This Saturday at 6pm EDT, Hall of Fire journeys to the hidden Gondorian fastness of Henneth Annûn with Frodo and Sam as we resume our Lord of the Rings chapter chats.
There, safe from the forces The Dark Lord, Captain Faramir tries to untangle the riddle of the strange halflings that have chanced into his territory, while Frodo and Sam attempt to keep their mission, and the true nature of Isildur’s Bane, secret.
Faramir smiled grimly. `Then you would grieve to learn that Boromir is dead? ‘
‘I would grieve indeed,’ said Frodo. Then catching the look in Faramir’s eyes, he faltered. ‘Dead?’ he said. ‘Do you mean that he is dead, and that you knew it? You have been trying to trap me in words, playing with me? Or are you now trying to snare me with a falsehood?’
Continue reading “Hall of Fire chat today: the Window on the West”
This Saturday (at 6pm ET (New York time)) Hall of Fire will be talking about the valiant shieldmaiden of the Rohirrim — Éowyn, the White Lady of Rohan.
For a while she was silent, as if pondering what this might mean. Then suddenly she laid her hand on his arm. ‘You are a stern lord and resolute,’ she said; ‘and thus do men win renown.’ She paused. ‘Lord.’ she said, ‘if you must go, then let me ride in your following. For I am weary of skulking in the hills, and wish to face peril and battle.’
Éowyn, the White Lady of Rohan Continue reading “Hall of Fire this Saturday: Éowyn, the White Lady of Rohan”
This weekend, Hall of Fire (at 6pm ET (New York time)), Hall of Fire will return to our chapter-by-chapter read-through of The Lord of the rings, rejoining Frodo, Sam and Gollum as they leave the Dagorlad and make their way into Ithilien.
‘Hi! Gollum!’ said Sam. ‘Where are you going? Hunting? Well see here, old noser, you don’t like our food, and I’d not be sorry for a change myself. Your new motto’s always ready to help. Could you find anything fit for a hungry hobbit?’
‘Yes, perhaps, yes,’ said Gollum. ‘Sméagol always helps, if they asks –- if they asks nicely.’
‘Right!’ said Sam `I does ask. And if that isn’t nice enough, I begs.’
Continue reading “Hall of Fire this Saturday: Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit”
Just like the TORn website itself, our Barliman’s chatrooms are pretty venerable in internet terms. Near enough as we can tell, we’ve been around since September 18, 1999 (that’s as far back as records go, anyhow).
Over that 14-year timespan we’ve had thousands of chatters come through our doors. Of course, the internet being what it is, times change and people move onto other things. Which is why we’ve declared today (a little later today between 4pm ET and 8pm ET, in fact) to be Barlimoot — a TORnchat drop-in day where folks who used to chat in times past can gather and catch up! So drop on in later and say hello! Order something from Barli (and discover all thge new commands). Who knows what old faces (or nicks) you might run into? Continue reading “Are you a Barliman’s chatter of old? Join us later today in the chat for a Barlimoot catch-up!”
This weekend (Saturday at 6pm ET) the Hall of Fire will be detouring from our regular book chats back into movie-land as we head into spoiler-land and pull apart the new trailer for The Desolation of Smaug in what’s sure to be an entertaining and enlightening discussion.
Bard: You have no right to enter that mountain!
Thorin: I have every right.
The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug trailer chat and analysis! Continue reading “Hall of Fire chat today: Hobbit trailer discussion and analysis!”
This Saturday (at 6pm ET (New York time)), Hall of Fire will return to our chapter-by-chapter read-through of The Lord of The rings, rejoining Frodo, Sam and Gollum as they finally approach the gates of the Black Land.
Across the mouth of the pass, from cliff to cliff, the Dark Lord had built a rampart of stone. In it there was a single gate of iron, and upon its battlement sentinels paced unceasingly. Beneath the hills on either side the rock was bored into a hundred caves and maggot-holes: there a host of orcs lurked, ready at a signal to issue forth like black ants going to war. None could pass the Teeth of Mordor and not feel their bite, unless they were summoned by Sauron, or knew the secret passwords that would open the Morannon, the black gate of his land.
Continue reading “Hall of Fire this Saturday: the Black Gate is Closed”
