![\"Lonely](\"http:\/\/www-images.theonering.org\/torwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Lonely-Mountain-Rockies.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nUpon descending on our eagles, we took some time to adjust to the lay of the land before the start of the convention. Having only really experienced the 150k strong crowds at San Diego Comic Con, we didn\u2019t know what to expect from DCC. As it was, the massive line waiting to get in on Friday morning was intimidating. However, upon seeing a Gandalf among the cosplayers, our nerves were set to rest. We were among our people. Our mom even made up her own Dwarven costume for Dis!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n We joined up with Bofur (Justin!) and hosted our first panel of the day that discussed the history of TheOneRing.net. Given that this year is the site\u2019s 15th<\/sup> anniversary, there was a lot to cover! Many of the folks who attended enjoyed reminiscing about the old days of anonymous set reports that often spurred fan rage online. With time comes perspective, and it was fascinating to look at the response Arwen\u2019s intended presence at Helm\u2019s Deep received vs. the introduction of Tauriel in the new Hobbit films.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Shortly after the TORn panel was our very first Happy Hobbit panel! We weren\u2019t expecting a big crowd, so when the room filled up even more than it had for the History of TORn, we grew nervous! I won\u2019t lie \u2013 I even accidentally spilled ice all over the table then froze as everyone stared. We took a poll of the audience and found that, as we suspected, most of the folks there hadn\u2019t yet heard of our show. After a brief summary of who we are and what we do, I opened the floor up not only to a Q&A, but a discussion. After all, we had a room full of Tolkien fans! Many people came up to us afterwards, thanking us for hosting the discussion which was something they\u2019d never experienced at a con before. To us it was quite like one of our live chats, only with the benefit of being able to see and hear everyone else! We made a lot of friends which is the benefit of a smaller (than SDCC, at least!) con because you actually have time to get to know each other.<\/p>\n That night was our TORn \u201cmoot\u201d or meet-up\/party at the Best Western Southwest\u2019s Hotel<\/a>, better known as the Dino Hotel for its paleo theme. As a big dinosaur nerd, I felt right at home and delighted in the castings of skulls and skeletons all around. During the party, they reminded us of dragons! Dinosaurs make\u00a0ALL of us look like\u00a0hobbits!<\/p>\n There was plenty of good food and drink, and we were pleasantly surprised when none other than our friends at Weta Workshop stopped by to join in the merriment. Fili and I hosted trivia, after which we had a costume contest. Everyone was having such a great time, and Tolkien fans have such passion, creativity and knowledge, that we asked anyone who had anything to share to come up to the mic. As such, an impromptu \u201cMiddle-earth Open Mic<\/strong>\u201d started. We had fans recite passages in Elvish, perform impressions of characters, talk about what fandom means to them, share their Tolkien-related projects, and of course, singing! An elf in armor led us in the most beautiful and haunting experience of the night: singing the “Misty Mountains” song. It was an incredible evening where everyone felt comfortable and supported enough to be their geeky selves. It was easily the best moment of the con for us!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The following day started with Fili and I selling and signing posters at our temporary Happy Hobbit booth then getting a chance to chat with our friends at Weta. Cons, especially when you\u2019re on multiple panels, are hectic, and you learn to take advantage of every free moment that you can! Seeing my book Darkling<\/em> for sale on Weta\u2019s shelves was an honor and a privilege for which I am very thankful.<\/p>\n Next up was the highly anticipated dinosaur-Tolkien cross-over panel: “Is Smaug\u00a0Real? Middle-earth Creatures.” Justin of TORn joined dino expert Greg Tally<\/a> and paleontologists Matt Mossbrucker<\/a> and Dr. Robert Bakker<\/a>\u00a0in exploring the fossil record and examining what not only could have been scientifically possible in Middle-earth, but also what information Tolkien would\u2019ve had exposure to at the time of writing his epics. The room was full to capacity and the audience let out a collective groan when the panel had to come to an end. This topic definitely needs to be revisited!<\/p>\n There was no rest for the weary, and shortly afterwards we hosted none other than Sylvester McCoy (Radagast the Brown) on our panel previewing The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies<\/em>. Needless to say, the room was also packed, and though Mr. McCoy was tight-lipped about the film, he was a witty, entertaining conversationalist and quite the charmer!<\/p>\n Watch the video of the full panel below:<\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0 <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a>\u00a0REVENGE!<\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n