Tolkienoids: What about Gundabad?

[Terisonen]

True, but it seem that he gave them food and help to breed them. If Gundabad is on his own, they have to find food for themselve.

Nervertheless, Tolkien did not write a treaty for ecology of orc, but a story. They're is inevitably weak spot in the mechanic of is world and I think we don't have to find reason for this or that, even if it is a human need

[Arthadan]

Let's say what Tolkien wrote, shall we?

The Hobbit

Songs have said that three parts of the goblin warriors of the North perished on that day, and the mountains had peace for many a year.

Indeed they suffered heavy losses in the Battle of the Five Armies.

The Fellowship of the Ring
Legolas speaking in the Council of Elrond about Gollum escape:

'It was that very night of summer, yet moonless and starless, that Orcs came on us at unawares.
We drove them off after some time; they were many and fierce, but they came from over the mountains, and were unused to the woods.When the battle was over, we found that Gollum was gone, and his guards were slain or taken. It then seemed plain to us that the attack had been made for his rescue, and that he knew of it beforehand. How that was contrived we cannot guess; but Gollum is cunning, and the spies of the Enemy are many. The dark things that were driven out in the year of the Dragon's fall have returned in greater numbers, and Mirkwood is again an evil place, save where our realm is maintained.

So in our time frame the "orcs of the (Misty) mountains" were working for the Enemy, not on his own.
Would Sauron have bothered to reach a bunch or orcs? Probably not, besides in the last part the orcs could be one of those "dark things" returning in greater numbers.

This is what Frodo saw from Amon Hen:

But everywhere he looked he saw the signs of war. The Misty Mountains were crawling like anthills: orcs were issuing out of a thousand holes. Under the boughs of Mirkwood there was deadly strife of Elves and Men and fell beasts. The land of the Beornings was aflame; a cloud was over Moria; smoke rose on the borders of Lórien.

Most definitively they were many in number and they waged war against the Beornings. this means the Beornings became such a formidable threat that all (or most) Mount Gundabad strength was used against them.

[Elmoth]

What Frodo saw is what "could came to be" instead of what "was", right?

How much is 3 parts? 3/4, 3/5 or 3/1000?

[Falenthal]

What Frodo saw is what "could came to be" instead of what "was", right?

No, what "could came to be" was what he saw at Galadriel's Mirror.
Amon Hen allowed to actually see (but not hear) what "was" far away, as did the Palantiri (only that those could be somewhat manipullated by a master of a Master Stone, but that's another story...).

[Terisonen]

Let's say what Tolkien wrote, shall we?

The Hobbit

[...]

Most definitively they were many in number and they waged war against the Beornings. this means the Beornings became such a formidable threat that all (or most) Mount Gundabad strength was used against them.

Or Goblin Town... Nothing is say about from where they come. However, I'm pretty sure that everything available by the War Ring was thrown into the fray by Sauron. Even if Orc from Gundabad where few, they must have been used. I'f they were few indeed, may be in the coup in Mirkwood for the escape of Gollum.

[Tolwen]

Nervertheless, Tolkien did not write a treaty for ecology of orc, but a story. They're is inevitably weak spot in the mechanic of is world and I think we don't have to find reason for this or that, even if it is a human need

I have to disagree - at least partly. If you look at the postumously published material (Letters, UT, HoME, HotH etc.) that gives deep insights into the development of Middle-earth (or Arda in general) you see that Tolkien indeed was greatly concerned about the development of the plot of his books as a story, but also that he greatly cared for many details of his creation in the way of creating a believable secondary world. He took great care (even if it was not directly told in the main narrative's text) to create it in a way (i.e. with its inner logic and workings) that corresponds to the real world so that his creation could be viewed as the real world in a "mythological past" - with the main factors that govern the functioning of our world (and societies) incorporated into his world as well.
A good example are his rough ideas of totally the changing the early era of Arda (i.e. the history of the First Age up to the beginning of the War of the Jewels as told in the Sil77) since he felt that the beautiful (in the sense of a story) idea of two trees (or lamps) being the primeval lights not being compatible with the scientific knowledge about the nature of our universe (and the solar system). Since this happened very late in his life it has not progressed beyond a some rough sketches though it highlights his constant struggle to not only adhere to a good story but also making this compatible with cultural and natural (scientific) processes that shape our world. We can be fairly sure that he would have developed the early time of Arda further this way, had he had another 10 or 20 years to do so.

Thus the idea of delving into this kind of lore and exploring the "natural laws" of Arda is directly and heavily inspired by Tolkien's own approach to his world and this is - IMHO - also the reason why so many people find it a fascinating thing to do.

Cheers
Tolwen

[Arthadan]

Let's say what Tolkien wrote, shall we?

The Hobbit

[...]

Most definitively they were many in number and they waged war against the Beornings. this means the Beornings became such a formidable threat that all (or most) Mount Gundabad strength was used against them.

Or Goblin Town... Nothing is say about from where they come. However, I'm pretty sure that everything available by the War Ring was thrown into the fray by Sauron. Even if Orc from Gundabad where few, they must have been used. I'f they were few indeed, may be in the coup in Mirkwood for the escape of Gollum.

Good point! Yes, they could be from Goblin Town as well, but I always got the feeling they were a much smaller force than Gundabad orcs. i agree sauron quite likely would use both against the Beornings.

[Majestic]

Though I never played MERP, in my Lord of the Rings RPG (CODA system) campaign, our main antagonists were Orcs from Mount Gundabad. Since Decipher didn't provide any detail on that region. I turned to a MERP supplement that provided all sorts of info (in many cases, more than I was looking for, like breeding patterns and harvesting of mushrooms and fungi and other very nitty, gritty details).

[Ernst-Jan]

Some lovely stuff here. Coupling all this with the fact that Beorn is supposed to die or disappear before the War of the Ring, and the fact that I expect the Woodmen - in my campaign, at least - to vacate the Eaves, I can see plenty of reasons for a Beorning/displaced Woodmen/Leofring(?) campaign centered around the Vales, against Gundabad. Maybe with a bit of Three Kings in Gundabad mixed in.