A promising beginning.

Later, a tall woman in fine clothes approaches the city.

Minas Tirith is the largest city in Gondor and, currently, it's open to visitors. She's not the tallest around, nor the most well dressed - there are plenty of merchants flowing through the gates, many of them as foreign-looking as her. The guards would like to know her business, but don't seem overly interested.

She's just passing through.

Where seems like a good place to eavesdrop?

The majority of the gossip seems to be happening around the markets, right now, mostly in the First and Second Levels - the First Level markets seem to cater mostly to the local farmers and craftsmen, and as such seem far more concerned with local gossip. The merchants from farther flung places seem to mostly sell their wares in the Second Level. There's also a number of inns - a famous one on the First Level along the lampwright's street, the Old Guesthouse, seems busy.

She's more interested in local gossip at the moment. Is there a room available at the Old Guesthouse?

Yes, a small selection. (All nice, some quite small despite that, some with lovely views, all variously pricey.)

She has plenty of coin.

Is anyone speaking of Mordor?

Yes, throughout the First Level, interspersed with the more usual gossip about romance and weather and taxes and noble scandals.

At the inn, the gossip's mostly about the Steward, and society and politics, and whether there'll be a levy, and if taxes will rise if they go to war, and if it's the duty of every able-bodied man in Gondor to serve in the army, and some about what this or that neighboring or even far flung nation is up to. People seem more aware of history, more able to vaguely recall that there was this or that ancient war. They're suspicious of a few of the nations of Near Harad, friendly to others - the general consensus is that the majority of the more coastal Haradrim are drifting away from Gondor, politically, and towards Mordor; it's resulted in shifting trade, increased prices on some things... There's warfare in Near Harad, also, that people are pretty sure is either because there's always been warfare in Near Harad, or because Mordor is causing trouble.

The farmers in the markets have less concern with broad continental movements of philosophies and people; their gossip's more about omens, a dark cloud from Mordor people are pretty sure blighted crops, strange birds seen about... Worries about illness and strange behavior among livestock, children and the elderly and even the hale workers. The mountains of Mordor are little more than a dark smudge on the horizon most days; the source of every unexplained ill, if you ask some of the gossip-mongers. The local superstition is never to pick or gather crops or milk animals during an eastern wind. The farm-folk as a whole seem to have a much more accurate idea of every time Mordor's done something strange recently, though - one old woman can accurately date and describe every strange scent on the wind, every odd color reflected through the clouds over Mordor during sunrise, every sickened bird she's found.

And have they noticed those incidents increasing in frequency?

Yes, especially in the last few years. Severity, too - the old woman's pretty sure they used to get just a foul ash sometimes, the occasional dark sickness when she was a girl. Not these blights.

Perhaps the ruler of that land has returned.

She makes a sign to ward off evil.

She doesn't know much of the movements of kings and such. But she has eyes, and she has ears, and she wouldn't be surprised. There's dark times coming, she's been saying for a while, even if some people (she eyes one of the farm hands currently moving a crate) think it's just ill luck and phases.

There is certainly more going on than simple phases. She had best keep her ears open.

Hmmm. Oh, she is.

The next day, Ellisaria would like to investigate the Steward.

The Steward isn't trivial to get in to meet, though she can get people to talk about him pretty easily.

He's considered somewhat conservative and cautious, but is well regarded, especially by all the people who really benefit from their lives having minimal upheaval. Steward Turgon's rule has been peaceful and uneventful; his son and heir, Ecthelion, is also well liked, known already for wisdom and popular among soldiers and guards. People doubt Turgon will ever lead them to war, and Ecthelion is therefore more popular with those who think they should do something about the stirring troubles - though not even the war hawks wish ill upon their Steward. The Steward's grandson, Denethor, is the subject of a few wagging tongues; apparently the teenager is brooding and often resentful, though some counter that he's also shown bravery as a squire and wise discernment the few times he's accompanied his father when sitting in judgement. Ecthelion is also generally considered more a people's man - approachable, known to sometimes go into the city to eat among and speak to the common folk. Apparently very friendly to foreigners; some judge this to be foolish, some shrewd.

She will have to keep an eye out for him, then.

He isn't apparent that second day.

That would be too much to hope for.

The next step is then to seek a formal audience.

Not impossible to get, but a lot of people want audiences, many of them with a concrete reason - diplomats, those formally seeking judgement on a civil dispute (which there's a separate channel for, generally based on recommendations from lower courts), petitioners... There's at least some effort to triage urgency and need; if she doesn't state a reason, her case will end up in the general pool of petitioners.

She presents herself as Ellisaria, a representative of the dragons.

That gets her placed pretty high in the pool of diplomats; the Steward will be able to see her tomorrow, or his son later today.

She will see the son.

Her appointment is in a few hours, after the midday break.