Category: III. Trials of the Valar

August 23, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 150: The Lay of Angruin

This podcast trilogy has been an amazing experience. I’ve learned so much and am so…

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August 23, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 149: The Last Episode at the Prancing Pony, Part 2

Shawn and Alan chat with Jared about the Second Prophecy of Mandos and the Dagor…

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August 23, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 148: The Last Episode at the Prancing Pony, Part 1

My double secret guests on this episode are none other than Alan Sisto and Shawn…

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August 20, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 147: The Dagor Dagorath

This episode contains the last of the role playing in this campaign. All of the…

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August 17, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 146: Tolkien Pilgrimage- Warwick and Great Haywood

Join us as Dr. Andrew Higgins shows us around Warwick and Great Haywood, both of…

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August 13, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 145: Tolkien Pilgrimage- Birmingham

Come on a virtual tour with Mary Moore from Birmingham Tours as we visit Sarehole…

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August 3, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 144: The “Dwarfish” Riddle

Well, the group certainly isn’t as quick as Bilbo at solving riddles, but join them…

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August 1, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 143: Gundabad, From Gút to Bad

The players bungle their way through the first two traps back in Gundabad. Witness the…

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July 28, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 142: Leveling to 20 in the House of Manwë

Back in Ilmarin, Celebrimbor and Fëanor present Feredir with the black, sister swords reforged into…

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July 25, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 141: Lord of the Balrogs

The party exits the Great Gates of Angband only to find Gothmog, the Lord of…

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July 20, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 140: John D. Rateliff, Doctor of Fantasy

In what will likely be the last interview with a Tolkien scholar on the podcast,…

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July 18, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 139: Escaping Thangorodrim

As the group destroys the balrog looking creature in the altar room, they attempt to…

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July 16, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 138: Strengths Become Your Weaknesses

The party discovers that Thangorodrim brings out the worst in a hero. They encounter some…

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July 10, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 137: The Virtues of the Dark Lord

The group enters Thangorodrim and immediately feels “miserable.” Exploring the passageways of this accused ancient…

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July 6, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 136: The Great Gates of Angband

The heroes learn that Littleheart, Imin, and Alatar the Blue have been kidnapped and taken…

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July 2, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 135: The Roots of Douglas A. Anderson

Join Douglas A. Anderson and I as we discuss how he originally got to know…

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July 1, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 134: Thus Spake Mandos

The group licks their wounds after the fight against Ungoliant. They decide to head back…

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June 30, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 133: Ungoliant in Ezellohar, Part 2

This fight marks the hardest the group has ever had, across all parts of the…

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June 28, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 132: Ungoliant in Ezellohar, Part 1

The heroes make their way to Ezellohar, knowing that Ungoliant is enroute. The battle begins…

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June 26, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 131: Intrōspiciō

In this episode, Jared looks back at the previous 130 episodes, talks about what he…

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June 22, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 130: The Turn of the Tide

A nice break to the combat… The group gets back to Ilmarin and finds an…

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June 21, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 129: Queen Berúthiel in Meneltarma, Part 2

Have you ever wished Treebeard would say the song title of track #6 from The…

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June 20, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 128: Queen Berúthiel in Meneltarma, Part 1

If the heroes weren’t “cat people” before entering into the inner sanctum of Meneltarma, they…

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June 4, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 127: In the Room with David Bratman

Few have given so freely of their time and contributed so much to the Tolkien…

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May 27, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 126: The Cats of the Queen

In this episode, the heroes enter the remains of Meneltarma. They are surprised to find…

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May 21, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 125: The Hallowed Eagle Eyrie

Back at Ilmarin, Irmo thanks the heroes and suggests that they do the Trial of…

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May 19, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 124: Mbar-Ndor

“Home Land” is the passphrase to summon the portal from Ilmarin. And finally, the party…

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May 1, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 123: “Don’t Leave The Path”

As the group tries to free Mor-lómin from the jaws of a Great Glow Worm,…

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April 28, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 122: The Steward of Myth, Dr. Vicki Ronn

Dr. Vicki Ronn joins us on this episode to talk about the Mythopoeic Society, their…

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April 26, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 121: The Olórë Mallë

There be Glow Worms in this episode… They aren’t happy to see the party. Tesoro…

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April 20, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 120: Cerin Amroth & The Great Glow Worms

The group returns the bodies of Eärendil and Arien to the palace of Ilmarin. Ezellendur…

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April 16, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 119: The Death Throes of Ancalagon

The party manages to collect Arien and the last Silmaril before defeating Ancalagon and heading…

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April 13, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 118: My Most Beloved Stars

The Coronavirus is bad. Thousands of people are sick and dying. Many people are isolated.…

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April 9, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 117: The Silmaril of Eärendil

The last of the episodes with audio difficulties, in this episode the players meet their…

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April 6, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 116: Ancalagon’s Revenge

Having been awakened by Gwarthaur, Ancalagon the Black has knocked Eärendil out of the sky.…

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April 2, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 115: The Lay of Narsilion

After the Trial of Ulmo, the group is back on Taniquetil reviewing the Octagram of…

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March 30, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 114: A Conversation with Dr. Dimitra Fimi

A treasure trove of fun and interesting stories, listen as Dr. Fimi discusses her written…

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March 26, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 113: The Silmaril of Maglor

Charlie, Burin’s new player, joins in this episode. And though we had some technical difficulties…

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March 23, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 112: Fan Interview: Liam and Bea

Join us as we talk to two fans of the podcast. Liam is from the…

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March 19, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 111: Release the Kraken

Join the characters as Maglor leads them into the underwater structure that houses his former…

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March 16, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 110: Maglor’s Gap

Heading down to the sea from Ered Luin, the party encounters Maglor standing in the…

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March 12, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 109: “The Seventh in Line and Seventh in Number”

The crew pops out in Mount Dolmed, inside the once great slopes of Nogrod. Here,…

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March 9, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 108: Chatting with the High King

On top of Taniquetil there sits the “mansion of the high airs,” referred to as…

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March 5, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 107: Ted Nasmith: A Powerful Affinity for Tolkien

An incredible artist, scholar, musician, and conversationalist, Ted Nasmith delights in this episode as he…

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March 2, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 106: The Octagram of Ilmarin

The heroes are pushed back to the walls of Tirion before they head up to…

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February 27, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 105: Caves of the Forgotten, Part 2

In this second part of the battle against the Númenórean soldiers, many on both sides…

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February 24, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 104: Caves of the Forgotten, Part 1

The characters attempt to defend the city of Tirion from the undead Númenórean soldiers, left…

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February 20, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 103: Welcome to Tirion

Begin again the adventure at the end of days. This episode takes place immediate after…

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February 17, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 102: Dr. Verlyn Flieger, Part 2

In this second part of the interview with Dr. Flieger, we discuss many of her…

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February 13, 2020 / III. Trials of the Valar

Episode 101: Dr. Verlyn Flieger, Part 1

Kick off the last chapter of the trilogy with Dr. Flieger. Listen as we discuss…

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