The White Council assaults Dol Guldur?

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by alatar

When Gandalf and/or the White Council were sitting around trying to figure out what this new power that had blackened the Greenwood was, just what were the possibilities? I think that they may have considered the Úlairi, but if not these, who or what else could have inspired the title, "The Necromancer?" Surely the Wise had a short list of interesting persons.

(TA 1100 The Wise (the Istari and the chief Eldar) discover that an evil power has made a stronghold at Dol Guldur. It is thought to be one of the Nazgûl.) Tale of Years

For a thousand years (TA 1100 until TA 2060-63) the Wise thought that Dol Guldur's master was one of the Nine. It looks like nobody had objections to a lone nazgul living in the vicinity.

Personally, I suppose that given all the problems they have had with the Witch-King of Angmar (whose identity as the Lord of the Nazgul long remained hidden), it might be that they took the WK for Sauron returned and overlooked "a nazgul" in Mirkwood?

Anyway, by 2060, the Nine in Minas Morgul were probably all counted. So the question remained: Who was the tenth guy in Mirkwood?

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Gordis

Anyway, by 2060, the Nine in Minas Morgul were probably all counted. So the question remained: Who was the tenth guy in Mirkwood?

It just strikes me as odd as well, as you'd think that Gandalf et al would be able to detect one of the Nine pretty easily. Why all of the snooping around and spying? Surely a few elves and wizards could clean house, as it were, if it were simply one (or all) of the Nine.

But if it weren't one of the Nazgul, who else in Middle Earth could it be?