[Legate of Amon Lanc]

All right, I really like this thread and I pity that I don't have that much time to give to it, but for now I will add just a few rather sideway notes

Originally Posted by Gordis

Same with Castamir. Kill the guy in time and lots of lives would have been saved.

This is actually one thing about the history where I have to confront with the question "does one monarch really change the history that much?". Do you think it is all just because of Castamir in person? What, lots of lives. It was the nobility of Gondor itself which had some reservations with the king, had it been just about Castamir, he would not have succeeded. Later, they wanted already to get rid of him. But still, there were some who stood alongside him, and there would have been some who would have opposed the return of the king to his throne, even if Castamir was slain. Or maybe it won't be Castamir, but his deputy would have done the same and continued in his name had he died. The general idea is: it's not really the one king who makes the history. Of course, depending on how strong his personality is, he might have a strong impact on his era, but still, there is a certain "general pressure"... so, simply put, I believe that by killing one Castamir, you would not have prevented the war. The "anti-royalists" would have lost the legitimate background for their claims, but still, some tension would bubble at least in the cauldron, and such a Castamir could come in two or three generations again, or some people would just revolt against Gondor and form an "Umbar" on their own account, maybe electing some noblemen among themselves to lead them (I am sure there will be somebody well-suited for that, and some at least far relative of the king).

Originally Posted by Groin Redbeard

How could they, as a nation under the rule of King Aragorn, be seen as a respectable province if they were dependent on a wizard for everything?

And must the Hobbits be a respectable province? Why? They were always simple and peaceful people, and I agree on what Miggy said in his last post - I am actually not sure if this "making their stand in the world" was good for them. Okay, perhaps yes in the sense: they were prepared to face the "outside world", the era of Men... weird... sounds almost like something Saruman would have wanted... even though he is dead, his thought continues and grows... and he was actually wise, what he said, has really happened... the Old Times have passed, the new world arose... And perhaps the "old hobbits" would not have survived in the Fourth Age...