"I am happy to talk in more depth of my projects, but I expect you're waiting to hear a refutation of whatever they have said, and it might save you some time to tell me what that is."

"Various war crimes, for the most part. They also claim that the Orcs were created unwillingly. Through torture."

"You are welcome to ask every orc you meet about that. They were created by designing them from scratch, because they're well-suited to the world and I wanted something like them to live in and care for it. How would you create a species by torturing one?"

"I wouldn't know. I've never created a species even by selective breeding. But there is much strange magic, here, I am trying not to assume anything."

"I would urge you to try it for yourself, but I doubt you'll be able to find volunteers.

The Elves have been told that only Eru can create life, so anyone else who creates life didn't really do it. I think that's how they drew their conclusion. But it's untrue that only Eru can create life. You could attempt it yourself, and thereby verify that I had the power to create the orcs from scratch? Or do your abilities lie in different directions?"

"I believe we are fundamentally different. My direct abilities, those that separate me from humans and similar, are possibly greater in power than yours but narrower in scope. I can raise continents and create oceans, given time, but I can't directly create or alter life. I can't speak to someone far away like this except through tools."

"Hmmm. In that case, no obvious avenue occurs to me to satisfy your curiosity. Except, again, speak to the orcs. Though you don't have my leave to sentence any of them for past war crimes. They were certainly committed on both sides, but the Elves don't regard theirs as such and I'm not going to kill my people for things they did to save their children."

"I will make no oaths to anyone yet, but I always refrain from judging people for things they did not, themselves, do. The purpose of punishment is disincentivising harm, not revenge for it."

"Well, while refraining from judgement Elves and orcs seem unable to live in harmony. I will tell you that they regard it as a sacred duty to kill all of us, they will probably tell you likewise about us - we do not, incidentally, but there's certainly bad blood - and the situation was resolved at last by having an Elf continent and an orc continent. Now they seem to have invaded ours."

"Thank you for explaining. I want to explore this continent for now but I may visit again. Is there anything I should keep in mind aside from common courtesy if I do?"

"I am unconfortable with you roaming at will across a continent when you accompanied the invading fleet that just landed. I will require significant more basis for assuming good intent before I can in conscience tell my people that you can be trusted."

"I am not associated with them by anything more than coincidence. I wasn't intending to walk straight into your fortress in any case. If you insist, however, I won't visit again and will ask an Orc to relay messages for you if I have any."

"My objection is not that you visited here, which was wise, but that even if you disclaim involvement with the people you arrived with, you and they do not have leave to wander around our nation at will. Please stay and tell me more about yourself, your abilities, your goals, and so forth."

She is becoming somewhere between nervous and annoyed. No Fate would dare claim an entire continent.

"I would have abandoned this form already in an attempt to return home, but visiting an entirely different world is perhaps a one-time opportunity. I have deep control over stone and metal, and somewhat lesser control of water. My goals here are to discover interesting things, or perhaps build some, and meet interesting people. And I am used to Fates not claiming lordship over the land directly. It's an unsettling thought."

"How is it done where you're from?"

"The land is a void. No land and no ocean. Fates, perhaps three to ten on a continent, create tiles," mental impression of the concept, "That extend into the endless void or replace tiles that fall into void due to calamity, rifts, war and so on. Sometimes mortals settle the area. Most of the time, actually, at least sparsely. It's... Inappropriate to become too involved with them. To control them directly. Chastising them for burning forests and the like is accepted, as is building a mountain or two for them to mine if you like them, but declaring oneself ruler and managing them is very much not. Other Fates... Explain the error of their ways to any who try, and if a Fate misbehaves consistently it is everyone's duty to see them expelled to the edge of the known world, or destroyed."

"I see. Do you ...create the mortals? Do they understand you? Do thy seek guidance from you? Do you know how they are managed, and by who?"

"No, yes but only if you trouble yourself to learn the local language, occasionally, and they manage themselves under a really quite staggering variety of different systems. Kings are common among humans."

"Actually, most Fates were originally mortals. I was, myself. What causes the transition is not entirely clear but it seems to be related to doing a great work of magic. The six most ancient Fates do not resemble any mortals alive today, and refuse to speak of their origins."

"I see. The custom here is that the creators of people have obligations to provide for their governance and their safety. The habit of nonintervention of your people seems harsh on the mortals. Would they not benefit from your guidance and the foresight lent by age?"

"I have not made much study of politics. It's not my skill, magic is. I create magic items for various peoples to benefit them with my strengths rather than go against my peers and my own skillset to possibly benefit them more or possibly cause a war."

"Perhaps that is the wise course, given the landscape of your homeland. Here, everyone is active in sheltering and governing the people they concern themselves with, and to withdraw that aid and demand they govern themselves would be unkind and unjust. I'm curious about your skillset. What do you do? How does it work?"

"Oh, it's quite varied, and seems random at times. Let me just-" She creates three gemstones, symbols carved into them, and squeezes.

"...........It's not working. At least some of my magic doesn't work here. Damn."

"I am terribly sorry. Might I be able to help in some way? I specialize in things that amplify and coordinate existing tendencies..."

"If you helped, and got it to work, you would have learned my magic, and I would either need to be sure you are in the right or go teach it to everyone else."