Alliance of Gondor and the men of Rhovanion, the ancestors of Rohan
Gondor would constantly be at war with the Easterlings, Harad and Umbar where it would face victories and defeats as well. Gondor also built the castles and towers of Cirith Ungol, the Towers of the Teeth that protected the gate of Mordor and fortified Mordor to watch over the darkforces of Mordor.
Gondor would make an alliance with the men that lived in Rhovanion that was south of Mirkwood and north of Gondor and the White Mountains in the plains.
These men of Rhovanion would call themselves the Eotheods and would fight with Gondor together against the Easterlings. These men would later become the ancestors of Rohan.
Divergence of Arnor, the Northern Kingdom to Arthedain, Cardolan and Rhudaur
After the death of Isildur, during the Disaster of the Gladden Fields, his youngest son Valandil became the king of Arnor. Arnor suffered many losses as the core of the Last Alliance of the Elves and Men and never recovered from it so compared with Gondor, Arnor was relatively weaker.
Yet, as the heir of Elendil, the High King of both Gondor and Arnor, Arnor was an important symbol for all Dunedains.
Arnor would remain in peace as it was far away from the east where Gondor constantly fought with Ruhn, Umbar and Harad for 800 years.
However, during the reign of the 10th king of Arnor Earendur, Earendur’s sons would split the kingdoms into three called Arthedain, Cardolan and Rhudaur. The three kingdoms Artehdain, Rhudaur and Cardolan would rival each other as each country claimed the true heir of Elendil.
The Ship-kings of Gondor, the Golden Ages of Gondor
During the time of the kings that were called the Ship Kings, Gondor was able to expand up northwest up to Endedwaith northeast almost up to the south of the Lonely Mountains and southeast to Umbar where they even extended east to the Sea of Ruhn.
Gondor’s navy was the strongest ever and the naval power of Gondor enabled the expansion and prosperity of Gondor.
Umbar fell into the territory of Gondor and Harad would pay tribute to Gondor during the Golden Ages of Gondor. Gondor would continue to thrive in prosperity until the civil war of Gondor called the Kin-Strife.
After birth of Eldacar, the 21st king of Gondor, civil war broke out as Eldacar’s mother was not a Dunedain but the princess of the men of Rhovanion.
Sauron’s return
As the One Ring wasn’t destroyed which was the essence of Sauron’s power and soul, Sauron was able to barely form a form on Middle Earth after 1,000 years since the defeat of the War of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. Sauron started to slowly and quietly regain his forces and cast evil and shadows back on Middle Earth.
Gandalf, Saruman and Radagast are chosen as the Istari by the Valars
The Valars were of concern on Middle Earth as they’ve sensed the glimpse of evil by the revival of Sauron. Although Valinor was now cutoff from Arda by the Reshapping of Arda by Iluvatar during the Downfall of Numenor, the Valars selected Maiars and sent them to Middle Earth. T
here are conflicts on how, who and when for the Blue Wizards on when they were sent to Middle Earth. (Some settings say that they were sent before the War of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men).
Yet the two wizards known as the Blue Wizards presumably called Romestamo and Morinehtar doesn’t intervene much in the stories of Tolkien except for briefly mentioning that they helped cleanse the Easterlings in the south and the west.
Radagast, Saruman and Gandalf were selected as the Istari or the wizards to help Middle Earth.
Arrival of the Istari at the Grey Havens, Gandalf’s receipt of Narya
Manwe selected the Maia Olorin also known as Gandalf, Yavanna selected the Maia Aiwendil also known as Radagast, Aule selected the Maia Curumo also known as Saruman and Orome selected two blue wizards that shall be called the Istari or the wizards.
Saruman, Gandalf and Radagast with the other two wizards (There are conflicts over the two blue wizards) rode from Valinor and landed on the Grey Havens.
Cirdan recognized Gandalf to be the most noble among the Istari and gifted him with the Ring of Power Narya, the Red Ring or the Ring of Fire.
Saruman was jealous of Gandalf for receiving the Ring of Power Narya as technically Saruman was the leader of the Istari and the most powerful when the wizards, the Isatri took their first step on Middle-Earth.
The Istari didn’t reveal their identity as Maias and they would travel Middle-Earth to search fo the traces of evil to protect Middle-Earth. Yet, Sauron was very quietly and slowly starting to spread evil.
Travel of Saruman, Radagast and Gandalf
Although Gandalf, Saruman and Radagast didn’t reveal their true beings as Maia nor their purpose as the heralds of the Valar, Cirdan would only inform Elrond and Galadriel of the true identities of the Istari.
Saruman, Radagast and Gandalf would wander Middle Earth to explore more knowledge and gather more clues on the evil of Middle Earth just as the Valars have sent them to cleanse of. Radagast was more interested in protecting the creatures and exploring the wildlife.
Gandalf’s belief on the salvation of Middle Earth was the practice of the small, good deeds could cause a great influence. Gandalf believed that the practice of good every day, however small they might, would become the key to destroying evil.
However, Saruman’s belief was different and Saruman believed that evil could only be contained and controlled by a more powerful might.
Darkness upon the Mirkwoods
Thranduil, the king of the Woodland Realm of Greenwood the Great has been suffering lack of manpower after the great losses of the Silvan elves during the War of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. Eventually, Thranduil couldn’t control much of the south part of the Greenwoods.
However, the darkness and shadows caused by Sauron slowly started to consume the south of Greenwoods and corrupted the lands.
Giant spiders that were the descendants of the Ungoliant would appear and many other dark creatures started to breed in the south of Greenwood the Great.
Thranduil would eventually retreat his elves further north of the Greenwood and as the dark creatures defiled the Greenwood the Great, the Greenwood the Great started to become called the Mirkwoods.
Thranduil would also become known as the king of the Mirkwood and the Silvan elves of the Woodland Realm would also become known as the Mirkwood elves.
