"An alliance is not nessasary. Can to see, even though they may not say it outright. Men are calling for our help. If we do not help they will surly be overrun. Of this I am certian. If we do not answer this cry for help who will? When no one answers the call of men and the witch-king comes knocking on the doors of our homes it will be too late to deliberate and ponder. If we wish to keep our families safe, we must fight. And it would be better to fight on the land of Men than on our beloved homeland. Lord Elrond, do you really wish to have elfin blood spilled on our homelands?"
"If you do not want to see the blood of Elves spilled needlessly," says Elrond, "then you should appreciate the reasons why the leaders of our kind have not involved themselves in this war. To do so would most certainly lead to the loss of our homelands. I will forgive you this disrespect, and implication that I am simply doing nothing for no reason whilst others suffer, on the grounds of your youth and inexperience.
I will make this clear- only one thing will result from us sending armies to this war. The Elvish Havens will fall."
"Elrond speaks the truth," says the representative from the Mirkwood. "King Thranduril at least has a standing force, which is more than can be said for the three Havens. But our forces are occupied. The Mirkwood is full with a lingering evil- and Angmar is not the only place where darkness festers. There is something growing at Dol Guldur. The Mirkwood has already lost its status as the Greenwood. Each day it grows more corrupt. Aid the humans? We need THEIR aid. Our lands are increasingly pressed."
"Dol Guldur is our worry also," says the represenative from Lorien. "Lady Galadriel certainly feels that that is the greater problem. Once already this age we sent forces to combat Angmar- until we are certain that the peril is absolute we will not risk another. Those that we lose cannot be replaced, and we need all we an get. We have no army, no more than do the Lords Elrond or Cirdan."
"Cirdan thanks there is much to worry about," says the representative from Mithlond- all Cirdan sent other than Corlindel- "but he agrees with Elrond that death is all that awaits any intervention that is given. Perhaps you should continue with your story, Lord Elrond, so that all may understand."
"Although I do not like Lord Elronds decision I can understand it, First and Formost you must keep your own havens safe. It is what any reasonable person would do. Arnor is nothing with an elven army, which will only buy time for now, when it means the destruction of the elves. Waiting till the time is more right seems like a better idea indeed"
Elrond nods.
"So," he says, "Arnor was divided into three, and Angmar was set up in secret alongside Rhudaur. The Witch-King started to gather his forced- a mixture of Orcs and Dunlendings from the Hills, to whom he promised land and power, and well he has made on that promise. The Dunlendings can support the Orcs by day, and the Orcs support them by night. The armies are tough and independant, and above all, very very numoerous.
"Rhudaur was rotted from the inside. The baleful presence of Angmar undid it. The Dunlendings gained a foothold there almost without a fight. By the time anyone realised what was going on, a powerful Dunlending 'nobleman', if you can give them that title, had already effectivrly seized power from the Dunlendings. When Angmar actually unleased its invasion, the Rhudaur royal fmaily was wiped out in one move. It was less than a century since Angmar was formed, and Rhudaur had already fallen.
The Witch-King's armies then continued their advance into Cardolan. All too late, the kindgoms of Arnor ceased their internal strife and turned their attention towards Angmar. A great battle was fought, the battle of Amon Sul, at Weathertop. There asembled the three armies of Arnor- the surviving armies of Rhudaur, and the Grand armies of Cardolan and Arthedain, and sent against them was the Witch-King's horde.
Sadly, here the attidue of man became clear. Deciding the fight was already lost, all Arthedain;s army did was arrive first, recover the palantir from Weathertop, and then run away to leave the other armies to fend for themslves. The battle of Amon Sul was a victory for Angmar. All hope for Rhudaur died that day; it has ever since been a place of evil only, run by the Dunlendings for these past five and a half centuries. The grand army of Cardolan was destroyed as well, and only by fleeing to the Dowans in the West did its nobles survive. Arthedain claimed it had saved the palantir, but Cardolan would never forgive its neighbour.
Cardolan nearly ceased to exist also, But it is at this point, when Angmar was about to destroy the world of Man, and it semeed very likely indeed that we would face invasion also, that we took to the field. This was not an easy decision. The days of the Last Alliance were gone. Man had brought his doom upon himself. Few wanted to die for this folly. It was Man's age, and the days of us taking part in the afiirs of the world should have been over. But we thought if we intervened just this once, to save Cardolan, then Man could re-build, chastened, and it would not happen again. This was the only condition on which I could get Galadirel to aid me. Concentrating our forces as best as possible, we took advantage of the disordered state of the Witch-King's armies after the battle of Amon-Sul, we struck against his forces and drove him back to Angmar. And there we have waited, keeping a long watch on those borders, ever since.
"We had hoped that Cardolan would re-build. It never did. This was in part due to fate- the Great Plague spread from Gondor to Cardolan at this time, and wiped out the rest of the royal line. By a small compensation of fortune, Arthedain was unaffected. But it ws also due to human pride; suddenly, every minor Lord and noble in Cardolan saw himself as the new King, and it broke apart. Now, thre IS no Cardolan, just a geogrpahic area full of petty Men fighting for petty influence and heeding nothing of the danger at their doorstep.
Only Arthedain has remained intact, and with some honour and dignity. There, still, is preserved the line of Kingfs unbroken since Isildur. Some have been better than others. King Arvedui of this time is better than most, Arthedain is strong, and acts with purpose.
But now, after all this time, Angmar has grown strong again. We no longer have the force to maintain our watch. I had to withdraw our Elves there back to Imladris. Angmar is now home to a mighty host indeed- so large that none can successfully count its size, though it is estimated at some half a million on foot. Arthedain has frantically built defences to fortify against this host, and has so far resisted it. One day the Witch-King will make his strike. And here is where some worry, and where I understand the concerns of many of you, who feel that Arthedain will not survive that strike.
"That is the situation today. We no longer have the strength to hold back Angmar. Only one of the three Human realms of Arnor remains intact. Will it hold? Could we, or should we, move to aid it? And if so, in whidch way? These are the concerns we all have."
*stands up and starts pacing around speaking aloud but as if he was talking to himself*
"500.000 strong? The evil at work in Angmar defies believes, No offencive move against an army of 500.000 could work. Arthedain might be strong, but it will not hold back a siege of 500.000 orcs and who knows what else. Those odds are folly, yet again we must try there is no other option. But riding out against an army of 500.000 is folly, We should build up defences and try and weaken them as much as possible, keeping a massive amount of troops in reserves and try and lure them apart, then we might have a chance...."
*looks up and speaks with a loud voice*
"As far as my opinion counts here, since it are the lives and homes of your people we are debating, I think the best way to aid Arthedain right now is with economical support, not in the form of troops, but in the form of advisors, money and arms. And when Angmar makes its final move towards Arthedain, which will have to come some day, then I would get your armies ready for then they will be needed. Also the unity of Cardolan, our what is left and/or willing, and Arthedain would increase the situation in our favor, I think"
*sits down again*
Corlindel stands up speaking: "The Witch-King is a common enemy of our races and aside men Kingdons are his first target, all middle-earth is in danger. I don't know if it is possible to defeat an army of 500.000 orcs but if war is the best choice to save Midlle-Earth, we must choice war. The question here is find the best way to defeat the Angmar. We can fight yhe WitchKing now or later but our time to battle shall come soon. I think we shall help men. Because helping them we are helping ourselves.
So, Master Elrond what is your proposal? Advise, helping the union of Anor, economic aid or an alliance?