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Old 11-30-2017, 05:24 AM   #13
Huinesoron
Overshadowed Eagle
 
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Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: The north-west of the Old World, east of the Sea
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Huinesoron is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.Huinesoron is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.
White Tree

Morthoron - that got pretty bleak! But I can't argue the broad strokes (though the idea of a Gondorian Caligula is... kind of hard to grasp). I still think that, in a universe where Iluvatar is proven to exist and prone to 'magical' intervention (such as making the new White Tree sprout on cue... not the big stuff, but the little interventions), breaking of an oath to Him is going to have consequences, though.

So, going back to the original question: what sort of fault lines do I think might form between Gondor and Rohan?

To start with, I don't think it's accurate to speak of 'Gondor' at all. The House of Telcontar ruled the Reunited Kingdom, and did so from both Minas Anor and Annuminas. Gondor was undoubtedly the more urban half - but Arnor was the home of both Elessar and Arwen. If we're following the Roman model, the kings of Gondor would be exceptionally proud of their Elvish ancestry, so would likely spend rather more time in Arnor than they should (particularly if they have access to the libraries of Rivendell).

There seem to be as many as thirteen named lordships of Gondor, with two (Ithilien and Dol Amroth) being full principalities. Both of those would have a strong claim to authority in Gondor, and I can think of a few stories that might spread discord. Who says the House of Telcontar is even legitimate? What, we're supposed to believe it stayed intact for a thousand years in the wilderness? Please. The Line of the Stewards is truly ancient, and would be far better rulers than the absentee kings. Oh, sure, the legendary King Elessar married an elf-maid - but elves are just myths made up by villagers on the borders of Lorien, aren't they? ['Lorien' here including East Lorien, and roughly marking the north boundary of Gondor's influence.] Besides, the Princes of Dol Amroth have elvish blood too - proper Elvish blood, not the half-elven Arwen - and again, they're here...

With the stage set for a Gondorian civil war, Rohan would be at the forefront of everyone's minds. I don't think the kings of the Mark would break the Oath first - they're much less cosmopolitan than Gondor, so will believe more keenly in the consequences. But an arrogant king of House Telcontar, who believes his elvish blood makes him superior to basically everyone, could well ignore a plea for aid from Rohan - particularly if he happened to be in the north when they were attacked (from the east? New Wainriders, maybe?). And if the Kings have broken their oath, then the Stewards will be right there to point out that it was their line that swore it first, and that they have no intention of breaking the trust...

I think this is one of those scenarios that can't really go any further, because it becomes about the personalities, and those would be completely invented. Would the Lord of Lossarnach side with the King or the Princes? That depends on how well he got on with the king, and whether the House of Telcontar had recently intermarried with his. One thing that can be considered, though, is the enclaves: the Drúadan Forest, the Shire, and the Treegarth of Orthanc/Fangorn Forest. All three are supposed to be inviolate, and all three are capable of defending themselves vigorously at need. The Shire is probably safe; there's no-one in the north to attack them. But Rohan would probably like to cut wood in Fangorn, and the Gondorians in Anorien would love access to their own local wood supply... unless, of course, the King had already attempted to reclaim it.

hS
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