james.athrabeth.com

Well met friends! I’m James, the host and GM for @athraplay.athrabeth.com, an actual play RPG podcast exploring the lesser told stories in Tolkien’s Middle-earth, using The One Ring rpg system! New episodes drop on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month!

In episode 95, we celebrate #Westmoot, with our live show, “Disasters, Downfalls, and Dives” with special guests Clare Moore and Tori Owens! Thanks for joining us @clarelmoore.bsky.social and @itstoriello.bsky.social! Thanks for having us, @westmoot.org! athrabeth.simplecast.com/episodes/epi...

This month, we chat with Kelly from themiddlepage about her exciting Year of Tolkien Book Club! We hear how she makes Tolkien’s complex themes accessible by deeply exploring his essays, poetry and medieval literature. 💚 Thanks, @themiddlepage.bsky.social! athrabeth.simplecast.com/episodes/epi...

I just want all @athraplay.athrabeth.com listeners to know that I placed a music marker in the next episode, titled "Exeunt, Stage Lesbian." Which character(s) could be involved??? ANY of them! Yes, even (and especially) Nionwë.

Finally had the time and bandwidth to do a new Loremaster’s Corner for @athraplay.athrabeth.com, looking at one small piece of the wacky history of the elves. Long ago, I aspired to make something like This American Life, and this kinda scratches that itch, but, you know, about elves

Woooooo new AthraPlay day! What are these little rascals going to get up to this time? Have you check out @athraplay.athrabeth.com yet? We’ll be at Westmoot this year! 💖

Yes! That’s right! @athraplay.athrabeth.com will be doing a live actual play show at @westmoot.org this year! We’re so excited!

I’m so proud of @stef.athrabeth.com and @jude.athrabeth.com for being shortlisted (again!) by the Tolkien Society for Best Online Content for @podcast.athrabeth.com!!! Being behind the scenes, I know how much work they’ve put into every episode, each and every month, for nearly 8 years!

Real life has a tendency to assert itself. That’s why I’m so excited to be getting back to the table today with @athraplay.athrabeth.com !!

Every good program needs to do their own spin on A Christmas Carol. We hope you enjoy A Christmas Cael! Happy Holidays from your pals at AthraPlay 🎄❄️🎁 www.athrabethnetwork.com/athraplay-ep... #lotr #athraplay #ttrpg #actualplay #actualplaypodcast

Tracy absolutely outdid themselves with the edit and soundscape for this episode! It’s seriously so good!!!

This is probably the most in-depth soundscaping I've done for an actual play. It was like scoring a movie. A funny, touching, balrog sex-referencing Christmas movie. It was a blast!

It was the night before Christmas And all through the house Not a creature was stirring Not even Cael... PSYCH it's a Christmas Cael!!! www.athrabethnetwork.com/athraplay-ep...

Well it looks like Christmas has come early from our pals at @athraplay.athrabeth.com! 🎁 Check out “A Christmas Cael”- a very faithful, not-at-all silly, totally serious retelling of A Christmas Carol!👻 Happy holidays from the Athrabeth Podcast Network!✨ athraplay.simplecast.com/episodes/ath...

Happy birthday to the love of my life, my best friend, and my partner in everything, @stef.athrabeth.com !!! Through the highest highs and lowest lows, you are my everything!

You recall the Council of Elrond, where the decision was made to take the ring to Mordor? Well, tune in to @athraplay.athrabeth.com episode 26 for the less impactful, but far funnier Dinner Party of Elrond!

The best character conversation while on watch in RPGs feel like those nights when you’re young and you and a friend go and look at the sea or the stars and talk about big things. So yes, I did just use a Midwest Emo song in our fantasy Tolkien podcast. @athraplay.athrabeth.com

Nothing like editing a podcast that you appear on to give yourself a complex about how loud you’re breathing and how often you say “sorta” 🫠 That said, this upcoming episode of @athraplay.athrabeth.com is one of my absolute favorites.

As much as we’d love to spend all our time making AthraPlay, sometimes life gets in the way! This week’s episode will be slightly delayed and will release this Friday, 8/29. The Moist Murder Moose just needs a little more time to set. 🫠

It was expensive, but I bit the bullet and plunked down the cash for some audio repair plugins, and my god was it worth it. Plosives and mouth noises now cower in fear of my DAW!

So this is what I’ve been doing this week. I may have a problem… (The problem is now I need to buy more kits.)

One of my favorite things about the Hobbits played by @stef.athrabeth.com in @athraplay.athrabeth.com & Athrabeth Hobbitween games are the utterly ridiculous, but completely plausible hobbit relatives. Hildi had a cousin who was lost down a gopher-made sinkhole! Sounds like a Bracegirdle…🙄

It’s not totally done, but I think Calibarn turned out pretty well for a first attempt!

We recorded @athraplay.athrabeth.com episode 16 so long ago, I’d forgotten it contained a wild digression about the accent of the Valar in the show being a southern drawl, which ends with the coining of the phrase “By Morgoth’s mullet!” One episode in to season 2 and the wheels are already off!

I’m editing the next episode of @podcast.athrabeth.com and @jude.athrabeth.com & @stef.athrabeth.com are cracking me up! I always love how their on-air chemistry just feels like hanging out with friends talking about nerdy stuff!

I’m currently on the best, most exciting phase of staring a new hobby: the buying all the stuff part! Let’s see if it actually goes anywhere! 🤗

“I’m not especially reliable… but you can rely on me.” One of many standout lines in @athraplay.athrabeth.com episode 15. 😭😭😭 Out tomorrow!

I’ve been experimenting with some new music sources for season two of @podcast.athrabeth.com, which is responsible for one of my favorite moments in the new episode: Lofi dwarven hall morning beats to run away from your problems to.

There is no greater feeling as a GM than dropping a bombshell cliffhanger on your players then immediately ending the session. Their cries of frustration keep me young! @athraplay.athrabeth.com love you all!

AthraPlay in a nutshell: Nik: “I guess this is the first time Cael’s not wearing armor…” Everyone 😳: “What IS Cael wearing?!” We know what’s important.

This next episode of @athraplay.athrabeth.com is a beast! It’s double length and jam packed. Come for the slow burn romance, character revelations, and self doubt, and stay for deep thoughts about rice!