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Old 03-14-2014, 10:50 PM   #1
Alcuin
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Where’d that Nazgûl come from?

According to the Tale of Years, Frodo and Sam escaped from Cirith Ungol on the morning of March 15, the same day as the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. If you work out the timing, they crashed the gate shortly before dawn, some two hours (or more) before Éowyn (& Merry) killed the Witch-king.

As they escaped, a flying Nazgûl swooped down from the clouds and perched on the wall next to the ruined gate.

Where’d that Nazgûl come from? Minas Morgul? Barad-dûr? Why wasn’t he at Minas Tirith?

The same day, there was an assault upon Lórien, the second of three assaults launched by Sauron from Dol Guldur. It would make sense to have a Nazgûl there, too, unless Sauron had some other powerful servant to send against Galadriel.

Does anyone have an accounting of all the Nazgûl at this point? You get the impression from Return of the King that the Nazgûl were all winging around Minas Tirith, but that clearly isn’t the case. I don’t recall seeing a discussion in War of the Ring or Sauron Defeated, and Reader's Companion doesn’t even mention any accounting from unpublished notes.
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Old 03-15-2014, 04:18 AM   #2
Matoro
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I think it was never stated how many Nazgûl were in the siege of Minas Tirith. I guess it makes sense to keep few Nazgûls as a reserve, either in Minas Morgul or Barad-dûr, especially since Sauron seemed to be a bit nervous/suspicious about the One Ring already. And even if they all were in the Battle of Pelennor fields (actually multiple Nazgûl were mentioned only in the siege of Minas Tirith before the battle. In the battle of Pelennor Fields only Witch-king of Angmar was mentioned. Of course other nazgul might have been there during the battle, too, but just a thought).

Of course the Nazgûl in Cirith Ungol might have been called from the battle as soon as Sauron noticed that something is wrong. It won't take long for a Nazgûl to fly from Pelennor to Cirith Ungol, does it? Only problem is the communication between Sauron and Nazgûl. Do they have some kind of mind-link or does Sauron need to give orders more traditional way? How you can give orders to flying wraiths, anyway? Do they have mission briefing every morning?

Nazgûl in the Battle of Morannon however were either called to Sammath Naur by Sauron or the Ring itself, so some kind of telepathy exists. Sauron was able to read minds of the users of the Three with the One, but I guess it wouldn't work without the One. Did Nazgûl even have the rings with them?

Short answer: The Nazgûl in Cirith Ungol might have flied from Pelennor, or it might have been as a reserve or something in Minas Morgul or Barad-dûr. Only Sauron knew where all of his Nazgûl were, and he was never interviewed for the Red Book.
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