Minas Morgul – Old Minas Ithil
Minas Morgul was once called Minas Ithil and it was the main base of Isildur when he first founded Gondor with his brother Anarion.
Minas Ithil means the Tower of the Moon and served as the stronghold of Ithilien and became one of Gondor’s main city. However, the nazguls and Sauron captured Minas Ithil along with the Ithilien region of Gondor.
Minas Ithil was now called Minas Morgul which means the Tower of Sorcery. Sauron would give Minas Morgul to the Witch King of Angmar and Minas Morgul would become the main base of the Witch King of Angmar the lord of the nazguls.
Palantir of Minas Morgul
There was a Palantir placed at Minas Ithil and Sauron captured the Palantir of Minas Ithil. The Palantir of Minas Ithil was corrupted and became the Palantir of Minas Morgul which Sauron would use to corrupt Denethor Second the ruling steward of Gondor who accessed the Palantir at Minas Tirith.
Sauron would also use the Palantir of Minas Morgul to corrupt Saruman who accessed the Palantir with the Palantir of Orthanc.
Minas Morgul and the Witch King of Angmar
After Saruman’s forces of Isengard was defeated by the ents of the Fangorn Forest and the Battle of the Hornburg by Rohan and the Fellowship of the ring, Sauron would order the Witch King of Angmar to attack Gondor with its full might.
The Witch King of Angmar along with his lieutenant Gothmog would assemble the easterlings and the allies of Sauron along with his orcs or uruks of Minas Morgul to attack Osgiliath and Minas Tirith.
Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur used to be called Amon Lanc and it was located in the south of Greenwood the Great or Mirkwoods. Sauron would recover his power in Dol Guldur hiding but Sauron couldn’t cover up the darkness he caused.
The darkness caused by Sauron would cover Greenwoods and eventually made it the Mirkwoods. The Mirkwood elves would migrater further north to avoid the darkness and the dark creatures that started to occupy the south of Mirkwoods.
The White Council eventually found Sauron in Dol Guldur and chased him out from Dol Guldur. After Sauron returned to Mordor, he would send Khamul, the nazgul second in command to Dol Guldur.
Dol Guldur could link up with the orcs and goblins of the Misty Mountains and the wargs and even connect wit the Easterlings from the north east of Mordor. Thus, Sauron would send Khamul to lead the dark forces and his allies.
Dol Guldur and Khamul
Khamul was the nazgul second in command after the Witch King of Angmar. Khamul used to be an Easterling lord and was known by the nickname Shadow of the East and served as the second in command for the nazguls.
Even after the death of the Witch King of Angmar, Khamul would lead the nazguls. Khamul would reign over the dark forces of Dol Guldur and commence attacks on Dale, Mirwkoods and Lothlorien during the War of the Ring.
The elves of Lothlorien and Mirkwoods, humans of Dale and the dwarves of Erebor had to defend against the orcs, easterlings, wargs and other dark forces of Dol Guldur lead by the nazgul Khamul.
Eventually the dark forces of Dol Guldur were defeated and later on, Galadriel would cleanse the lands of Dol Guldur.
Umbar - Corsairs
Umbar was the main port city of Harad and it was the city of the pirates and corsairs. Umbar was once colonized by Numenor and Gondor once and it was also one of the main ports that the surviving King’s Men of Numenor that disobeyed the Valars settled.
Umbar eventually became a city hostile to Gondor and the pirates and corsairs of Umbar would attack and plunge the lands of Gondor.
During the War of the Ring, Umbar became Sauron’s important ally and started to pillage Southern Gondor as they’ve advanced north by the Anduin River.
In the novel, the Southern Gondor lords couldn’t send many reinforcements to Mians Tirith because of the pirates of Umbar. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas with the Deadmen of Dunharrow would annihilate the corsairs of Umbar and use their ships to ship the Southern Gondor army to Minas Tirith.
Harad - Haradrim
Harad was the land south of Gondor that were occupied by the Haradrim. Harad was also once colonized by Gondor and Numenor and eventually became a hostile region against Gondor.
The surviving King’s Men of Numenor that were hostile to Gondor founded by the Faithful of Numenor would become lords of Harad.
Some of the men of Gondor that were defeated from the Kin Strife of Gondor would become the lords of Harad and lead the offensive against Gondor.
The Haradrim became allies of Sauron and they were called the evil wicked men with the Black Serpent flag. The Hardrim army had elephants called the Mumakil or oliphaunts that almost turned the tide of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields as they were able to take down the Rohirrim.
Ruhn
Rhun was the region right adjacent to the Rhovanion region where Mirkwoods, Erebor and Dale lied. Rhun was one of the regions that were occupied by the Easterlings, an important ally of Sauron.
Khand
Khand was the land that was southeast of Mordor where another tribe of men called the variags that were allies of Sauron dwelled. The men of Khand have also threatened Gondor for a long time as one of Sauron’s old allies.
