[Game] Tantalizing Trivia Quiz

[Romeran]

Tantalizing Trivia Quiz

Welcome to our Tantalizing Trivia Quiz!

Inspired by the Basic Lore quiz thread started by halfir. The rules are set-out below and I will kick-off the Quiz with the first question.

Rules

1. One person asks a question, another answers and then waits until the previous questioner verifies it. If it is correct the person who answered it may then ask a question.
2. Questions should only be taken from The Hobbit, LOTR, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales.
3. Questions should be fun and require some effort, but essentially should be of a nature that a basic knowledge of the specified books can answer.
4. Answers need not have detailed page references as to where the information can be specifically found, but both a book and chapter title reference must be provided, and the answer validated by the questioner.

N.B. Please note the first question is in the following post.

[Romeran]

Tantalizing Trivia Quiz

Question 1

Who ate two whole loaves (with masses of butter and honey clotted cream) and drunk at least a quart of mead?

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Gandalf! (The Hobbit, 'Queer Lodgings')

Sadly, @Romeran, I don't think there are enough of us to sustain the game. But if my answer is correct I will ask (a version of) the question I remember asking on the Old Plaza.

[Romeran]

@Chrysophylax Dives correct!

You’re right that there may not be enough, but I removed the time constraint so as long as some people look it ought to keep moving a little bit maybe.

[Drifa]

I shall play. One never knows what new fact may be discovered. Two or three players are better than none. I will ask Windy to remove this post not to clutter your thread.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Yay! So, this was the question I asked years ago, but on reflection it might not count as 'basic' (all depends where in Middle-earth you most like to hang out):

Where would you go for what is (or was) the best beer in the Eastfarthing?

[Drifa]

Why, the Golden Perch at Stock according to Pippin. TFOTR, A Short Cut To Mushrooms

[Chrysophylax Dives]

:) Correct.

[Drifa]

Who received a jewel red as fire upon a band of gold that came from a King?

[Romeran]

Ulbar's wife was given a jewel red as fire upon a band of gold by Aldarion who had received it from the king of the elves (Gil'galad). Unfinished Tales, Aldarion And Erendis (my favorite story in UT).

[Drifa]

Correct, Romeran! Yes, it is one of my favourites too.

[Romeran]

If I'm honest though, I started looking up quotes about Narya before remembering that part.

Question: who bowed low when he saw he was looking upon one who had elven-blood in his veins?

[Drifa]

Legolas upon seeing Prince Imrahil?

[Romeran]

Legolas looking upon Prince Imrahil is correct. You're up

[Drifa]

Thanks!

Question: Who wrote papers lettered in scarlet and black?

[Romeran]

The Númenóreans.

"Many things there were of beauty and power, such as the Númenóreans had contrived in the days of their wisdom, vessels and jewels, and scrolls of lore written in scarlet and black." (The Silmarillion, Akallabêth)

[Drifa]

Right you are!

[Romeran]

Maybe I should have given more time for others to chime in it was a good question.

Question: Who wanted to row away in a gilded boat?

[Moriel]

How about The Master of Laketown?

[Chrysophylax Dives]

How about The Master of Laketown?

Moriel, book and chapter required!

[Moriel]

Whoops, sorry! The Hobbit, ch 14 Fire and Water

[Drifa]

I forgot too. *bows* TROTK, The Last Debate

[Romeran]

Oh hah yeah whoops lol.

Yep master of laketown is correct @Moriel you are up

[Moriel]

Huzzah!

Question: Who said that sleep and rest had been banished from the Earth?

[Boromir88]

A: Lorien and Este (The Silmarillion: Of the Sun and Moon)

[Moriel]

@Boromir88 Correct! Over to you

[Boromir88]

Thank you, @Moriel. It helps when you’ve recently been reading The Silm. :)

Q: How many palantiri did Isildur escape to Middle-earth with?

[Romeran]

A. Two of seven.

"Many treasures and great heirlooms of virtue and wonder the Exiles had brought from Númenor; and of these most renowned were the Seven Stones and the White tree. [...] Three Elendil took, and his sons each two. [...] They were called the Palantíri, those that watch from afar, but all those that were brought to Middle-earth long ago were lost" (Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age, The Silmarillion)

[Boromir88]

Floor is yours @Romeran :)

[Romeran]

Problem with answering questions is now I have to think of a good question.

Question: Which king was utterly unprepared to meet a charge of chariots?

[Romeran]

Looks like maybe we need a hint.

Question: Which Gondorian king was "utterly unprepared to meet a charge of horse men and chariots in great weight?"

Tolkien only mentions chariots in these texts (LotR, TH, Sil, UT) a very small number of times. This is the occasion they come up the most.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

King Narmacil II (ROTK, Appendix A. (Sorry, I got distracted by Riddles in the Dark in The Shire)

[Romeran]

It is not King Narmacil II although it's a very close relative of his. I'm looking for a specific reference to being "unprepared to meet a charge". RotK Appendix does talk about the Wainriders using chariots and that King Narmacil II dies fighting them but I wasn't being floral with my language it's not in LotR but in another book where they talk about a special bond between Gondor and a close neighbor.

[Drifa]

It was King Ondoher, I believe? Cirion and Eorl, UT.

[Romeran]

It was King Ondoher, I believe? Cirion and Eorl, UT.

Yep

"Ondoher was utterly unprepared to meet a charge of horsemen and chariots in great weight. With his guard and his banner he had hastily taken up a position on a low knoll, but this was to no avail. The main charge was hurled against his banner, and it was captured, his Guard was almost annihilated, and he himself was slain and his son Artamir at his side." (The Unfinished Tales, Cirion and Eorl)

One of the few examples of explicit chariot combat in Tolkien despite the historical ubiquity of chariots, I think the Wainriders are the only ones described as using them.

Floor is yours @Drifa

[Drifa]

Thanks! He died with both his sons—another tragedy.

Because of the unnatural gloom, creatures roamed other woods, moving from other places. Who thought and said this?

[Boromir88]

Oh, this is a tantalizing one @Drifa ...there are several locations that are described as gloomy. "Unnatural gloom" narrows things down and makes me think of the gloom is caused by sorcery.

I've skimmed over a few chapters, and can't find much, so I'm going to take a stab, make an educated guess...Treebeard calls Isengard "the Land of gloom" because of the changes Saruman makes to the place. (The Two Towers: Treebeard)

[Drifa]

No, that is not the answer I am looking for, @Boromir88 . How about beasts in place of creatures as a hint.

[Romeran]

I think we may need another hint @Drifa I was thinking part of the old forest with the barrow-wights and Tom Bombadil or the Drúadan Forest and Ghân-buri-Ghân and yeah something with Fangorn & Treebeard but nothing which quite matches the prompt.

[Drifa]

Okay, here is a hint. The person's name who thought and said this starts with the letter A. Good luck!

[Ercassie]

Throwing in a random guess here, but :

‘It was too dark for sure shooting anyway, and the creature was gone into the gloom of the leaves in a twinkling. But I stayed for a while, for it seemed strange, and then I hastened back. I thought I heard the thing hiss at me from high above as I turned away. A large squirrel, maybe. Perhaps under the shadow of the Unnamed some of the beasts of Mirkwood are wandering hither to our woods. They have black squirrels there, 'tis said.'’

So spoke Anborn, ranger of Faramir’s company, in the Chapter, ‘Window on the West, in TTT

[Drifa]

You are correct! Right on, Ercassie! I couldn't have said it better!

[Ercassie]

Question : Who would have their old friend believe that he still would save them and deliver them from the ruin that drew nigh ?

[Romeran]

Answer: Saruman

"Despite the injuries that have been done to me, in which the men of Rohan, alas! have had some part, still I would save you, and deliver you from the ruin that draws nigh inevitably, if you ride upon this road which you have taken. Indeed I alone can aid you now." (The Two Towers, The Voice of Saruman)

In this case it's Saruman speaking with Théoden.

[Ercassie]

Exactly right, @Romeran. Well done. Your turn !

[Romeran]

The problem with answering trivia questions and riddles is now I have to come up with one

Question: Who thought something was far more likely than the return of the King?

[Chrysophylax Dives]

This is really bugging me. I feel like the answer is just beyond the reach of memory, and none of my reading is providing an answer!

[Romeran]

Oh but this one is so close to home for you

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Arrghhh. A dose of my own medicine. I so enjoyed watching you all LOTRs it on my riddle and now I've been reading what Denethor and Faramir and even Barliman Butterbur had to say about Aragorn!

The Master of Laketown thinks the dwarves are far more likely wandering vagabonds.

No wonder it was nagging at the back of my mind!

[Romeran]

Small taste of your own medicine indeed! I did sort of intentionally try to distract people from the real answer by using the words "return of the king" hoping it would get people thinking more about Aragorn than Thorin.

I'm going to be a minor stickler over the rules but "but both a book and chapter title reference must be provided" please!

Your answer is correct and I have no doubt you'll be able to provide the chapter so @Chrysophylax Dives it's your turn