Well... my verbosity strikes again?
[X] Plan Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness
[X] Arnor
-[X] Offer to go to the Barrow Downs and take care of the Wights there, personally and permanently. Confer with Miriel as to how widespread the wights are and choose backup from among the Elves, Men and Dwarves as available. Preferably some Lothlorien Elves, plus some Dunedain to act as guides and trackers, given that it's their region and they know it best. With proper manpower, you should still be able to spend a fair bit of time in Moria seeing to your people.
-[X] Meanwhile, Imladris should work with Miriel to scout the northern lands and see how much of the area can be immediately secured and if a front can or should be preemptively established North of the Angle. Whatever happens in the Barrow Downs will either reveal Nazgul presence or, if absent, indicate that it's actually in the North where the Witch King (or whoever else) are working from at present. One of the Istari or Glorfindel may need to be involved in this.
-[X] Meanwhile, steps could be taken to make Arnor properly habitable again, starting with Enedwaith. Whatever stasis is on the land, whether because of the Rule of Ringbearers in ancient times or the Witch King's last act of spite, or both, should be lifted and the land made ready to resettle. As it is now, it's all just going to waste. Any two Istari and perhaps Glorfindel should take lead on this. They can take a time to weigh odds and what effort would be required to achieve this, as well as provide a time frame for what will clearly be a long-term, concerted effort. It should be possible to do in stages (Enedwaith and Minhiriath should get priority).
-[X] By next year, you should have finished dealing with the Barrow Wights and the situation North will be sufficiently scouted. At that point, the decision can be taken to either wage war in the North, or start a concerted effort between Dunedain and Rivendell, or the Grey Havens by the West, to see the ethereal threats dealt with and gloom banished.
-[X] Long-term, once Enedwaith, at the very least, is cleansed and made ready, the area would make a good place to establish anyone if they agree to abide by the law and custom of Arnor. Perhaps thoughts should be given to the idea of letting the Dunlendings settle there, under Dunedain supervision and guidance. Pacts can be drafted to ensure the claim of the Dunedain on Arnor is maintained, while also removing the Dunlendings from being a threat to Rohan, who are dealing with enough problems due to the Orcs assailing them right now.
--[X] Perhaps some of the less reclusive elves could take over from Radagast and teach Dunlendings how to make better tools and use their land to the fullest? Then Radagast could help with the cleansing of the gloom upon Arnor, even as the Dunlendings would learn better living and how to better use their existing lands no matter what happens later. Contingent on them stopping the feud with Rohan of course.
-[X] In any case, immediate action should be taken regarding the Harad situation as well. Perhaps start by sending spies and establishing an underground movement to rescue people and support rebellion? It would probably be difficult if the skin tone and bearing is so very different between the North people and theirs though. Deliver weapons? The lack of means to fight back historically makes the difference between a snuffed rebellion and a successful revolution. All that remains is to figure out who can make and deliver the weapons, and who to deliver them
to.
--[X] Long-term, Umbar will probably have to be dealt with and its power broken before Harad can act freely. A rebellion in Harad might have to be staged while a Fellowship of Heroes ventures into Umbar to hunt down and eradicate the Sauron cult.
-[X] You yourself would be best positioned to debunk Sauron's claims of divinity, being the closest thing to a peer currently walking the world, but it is too soon to forsake your responsibilities to the newest Children of Eru. Additionally, you are not blind to the possibility of Adunaphael's open activities being a blatant attempt to draw you and the other powers out. The possibility of Unhoused umaiar fleeing south in the wake of Arnor's cleansing is also worth considering: it would do the most good, perhaps, if you were in Harad or Umbar at the same time as the Unhoused flee in that direction, if they do, so that you can deal with them and any sorcerers they bind themselves to if it comes down to it.
The last two subpoints could probably be taken out and used in a subsequent update, but this is more or less what I'm thinking of.
What to do with the rings is still up for debate, though getting Thrain's off his finger should probably be done fast given prior observations of him.
I'm assuming the Haradrim don't have the means to fight back right now, and that all the weapons, equipment and attack beasts in LOTR were recent developments. Because if the Haradrim WERE as well equipped as depicted there, I don't see why they wouldn't have long ago revolted against slavery by what is, by all means, a very small section of population in comparison.
@ganonso, how fast can we travel in Maia form? Because if we can travel at the speed of the wind, we might be able to cleanse the Barrow Downs AND help scout North, leaving Gandalf and/or Radagast and/or Glorfindel free to start preparations for the cleanup in Southern Eriador. I assume we're still landbound so this is probably a pipedream, but who knows with these things. Figure I may as well ask.
