Counter Factual History

[Undomiel]

Here's a bit of Counter Factual History;

Suppose the One Ring had been kept by Isildur and passed down a few generations only to be lost in Fangorn Forrest. It is then picked up by travelling Wizard, say the humble Radagast, who does not immediately know what it truly is. How would the saga unravel?

[Ñólendil]

How did it end up in Fangorn Forest? What was Radagast doing there? Treebeard had not met Radagast by 3019, so it seems unlikely to met that Radagast the Brown would have journeyed there.

[Undomiel]

That why its "counter factual", its a hypothetical. It's an imagination excercise that can be as rooted in the reality of the books only as far as you want it to be. I thought the concept of a wizard like Radagast, whom Gandalf describes as being fairly removed from the political doings of middle Earth were to obtain that which all the politcal beings of the age were struggling for would be a very interesting concept to explore.

[Ñólendil]

Sure, but it's just not probable. I understand the purpose of the discussion, but if you're going to think 'what if' I think the best chance you have at being close to what 'actually might have happened' is to look at what really did happen. Look to 'reality' in order to imitate it.

For example it would be believable for Sam to have taken pity on Gollum long before Mount Doom. It is a choice he could have made. It is then interesting to try to think out what would have happened if he had (Tolkien did this once). But Radagast would not have found the One Ring in Fangorn as its unlikely Treebeard had ever met the wizard. Sorry to be a party-pooper, that's just how I feel.