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Tumunzahar makes Menegroth look like a contract project. Which, the Dwarves assure her, it was. The stonework is astonishingly careful and beautiful, silky to the touch up close while from a distance it gives the impression of stretching on forever above, a sky of stone with crystals for stars. Vast natural cave systems are connected by dozens of perfectly smooth, gently sloped broad stone pathways from which the fall, if she fell, would be several miles down. There are handrails. "We use those to move materials carts," someone explains to her, "we're not going to be reckless."
There's an amphitheater, a place where a hundred of the stone walkways twine around to create space for a hundred thousand people to sit in close proximity, and someone is giving a lecture or a demonstration at the base of it, the seats closest to him filled with eager, tiny, bearded Dwarf-children.
And they spiral down, and down, and down, past waterfalls and egg-sized gemstones left half in the rock and halls of crystal. Everything grows gradually more ornate and more perfectly maintained and the clang of hammers fades behind them. "People say," her guide says, "that we only have a council instead of a single King because there were nine winners of the competition to design the throne so we couldn't just select one person to sit it." And they push open the doors to reveal, indeed, nine thrones so elaborate it would be hard to choose between them, and nine squat bearded people sitting them.
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In that case keeping Men behind Elven armies and Elven walls is probably the solution.
You're teaching Men Asgardian values about sex, we're teaching Men Eldarin ones. I don't think anyone has the high ground there.
You're teaching Men Asgardian values about sex, we're teaching Men Eldarin ones. I don't think anyone has the high ground there.
purposeful_glory
I'm not teaching them Asgardian values. Asgardians have birth control and idiot gender roles, that would be insane.
Just your personal values, then? What do gender roles have to do with sex?
purposeful_glory
Sigyn gets way more crap for sleeping around than I do. And it's not just because he does more of it. Asgardian girls are supposed to flirt first and make all other relevant decisions and if their partners are boys they pretty much get various flavors of indirection or the seldom-taken-well outright 'back off' as their steering options. I'm trying to figure out something more egalitarian for the Men and it's working out okay insofar as I can tell this early.
Huh. Those are failure modes I wouldn't even have thought of. Anyhow, we can sustainably support Men for a century at minimum, if you think you'll have a plan by then.
purposeful_glory
I think I'll have teleportation and by extension a galaxy at my disposal by then. Okay, this eliminates most of the temptation to play ball with Thauron for a few years of delay.
I mean, we don't have such a city and they aren't built overnight. We can start working on it. Turukáno's scouting for a location.
purposeful_glory
There's one in progress shaped like an eight-pointed star much more accessible to the Men's location; I'm planning to ask there. Oh, and Macalaurë says you may have the draft of his hauling-rocks-around-song.
Maitimo's city.
purposeful_glory
Yes. I was going to not bother him, at least not in person, but Macalaurë said 'would it piss off Thauron' and I said 'well, when you put it like that'...
He's written letters. Detailed surveys of eastern Beleriand, expansions on Enemy capabilities. He at least claims that he's moving his family out there as a first payment on the debt they owe us. All the letters have been addressed to my father.
purposeful_glory
Oh, I didn't know that. Well, the city exists, if you were concerned it might be imaginary. Swarming with Dwarf construction workers. I'm afraid I only learned about the sigil thing recently and they may have to backtrack to incorporate it.
It's the people he values who he's moving to the city, I am sure that it is very secure and well-designed.
purposeful_glory
Oh you maudlin gay Elf, Loki does not say.
I hope it has room for my charges too.
I hope it has room for my charges too.
Ten thousand's not really too many. Are you saying 'Thauron' to signal the political affiliations that'll make Maitimo more inclined to help you?
purposeful_glory
I am saying 'Thauron' because everybody on this stupid cylindrical planet has too many names, that's the one I heard first, I can remember three to recognize them when I hear them but cannot be bothered to do so for remembering in which context I'm supposed to use which reliably over gaps of years, and there is a vague possibility that it would slightly annoy the monster who tortures people specifically to upset me, but I'll switch if you prefer.
I don't care at all. Among our people keeping thule signals affiliation with the house of Fëanor; I was wondering whether you were doing that deliberately, not expressing a complaint if you were or a demand you change if you're not.
He tortures people specifically to upset you?
He tortures people specifically to upset you?
purposeful_glory
He took Vár. He took her and he taunted me about her and then when he'd got her tangled up in mostly contradictory oaths and ran out of anything else to do with her he sent her to me with orders to get me to kill her and I did.
I'm sorry, he says after a minute. I know the feeling, for whatever that's worth.
Would you like a hug?
He hugs her. There were freed prisoners of the Enemy in Valinor. They were happy most of the time. They had people who loved them, they had good lives. It took a very long time, but we have a very long time. Forever, if we need it.
Yeah. Have you been to Mithrim?