [BD] A/8 [c/2E/2A/8A,] z3/8 [e/2C/2] [E9/8A,2] [GCz7/8]
[A,/8E/8] z/8 [A17/8E25/8A,3] c/2 [B/2z3/8] A,/8 A/8 [AE25/8A,3] c7/8
[d/2z/4] [ez7/8] A,/8 A/8 [AE25/8A,25/8] c7/8 [d/2z/4] [ez7/8] F/8
G/8 [d3/4G,3/2B17/8D3G/8] z5/8 [e/2z/4] d/2 [c5/8A,5/8] [BB,/2]
[A/2C/2z3/8] [G,/8D/8] [G/8B13/8D9/8G,13/4] z [G9/8B,9/8] [GB,]
[g13/8E13/8G13/4c13/4] [f5/8D5/8] [eCz7/8] A,/8
[F13/8a13/8A,25/8C25/8A13/4] [g5/8E5/8] [e/2D] [d/2z3/8] [A,/8C/8]
[E9/8c5/8A,25/8C13/4A13/4] e/2 [d/2F,9/8] c5/8 [B/2G,] [c/2z3/8]
[A,/8E/8] [A9/4C13/4A,13/4E25/8] z [A13/4e9/8C13/8E9/4c13/4] a3/4 z/8
[b/2D/4] [c'E] [A13/4e9/8C13/8E9/4c13/4] a3/4 z/8 [b/2D/4] [c'E]
[A13/4c'/4E/8C9/8c13/4] E/8 z/8 [c'3/4E/4] [b/2D/2] [a/2C9/8]
[g5/8B,5/8] [a/2C7/8] [b/2D/2] [A13/4c'9/8E9/8C9/8c13/4] [e9/8C9/8]
[eCz7/8] [A,/8D/8] [F/8f9/8D9/8A,13/4A13/4] z [a/4F/8] F/8
[a3/8F41/8z/4] [f5/8D5/8] [e/2C/2] [d/2B,/2] [G9/4e9/8C9/8c9/4]
[g/4E/4] [g3/8E/4] [e5/8C5/8] [d/2B,/2] [c/2A,/2z3/8] D/8
[F13/4d13/8B,9/8D13/4B13/4] [e9/8C9/8] [gEz7/8] [A,/8C/8]
[F13/4a13/4A,25/8C25/8A13/4] [A,/8C/8] [a/4F/4A,13/4C25/8A13/4]
[a/2F2z3/8] [g/2E/2] [f/2D/2] [g/2E/2] z/8 [aF125/8z7/8] [G,/8C/8]
[E/4g/4G,13/4G13/4] [g/2E/4] z/8 [e/2C/2] [d/2B,/2] [e/2C/2] z/8 [gE]
[e/4C/8E13/4G13/4] C/8 [e/2z3/8] [d/2B,/2] [c/2A,/2] [d/2B,/2] z/8
[e/2C/2] [c/2A,/2z3/8] D/8 [G9/4d9/8B,9/8D13/4] [BG,] z/8 [GE,z7/8]
[C/8E/8] [A17/8c13/8A,13/8E13/4C13/4] [B/2G,/2] [A9/8F,9/8z] D/8
[G13/4d13/8B,13/8D13/4] [c/2F125/8A,/2] [B9/8G,9/8] [c/2A,/2A13/4]
[e5/8C5/8] E [G9/8E,9/8z] [A,/8C/8] [E25/8A13/4E,13/4A,13/4C3] z/4
[e9/8C13/8A13/4c13/4] a3/4 [b5/8D/4] [c'9/8E9/8]
[A13/4e9/8C13/8E17/8c13/4] a3/4 [b/2D/4] [c'9/8E9/8]
[A13/4c'/8E/4C9/8c13/4] c'/8 E/4 [b5/8D5/8z/2] [F43/8z/8] [a/2C]
[g/2B,/2] [a5/8C7/8] [b/2D/2] [A13/4c'9/8E9/8C9/8c13/4] [eC]
[e9/8C9/8z7/8] A,/8 [D/8F5/4] [f9/8D9/8A,13/4A13/4] [a/4F/4]
[a3/8F5z/4] [f/2D/2] [e5/8C5/8] [d/2B,/2z3/8] G/8
[e9/8C9/8G17/8c17/8] [g/4E/4] [g3/8E/4] [e/2C/2] [d5/8B,5/8]
[c/2A,/2z3/8] [D/8F/8] [d13/8B,9/8F25/8D13/4B13/4] [eC]
[g9/8E9/8z7/8] A,/8 [C/8F/8] [a13/4F13/4A,3C25/8A13/4] A,/8 C/8
[a/4F/4A,13/4C25/8A13/4] [a3/8F15/8z/4] [g5/8E5/8] [f/2D/2] [g/2E/2]
[a9/8F125/8z7/8] G,/8 [C/8E/8] [g/4E/4G,13/4G13/4] [g3/8E/4]
[e5/8C5/8] [d/2B,/2] [e/2C/2] [g9/8E9/8] [e/4C/4E13/4G25/8] [e3/8C/4]
[d/2B,/2] z/8 [c/2A,/2] [d/2B,/2] [e/2C/2] z/8 [c/2A,/2z3/8] [D/8G/8]
[dB,G17/8D13/4] z/8 [BG,] [G9/8E,9/8z7/8] C/8 [E/8A/8]
[c13/8A,13/8A17/8E13/4C13/4] [B/2G,/2] [A9/8F,9/8z] [D/8G/8]
[d13/8B,13/8D13/4G13/4z3/2] [F95/8z/8] [c/2A,/2] [B9/8G,9/8z] E/8
[c3/4A,3/4C3/4E17/4A35/8] [e5/8C27/8] z/8 [d5/8B,11/8] [c3/4A,3/4]
[B3/4G,3/2] [c3/4A,3/4z/2] C/8 E/8 [A23/4E,23/4A,23/4C23/4E23/4]
