Beneath Your Feet

Ruins and fog, wind and waterfalls. The Angle is a zone shrouded in history's mysteries. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Drums. Drums in the wood. What is there to be found among those wild Woses? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Yucky, blasted, captured. The Brown Lands leave a lot to be desired for tourists. But it is chock-full of mysteries and interesting bits of lore that will lead us all over this Middle-earth. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

In the smouldering remains of the Black Land is the Flaming Spire: Lûghash. It is home to the Stout-axes and Mistress Zoreth. Today we learn a bit about who these dwarves are, where they come from, and the horrid tower they call home. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Where is The Lord of the Rings Online going next? Starting with Minas Tirith at Midsummer, let's take a look and see what we can surmise! Don't forget to watch Beormen's video And checkout Beneath Your Feet on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/LOTROBeneathYourFeet and TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@lotrobyf --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Nobottle, Long Cleeve, Tighfield, and Gamwich. They're not featured on any Shire map and barely mentioned in the books. What is there to be found about these towns far from civilized and decent folk, out near the bounds? Let's discover it together. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

The north of Middle-earth is in flux with many new faces coming to Bree, the Ered Luin, and the Shire. I talk with Yao of D&Co. Du Milieu about the homesteads of Eriador and decorating in LOTRO. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Beorn and his followers present a significant mystery to us reader and players. What is there to be found here in the Vales? Don't forget to checkout Beneath Your Feet on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJapZGoMAn1i0p9EztWVdPA --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

There was, in the middle of the Second Age of the sun, a thriving elf nation here in Eregion. It had no name apart from the land that harbored it, but this nation was home, first and foremost, to a great society of crafters called the Gwaith-in-Mirdain, the folk of the jewelsmiths. They made some Rings and we should talk about it. Beneath Your Feet is a podcast about exploring Middle-earth through The Lord of the Rings Online game (LOTRO). I livestream the last Tuesday of every month at http://twitch.tv/LOTROStream And you can watch BYF on youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJapZGoMAn1i0p9EztWVdPA --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Strange things are happening in Wildermore. In this episode we explore the frozen wastes of...Rohan? How can this be? Well, there is a giant and heroic Riders and more. Check out the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJapZGoMAn1i0p9EztWVdPA I livestream the last Tuesday of every month at http://twitch.tv/LOTROStream --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Inns, taverns, alehouses, vineyards, and so on play an important role in all the tales of Middle-earth. So let's check them out! I am joined in this episode by Matt "Scenario" Elliott, chief world builder for the Lord of the Rings Online. He has a lot of great things to say! Please enter our holiday giveaway here! http://lotrobyf.blogspot.com/2021/11/announcing-community-giveaway.html Join my livestream the last Tuesday of every month at http://twitch.tv/LOTROStream, especially to find out who the winners are. Find BYF on YouTube as well: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJapZGoMAn1i0p9EztWVdPA And check out the uncut interview from my (defunct) Tavern Hunter podcast: https://tavernhunter.com/2021/07/01/scenario-on-recreating-middle-earths-many-inns/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

The Endless Stair spans a vertical space from the bottom of the earth all the way up to the top. Let's have a look, starting at the Foundations of Stone and ending at Zirak Zigil. Don't forget to give me a like and subscribe on YouTube, please! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

We're on the road to Gundabad and the last stop is Elderslade. There we find dwarf ruins, drakes, orcs, and a whole lot of history. Have a look at the new YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJapZGoMAn1i0p9EztWVdPA --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

The Ettenmoors is a tricky place to write about. Let's turn over a few stones, sniff out a couple troll footprints and see what turns up! Also, please join me on LOTROStream the last Tuesday of the month for fun research action. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

It is, truly, an epic climb up the Cabed Rhimdath. You think you know the Misty Mountains, having been up and down them, north and south, east and west, at least a dozen times, but the old rock, erected in the long ago of the Years of the Trees, still keeps her secrets. These peaks were lifted out of the ground by Melkor, Morgoth, the original big bad, way back when as a hindrance to Orome, the Valar who went often abroad on his horse in search of the Firstborn. They're shorter now but still menacing, still sheer and crafty, still a hindrance -- especially to us mortals! What could there be on the other side of this foggy and wretched crag? Well, hobbits of course! It's Lyndelby and you are listening to Beneath Your Feet. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

The North Downs could have been an empty land, but the demands of game design made it a bustling and frightful place with many different factions. Does it work? Let's talk about it! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Rohan is the wide, green sea of grass...but in LOTRO it's full of folks! What do we make of this? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Pirates, a haunted mountain, the stone of Erech. What could go wrong? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Recorded from a live broadcast earlier today: Bilbo's Last Song and an excerpt from Riddles in the Dark. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Nan Curunír, the Wizard's Vale, is a place of terror. When the heroes of Rohan, with Gandalf and the remnants of the Fellowship arrive, they are greeted by a statue of the white hand, the emblem of Saruman, hideous even in its powerlessness. Thanks for checking out these new episodes! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Between the Nimrodel and the Celebrant lies Egladil, the center of Lothlorien. Learn the history and significance of this locale and its place in the legendarium! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

I am joined once again by the inimitable Alberos for a trek through the oldest of forests! We talk about the various locales and its connexion with Fangorn. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Oh, loneliest of lands. Whither would we be without you to carry us from level 20 to 30? Tomeoric (which I sadly mispronounced on the show; it's "toe-MAYO-rick") joins me in a discussion of the high points of the zone, from Weathertop to Agamaur, newbie experiences with the zone, and a few things you may have missed along the way. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Bag End! Most desirable of hobbit holes. The home of the Bagginses is a symbol or entry point into Middle-earth. In this episode we look at the history of the place, its meaning and its layout. Not a bad thing to have to all of you fall festivalers. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

This special episode looks not at a region but the Great River Anduin that flows from the far north, all the way to the sea. It's the great vein of the West of Middle-earth and something we'll be seeing a lot of with the coming Rohan expansion. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Gil-galad was an elven king; of him the harpers sadly sing. This episode, another quick one, explores the beautiful elf starter area of Falathlorn and it's connexions to the fallen kingdom of Lindon and Gil-galad, it's former king. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Short and sweet, this episode takes a quick look at the farm of Bamfurlong and its master, Farmer Maggot. What is his connexion to Tom Bombadil, and why is Frodo so very afraid of him? Have a listen and find out. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Down, down we go! Starry, of Starry Mantle fame, comes along for a trek deep down into the Misty Mountains, where awaits a trove of history; from Bilbo's buttons to Gollum's cave to disco goblins and beyond. Have a listen, my lad! Ho ho, my lad! Yeah, sorry... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Enedwaith is a big, unruly zone, so I had to call in the big, unruly podcasting guns. Syp joins me as we explore and discuss the many, many different areas of the 'middle waste', from its brief history as a forestry center all the way to its involvement with the Dunlendings and Saruman. It's a wild, wild wilderness and one that we think you will enjoy. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

There's queer folk in Buckland, or so the saying goes. Arwen Kester joins me for a look at this odd and wonderful colony of the Shire. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

We are getting closer and closer to Rohan! So with this 14th episode, I have a look at the new(ish) Great River region, specifically the Cuthstan a great statue erected to remind us of the friendship between Gondor and Rohan --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Far over... I'm flying solo again in Episode 13, up and away to the Misty Mountains cold! Join me in a brief look at what makes those Mountains one of the great crossroads of Middle-earth. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Happy Tolkien Reading Day! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

"When four hobbits and a ranger find their way over the Last Bridge and into the Trollshaws they come upon a strange but familiar sight: three stone trolls." Though these three louts are the icons of the Trollshaws, there is a lot more to it than just Bert, Tom, and William. Merric of A Casual Stroll to Mordor joins me as we sift through the autumn leaves and ford-water to find out more of this zone. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Neek-breek! Breek-neek! It rings in your ears like creeping death. The buzzing, the moisture, the stinging and biting, the ruinous spiders and goblins All in a days work for you adventurers passing by Midgewater Marshes. And on the far side comes sweet relief as we find the Weather Hills and its most famousest peak, Weathertop. Have a look around these parts with me and Chris of MMOReporter.com as we go even further beneath your feet; like three inches worth of marshy water further beneath. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Ah, lovely West Angmar. It's like a nuclear waste land, if Sauron had developed the bomb. And who should join me here in this wretched land? Why, Doc Holliday of course! Have a listen and get a better appreciation for the lands of the Witch-king. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Ah, the tail end of the Yule Festival and all the snowballs and goodies that come with it. In this episode I have a look at Turbine's holiday creation and see how well it fits here in Middle-earth. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Ah, the Bridge. It's the first sight a traveler sees before crossing the Baranduin into the Little Land. This week I have a long, hard look at that Bridge and we see who's made it and why, and why it has everything to do with the Shire. Enjoy! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

The West Gate, Durin's Door, the Walls of Moria. For many LotRO players it was a first step into a great beyond, as both the opening to the alien realm of Moria and also as the games first full expansion. This week I have a look at those walls, the story of Bosi and company, and, of course, the Watcher in the Water. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Time to take off to that great, white North (eh?) this week on Beneath Your Feet! I'll be exploring the permafrosted wonderland of Forochel and see what the books have to say and how well LotRO interpreted this frosty zone. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Goldenstar of A Casual Stroll to Mordor joined me this week for a trip to the great lake of Eriador. The ruins of Annuminas, the remnant of Rangers, the sheer beauty of the vista make this an amazingly scenic zone. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

I'm often concerned with the number of proper nouns I use in this show; if you've never read the Silmarillion, it can be a problem. Who are the Noldor? The Vanyar? The Edain? Who are the Valar? My hope is that this episode will fill in some of those gaps for those of you less familiar with the deeper histories of Middle-earth --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Ah, Bree. That quiet crossroads of a village. This week I took a stroll through Bree, musing on its sturdy history. Not unlike the other episodes so far, it's hard to sift through and figure out which information to pack into the tiny amount of allotted time. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

This episode was quite difficult, as it is such a rich zone in locale and history. I didn't want to overload anyone with a huge amount of information and proper nouns, but I didn't want to dilute anything. I wanted to talk about the vistas but not dwell on them. I also wanted to talk mostly about the mountains proper, and not the lowlands included in the same zone in LotRO (Falathlorn and the like); those are for another episode. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Initially I thought that perhaps Hobbiton was too small a space to do a show on but, as you might suspect, so much as a chip opened up a good deal of information to include. It's fun to know that with almost every bit of real estate in Middle-earth there is at least a ladle-full of history, if not a flood. So enjoy the first episode and join me next time for an exploration of Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message

Welcome, one and everyone, to the newest Lord of the Rings Online podcast: Beneath Your Feet! I am starting things off with a brief pilot episode to introduce the podcast and the contest that will get things going. As you listen to the pilot, my hope is that you'll understand where I am coming from with Beneath Your Feet; it is a podcast about LotRO, but moreover it is a podcast about Middle-earth, it's lands, and it's people. Each episode (and I mean to release them bi-monthly) will explore a particular region of the West of Middle-earth and look at it's inhabitants, history, geography, and more. It should be a fun way to learn more about the grand world that J.R.R. Tolkien created and Turbine has interpreted. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lotrobyf/message