Elvenquest Trivia Quiz

Answer: Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto

'Elvenquest' has run for four series since 2009 and lovingly parodies the fantasy genre while still managing to tell an engaging and, mostly, coherent story. One of the show's great strengths is that it still manages to appeal to listeners like myself, who have little or no interest in the fantasy genre and little knowledge of the source material the show is spoofing. Anil Gupta has claimed in interviews that it was important to the writers that the show was more than just a Tolkien parody, and that they intended for the programme to have a distinct setting and characters and compelling narrative, all of which they have achieved brilliantly.

Answer: Lower Earth

Lower Earth is an obvious parody of Tolkien's Middle-earth, teeming, as it is, with various fantastical creatures such as elves and nymphs and being engaged in an age-old war between the forces of good and evil.

Answer: The Sword of Asnagar

Most episodes begin with the questers hearing a rumour that the Sword of Asnagar is to be found in some far-flung part of Lower Earth, the journey to which invariably involves travelling through dangerous and discouragingly named places like the Swamp of Despair and the Forest of Certain Death.

The Questers believe that, in order to finally defeat the forces of evil in Lower Earth, they must find the sword and give it to the 'Chosen One' to wield. The Sword of Asnagar makes a couple of brief appearances in the show but it invariably disappears again pretty quickly and the quest continues.

Answer: Amis

The first ever episode of 'Elvenquest opens at a book-signing by moderately successful fantasy novelist, Sam Porter. The mundane event takes a turn for the spectacular when Sam is approached by an elf lord, a warrior princess and a dwarf warrior who proceed to kidnap his dog, Amis.

While trying to prevent the Questers from stealing Amis, Sam is accidentally dragged back through the portal to Lower Earth with them. When he arrives in Lower Earth, Amis is delighted to discover that he has now become human and, not only that, but he is being treated as a saviour by most of the inhabitants of the strange new world in which he finds himself.

Despite now being a man, Amis retains many of his canine traits, being preoccupied with food, getting excited when someone knocks at the door and finding it impossible not to join in games of fetch. Amis is very loyal and sweet-natured, though not terribly bright, and is ready and eager to accept the position of 'Chosen One', even with all of its potential dangers.

Despite now being a human, he still adores his former owner, Sam, and generally follows his lead in all things. Amis is played by Dave Lamb.

Answer: Darren Boyd

Vidar is extraordinarily idiotic and relies on his far more competent and intelligent fellow Questers whenever intelligence is required. However, despite his utter lack of wisdom, Vidar is brave and noble and dedicated to the fight against evil. He has been appointed leader of the Questers because he is the highest-born of them all. Vidar is brilliantly played by Darren Boyd, who has some of the funniest lines in the show.

Answer: Penthiselea

Penthiselea is a mighty warrior who, along with Dean, provides the muscle for the group. Penthiselea has brains as well as brawn and is usually able to keep a level head and often warns the others about potential danger, even though they fail to listen to her, often leading to them falling into traps. Penthiselea is betrothed to Vidar but Sam also has a very serious and unrequited crush on her.

Ingrid Oliver took over the role of Penthiselea for the fourth series as Sophie Winkleman was unavailable for the recordings.

Answer: Kevin Eldon

Despite his diminutive height, Dean is a fierce and fearsome fighter, he also has to spend a great deal of time chaperoning Vidar, explaining simple concepts to him and trying to prevent him getting into too much trouble. Dean is constantly spoiling for a fight and, if no enemies are available, he will usually needle Sam. Kevin Eldon is a very familiar voice on BBC Radio, appearing in numerous programmes including his own eponymous show 'Kevin Eldon Will See You Now'.

Answer: Stephen Mangan

After Sam finds himself in Lower Earth with a now human Amis and surrounded by elves, pixies and other fantastic races, he is initially convinced he is halucinating. When Sam realises that it is real, he demands to return home, unfortunately, the Questers explain to him that the only way to re-open the portal to his world is to find the Sword of Asnagar and place it in the hands of the 'Chosen One'. Sam reluctantly agrees to join Vidar and the gang on their quest and, despite being completely averse to fighting and desperate to avoid danger of any kind, he becomes a valuable member of the team as his problem-solving skills, common sense and sense of cynicism prove valuable weapons which are otherwise missing from the Questers' arsenal. Sam is cowardly, sarcastic, negative and quite self-centred, but he is smart and quick-witted and can also be a good friend in times of trouble. Stephen Mangan is a highly respected actor who has appeared in numerous comedy shows on both radio and television.

Answer: Alistair McGowan

Lord Darkness is a delightfully campy villain and is probably my favourite character. He spends a lot of time discussing his credentials as the lord of all things dark and evil, but, as an embodiment of wickedness, he is remarkably unsuccessful. Lord Darkness is always hatching some plan to steal the Sword of Asnagar and defeat the Questers but, in reality, he ends up saving the Questers from other evil creatures far more often than he threatens them. Alistair McGowan is a brilliant actor and impressionist who has appeared in many BBC radio comedy shows including 'The Harpoon', 'Hair in the Gate' and 'Young Postmen'.

Answer: Kreech

Kreech is a snivelling, craven, foul creature who is devoted to Lord Darkness and is his principal assistant. We are never told exactly what type of creature Kreech is, we just learn that he is extremely hideous and has some disgusting habits. Despite being the sidekick to the most evil man in Lower Earth, most of Kreech's duties involve tidying up Lord Darkness' castle and generally fussing around him, making their relationship more like that of an old married couple than the embodiment of evil and his faithful minion. Kreech is also played by the versatile Kevin Eldon.