A Light from the Shadow (Tolkien CKII)

The Land of Stone part 1
It is time you are introduced to the greatest bastion of mortal strength remaining in Arda. According to themselves of course. You remember Arathorn's crowning and you could nearly smell the arrogance of most of the Gondorian delegation. You are not in the position to cast the first stone but you sincerely do not understand. Yes the Dunedain fought against Morgoth and the Three Houses never faltered. Although you consider darkly the blood of the Easterlings mingled with the blood of the House of Hador after the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. They received for their part in the defeat of the Shadow the island of Numenor where…

You are not given to blaspheme the Valar and rebellion is perhaps an inheritance of the Ages you were astray from the proper path. Yet you see the problems of the establishment of Andor. It reminds you of the decision to take the Elves to Valinor with the same results. The resemblance is indeed uncanny. The greater part of the Children are taken from Middle-Earth to dwell in bliss. You laugh grimly to yourself. Yes Morgoth was mighty, and courageous are the Men who took arms against his evil. Yet the rest of the world did not live in bliss and peace and those Aftercomers who stopped their journey to Beleriand were harried by those faithful to the Black Foe. Rogue Umaiar and even the Houseless Ones established themselves as gods over a frightened people and some Avari even sinned in adopting divine honor and splendor.

Then. You would think the catastrophe of the Noldor in Valinor would have taught the Powers some things. Or perhaps the abandonment of the Fathers of Men to Morgoth' malice. Or perhaps your own long war under the stars when under the command of Sauron you issued from Angband to torment the people of Doriath ere sun and moon were made. The power of Numenor slowly grew and Sauron grew in might and power quicker than they. Yes long his power was checked by Gil-Galad in the West and he dared not enter elven lands in apparel of war. Yet his yoke was harsh on the Men of the South and East. If you hear some of the Gondorians complain about how the Haradrim and the Easterlings worship Sauron, you are of a mind to ask them what they would do when confronted to the power of the chief of the Umaïa, without the lore and help of the Firstborn.

Numenor was eaten away from within well before Sauron even boarded the island. You asked Elrond for a lay of the Downfall and it was instructive indeed. Made prideful by their gifts, the Numenoreans turned impious and coveted immortality before enslaving those they deemed lesser. And as far as you know, while the Faithful rue the first part, they still consider the great empire of Numenor at its height as a good thing that brought civilization to the world. When you see the wastes of Enedwaith where they took all the forests for their shipyards, you wonder how the natives would describe their civilization. Fortunately they stopped when they established their kingdoms in exile.

Nay! They continued to consider themselves superior to others. You have been attentive to the Dunedain of the North and their tales. Yes the Hill-Men flocked to Angmar's banner but they were preceded and strengthened by fell Dunedains with hearts of steel and great cruelty who considered the Witch-King and his court as heirs to the fallen island. In Gondor they fought a civil war when their king married one of the Northmen. What they would have done, you wonder, if Valacar had wedded one of the Easterlings or the Haradrim. They did not fight a brutal civil war when Beruthiel was their queen and you are pretty sure she was Black Numenorean. From whence she came you do not know. Master of Lore as he is, even Elrond was too slow at this stage to acquire the records of Minas Tirith before most references to her were edited out.

So you are not very happy when you come to the dens where the wolves make their home. Gondor is too far away for you to make the journey on foot. So you call:

"Anarmë. I require your help." The mother of the pack herself came to you, a great beast nearly two meters in length, strong enough to bear you. Gladly she assents for even as they are mere beasts who have no hope of the Secret Fire your coming brought peace even to wolves.

"Wither will I carry you Herald?"

"To Gondor where Beregond reigns." You answer with a smile. "Let them see wolves come in peace and not seeking children for their feast." She laughs as a wolf can laugh for even those descended from the hounds of Angband know to seek easier preys than Humans, at least when hunger drives them not to frenzy. Still even at wolf's run it is a long journey from the East-Gate to the White Mountains. Long yet not dangerous for you can follow in peace the Nimrodel until the Anduin and then follow the Great River all the way to Gondor. Even the desolations of the Emyn Muil are sure for the moment. The Orcs of Mordor cross neither the Dead Marshes nor the Dargorlad and thus they are not found there. Even the Ithilien is held by Gondor at the moment. You have some trouble realizing the full import of this. Now a traveler could follow the road from Mithlond to Greenwood or from the Lake Evendim to Dol Amroth without being harried by more than common bandits. Never since the days of Gil-Galad and before it was so.

And you see Minas Tirith who seems sculpted from the mountain itself as you ride through the Pelennor, taking the winding roads through the summer harvest. Many who sees you gapes at Anarmë but they see your robes and your staff and they leave well enough alone. Gandalf and Saruman travel this road as often as they like. You are welcomed through the gates. And there you wonder. You did not warn Beregond of your coming. Notably because you are here primarily as an Istar and not an ambassador. That part always comes but it was judged best by Kzorg to dissociate both roles. Also Gandalf and Saruman confirmed that among the kingdoms of the west, the process of granting audience to one of the Istari is "as soon as possible". Your companions also provided a list of places to visit.

Choose 1
[] The Archives of the White Tower: Full of lore and loremasters. They risk to be a little crowded as some of the Wise' priorities are delving the Council that refused the crown of Gondor to Arvedui. Still it is perhaps the most furnished mortal library you can access. (The Archives of Khazad-Dum will be opened to you the day you find a Silmaril according to the loremasters of the Dwarves)

[] The Training Yards: Gondor maintains a large army force and they have access to massive facilities for their training. Moreover most of the Gondorian Nobility are warriors and train daily for the conflicts with the hosts of Morgul. The ruins of Osgiliath are attacked with some regularity and an attack against Ithilien is still possible, or against the southern borders by the Umbari. A good place apparently to find Belecthor, the son of the Ruling Steward.

[] The Taverns of the Third Circle: Yes Gondor has its underbelly just like all society. You doubted that but then you saw the Elves of Rivendell singing and well… You thought Elves were meant to be temperate before being corrected by Elrond and Galadriel. The perspective of the common man is interesting because it seems so less important for those in power. Also your healing of Palantir has allowed you to understand a bit about Man's desire to escape the world.

[] The White Tower: Ask an audience from Beregond and look at the nobility in Gondor as they plot and play like in any land. You will perhaps be driven to murder the lot of them for they are foolish and prideful but you can hold your choler just fine. Still you have interest to understand what subjects you are going to discuss with the Steward. He is a fine warrior having destroyed the Orcs who migrated southwards during the War but Gondor is not part of the Councils of the Wise and has not been for some time.