People wouldn't put it that way here?

Reactions would range from 'well, that means he's the worst Fëanorian by far' to 'you know, the Valar can fix that and then you'd never even have had this problem'.

Right. Very different world.

If Lórien were convenient I think I would go, at this point, but we're exiled and it's rather thoroughly too late for that.

I'm almost glad it's too late. Almost. You're the one being harmed, but it's not the kind of thing people should be pressured into changing.

Sure, but think how satisfying to tell Maitimo.

Still extreme, but that's  a surprisingly compelling argument.

I know, right?

He shakes his head. Anyway, thanks for telling me, I'll go let everyone else who deserves to know know.

I'm just glad to stop hiding it. From you, and everyone else.

I'm impressed that you did. In hindsight he was practically dropping hints - it honestly makes more sense -

I did steer you away from it a couple times. I can describe where you were close when you get back, if you're curious.

If I'd figured it out before he pulled the stunt to get magic, that one'd just have been more unexpected. So, for the best.

True. At least this way we never didn't know about the risk.

He tells the King. The King authorizes people to be told, slowly and carefully and with all relevant caveats. He works rather obsessively at bringing new people up to speed on magic for the next few weeks.

Amber (not nearly as obsessively) finishes her translation project. She also does most of the first-stage informing about stuff, for the obvious long-term strategic reasons.

In one case she stops mid-exposition. What do we know about the orcs' oaths? she sends Findekáno. How specific, how much coercion? It's unexpectedly important.

We're just assuming the Enemy does that because why wouldn't he, we don't know anything...

Séron says he's coming back out of Valinor, lost children to the Enemy before. If he awakens and gets held accountable for his descendants' karma, that might be. Bad.

I can just tell him, and say the ritual is risky. But he's only the first to mention it. There might be others already who didn't.

It would work like that? And why do the oaths matter -

It would. I asked whether you and Irissë were ever likely to have direct ancestors or descendants awakening, way back when. This is the same thing on a bigger scale. The oaths are a straw to clutch at. If they're strict, and especially if they're forced, then the spirits might not blame the orcs for whatever the oaths have them do.

I've been kind of downplaying that when I tell people about it. Magic is too willing to accept "just following orders" as an excuse, it leads to the Feanorian kind of loyalty sometimes. So that's one of the things where I'd want to change what counts as the enforced status quo. But it might give a way out here.

We could catch some orcs and try asking them, don't know how well I'd expect that to go.

They would have every reason to lie. I guess there are always more coerced oaths– do orcs speak Quenya?

No. And we don't speak their language, though I bet Fëanáro does by now.

Ugh. That could work, but would involve talking to Fëanáro.

Do any of the Enemy's other servants speak Quenya? The fake Artanis could have been doing everything by osanwë...

The Enemy does, I bet Sauron speaks it fine, I am less sure of the lesser Maiar but would expect he teaches them, for a job important enough to risk them on in the first place.

If it's between talking to the Feanorians and trying to kidnap an enemy Maia I'm tempted to try the second one.