Razing Arnor: How real were the Dunadan conspiracies?

about any earlier king between him and Meneldil. Tarannon at some point married a Black Numenorean lady or princess, Beruthiel. Her homeland was not named by Tolkien but Chris Seeman, editor and publisher of Other Hands, suggests she may have come from Umbar. Tarannon took the name Falastur, Lord of Coasts, because he conquered the coastal regions of northern Middle-earth, perhaps as far north as the Gwathlo, pacifying Enedwaith. Tarannon was the first of Gondor's ship-kings, and his conquests may or may not have been driven by personal ambition. But let us suppose that he indeed was an ambitious man. Amlaith was born in the year 726, so he would have been 104 years old when Tarannon became King of Gondor and celebrated his (earlier) victories by taking the name Falastur. It's reasonable to conclude that Amlaith's two younger brothers were already alive and probably adult men. Were their imaginations fired by the successes of Tarannon? Did the growing power of Gondor make the northern princes feel envious? After all, Arnor really had few opportunities for conquest, and if Tarannon was the king who pacified Enedwaith Arnor's southern border would now be aligned fully with Gondor's. The lands where Angmar would eventually rise were the only convenient prospect for conquest remaining, unless Arnor marched across the Misty Mountains in an effort to claim the Vales of Anduin, but that would mean marching armies past Elrond's front door. Tarannon had a younger brother, Tarciryan, who apparently never challenged Tarannon's authority. Things were easier in Gondor as far as satisfying princely ambitions, however, because Tarannon's marriage to Beruthiel produced no children. So Tarciryan's son Earnil succeeded Tarannon as King of Gondor. Earnil immediately turned his attention to attacking Umbar. Tarannon died in 913 and Earnil captured Umbar in 933. By this time Arnor had been divided into three lesser kingdoms for 72 years. Amlaith reigned in Arthedain until 946. So his younger brothers were probably also alive. Imagine their frustration at not only not being unable to expand their small kingdoms but also at having to watch Gondor's power grow. One implication of the division of Arnor is that Amlaith was not a strong leader, or else that his brothers had themselves become strong enough to not only challenge his authority but to secede from Arnor. How could this be possible? If Arnor wasn't fighting anyone, then did the North Kingdom's politics result in a squandering of regal authority

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