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The answer was: Existence is a strange bargain. Life owes us little, we owe it everything.
The only true happiness comes from squandering ourselves for a purpose.
William Cowper

Many challenges followed, but one was a very special one, and as such, it has earned a place on our webpages to commemorate it!

My profound gratitude and respect to all those who took a leap of faith and participated!

The Challenge was issued by Elen Sila as follows:

Hey there Wizards...

I had a nice logic puzzle all ready to go for this challenge, but I decided against it at the last minute. When we first created Gandalf and Saruman's Challenge as part of the restructuring of the Order of Merlin, we decided to issue a challenge every so often to keep everyone on their toes and provide a fun activity. However, we also issued a standing challenge to every member of the White Council, one that many wizards strive for daily, but seems to occasionally fall through the cracks. Here is the standing challenge in its original language:

"Gandalf and Saruman hereby challenge each and every member of the White Council with the following: each month increase your contribution to the council. Strive to be better than you were the month before. Make a new friend, submit a new quality idea, participate in a thread that you normally wouldn't, promote a sense of community. Live the dream!"

So, for this week's challenge, I'd like us to take a moment to reflect on the aforementioned by writing a paragraph or so about a wizard you don't get to interact with often. It may be that you are interested in RPG threads, while this wizard likes Lore activities, but they made you laugh once and you wish you knew them better. It may be that you enjoy riddles and rat races while this wizard likes Word Sleuth and market going, but they said something nice to you once and you never forgot it. There's also one catch, you cannot write about Philthrandir or me.

We're all integral parts of the White Council in our own unique ways, so let's take the opportunity to highlight these outstanding individuals for their acheivements, for their commitment, and for who they are. Not sure you feel comfortable approaching someone you don't know all that well? That's the challenge!

Please email your paragraphs to gandalfettewiz@aol.com no later than Monday, March 15, 2004. I will display them accordingly. Good luck!

Love,
El

And here are the wizards who so admirably took up the call:

Moneta:

When I read this challenge I was torn between two wizards who are both well known in the WC yet whom I never seem to get to know any better than I do now so I hope you will allow me to name both of them as wizards I would like to get to know better.

Firstly there is Tigris, someone who is always there, who works hard for the WC and the plaza and someone whom with I have had little interaction.. It's not as though we haven't been on quests together or worked in the same thread, but our paths just never seem to cross which is strange when you think how long we have both been around, but something like this challenge brings it to your attention and I will definitely make more of an effort to interact and get to know her better.

My second wizard is Elenamir, funny and dedicated and fellow newbie troupe member. Somehow we never seem to be in the same place at the same time. On several occasions we've posted that we'd like to get to know each other better but somehow never have. Elena's dedication to lore and the WC and her funny posts make me laugh which is a great gift in my mind. So I declare once more that I will make more of an effort to seek out that wizzie called Elenamir and get to know her better.

Gandalffan22:

well...I was about to write about you, but then I read that last part...you just had to add that in there didn't you...(stares eerilly), so on that note, I have decided to write about...let me see here, Mon, although I do actually see Mon around quite often, the only time that I actually get to talk to her is when I am in the Staff Shop, but that is not all that often...that is basically all I know about her...except for the fact that she is on the Night Mage RPG, Then again, so are you...

Istari25:

I have picked to write a paragraph for Wedgie. The maia is much more patient with dis obident newbies then I ever thought about. He is also very high in knowledge in Tolkien lore, and hasn't been stumped by my knowledge yet. He has never said a bad thing to me, but maybe something about me but I dont know it. JUst as long as I dont he can yap away. The other day he gave me the nickname of BINGO. Now I cant say that I would choose that name, I would be more like THE MAN, or Greatest but whatyagonna do. He makes all those around him seem more important than oxygen and he has an ora that he cant hide. He is the center stone of the plaza, and we would be lost to sea without him. I am very honored to be even writing this paragraph based on him.

Brdtm:

Well if only there were more hours in the day he he. The Market, the TG, the Staff Shop, the Ocassional Pub, Mordorian traing grounds, ect. My plaza contribution have increased exponentially since my 18th birthday is drawing near. I dearly should like to have a house to celebrate it in so I am going on drastic point gain missions (568 to go he he). Up to now though I have been pretty inactive and people with half the time of me have double my points.

Any ho so many people, so many places so little time. But, its all good I have fun and sojourn on the dream lives and it is addictive. Long live the WC long live the plaza for as long as their are those who believe then the plaza will be for all to enjoy

Eltirme:

I can honestly say I was stumped when I learned official challenge to write something about I wizzie I don't know. I had no idea where to start, or what to say. I spent a few days mulling over it until I noticed the name of someone I don't know much about. StarPhial. Now I'm almost positive this lovely wizzie has been in the clinic once or twice, but I realized I have never gotten to know her. So, dear Star Phial, I took a break from El, and started stalking your profile until I discovered where you spend your time. It became quite obvious, very quickly what your life's work was, and I applaud you for it. I myself wouldn't even have the foggiest notion what to do in a forge, so I think it's pretty nifty that you do. Here's a little poem to commemorate your outstanding contributions to the "metal and wheels" side of Istari history.

Once upon a time there was a wizard named StarPhial.
Who lived in Tower Orthanc, down the road about a mile.
She didn't spend her hours in the library or cafe
But under layer after layer, stone, dirt, and clay.
In the caverns of Isengard, where the fires of industry blaze
There was the place Star Phial lived out her earthly days.
With mechanical precision, she would putter around
The clinking of stone and tool making an almost musical sound
With Ravion, she runs the keep with automatic ease.
Coming to the rescue when we lose our chamber keys.
The metallic works of art that come forth from that thread.
Fill the bad guys with terror and unspeakable dread.
For her technical genius, she is known far and wide.
A blacksmith gone creative, in her work she takes great pride.
So happily ever after, this lovely wizard will tinker and toil
In Isengard's basement, so far beneath the soil...

Mirluin Ererana:

Some days ago, I had chance to meet a wizard whom I have yet to really know. Of course, I had seen her round the Tower and grounds of Isengard, and we had surely spoken before, but in truth I knew little about her.

I was in the rooms of Coa Ingoleva, and Istari were just arriving to begin the arduous research we have planned there. In came a wizard, a woman of middling age, with fine grey eyes set in a pale face. She had dark hair, wore green robes, and had an air about her of quiet confidence and a noble spirit.

She immediately asked a very astute question and seemed very excited about the lore we planned to study. She quickly became involved and supportive of others, and showed a keen mind and gracious personality.

Now wizards are like cats in one way - we are very curious and must investigate that which catches our interest. I nosed around a bit and discovered that this wizard keeps rooms in a House in Gondor, the Hirinore, in addition to her room in Orthanc. She is both an herbalist and a great adventurer. While I have heard she carries a sword and is most effective with it, I suspect her greatest weapons are her words; whether spoken or penned, for she has an eloquent tongue.

She is Arasfaen Litheryn the Green and I hope to better know her in the future.

Ancalagoth:

I wish I could talk more with Thal and Potato, they are so cool and I gave my gift to Thal on Christmas and then had a snowball fight with him, it was so fun. I never knew they were so cool, and I just want to get to know them, Potato especially because I barely know him at all. They have always been great and have way more points and posts than me but I think they have both been on for a shorter time so I admire them for their commitment to the plaza.

Nurdoriel:

I’ll just jump right in….I would like to get to know Dumenelion better. I have been in different threads with her, but we never seem to be in a situation where we can chat much. She seems so friendly and helpful, and is by evidenced in her membership in the Order of Merlin and the care she shows to new people. One of my goals in the White Council is to be an OOMer and be on rotation with some of the nicest folks I've seen. I want to be able to make new comers feel as welcome as she, and all the other staff for that matter, have done for me.

At times she is witty, articulate, caring, sensitive and always friendly in her posts. I have seen her answer the same question over and over with endless patience. I have seen her gently guide both the unsure and the smarty pants with the same caring message. I would like to get to know her better because I see her as a person to emulate and a wonderful representative of the White Council.

And beside all that, if she could have that much patience with new comers, she might have that much patience with me!

Dinrandir:

It's not very good or long...but here it is nonetheless. And may the wizard I wrote of forgive me! Writing about people, especially those I don't know, is not a craft I have mastered as of yet.

The wizard I am about to write of is Mirluin Ererana. I'm not really sure what to write....I don't know this wizard about whom I write, nor have I spoken to her. So I guess a good place to start would be why I chose this particular wizard. I picked this person because of a thread I had read when choosing that of the Valar I was most connected with. I found myself in all of them, which made choosing difficult. Reading what she had written about the one I was leaning towards made my choice very clear. To me it showed that she cared about helping others find the Vala which they serve, simply because she took the time to look through The Silmarillion to find the characteristics of each of them. I have seen her in a few other threads and she seems intelligent and humorous. Forgive me for not saying more, but I am at a loss for words...

Thal:

Nurdoriel
A face that you will have probably seen zipping around the WC in the past few months, charging around as many threads as she can get into. This is of course Nur, who you'll see participating with as much eagerness as she can muster no matter what the thread or event. She is, in my opinion, a model Istar. As a newbie she frequently visited the Newbie House and participated in the activities there, learning the tricks of posting and RPing, and even there she was noted as a particularly zestful wizzie. From there, Nur went on to the WC and threw herself into everything - ever asking questions if unsure, and being as amiable as anyone could wish her to be. And now, she is an intergal part of her team in the game There and Back Again, has taken over the Apothecary shop in the Market, can be found spiritedly representing the WC in other kingdoms, and is a supporting member of the Plaza.
And as if all of the above was not enough, she recently astonished the entire Newbie Troupe with her lightning speed and organisational skills. She was asked if she would be interested in running a small Caption Contest in the Newbie House, to which she immediately replied a very enthusiastic yes. We expected about a week, for her to research other contests running elsewhere and find a picture and so on. She took a day - to write up rules, get a picture, and find a panel of judges. The thread was up and running in an instant, a shining example of what a truly wonderful Istar Nur is.

Ears:

I have gotten to know quite a few people here, and welcome their continuing friendship and cameraderie ... but the person I am writing about is Missy, the incomparable loremisstresse

When I came to the plaza in late October 03, I spent time in very few places, limiting my observations and my time on the plaza to very few activities.
In both points and experience, she was far ahead of me, and though I rarely saw her except in the IBIDEMS library she always posted cheerfully and with clever, detailed posts; and I admired her for the reactions she provoked in others - I still do!
After joining the rpg The Plague, I saw much more of her and though I was still very much on the periphery of plaza life then, she was very inclusive, welcoming and friendly.
I was surprised recently to be given a flower by her in the Old Angren Street Market: Spring is Here! thread, "just for being me!" and I cannot adequately tell you how nice it was to be thus recognised by someone I wish I knew better ...
I just wanted to say - Thank You Missy, come join me for a Wedgieccino sometime!

ShEru:

I was looking on plaza, trying to find a relatively new Wizzie that I didn't know well at all. There are many many wizzies I have interacted with a bit here and there that I would love to get to know better... Dume, Derom, Done, Ears, Arwe, Palamorn, Avar, Arasfaen... but I wanted to pick a newbie.

I have chosen Dinrandir... based solely on her posts in the G&S Challenge, I would like to get to know more about her.

Dinrandir:
Your sig, "~ Judge me not by the color of my robes, but by the content of my character. ~ " I admire! And if you are a blonde, you have to be a great person! *looks at own blonde hair* Although now, I do assist my blondeness since it has decided to get darker on me... but the blonde personality didn't leave *g*. In looking at your profile - I see we are practically neighbors, too! How neat! So, tell me.. what do you like about plaza, about being a wizard, about the WC? Do you like lore? What is your niche? What brought you to plaza? OK - I guess I shouldn't bog you down with a ton of questions.. .I look forward to seeing you around WC!

Dumenelion:

I first really spoke to Nurdoriel at the beginning of Thal's RPG ' The Night Mage ' I had called for an archer to ride with Imagination and I and she answered the call. I have noticed her around the WC but had never interacted with her before, but since looking up her posts and reading what she has to say in the cafe, I would say that she is friendly, willing to help and she looks as though she is going to be around the Plaza more than a little while. She actually took part in Palamorn's game on my team, which I confess I did not participate much in due to lots of things happening at that time in RL and Plaza. She has only joined the Plaza this year and her posts are well thought out and she includes a lot of people in her writings drawing friends towards her.She has also written a poem in the MM&PP called ' It is good to take time' which I found delightful, I especially liked her references to reaching out with a smile as it is very like my own siggy, which I hardly ever leave lying around, maybe I SHOULD. Nurdoriel has found that interaction and politeness to people she does not know yet can have its rewards, in as much as making new friends, I hope that in the future I may be called one of these friends.
Dumenelion

Camino:

I’d like to write a few words about a relatively new wizard – Calistar. With a mere 5 posts under his belt, I think we have a wonderful new arrival to Isengard. He first caught my eye in the Welcoming Center, with his well thought out questions and introduction. Soon after, he was in the robe shop, filling out a questionnaire with grace and deep understanding of Tolkien’s works. I look forward to more posts, serving him a drink in the pub and watching him wander the halls of Orthanc while getting settled in. He could be a real asset to have in our Kingdom, seeing as how comfortably and well-written his first contributions have been - Welcome to the White Council!

Nurdoriel is another wizzie that caught my eye. I first met her in the robe shop, she exhibited such a wonderful personality and I loved designing her special robe. I think her work in the Apothecary shop is great, too, showing a true understanding of the earth’s gifts to us. She seems to have a very caring and open nature, and I believe she would be a true and loyal friend and wizard. She also has an ability not found in all of us – that of seeming quite at home in all the Kingdoms. I have met with her in the Shire, and seen her in other places besides (always on her best behavior I’m sure!), where she is welcomed and conducts herself quite honorably. She’s definitely a super example of a wizard!

Tigris:

Anadriewen

I have chosen for the challenge, a bright young lady by the name of Anadriewen. I felt that since I didn’t know her very well as I would like I would write about her. I truly met Ana these last couple of weeks as she is one of my races for the IK Racing League. Which she does a wonderful job, she has done extremely well. And has been chosen to be in the All-Star Race which is a race you much be invited to. Ana will also be representing Isengard in the All Kingdom Derby next week. I am very proud of this young Istari for all her work and dedications to the Race Team.

Ana became a plaza member on the fifth of August of last year. Though she does quite a bit for Isengard, she is still very young. Aside from racing, in the market place you can see the young one helping Nerresta in “The Gelir Gannel,” She specializes in Custom Design and Instrument Repairs. Obviously a lover of music. And a lover of shopping, as she purchases things too. Lol..

When I looked at this young ones profile to try to understand her a little more, I was glad to see someone so close to home. Well as far as close can get anyway. There is only about a state between us as we are both American Beauties. The young maiden though not as old as most has done above and beyond her duties to Isengard and serves it well.

Grey Pilgrim:

I vaguely remember a certain minion making his second home here in Orthanc, but his hat suits him so well he’ll always be an Istar. Ultchuk has given a lot to the WC since he made it his permanent residence, and I wonder why I’ve never really gotten to know him. So I took this opportunity to stalk him a little and see just what he’s like. I was surprised on several occasions… I really did know a lot less about this wizard than I thought. The first place I found him was the Karaoke lounge… this is what made me think to choose him, because he’s got a definite talent for singing. His songs in there have always impressed me, they’re so cleverly written. I wonder if I can persuade him to sign a record deal…
I knew I’d also find Ult in the Library. Sure enough, when I poked my head into the IBIDEMS he was hard at work, his organisational skills, helpful attitude and knowledge of the world of books all standing out. He does a lot of work in there, so I want to take this moment to applaud him… and tell him that I snorted in laughter at his “Thalanize This” OPD. *g*
After roaming around Pall and Cam’s Place, and seeing him amongst his plaza nearest and dearest, I was rather touched… I saw a whole new side of him in his birthday party than I’d seen elsewhere. I saw a very sweet wizard, one who cares a lot about his friends, a real gentleman… and one who knows how to have a good time! I actually chuckled on several occasions while reading some of his posts!

I’m really glad I followed Ult round… I knew this wiz did a lot, but I didn’t realise just how active he was and what a great person he is. He’s funny, kind, sweet, dedicated and has a wonderful imagination. I say chain him to Orthanc so he never gets the chance to return to Mordor!
 

Thewhiterider7:

Some of the people that I don't get to interact with often are bestdescribed as a group rather than trying to name individuals - if I were to list each one individually, I  would certainly miss some. These are the newcomers to the WC. Some are "newbies," some have been around for a long time and are just beginning to explore the WC, and others are "oldies" switching to the WC. The rotation in the OOM Welcoming Center only allows me to be present for 1/3 of the time, and this becomes even less when RL is thrown in. So, I see fewer than 1 in 4 of the people new to the WC. This is very unfortunate. Newcomers are often the most integral part of the WC, providing both enthusiam, support, and, on occasion, entertainment. I would greatly like to interact more frequently and to a greater extent with all
newcomers to the WC. So, all people newly active in the WC, I salute you, and hope to see you around soon!

I hope you've all made some new and unexpected friends, and I want to thank you all once again for being such gracious and generous wizards and giving freely of your time and energy to make the White Council a closer community! May your heart guide your counsel and your wisdom be your strength!